Chapter 84: Life in the Mountains

On Blue Star, that underwater archway had worn away over the ages, leaving only fragments of key information. All it revealed was that the arch had been erected for the wife of a man surnamed Wu—some woman known only as Lady X—and that it stood in a place called Yuhong County. The surname Wu wasn’t as common as the top four great clans, but it was far from rare. In short, nothing about the inscription matched Wu Wei’s current situation at all.

Wu Wei let out a shallow breath of relief. Inwardly, she chided herself for being so neurotic, letting a single dark hunch spiral into needless worry.

With her mind somewhat steadied, Wu Wei forced herself to pull away from her spiraling disaster fantasies. She tucked the tree bark back into its wooden box and returned it to the cabinet.

Meanwhile, after seeing Zhang Shuisheng off, the Embroider Maiden invited the Old Lady Zhang and Second Lady Liu into the west room. She came back to fetch her needlework basket and found Wu Wei sitting dazed on the kang. “Lie down and rest for a bit,” she said. “These past few days have been quite a ordeal. The Old Madam and I will finish up this work, then prep tomorrow’s ingredients and steam some buns with the dough.” As she spoke, the Embroider Maiden opened the cabinet, pulling out a pillow and bedding. She stuffed the pillow into Wu Wei’s arms for her to hold and made up the bed, saying softly, “Lie down and sleep for a while.”

Wu Wei nodded, casting the Embroider Maiden a lingering glance that seemed tinged with reluctance before settling the pillow and lying down.

The Embroider Maiden closed the window and gently shut the door behind her as she left. The room fell quiet.

Wu Wei drifted off to sleep in no time. This had been her first time doing farm work, and even with guidance from an experienced hand like Zhang Shuisheng, it had worn her out completely.

…

When Wu Wei woke again, it was time for dinner. She wasn’t very hungry and set her chopsticks down after only half a bowl.

“Embroider Maiden,” Wu Wei asked, “I remember we have a bundle of hemp rope about as thick as my little finger. Where did you put it?”

Without hesitation, the Embroider Maiden replied, “It’s in a bamboo basket in the root cellar. What do you need rope for?”

“I’m just idle anyway. I thought I’d make some simple snares for rabbits, see if I can catch a few wild ones to liven up our meals.”

At Wu Wei’s words, Second Lady Liu and Old Lady Zhang both chuckled. Wu Wei might look tall and slim, but she had quite the appetite.

“Go ahead,” they said. “The days are long now anyway. Just be back before dark.”

Wu Wei murmured her assent and headed out, only to return moments later. “What’s wrong?” the Embroider Maiden asked.

Wu Wei glanced at Second Lady Liu and Old Lady Zhang, then leaned close to whisper in the Embroider Maiden’s ear, “Where’s my dagger?”

The Embroider Maiden arched a brow and turned to face Wu Wei. They were so close their breaths mingled.

“I need it for the snares,” Wu Wei whispered.

Only then did the Embroider Maiden look away. She set down her chopsticks. “I’ll get it for you. Just don’t go rummaging through my organized things and mess them up.” With that, she went off with Wu Wei.

Once they were out of earshot, Old Lady Zhang smacked her lips. “Those two little sisters sure get along well.”

Second Lady Liu nodded. “Indeed. Third Sister never had many playmates growing up, and after I married, she didn’t even have anyone to confide in. After all she’s been through, it’s no wonder she treasures a true friend like this.”

…

From the second rice crock at home, the Embroider Maiden dug out Wu Wei’s dagger. The rice had kept the air away, and the blade gleamed with a cold edge. No matter when she looked at it, the Embroider Maiden found the thing unsettling. She handed it to Wu Wei with a warning. “Be careful not to cut yourself. We have scissors at home—why not take those instead?”

“No worries. Scissors aren’t as handy as this. Next time, I’ll buy some good leather and make a sheath for it.”

Wu Wei slung the bundle of hemp rope over her shoulder, gripped the dagger, and grabbed a few radishes from the vegetable basket before heading to the back mountain.

…

In the woods, Wu Wei set about a dozen snares, each tied with a slipknot that tightened on a tug—the more the catch struggled, the firmer the hold. A big brother fresh out of police academy had taught her this trick back in her childhood; it was simple and effective.

She dangled a fresh chunk of radish in the center of each snare. Wild grass blanketed the hills, but who could resist the scent of radish? Once finished, Wu Wei carved a mark into a nearby tree with her dagger, checked the sky, and headed back down the mountain.

Wu Wei loved this place. The lush vegetation made it a natural oxygen bar, the air thick with the scent of the wild. She paused between two conveniently spaced trees and murmured to herself, “I should weave a hammock for the Embroider Maiden sometime. She’d love it.”

…

When Wu Wei got home, only the Embroider Maiden was in the east room. She’d finished the little quilt for the baby and was now making clever use of the leftover fabric, turning every scrap into tiny garments and odds and ends.

At the sound of Wu Wei’s approach, the Embroider Maiden looked up. Their eyes met in a moment of perfect understanding, and they shared a smile.

Wu Wei sat at the other side of the kang table, picking up the small scissors for handiwork. She trimmed the lamp wick, steadying the flame. The orange candlelight cast its warm glow, filling the room.

“It’s late. Needlework will hurt your eyes.”

“Just a bit left. It’d be a shame to waste such good fabric. I’m making the baby a pair of mittens, so it won’t scratch its face once the nails grow in.”

