CITM - 41

There was no main road leading to Qingxi Village, only narrow paths between the fields. It took nearly an hour to walk there. The villagers usually hitched rides on tractors driven by fellow villagers when they went out. Ye Yun had returned in a hurry, and at this time of night, there wasn’t a soul on the road. Her body had reached its limit; her head was spinning, and she dragged herself forward with great difficulty, gritting her teeth until she finally reached home.

The sky grew completely dark. The wooden gate of the Ye family was shut, but faint light seeped through the cracks, guiding her toward home. Overcome with emotion, Ye Yun quickened her steps.

When she reached the door, she was utterly exhausted. After catching her breath for a moment, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

After a short wait, footsteps sounded from behind the door. A young girl opened it—it was Ye Yun’s youngest sister. She stood there dumbfounded for a while before finally realizing who it was. Turning her head, she shouted into the house, “Mom, Big Sister is back!”

At that sound, their mother, second sister, and younger brother all rushed out.

Ye Ru, the second sister, was brimming with excitement as she ran forward to take the cloth bag from Ye Yun’s hands. “Sister, haven’t you eaten yet?”

Ye Yun shook her head.

“I’ll go start the fire. Little Sister, go bring the dishes.”

With Ye Yun’s return, the house suddenly became busy. The three sisters gathered in the brick-built kitchen. After Ye Ru lit the fire, she instructed the youngest sister to sit by the stove and add firewood. Then she moved to the large pot to heat up the food.

Ye Yun sat on a small wooden stool nearby, surrounded by the warm scent of burning firewood. This long-forgotten scene of familial warmth brought tears to her eyes.

Her little brother lingered near the doorway, staring at Ye Yun. When he was younger, this youngest son of the Ye family had been difficult to care for, often crying inconsolably at night despite trying every remedy. The second sister couldn’t sleep well because of his noise, and the youngest sister didn’t get along with him. When she was born, everyone hoped for a boy, but instead, another girl arrived, making her unwelcome in the family. Later, when the youngest son was born, both parents doted on him like a precious treasure. Growing up under such imbalanced treatment, the youngest sister resented her little brother.

Only Ye Yun, during those difficult nights, would hum songs to soothe her youngest brother in the courtyard so her sisters could sleep peacefully.

Once he learned to walk, he would often scramble onto Ye Yun’s lap, feeling closest to her.

Now, after nearly two years apart, he seemed hesitant to approach her. In his eyes, his eldest sister had changed too much—her appearance, her demeanor, everything about her sitting there quietly and elegantly made her seem like a different person.

Ye Yun turned her head to look at him. He had grown quite a bit taller. She remembered that when she left home, her brother was just a tiny thing.

She waved at him, and only then did the shy youngest brother dare to step closer. Once he reached her, Ye Yun patted his head. “You’ve grown so tall.”

He stared at her with wide, black eyes, and a familiar feeling welled up inside him. With tear-filled eyes, he buried himself in Ye Yun’s embrace. “Big Sister.”

As he cried, Ye Yun couldn’t help but cry along with him. The second sister finished serving the dishes and turned away to wipe her own tears.

Their mother brought a quilt to the second sister’s room, laying straw on the floor. Ye Ru told the youngest sister to sleep on the ground while she stayed up to talk with her older sister.

Separated for so long, the two sisters lay together as they used to. Too excited to sleep, the second sister hugged Ye Yun’s arm tightly and asked, “I heard from Mom that your husband has returned. You don’t know how worried I’ve been about you, afraid you’d be mistreated alone in the city. Did something happen between you two that made you come home suddenly?”

In the darkness, Ye Yun paused briefly. She hadn’t expected the news of Wen Bin’s survival to spread back to the village so quickly.

“No,” she denied.

“Then why didn’t your husband come back with you?”

“He’s busy...”

Ye Ru wasn’t so easily fooled. Seeing how Ye Yun had cried while holding their youngest brother clearly showed that she’d been wronged.

She pressed further, “Does your husband treat you well?”

“Yes, very well.”

“Tell me, how does he treat you well?”

Ye Yun fell silent for a moment before replying, “We live in a tube-shaped apartment building where we have to use the corridor bathroom at night. It’s dark, and my husband always waits outside in the corridor to make sure I’m not scared to go alone. Whenever I wanted to buy something but felt embarrassed to ask him for money, he’d buy it for me without hesitation, sparing me any discomfort. To keep me from being bored alone at home, he’d find ways to bring me nice fabrics. When he’s not around, I can spend my time sewing quilts or making clothes. Though I don’t dress as fashionably as the girls in the city and am sometimes teased for being old-fashioned, he buys me silk dresses and double-buckle leather shoes—things I’ve never even seen before. He takes me on bike rides to explore university campuses, barbecues chicken on grassy fields, visits night markets, teaches me how to play billiards, dances with me, and even lets me drink alcohol without his mother knowing.”

Wide-eyed, Ye Ru listened intently. In their village, women drinking alcohol was considered scandalous behavior. Most husbands wouldn’t tolerate such things, let alone encourage them.

