SLH | Chapter 51

Snow Goddess

Liu Cuie was so embarrassed by her eldest daughter-in-law that she couldn’t swallow her pride. She didn’t even go home; instead, she went around the village, cursing at every street and alley. Some villagers couldn’t stand it and mentioned her precious grandson, fearing it might ruin his good deeds. Only then did she reluctantly head back to the west end, still cursing.

In the Liu family courtyard, the whole family was in a sour mood, and they didn’t enjoy their breakfast. Xia Ge’er, not knowing what happened, pulled Song Tingzhu to the courtyard to check out the snowmen they made yesterday.

“This one is Grandpa, this one is Grandma, this one is Daddy, this one is Mommy, this one is Little Uncle, and this one is Little Brother…”

The little guy squatted beside the snowmen, counting them. As Song Tingzhu listened, he felt something was off.

“Little Brother? When did Xia Ge’er have a little brother?”

He bent down to take a closer look and saw the little guy pointing at a small round snowball, blinking his eyes innocently. “The baby Little Uncle had is Xia Ge’er’s little brother~”

The words weren’t wrong, but where did this little brother come from at this moment?

He patted the little guy’s head, chuckling silently.

“Little Uncle, it’s snowing.” Xia Ge’er looked up, catching snowflakes in his mouth.

He was having fun, but Song Tingzhu furrowed his brows.

Tang Chunxing, after feeding the chickens and ducks, came out from the backyard with a food bowl. Seeing the snow falling again, she spoke worriedly, “Why is it snowing again? Is Heaven trying to starve us who live off the land?”

Ruan Xiulian heard the conversation and came out of the kitchen, looking at the snow with a face full of gloom.

The Liu brothers had gone to town after breakfast and hadn’t returned yet. Song Tingzhu was worried, frequently glancing outside.

By noon, the snow suddenly fell heavier, covering the courtyard with large flakes in no time. Just then, the brothers pushed open the courtyard gate and came in.

Song Tingzhu relaxed his tense nerves, turned around, and went to the kitchen to fetch the ginger tea he had prepared earlier, handing it to his husband and brother-in-law.

Liu Meng drank it in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and joked, “When Huzi and I saw the snow falling, we hurried home so fast that I almost lost a shoe.”

Tang Chunxing, carrying dishes into the house, heard only half of it and thought he really lost a shoe. After scolding him, she added, “I made you a thick pair yesterday. Try them after dinner to see if they fit.”

Liu Meng laughed heartily, “My wife still cares for me.”

Tang Chunxing blushed, glaring at him playfully, “No proper conduct.”

Ruan Xiulian watched the couple playfully bicker, a smile appearing in her eyes.

When she was young, her in-laws oppressed her, and she endured an unhappy life. But at least the marriages arranged for her two children went smoothly.

The eldest daughter-in-law might have a sharp tongue and love small gains, but she was genuinely good to the family. The second son-in-law was impeccable in every way. Good days were still ahead for the Liu family.

“Stop flirting there, it’s making my teeth ache. Wash your hands and get ready for dinner,” she called out.

“Okay.”

Liu Meng responded cheerfully, tugging at the small tuft of hair on Xia Ge’er’s head, laughing as he left the house.

Xia Ge’er touched his hair tuft, pouting, “Daddy’s mean, I don’t like Daddy anymore.”

Tang Chunxing heard this and said, “Really don’t like him? Your daddy bought you candies.”

The little guy immediately changed his tune, nodding with a smile, “I like Daddy. Xia Ge’er was just joking~”

His quick change of face made the whole family laugh.

－

They say a heavy snow foretells a good harvest, but this year’s snow in Lianxi Town kept falling for days and nights without stopping.

On the eve of the New Year, people braved the wind and snow to hang lanterns and paste peach charms outside their houses, all hoping that Heaven would stop the snow and let everyone catch a break.

The people of Lianxi Town were already anxious, and the farmers who relied on the weather for their livelihood were even more worried.

At this time, the villagers of Yunxi Village were gathered at the wheat field, waiting for the village head to come and discuss countermeasures.

“The village head is here!”

Someone in the crowd shouted, and soon Zhang Hongbo, with his ever-present dry tobacco pipe, walked through the crowd with a serious face.

“This year’s snow has fallen several times in a row, and this time it’s been five or six days straight. If it doesn’t stop, the crops in the fields will freeze to death!”

“Not just the crops, this continuous snow is unbearable for people too. The snow on the roof piles up one layer after another, impossible to clear, and the house is as cold as an ice cellar. Adults can endure it, but children can’t.”

