Chapter 8 “Younger Brother Returns”

 

Ever since Qi Qingfeng heard that his parents had married off his older brother to a bride without consulting anyone, he had been fuming. He hurriedly asked his teacher for leave and traveled day and night to rush home. However, before he could even step inside the house, he heard someone outside their courtyard threatening to hit someone. His handsome face instantly darkened.

“Stop right there!” Qi Qingfeng roared.

Xu Laoda flinched in fear but, upon recognizing Qi Qingfeng, regained his courage. He huffed impatiently, “Second Son Qi, I’m disciplining my niece. What’s it got to do with you? Let go of me!”

“Your niece?” Qi Qingfeng narrowed his eyes and turned to look inside the courtyard. At first glance, he thought it was his mother with her hair pinned up, so he had rushed to intervene. Upon closer inspection, it was a young woman trembling with fear, staring at him timidly.

Realizing who she was, irritation clouded his brow. He turned back to Xu Laoda and said coldly, “Your niece is now my brother’s wife and a member of the Qi family. If she has done anything wrong, it’s up to my parents to discipline her. What business does her uncle have coming here?”

Xu Laoda snorted. “You should ask her what good deeds she’s done!”

Qi Qingfeng turned to Xu Shuyue, his sharp gaze assessing her. Under the weight of their stares, Xu Shuyue clenched her palms, forcing out a few tears. She pretended to be hurt by Xu Laoda’s words and choked out, “What have I done to deserve your questioning, Uncle? You and Aunt were the ones who found me a burden and sold me to the Qi family for three taels of silver. I thought you no longer considered me family. Even on my return day, I didn’t dare come home to disturb you, so I went to the mountains to pay respects to Father and Mother instead. And now, that’s somehow my fault?”

Her words deftly shifted the blame onto Xu Laoda and Madam Chen.

Everyone in the village knew how poorly the two had treated her. Even Qi Qingfeng, who spent most of his time studying away from home, had heard bits and pieces. Hearing Xu Shuyue’s tearful explanation now only complicated his feelings toward this new sister-in-law.

Xu Laoda, though caught off guard, had long developed a thick skin. He was shameless enough not to be swayed by her words. He was here for the return gifts and wasn’t leaving empty-handed. Rolling his eyes, he feigned sincerity and said, “Ah, so you still have that filial heart. Very well. If you don’t want to come back home, that’s fine. But the proper formalities must be observed. Otherwise, people will laugh at us. That wouldn’t be good, would it?”

Suspicious, Xu Shuyue asked warily, “What do you mean by that?”

Xu Laoda stretched out a hand, flashing his yellowing teeth in an attempt to sound magnanimous. “I mean you can give me the cured meat and eggs, and I’ll take them back for you. That way, the gesture is made, and it’s as if you’ve returned home.”

Xu Shuyue nearly laughed out loud at his brazenness. She had seen shameless people before but never quite like this. She couldn’t help but marvel at how Xu Laoda managed to turn begging into something that sounded so dignified.

Qi Qingfeng frowned deeply, silently blaming his parents. Out of all the women in the village, why did they have to pick someone with such complicated family baggage for his elder brother?

Despite his irritation, Xu Shuyue was now part of the Qi family, and Qi Qingfeng couldn’t just stand by. He was about to say something when the main gate suddenly swung open, and a foul-smelling basin of dirty water came flying toward them.

Qi Qingfeng’s reflexes were sharp. He quickly stepped back, avoiding even a single drop of the filthy water. Xu Laoda wasn’t so lucky.

The freezing water drenched Xu Laoda completely. In the biting cold, it immediately formed a layer of ice on his clothes. He stood there, shivering from head to toe, reeking of an unbearable stench.

As the icy wet fabric clung to his skin, he winced in discomfort. His face darkened, and his bloodshot eyes glared at Xu Shuyue.

“Xu Shuyue!” he bellowed angrily, charging at her with a raised hand.

But before his hand could connect, Xu Shuyue moved. Without hesitation, she kicked out.

“Thud!”

Xu Laoda crumpled to the ground, clutching himself in agony.

