She thought the hunter Xiao was going to bully him then and rushed over.
"Mother, I was so engrossed in reading this afternoon, nothing happened. Hunter Xiao was carrying a lot of things, and I just wanted to help him. But it seems he didn't need it, so let's go home!"
That's what her son said at the time, but she didn't believe it. She knew her son best; his ears were red, clearly lying.
She just didn't know what had happened, making her unable to figure it out all night.
After dinner, he said he was tired and went back to his room to sleep.
She listened at the door for a long time, and when there was no movement, she returned to her room.
Liu Donghuai had indeed fallen asleep. He had been in the woods all afternoon until it grew quiet around him as dusk approached, leaving him covered in mosquito bites.
However, he had a dream while sleeping. In his dream, he held a woman. That woman smelled fragrant and was incredibly soft...
In the dead of night, all was silent.
Xiao Shan suddenly opened his fierce eyes. There was the sound of a door opening outside. His sturdy body leaped up agilely, and he peered through the crack in the door.
Trouble! Xue Niang was sleepwalking again!
She was wearing only a thin nightgown and walked straight across the courtyard. This time, she was actually heading for the door.
The cold moonlight shone on the ground. She directly opened the fence gate and walked out.
Xiao Shan hurriedly put on his clothes, carefully opened his door, and followed Xue Niang until he stopped by a willow tree outside the fence.
She turned around, facing north, gazing into the distance, and remained motionless for a long time.
It was still a bit chilly at night, and she was wearing so little. She might catch a cold. Xiao Shan was anxious and wanted to guide her back quickly.
"Xue Niang, what are you looking at?"
"Looking at the Tujue."
Looking at what?
A storm of shock surged in Xiao Shan's eyes. How could it involve the Tujue? Xue Niang couldn't possibly be a Tujue person!
"Looking at the Tujue for what?" He held his breath, suppressing his heartbeat, and asked softly.
"Qing He is in the Tujue."
Qing He, again Qing He. So he was in the Tujue? Who was he, and how did he end up in the Tujue? Relations between the two countries were tense now, with all border crossings closed. How did he get there?
"Who is Qing He?"
"Qing He, Qing He..." Xue Niang covered her face and began to sob.
"Alright, don't cry, don't cry. Let's go to bed first. Qing He will be back when you wake up."
"Will she come back?" Xue Niang opened her vacant eyes and looked in Xiao Shan's direction, tear tracks on her face.
Xiao Shan's heart ached.
"Yes, she will come back. You just wait for her obediently at home."
"You're lying to me, you're lying to me. She won't come back." Xue Niang's tears welled up again. "The God of War of Jing Country is dead. She won't come back!"
The God of War of Jing Country? Was she referring to him? What was the connection between this Qing He and him?
Xiao Shan grew more confused.
Xue Niang wept, and the moonlight cast a silver glow on her, making her look like an ethereal spirit lost on earth, fragile and helpless. She continued, "Whoever can bring Qing He back, I will marry them."
Xiao Shan's tiger-like eyes widened. "Don't you remember you already have a man?"
"Have a man? I'm married? I'm married to Brother Xiang Tang?" She tilted her head in confusion, innocent and pure.
Xiao Shan almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Who was Brother Xiang Tang?
Had she truly belonged to someone before?
Then it was better not to regain her memory!
"Let's go back to sleep. You'll be fine when you wake up." He was afraid that if he asked further, he wouldn't be able to control himself and would scare her awake.
Xue Niang also felt cold. She hugged herself and started to move.
Xiao Shan quickly followed her, walking behind, and closed the door.
At the bedroom door, Xue Niang tilted her head. "You may withdraw!"
Xiao Shan, who was about to follow her in: "..."
Another night of poor sleep. Xiao Shan felt that even someone as strong as him would break down if this continued. After this incident, he had to constantly monitor the situation here. What if, with one lapse in attention, she ran into the river alone, or was startled awake by someone...
The calming medicine would also need to be continued.
They had only been apart for two days. If he went back to his own room, how would Xue Niang see him? She would definitely think he was a dishonorable person.
Perhaps he should just sleep in the courtyard? Since it was summer now, he wouldn't be cold if he covered himself with a quilt.
When Xue Niang woke up, her face felt tight, as if she had been crying. She rubbed it, and it felt a little better.
Xiao Shan had already prepared breakfast, which was kept warm in the pot. He was nowhere to be seen.
Xue Niang drank a bowl of sweet potato porridge and was full. Xiao Shan's new bowl was a bit large.
The chickens outside started clucking, their calls high and continuous, unlike their usual sounds. Xue Niang didn't know what was happening and ran out to see.
She found an egg lying in the fence.
"Wow! Did you lay this just now?"
Xue Niang looked at the happily clucking hen with surprise. She opened the gate and picked up the egg. It was still warm!
A flock of chickens surrounded her. Xue Niang felt like a crane standing among chickens.
The egg was a bit small but very beautiful and clean. Xue Niang placed it in the kitchen as if it were a treasure.
When she came out again, she threw a handful of feed to the chickens.
She decided not to eat these chickens anymore. She would keep them for laying eggs. There were ten chickens left, and they could lay ten eggs a day. Wow, that was enough for two people.
"Hey! Woman!"
Outside the courtyard stood a boy in tattered clothes, his hair messy and his face dirty, looking like a beggar.
He held a blade of grass in his mouth and a tattered bag in his hand, looking at Xue Niang askance.
"Yutou! Where are you going?"
A smile appeared on Xue Niang's face, and she ran over to open the fence gate.
Yutou's eyes flickered, and his shoulders relaxed. "Going to roast something delicious. Want to come?"
"Yes, wait for me! Ah, what are you carrying? I have eggs at home, can we roast them?"
"Uh, chickens, eggs?" The grass in Yutou's mouth fell.
Eggs were a rarity. Would her man let her take them?
Was she stealing them while her man was away?
Actually, Xue Niang wasn't taking the eggs because she wanted to eat them. She had just eaten and wasn't hungry at all. She felt it was a way to reciprocate after eating his food last time.
"Can we roast them?" she asked again.
Yutou swallowed his saliva. "We can, but..."
Xue Niang, hearing "can," ran towards the house. Yutou stopped talking, looked around guiltily. He had only dared to come after seeing the hunter heading into the mountains. He shouldn't be back so soon.
He had forgotten what eggs tasted like. He had only eaten a few bird eggs a month ago. But, but wouldn't she get beaten?
Xue Niang took two eggs in one hand, then thought about it and put them down. She didn't know when Xiao Shan would return, so it was better to leave a note to prevent that man from going crazy again.
She picked up a burning stick and drew a few lines on the ground, then picked up the eggs and ran out.
Yutou lost his earlier casual demeanor, his hands hanging by his sides, a little reserved. Seeing Xue Niang actually take four eggs, he was startled.
"You, you woman, you're too bold!"
Xue Niang looked at him, not understanding, and stuffed the eggs into his hand before turning to close the fence gate.
"You're impolite. You should call me sister. I'm older than you."
"Sis...ter?" Yutou murmured.