Xue Niang and Yu Tou went to the same spot to roast food again. She watched expectantly as Yu Tou opened the bag and poured out its contents.
"Wow, it's crabs! Did you catch them in the river?"
No wonder the bag was damp. There were also some large clams, and what was this?
"Yes, I caught them in the mountain river. There were fish too, but they swam too fast for me to catch."
"This river clam is so big! I heard pearls are found inside river clams. Open it and see if there's one!"
Yu Tou found it amusing. This woman was truly naive. How could one possibly find something as rare as a pearl!
In his many years, he had dug through hundreds of clams in the mud and had never seen a single pearl.
"You're a bigger dreamer than I am!"
Yu Tou forcefully pried open the river clam, which was as large as an adult's palm. The clam meat inside was plump and thick. Yu Tou handed the opened clam directly to Xue Niang.
"Here, go ahead and look! If you really find one, you can have it made into a pendant," Yu Tou teased.
Then he went to gather firewood and set up a frame to start a fire.
Xue Niang reached out and poked it. The clam meat shrank slightly, squeezing out a pool of water.
"There really is one! And it's not small!"
Xue Niang exclaimed, digging hard at a hard object with her hand. Yu Tou chuckled, not even looking up.
"Yu Tou! Look quickly! It's light pink!"
In her palm, as white and tender as suet, lay a beautiful pearl. Yu Tou's hands stopped, and he was stunned.
He rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again! It was true! It wasn't an illusion; it was indeed a pearl! It was as round as the ones worn by the noble ladies outside.
This one was light pink, even prettier than white! And it was quite large.
"You, you're not a jinx, are you? No, no, you have a prophet's mouth!" He reached out to touch it but then pulled his hand back when he saw his own dirty hands.
Xue Niang picked it up between her index finger and thumb and held it up to the sun. The pearl shimmered with iridescence between her clear fingertips.
"This should sell for some money."
Sell it?
"Didn't I say you could have it made into a pendant? I saw the ladies in town wearing them like that. You should get one made too. You're so fair-skinned; it would surely look good on you."
"I don't want it. Here, take it and sell it to buy yourself some clothes. Look how tattered yours are. And even if your clothes are torn, you should at least wash your face. You're so dirty."
Xue Niang looked at him with disdain. Her words made Yu Tou extremely embarrassed.
"I thought you were different from others, but it turns out you're disgusted with me too," he mumbled.
He didn't take the pearl and quietly started roasting the crabs. He threw four eggs under the frame and buried them in the dirt.
Seeing that he wouldn't take it, Xue Niang had no choice but to put it away.
"Alright then! I'll have Xiao Shan help you sell it. Remember to come to my house to get the money."
"You're so naggy. I said I'd have a pendant made from it, and my word is my bond!" Yu Tou shouted fiercely.
Xue Niang found it a bit strange. Why was this brat unhappy? He had a scowl on his face as if someone owed him something.
Yu Tou was unusually quiet today. He didn't eat anything else, but he did eat two of the roasted eggs. Xue Niang didn't eat the remaining two; she only ate the crabs and river clams, and that thing called a "wo la niu." It looked dirty, and neither of them ate it.
"Do you want to take the remaining eggs back?" Yu Tou hesitated.
"If you can't finish them, eat them tonight. I have plenty at home!"
Plenty? Yu Tou couldn't quite imagine.
"You, you took so much out. Won't your man get angry?"
"Hey, kid, I took things from my own home. How is that stealing?" Xue Niang was displeased.
"That's not it. I heard you were bought by that hunter!" Yu Tou muttered softly.
Xue Niang didn't hear him. She looked up at the sun. It was noon; it was time to go back.
"Let's go home!"
"Don't move!"
Yu Tou's expression was tense. He whispered to Xue Niang, then picked up a piece of firewood from the ground, his eyes fixed on Xue Niang's back.
Xue Niang felt a chill run down her spine, her hairs standing on end.
She seemed to hear a "hissing" sound.
Yu Tou stepped forward quickly and flicked the firewood. A snake landed in the grass in an arc.
A snake again!
Why did these things always bother her!
Yu Tou let out a sigh. Seeing Xue Niang's pale face, he said, "It's okay, this snake isn't poisonous. I've caught and eaten them before. You're not afraid of frogs, so why are you afraid of snakes?"
How could that be the same? That snake was soft, slippery, and cold. It was too creepy!
"Stop talking nonsense! Let's go!"
Yu Tou shrugged, and the two quickly descended the mountain. This time, Yu Tou didn't part ways with her; he followed behind Xue Niang, not too close, not too far.
The courtyard gate was ajar, not fully closed. Had Xiao Shan returned? So early today?
Xue Niang went into the kitchen first. She saw the pot was hot and the meal was already cooked, but Xiao Shan was nowhere to be seen.
She searched around and finally opened the door to the storage room.
As soon as she opened it, Xiao Shan sat up abruptly from the bed, his hands behind his back.
Xue Niang's eyes widened, disbelieving. Even though his movements had been quick just now, she had seen it clearly: while he was sleeping, something had been covering his face.
It was the mandarin duck-patterned bellyband she couldn't find!
"You, you scoundrel!"
She was furious! She had worn that! And he had used it to cover his face while sleeping!
"Xue Niang! Don't be angry, don't be angry. I haven't been sleeping well these past few days, that's why..."
Xue Niang, her face flushed red, ran out.
"Xue Niang, where are you going?" Xiao Shan looked very nervous and quickly chased after her.
Xue Niang ran to the woodpile, pulled out a stick, turned around, and started hitting Xiao Shan, who had followed her out.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
Xiao Shan jumped around as he was hit. Xue Niang chased him around the courtyard, hitting him.
Yu Tou, who had been hiding quietly outside, froze on the spot.
He had originally been worried that Xue Niang might have stolen eggs and would be beaten by that hunter. Who would have thought he would witness this scene? A bear-like man being beaten by a woman as thin as a willow branch, crying out in pain. What's more, every strike landed on him, yet he didn't dare to truly dodge!
What was happening in this world?
Were bought women this arrogant?
Xue Niang, tired from hitting, threw down the stick and panted heavily. She pointed at Xiao Shan with trembling fingers, unable to speak.
"Are you still angry? If not, eat first, then hit me again?"
Shameless! How could he be like this! Xue Niang felt as if the bellyband she was wearing now was also permeated with his hot breath, burning her skin!
"Hmph!" Xue Niang ran into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Xiao Shan stood outside the door and called, "Haven't you eaten yet?"
"Not eating!"
"That won't do! Come out and eat quickly. Don't play with your health." Xiao Shan knocked on the door.
"I ate outside. You eat by yourself!"
Ate outside? Where did she eat, and whose food did she eat?
Xiao Shan stopped knocking and went to the kitchen to eat his meal with a heavy heart.
"She won't let me touch her, not even smell her? Such a temper."
"I wonder where she went again. Could she have gone to see that pretty boy?"
"What kind of scholar is he? He's forgotten all his manners!"
Outside the courtyard, Yu Tou walked away as if he had lost his soul, dazed and bewildered.
Between the two of them, who was the one who was bought?