The room fell silent for a moment. Only the faint, on-and-off sound of autumn cicadas could be heard outside.
“But you don’t have a better place to go right now, do you?” Tian Yao looked at the leg he had just applied medicine to. “If you had any choice, you probably wouldn’t have ended up in this state.”
Yu Nian looked at him and had to admit he was right. Feng Zhe’s men had brought him here and, naturally, wouldn’t leave until they had humiliated him enough. How could he possibly have any choice?
Yet Yu Nian still didn’t speak. He sealed himself off, not communicating with anyone. Tian Yao wasn’t naturally a quiet person. Back when his Father and Little Dad were alive, they were constantly annoyed by his chatter. After they passed and Tian Yao lived alone, even if he wanted to talk, he didn’t know who to talk to. Gradually, he grew quiet too.
Now, with someone finally in the house who could listen to him speak, he couldn’t stop. “When we left the Village Chief’s house, someone was following us the whole way. Was that your enemy?”
Yu Nian lifted his eyes to look at him. The twilight shone through the tree shadows, leaving dappled spots of light that spilled into the room. Tian Yao’s eyes were very bright, like a clear spring never touched by dust. Yu Nian still didn’t speak, only lowered his head.
“So your enemy brought you here, got the Chief involved, and had me bring you home. For what purpose?” Tian Yao couldn’t quite figure it out. Since they were enemies, why not just beat him up, or worse, kill him outright? Why go through all this elaborate trouble to act as matchmakers?
Only then did Yu Nian raise his eyes. Seeing those eyes of his, he knew Tian Yao had never experienced true malice. He finally spoke his first words of the day. “Because death is the easiest thing. Living is what’s truly painful.”
Tian Yao could understand that. When his Father passed, his Little Dad was in agony every day. Later, when medicine couldn’t save him and he departed, Tian Yao could sense he was happy, only feeling sorry for Tian Yao.
Yu Nian said that living was the source of all suffering.
“But still, a wretched life is better than a good death, right?” Tian Yao pulled the corner of his lips into a smile. “Are you hungry? I’ll make you something to eat.”
Without waiting for Yu Nian’s reply, he headed straight to the kitchen.
Tian Yao looked at the rice jar, with barely a few grains left, and sighed. He had originally planned to go up the mountain today; it seemed that wouldn’t be happening. Good thing there was still some flour.
When he lived alone, he was rough with himself. Who cared if noodles were chewy or not? Just slap something together and call it done.
The pot of lard was nearly empty too. He dug through his pouch—hardly any coins on him. Not enough to buy even a catty of pig fat, let alone hold a wedding tomorrow.
Carrying the bowl of noodles back to the room, Yu Nian was still in the exact same position as when Tian Yao left, utterly still.
“Eat some noodles. There’s nothing else to eat at home.” Tian Yao sat on the bed, slurping his noodles noisily.
Watching him eat with such relish, Yu Nian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He held the bowl and took a bite, only to find that besides the natural taste of noodles and a hint of lard aroma, this bowl of noodles had absolutely no other flavor. How Tian Yao could stomach it, he had no idea.
Finishing his bowl, Tian Yao saw that Yu Nian’s was mostly untouched. He put away his own bowl, took the chopsticks and bowl from Yu Nian’s hands. Thinking he might not be feeling well, Tian Yao picked up a mouthful of noodles with the chopsticks and held them to Yu Nian’s lips.
Yu Nian turned his head away.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Yu Nian still kept his head turned, no longer looking at the bowl in his hand. Not eating, not speaking.
So Tian Yao held the bowl and gobbled down all the noodles from this bowl too, finally letting out a satisfied sigh.
Yu Nian: “…”
Tian Yao wiped his mouth. “Not very tasty, was it? Still, shouldn’t be wasted.”
Yu Nian’s fingers rubbed the edge of the blanket and felt the hairpin he carried.
“I reckon the people watching you will need to see your Household Register registered under my name, to cement the fact that you’re my husband marrying into the family. Only then will they leave.” He placed the hairpin back into Yu Nian’s palm.
