Chapter 7: Tanky

The sky was overcast, looking as if it were about to rain.

With many fierce beasts in the deep mountains, Yu Tingwan only wandered around the foot of the mountain.

The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. She had been busy for more than half a day, gathering quite a few dead branches. Her hands were frozen purple; she stomped her feet and took out the water gourd hanging from her waist, drinking a few gulps while her teeth chattered.

Despite her thin frame, she possessed considerable strength.

How could she be the same delicate Young Mistress Yu who couldn't even walk without being restless and complaining of exhaustion after a moment?

Yu Tingwan tied the dead branches securely with rope and dragged them all the way back, stopping every so often to rest in place.

From a distance, she heard a commotion ahead, accompanied by insults and veiled sarcasm. Yu Tingwan remained indifferent, her mind not wandering for even a moment.

She wondered how things were going with Matchmaker Liu.

Lady Wang should have gone to look for her.

Just as she was thinking this, a piercing scream tore through the sky, making Yu Tingwan's eardrums ache.

"Get out! You bastard! Others are filial to their biological mothers, but you—you actually have the nerve to demand money from me!"

Old Lady Wei, her hair white and her body hunched, leaned on her cane and glared fiercely: "I have no money. I won't give you a single copper coin."

"Mother! This is life-saving money, I beg you!"

Wei Shouzong's eyes turned red with desperation. "I'm not asking for much, just Alang's pension."

Old Lady Wei was so angry she struck him with her cane.

"Even if he's treated, he might not live. Why waste the silver! Your wife is acting foolish, and now you're being foolish too?"

"Why can't you just act as if he died abroad long ago!"

Ignoring the pain, Wei Shouzong looked at her in disbelief. "He is my biological son!"

"He was clearly pushed into service before he was even of conscription age. Does Mother truly have no sense of shame?"

Waiting to the side, Wei Shoucai stepped forward to pat his mother's back to soothe her, casting a displeased look at Wei Shouzong.

"Say a few less words."

"Mother is doing this for your own good. If Alang only had minor injuries or illnesses, let alone Mother, even I, his eldest uncle, would be willing to shell out the silver. But he has been marked by the King of Hell."

It was he who had instigated Old Lady Wei to claim the pension in the first place.

Wasn't what Old Lady Wei held in her hands actually his? How could he let Wei Shouzong take it?

Wei Shouzong looked straight at him. "In the middle of the night, when dreams return, how do Big Brother and Mother sleep with such clear consciences?"

In the past, he hadn't held a grudge, merely feeling exhausted and playing dumb while knowing the truth. But now that what was lost had been found, this was clearly a mercy from heaven!

Old Lady Wei disliked her second daughter-in-law and, by extension, looked down on the children of the second branch.

"What kind of words are those, Second Son?"

She gave a shrewd smile. "Anyway, your eldest brother has many children, and it's a struggle to raise them. Later on, you can adopt one to carry on the line, and they can still look after you in your old age."

Wei Shoucai stated his position: "Your eldest sister-in-law and I have already discussed this, and we have no objections."

Wei Shouzong felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his whole body shivering. The man who never resisted suddenly let out a cold laugh. "If you won't give it to me, don't blame me for not recognizing you as my mother!"

Wei Shouzong paused.

But his Alang was in mortal danger.

Thinking of how Alang had been a bloody mess that day, his clothes tearing against his flesh with the slightest touch.

New wounds were layered over old ones, a terrifying sight. He wondered how much suffering he had endured all these years.

Most helpless of all were the wounds caused by sharp objects—a puncture that went straight from the chest through to the back, a bloody hole larger than a fist. Just stopping the bleeding had consumed most of the medicinal herbs in Old Man Qian's house.

Hui Niang had stayed by his side, weeping day and night.

If she had to experience the pain of losing a son again, not just Hui Niang, but even he would go mad.

At this thought, the rage Wei Shouzong had accumulated over the years erupted completely.

He dared not delay. He pushed Wei Shoucai aside, kicked open Old Lady Wei's door, and stormed in.

"Second Son! You dare!"

No matter how fierce Old Lady Wei was, she was old; how could she stop a farmhand's brute strength? Seeing Wei Shouzong rummaging for the money pouch, she clutched her chest in panic. "You're trying to kill me!"

