Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

As Zhao Nuanyue ate, she listened to Yang Guanghui and Hua Yusen chat. She had just finished when she heard voices outside—Li Qiong and Wang Yuan had returned together. Seeing them walking side-by-side, talking and laughing, the trauma from before the New Year seemed to have been washed away by the holiday cheer.

”Wang Yuan, Li Qiong, how did you get back? Did you walk?” Zhao Nuanyue asked, surprised. Both of them were carrying large packs, and with no one to pick them up, she knew it was impossible for two young women to walk such a long way.

Li Qiong shook her head. ”Walk? It would take us more than a day to get here. After we got off the train, we ran into some young people from Yangliu Village. We all chipped in to rent an oxcart and came back together.”

”Oh, I see,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a nod. ”Well, it’s almost lunchtime. Don’t forget to find Miao Dahai and Accountant Dong to collect the grain rations you were allotted last year. I’m about to start cooking, so I’ll just make some for you two as well.”

”Accountant Dong?” Li Qiong said in surprise. ”Does that mean Li Siming was removed from his post?”

”Yes, he was,” Zhao Nuanyue replied. ”That Wang Dadan was removed too. We won’t have to be afraid of them making things difficult for us anymore. You two don’t have to worry.”

Wang Yuan breathed a faint sigh of relief at Zhao Nuanyue’s words, but she still sounded nervous. ”I won’t dare to go off on my own again. It’s impossible to be on guard all the time. My parents were trying to pull some strings to let me stay home, but nothing came of it by the deadline. I couldn’t find any other way, so I had to come back.”

Upon hearing this, Li Qiong gave a bitter smile. ”Nianqiao Village may be a little dangerous, but at least I can eat my fill here. Back home, I couldn’t even get enough to eat. Both of my older brothers are married now, and my second brother and his wife took over my room. When I got back, I had to sleep in the living room. Suddenly having two sisters-in-law in the house, I felt like a complete outsider. There was this man on our street, incredibly ugly, who took a liking to me. He said he would arrange for my official transfer back to the city if I married him. I’d rather work in the countryside than live with someone like that. At least here I have my freedom and don’t have to look at such a horrible, ugly face. So I just told him off. He threatened me, saying he’d make sure I could never go back. So, I probably can never return. I might be stuck in Nianqiao Village for life.”

Everyone was stunned by what Li Qiong said.

’It seems everyone has their own hardships; it’s just a matter of degree.’

”Don’t look at me with such pity,” Li Qiong said with a laugh. ”I’ve accepted it. If I really can’t go back, marrying a good young man from Nianqiao Village wouldn’t be so bad.” But she knew in her heart that it would be difficult for her to find a husband here, considering she had nearly been defiled.

Seeing everyone sharing their own miserable stories, Zhao Nuanyue knew she couldn’t stay silent, or she’d seem aloof. So, she looked at Li Qiong, Wang Yuan, and Yang Guanghui, then spoke slowly. ”Li Qiong, my story is actually worse than yours. My stepfather tried to marry me off to his boss’s mentally disabled son. It’s a good thing I ran away quickly. If I hadn’t, I would’ve been forced to marry a fool, even if it meant I could stay in the city. I’d rather never marry than marry a fool.”

”What?” Li Qiong was stunned. ”Your stepfather is a real piece of work. My family doesn’t treat me like they used to, but they wouldn’t marry me off to a fool. Even with that ugly guy, when my parents saw I was unwilling, they secretly bought me a train ticket and let me leave. They even comforted me, saying they would try their best to find a solution in the future, even though there might not be any good options.”

”That’s right. At least your parents are your real parents. Even a vicious tiger won’t eat its own cubs. Even if they couldn’t help, it’s because they lacked the ability, not because they didn’t want to be good to you. But my stepfather... he’s a beast in human form,” Zhao Nuanyue sneered. ”Not only did he threaten me, he also hit Nuanyang. That’s why I’m never going back to Jincheng City. Making a good life here in Nianqiao Village is fine by me.”

Li Qiong and Wang Yuan looked at Zhao Nuanyue, then each took one of her hands and said softly, ”Nuanyue, you’re so smart and capable. You’ll definitely be able to make a good life for yourself.”

Zhao Nuanyue’s story made Wang Yuan and Li Qiong feel that they weren’t the most miserable ones after all. If Zhao Nuanyue could be so strong-willed, what reason did they have to be downcast and wallow in self-pity all day?

The relationships between women were just that simple. When someone was doing well, they might feel a mix of envy and jealousy, or perhaps genuine happiness. But when they saw someone suffering, or in a situation worse than their own, they were bound to feel sympathy, which brought them closer.

’This was the upside of sharing tales of woe!’

”Mhm, you two will be fine, too,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a comforting smile.

They were all in the same boat, adrift in the world. They hoped that in Nianqiao Village, they could rely on and help one another.

With the arrival of Li Qiong, Wang Yuan, and Yang Guanghui, Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen could no longer cook special meals for the old man every night. Instead, they started preparing a large batch every three days, making sure it was enough to last him.

「Spring returned to the land, and all of nature reawakened.」

The snow on the mountains gradually melted, feeding the small river of Nianqiao Village, which flowed gently downstream.

The water in the ditches around Nianqiao Village rose. As far as the eye could see, streams murmured and their surfaces sparkled. The distant ground was already tinged with green, and the undulating mountains behind the village seemed to have donned a colorful new coat.

Winter jasmine on the mountainside, a brilliant yellow, danced in the wind.

Zhao Nuan Yang wanted to paint, but with outsiders around, Zhao Nuanyue didn’t dare let her brother paint in the courtyard. So, while they were out digging for wild vegetables, she let him paint in the fields.

Zhao Nuan Yang was overjoyed. You could see his improvement with every new painting, leaving He Qiang to marvel at his progress.

Later, Zhao Nuanyue moved Zhao Nuan Yang’s easel, paints, paper, brushes, and other supplies into another cave that Hua Yusen had found earlier. This way, whenever her brother wanted to paint, he could come here without worrying about his things being seen by others.

The reason she was so confident was that she had already asked the Little Red Carp to place a Barrier around the spot where Zhao Nuan Yang kept his paintings, as well as the two caves where she cooked. Ordinary people couldn’t get in, making them far safer than their own home.

Inside the cave, there was a small wooden stool and a chest specifically for storing Zhao Nuan Yang’s paintings.

”Sister, I like it here,” Zhao Nuan Yang said with a light laugh. ”I don’t have to be so secretive anymore.”

”Mhm. Hua and I found this special place for you, so you can’t tell anyone about it. When you want to come, just tell me and I’ll bring you. But you must never, ever come here by yourself. Got it?” Zhao Nuanyue instructed, emphasizing her words so her brother wouldn’t forget.