“My youngest had a fever yesterday. My husband went to Doctor Liang early in the morning for medicine, but it hasn’t helped.”

“It’s all this damn weather’s fault. Village head, what should we do?”

“Village head, give us some advice.”

“Maybe we should consult someone. My family heard that the snow stopped there a few days ago. The two towns aren’t that far apart, so why is it still snowing here? Maybe we’ve offended the Snow Goddess…”

Everyone was talking all at once, but when someone mentioned the Snow Goddess, they all fell silent.

Song Tingzhu stood by his husband’s side, noticing the sudden silence. He looked around and saw everyone with a mysterious expression, and a few older women and men wiping tears from the corners of their eyes.

“What’s everyone looking at? It’s not that bad, right?” someone muttered.

“Yeah, maybe the snow will stop tomorrow.”

“What if it doesn’t? Consulting someone isn’t a big deal.”

“I support what Dou’s family said. There’s a master at the temple on South Mountain with a good reputation. Maybe we should invite him to take a look?”

Zhang Hongbo smoked his dry tobacco without speaking. After everyone had their say, he finally spoke.

“Let’s invite a master to take a look first, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll discuss further.”

“What do you mean, village head? Are you really considering sacrificing to the Snow Goddess?”

“Does anyone remember that in a couple of days, it’s the anniversary of that person’s…?”

The wheat field fell silent again. After a while, an old woman in the crowd sighed, “Ah, what a sin. I don’t think it’s the Snow Goddess causing trouble, but the resentment of Zhao Jie’s family hasn’t dissipated.”

“Old Lady, why are you here?”

“It’s especially cold today, Old Lady. You should go back inside quickly.”

The Old Lady they mentioned was someone Song Tingzhu had heard of but never seen. He turned to look and saw an elderly woman with white hair and a hunched back, standing at the back of the crowd with a cane.

This was Old Lady Bi, ninety-three years old, who had been widowed her entire life and was highly respected in the village. Even Zhang Hongbo had to show her respect.

“Old Lady Bi.” Zhang Hongbo went over to support her.

“Continue discussing the snow. I’m just an old woman here to listen.”

Zhang Hongbo shared his thoughts, and the Old Lady stared at him for a long time before saying, “Heaven sees what people do,” and then called for some young people to help her leave the wheat field.

“Mom, why did the Old Lady come and just say a word before leaving?” Liu Xiaomei didn’t understand.

Ruan Xiulian said nothing, her face not looking good. “Let’s go home.”

“But everyone hasn’t dispersed yet.”

“Let’s go, Xiaomei.” Liu Meng patted her head, looking serious.

Her usually optimistic brother rarely showed such an expression. Liu Xiaomei knew something was serious, so she pursed her lips and followed them home.

The family hadn’t had breakfast yet, and the atmosphere at the table was somber. No one spoke.

After the meal, Song Tingzhu took the brewed medicine to the side room, and as he was leaving, Granny Chen stopped him.

“Did Zhang Hongbo mention anything about sacrifices at the wheat field this morning?” Granny Chen asked.

Song Tingzhu shook his head, “Granny, why does everyone react so differently when the Snow Goddess is mentioned? I heard from the aunts that it snowed heavily twenty years ago, almost causing a snow disaster. But after sacrificing to the Snow Goddess, the snow gradually stopped.”

Granny Chen put the clay bowl aside and snorted coldly, “What Snow Goddess? I don’t believe in such things. Sacrificing a living person to appease imaginary gods is a sin. Aren’t they afraid of retribution!”

It was a live sacrifice.

Song Tingzhu frowned, “Was it someone named Zhao Jie?”

Granny Chen said, “Yes, it was her. Zhao Jie had a hard life. She lost her parents at three and grew up with her grandfather. Just when she was of age to marry, her life took a turn for the worse. She was sacrificed by the villagers to appease the gods. Her grandfather couldn’t bear the blow and passed away shortly after.

In the following years, the village was unsettled. Some said they saw Zhao Jie’s spirit, which scared them half to death. Others said their children were nearly drowned by water ghosts while swimming in the river. Many inexplicable things happened, and over time, people became tacitly aware and stopped mentioning it.”

“If Zhao Jie really came back for revenge, it would be justified.” Granny Chen said angrily, “A good child was tied to a boat and drowned in the icy river. If it were me, I wouldn’t let them live peacefully, even in death.”

“Twenty years have passed. The clan elders who suggested the sacrifice are long gone, but the people of Yunxi Village owe Zhao Jie a life! If someone had stopped it back then, maybe Zhao Jie and her grandfather wouldn’t have died…”

After hearing this, Song Tingzhu felt a chill run down his spine. This was a living person, how could they be so heartless?

