You are absolutely right!
Xiao Shan looked at her, her eyes blinking as if expecting something, and a knot of frustration tightened in his chest.
He gave her one last, deep look before shouldering his gear and setting off.
Well, he thought, let this be the last chance.
If she still wanted to leave, this was the final opportunity.
If she stayed, then he would never let her go again. Even if she regained her memories later and regretted it, he would never allow her to leave again. She was Xiao Shan's person in life, and his ghost in death.
Xue Niang, will you still be in this barren, fenced yard tomorrow?
After Xiao Shan left, Xue Niang, with nothing to do, stood dazed in the yard for a while. She gazed at the towering green mountains nearby, wondering which direction he had gone.
The chickens in the nearby pen clucked and ambled about leisurely. He had fed them just before leaving, so they surely weren't hungry. Yet, she had heard that chickens also had a name: "never full."
Mimicking Xiao Shan, Xue Niang scooped a handful of coarse grain mixed with small clumps of soil from a nearby broken pottery jar and scattered it.
As expected, a flock of chickens chased after it, gobbling it down eagerly.
"Whoever gets the fattest, I'll eat first!"
However, how could a flock of silly chickens understand her words? They continued to eat with gusto, even pecking at each other for a mouthful of food.
"So foolish."
After watching the foolish chickens for a while, Xue Niang began to wander around the yard again.
The small yard wasn't large. One side was piled with firewood, and next to the firewood was a small outhouse. In the middle was a path, paved with some stones, likely to make walking easier on rainy days. Further along, on the other side, stood a large water vat covered with a felt cloth. At the very edge was something shaped like a well, covered with a stone slab.
Xue Niang went to take a look. Through a gap, it was dark inside, and she couldn't see clearly. It definitely wasn't a well, because Xiao Shan carried water from outside.
There were only three rooms: a bedroom, a kitchen, and a storage room.
This home was truly simple, impoverished.
But the man in this home was not simple.
She recalled his might when he carried the black bear, his heroic posture when he shot with perfect accuracy from a hundred paces, his agility when he leaped high, his piercing, bright eyes when he looked at her, and his hearty, unrestrained manner when he ate.
And also, his domineering declaration: "It is only natural for men to provide for women."
Qu Linglong was right.
This man was rare in the world.
Due to the effects of the medicine, Xue Niang felt drowsy. She returned to her room, bolted the door, and lay down on the bed.
In her semi-conscious state, she seemed to hear a noise. Because of her past experiences, she was very sensitive. When Xiao Shan was home, she felt more at ease. But with him gone, her vigilance automatically kicked in.
The noise wasn't loud, just a rustling sound. The door was securely shut. Xue Niang searched for a moment before spotting a small thing near the base of the wall.
It was a rat, about the size of a palm, its beady eyes looking at Xue Niang.
Xue Niang's face immediately turned unpleasant. She recognized this creature; she had even associated with it before. The spoiled food she didn't eat had ended up in this creature's belly.
It was a disgusting creature.
She picked up a shoe and threw it at it. The rat scurried away, disappearing into some hole.
"Stinking rat, if you dare show yourself again, I'll beat you to death!"
As soon as the man left, all sorts of things came out to bully her, thinking she was easy to intimidate!?
This commotion made her unable to sleep. She kept feeling that the rat was still lurking in the shadows, watching her.
She found herself wishing the man would return quickly.
Before it was even dark, she brewed her own medicine and boiled a few eggs. While carrying the medicine, she scalded her hand, causing a blister. But she was still happy; she could cook for herself now, finally not a useless person.
She closed the door early and went to bed. The day had passed just like that.
As the candle grew shorter, she finally fell asleep.
Based on the previous time, Xiao Shan should have returned around noon, but she wasn't sure. Xue Niang was scattering coarse grain in the yard to feed the chickens when she heard someone call out.
She turned her head and saw a dark-skinned girl with two thick braids standing outside the fence.
"Xiao, is Xiao Shan home?"
Xue Niang stood up and walked towards the yard gate. The girl, perhaps startled by her face, took a step back.
She looked about sixteen or seventeen, a bit thin, her skin tanned by the sun. Her eyes weren't large, and her lips were a bit thick. She wore a washed-out, coarse cloth shirt, with two thick plaits hanging down her sides. She looked like a common village girl.
"Xiao Shan isn't home."
The girl didn't look at Xue Niang's face, but stared at her clothes, biting her thick lips.
"Are you the woman he bought?"
Xue Niang didn't answer, looking at her silently. The girl was slightly shorter than Xue Niang, and looking up at her gave her a somewhat condescending air.
"Never mind, I'll come back to find him when he returns."
The girl turned and left. Her ill-fitting trousers rode high, revealing ankles that were whiter than her face. Though she looked thin, her hips were ample, and she had strength. She quickly walked away.
Xue Niang returned to the chicken pen with a cold expression, grabbed a large handful of coarse grain, and flung it forcefully. The chickens squawked in alarm, flapping their wings and jumping.
"Bought, bought! Who wants to be bought by you!"
She wasn't livestock; why should those people treat her like merchandise to be sold!
Where there is buying, there is selling. The seller was a beast, and the buyer was no good either!
Beyond the fence, there was another commotion. It was a peddler, beating a flower drum.
"Little sister-in-law, want hairpins? All styles available, very beautiful!"
The young peddler had passed by this house before when going out of the village. He had heard it was the home of a solitary hunter. Today was the first time he had seen a woman in the yard.
The woman had her hair tied back with just a string, with no hair ornaments. Judging by her figure, she was slender and graceful, a young girl. He had plenty of hairpins, and she was sure to like them.
Xue Niang stood up impatiently, turned her head, and looked coldly at the person outside.
"Ah!" the young peddler exclaimed.
He was startled not only by her profile, which looked somewhat fierce, but even more by the woman's icy gaze.
"Little sister-in-law, pardon me!"
The peddler, carrying his load, ran off quickly, passing by Xiao Shan, who was just returning.
Xiao Shan felt a sense of apprehension as he approached home, becoming more hesitant the closer he got. Seeing a peddler rush past him, heading in the direction of his house,
He dared not hesitate any longer. He quickened his pace, taking two steps at a time towards the fenced yard.
"Xue Niang!"
There was no one in the yard. A panic seized him. He dropped the game on his shoulder and rushed towards the bedroom.
Xue Niang was sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling angry. Hearing the man's call, her eyes lit up, but then her face turned cold again. "Hmph!" she snorted.
Xiao Shan opened the door, dusty and travel-worn. Seeing Xue Niang sitting on the edge of the bed, his heart, like a massive object settling, finally came to rest.
She hadn't left.