The woman looked at Shi Fengxian and asked, "And who are you?"
She finished speaking, then hung the furs she had just processed one by one along the side of the small cabin.
Shi Fengxian narrowed her eyes. "I am Shi Yi’s fourth aunt. Who do you think I am?"
"How did you come to be at my Yi’er’s home..."
"I was traded for a jin of rice."
The woman’s voice was icy, devoid of any small talk. She scooped up the processed rabbit meat in a winnowing basket and headed to the stream to wash it.
*That good-for-nothing,* Shi Fengxian thought, her vigilance spiking instantly. *He actually bought a wife? If there’s a woman in this useless man’s house, how am I going to cheat him out of his game in the future?*
She felt deeply annoyed. Glancing into the cabin, she saw Shi Yi was still asleep. She immediately transformed into an actress, plopping down onto the ground and bursting into tears, snot and all.
"Yi’er! I dreamt of your father again last night."
"Your father had such a hard life, and you, my child—it breaks my heart to watch you. I’ve spent my whole life worrying about you."
"Now that you’ve finally taken a wife, your fourth aunt is truly happy for you from the bottom of her heart."
The woman by the stream heard the word "wife" and felt a wave of intense revulsion, but having no choice, she chose to act as if she hadn’t heard it.
Inside the house, Shi Yi was jolted awake by the noise. He opened his eyes, feeling groggy. Hearing Shi Fengxian’s voice, he immediately felt a sense of disgust. His father had six siblings, and his father was the eldest. Aside from Third Uncle’s family, the others were nothing but trouble. Second Uncle had seized their family property; Fourth Aunt was greedy for petty gains; and Fifth and Sixth Uncles were just lackeys for Second Uncle—they had been just as eager as anyone else when it came to backstabbing his father.
Being woken up like this, he felt irritated. He walked out and let out a yawn. "What are you howling for? You’re giving me a headache."
Shi Fengxian paused at Shi Yi’s words. She looked back, and for a moment, she almost couldn’t resist slapping him. But then she caught sight of the twenty-odd rabbit furs that looked so promising, and she swallowed her annoyance.
She put on the air of an elder, lecturing him, "Is that any way to talk to your elders? What do you mean by 'howling'?"
Shi Yi looked over at the woman washing the rabbit meat by the stream. A beauty was a beauty; just glancing at her back made his mood improve inexplicably. He took a deep breath. "What did you come here for?"
Shi Fengxian turned the acting back on, tears appearing on cue. "Child, you’ve finally made something of yourself. Fourth Aunt is so happy for you. But you don’t know how to live life. In these times, people are starving everywhere. If there are a few copper coins in the house, you have to know how to save them, understand?"
"I understand," Shi Yi replied with a smile.
Shi Fengxian was caught off guard. Usually, Shi Yi would have poured his heart out, looking instantly moved. She thought, *Fourth Aunt, why don't you take that game back and keep it safe for me?*
She hadn't expected this silly boy to answer like that. It took her a moment to recover. "Oh my, Yi’er, you caught those rabbits in the mountains yesterday, didn't you? Why don’t I help you sell them? I’ll keep the money for you, and when you and your wife have children, I’ll help you..."
"Ask my wife, see if she agrees," Shi Yi interrupted again, gesturing toward the woman.
Hearing this, the woman, though looking cold as ice, felt inwardly frustrated: *This rustic countryman is really opportunistic, seizing every chance to take advantage.* She remained silent.
Fourth Aunt immediately pulled Shi Yi aside. "You foolish boy, she’s a wife you just bought. How can you hand over the family’s wealth to her? In a household, the man is the master—you have to keep everything in your own hands, do you understand?"
Shi Yi said, "Is that so? But I feel that since two people are living together, there should be mutual respect. Fourth Aunt, it’s up to my wife. Ask her." He paused. "Oh, and Fourth Aunt, I’ve saved over thirty wen with you over the years, haven't I? Can you return that to me? My wife will be managing the household from now on."
Hearing this, the muscles in Shi Fengxian’s face twitched instinctively, and a cunning glint flashed in her eyes. Every time Shi Yi had a successful hunt, she would be the first to show up and deceive her nephew. Under the guise of "keeping it safe" for him, she had actually spent it all on her own husband and children. She had never saved a single cent for him.
After an awkward silence, she stammered, "That... I’ll have to discuss it with your uncle." Then, shifting gears, she turned to the woman. "Oh my, dear, what is your name?"
This woman was cunning, having spent her life in the village navigating the treacherous, catty world of other women. Having dodged the topic, she tried to cozy up to the woman. *With twenty furs hanging on that wall and over ten pounds of rabbit meat, it’s enough to keep my family fed for half a month.* She was determined, shameless, and dead set on swindling the loot.
Shi Yi also wanted to see if the woman intended to stay, so he purposefully tested her, letting her decide on the household property. Shi Fengxian had assumed that since the woman was bought by this fool and knew no one, she would surely be docile and obedient. She hadn't expected to be met with such cold indifference.
The woman was like a block of ice, ignoring her completely from start to finish, simply continuing her work. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she looked up and said, "Apologies, but we are starving too. These things were earned through his hard work, traded for with his life in the mountains. There is no reason for others to keep them."
Shi Fengxian was stunned. She had been trying to build rapport, but the woman’s cold, aloof attitude had already annoyed her. She immediately slapped the woman across the face. "Who do you think you are? Don’t push your luck! Don't forget you were bought—you don't get to call the shots in this house."
Shi Yi didn't expect this foul woman to be so violent, or that she would actually strike the woman. He prepared to intervene, but before he could, the woman—unmoved and expressionless—slapped her right back.
"You dare!"
Shi Fengxian was flabbergasted. In the village, she was the one whose word was law among the women. Who dared to lay a hand on her? She raised her hand, ready to strike back, but just as it went up, her arm was suddenly grabbed from behind by Shi Yi.
"Try hitting my wife one more time."
Shi Fengxian was stunned. She turned back, bewildered. "You brat, do you know what you’re saying? I am your closest fourth aunt! You’re going to lay a hand on me for the sake of this woman of unknown origin?"
Shi Yi’s brow furrowed. "I said it before: she is my wife. From now on, she keeps whatever is in this house!"
The woman was also stunned, the icy facade in her cold eyes showing a crack. In all her life, she had never seen anyone protect her like this.
Shi Fengxian was absolutely livid. She shrieked, "You god-forsaken, ungrateful wretch! After all these years I’ve treated you like my own son!"