“Dead?!”

Luo Xiu’s vision went dark; it felt as if all his strength had been drained from his body, and he fell backward uncontrollably. Zheng Beiqiu acted with lightning speed, catching him in his arms—along with the child he was holding.

“How did she die?!”

Landlord Zhang, terrified by the menacing aura radiating from him, clutched his chest and took two steps back.

“What are you doing… Do you think I killed him on purpose?!”

Zhang Linzi hurriedly pressed, “Shushu, how exactly did she die?”

“She died of a cold. If you don’t believe me, go ask the doctor at the clinic up ahead—I even got her some medicine!”

Just mentioning Luo Zhen made Landlord Zhang feel incredibly unlucky. “Not only did she waste over thirty guan of my money, but I never even consummated the marriage before she died.”

That girl had such a fiery temper—the moment you touched her, she’d make a scene as if her life depended on it. His wife starved her for a while to discipline her, and suddenly her health gave out. Later, she caught a cold and passed away.

Leaving the Zhang residence, Zheng Beiqiu was frantic with worry, calling out to Luo Xiu over and over, “Xiu, A-Xiu, wake up! Xiaoyu is looking for his father—you can’t give up on us now.”

Luo Xiu slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the sky with a vacant, unfocused gaze. His little sister was dead.

Zhen’er is dead…

The scene of their last meeting flashed through her mind.

“I’m doing just fine here. Don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourself and don’t come back…” Although Luo Zhen said those words, she hid a pair of small silver bracelets in the palm of her hand, her eyes filled with a look of resolute determination.

He had clearly sensed something was wrong with his sister that day; he feared she had long since resolved to die, giving him the only savings she had ever managed to set aside…

“Zhen’er—” A heart-wrenching cry made Zheng Beiqiu’s heart nearly shatter.

He held Luo Xiu tightly, his large hands constantly stroking down his back, afraid that holding his breath might harm him. The child in his arms began wailing as well. Zhang Linzi stood by, unable to help, and was so anxious he was tugging at his hair and scratching his cheeks.

Seeing the sun rise, he realized they couldn’t stay out here any longer; it would be even more troublesome if the adults and the child were to suffer from heatstroke.

“Linzi, I’ll take your sister-in-law home first. You help me find out where Luo Zhen is buried, and we’ll come back tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, don’t worry—I’ll definitely get the information sorted out!”

Luo Xiu lay on the cart, dazed and disoriented, not even knowing how he’d made it home.

During the journey, he had a dream in which he seemed to be seven or eight years old, taking Luo Zhen to the fields to bring lunch to their parents.

Being young and playful, the two picked wildflowers along the way. The further they walked, the more flowers there were. Luo Xiu suddenly remembered they still had to deliver the meal, so she called out to her younger sister, “Zhen’er, stop picking! We still have to take lunch to Dad and Mom.”

“Second Brother, come quick! There are so many more over here!” Luo Zhen kept running farther and farther away. As she was about to disappear from sight, Luo Xiu hurried after her.

The scene shifted. His younger sister from childhood suddenly transformed into the Luo Zhen he knew well, wearing a plain, worn-out dress as she sat on a large rock, holding a handful of flowers.

“Second Brother, do you think these flowers are pretty?”

“Mm-hmm, they’re really beautiful!” Luo Xiu nodded.

“In my next life, I want to be one of these flowers and plants, living freely and at ease. Second Brother, don’t be sad for me—I’m off to enjoy a life of bliss. You must live your life well…” As she finished speaking, a gust of wind blew, scattering Luo Zhen’s figure in all directions.

Luo Xiu’s heart was breaking, and he cried out hoarsely, “Zhen’er, come back! Zhen’er…”

“Wake up, A-Xiu, wake up!” Zheng Beiqiu patted his shoulder to rouse him.

Luo Xiu opened his eyes and realized he was back at the old family home. After a moment of disorientation, he remembered the devastating news of Luo Zhen’s death, and tears streamed down his face like beads on a broken string.

“I know you’re heartbroken, but the dead cannot be brought back to life. What would happen to Xiaoyu if something were to happen to you? He’s still so young—he doesn’t even know how to call his father yet.”