Yu Nian knew this all too well. A tiger driven from the mountains to the plains had not an ounce of strength to turn things around.
“So, do you still have any family?” Tian Yao asked.
Yu Nian lowered his eyes. His mother’s family was far away in the Capital City. His father’s line had been a single son for three generations; he was already completely isolated and without support.
“So, your best option right now is to stay here.” Tian Yao counted on his fingers for him. “I can protect you.”
Yu Nian looked at his thin, slight frame and had no particular reaction to his words.
Tian Yao looked at him. “And I’m not doing this solely for your sake.”
He spoke with some helplessness. “I’m not young anymore. Most Gers my age are already fathers. I don’t want people spreading more talk about me being unmarriageable. Rather than finding some unknown person, I’d rather choose someone I find pleasing to the eye. I saved your life, so you repay me with your devotion.”
Even though Yu Nian didn’t speak, Tian Yao could sense he was considering the feasibility of it.
Tian Yao continued. “Or do you still want to continue living a life worse than death under the thumb of your enemies?”
“My name is Yu Nian.”
Though he only gave his name, Tian Yao felt a shift in his attitude, a loosening. He breathed out in relief and asked him, “Aren’t you really hungry?”
The answer was Yu Nian’s stomach rumbling loudly.
Tian Yao suppressed a laugh. “I’ll make you something else to eat.”
Tian Yao was always rough with himself, but for this nominal husband, he went to the other room and found the cooking booklet his Little Dad had made for him before passing away. It detailed the methods for many dishes in great detail.
Looking at the nearly empty rice jar, Tian Yao flipped to the drawing for vegetable congee that his Little Dad had painted. He went to the small vegetable patch beside the house, pulled up two green vegetables, and made a bowl of vegetable congee.
The sticky aroma of plain congee and the fresh taste of the greens made Yu Nian feel even hungrier. He brushed Tian Yao’s hand aside, took the bowl himself, and ate the entire bowl of congee clean.
Seeing he could eat, Tian Yao’s heart settled a little. He then began chattering away: “The family is indeed a bit poor. Tomorrow’s wedding will likely just be a formality. Leave everything to me; you just focus on recovering.”
“Once tomorrow is over, I’ll go up the mountain and check the traps I set earlier for any pheasants or rabbits. I’ll bring them back to nourish you. Any extra, I’ll take to Town to sell for silver to buy you some clothes or something. You can’t keep wearing my Father’s clothes forever.”
He spoke on and on to himself. Yu Nian looked at him, his thoughts already drifting far away.
Tian Yao had always loved listening to his Father and Little Dad chat idly, from a certain wild fruit tree on the mountain to which family’s wife in the village came from where. But they left too early; Tian Yao never got his fill of listening to them talk like that.
He didn’t care if Yu Nian answered him or not; he was happy just talking to himself.
Amidst Tian Yao’s talking, the sky gradually darkened. Unable to sit still, Tian Yao filled the water vat again, boiled a large pot of water, and finally returned to the room carrying a basin.
The oil lamp was dim. Yu Nian’s eyes were closed; Tian Yao couldn’t tell if he was asleep or awake. He called out once, got no response, so he moved Yu Nian’s legs off the bed and into the basin of water.
Yu Nian’s legs weren’t completely numb. In the somewhat hot water, he could feel a soothing comfort.
Tian Yao spoke again. “Someday when I’m free, I’ll take you to the Clinic to see if your legs can still be healed.”
Yu Nian wanted to pull his legs back, but Tian Yao held them firmly. Yu Nian sat up. The room was too dark; he could only see Tian Yao’s silhouette.
Tian Yao was used to his silence. Seeing the soak was about done, he dried Yu Nian’s legs and began pressing on several acupoints on his legs, speaking to himself. “My Father taught me this.”
Yu Nian didn’t want to expose his most vulnerable places to another’s gaze, but helpless, he was now meat on the chopping block. He could only watch his own legs held in a Ger’s lap. But he could feel a numb ache in the spots Tian Yao pressed.
“Too bad there’s no money to treat your legs right now.” Tian Yao pressed neither too lightly nor too heavily, hoping it could help his legs a little, making future treatment easier.
