Chapter 2: This Is Shanxiu Village

"Is Brother Xi's face really beyond cure?" another ger asked.

Yao-ger curled his lips in disdain. "Indeed. The wedding with the Cao family is scheduled for the month after next, and the betrothal gifts should have been sent by now. But do you see the Caos making any move? They must have heard about Ye Xi burning his face and backed out."

"A face is the most important thing. How many men marry us gers for anything other than our looks? Now that he doesn't even have his looks, I'm afraid Brother Xi will find it truly hard to marry. Let alone the Cao family, even ordinary farmers probably won't spare him a glance."

Yao-ger felt smug as he listened. He thought of how Ye Xi had always overshadowed him all these years. Now that Ye Xi's face was ruined, it was finally Lin Yao's turn to shine.

"Pfft, he still dares to think of the Cao family? Brother Cao is a scholar, bound to pass the imperial examinations and become a scholar. If he married such an ugly monster, how could he ever hold his head up in the future?"

The others, holding their wooden washbasins, nodded in agreement. They all felt Yao-ger was right; Ye Xi was probably completely ruined.

By the riverbank, Ye Xi had long grown accustomed to such talk. He paid no heed to their gossip. Having finished cutting the green grass, he hoisted his basket onto his back and prepared to leave.

But Yao-ger was sharp-eyed and spotted him. These past few days, Ye Xi had been avoiding everyone, leaving Yao-ger no opportunity to run into him. What a coincidence today was.

He approached with an air of mock sincerity, his eyes darting to stare at Ye Xi's veil. "Brother Xi, we were just talking about you. What a coincidence! We haven't seen you these past few days, and everyone has been so worried about you."

Ye Xi spared him a cool glance. He knew Yao-ger was hypocritical, and was likely gloating inside.

The Lin family and Father Ye had long held a grudge. Years ago, when the village distributed land, there was a palm-sized plot of wasteland by the riverbank that no one cultivated. Father Ye was diligent and wanted to add a bit of grain to the household. For several days and nights, he worked tirelessly to clear the wasteland, piling the excavated river stones as high as a small hill. He had finally reclaimed the land, but before he could plant anything, the Lin family went to the clan elders and the village chief, claiming it was their ancestral land.

The matter caused a stir for quite some time. In the end, the village chief made the decision to reclaim the land, forbidding anyone from farming it. Since then, Ye Xi's family and Lin Yao's family had cut off all contact, each secretly waiting to see the other make a fool of themselves.

How could Yao-ger pass up such a golden opportunity? He wished nothing more than to twist the knife in Ye Xi's heart. Blocking Ye Xi's path, he said with fake concern, "I wonder how your face is doing, Brother Xi. Since we've run into each other today, why don't you lift your veil and let us have a look?"

Ye Xi let out a cold snort and took a step back, dodging the hand that reached out to tear off his veil. He barked coldly, "Save your hypocrisy. A viper offering New Year greetings brings no good intentions."

The smile on Yao-ger's face faded slightly, and he pressed aggressively, "Since we've run into each other today, I am definitely going to see your face. Let's see how you could possibly still be worthy of the Cao family from the neighboring village."

Ye Xi chuckled softly. "I know you've been eyeing the Cao family for a long time, eagerly wishing for your turn to marry in. Pfft, look at yourself. Do you really think you have the fortune for that?"

His hidden thoughts exposed, Lin Yao could no longer maintain his smile. Flustered and angry, he lunged forward to tear the veil from Ye Xi's face, wanting to humiliate him in front of the other gers.

Ye Xi pivoted swiftly on his right foot, tilting his body slightly. He grabbed Lin Yao's right arm with both hands, twisting it behind his back and pinning him firmly.

Before Yao-ger could react, he was already pinned by Ye Xi. He was far weaker than Ye Xi and could not break free. Before he could process what was happening, a sharp sickle was pressed against his cheek.

"You! What are you doing?!" His face turned instantly pale with fright, his eyes fixed on the blade tip hovering mere inches away.

The other gers were also dumbfounded. Standing aside with their basins of dirty laundry, they dared not step forward, hardly daring to breathe. Who could have expected Ye Xi to suddenly become so fierce and draw a blade!

Ye Xi calmly swept his gaze over the crowd and smiled gently. "Since my face is already burned and you're all waiting to mock me, I might as well throw caution to the wind. I'll drag one of you down with me, saving you the trouble of laughing at me behind my back every day."

In the eyes of the others, his smile was like that of the King of Hell. The gers shivered in terror, sealing their lips tightly, not daring to utter another word.

And Ye Xi's nonchalant words nearly scared the soul out of Yao-ger. Trembling all over, he whimpered, "Ye Xi, you're crazy! If you dare scratch my face, my family will never let you off! Let me go!"

Neither hurried nor angered, Ye Xi slowly pressed the sickle against Yao-ger's tender cheek. The icy tip of the blade sent a shiver through Yao-ger's body, and he dared not move a muscle.

"What do I have to fear? As you said, my face is ruined, I can't marry, and my life is over. Since you care about me so much and keep me in your thoughts, why don't you join me? It wouldn't be half bad if the two of us lived together in the future."

