“A person like that—who wouldn’t like him?”

Sister Zhen’s eyes stared unblinkingly at Xie Zhifei.

“Not only was he good-looking, he spoke softly and gently like you, and he could write and paint.”

“How old was he?”

“Two or three years older than us, much taller than us.”

Sister Zhen gestured with her hands. “Right, about this tall.”

Xie Zhifei smiled. “And then?”

Sister Zhen wiped her oily mouth. “Later, that Sanmei abandoned me and went to the other side of the river whenever she had time. What a little slut.”

Pei Xiao curiously interjected, “Did she swim over every day?”

Sister Zhen, seeing the questioner was also a handsome young man, grinned. “With so many small boats in the river, couldn’t she row one? Walk down another two hours, there’s even a bridge where they could meet!”

Xie Zhifei’s face showed surprise. “So they became lovers just like that? How old were they?”

Sister Zhen didn’t even lift her eyelids, saying resentfully, “When the eyes match, aren’t they lovers? What does age matter?”

Xie Zhifei asked, “How many years were they together?”

Sister Zhen replied, “Five or six years? Seven or eight years? Anyway, they just kept at it.”

So they were childhood sweethearts.

Xie Zhifei deliberately asked, “Together for so long—why didn’t that person come to the Hu family to propose marriage? Don’t the two sides of the river intermarry?”

“Brother Fei, what foolish talk is that!”

Sister Zhen laughed eerily. “Playing at being wild mandarin ducks is one thing, but wanting to be carried through the gate in an eight-bearer sedan? Not even a crack in the door.”

Good-looking, educated, could paint—not even a crack in the door…

That meant the two families’ doors didn’t match, households weren’t equal.

Thinking of this, just as Yan Sanhe was about to poke Xie Zhifei with her finger, he had already opened his mouth to ask:

“Who exactly was that person? Could his family status be even higher than our Ji family’s?”

“Bah!”

Sister Zhen spat on the ground and held up her pinky finger, gesturing in front of Brother Xie.

“What is the Ji family? Let me tell you secretly—they’re not worth even his little finger.”

Pei Xiao disagreed. “Our Ji family are high officials in the capital.”

Sister Zhen scoffed. “What’s so special about high officials? That person was true imperial blood relations.”

Snap!

The taut string in everyone’s minds suddenly broke.

Xie Zhifei whipped his head around to meet…

Yan Sanhe’s equally astonished eyes.

Imperial blood relations?

That meant the royal family of the Great Qi Kingdom.

Yan Sanhe took a deep breath and said in a buzzing voice, “I don’t quite believe it.”

“Indeed.”

Xie Zhifei nodded, adopting his most ordinary expression and tone.

“Sister Zhen, you can’t boast like that. Imperial blood relations all live at the foot of the Imperial City—how could they run to the other side of the river?”

“Brother Fei, this old woman is about to see the King of Hell—why would I boast to you?”

Sister Zhen stretched out her withered palm.

“Look, even five fingers have different lengths. Can’t imperial blood relations be divided into favored and unfavored?”

Xie Zhifei smiled. “So he was the unfavored one?”

“Weren’t you the one who said the favored ones live in the palace? How could they come to our backwater corner?”

Xie Zhifei thought to himself: Sister Zhen, your alcohol tolerance is good, your appetite is good, and your debating skills are excellent too.

“By the way, what was his name?”

Sister Zhen made an effort to widen her eyes, smiling somewhat mischievously. “If I tell you, will you carry me home on your back?”

Xie Zhifei clapped his hands. “I’ll carry you!”

Sister Zhen didn’t believe him. “Really carry me?”

Xie Zhifei said firmly, “Whoever doesn’t carry you is a puppy.”

Only then did Sister Zhen believe him. She braced herself on the chair and slowly stood up.

Xie Zhifei didn’t know what she intended to do and also stood up, asking tentatively, “Sister Zhen, are you leaving now?”

“I’ve eaten my fill and drunk my fill—what else should I do?”

“You haven’t told me who that person is yet.”

Sister Zhen touched the “defiance” on the back of her head. “Don’t worry, I’m saving my last breath to tell you.”

Xie Zhifei couldn’t make up his mind and looked at Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe nodded lightly. He nimbly squatted down. “Come on, get on!”

