Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Forced to Marry Dayao, the western frontier. Windblown sand swept across the ground, leaving devastation as far as the eye could see. The sun hung viciously overhead, bleaching the rammed-earth walls until they turned white. In several places, the plaster had curled away at the edges, drooping listlessly. Quite a few refugees were entering the city. Government runners^[1] checked and registered them one by one. When it was her turn, the clerk holding the brush looked her up and down several times. Her clothes were filthy, her hair disheveled, and she was so thin that she seemed to have nothing but bones left. Her face was so dirty that her features were nearly impossible to make out. Only her eyes remained clear and bright. “Where are you from?” “Jiangzhou.” “Name.” “Shen Qingwu.” “How old are you?” “Eighteen.” A young boy stood beside Shen Qingwu, clinging tightly to her hand as he looked at the clerk before them, fear written across his face. “And this boy?” “My younger brother, Shen Qinghuai. He's ten this year.” The clerk lowered his head to register the information and said without looking up, “Those are the rules here. Refugee women entering through the pass who are between fifteen and thirty must register for marriage^[2]. It's a policy of the imperial court. Only after marrying will you receive household registration^[3] and grain rations. Those who refuse will be treated as bandits and driven beyond the pass^[4]. “Men must perform corvée labor^[5] once they turn sixteen. If they don't go, they have to pay taxes instead.” Shen Qingwu slowly raised her eyes. There was not the slightest trace of panic in them, only the calm of someone who had seen through it all. She had only just transmigrated into this world. In her previous life, she had been the chief researcher at a national medicinal-herb research institute. During an expedition into an uninhabited mountain region for a research assignment, she had died in an accident. When she opened her eyes again, she had become an eighteen-year-old peasant girl displaced by war. The poor girl had endured war and the destruction of her family. On her own, she had somehow managed to disguise herself and protect her only younger brother all the way to the frontier, but in the end, she herself had not survived. If they were driven beyond the pass, she would not last even one night, to say nothing of the child beside her. Beyond the pass, there were not only jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards. There were also Tatar cavalry^[6] and bands of bandits. If they fell into their hands, they would be unable to live, yet not allowed to die. Given a second chance at life, everything besides life and death was a small matter. Naturally, Shen Qingwu also intended to live well on behalf of the original owner of this body. Seeing her nod, the clerk lifted his chin toward the side. “Follow the ox cart over there. Auntie Wang^[7] will arrange a place for you.” Several young women were already seated on the ox cart. Perhaps because they knew they were about to be married off, their eyes held varying degrees of nervousness and helplessness. Shen Qingwu climbed onto the cart and looked back along the road by which she had come. On the official road beneath the sky full of blowing sand, scattered figures were still slowly making their way toward the city. She was the last of the girls Auntie Wang attended to. Curled up in an inconspicuous corner of the ox cart, she had waited until the afternoon for her turn. Auntie Wang had taken her to several households. They had either disliked that she brought a younger brother with her or thought Shen Qingwu too frail. They feared that after marrying her, she would not even be able to lift a hoe. How could she bear children and carry on the family line? Were they supposed to marry her merely to keep her as a pampered young lady? Auntie Wang wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, “The frontier has been at war year after year, so there are already very few men of marriageable age. Any outstanding men in the villages and towns were married long ago. Finding someone isn't easy.” After a pause, Auntie Wang continued, “There is still one family north of the city. They're the Xie family. They're honest and decent enough, just a little poor. But six months ago, the man went into the mountains, encountered a pack of wolves, and was left with a lingering injury to his left leg. Would you be willing?” Shen Qingwu thought for a moment, then nodded. “All right.” Shen Qinghuai huddled close to Shen Qingwu, uncertainty in his eyes. “Sister.” Shen Qingwu lowered her voice. “Don't be afraid.” These were difficult times for every household. Poverty was nothing to fear. Besides, Shen Qingwu was at least a person from the twenty-first century. She was not about to starve to death. The cart rolled slowly past the village entrance, where a group of women had gathered beneath a large tree to gossip. “Oh, isn't that Auntie Wang? Which family in the village is she arranging