His hands and feet were cold, and even after wrapping himself in a quilt, he still felt the chill.

“Wife, what’s wrong?” Liu Hu followed him in and saw his wife shivering under the quilt, panicking.

He quickly knelt by the bed, rubbing his wife’s hands in his palms.

“Wife? Husband?”

Song Tingzhu didn’t respond, just stared blankly at the man in front of him.

He had thought Yunxi Village was different from the cannibalistic Song family, but now it seemed they were the same.

Back then, Qin Yueniang, to secure her position as the Song family’s main wife, constantly made life difficult for his mother. When a drunk servant mistakenly entered his mother’s room, she seized the opportunity to make his father despise his mother. Even so, she didn’t stop until his mother died of illness, and then transferred her hatred to him.

He was utterly disappointed in the Song family. Coming to Yunxi Village, he felt a different atmosphere from the Song family, thinking the world wasn’t all bad. But now he realized he was wrong.

Everyone has a dark side, no matter who they are. That darkness is buried deep in their hearts, only needing an opportunity to grow wildly and break free.

What about himself? Does he have a dark side too?

Song Tingzhu bit his lip until he tasted blood, slowly coming back to his senses.

“Wife, don’t scare me!”

The man’s anxious voice brought him back completely. He forced a smile, exhausted, “I miss my mother and grandfather.”

He hadn’t thought much about it before, but his mind wandering just now brought back many details. He wondered if his mother’s death wasn’t an accident, and why there was no water in the peace jar on the day of the fire at his grandfather’s house?

But Granny Liu said his mother died of illness, and she had a smile on her face when she passed. On the day of the fire at the Liu house, Song Xing’an was out on business, and he needed Grandfather’s brewing skills. There was no reason for him to harm Grandfather.

He couldn’t figure it out and thought maybe he was just being paranoid.

Liu Hu didn’t know what he was thinking and hugged him, “When spring comes and we sell this batch of wine, we’ll go to the prefectural city to see Mother and Grandfather, and bring Granny and her family to stay for a while.”

Song Tingzhu smiled and agreed, then heard him ask, “Are you still cold? Should I bring in a brazier to warm you up?”

Song Tingzhu shook his head, “I’m not cold anymore.”

Liu Hu looked down and saw his wife’s bitten lip.

He frowned, concerned, “Does it hurt? I’ll get some ointment for you.”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Song Tingzhu tugged at his husband’s clothes, rare for him to act spoiled, “Still a bit cold, hold me a little longer.”

Liu Hu hugged him tighter.

After a while, he noticed his wife’s breathing was steady, indicating he had fallen asleep. He gently laid him on the bed, covered him with a quilt, and applied ointment to his bitten lip before leaving.

At noon, when Song Tingzhu opened his eyes, he saw Xia Ge’er’s bright eyes.

“Little Uncle, you’re awake~” The little guy squinted, “Little Uncle is a lazy bug, the sun’s already shining on your butt, and you’re still not up.”

Song Tingzhu pinched the little guy’s cheek, “Getting bold, teasing your Little Uncle?”

Xia Ge’er giggled, holding up his hand to show, “Not bold, just a little bit~”

Song Tingzhu chuckled, smoothing the little guy’s messy hair, “Did your Little Uncle bring you over?”

Xia Ge’er hugged his arm, rubbing his cheek against it affectionately.

“Yes, Little Uncle said you were scared sleeping alone, so he asked Xia Ge’er to keep you company.”

Song Tingzhu felt warmth in his heart, got up to redo the little guy’s hair, and led him out of the room.

“Brother-in-law, are you still feeling unwell?” Liu Xiaomei asked with concern, frowning.

Ruan Xiulian also looked at her son-in-law, “Tingzhu, you’re awake. Huzi said you were feeling dizzy earlier. Are you better now?”

The whole family looked at him with concern.

Song Tingzhu thought again that people could be inherently good, and he was so lucky. The soft sedan chair from the Song family wasn’t a death sentence but a miraculous elixir that brought him back to life.

“Thank you, Father, Mother, Brother, and Sister-in-law for your concern. Tingzhu is fine now, just caught a chill from the wind. After a nap, I’m much better,” he said with a smile.

“You’re still weak. After lunch, let Huzi brew some medicine for you, and rest at home in the afternoon. Let Mengzi and Huzi handle the couplets.”

“Got it, Mother.”

Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, a day that should be bustling with excitement, but now every household had their doors tightly shut, and there wasn’t even the sound of firecrackers.

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Author’s Note: Stuck, crying loudly [crying][crying]