Luo Xiu struggled to sit up to check on the child, but Zheng Beiqiu quickly helped him up and supported him against his shoulder.

“What time is it?” Luo Xiu’s voice was so hoarse that she startled herself when she spoke.

“It’s almost the Hour of the Rooster. I just fed Xiaoyu a bowl of goat’s milk, and he’s fallen asleep. There’s porridge simmering in the pot—would you like some?”

Luo Xiu shook his head, leaning against his shoulder as tears streamed silently down his face. It was all his fault—he hadn’t been strong enough to rescue his younger sister sooner… “I’ve already asked Zhang Linzi to find out where Luo Zhen is buried. Tomorrow, let’s buy some incense, candles, and joss paper to pay our respects to her.” 

“We grew up together from childhood; we never parted ways until we got married.”

Recalling the past, Luo Xiu murmured, “That girl Luo Zhen—cough, cough, cough… She’s always been so determined and strong-willed since she was little. Even though I’m a year older than her, most of the time she was more like an older sister, taking care of me.”

Zheng Beiqiu stood up, scooped up a ladle of water, and helped him drink it.

Luo Xiu let out a long sigh: “In the years right after my parents passed away, I was constantly ill from grief. Neither my sister-in-law nor my eldest brother paid any attention to me; only that girl Zhen’er stayed by my side the whole time.”

“Once, when she tried to steal some eggs to help me regain my strength, my eldest sister-in-law slapped her twice across the face. It hurt so much she didn’t dare sleep on her side that night… When she saw me crying out of concern, she actually comforted me, saying it didn’t hurt at all, and that once she grew up and married a wealthy husband, she’d let me eat eggs every day…”

“Such a wonderful girl—how could she just… be gone? Just… gone like that…!”

Luo Xiu wept uncontrollably, clenching his fists and pounding his chest repeatedly, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe.

Zheng Beiqiu held Luo Xiu tightly in his arms. “It’s my fault. If I’d known sooner that you had a younger sister, I would have bought her back!” 

“How could it be your fault… Zhen’er passed away two months ago…”

If anyone is to blame, it’s his heartless older brother and his cruel sister-in-law. If they hadn’t sold Zhen’er to that filthy place, how could his little sister have died so young?

A surge of hatred welled up from the depths of his heart; Luo Xiu longed to take a knife and hack those two beasts to pieces!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Early the next morning, Zheng Beiqiu sent for Liu Hua and asked her to help watch the child for the day. Xiaoyu was still too young; taking him to the graveyard might frighten him.

On her way over, Liu Hua had already heard about what had happened the day before. She looked at Luo Xiu with deep sympathy—how could he keep getting caught up in one tragedy after another…

“You two should go now. It looks like it’s going to rain—don’t get caught in the rain on your way.” 

“Thank you, Sister-in-law. We really appreciate you helping to look after Xiaoyu.”

“Don’t mention it. Babies are easy to handle—feed him when he’s hungry, put him down when he’s full, and feed him again when he wakes up. Just make sure you don’t get too upset, A-Xiu, or you’ll harm your health.”

Luo Xiu nodded.

Zheng Beiqiu hitched the mule to the cart, helped him climb aboard, and once they reached town, headed straight for the gambling house to find Zhang Linzi. The day before, he’d already found out where Luo Zhen was buried—on a small hillside just north of town.

Luo Zhen had originally sold herself into the Zhang household as a concubine; she had no family or children there, so when she died, there was naturally no funeral. She was simply wrapped in a mat and buried.

They even had to have the servants search the area several times before they found the burial site, as it had been buried in such a hurry that not even a single stone marker had been placed nearby. Zheng Beiqiu first took Luo Xiu to buy joss paper, incense, and candles for the memorial service. He chose only the finest items, sparing no expense to buy a large quantity.

The owner of the incense and candle shop assumed an elderly family member had passed away and kept praising Zheng Beiqiu for his filial piety.

Zheng Beiqiu didn’t say anything in response. Luo Xiu had lost his only full-blooded sister, and from now on, Zheng Beiqiu would be his only remaining relative—so naturally, he had to take care of everything for him.

