No one knew how they first got together. In the beginning, they tried to hide it, but eventually, they stopped.
Many of the younger children didn’t know about it, but all the adults in the village did.
Juhua’s husband had fought and caused a scene, but it was no use.
After all the fighting and commotion, Juhua brazenly moved in with Uncle Fan, eating and living there.
Uncle Fan’s wife, whether out of resignation or something else, saw that Juhua was a diligent worker who helped around the house and didn’t mind her. She just treated her as an extra, unpaid laborer.
They would even... exchange a few words from time to time.
If her own husband couldn’t control the situation, there was nothing the villagers could do, though they gossiped behind her back.
This was the first time Su Li had heard of such a thing, and she was utterly dumbfounded.
On the way to the Fan Family’s house, she passed by Uncle Fan’s home and made a point to look at Juhua, who was working in the yard.
The feelings stirring inside her were simply indescribable.
With such a bizarre precedent, the Fan Family raising the betrothal gift price no longer seemed so strange.
When the Fan Family saw Little Aunt and the others returning, their eyes lit up. But when they laid eyes on Wu Sheng and Su Li, a greedy glint appeared in them.
Little Aunt wanted to have a serious discussion, but the Fan Family, thinking Wu Sheng and Su Li weren’t in a position to talk, ended up kicking them out directly.
"Why don’t you two go walk around town?"
Little Aunt had spoken, so Wu Sheng and Su Li had no choice but to obey.
Part of the way there, Wu Sheng said he forgot something and had to go back, asking Su Li to wait for him.
Su Li didn’t suspect a thing. She was already in town, so she simply nodded for him to go back.
But not long after Wu Sheng left, Su Li unexpectedly ran into the homeless man again.
As if on cue, the homeless man started walking right toward her.
Without a second thought, Su Li pulled out the pepper spray and used it. After spraying him, she saw the homeless man still reaching for her, not giving up, so she closed her eyes and kicked with all her might.
When a person is terrified, their potential and strength are limitless. Su Li’s kick was packed with force.
And it landed right on target.
Seeing the homeless man fall to the ground, Su Li turned and ran.
She glanced back mid-flight and saw the homeless man still curled up on the ground, not giving chase. Su Li let out a huge sigh of relief.
It wasn’t a market day, so the town was quiet. Su Li ran without stopping until she reached the busiest storefront, only letting out a sigh of relief as she watched the people come and go.
A good while later, Wu Sheng finally arrived.
"Wu Sheng, I ran into the homeless man again! I think it was the same one as last time."
The moment Su Li saw Wu Sheng, she rushed to tell him what happened. Only after she finished did she notice that his eyes were bloodshot and his expression was laced with pain.
"What happened to you?"
"I accidentally got something dirty splashed on me on the way back," Wu Sheng explained casually, his gaze fixed on Su Li’s face.
"Are you okay?"
Su Li paused for a moment before nodding. She showed Wu Sheng the can of pepper spray. "Yeah, I don’t think I was as scared this time. I even kicked him."
Hearing this, a vein throbbed on Wu Sheng’s forehead. "As long as you’re okay. As long as you’re okay."
Su Li nodded, then a thought struck her belatedly. "You know, why is it that I always run into a homeless man whenever I come to town? It feels a little... strange."
Wu Sheng thought to himself, ’You finally noticed.’
But out loud, he said, "It’s just because you’re sensitive to it, so you notice it more."
Su Li thought that made sense.
She was just about to reply when Wu Sheng handed her two figs.
"Eat a fig to calm your nerves," he said. "They’re perfectly ripe and delicious right now."
"Wait, let me wash my hands. They’re dirty," Su Li said instinctively, glancing down at them.
She hadn’t actually touched the homeless man, but she still wanted to wash her hands.
"They’re not dirty. How could you be dirty?" Wu Sheng said, looking into Su Li’s eyes. "Su Li, look closely at your hands. They’re not dirty at all. Don’t feel like you’re dirty."
He took her hand. "Su Li, you... are the purest person there is."
In the end, Su Li didn’t wash her hands. When she returned that night and had another nightmare, she was no longer defenseless. She had the can of pepper spray in her hand.
In her dream, she sprayed it at the homeless men. In her dream, she saved herself.
Su Li woke up only after she had managed to escape.
After a long, stunned moment, Su Li smiled.
She paused for a moment, then suddenly got out of bed and opened the door.
Without any hesitation, Su Li threw herself into the arms of the person standing outside.
"Wu Sheng, thank you."
It was a long moment before Su Li finally spoke.
Wu Sheng stroked her hair. "As long as you’re not afraid anymore."
Wu Sheng had tried everything, and with great patience, he finally led Su Li out of the darkness, healing the persistent trauma that had carried over from her previous life.
To have resolved Su Li’s inner turmoil in their last two days here and achieved the goal of their trip, Wu Sheng was very satisfied.
After that, it was one happy event after another.
Somehow, Little Aunt’s negotiations had worked. That morning, word came from the Fan Family.
They had backed down on the betrothal gift.
They no longer wanted a thousand, but three hundred.
Three hundred was a sum the Wu Family could accept.
A smile finally appeared on Wu Qiu’s face.
That afternoon, the Wu Family began to bustle with preparations for Wu Qiu’s engagement ceremony.
The next day, the engagement ceremony went off without a hitch.
In the end, Wu Sheng was finally able to attend Wu Qiu’s engagement ceremony.
After that, it was time to leave.
They had already been in Wu Family Village for a full week, long enough to be considered a short holiday.
On the day of their departure, Grandma Wu and Little Aunt were up and busy before the sun had even risen.
They weren’t slaughtering a pig or a sheep, but a chicken was a must.
This final farewell meal was always as lavish as possible, even if people couldn’t eat much.
Wu Sheng, Su Li, and Little Tang Mo got up soon after. The meal was lively, but the sadness of their impending departure still lingered in the air.
After the meal, as Su Li was finishing up their packing, the introverted and ever-quiet Wu Xia came into the room and handed Su Li something she had been holding.
"Sister-in-law, this is for you. It’s nothing fancy."
She left as soon as she said it. Su Li stared at the gifts in her hands, stunned for a long moment.
Wu Xia had sewn a pair of insoles for Su Li. The stitching was fine and dense, and they were decorated with adorable, beautifully drawn peaches.
In addition to the insoles for her, there was a pair of black, layered-sole cloth shoes.
They were tiny—for Little Tang Mo.
Su Li looked at the shoes she had carefully set aside, and her heart instantly warmed.
"Mommy, are these for me?"
Little Tang Mo asked from the side.
"Yes, they were made for you."
Su Li nearly choked up as she said the words.
Her own shoes had been made by Little Aunt. Because Little Aunt was the fastest and most skilled, Su Li was the first to receive hers.
Wu Sheng already had shoes at the house, so Grandma Wu worked on his pair, only finishing them yesterday.
Su Li hadn’t expected Little Tang Mo to get a pair too. She had been worried Little Aunt would make some for him and had specifically told them not to bother.
But it turned out... they had been made long ago.
Grandma Wu, Little Aunt, and Wu Xia—the three women had tacitly divided the work, one person per pair, and had made them long before.
She hadn’t seen Wu Xia working on them during the day; she must have stayed up late to finish them.
She had stitched the insoles for her and made the shoes for Little Tang Mo.
So in the end, all three of them—Wu Sheng, Su Li, and Little Tang Mo—each received a pair of shoes and a pair of insoles.
She had stitched the insoles for Wu Sheng and Little Tang Mo, though one of Little Tang Mo’s was still unfinished.
She hadn’t thought to make a pair for herself, but in the end, Wu Xia had made them for her.