After applying the medicine, he took out a set of light cyan silk sleeping clothes and dressed her in them. They were soft and smooth, as light as nothing.
He had bought them just that day. There weren't many shops in the small, humble county town, and he had to visit several before finding them. They suited her perfectly, making her skin appear fairer than snow, like an immortal being untouched by the mortal world.
Her eyes were red, but no tears fell.
"Stubborn!" Xiao Shan couldn't help but exclaim. With a helpless sigh, he picked her up and placed her on the bed.
As he had said, one person and one quilt. However, the bed was small, so he curled up on his side, embracing her along with the quilt.
Unbeknownst to her, Xue Niang found she could move again. She shifted her body.
The man tightened his arm, closed his eyes, and said tiredly, "Don't move, I'm tired!"
Xue Niang dared not move again. She realized he was genuinely asleep and all her anger turned into a question: Was he telling the truth?
So, was her role now that of a dog?
Fear flashed in her eyes. She hated dogs the most!
The candlelight flickered. She couldn't see, but the corners of the man's mouth, buried in the quilt, turned up.
The man beside her began to snore softly, as if fast asleep. Xue Niang, however, couldn't sleep. A faint sadness began to surface.
Who was she, after all?
Deep in the night, as the moon slanted westward and even the chirping of insects ceased, a faint sob suddenly emanated from the room.
Xiao Shan immediately became alert, his tiger-like eyes shooting out a daunting light. The candle was about to burn out, emitting its last wisp of light.
"Qing He, Qing He..."
"Together, don't push me away..."
The woman beside him was weeping profusely. She thrashed, pulling the quilt away, lost in some nightmare.
Xiao Shan quickly grabbed her flailing arms, his strong forearms pinning her to his chest as he awkwardly patted her back.
"Don't be afraid!"
"Qing He! Qing He!"
She was so fragile. The helplessness on her face made Xiao Shan's heart constrict. What had she dreamed of to be so unable to wake up?
"Xue Niang, don't be afraid, don't be afraid... it's all fake."
"No!" Her voice suddenly turned sharp. "It's not fake! I don't believe it! They said they loved me! Why are they doing this to me! Why, why!"
Xiao Shan's gaze was deep as he continued to comfort the slender body in his arms.
She had suffered a severe injury, not physical, but emotional.
Who was she talking about? Who was Qing He?
Xue Niang finally quieted down, curling up like a kitten with sobs, murmuring, "Don't come near... get away... I'm not afraid, not afraid..."
Xiao Shan held her like that, stroking her hair, again and again, his sleep completely gone.
Only when the sky began to whiten did he gently put her down and go to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the bowl of red mountain berries was less than half full, and the washed bowls and chopsticks were neatly stacked. A smile touched his lips.
He brewed some fine rice porridge and boiled eggs. He didn't know how to cook anything else. He would buy more food at the market later.
He was indeed taking care of her now.
He felt a little defeated, but more so, complex. He had intended to tame and discipline her, but his usual methods from the military seemed to be useless. He had given her the sweet, but couldn't bring himself to deliver the harsh blow.
Facing such a pitiable person, what was a rough man like him to fuss about? Forget it. He'd just keep her as a pampered pet. Occasionally disobedient, it wouldn't be a major issue.
He lit the fire and cooked. The porridge was soon ready and kept warm in the pot. He then went to the mountain and carried back a large bundle of firewood.
The sun had risen higher when movement came from the room. Xue Niang had woken up.
The sound of chopping wood came from the courtyard. Xue Niang felt a bit weak, her head swimming. Her body was still not well. For some reason, the front of her soft sleeping clothes was wrinkled and seemed to have water stains.
She frowned, got out of bed, bolted the door, and then took off her clothes to change.
The chopping sound outside paused. The man called out loudly, "You're up, come eat."
Xue Niang's hand trembled. She gritted her teeth, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filling with anger again. Looking at the two quilts tangled together on the bed, she wished she could throw them out.
