"This... this is..."
The confusion in Chu He's eyes slowly faded. When he looked up again, it had vanished completely, replaced by an air of accustomed familiarity.
"Get up and have some porridge."
Yumei tucked the loose strands of hair by her ear behind it and spoke softly.
"Alright."
Chu He agreed readily and was just about to rise.
"Hey, don't move."
Yumei awkwardly dressed him and fastened his belt. Chu He's body stiffened, like a marionette being clumsily manipulated.
It was as though neither of them had ever done such a thing before.
"Yumei, you worked hard last night."
The fingers fastening Chu He's sash paused slightly. Yumei's expression froze, but she casually said, "It's fine. It's what a wife should do."
Breathing in the fragrance of flowers and feeling the comfortable warm breeze.
Chu He looked up at the village, and a sense of recognition and belonging, as though he had returned to his homeland, rose within him—as if he had lived here from childhood to adulthood.
"Brother-in-law, what are we doing today?"
A booming voice sounded behind him. Chu He instinctively turned around and saw a tall, burly man with his sleeves and trouser legs rolled up.
Seeing this rough, brawny man, who looked even older than himself, calling him brother-in-law, Chu He instinctively felt a chill run down his spine.
The resistance in his heart flashed away in an instant.
"Brother-in-law, let's go hunting in the mountains."
"No, I'm going home."
Chu He refused.
"Haha, what are you going home for? Let's catch a few rabbits today and have my sister make us a proper feast of stir-fried rabbit meat."
The burly man laughed heartily, speaking with easy familiarity.
"This..."
Chu He looked at the weathered face of the burly man and suddenly asked, "Little