Yu Tingwan lowered her eyes.

Ah, she truly envied that Wei Shen.

The wind blew hard, and the girl's silhouette looked fragile as she struggled to walk forward.

In the vastness of heaven and earth, Yu Tingwan appeared exceptionally small. Her face was devoid of color from the cold, with only the beauty mark at the corner of her eye shimmering with a soft light.

Her footprints were covered by the winding tracks left by the dead branches she dragged behind her.

After an unknown amount of time, her voice could faintly be heard amidst the howling cold wind.

Unlike her usual indifference, it sounded fragile and aggrieved.

"But my Daddy is the very best."

The Hu family gates were half-open. In the courtyard sat an elderly woman in a dark blue padded coat. She looked neat and tidy without a single patch, wearing a very fine silver hairpin, her white hair combed neatly; she looked very respectable.

This was the Village Head's wife, Li Lian.

Beside her were Lady Wang, looking as withered as a frost-bitten eggplant, and Little Xu.

Snow fell rustling from the accumulated branches. Yu Tingwan couldn't dodge in time and was hit squarely. Under everyone's gaze, she wrapped her padded coat tightly around her, sneezed, and shivered with a nose turned bright red from the cold.

She looked exceptionally pitiable.

After calling out to them, Yu Tingwan dragged the large bundle of dead branches into the house. Footsteps sounded behind her; she didn't need to guess who it was.

She said softly, "Is something the matter, Mother?"

Seeing her shivering as she spoke, Li Lian reached out to close the door, blocking the view of Lady Wang outside and the howling wind.

"I came to have a chat with you."

The Village Head's reprimand and warning to Lady Wang was not for Yu Tingwan's sake, but for Hu Yaozu's.

If a scholar emerged from the village, it would bring honor to the Village Head.

Since the matter had become a scandal and there were so many witnesses, Lady Wang's intention to sell her niece could not be hidden. It was likely that it would reach Yu Tingwan's ears before long.

The Village Head had played the good guy for once, deciding to see it through by sending her to put Yu Tingwan's mind at ease.

Li Lian observed the young girl before her unobtrusively.

She was quite lovely; it was no wonder Lady Wang had thought of sending her to the Dong family.

The smile on her face deepened. "You are a considerate child, and you have suffered much these years. Your aunt is actually not a bad person at heart; if anything is wrong, just tell me. In terms of seniority, she has to call me 'Aunt,' so she can certainly be lectured a bit."

"I'm afraid your uncle and the others won't be able to return for the New Year. Without a man in the house, things won't get done. If you need help with anything, just say the word."

Yu Tingwan feigned ignorance of her intentions, looking at her with an air of being overwhelmed by favor.

Li Lian patted her hand and asked casually, "Good child, how old are you now?"

"Seventeen."

"Then it's time to consider marriage."

Li Lian shook her head. "Dazhu is an incompetent uncle, and your aunt is muddled."

Yu Tingwan fell into thought.

Li Lian was actually giving her a hint.

She was only a temporary resident at the Hu house; she had no home and would have to marry sooner or later.

Rather than living in fear of being framed or manipulated by Lady Wang, it would be better if she found someone herself.

The look in Yu Tingwan's eyes toward Li Lian grew much more intense.

She was exceptionally blunt: "Is Mother here to help me find a match?"

*In your dreams!*

*With your background, how many decent families would take an interest?*

But Li Lian cared about her dignity, and she found Yu Tingwan's gaze somewhat difficult to handle.

"That... that would be fine too."

"Why don't you tell me, Wan-niang, what kind of conditions you want? That way, I can keep an eye out for you. Perhaps find a gentle and reasonable scholar like your cousin?"

What was good about scholars? They couldn't lift a heavy load or carry a shoulder.

"Refinement through learning" was a bonus for children of noble families, but for ordinary folk, reciting a few sour poems wouldn't protect her unless they succeeded in the imperial examinations.

Her father was different—he was burly and strong; even thugs wouldn't dare touch her or her mother.

Yu Tingwan said solemnly, "I want someone with hard fists."

Li Lian:???

*Are you just that good at taking a beating?*