Chapter 30: The River God’s Bride — She Is a Star of Solitude Part 2

“There isn’t much time left.”

She gazed at the overcast sky with a sigh, then turned and headed to the kitchen to cook for Shi Yu.

Shi Yu lay in bed for a full month before recovering. The moment she could get up, she rushed outside, only to find something was wrong.

It was supposed to still be summer. Why were all the trees in the village withered and yellow?

“Auntie He, what season is it now?”

“It’s winter already.”

That single sentence sent Shi Yu’s mind reeling. She stood there in a daze for a long time.

Her sister’s memorial day was in early June. She had gone to the Star River in June too. Even after lying in bed for a month, it should have been July. How could it be winter?

Auntie He walked over and put an arm around her shoulder. “Go back inside and rest. You just recovered; you can’t be out in the wind.”

Shi Yu couldn’t puzzle it out no matter how hard she tried. She lay awake for half the night before finally falling asleep, only to be trapped in nightmares.

A massive tail coiled around her. Green eyes the size of fists stared her down, sending chills up her spine and ice through her heart.

A giant dragon lowered its head toward her. Shi Yu’s breath caught in terror, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Hah!”

Shi Yu’s eyes snapped open. Her chest heaved.

It had felt so real, as if she were truly being watched.

By the time daylight filled the sky, Shi Yu couldn’t fall back asleep. She got up, fed the chickens and ducks, lit the fire, and started cooking.

By the time Auntie He woke, breakfast was ready and the house had been tidied inside and out. She had also lit incense for her parents and sister.

The two sat down to eat together. Auntie He said, “New Year’s is coming up. We should stock up on some supplies in advance. Little Yu, is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Shi Yu shook her head. “Nothing in particular. What we have now is already good enough.”

Auntie He was getting old and couldn’t do much farm work. The mountain herbs had been monopolized by those thugs. Their life was already tight. She couldn’t add to the burden.

“Right, I used to do washing and mending work before. I can start doing that again. When I get paid, I’ll give it all to you.”

Auntie He smiled softly. “Save it for yourself. After I’m gone…” She stopped mid-sentence, finished the porridge in her bowl, and carried the dishes into the kitchen.

Shi Yu watched her retreating figure, eyes stinging. If Auntie He left too, she would truly have nothing left.

By midday, the sky cleared. Shi Yu seized the good weather, put on her sister’s old padded jacket, and went door to door asking if anyone needed washing or mending done.

Families that had once been kind now looked at her with undisguised disdain. She didn’t know what rumors they’d heard. They shut the door before she could even finish her sentence.

Shi Yu was rebuffed at every turn. When she got back, she found Auntie He busy in the kitchen. The aroma of cooking drifted out, comforting her heavy heart.

“Auntie He, I’m back.”

Auntie He turned to look at her and smiled warmly. “Go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Okay!”

Shi Yu smiled as she went inside to wash her hands, thinking there had to be a way to earn money. If all else failed, she’d go into the mountains to gather herbs. As long as those people didn’t find out, it would be fine.

At night, once the whole world had fallen asleep, Shi Yu shouldered her basket and headed out.

She knew the mountain paths well. She’d followed her sister many times before, and her sister had taught her to identify the herbs. Though the light was poor at night, the moon was bright tonight. With careful observation, she could still find what she needed.

Because it was winter, many herbs had gone dormant. Shi Yu searched all night and only gathered half a basket. At the first light of dawn, she went to the herb buyer at the village entrance and sold what she had. She offered the buyer half the money, begging her not to tell the thugs.

The herb buyer took pity on her and refused the money.

On the way back, Shi Yu bought Auntie He a new padded jacket. Despite the biting cold wind, her heart was warm.

And so it went: she fed the chickens and ducks during the day and slept to catch up on rest, then went to the mountains at night to gather herbs. This continued past the New Year.

Spring returned to the land and the herbs began to grow again. Her income gradually increased, which caught the attention of the villagers.

One night, she had barely entered the mountains when she was spotted by people lying in wait. She dropped her basket and ran, fleeing blindly until she reached the banks of the Star River.

“Stinking girl, you still dare to run? When we catch you, we’ll break your legs!”

The moonlight suddenly dimmed. Shi Yu couldn’t see the path ahead. Her foot caught on something and she fell, her face scraping against sharp gravel. She gasped in pain. Her chin and nose were torn open, and a faint smell of blood drifted through the air.

With those people closing in, Shi Yu ignored her pain and struggled to her feet. The moment she stepped forward, a current of water swept her off the ground and into the air.

The pursuers all stopped in their tracks, staring at the bizarre scene.

The veiled moon emerged, casting silver light over the ground. The raging river revealed its true form. Waves roared toward the bank. Those men were scared out of their wits and bolted, but how could human legs outrun a surging river?

The massive wave knocked them off their feet and dragged them into the whirlpool at the center of the river. They bobbed and sank, struggling desperately, but it was all in vain.

Just when Shi Yu thought they would drown, the river swelled again and hurled them onto the bank. They lay motionless on the ground, barely alive.

Shi Yu watched all of this from midair, completely unharmed.

The churning river returned to calm. A voice heavy with authority rang out from the air: “BEGONE!”

That single word jolted the semi-conscious men awake. They scrambled to their feet and stumbled toward the village.

Blood mixed with river water. Shi Yu felt her face wet and sticky, deeply uncomfortable.

She wiped her face with her sleeve and bowed her head to the Star River in reverence.

“Thank you, Lord River God.”

