Otherworldly Space: A Tale of Love and Growth - Chapter 13

The day after Song Ci returned from his trip to the county town, he couldn’t wait to see Lin Xiaohe again. He had missed her after a few days apart.

Having tasted delicious noodles in the county town, Song Ci had made a special bowl of chicken noodles for Lin Xiaohe. The broth was mildly spicy, with large chunks of meat and garnished with cilantro, making it very appetizing. The only downside was that the noodles were not handmade but extruded from a noodle machine.

Lin Xiaohe hadn’t seen Song Ci for several days. Recalling Song Ergou’s previous talk about getting to know each other, she thought that Song Ergou must have realized his true nature, decided he had a bad temper, and wanted to give up on her. Or perhaps he had taken a liking to some other pretty young woman and used the trip to sell game as an excuse to cut off contact with her. Thinking this over, Lin Xiaohe couldn’t quite describe how she felt. She didn’t feel relieved, nor was she particularly happy or unhappy. She just felt a bit down knowing that the Song Ergou who had been trying to please her in different ways every day wouldn’t show up anymore. Even the memory of being bullied by him didn’t seem as hateful as before.

It was incredible to Lin Xiaohe that someone could change so much in such a short time. Song Ergou had changed, and so had she. Lin Xiaohe had experienced sorrow at a young age but knew very little about relationships. She felt that after spending just over ten days with Song Ergou, she didn’t understand herself anymore. So, when she saw Song Ergou again on the familiar mountain path, she couldn’t hide her surprise.

“What are you standing there for? Come over here,” Song Ci called out. In the past, Lin Xiaohe would reluctantly walk towards him when she saw him, but today she just stood there, staring straight at him without running or making a fuss, which was very unusual and alerted Song Ci.

“Ah, oh,” Lin Xiaohe’s reaction was a bit slow.

“Let’s go. You’re in for a treat. I’ve got something delicious for you today,” Song Ci naturally picked up the basket he had placed in the grass beforehand and led Lin Xiaohe to their usual meeting spot.

“The noodles are a bit mushy. Eat quickly,” Song Ci took out the chicken noodles from the basket and handed Lin Xiaohe the chopsticks and bowl.

“Is this made from refined flour?” Lin Xiaohe didn’t start eating immediately. He was quite impressed. Refined flour was very expensive, and he had never tasted it. Song Ergou had casually used such precious grain to cook for him these past few days, which made him feel very uneasy. He felt like he was taking a big advantage.

The more he owed someone, the harder it was to repay, especially someone who had ulterior motives towards him.

“Yes, if you like it, I’ll make it for you again. Don’t just stand there. Eat quickly. The noodles will become sticky and won’t taste good if you wait,” Song Ci said.

“No, don’t send me such expensive food anymore. I can’t keep taking advantage of you like this. Your family is well-off, and there are plenty of good young men and women who would be willing to marry you. Don’t waste your time on me. I’m going to be a son-in-law by marriage. I need to carry on the Lin family’s lineage and take care of my parents in their old age. I can’t get married,” Lin Xiaohe said sincerely, holding the bowl and lowering his head.

This was the first time Lin Xiaohe had spoken at length to Song Ci, and the result was to persuade him not to pursue her anymore.

Song Ci felt a bit frustrated.

What an honest person.

“Ah,” Song Ci sighed, “Fool, this is not taking advantage. Once you marry me, all these things will be yours. You’re just using some of your own things in advance. Don’t overthink it. Eat quickly. Let me tell you, the noodles really won’t taste good once they become mushy. Life is about living happily. Neither good food nor beautiful people should be wasted.”

“Shameless, who, who would marry you,” was all Lin Xiaohe remembered from Song Ci’s speech.

“It’s you, haha,” Song Ci wanted to laugh but saw Lin Xiaohe getting angry again, so he quickly shut his mouth. “Taste my cooking. It’s not worse than those noodle shops.”

Lin Xiaohe began to eat in small bites while Song Ci chattered in his ear.

“When I went to the grocery store to buy pastries, I saw they were selling a kind of small mirror that reflects people very clearly. It shows every wrinkle and mole on your face, just like looking at yourself. It’s much better than a copper mirror or water. The shop owner said it’s called a glass mirror, imported from overseas. It was very popular in the capital and some large county towns a few years ago, and only recently spread to our area. But I didn’t bring enough money. A small one costs four taels of silver. I know you young people all love beauty. Once I’ve saved enough money, I’ll buy one for you.”

Song Ci was also surprised the first time he saw that there were glass mirrors in this era. But since the time and space were different, the development of this world naturally differed from his previous life. He didn’t make a big fuss but just treated it as a novelty to share with Lin Xiaohe.

And it indeed aroused Lin Xiaohe’s curiosity. “Is it really that clear?”

“Really. I’ll let you see for yourself when the time comes.”

“Don’t buy it. Just take a look if you have the chance. It’s too expensive. It’s not worth it,” Lin Xiaohe shook his head. Four taels of silver for one was more than what he earned from raising a pig for a whole year.