Yu Nian only remained silent in the darkness. He had never considered his legs could still be healed. He also now knew Tian Yao truly was poor—even living in a brick house, it was dilapidated and old.
“Really pains me to think about the money. I wanted to use that silver to build two more rooms.” Tian Yao tucked Yu Nian’s legs into the thin quilt, carried the foot-washing water out, then washed up himself, blew out the oil lamp, and stood by the bed to undress.
Yu Nian’s heart suddenly seized. “What are you doing?”
Tian Yao was already stripped down to just his inner garments. Standing by the bed, he thought for a moment, then moved Yu Nian further inside. “Sleeping, of course. I don’t have another bed. We’ll have to make do.”
He lay down next to Yu Nian, pillowing his head on his arms. “Wonder what tomorrow will be like.” Saying this, he turned his head and glanced towards Yu Nian’s lower body. “Do you need to relieve yourself now? Let me know if you do. I’m afraid you won’t be able to wake me in the middle of the night.”
“No need.”
Tian Yao rolled over. “Alright then, I’m sleeping.”
Yu Nian didn’t know that someone could fall asleep so quickly. Almost the instant his words ‘I’m sleeping’ faded, his breathing gradually steadied, and he even started snoring softly.
That he could sleep so calmly beside someone he just met today told Yu Nian those rumors weren’t entirely groundless. Even if his appearance was exaggerated, in other aspects, they weren’t too far off.
Yu Nian’s mind wandered wildly—sometimes the horrific scene of his parents’ execution, sometimes his desolation when Feng Zhe’s men severed his hamstrings, sometimes the image of Tian Yao’s not-broad but exceptionally firm shoulders.
In a drowsy state, a hand landed on his chest. He looked down. It was Tian Yao, having unconsciously turned over in his deep sleep.
Yu Nian frowned, lifted Tian Yao’s hand off him, and with some effort, turned over himself.
The autumn night was getting cool. He hadn’t slept peacefully on a bed in a long time. Tian Yao’s whole body radiated warm heat, the bedding was warm too, and Yu Nian quickly fell asleep.
Tian Yao woke early every day. Today, the bed felt particularly warm. Opening his eyes, he saw another face. He thought for a long moment—oh right, this was his future Husband. They were getting married today.
Yu Nian slept so soundly that even Tian Yao getting up didn’t wake him.
As usual, Tian Yao washed up, went to the kitchen, mixed the remaining flour with some cornmeal, and steamed a pot of steamed buns. By the time he finished, day was just beginning to break.
Unable to stay idle, he swept the courtyard spotless and tidied up the scattered tools and items. Looking at the great mountain behind his house, he felt the urge to go.
Anyway, weddings happened at dusk. If he went up the mountain now for a look, should be fine, right?
He reconsidered. What if Yu Nian’s enemies came while he was away and bullied him? At least he had to wait until those people left before he could comfortably leave the house.
“Yao Ge’er, are you awake?”
It was the fulang of the Chen Family from the village, someone Tian Yao got along well with. His original surname was Liu, named Liu Zhi. He was newly married and had just wed into Huailing Village.
“How come you’re here so early?” Tian Yao opened the courtyard gate and let him in.
“I heard you’re getting married today, how could I not come help?” Liu Zhi had a bright, straightforward nature. Seeing no one else around, he pulled half a string of copper coins from his pouch and handed it to Tian Yao. “I know you’re short on money lately. Even a simple wedding still needs money, right?”
Tian Yao didn’t stand on ceremony with him. “Once this is settled, I’ll pay you back.”
Liu Zhi didn’t care when Tian Yao paid him back. He just asked: “Who is he? Why’s the marriage so rushed?”
Tian Yao only told him Yu Nian was also without parents and had an injured leg. He felt they were suitable for each other, and that was enough.
Liu Zhi was also one to speak without filtering: “If his legs don’t work, what about… matters in the bedroom?”
Tian Yao shamelessly boasted, spouting nonsense with eyes wide open: “Though his legs don’t work, my Husband’s waist is excellent. I said I’d do the work myself, but he wasn’t willing!”
