The sound of meat being chopped at the Wei household was heard loud and clear by several neighboring families. Though the Wei family lived somewhat out of the way, right on the edge of the village near the back mountain, Da Liushu Village wasn’t large to begin with. The slightest stir would soon be known throughout the entire village.

Li Guifen was the first to come gawk. Hearing Wei Hu had married a husband, she eagerly rushed over for the spectacle. She refused to believe Wei Hu—famed throughout the surrounding villages for his reputation as a wife-killer—could actually wed a ger. Surely this husband must be missing limbs or a simpleton.

Chen Cuihua had been so high and mighty all her life. If she ended up with a simpleton for a husband, Li Guifen would have a field day mocking her.

Tsk. Chen Cuihua treated her new husband rather well. The Wei household hadn’t heard the sound of bones cracking or meat being chopped in ages. Though Wei Hu was a hunter, Chen Cuihua never spared a wild pheasant or rabbit for their meals. Today, however, she seemed quite willing to indulge in meat.

Li Guifen came over, her lips pursed. The Wei family courtyard was already crowded with people. Chen Cuihua was handing out roasted peanuts from her basket.

Chen Cuihua beamed, “My Ning-ger is exhausted today and fast asleep. I’ll bring him out to meet everyone another time.”

The Wei household hadn’t seen such liveliness in ages. Its remote location and Wei Hu’s reputation for being unlucky with wives had deterred some families from visiting. Yet today, many had come to see the commotion.

Li Guifen flicked her embroidered handkerchief and called out, “Cuihua! Where’s this new husband from?”

“From the town, and such a good boy.”

Chen Cuihua beamed with pride as she brought over a basket for Li Guifen to grab some roasted peanuts. Li Guifen, unable to contain her curiosity, was about to step inside to see what this new husband looked like.

Chen Cuihua let out an exclamation and blocked her way. “My Ning-ger is sleeping.”

Li Guifen rolled her eyes. “This whole courtyard is full of elders. When elders come visiting, how could the younger generation still be sleeping?”

Chen Cuihua silently spat inwardly. What kind of elder was this Li Guifen anyway? She was up to no good. Chen Cuihua knew exactly what Li Guifen was scheming—she was practically hoping her family would suffer.

Frustrated at not catching a glimpse of the new groom, Li Guifen beamed like a blooming flower. “Oh, Cuihua, an ugly son-in-law must face her in-laws sooner or later. What’s wrong with letting us see her?”

“My Ning-ger is anything but ugly! You won’t find a more handsome lad for miles around.”

Chen Cuihua beamed with pride. Li Guifen had always tried to outdo her. After Wei Hu earned a reputation for being a wife-killer, Li Guifen was the first to gloat. Now Wei Hu had married a handsome husband, far more attractive than Li Guifen’s daughter-in-law.

“Let me see him then. Hope he’s not defective.”

Li Guifen barged into the room, her voice booming so loudly it startled Song Ning awake. Groggily, he sat up and opened his eyes to find a strange woman staring down at him. Her scrutinizing gaze made him deeply uncomfortable.

Chen Cuihua couldn’t stop Li Guifen and muttered a few curses under her breath. Now that others saw Song Ning awake, she happily brought him out. “Ning-ger, the aunts and grandmothers from the village came to see you. Meet them so you’ll recognize them in the future.”

Chen Cuihua pulled the still-drowsy Song Ning out. “This is Auntie Zhao, this is Grandma Shi…”

Song Ning didn’t recognize any of them, but he followed along, calling everyone ‘Auntie’ and “Grandma.” If not for all the people watching, he would have wanted to hide back in the room.

“Oh my, this ger is so handsome!”

“Indeed! Look at that fair complexion—you won’t find another like it in the whole village.”

The women and men chattered away, praising Song Ning’s handsome features and declaring Wei Hu blessed with good fortune. Chen Cuihua beamed with pride. On this joyous occasion, everyone spoke kindly, and she knew Song Ning was shy. After introducing him to the crowd, she sent him back inside to rest.

Li Guifen, having missed the Wei family’s festivities, saw for herself how handsome Song Ning truly was. This only deepened her unease. She and Chen Cuihua had both been young brides from the same village, and back then, they had even been considered by the same families.