“Next market trip, I’ll buy some candles and make a bamboo candlestick. Safer than this oil lamp.”

“It’s all the same. Candles are pricey—oil lamps are fine. Like Second Sister says, we should economize where we can in daily life. We don’t have much income right now, and even with generous help, we can’t just eat through our savings. Once Second Sister has her baby and finishes her confinement, I plan to try my hand farther afield, see if I can pick up some embroidery work.”

“Then I’ll catch some wild rabbits to raise. Now and then, I’ll net some fish to sell at market for extra cash. Once the tenant farmers start working our fields, our grain will be secure. With our savings as a buffer and side earnings on top, we’ll never want again. Don’t worry.”

The Embroider Maiden smiled and snipped the thread ends, holding out the mittens to Wu Wei. “Here, what do you think?”

Wu Wei cupped them in her palm. They were a pair of tiny mittens, like miniature boxing gloves—two plump little rounds. Baby things were always so small, yet the Embroider Maiden had embroidered a pair of coin-sized flower clusters in the center of each palm. Fine silk ribbons at the wrists could be gently pulled to cinch them tight. They were adorable.

“They’re beautiful. Your hands are so clever, Embroider Maiden.”

Wu Wei wrapped the mittens inside the finished baby clothes. The Embroider Maiden had Wu Wei stand before her and measured her dimensions with a tape, murmuring, “Weiwei, we’ll take our days as they come. Don’t rush yourself. We’ll share the household chores—no need to shoulder it all alone.”

“When you cared for me so tirelessly before, how come you never asked me to help?”

The Embroider Maiden put away the tape. “Lady Xue’er sent that lake-blue fabric—it suits you perfectly. I thought I’d make you two new outfits.”

“We’ll each make one for ourselves, or I won’t wear it!”

Helplessness flickered in the Embroider Maiden’s eyes as she looked Wu Wei over closely. Living together day in and day out, it was hard to notice changes in each other. If she hadn’t measured today, she never would have realized Wu Wei had slimmed down. Staring intently, she finally spotted the proof: the faint baby fat on Wu Wei’s cheeks was gone, leaving a classic oval face.

A pang of guilt hit the Embroider Maiden. Life was only getting better—why had Weiwei lost weight?

The mountain night was serene and cool. The Embroider Maiden added more firewood to the stove to keep the kang warm. After washing up, they spread their bedding and slipped under the covers.

The new house was roomier, the kang much larger than in the old shack, but the Embroider Maiden’s and Wu Wei’s quilts still lay snugly side by side, without a gap between them.

Buoyed by her afternoon nap, Wu Wei turned onto her side to face the Embroider Maiden. “Tomorrow they’ll come to build the woodshed. With the leftover materials, I plan to put up a chicken coop first. We’ll keep them penned until they’re used to home, then let them free-range on the back mountain. That vegetable patch will need a fence, or the little critters will eat our hard-planted crops. Now that we can afford it, once we find good tenants, I’d like to get a few sheep, an ox for plowing, and some big wolfhounds for guarding the yard! The mountain paths are rough—an ox would make great pack transport to carry our loads. What do you think?”

The Embroider Maiden couldn’t help but share in Wu Wei’s excitement. “Sounds good~!”

Wu Wei pillowed her head on her arm. Though she fell silent, her mind buzzed with plans: a bathroom, “running water,” an outhouse; free sheep’s milk, cheese-making, baking cakes; using the mountain stream for a live fish pond to eat fish whenever she wanted… plus hammocks and swings, and homemade fertilizer to nourish those few acres of hillside fields. Wu Wei had it all mapped out.

They’d moved away from the old house and the charity mortuary, far from that lake that might hold secrets of her traversal. Without those scene prompts, Wu Wei’s thoughts were shifting focus.

“Weiwei?”

“Mm?”

The Embroider Maiden fell quiet for a moment, and Wu Wei waited patiently.

At last, she spoke again, her voice solemn. “There’s something I’ve been dying to know. Please tell me.”

Hearing the gravity in her tone, Wu Wei grew serious too. “Go ahead.”

“I want to know… why didn’t you name Second Sister’s child?” Embroider Maiden had always felt that the look Wu Wei had given her back then held a thousand unspoken words. She had held it in all day and finally seized the chance to ask directly. She didn’t even bother making an excuse about replying to the Old Madam.

This time, it was Wu Wei who fell silent. After a moment, she spoke again. Her voice was soft and pleasant, carrying the gentle cadence of a storyteller. “For someone like me—a female coroner—even if Second Sister and Second Brother-in-law’s family don’t mind, not to mention the villagers of Zhang Family Village, I’m still not someone who can stand on a proper stage. A name is something that accompanies one for life. It should be given by someone more respectable.”

Embroider Maiden’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. “Didn’t you say that one can’t…”

Before Embroider Maiden could finish, Wu Wei’s voice rose again, gentle yet tinged with wistfulness. This time, it was even softer, more subdued, but every word and every sentence fell clearly into Embroider Maiden’s ears. Wu Wei said, “I just don’t want anyone else to suffer the hardships you endured in the past. People love to make associations. We’re all mortals who eat the five grains and thus fall prey to a hundred illnesses; fortunes can change in the blink of an eye. If, in the future, something were to happen to anyone close to that child, others would twist his name into an article against him. Wouldn’t that be a disaster out of nowhere? I don’t mind my identity as a coroner, and you don’t mind, but there will always be those who do. What have you done wrong in these past few years, after all?”