Chapter Five: Mutual Support and Encouragement

  Yang Ling took only two steps forward when he heard a loud "thud" and a wooden stick as thick as two fingers was pointed at his chest, startling him. He hastily said: "Don't...", his throat somewhat hoarse, swallowing saliva before continuing in a calmer tone: "Nong Nang, it's me, I'm Yang Ling".

  "Ah!" The stick fell to the ground with a loud thud, and Han Youniang hastily rushed forward two steps, supporting him with one hand, anxiously saying: "Master, you've just recovered from your illness, how could you come out? It's cold outside, if something happens to you again... what would I do?"

  Yang Lingdao said, "It's nothing serious, I've already recovered a lot. It's just that I don't exercise often, so my body is a bit weak." He stretched out his hand to help Han Youniang carry the grain sack, but Han Youniang wouldn't let him do any more work and hurriedly supported him as they walked back, saying: "Master, you should go back and lie down. It's too cold at night. Tomorrow afternoon when the weather warms up, I'll support you to come out and get some sunshine."

  Yang Ling could only let her support him as he walked back, and it wasn't until they entered the house that he couldn't help but say: "Young Niang, in order to treat my illness, has all of our family's money been spent? I see that there's nothing left at home either."

  Han Youniang put the grain sack on the stove, supporting him as he walked into the inner room. She nodded slightly and said softly: "The autumn horseman came, I was busy carrying you to escape up the mountain, the stored grain at home... was all taken away by the horseman, so... had to pawn some furniture and things."

  She helped Yang Ling sit down on the kang, took off his shoes and smiled at him, saying: "Don't worry, sir. Next year when our land has a good harvest, life will be better. You are a scholar, don't worry about these trivial matters. Just focus on recovering your health and reading books. The imperial examination is in three years."

  Yang Ling saw her mention her own identity, full of admiration and pride, and couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. His current appearance was truly unable to bear the weight, only relying on writing those nonsense eight-part essays to barely pass as a xiucai graduate. In her eyes, he had become a real man. If this were placed in his own era, even if you were a graduate of Tsinghua or Peking University, being so useless would likely have gotten you kicked out by your wife long ago, and she wouldn't be looking at you with such adoring eyes.

  It's no wonder she attaches so much importance to it. In this era of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, even if a merchant has money, their social status is not as high as that of a small landowner with only three or five mu of land. Therefore, the way to get rich and become an official almost entirely relies on becoming an official through the imperial examination system. The main way to enter officialdom is through the imperial examination. Although Yang Ling is now just a xiucai, in this era, being a xiucai is a very impressive person whether in the city or in the countryside. Some scholars may not even be able to pass the xiucai exam until they are 70 or 80 years old.

  The Ming dynasty had the strictest control over the common people. Even if they left their hometown to visit relatives and friends, they had to obtain a road permit from the local authorities, go through customs and affix seals. However, scholars like Xiucai and Juren were different. They had the right to wear swords, wear blue shirts, travel freely, and officials along the way could not stop or arrest them. When they saw the county magistrate, who ordinary farmers might not see in their lifetime, they did not have to kneel down and even had a seat. In the eyes of ordinary people, such individuals were naturally figures with great status.

  Han Youniang pulled over the quilt to let him lean back, and brought a basin of hot water. Despite Yang Ling's repeated refusals, she gently washed his feet. This was a treatment Yang Ling had never enjoyed before, but after pushing her away several times, he saw that it only made Han Youniang look anxious and uneasy, so he could only smile wryly and let her serve him.

  At night, lying in bed, Yang Ling rested his head on his arm, silently thinking about his own affairs. He heard the faint sound of Han Youniang's breathing beside him and thought she had fallen asleep.

  Since their marriage, Han Youniang and he lived on the same bed, but every day she took care of him without undressing, the two had never consummated their marriage, only sleeping next to each other. Tonight, her husband was no longer in a daze, which made her extremely shy. After blowing out the candle, she couldn't see her own face, Han Youniang's whole body was burning hot, as soon as she got into bed, she buried her head under the quilt and didn't dare to come out again.

  However, tonight her mood was the happiest since she got married. Her husband not only came back to life but also seemed to have recovered from his illness. It looked like he would be able to fully recover after some rest and care. Life was once again filled with hope and longing, and she felt extremely joyful.

  Yang Ling and she were husband and wife, but in his heart, this girl was born with a pitiful and strong appearance, which made him feel sorry for her. He had only two years of good life left, and he wouldn't take advantage of such a lovely woman.

  He glanced at the place where Han Youniang was sleeping, the room was pitch black, nothing could be seen, only her soft breathing sound, like a small kitten. Alas, he sighed softly, now that this girl had taken on the identity of his wife, not only did he have to think of ways to survive, but he should also take responsibility for taking care of her, however... with such a poor and empty home, how could he possibly provide for her without worrying about food and clothing?