The commotion in the courtyard brought Qi Ansheng and Madam Wei out of the house. As soon as Madam Wei stepped into the yard, she spotted her younger son standing outside the wall, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Her initial joy at his return was interrupted by a familiar voice.

Xu Shuyue stood over Xu Laoda, her gaze icy. “I’ve shown you respect as my uncle and avoided making things ugly. The return gifts? I’ve already offered them to my parents at their graves. If you want them, you’re welcome to dig them up yourself. But if you come to the Qi family again to beg or make trouble…”

Her voice dropped, sharp and cutting. “You might just live to regret it.”

Xu Laoda gritted his teeth against the pain, glaring at her with bloodshot eyes. “Xu Shuyue, you’re insane!”

Xu Shuyue’s cold demeanor didn’t waver. “You’re welcome to test me. Qingfeng! Come inside and close the gate!”

Without sparing Xu Laoda another glance, she turned and walked away without hesitation.

Qi Qingfeng froze in place, his body stiffening as her words echoed in his ears. Strangely enough, he actually followed Xu Shuyue’s instruction without resistance.

When the door shut behind her, the tension in Xu Shuyue’s body finally released. Her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed on the spot.

Madam Wei, who had been watching her with a complicated expression, quickly rushed forward to support her and helped her back into the house. She muttered as she fussed, “That Xu Laoda is too much of a bully! And you! That was such a heavy basin of water—I felt exhausted just looking at it! Why didn’t you call your father to help you pour it out?”

Qi Ansheng remained silent, his face somber, though his expression clearly mirrored Madam Wei’s sentiments. Qi Qingfeng, seated nearby, was equally surprised. He glanced at Xu Shuyue, his thoughts churning. He knew his usually honest and mild-mannered parents wouldn’t have such an aggressive stance unless it was somehow related to her.

A bowl of hot tea was placed in Xu Shuyue’s hands. She cupped it for a long time, letting the warmth seep into her cold fingers before murmuring, “Thank you, Mother.”

Madam Wei sighed. “What are you thanking me for?”

Xu Shuyue shook her head, still feeling the lingering tension from the confrontation. Her mind was slow to settle. She had never been so bold in either of her lives, and thinking back to the venom in Xu Laoda’s eyes, her lips tightened into a firm line.

Madam Wei, observant as always, could see how much Xu Shuyue had been forcing herself to endure. The girl had clearly been putting on a brave front the entire time.

Madam Wei’s heart ached. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and self-reproach. She and Qi Ansheng, as elders, had failed to shield Xu Shuyue from harm. They had left her to face a brute like Xu Laoda on her own.

Unaware of Madam Wei’s thoughts, Xu Shuyue kept her head down, her eyes dim. Today, she had thoroughly angered Xu Laoda, making it clear that she was no longer someone he could manipulate.

If he kept his distance and behaved himself from now on, so be it. But if he dared to cause trouble again, she would have no choice but to deal with him—once and for all.

The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the soft hiss of steam rising from the tea kettle on the brazier.

Qi Qingfeng sat upright, his sharp, youthful features barely visible in the flickering firelight.

Suddenly, he broke the silence. “Father, Mother. I came back today for two reasons. First, to meet my sister-in-law. Second…” He hesitated, his voice dropping slightly. “To ask if there’s been any word from Big Brother.”

The room grew even quieter at his words.

Xu Shuyue, seeing the immediate sorrow in Madam Wei and Qi Ansheng’s expressions, placed her tea down gently and turned to Qi Qingfeng. She spoke softly, “On the day I married into the family—”

“Shuyue, let me explain,” Madam Wei interrupted, her voice aged but steady, with a tinge of sadness.

She began recounting the events of that day, describing the appearance of the Taoist priest who had come to their home with a letter and a grim proclamation. Madam Wei deliberately omitted the parts where the villagers had scorned Xu Shuyue, leaving out the harsh accusations and ridicule.

Noticing this, Xu Shuyue felt a wave of warmth rise in her chest.

When Madam Wei finished, she stood and retrieved an old, yellowed letter from beneath the wardrobe. She handed it to Qi Qingfeng and murmured, “That Taoist seemed to have some skill. He specifically sought out your father and me and insisted that we marry your elder brother to Xu Shuyue. I still believe there’s truth to his words… Who knows? Perhaps your brother is still alive somewhere.”

