The lingering chill of spring bites, the plum blossoms tremble on the branches.
A thousand miles away from Shangjing City, in Xilin Village, wisps of smoke curl up from kitchen chimneys.
As dawn breaks, Yu Tingwan slips into the kitchen.
She is fair-skinned, dressed as a country girl. She wears a triangular kerchief, keeps her gaze lowered all day, deliberately hiding her beauty and avoiding going out, yet her looks are unmatched within a hundred miles. Her eyes resemble autumn waters, lips tender and rosy, and a tear mole at the corner of her eye adds a seductive allure.
These days, grain is precious; she dares not use much. She takes a few small handfuls of broken rice, washes it clean, and starts a fire to cook porridge.
Behind her, Mrs. Wang wears a stern face, her eyes critical, exceedingly harsh toward this niece.
She sneers, "The Hu Family took you in not for you to cling to Erlang. If you want to marry him, you ought to measure whether you're worthy."
Yu Tingwan pauses slightly, her expression filled with absurdity: "Aunt, why do you say this?"
Mrs. Wang proudly straightens her back: "My Erlang is a precious scholar, favored by the master, and bound for great things. Wanting to marry up isn't surprising."
She gives Yu Tingwan a sharp and contemptuous glance, spits out, "Forget about it."
What good is being pretty? Bewitching appearance. At a glance, she's just like that mother of hers who died early, not a decent person.
The cold seeps through the seams of her clothing, causing Yu Tingwan to shiver.
If it weren't for her parents dying early, with the world so chaotic and villains everywhere, no money or support, though overly beautiful, how would she come to the Hu Family to rely on her uncle, enduring Mrs. Wang's disdain?
She chuckles softly: "Last time before Second Cousin went to the academy, he said he was certain about me."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang becomes frantic, placing her hands on her hips: "You must have seduced him! Shameless little wench."
"He said he's admired me for a long time and wants to marry me."
Mrs. Wang's eyes widen with rage, stifled with fury and chagrin, shrieking: "I absolutely won't agree."
Furious, she picks up a broom from the kitchen, ready to hit her.
Yet Yu Tingwan appears unflustered, not even dodging. She conceals the pity in her eyes, her red lips part slightly, uttering four words.
"I refused him."
Mrs. Wang's ferocious expression falters with uncertainty, the broom halts mid-air.
"What?"
"But he remains relentless."
"Please control him."
Yu Tingwan's dewy, fawn-like eyes look earnestly at Mrs. Wang: "It's really annoying like this."
A choking bitterness rises in Mrs. Wang's throat, nearly causing her to cough up blood. She understood what Yu Tingwan said, yet it seemed like she understood nothing at all.
She actually dismisses Erlang; how dare she?
Mrs. Wang breathes heavily, her chest heaving violently, two wry smiles escaping her lips: "You just keep up your stubborn words!"
"Mother!"
A heavily pregnant Mrs. Xiao hurriedly comes in from outside: "I heard from the aunt next door that the heavy snow has blocked the road ahead, I'm afraid Dalan, Erlang, and Father won't be back for a few days."
Mrs. Wang, hearing this, starts to briskly pace in circles.
"What should we do now?"
"The cold is this severe, it's dangerous at night. Never mind the risk to the farmlands, haven't enough people frozen to death? The menfolk and Dalan can brave some chill, but precious Erlang, how can he endure?"
That old hag!
Mrs. Xiao is exasperated.
Your Erlang is some kind of golden nugget! Everyone else is expendable!
If it wasn't for the scholar returning from the academy in town and Mrs. Wang unwilling to let him walk, insisting on having father and Dalan take the ox cart to fetch him, would her man suffer such hardship?
But she dares not reveal any emotion, who doesn't want to bask in the scholar's radiance?
"Father has his wits about him; seeing as the situation isn't right, it's possible he would have returned to town for news rather than stay overnight in the open."
Mrs. Wang is considerably soothed: "Yes, yes, you're right."
She paces while frowning: "But the expenses in town are high, accommodations and meals are costly, are they not? They didn't even bring extra travel money."
With the New Year approaching, the academy is also closed, inaccessible.
Should they end up sleeping outdoors... neither would our Erlang endure such hardship!
Mrs. Xiao's eyes flicker, remaining silent.
The cold has given her frostbite on her face. Before her man left, Mrs. Xiao clenched her teeth and secretly stashed half a year's savings, telling him to buy some ointment for his face.
Dalan, that fool, better not turn around and give it to the old man to cover lodging expenses.
As the two harbor their own schemes, at a loss, Yu Tingwan, tending the firewood, speaks indifferently.
"They took some."
Mrs. Wang sharply turns her gaze to her.
"How do you know?"
Because she had advised them.
Yu Tingwan had long known the mountains would be sealed, and for a month at that. Before Uncle set out, she slightly suggested that when going out, one can never be too cautious, without relatives in town, it was best to carry extra silver.
She knew furthermore...
Yu Tingwan slowly raises her eyes, gazing eerily at Mrs. Wang.
She also knew that Mrs. Wang, greedy for money, would take advantage while her uncle was away to forcibly marry her off to the sixty-year-old Landlord Dong.
To say it was a marriage, rather call it a sale.
Xilin Village is remote, a place mired in destitution, without so many norms.
As long as the betrothal gifts are received, and a few banquets held, the groom could take the bride away.
Sure enough, Mrs. Wang's eyes glimmer with both shrewdness and greed.
She'd had enough of husband's protection over Yu Tingwan.
Perhaps...
Mrs. Wang suppresses the wild beating of her heart, gritting her teeth as she takes out two eggs from a locked cupboard, giving Yu Tingwan a heavy shove out of spite as she passes.
Unexpectedly, Yu Tingwan, seemingly expecting this, shifts aside to dodge.
She misses, nearly twisting her waist.
"You!"
Yu Tingwan: "Oh, my bad."
Say her attitude is good, but her tone is perfunctory. Say her attitude is poor, but she apologized promptly.
A frustrated Mrs. Wang gurgles her breath in her throat, neither spitting it out nor swallowing it down, her face flushing red. She gives Yu Tingwan a vicious glare and strides out.
Once she's gone, the kitchen is left with just Yu Tingwan and Mrs. Xiao.
So stingy a person, yet carrying eggs out!
Mrs. Xiao, timid when facing Mrs. Wang, suddenly becomes brazen, her round belly thrust forward: "Do you know where mother went?"
Yu Tingwan watches the leaping flames inside the stove.
Whenever she closes her eyes, the image of herself, panicked and helpless, kneeling before Mrs. Wang, pleading desperately, floods her mind.
["Aunt, have mercy on me, I won't marry, I won't marry him."]
She humbled herself, while the latter displayed a lofty demeanor, trying to crush her hopes.
["I'm doing it for your own good, how could I harm you? Wan Niang, why can't you appreciate it? Yes, Mr. Dong's grandson is your age, but older men are more considerate."]
And Mrs. Xiao, fingering the Dong Family's golden hairpin in her hair, openly relished in her joy.
["The snow falls beautifully, sealing the mountain so father can't return, no one can save you, whether you marry or not, you will marry."]
["So what if you're pretty? Like your mother, you deserve to be ruined by men."]
These two, neither of them is good.
She seemed to sink into an ice cellar, her whole body numbed by the cold. Captured by arms, and with sparse hair, Landlord Dong tossed a bag of silver to Mrs. Wang and dragged her away.
She struggled madly, her violent resistance only angered Landlord Dong, who raised his hand and slapped her heavily.
["Believe that I'll have my way with you right here."]