  After a long time of thinking, he still couldn't figure it out. At this point, the heat on the kang had gradually cooled down, and not only was his face exposed outside the quilt frozen to ice-cold, but the inside of the quilt was also starting to get cold. He tightened the quilt and suddenly thought that he was sleeping on the kang, while Han Youniang slept even more soundly, and wondered if she could hold out.

  He quietly stretched out his hand to touch the kang beside Young Nang, which was icy cold. In a mountain village, it should be easy to chop some firewood, how can it not burn more fire on such a cold day? Just now, when checking the house, it seemed that there were not many firewoods placed next to the stove. Thinking of his own situation, Yang Ling couldn't help but feel relieved: he had been weak and feeble for a while, looking like he might die at any moment, and Young Nang was alone and helpless, taking care of him by herself, how could she have time to go up the mountain to chop firewood?

  Her fingers touched the quilt, and Yang Ling was taken aback. This quilt... how could it be so thin? She pinched it with her fingers, and that layer of quilt was really too thin compared to what she usually covered herself with. How did she survive this cold winter night?

  At this time, Han Youniang's body shrank slightly, as if her body arched up. Yang Ling's face felt hot, and she hadn't slept yet? He spoke in a low voice with a flushed face: "Youniang, haven't you slept?"

  Han Youniang responded vaguely, her timid voice seeming to tremble slightly. Yang Ling sighed and said: "Your quilt is so thin, how can you get through such a cold winter night? Doesn't your family even have a thick cotton-padded jacket?"

  "Hmm...", Han Youniang said softly: "Master, your illness is severe, I really can't think of a way to invite a doctor, so...so...I'm sorry..."

  Yang Ling touched the thick quilt he had covered himself with, and his heart suddenly warmed up. He sat up abruptly, reached out to pull the mattress under Han Youniang, and the kang surface was very smooth, so the mattress was pulled over by him.

  "Master... what are you doing?" Han Youniang's voice trembled as she spoke.

  Yang Ling saw that she was scared and couldn't help but laugh in her heart, so he teased her saying: "We're husband and wife, what's wrong with sleeping together?"

  Han Youniang became even more flustered, but her husband's words were indeed reasonable, so she could only stammer: "But...but are you feeling well? We shouldn't..."

  Yang Ling couldn't help but laugh softly and said, "Silly girl...... your quilt is too thin, seeing you shivering with cold over there, how can I sleep? Come, let's sleep together".

  Two quilts were laid together, Yang Ling lifted up her quilt and covered herself with his own, then put the thin quilt on top of the thick one, saying: "You see, it's much better this way."

  Han Youniang was so embarrassed that she hid under the quilt and didn't dare to come out, her body curled up like a bow, with two small fists clenched in front of her chest, and she didn't know why she was so nervous and afraid.

  Yang Ling is her legitimate husband, she has been educated since childhood in the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, with the saying that "the husband is heaven, the wife is earth", and the sage said: 'Women are inferior to men', if the husband wants her, there's nothing wrong with it, but thinking about what might happen, she still can't help feeling anxious, more fearful than when she followed her father on a hunt and saw a tiger for the first time.

  Yang Ling also felt her tension, to be honest, he didn't dare get too close to Nang either. If the two people really got too close, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be moved, at least he was physically and mentally healthy, being close to such a young girl, even if his heart didn't want to, physiologically it would still produce a reaction. So the two kept their limbs apart by about two fists' distance, and he also didn't dare get closer.

  But this way, the little warmth in the quilt was all gone. Although the quilt was thick, it still didn't feel warm. After lying for a while, Yang Ling got up again and felt his way to put on his shoes.

  "Master, where...where are you going?" asked Han Youniang, poking her head out.

  Yang Ling asked: "How to light the oil lamp? No, where is the oil lamp?"

  Han Youniang hurriedly got up and lit the oil lamp with a flint, under the light of which her face was red, it was unknown whether she was shy or reflected by the fire, but it added to her beauty. She looked at Yang Ling in confusion: "Sir wants to go to the toilet? The toilet is just outside the hall."

  Yang Ling shook his head and said, "No, I'll add some more firewood to the stove."

  Han Youniang held up the oil lamp and followed him to the outer hall, where a small bundle of split firewood was piled under the stove. Yang Ling took a look, walked to the corner of the wall, and brought over the couplets, incense paper, and golden and silver ingots, stuffing them into the bottom of the stove in one go. These were all made of high stalks and paper, extremely easy to burn, and the fire that was about to go out suddenly blazed up again.

  Yang Ling piled the bundle of firewood up again, one stick at a time. Han Youniang opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated and thought to herself: "If it's going to be burned, then let it be burned. Anyway, my husband is in good health and doesn't need me by his side all the time. I'll just get up early tomorrow morning and go chop some more firewood on the mountain."