He hadn't touched her, but it was almost the same. After being seen and touched by a man multiple times, what reputation could a woman have left?
Feeling lightheaded, she walked out. The man had already stacked the firewood and was washing his face at the water缸 in the courtyard, wiping himself with a towel.
Xue Niang didn't look at him, her gaze fixed straight ahead as she entered the kitchen.
It was white rice porridge again. Last night, she had only eaten two pieces of the large basin of chicken, and it had all gone into his stomach. He could really eat!
What a glutton!
The glutton entered, immediately reaching out to feel her forehead. "Why is your complexion not good?"
She didn't have a fever!
"Can you stop touching me all the time?" She distastefully wiped her forehead. Those large hands were wet and uncomfortable.
"Say that again, and you want me to touch you?" Xiao Shan made a move to reach out again.
Xue Niang quickly retreated, keeping her distance. Her beautiful eyes glared at him hatefully.
Xiao Shan took a bowl, scooped some porridge, picked out the egg, and then took a small bowl of chicken from the steamer.
Why was there still chicken?
"Eat. What else do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you at the market."
"I... I don't want to eat anything."
Xue Niang lost her spirit. She ate his food and drank his, but he also bullied her. How could she settle this account?
"Then I'll buy it based on what I think! Don't try to be brave at home. Qu Linglong said your body needs to recover for at least half a year to a year. Don't be careless about this lifelong matter. Take your medicine diligently, and apply the ointment on your body carefully. For a young lady, it's not good to have scars."
Xue Niang lowered her head, her cheeks flushing a faint red. Linglong had said he was taciturn and didn't talk much, but she found him quite nagging, like a father.
"After you finish eating, go rest. You're as thin as a little chick."
Xiao Shan slurped down two large bowls of porridge, but his movements were not crude; rather, they had a hearty flavor.
He then peeled another egg and dropped it into her bowl.
"Don't eat too much at once. Eat again after a while. I'm leaving. Bolt the door well. I should be back by noon."
He stood up and patted her head.
By the time Xue Niang looked up to glare at him, she only saw his retreating back.
"I told you not to touch me," she muttered, then continued to laboriously gnaw on the chicken.
...
Xue Niang slept again. The sun was already high in the sky, it was noon, but Xiao Shan had not returned.
She ran out of the courtyard and glanced at the road leading out of the village. It was empty, not a soul in sight.
Didn't he say he would be back by noon?
Distractedly, she returned to the courtyard. The courtyard was not large. The firewood in the corner was piled high and neatly arranged; it was what he had chopped in the morning. The water in the water缸 was also full.
After all, he had been a soldier; he did things very systematically.
She wondered how early he had woken up to do so much work.
Her stomach started to rumble again. She remembered her duty: to cook.
She went to the kitchen but felt at a loss. How much rice should she put?
Why wouldn't the fire starter light? Why wouldn't the firewood catch fire?
Sitting in the carriage, Xiao Shan saw a plume of thick smoke rising from his courtyard from afar. His expression changed drastically. He jumped off the carriage, pointed to the driver, and then rushed off.
"Xue Niang! Xue Niang!"
The smoke was coming from the kitchen. Xiao Shan ran in and saw the small figure squatting by the stove, coughing from the smoke.
"Are you crazy? Get out quickly!" He hurriedly picked her up and rushed out.
With so much smoke, was she trying to choke to death inside?
Xue Niang was not seriously harmed, just choked to tears and with a sore throat. Her face was smudged with soot, making her look like a calico cat.
"Who told you to play with fire! Didn't I tell you not to be brave, not to be brave! Why don't you listen!" He yelled, almost scolding her.
Xue Niang had spent a long time trying to start a fire. She was already in a bad mood, and being yelled at by him made her feel even more wronged. She glared and retorted defiantly.
"You said I should be a firewood girl!"
"If I say you're a firewood girl, you are. If I say you're my woman, will you be or not!?"