In their youth, Chen Cuihua had been the more attractive one. Most of the families they’d been considered by had chosen Chen Cuihua, while the ones Chen Cuihua had rejected had been left for Li Guifen. This resentment had festered within her.

Li Guifen snorted and walked away, muttering under her breath, “That Wei Hu is a wife-killer. What good is marrying him? The real skill is keeping him alive.”

Chen Cuihua didn’t hear this remark. Had she, she would have pounced to yank Li Guifen’s hair.

Song Ning returned to his room and sat silently. He could hear the bustle outside, which soon died down. Likely, his mother-in-law had sent everyone out. Only then did Song Ning breathe a sigh of relief.

Soon after, the sound of meat being chopped echoed from the courtyard. After a moment’s hesitation, Song Ning stepped outside. Leaning against the kitchen doorframe, he softly called out, “Mother.” Chen Cuihua, busy with her tasks, didn’t hear clearly. “Why are you out here, Ning-ger? Go back and rest. Hu-zi will be home soon.”

“Mother, I… I want to help.”

That single word “Mother” made Chen Cuihua’s heart blossom. “Oh! Then help Mother wash the Chinese cabbage. I’ll make dumplings for you today.”

Song Ning saw a head of Chinese cabbage on the counter. He picked it up and timidly scanned the kitchen. Chen Cuihua pointed efficiently. “Wash it in that wooden basin. The water barrel is right by the door.”

Song Ning nodded, fetched the wooden basin, and squatted by the kitchen door to wash the greens.

He hadn’t known how to do these chores before. It was Zhang Laopo who taught him after his father passed away. These past few days, she’d also reminded him to be diligent at his in-laws’ home. Country folk weren’t like those in town—even half-grown children were skilled at work.

As Song Ning crouched on the ground, separating the cabbage leaves, he heard children’s laughter at the door. He looked up and saw several half-grown children peering through the gate at him.

When they caught his gaze, the children giggled and quickly ducked their heads back inside. One bold boy called out, “Are you Uncle Hu-zi’s husband?”

Song Ning smiled at him. Having eaten his fill and rested a while, his mind had grown surprisingly calm. Perhaps this life wouldn’t be as hard as he’d imagined.

His smile made the children blush and scatter again, though their curiosity couldn’t be contained. They kept stealing glances at Song Ning.

Chen Cuihua poked her head out from the kitchen. Spotting the village children, she smiled and called, “Gou Dan, you’re not to bully Auntie Ning!”

The village kids had rough nicknames—three out of ten boys were called Gou Dan. The boy called Gou Dan flushed. “Auntie Chen, my name is Shitou.”

Chen Cuihua burst out laughing. “Auntie knows your name.”

The youngster felt embarrassed being called by his nickname. Flushed, he turned and ran off.

Song Ning couldn’t help but let a faint smile touch her lips.

Wei Hu returned early today, carrying a hundred-pound deer on his shoulder. The deer had broken its front leg during the chase, and to get back sooner, Wei Hu had simply hoisted it down the mountain.

From afar, Wei Hu spotted several children huddled by his door, craning their necks to peer into the yard. He chuckled. Children rarely visited his home; the village youngsters feared him terribly. What were these little rascals crowding his doorstep for?

Wei Hu bumped into Gou Dan running toward him. He casually asked, “Gou Dan, where are you off to?”

Gou Dan blushed and scampered away. “Uncle Hu, I’ll find myself a handsome husband someday!”

Wei Hu ignored Gou Dan’s nonsensical remark, dismissing it as childish play. He gave the deer on his shoulder a gentle nudge and guided it toward home.

As soon as Wei Hu returned, the children huddling by his door scattered in a flurry. Wei Hu chuckled and called into the courtyard, “Mother, I’m back.”

Song Ning heard the voice and looked up, startled. The Chinese cabbage leaves in his hands dropped to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, flustered and unsure what to do.

His eyes darted nervously toward the figure at the doorway. There stood a man clad in a crisp, short brown tunic, shouldering a deer as he entered. The man had a handsome, well-proportioned face and a tall, sturdy build, carrying the deer with effortless ease.