Lin Xiaohe was very capable. He was in charge of the two sows and seven or eight chickens at home. Every year, when the pigs were sold at the New Year, they could earn one or two taels of silver. Lin A’di and Lin A’m managed the family’s five acres of land, and their life was quite decent.

In the early years, due to debts, they lived very frugally.

Although life had improved in recent years, they had developed the habit of saving.

Spending four taels of silver on a mirror that was useful only for reflecting one’s appearance was like cutting Lin Xiaohe’s flesh. He would have to toil for two years just to earn that much.

“How can it not be worth it? Young people should be raised in affluence. Dressing up nicely every day not only makes oneself feel good but also prevents others from staring at you more,” Song Ci argued.

“That’s not true. Looking good only attracts bad people,” Lin Xiaohe muttered while chewing on the chicken. After being bullied by Song Ergou, he had become even more reluctant to wear nice clothes. However, Song Ci didn’t catch what he was saying.

Fortunately, Lin Xiaohe didn’t bring up the topic again about forbidding him from visiting. Although Song Ci could shamelessly pursue him, it would be even better if Lin Xiaohe wasn’t so resistant.

He wondered what had happened to Lin Xiaohe in the days he was away that made him say such things. Of course, in reality, nothing had happened to Lin Xiaohe. He had just overthought things and realized that his previous determination about Song Ergou wasn’t as firm as he had thought.

“Sheng and Tongsheng, why are you here at noon? Have you eaten? If not, you can eat at our house,” Song Ci said when he and Old Lady Song returned from the fields in the morning and saw the two brothers.

“Aunt, Brother Ergou. The meal at home is ready. We’ll go back to eat in a while. I came to ask Brother Ergou if he wants to go to the mountains with us,” Sheng and Tongsheng greeted politely and explained their purpose.

“It’s been three days since we set the traps. My brother and I want to check if there are any game animals inside. Brother Ergou, come with us,” Sheng said. He had been envious of Song Ergou making money by selling game in the county town the day before yesterday and was even more eager about his own harvest this time.

Since Song Ergou always disappeared into the mountains in the afternoon, Sheng had no choice but to come with Tongsheng to intercept him and ask.

“Of course I’ll go. You wait for me in the afternoon, and I’ll come to find you,” Song Ci replied.

“We’ll come to find you. If we wait for you to come, who knows how long it will take,” Sheng said bluntly.

“Then you go ahead without me. I won’t go,” Song Ci said. He hadn’t informed Lin Xiaohe today and didn’t want to stand him up suddenly, as it would be embarrassing for the young man. Moreover, he had already prepared a loving lunch for Lin Xiaohe last night—cauliflower stir-fried with pork and tomatoes with scrambled eggs, a well-balanced and nutritious meal that would surely make him plump and healthy in no time.

Compared to hanging out with his cousins, he preferred taking care of Lin Xiaohe.

“Why are you like this, Brother Ergou?” Sheng was left speechless by his words.

Tongsheng, who was always perceptive and had been silent on the side, thought Song Ergou’s behavior these days was quite unusual. He ran off to the mountains alone every afternoon and didn’t allow anyone to follow, which was very strange.

If it were about hunting or setting traps, wouldn’t it be helpful to bring them along?

Song Ergou’s recent actions hadn’t been solely focused on his own gain and ignoring his brothers.

“Alright, it’s settled then. Wait for me at home at noon, or I won’t take you with me next time,” Song Ci decided rather shamelessly.

Sheng wanted to argue back but was held back by Tongsheng. The two brothers had a brief conversation in whispers, and then Sheng stopped making a fuss and obediently followed his elder brother.

“Where are Sheng and Tongsheng? Why didn’t you keep them for lunch?” Old Lady Song asked as she came out of the kitchen and saw the two brothers had left.

“They just said that their mother had prepared the meal,” Song Ci replied innocently.

Old Lady Song felt that although her second son was gradually improving, he still needed to work on his character.

On the way home, Sheng chattered away, “Elder brother, you just said that Brother Ergou is doing something he doesn’t want us to know about. Isn’t he up to something shady again?”

“We can’t jump to conclusions before anything has happened. This is just my guess. Don’t tell the family to avoid worrying Father and Elder Brother,” Tongsheng said sternly.

“Then let’s secretly follow Brother Ergou when he goes to the mountains this afternoon and see what he’s up to,” Sheng suggested.

“That doesn’t seem quite right,” Tongsheng was tempted to find out if their second brother was indeed scheming something, but he also felt it was immoral, so his words were somewhat ambiguous.

Unaware of his elder brother’s thoughts, Sheng made the decision, “It’s not bad. We’re worried about Brother Ergou and doing this for his own good. As long as we confirm that he’s not doing anything wrong, we’ll leave him be.”

“Alright, I’ll follow you and take a look,” Tongsheng agreed, casting a pitying glance at Sheng. If their second brother found out, there would be someone to take the blame.

Of course, when they finished lunch and wanted to follow Song Ci, they found he had already left.

Song Ci quickly finished his lunch and went to the mountains to wait for Lin Xiaohe, leaving them no chance to follow.