Sister Zhen was truly impolite, flopping onto Xie Zhifei’s back and making two “hehe” sounds from her throat, quite pleased.

Pei Xiao didn’t know whether to follow and frantically winked at Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe frowned slightly. “Wait here for Third Master to return.”

Pei Xiao said, “But what if…”

Yan Sanhe raised an eyebrow. “You don’t trust your Xie Fifty?”

Pei Xiao: “…”

How should I respond to this??

How should I respond!!

…

Village path.

The handsome man carrying the bald old woman, exchanging words.

“Brother Xie, why don’t you ask about my affairs?”

“I already asked around. You just have those few broken matters—nothing worth talking about.”

“How is there nothing worth talking about?”

“Then you talk!”

“Oh heaven, why is my fate so bitter!”

“I told you to talk, why are you wailing!”

“I’m better looking than Sanmei, taller than Sanmei, and my skin is fairer than Sanmei’s, but my fate is worse than hers.”

“…”

Xie Zhifei couldn’t pick up the conversation.

“Brother Xie, even chickens lay eggs—why couldn’t I bear a child? They even made me sleep with other men—three of them—and each one praised how tender my body was.”

Xie Zhifei’s steps faltered.

“But what good is a tender body if my belly won’t cooperate!”

Sister Zhen sighed heavily.

“When I returned to my natal family, Father beat me, Mother scolded me, brothers and sisters-in-law all gave me ugly looks. If I hadn’t been ruthless, they would have sold me to a brothel.”

Xie Zhifei gritted his teeth and said hoarsely, “Sister Zhen, hearing you say this, your life really has been bitter.”

Hearing this, Sister Zhen laughed. “Guess how I managed to stay at my natal family?”

“By keeping a knife at your waist!”

“You guessed wrong.”

Sister Zhen stretched her head forward, her voice suddenly dropping.

“My sister-in-law died, my eldest brother couldn’t get a new wife, so he made me sleep with him—that’s how I stayed.”

Xie Zhifei’s heart shook violently. His steps stumbled, nearly falling.

“How were they cursed to death by me? I made them so angry they died… hahaha… good that they died from anger… hahaha… good that they died…”

Laughing and laughing, tears flowed from her cloudy eyes.

In the tearful light.

She seemed to see Hu Sanmei rowing to the middle of the river again. “Sister Zhen, look, that’s him.”

His gentle gaze looked toward her. “Sanmei always talks about you with me.”

Her shy gaze had nowhere to rest. Her hand stroked the long black braid on her chest. “What does she say about me?”

He revealed a mouthful of white teeth. “That you’re good at swimming, kind-hearted, and help her look after Heidan together.”

She couldn’t speak for a moment.

He waved his hand. “Sister Zhen, catch!”

She caught it. “What is it?”

He said, “Candy, for you to eat. It’s very sweet.”

It was truly sweet, sweet all the way to her heart. She smiled until her eyes curved. “You, what’s your name?”

“Have you studied?”

“I can’t read, but I have a good memory.”

“Then remember well—my name is…”

“Brother Xie!”

Sister Zhen’s mouth seemed to truly contain a piece of candy. She smacked her lips twice, gradually her voice becoming more and more unclear.

“You… remember well… Where is it most heart-breaking? Seeing the autumn moon at Guan Mountain… His name is… Wu Guanyue.”

Even though Xie Zhifei had prepared himself mentally, he was so shocked by these three characters that he nearly couldn’t catch his breath.

Just then, the hand that had been resting on his shoulder suddenly dropped.

“Sister Zhen?”

“…”

“Sister Zhen?”

“…”

Xie Zhifei could no longer support her. His legs buckled, and he knelt on the ground.

“Third Master!”

Zhu Qing came running from the distance. “Let me carry her.”

Xie Zhifei closed his eyes. After a long silence, he shook his head. “Help me up. I’ll see Sister Zhen off on her final journey.”

Zhu Qing quickly reached out to check the woman’s breath and froze.

“Meat eaten to fullness, liquor drunk to satisfaction, and a handsome Third Master carrying her home.”

With great effort, Xie Zhifei’s legs left the ground. At the same time, he shouted loudly, “Sister Zhen, what great fortune you have—”

This shout was extremely loud.

In the distance, Yan Sanhe felt a catch in her chest.