The morning sun had barely risen when Xu Ming pushed open the courtyard gate, balancing a bamboo basket on his hip. The air was damp and fragrant, dew glittering like pearls on wild grass. Birds trilled overhead, and in the distance the steady chop of Shen Li's axe echoed through the forest.
Life had already settled into a strange rhythm. Days here moved slowly, yet filled themselves with small tasks. Xu Ming rose with the sun, tended the little vegetable patch he had claimed, and fussed with plans for storage jars, drying racks, and anything else that might stretch their food supplies. At night, he lay awake in a silence so deep it pressed against his chest, missing the faint hum of neon lights and car horns outside his old apartment.
It was lonely—sometimes unbearably so—but he refused to let the loneliness win.
"Alright, little patch," Xu Ming muttered to the sprouting rows of beans and sweet potatoes as he tugged weeds free. "Don't let me down. If you grow well, I might even name you. Can't have my only companions being a silent hunter and a moody crow on the roof."
The crow cawed as if in response.
Xu Ming snorted. "See? At least someone talks back."
By midday, he had a bundle of fresh herbs gathered. He wiped sweat from his brow and decided he'd head into the village. He hadn't been back since the wedding day, and though the idea of facing gossiping neighbors made his skin crawl, he needed essentials—salt, oil, maybe some cloth. If he kept relying only on Shen Li's hunts, they'd both wither.
Besides, it was time to test his place in this world.
He packed a small pouch of coins—what little dowry Madam Wang had begrudgingly sent—and tied it to his sash.
"Going down to the village," he called toward the forest, though he knew Shen Li likely wouldn't answer.
Still, he paused until the faint sound of chopping stopped, replaced by silence. Somewhere in the trees, Shen Li was listening. Xu Ming smiled faintly and set off.
The village was busier than he expected. Farmers hauled baskets of produce, women haggled loudly over bolts of cloth, children chased one another down the dirt road. The air smelled of frying cakes and livestock, sharp but lively.
Xu Ming straightened his shoulders. He was used to being stared at; in the modern world it had been for his shabby clothes or tired expression, here it was for the crimson hair ribbon marking him as a newlywed ger.
"Ah, it's Ziyu," an older woman whispered, nudging her companion. "Married into that cold hunter's house, poor thing."
"They say he never smiles, never speaks. A ghost of a man. How long will a frail ger last there?" another replied, shaking her head.
Xu Ming's lips twitched. He forced himself not to roll his eyes. Same as before, just new packaging. People always loved to predict his failures.
He walked calmly to the stall selling salt and oil. "One jar of salt, one of oil," he said clearly, placing coins on the counter.
The vendor—a plump man with a wary look—hesitated. "Ah… you're Shen Li's spouse, aren't you?"
"Yes." Xu Ming's tone was even, polite but firm. "Is that a problem?"
The man blinked, then hurriedly weighed the goods. "No, no problem! Just… unexpected. Shen Li doesn't usually buy from the village."
"Then it's good he has me." Xu Ming smiled thinly, gathered the jars, and moved on.
As he visited more stalls, the whispers followed him like shadows.
"Did you see his eyes? Sharp as a knife.""Not like before—wasn't he always timid?""Maybe marriage changed him.""Or maybe Shen Li did."
Xu Ming ignored them all. But by the time he finished and turned to leave, someone deliberately blocked his path.
Liu Fanghua.
His so-called younger sister stood with arms crossed, lips painted a delicate pink, her silk sleeves spotless. Two other girls hovered behind her, both wearing the smug smiles of those who lived off another's cruelty.
"Brother Ziyu," Fanghua drawled, her voice dripping false sweetness. "Out shopping already? How… domestic. I didn't expect you to adapt so quickly."
Xu Ming met her gaze without flinching. "Better than starving under Madam Wang's roof."
Her smile froze, then sharpened. "You should watch your tongue. It's not good for a ger to sound so bitter. People will say you're unfilial."
Xu Ming tilted his head. "And what will they say about a sister who mocks her own family in public?"
The girls behind Fanghua giggled nervously. Fanghua's cheeks flushed, but she masked it with a laugh.
"Sharp today, aren't you? Be careful, brother. Words like that might earn you enemies. And in a place like this, you won't survive without allies."
Xu Ming leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough for her to hear. "Enemies, allies—it makes no difference. I survived twenty years in a world far crueler than this one. Don't test me."
Fanghua blinked, startled by the strange phrasing. Xu Ming simply smiled, turned, and walked away with his basket.
The walk back up the mountain felt longer than usual, weighed down not by goods but by the taste of confrontation. Yet strangely, Xu Ming felt lighter. It was exhilarating, finally answering back instead of shrinking away.
By the time he reached the house, Shen Li was already home, a pair of rabbits skinned and ready by the well. His gaze flickered to the basket in Xu Ming's arms.
"You went down."
"Mm. Got salt and oil. Also heard enough gossip to last a year," Xu Ming replied dryly, setting the jars on the table. "Your village is very lively."
Shen Li said nothing, though his eyes lingered longer than usual on Xu Ming's steady expression.
That night, they ate better than they had since the wedding. Rabbit stewed with herbs, rice seasoned with salt. Xu Ming hummed as he cooked, half to fill the silence, half to prove to himself he could create comfort even in the middle of nowhere.
When they sat down to eat, he caught Shen Li staring again.
"What?" Xu Ming asked, arching a brow.
"…You're different," Shen Li said finally, voice quiet.
Xu Ming's lips curled. "Good different or bad different?"
Shen Li paused, then answered, "…Strong."
The single word struck Xu Ming more deeply than he expected. He blinked, then smirked to hide the sudden warmth in his chest.
"Well. Someone has to keep this house alive, hunter. Can't let you shoulder everything alone."
Shen Li lowered his gaze, but for the first time, Xu Ming thought he saw the shadow of a smile tug at the man's lips.
Later that night, when Xu Ming lay awake staring at the rafters, he replayed that one word again and again. Strong.
In his old life, no one had ever called him that. Not his classmates who ignored him, not his bosses who berated him, not even himself. He had been fragile, forgettable, easily overlooked.
But here… he was carving out something new.
And for once, he liked who he was becoming.
The next morning, whispers had already spread. Xu Ming didn't know it yet, but down in the village, word of his sharp tongue and fearless stance against Madam Wang's daughter was running wild. Some laughed, some criticized, some admired.
But all agreed on one thing: the timid ger they once knew was gone.
And in the mountains, beside the silent hunter, something new was beginning to take root.
Something neither Xu Ming nor Shen Li fully understood yet.
But it was growing.