Qi Qingfeng stared at the letter, his hands trembling as he held it. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “But how do we explain this letter?”

The letter, addressed to their family, bore news of Qi Siming’s death. He had taken Qi Qingfeng’s place in the military, serving in his stead, and had perished in a distant land. While Qi Qingfeng and Qi Ansheng remained safe at home, he had fallen, leaving his life behind.

How could Qi Qingfeng make peace with such an injustice?

The young man’s tears fell freely, his broad shoulders trembling. Madam Wei, seeing her son in such pain, couldn’t hold back her own tears either.

For a long while, the four of them sat in somber silence around the brazier, the only sound the occasional crackling of the fire.

Eventually, Qi Qingfeng’s stomach let out a loud growl, breaking the stillness.

Madam Wei blinked, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. With a sigh, she stood and said, “You’ve been on the road for so long, Qingfeng. You must be starving. Wait here. I’ll go make you something to eat.”

Xu Shuyue rose to follow Madam Wei into the kitchen but was gently pushed back down. “You don’t need to help,” Madam Wei said with a soft but firm tone. “You were standing out in the snow for so long. Sit by the brazier and warm yourself up.”

Xu Shuyue hesitated, not wanting to be left alone with her brother-in-law, Qi Qingfeng. Barely half an hour ago, she had unleashed her emotions and commanded him to shut the door. Thinking about it now made her feel so awkward she wanted to vanish into thin air.

Besides, she carried the burden of being labeled as the woman who had “cursed Qi Siming to death.” If Qi Qingfeng—devoted as he was to his elder brother—were reminded of this accusation, there was no way he would be kind to her.

Seeing her hesitation, Madam Wei sighed and suggested, “If you really want something to do, there are some peanuts and walnuts in the cellar. Go crack a few to snack on.” She clearly didn’t want Xu Shuyue anywhere near the kitchen.

Left with no choice, Xu Shuyue nodded. With nothing else to occupy her, she followed Qi Ansheng down to the cellar to fetch the nuts.

Qi Qingfeng, meanwhile, found himself alone in the main room, growing bored. After a moment’s hesitation, he got up and returned to his room.

The moment he opened the door, Qi Qingfeng froze.

His bed was covered with neatly arranged slices of dried fruit, their surfaces a reddish-brown hue, slightly wrinkled but fragrant. His blankets were nowhere to be seen, and when he touched the heated brick bed, it was still warm.

For a moment, Qi Qingfeng was utterly dumbfounded. He had no idea what was going on. Without thinking, he turned and left the room, intending to ask Madam Wei for an explanation.

On his way out, however, he ran straight into Xu Shuyue, who was carrying a basket of peanuts and walnuts.

“Ah!” Xu Shuyue let out a startled cry, instinctively clutching the basket to her chest. Despite her efforts, two or three nuts tumbled out and landed on the ground.

Qi Qingfeng, though not particularly fond of his sister-in-law, had no intention of making things difficult for her. Silently, he crouched down, picked up the fallen walnuts, and reached for the basket.

“I’ll carry it. Where do you need it?” he asked in a quiet voice.

Xu Shuyue pointed toward the main room. She had spotted some wheat and glutinous rice in the cellar and was already planning to make maltose syrup to combine with the peanuts, walnuts, and sesame seeds for some snacks.

The two walked side by side, their pace unhurried.

As they approached the main room, Qi Qingfeng couldn’t help but think back to the scene in his bedroom. Knowing it wasn’t something his parents would have done, he glanced at his sister-in-law out of the corner of his eye. After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked, “Was it you who put all the dried fruit in my room?”

Hearing the question, Xu Shuyue tensed, thinking he might be angry. She hurriedly explained, “It was me. Father and Mother mentioned there were still a lot of unsold fruits, so I thought I’d dry them for preservation. Since you weren’t home, I used your room to heat the bed and speed up the drying process. I’m sorry. I’ll move them out as soon as possible.”

Her explanation was straightforward, but she was clearly bracing herself for criticism.