After buying the supplies, he picked up Luo Xiu and Zhang Linzi and drove straight to North Mountain.

Having cried half the night, Luo Xiu’s eyes were so dry he couldn’t shed a single tear. He stared blankly at the wild grasses and wildflowers covering the mountains and fields, which suddenly overlapped with the scenes from his dream.

He shuddered violently, sat up straight, and scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, he spotted a small mound ahead.

Before Zheng Beiqiu could bring the mule cart to a stop, he leaped down, stumbled and staggered toward it, and threw himself onto the mound, wailing uncontrollably!

Zhang Linzi was stunned—he hadn’t even told him where Luo Zhen’s grave was yet! When they’d come yesterday, it had taken them an entire afternoon to find it, yet Luo Xiu had recognized it at a glance!

Zheng Beiqiu looked at the low mound and let out a long sigh. He rolled up his sleeves and began clearing the weeds from the top.

Zhang Linzi also fetched a shovel to help fill in the grave, then gathered a few stones to build a makeshift offering table. They placed the food they’d bought on it, lit incense and candles, and the two of them burned joss paper for this young woman they’d never met.

The scorching flames devoured sheet after sheet of yellow paper, carrying away a vibrant life and the endless longing of her loved ones.

Perhaps Heaven took pity on this poor girl; just as the incense, candles, and joss paper finished burning, raindrops the size of soybeans began to fall, extinguishing the last embers.

Zheng Beiqiu helped Luo Xiu to her feet and said, “Let’s go. Xiaoyu is waiting for you at home.”

Luo Xiu climbed into the horse-drawn carriage, glancing back every few steps as he watched the solitary grave grow increasingly distant.

Many years ago, he had bid farewell to his father. Back then, he didn’t understand the reality of life and death; he always thought that if he just slept for a while, his father would come back when he woke up.

Later, his mother fell gravely ill, and he watched with his own eyes as she took her last breath. It was only then that he realized that once a person dies, they cannot come back to life—once they’re gone, everything is lost.

Later, he bid farewell to Liu Changfu, and now he has bid farewell to his younger sister. He doesn’t know who else he might have to bid farewell to in the future; perhaps he really is a bringer of misfortune…

Upon returning from the grave, Luo Xiu fell ill. He ran a high fever for days on end and refused to eat or drink. Zheng Beiqiu, frantic with worry, summoned a physician to take his pulse.

“This young master is burdened by too much worry—I fear it may shorten his life! I can only prescribe some warming, restorative medicine to nourish him. As for his emotional distress, he must find a way to let go of his worries himself. You must offer him more comfort and encourage him not to get stuck in a dead end over everything.”

After seeing the doctor off, Zheng Beiqiu cradled Luo Xiu in his arms and chatted with him, recounting some amusing stories from his time in the barracks.

“Back in the early years when I first joined the barracks, I wasn’t as tall as I am now, and I was quite skinny. Back then, we’d all sleep crammed together—more than ten of us—on a single large bunk. If I got up in the middle of the night to use the outhouse, I’d never be able to find my spot to sleep when I came back.”

“One time in the middle of the night, I had to pee so badly I was in agony. I wanted to get up to use the outhouse but was afraid someone would have taken my spot. When I really couldn’t hold it anymore, I came up with a plan. Guess what I did?”

Luo Xiu shook his head without saying a word.

“I took our squad leader’s water bladder to catch my urine. But the next day, I completely forgot about it. When I came back from morning drill, he took a big, hearty gulp right out of it.”

Luo Xiu furrowed his brow and made a disgusted face.

Zheng Beiqiu couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “The company commander was nearly driven mad with rage at the time. He demanded to know which bastard had peed in his water bag. How could I possibly speak up? In the end, everyone was punished by having to carry logs for thirty li. Until the day I left the barracks, he never knew that pee was mine.”

Luo Xiu knew he was teasing him on purpose, so he gently rested his head on his shoulder.

Zheng Beiqiu brushed his face against her hair. “A-Xiu, get well soon. Once you’re better, we’ll get married. As long as I’m here, no one will ever dare to bully you.”