The river remained perfectly still, offering no response. She waited silently for a few minutes, then turned and walked toward the village.

Dawn was approaching. If Auntie He woke and couldn’t find her, she’d worry.

From that day on, the title “monster” stuck to Shi Yu for good. No one dared come near her. Even Auntie He was isolated because of it.

Shi Yu was glad for the peace and quiet. She continued gathering herbs at night, but no one dared stop her anymore.

Winter passed and spring came. In the blink of an eye, Shi Yu had turned sixteen. Auntie He aged more and more, her body weakening. She often coughed through the entire night.

Shi Yu was terrified. After Auntie He fell asleep, she carefully held her and prayed to heaven not to take her away.

But no matter how she pleaded, what was meant to come would come.

One day, she went out to buy joss paper and candles. She was delayed on the road, and when she returned, she found a crowd gathered at the door.

When they saw her, their eyes held fear or contempt, with a scattering of sympathy. But most were excited by the drama.

Shi Yu’s instincts screamed that something was wrong. She rushed into the courtyard to find the very thug who had caused her father’s and sister’s deaths surrounding Auntie He with his men. Auntie He stood hunched over, her face ashen.

Shi Yu shoved past the crowd and ran to Auntie He’s side, supporting her tottering frame. She forced herself to stay calm and stared down the thug.

“What do you want?!”

“Oh, she’s back,” the thug leered at Shi Yu with a disgusting gaze, a lecherous grin on his face. “Er Hu, this is the girl I told you about. What do you think? Pretty, right?”

Er Hu was a relative who had come to seek shelter with him a couple of years back. He was dim-witted, drooling at anyone he saw.

“P-p-pretty.”

Er Hu snickered as he walked toward Shi Yu, reaching out to touch her. Auntie He slapped his hand away.

“Li Zhuang, heaven sees everything. Do too much evil and heaven will collect its debt.”

“Fine! I’ll wait for heaven to collect! But today, you’re handing over this cursed star of solitude!”

The thug, Li Zhuang, spoke with utter conviction, not caring a whit about her words.

Er Hu grabbed Shi Yu’s arm with a leer and dragged her outward. Auntie He clung to her waist to keep her from being taken. Er Hu grew frantic and threw a punch, knocking Auntie He to the ground.

Auntie He hit the ground. A cough sprayed blood-flecked foam from her lips. Terror gripped Shi Yu. She didn’t know where the strength came from, but she shoved Er Hu away and pulled Auntie He into her arms.

“Auntie He, are you okay? Don’t scare me!”

Auntie He’s trembling hand found her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but only more blood came up.

Er Hu babbled incoherently and hauled Shi Yu off the ground. Li Zhuang looked down at Auntie He on the ground as if she were an insect.

“Old hag! Good riddance! If it weren’t for you, this girl would have been mine long ago!”

Auntie He’s eyes blazed red with fury, but not a single word would come. Shi Yu looked at Li Zhuang’s hideous face, and hot blood rushed to her head. She sank her teeth into Er Hu’s arm hard. He yelped and let go. She seized the moment and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a freshly sharpened cleaver.

“Get out, or I’ll kill you!”

Shi Yu stood in front of Auntie He, both hands gripping the gleaming cleaver, her red-rimmed eyes fixed on Li Zhuang and his men.

Li Zhuang sneered and pointed to his neck. “Come on, come on. Chop right here.”

A little girl like her? She wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him even with a hundred times the courage. This was all just bluffing.

He sneered as he walked closer, thrusting his neck before her with full provocation. “Go on, chop! Aren’t you so tough?”

Shi Yu stared blankly. The faces of her father and her sister flashed before her, along with the image of her sister’s body when they found it, drenched in blood. She raised the cleaver and brought it down on Li Zhuang’s neck.

Li Zhuang’s expression froze. He stared at Shi Yu in utter disbelief.

“You… you…”

Warm blood splashed across her face. Shi Yu blinked and said in a low, hard voice: “GET OUT!”

No one had expected her to actually do it. The sight froze everyone where they stood. It took a while before someone recovered and moved to grab the knife.

Shi Yu pointed the cleaver at them and snarled, “Whoever comes close gets the knife. If you’re not afraid to die, come on.”

Of course they feared death. And with Li Zhuang as a cautionary tale right in front of them, no one dared gamble their life. Seeing Li Zhuang fading fast, someone shouted to save him first. The crowd scrambled to carry Li Zhuang out. The others scattered like frightened birds.

Only after everyone had left did Shi Yu collapse, her strength spent. Her limbs were weak, her head spinning, her back drenched in sweat.

She turned and gathered Auntie He into her arms. Fat tears fell, patter, patter.

“I’ll take you to a doctor right now. You’ll definitely get better.”

Auntie He gripped her hand and managed a faint smile. “You did… well. Child, from now on… this is how… you must… protect yourself.”

With that, her hand fell limp, and her eyes closed.

“No! Don’t leave me. Please!”

On her sixteenth birthday, she lost the elder who had always looked after her, the family they’d had in each other.

Pomegranate blossoms drifted down from the courtyard tree on the wind. Shi Yu clutched Auntie He and wept uncontrollably. Her sorrow spread all the way to the riverbed, startling the divine dragon from her slumber.

The giant dragon opened her eyes. Green light flickered in the darkness. She stretched, and as her tail swept through the water, ripples fanned outward. Waves began to gather on the surface.

Black clouds rolled across the sky, and thunder rumbled ominously. The Star River, quiet for so many years, came to life. Waves towered skyward, the muddy water threatening to swallow the entire village.