Turning over, she asked, “Really? Isn’t your husband afraid your mother-in-law will find out?”

A slight smile tugged at Ye Yun’s lips. “He isn’t afraid of anything. I’ve never seen him fear anything.”

“What else? Tell me more!” The second sister was entranced and pleaded with Ye Yun to continue.

“He... took me on the tram to attend a trade fair downtown. The city trade fair was full of rare goods. It was the first time I’d seen an electric sewing machine capable of stitching twenty different patterns.”

“Wow!” The second sister’s eyes sparkled, as if hearing about some incredible novelty.

“Later, your brother-in-law bought that electric sewing machine for me.”

Shocked, the second sister exclaimed, “You mean he actually bought you an electric sewing machine? What’s it like? Is it easy to use? Do you know how to operate it?”

Ye Yun nodded. “It’s very user-friendly. If you want, I’ll teach you someday.”

“Great! Great!” The second sister clutched Ye Yun’s arm excitedly. “How did you learn to use it? Did someone teach you?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention—I work at a tailor shop in the city now.”

“You’re working?” The second sister was astonished.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Is it far from home?”

If Ye Yun were to find a job back in her hometown, commuting in and out of the village every day would take two or three hours. The second sister, who had never seen the outside world, imagined that her older sister must endure great hardship traveling to and from work each day.

Ye Yun patted her hand reassuringly. “It’s not far. I can get home on my bike in no time.”

“A bike? You have your own bicycle now?”

“Mm-hmm.”

At this point, Ye Ru truly believed that Ye Yun’s husband treated her well. In their village, if a woman owned a bicycle, it was considered a prestigious and enviable thing!

“Your husband is very generous. People in the village say those who work on ships earn a lot of money.”

As soon as she said this, Ye Ru realized something didn’t add up. While people did say that working on ships brought in good money, there was another saying: “They’re gone all year, leaving their wives to live like widows.”

But from what Ye Yun had described earlier, her husband seemed to be constantly by her side, not like someone who was away for long periods. This left Ye Ru feeling confused.

Ye Yun turned over and stopped sharing more with her younger sister.

In the middle of the night, Ye Ru noticed that her sister’s breathing was heavy. When she touched her, Ye Yun’s body was burning hot, scaring her.

The memory of her youngest brother’s near-fatal fever last year was still fresh in her mind, so Ye Ru didn’t dare to be careless. She quickly got up, fetched water, and brought a wet towel into the room. She placed it on Ye Yun’s forehead, repeatedly wiping her down to cool her fever.

By the early hours of the morning, Ye Yun’s fever began to subside, though she remained uncomfortable, occasionally murmuring incoherently. Sometimes it sounded like soft sobs, other times like she was calling someone’s name.

Ye Ru couldn’t make out the words clearly. Leaning closer, she heard only one word: “Fu.” She didn’t know what was wrong with her sister—why she had suddenly come home and fallen ill with such a high fever. Heartbroken, Ye Ru pressed Ye Yun’s hand to her cheek.

Perhaps during her time in the city, Ye Yun had been under immense stress. Every day, upon waking, she faced endless worries. Now that she was finally home, the weight of her burdens lifted, but her body collapsed under the strain.

After her fever broke in the night, it returned again during the day.

Their mother had intended to ask Ye Yun about her life at the Bai family household. However, Ye Yun’s fever persisted throughout the day, and she spent most of her time sleeping. Ye Ru advised their mother not to press further, suggesting they let Ye Yun rest and recover first.

By the second night, the high fever had turned into a low-grade one, and Ye Yun gradually regained consciousness. She thought it was still the first night shortly after arriving home.

When she woke up in the morning, she realized she had already been lying in bed for a full day and two nights. Her bones felt weak, and she lacked energy. As she climbed out of bed, her head throbbed faintly.

Feeling sticky and uncomfortable, she cleaned herself in the room and changed into fresh clothes. Just as she finished, her second sister rushed in frantically, shouting, “Sister, Sister!”

Ye Yun was combing her hair and turned around. “What is it? Why are you in such a hurry?”

“There’s a man here looking for you.”

Ye Yun froze, quickly tied up her hair, and followed Ye Ru out of the room.

As soon as they entered the main hall, she saw a tall figure wearing a zip-up jacket standing with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing intently at the wall covered in framed awards.

Seeing his silhouette, Ye Yun’s breath caught. Bai Wenfu heard the sound and turned around. When he saw Ye Yun’s pale and weary face, his brows furrowed involuntarily.

This small gesture startled Ye Ru, who had just returned home and seen Bai Wenfu speaking with their mother. He was broad-shouldered and tall, with a scar above his brow, giving him an intimidating presence that made her avoid eye contact. Now, seeing him frown made him look even more formidable. She shrank behind Ye Yun and tugged at her sleeve. “Sister, who is he?”

