Sun Shi watched as Yang Ruoqing placed the bowl in her lap and then freed her hands to pick up another empty bowl from the side. Then, from her heaping full bowl, she scooped out nearly half the food and put it into the empty one, holding it up to Sun Shi with a blink of her eyes. "Mother, you eat too."
"What?" Sun Shi looked at the food placed before her, stunned for a moment, and then her eyes instantly reddened. "Mother's not hungry. I already ate in the kitchen. This was saved just for you! Hurry and eat it while it's hot!"
They always said that daughters were like little padded jackets for their mothers, and that wasn't a lie. Her daughter had only just woken up, yet she already knew how to care for her mother.
"If Mother doesn't eat, then I won't eat either. I want Mother to eat with me," Yang Ruoqing deliberately pulled a face, mimicking the behavior of the body's original foolish host, pouting as if she'd starve herself if Sun Shi didn't eat with her.
"Mother has already eaten…" Sun Shi's face was full of helplessness, but her heart was warm and cozy.
Yang Ruoqing ignored her explanation.
Before, she had been foolish and hadn't understood many things. The Yang family hadn't split up yet, with over a dozen people all eating from one big communal pot. Tan Shi was the one in charge.
Given Tan Shi's previous treatment of her, how could she possibly have allowed Sun Shi to bring a heaping bowl of food into this room? It didn't take much thought to realize that Sun Shi must have saved her portion just to supplement her daughter's meal.
"Qing'er, Mother knows your filial heart, but I have eaten, I'm not lying to you."
"…"
"Alright, alright, I'll eat—okay?" In the end, Sun Shi compromised, letting out a soft sigh before picking up the bowl in front of her.
Only then did Yang Ruoqing reveal a bright smile. Picking up the bamboo chopsticks in her hand, she used a bit of clever strength in her fingers. "Crack!" With a crisp sound, one pair of chopsticks was broken into two.
Yang Ruoqing handed one pair to the slightly dumbfounded Sun Shi and grinned cheekily. "Eat quickly, or it really will get cold."
Sun Shi took the chopsticks, glanced at the clean break at the ends, and secretly clicked her tongue in surprise.
These chopsticks were sturdy enough that even as a grown woman, she would have a hard time snapping them in half like that. Yet her daughter, after burning with fever all night, still had that much strength? How had she never noticed before?
"Oh right, Mother, I want to ask you for something."
After taking a few bites, Yang Ruoqing seemed to think of something suddenly. She swallowed hard and looked up at Sun Shi.
Sun Shi set down her chopsticks and glanced at her, amused, "Silly child, why are you using the word 'ask' when you're talking to your mother? Just say it—what is it?"
Yang Ruoqing thought for a moment, then glanced over at the door of the wing room, before turning back to Sun Shi with a serious expression. "I want you to keep it quiet that I've woken up—at least for now. Other than telling Father, don't tell anyone else."
"Why?" Sun Shi was puzzled, "This is good news…"
She thought of how her daughter had been mocked and ridiculed for years whenever she walked through the village. Even children younger than her dared to bully her.
As her mother, her heart had twisted with pain again and again, but she'd been powerless to do anything. She had to work in the fields, manage the household's meals, and take care of two younger sons—it had been impossible to give her daughter more protection.
Now that her daughter had finally woken up, wasn't this the perfect time to hold her head high? Why hide it? Sun Shi couldn't figure it out.
"Mother, I had a dream when I was dazed earlier. In the dream, there was someone who looked like a Bodhisattva who told me that my soul had only just returned, and it wasn't very stable yet. If too many people found out, I might get startled and it could become unstable again!"
But the people of the old Yang family might not see it that way.
Yang Ruoqing's eyes shifted slightly, and a lie slipped smoothly from her lips.
As for why she chose to keep it from everyone for now—Yang Ruoqing naturally had her plans.
When Sun Shi heard what Yang Ruoqing said, a hint of panic flashed through her eyes. She thought of the fortune-teller from the neighboring village, who had said something similar—that her daughter's soul had gone missing!
That Bodhisattva in her daughter's dream must have been the one who returned her daughter's soul, right? Thinking this, Sun Shi quickly set down the bowl in her hands, clasped her palms together, and bowed several times toward a corner of the room, her face full of pious devotion.
Muttering to herself, she seemed to be reciting words of gratitude to the deities.
Yang Ruoqing lowered her gaze and secretly smiled. This cheap "mother" really is so simple and easy to fool!
After finishing her silent thanks to the Bodhisattva, Sun Shi's anxious gaze fell once again on Yang Ruoqing. "Qing'er, don't worry—I won't say a word. I won't tell anyone! Whenever the Bodhisattva permits you, then I'll tell others. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters!"
"Mm! Let's eat, let's eat!"
…
"After we finish eating, I need to go tidy up the dishes in the kitchen. The sun's nice and warm today—I'll take you out into the courtyard to sit for a bit, let you get some sun to drive out the dampness from your body," Sun Shi said as she carefully picked out the soybeans from her bowl and placed them one by one into Yang Ruoqing's bowl. She was gently making plans as she spoke.
"Sure, sounds good."
Ever since she migrated here, she'd spent most of the day lying in this dark and damp little room. She felt like she was already starting to mold.
Going out for a walk in the courtyard sounded like a good idea—stretching her body a bit and getting familiar with the surroundings.
Sun Shi had only just picked up her chopsticks, but Yang Ruoqing's bowl was already nearly empty. After swallowing the last bite, she realized that what used to be a whole day's worth of food for her was now just a light snack. One meal, and she still wasn't full!
This host's appetite… terrifying!
"You're still hungry, right? Don't worry, I've got more here—you can have it all!" Sun Shi glanced at Yang Ruoqing's empty bowl and chuckled. No one knows a child better than her mother. How could she not know her daughter's appetite?
Just as she was about to dump her share into Yang Ruoqing's bowl, Yang Ruoqing quickly shook her head, causing the chubby flesh on her cheeks to jiggle. "Mother, I'm full! If I eat any more, my stomach's going to burst!"
She subconsciously placed her hand on her belly and gave it a squeeze—Damn, this muffin top is terrifying!
In a family this poor, how did the original owner even manage to eat herself into this shape?
A girl letting herself go like this—it's just cruel!
Changing this body—it's urgent!
After finishing their lunch, Sun Shi carried the little stool with the broken leg out to the courtyard. The broken leg was propped up with a few bricks, and on top of the stool, she placed one of her old garments to serve as padding.
Then she went back inside and helped Yang Ruoqing—now dressed in outer clothes and shoes—to the doorway.
It was a simple farmhouse courtyard, with three rooms each on the east and west sides. The main house held the kitchen and dining area. The walls were uniformly plastered with yellow clay, and wooden pegs jutted out from them, holding several yellowed straw hats and bamboo woven baskets.
In the middle of the courtyard grew a crooked old locust tree. Its leaves were already starting to yellow, and from the look of it, Yang Ruoqing guessed that it was probably already past the Beginning of Autumn—around the ninth month of the lunar calendar.
(End of chapter