"You're mad! Ye Xi, you lunatic, let me go! I don't want to be with you!" Yao-ger's face was deathly pale, his legs turning to jelly from fright.

Seeing this, Ye Xi stopped terrorizing him. He withdrew the sickle and released his grip on Yao-ger's arm, saying coldly, "Remember what you said. Keep your distance from me in the future, and don't come near me."

Rubbing his sore shoulder, Yao-ger could only glare at Ye Xi, not daring to speak another word.

Only then did Ye Xi hoist the basket back onto his shoulders and walk away slowly under everyone's gaze.

By the time he got home, Liu Xiufeng had gone to the mill at the village entrance to grind flour. Ye Xi mixed the feed for the chickens and ducks, then went to the vegetable garden to pick a few cucumbers, preparing to get dinner ready.

As dusk approached, under the orange-red sunset, the farmers working in the fields gradually dispersed. Wisps of kitchen smoke drifted from chimneys, scattering halfway up the mountain with the wind. A water buffalo, having finished bathing, flicked its tail as it walked along the ridges of the fields.

By the time Ye Xi finished cooking dinner and set the table in the courtyard, Liu Xiufeng returned first. She carried a bag of buckwheat flour. Although taxes had decreased in recent years and the lives of farming families had improved, they still could not afford to eat refined white flour and rice all the time. They had to mix in some coarse grains to save up grain in the granary, just in case of droughts, floods, or lean years with poor harvests.

"What are we having for dinner tonight?" Liu Xiufeng asked as she washed her hands by the well, after placing the flour bag in the clay vat in the kitchen.

Ye Xi brought out a basket of sweet potatoes and potatoes. "We're having steamed staple foods, served with stir-fried dried chilies and shredded potatoes."

Liu Xiufeng nodded. "Good, that's filling."

Just as she spoke, Father Ye and the eldest brother, Ye Shan, returned, carrying bamboo baskets on a shoulder pole. The baskets of manure they had taken out in the morning had all been spread in the fields. The two carried a strong odor, so they headed straight for the well first.

Ye Xi cranked the windlass to draw a bucket of water from the well. The well water was ice-cold. Father Ye and Ye Shan washed themselves down quickly with it, finally feeling some relief from the summer heat.

As Father Ye wiped himself down, he remarked casually, "Do you remember that dilapidated house halfway up the mountain?"

Sitting on a low stool in the courtyard twisting hemp thread, Liu Xiufeng asked, "The one that belonged to Blind Liu?"

Father Ye grunted in assent, wiping his neck with a cloth. "It looks like someone has moved in."

Sitting by the well, Ye Xi looked at his father and said, "No one has lived in that house for a long time. When I passed by from a distance while digging for wild herbs a few days ago, the weeds in the yard were taller than a man. It looked so eerie; I only dared to take the long way around."

Ye Shan teased his younger brother, "Brother Xi is still as timid as ever. Still, Blind Liu's house was built sturdily back then. The timber and bricks used were of good quality, so it remains quite sturdy despite years of wind and sun."

Having finished twisting a hemp rope, Liu Xiufeng remarked casually, "Blind Liu had no children. The house lay empty after he died. It's good that someone has moved in, otherwise such a fine house would go to waste."

Father Ye shook his head. "The one who moved in is an outsider."

Liu Xiufeng looked at him. "An outsider?"

"I saw him today in the fields with Wang Er's family next door. He's a burly, towering man with an accent from the Northern Prefecture."

Liu Xiufeng gasped. "Our Shanxiu Village hasn't seen an outsider in years. I hope he doesn't have a shady past."

Father Ye said, "Hard to say. He looks sturdy, like someone who's good at fighting and causing trouble. He went to the village chief to buy Blind Liu's house. At first, the chief refused, fearing he would disrupt the peace of Shanxiu Village. But the man produced his official papers and registration, proving he is a law-abiding commoner. Plus, the price he offered was right, so the chief agreed. Anyway, he lives halfway up the mountain, far from the village, so he won't be much of a bother."

Wiping himself clean, Ye Shan sat down at the small square table, took a large bite out of a potato, revealing its soft, yellow flesh. "To tell you the truth, I caught a glimpse of him from afar. Man, he's actually taller than me. He hasn't shaved in ages, and he looks quite like a barbarian."

Hearing this, Ye Xi gasped, feeling a bit apprehensive.

The barbarians his brother spoke of were the nomadic raiders who had caused havoc over a decade ago. They were all as tall as demons, with full beards. It was said they specifically abducted beautiful girls and gers, and even ate people in secret. Though Ye Xi had never seen one, many elders in the village had. Mention of these barbarians would turn their faces pale with fear, and they still shuddered at the memory even after all these years. Ye Xi had seen picture books from the traveling merchant; the barbarians in them had green faces and fangs, holding a frail person and shoving them into their mouths. It was terrifying.

Hearing her son's description, Liu Xiufeng also found it a bit frightening. She muttered a few prayers to Buddha and warned her young ger, Ye Xi, "You must take the long way around that place from now on. Don't go near it."

Ye Xi nodded repeatedly. He had no desire to go anywhere near a barbarian. "I know, Mother. I'll avoid it in the future."