a marriage for?” “Judging by the direction, don't tell me it's the Xie family. With the Xie family's circumstances, there's actually someone willing to marry into it^[8]?” “Exactly. The old man of the Xie family coughs and wheezes because of his war injuries and can't do heavy labor. Then there's their youngest daughter, thin as a chick. Liu Cuilan is the only one keeping the whole family afloat.” “If you ask me, the biggest problem is the eldest Xie son, Xie Heng. He used to be so impressive, but now he's half-deaf, and his body has been ruined too. He's good for nothing now. I heard he was driven out of the army back then because he was afraid to fight!” “Shh, don't say that. What if Liu Cuilan starts making a scene again?” The ox cart traveled all the way to the entrance of the Xie family's home. The door was pieced together from several old wooden boards, and whenever the wind blew, it creaked and groaned. Auntie Wang knocked. Soon, a woman in her fifties came out. Her hair was neatly combed, and she wore a patched blue jacket. Upon seeing Auntie Wang, she looked startled. “Auntie Wang, what brings you here?” “Auntie Xie, does your family need a daughter-in-law? There's a young girl from Jiangzhou who fled here to escape hardship. She's eighteen. Her parents are gone, leaving only a younger brother who's ten. If he were left on his own, he probably wouldn't survive three days here, so the siblings can only stay together.” Liu Cuilan stared blankly at Shen Qingwu and Shen Qinghuai. Her eyes instantly reddened, and she pulled them closer. “You poor children. Jiangzhou is a long way from the frontier. You must have suffered terribly, haven't you?” This was the first time anyone had shown Shen Qingwu concern since she had come to this world. She slowly shook her head. Seeing this, Auntie Wang finally let out a sigh of relief. “All right, my work here is done. I have to go back and report. I'll have someone deliver the marriage document^[9] later.” Liu Cuilan pulled Shen Qingwu into the courtyard. “Sit down and rest for a while. Xie Heng went to chop firewood. He'll be back soon. Come inside and take a break.” Shen Qingwu was half-dragged, half-guided into the house. It was not large, but it was clean and orderly. The mattress on the earthen kang^[10] was patched, yet it had been washed spotless. A middle-aged man sat at the edge of the kang. He was tall and thin, with a slightly stooped back. When he saw Shen Qingwu enter, astonishment still showed on his face. “Old woman, who is this?” Liu Cuilan patted Shen Qingwu's hand, smiling with wholehearted delight. “She's our Heng'er's^[11] wife.” Xie Gensheng gave a simple, good-natured smile, a hint of nervousness on his face. “Young lady, have a seat. Our home is humble, so don't take offense.” Shen Qingwu silently surveyed the room. Its furnishings were simple, and there were only a few pieces of furniture. One corner of the table had even been chipped off and propped up with a lump of earth. A young girl timidly hid behind the door, studying Shen Qingwu. She looked quite young and was small and thin. When her gaze met Shen Qingwu's, she quickly looked away. “This is our Heng'er's younger sister, Xie Nian. She's eleven this year.” Liu Cuilan poured Shen Qingwu a bowl of water, then pulled Xie Nian over. “Niannian^[12], this is your sister-in-law. From now on, she'll be living together with us. Do you understand?” Xie Nian nodded, only half understanding, then obediently called out, “Hello, Sister-in-law.” Shen Qingwu nodded. “Hello. My name is Shen Qingwu.” Xie Nian smiled shyly. Her large, limpid eyes still held a hint of curiosity, and she quietly tightened her grip on the hem of her clothes. She had already begun to like this sister-in-law who spoke so pleasantly. Just as the greetings ended, the courtyard gate sounded. Immediately afterward came a set of steady footsteps. Shen Qingwu turned her head and saw a man enter from outside. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. His face carried the sharp, austere quality carved into it by the northwestern wind and sand. An old scar marked the end of his left eyebrow, adding a measure of fierceness to his features. He wore a coarse, worn-out garment, but even that could not conceal the stern, formidable bearing forged through years on the battlefield. His features were deep-set and sharp, and his build was broad and powerful. After entering the courtyard, Xie Heng threw the hundred-plus jin^[13] of firewood from his back into the corner. A layer of dust instantly rose from the ground, yet he showed not the slightest sign of breathlessness despite having carried the load all that way. Only upon closer inspection could one notice that his left foot bore his weight a little unevenly. Perhaps because he had come from the army, this old injury did not seem to affect him very much. Shen Qingwu's eyes brightened slightly. The man certainly had a fine build—strong and powerful. In a remote frontier like this, the ability to protect her was what truly mattered. This marriage did not seem so bad after all.