Ye Yun’s gaze flickered but didn’t respond. Instead, their mother brought over a stool and invited Bai Wenfu to sit. “Please, have a seat. Don’t stand.”

Bai Wenfu took the stool politely and said, “It’s fine. You go ahead with what you’re doing; don’t worry about me.”

Ye Ru ran off to the kitchen to interrogate their mother about who this man was, leaving Ye Yun alone. She glanced at the gifts piled on the table—large and small packages Bai Wenfu had brought.

Just then, their youngest brother burst in from outside, yelling “Big Sister, Big Sister!” before entering the house. But as soon as he stepped inside and saw the unfamiliar man sitting there, he froze, staring blankly at Bai Wenfu.

Ye Yun noticed her youngest brother’s shirt buttons were misaligned. Calling him over, she undid and rebuttoned his clothes while chiding him gently. “Have you forgotten your manners? Say hello.”

The youngest brother looked back at Bai Wenfu, then at Ye Yun. “What should I call him?”

The awkwardness between Ye Yun and Bai Wenfu made it difficult to decide how to address him.

Ye Yun forced a smile. “You don’t need to call him anything.”

“…” The youngest brother was utterly perplexed. Turning back toward Bai Wenfu, he stared again.

Bai Wenfu looked at him warmly. “Come here.”

Obediently, the youngest brother approached. Bai Wenfu rummaged through the pile of gifts and handed him some fruit candy and uniquely shaped cookies.

Delighted, the youngest brother danced around excitedly, repeatedly glancing back at his older sister, silently asking if it was okay to accept them.

Ignoring him, Ye Yun turned away. Bai Wenfu pulled the boy closer. “Why are you looking at her? These are for you.”

“Thank you…” The youngest hesitated. “What should I call you?”

“What do you want to call me?” Bai Wenfu asked with a teasing smile.

“Big Brother?”

He indulgently replied, “Then call me Big Brother.”

“Thank you, Big Brother!”

After expressing his thanks, the youngest dashed into the kitchen. Not long after, the second and youngest sisters emerged, sucking on pieces of fruit candy, peeking curiously at Bai Wenfu from the doorway.

In the main hall, Ye Yun walked over to the table and poured him a cup of hot water.

Glancing at the items on the floor, her heart swelled with bittersweet emotion. That day, she hadn’t brought much back with her, exhausted from the journey home. But he, despite his injured leg, had carried all these heavy things from the village entrance to her house—she couldn’t imagine how long it must have taken.

She handed him the cup of water. As Bai Wenfu reached for it, his warm palm covered her hand holding the cup, and his thumb lightly brushed against her knuckles. “Come back with me.”

Flustered, Ye Yun shoved the cup into his hands and hurriedly turned away.

Bai Wenfu shared lunch with Ye Yun’s family. During the meal, their mother asked, “Where’s your younger brother? Why didn’t he come?”

Ye Yun froze, her chopsticks halting mid-air. The rice stuck in her throat, refusing to go down.

Bai Wenfu lowered his gaze and responded calmly, “He’s tied up at the dock.”

The villagers’ gossip was relentless, but Bai Wenfu had tactfully maintained Ye Yun’s dignity, smoothly following their mother’s line of questioning.

Their mother assumed Ye Yun had quarreled with Wen Bin, and that Wen Bin’s older brother had come to bring her back. Such incidents weren’t uncommon in the village. When young couples argued, it was usually the elder relatives or someone of higher status from the husband’s side who would visit, bringing gifts to reconcile and take the wife home, offering an explanation to her family and showing respect.

Since Wen Bin’s mother was elderly, it made sense for his older brother to come instead. With this understanding, their mother didn’t ask further questions.

After the meal, Ye Yun went to her room to retrieve her cloth bag. By now, her family knew that Wen Bin had returned alive. There was no way she could stay at home indefinitely without revealing the truth. But the truth… she’d rather never return home than let it slip. Qingxi Village couldn’t bear the weight of this truth, nor could her family handle it.

Before leaving, the youngest brother pulled Ye Yun to a corner of the courtyard and stuffed a few pieces of fruit candy into her pocket.

“Big Sister, you can eat these on the way. We’ve already tried them—they’re delicious.”

Outside the gate, Bai Wenfu bent down to inspect the peanut vines growing in front of the Ye family’s door.

“What’s your name?” a voice asked.

Bai Wenfu straightened up and turned to see Ye Ru clutching the hem of her dress, nervously staring at him.

He glanced at her. “What is it?”

His piercing gaze unsettled her. “I just wanted to ask your name.”

“Bai Wenfu,” he replied.

When Ye Ru heard the character “Fu,” her heart trembled. Her shocked expression didn’t escape Bai Wenfu’s notice.

His sharp eyes narrowed slightly. “Is something wrong?”

Summoning her courage, Ye Ru blurted out, “My sister has been running a high fever since the night she came home. It only broke this morning. Please… take good care of her.”

In the depths of Bai Wenfu’s dark pupils, his gaze was unfathomable. He gave her a solemn promise: “I will.”