  Yang Ling let the fire burn slowly, then patted his hands and turned back to smile: "Now it's all right, tonight we can sleep a bit warmer".

  As she turned her head, with the firelight from the stove, she finally saw that Han Youniang was wearing a white coarse cloth jacket, although it had several patches on it, but it couldn't hide her slender and charming figure. The neckline revealed a glimpse of skin, which, under the interplay of the firelight and lamplight, seemed especially alluring.

  Yang Ling's heart skipped a beat, and he hastily looked away, not daring to look again. Han Youniang noticed his gaze and her face also showed some shyness. She awkwardly supported Yang Ling back to the room, and when Yang Ling took the oil lamp from Han Youniang's hand, he felt that her palm was very rough. Under the light of the lamp, he saw that there were calluses on her palm, and the skin on the back of her hand felt very coarse, with many fine cracks. Although they had only just met today, Yang Ling couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

  Han Youniang's face turned red as she shook her head and timidly withdrew her hand, saying: "Husband, don't catch a chill, rest early." After this exchange, the two of them were no longer so awkward. A strange feeling had begun to sprout in their hearts, and after getting under the covers, they were no longer so reserved either.

  The gap in the quilt was filled with cold air, which was unbearable. Yang Ling couldn't help but move closer, and Han Youniang's body trembled slightly, her limbs stiffening, but she remained gentle and didn't utter a word.

  Yang Ling just let her get close to him, vaguely sticking to his body, so that the heat wouldn't all run out. He self-mockingly said to Han Youniang: "You Niang, this is also considered as 'wiping each other's sweat', right?" He gently stroked You Niang's small hand and pitied her saying: "Your hands are all cracked, was it from washing clothes and chopping firewood? Does it hurt?"

  Han Youniang murmured, shook her head, and realized he couldn't see, so she said: "It doesn't hurt, sir. As long as your body recovers, I'll endure any suffering without complaint."

  Yang Ling heard this and couldn't help but clench her hand again, feeling that although this reincarnation was the most difficult one in nine lifetimes, it also brought warmth and happiness to his heart. After a while, he heard Han Youniang's breathing didn't seem like she was asleep, Yang Ling couldn't help but ask: "What are you thinking about?"

  Han Youniang sighed softly and said, "Husband, I've been thinking about your imperial examination next year. At home... we don't have any money left. My mother's family has two older brothers and a younger brother, and Father's burden is also heavy, they can't help us. Our family's four mu of mountain fields were passed down from our ancestors, that's something we can't sell. The imperial examination is a once-in-a-lifetime big deal for you, what should we do?"

  Four acres of mountain fields? Yang Ling's heart moved involuntarily, but he didn't have any ancestral property that couldn't be touched, fearing being criticized for ruining the family. He only thought about how much money four acres of land could sell for, hoping to become rich overnight and live a comfortable life for two years, so that when he died, the woman would have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life.

  He thought randomly for a while, feeling tired and sleepy, and the kang was getting hotter. Although Han Youniang let him lean on her shoulder, her small body still curled up tightly, Yang Ling found it interesting, he yawned and smiled vaguely: "Youniang, relax a bit, get closer to warm up, it's so cold outside, what are you afraid of me? Hmm... I suddenly thought of an ancient person."

  Han Youniang's face flushed with embarrassment, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but curiously ask: "Husband, which ancient person have you thought of?"

  Yang Ling suppressed a smile and said, "I thought of Liu Xiaohui. If this 'gentleman' doesn't have some kind of problem himself, then he's probably in a similar situation as me - on a cold winter day, standing under the city gate tower, holding a young girl in his arms but not daring to make a move. I can do that too... because it's really too cold, and all bad thoughts are frozen out."

  Han Youniang let out a snort of laughter, before her marriage she was worried that her husband would be one of those old-fashioned and uninteresting scholars, but unexpectedly he... was so interesting. Han Youniang felt a strange feeling rising up in her heart, "This is the husband who will accompany me for the rest of my life, this is the closest person to me from now on". Her small heart let out a soft sigh, the intimacy and affection made her involuntarily lean into Yang Ling, her tense body also relaxed.

  She involuntarily drew closer to Yang Ling, whispering softly in his ear: "Husband, I am willing to be with you like this, through life and death, wealth and poverty, I am willing to accompany you without complaint or regret, until forever."

  When Yang Ling heard Han Youniang's heartfelt words, his heart skipped a beat. Is everyone in this world searching for someone who would say "I do" to them? He was about to blurt out that he too was willing to spend the rest of his life with her, but swallowed his words at the last minute. Two years of life, he sighed deeply in his heart.

  Han Youniang's body was light and soft, warm and cozy in his arms, making him feel comfortable. His suppressed desires were overwhelmed by a wave of drowsiness, Yang Ling let out a yawn and fell fast asleep.