Wei Hu also spotted the ger standing in the courtyard. He froze for a moment before hastily taking two steps back. As a grown man, he felt he should avoid this unmarried ger to prevent any gossip.

Wei Hu glanced at Song Ning only briefly before turning his head away. He couldn’t recall any such relative in his family, especially not a ger.

Wei Hu unloaded the deer from his shoulders. The animal lay on the ground, twitching twice before failing to rise. The spotted hound that had accompanied Wei Hu into the mountains also returned, barking upon seeing the stranger in the courtyard.

Wei Hu barked a command, “Hei Dou! Down!”

The spotted dog obediently lay down at Wei Hu’s feet. Chen Cuihua, who had been busy in the kitchen, came out upon hearing the commotion. “ Hu-zi’s back! Oh my, you bagged a deer this time? It’s huge!”

Wei Hu grunted in acknowledgment but remained standing at the courtyard gate, not stepping inside. “Good luck today. I hadn’t gone far into the mountains when I came across this deer.”

Chen Cuihua’s face lit up with a smile. Today truly brought double good fortune—such a large game wasn’t something they hunted often.

“Why are you standing at the gate? Come inside quickly! Mother made dumplings today.”

Wei Hu didn’t move. “Mother, do we have relatives visiting today?”

Wei Hu was puzzled. Which relatives could it be? And a ger? Usually, when relatives came, they just switched from coarse flour to white flour. Today, they even made dumplings.

Chen Cuihua let out an “Aye!” and hurried over. She pulled Wei Hu aside and whispered a few words to him. Wei Hu frowned. “Mother, how could you be so foolish? This match won’t do. While it’s still daylight, you must send him back home.”

Chen Cuihua smacked Wei Hu’s arm a few times. “I’ve already sent over ten taels of silver as your betrothal gift! Now the whole village knows this is your husband. If you send him back, how is this ger supposed to live?”

“Losing one’s reputation is still better than losing one’s life! Mother, how could you be so foolish!”

Wei Hu knew his reputation for bringing misfortune to wives. The first death was an accident, but surely the second couldn’t be, too. Wei Hu had long lost any desire to marry. He’d told his mother long ago that he’d serve her faithfully from now on—hunting in the mountains, farming down below. That was how he’d live.

But who would have thought that today, while he was out hunting in the mountains, his mother would actually bring someone back home!

Song Ning heard every word of their argument. His little face turned deathly pale as he bit his lip to hold back tears. He’d imagined many scenarios, but never that the man wouldn’t want to marry him.

If he were sent back to the Song family now, his life would surely become even harder. Worse, as a rejected groom, his stepmother would likely find him an even worse match.

The thought made Song Ning’s face grow even paler. He didn’t want to go back to the Song family.

After Wei Hu and his mother argued for a few more sentences, his mother insisted on keeping him. Wei Hu had no choice but to step forward. “Pack your things. I’ll take you home.”

The man stood before her like a mountain, his shoulders towering over her. Hearing him speak, Song Ning clenched her fists and lifted her head. Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head. “The… the betrothal gift has been given. Ten… ten taels of silver.”

Song Ning meant that even if he was sent back, given his stepmother’s temperament, those ten taels of betrothal money would certainly not be returned.

“Forget it. Pack your things. I’ll take you home.”

Chen Cuihua, enraged by this, rushed over and punched Wei Hu twice. “You good-for-nothing! You just say you don’t want ten taels of silver? I’ll tell you this—even if you send this ger home, that wicked woman will torment him to death!”

Chen Cuihua was overjoyed today. First, she’d married Song Ning into the family. Second, she’d actually hunted down a deer—a hefty one at that, easily worth ten taels of silver. Both were cause for immense celebration.

Now Wei Hu wanted to send the boy back? Even if Wei Hu had hunted a tiger instead of a deer, she wouldn’t be pleased!

Wei Hu pressed his lips together, troubled. Then he spoke again: “But if you’ve been wronged, tell me. I’ll go teach that wicked woman a lesson. I won’t let you suffer injustice.”

Song Ning couldn’t hold back. Tears welled up in his eyes and fell in heavy drops. “I… I won’t go back.”