Chapter 39: Returning to Her Parental Home

The autumn wind was rustling, and by midnight, it was howling even more.

At some point, one less person was on the bed, and a sneaky figure appeared outside the wooden hut.

Bai Cheng'an felt most relaxed when he returned to the wooden hut. He didn't even notice when the person beside him had snuck out.

Several layers of thatch on the roof had been blown away by the strong wind, making the already drafty hut seem even colder.

Lin Ruanyuan, returning to the hut in the dark, shook off the chill from her body and slipped into bed.

She had replaced the core of the quilt, and compared to the thin blanket before, this one was much warmer now.

But the warmth was still not enough to chase away the chill in her body. Seemingly unable to bear the cold, she instinctively snuggled closer to the warm embrace beside her.

The rough man in deep sleep let her pry open his hand and rest her head on his chest.

The night deepened, and the high-hanging moon was obscured by clouds brought by the wind. Besides the howling wind, no other sounds could be heard in the deep mountains.

The silent night was shattered by a loud noise.

Lin Ruanyuan opened her eyes blankly, staring at the cloud-covered sky.

Beside her, Bai Cheng'an suddenly sat up, looking around.

The room, which should have had four wooden walls, was now empty.

Not just empty, but the room itself was gone.

Not only was the room gone, but the entire wooden hut had disappeared.

Bai Cheng'an pushed away the two wooden beams lying across the bed and cleared away some thatch, finally pulling Lin Ruanyuan up from the bed.

The girl, pulled up, seemed frightened and shivered as she burrowed into his arms.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid." Bai Cheng'an gently patted her back, soothing her in a low voice.

The two of them walked out from the collapsed wreckage of the wooden hut, the wind still blowing fiercely.

The knife-like autumn wind on Lin Ruanyuan's thinly clad body made her involuntarily sneeze.

Bai Cheng'an glanced at her and tightened his arm around her slightly.

He was still pondering why the wooden hut, where they had lived for so long, had suddenly collapsed.

Just before going to sleep, he had said this hut would be for Lin Ruanyuan to live in, but now that it had collapsed, where would she stay?

Feeling very frustrated, he noted that it was still not dawn. The moon was thoroughly covered by clouds, and he didn't know what time it was.

The autumn wind was biting cold, and he worried that Lin Ruanyuan might catch a chill from it, so he kept her close in his embrace.

Lin Ruanyuan naturally did not reject his voluntary hug. Not only did she not reject it, but she also took the opportunity to hug his waist tighter.

Yes, this man was indeed strong, truly the man she, Lin Ruanyuan, had set her sights on.

The two of them embraced each other for warmth until the sky started to lighten.

As soon as there was a bit of light, Bai Cheng'an went to retrieve the large wooden box buried under the wreckage.

Lin Ruanyuan's clothes had been torn by the thatch and wooden boards, making them unwearable.

Fortunately, there was still a set of warm yellow clothes in the wooden box. She shivered as she put them on but had no excuse to stay close to Bai Cheng'an anymore.

By the time Bai Cheng'an found some usable items, it was nearly daylight.

He glanced at Lin Ruanyuan, hesitating to speak.

Lin Ruanyuan, being very clever, immediately put on a pitiful and heartbroken expression when she noticed his gaze.

After all, now that she had no place to stay, she needed Bai Cheng'an to feel her helplessness.

Otherwise, how would he feel sorry for her?

"The wooden hut has collapsed. Where will you stay?" Bai Cheng'an's voice was somewhat low.

Lin Ruanyuan looked at him sadly, shook her head helplessly.

"You were divorced by your husband. Is there anyone left in your family?" Bai Cheng'an's brows furrowed tighter.

"There is," Lin Ruanyuan answered softly, her heart sinking.

"Good that there's someone. Then pack up, and I'll take you back to your family."

Bai Cheng'an's tone lightened considerably, but Lin Ruanyuan pursed her lips.

Before dawn, the two of them, carrying some clothes and valuables, set off. The large wooden box was cumbersome to carry, so they decided to leave it behind.

The strong wind blew away the debris left by the collapsed wooden hut, revealing a larger column.

Half of it had a neat cross-section, standing out conspicuously in the autumn wind.

Anyone with sharp eyes could see that it was the mark left by a saw.

Lin Ruanyuan's family home was in Willow Village, about ten miles from Changping Town.

The village was small, with only twenty or thirty households.

She had an older sister named Lin Rourou, who was also married and lived in Willow Village.

The two first went to the town, where Bai Cheng'an bought some supplies and a few buns for breakfast before heading to Willow Village.

They walked quickly, and by the time they reached Willow Village, it was almost noon.

Following the memories of the original owner, Lin Ruanyuan led Bai Cheng'an back to the Lin family home.

The Lin family's yard was surrounded by a mud wall, and a large dog was tied at the entrance.

When the original owner married into the Fu family, the Lin family didn't have a dog...

The barking of the big dog gave the unguarded Lin Ruanyuan a fright.

Instinctively, she hid behind Bai Cheng'an.

"Don't be afraid." Bai Cheng'an squeezed her hand, comforting her in a low voice.

The dog kept barking loudly, its noise heard throughout the village.

"Stupid dog, what are you barking at!"

A sharp female voice came from the Lin family's yard, and a large clump of dirt was thrown at the dog.

The dog yelped and howled from the hit, and if it weren't for the leash, it would have run away.

A woman in a floral thin cotton jacket swayed gracefully as she walked out of the yard.

Lin Ruanyuan looked her up and down but said nothing.

"I wondered why the dog was barking. Turns out it's because two strangers are standing at my door."

The woman sized them up and down, curling her lip.

"Is she your family?" Bai Cheng'an asked quietly, turning his head.

"No... no... I don't recognize her." Lin Ruanyuan searched her memory but couldn't recall who the woman was.

Dressed flamboyantly with thick rouge on her face, she was definitely not her older sister Lin Rourou.

"A stutterer?" The woman curled her lip again, frowning.

"You must be Lin Qiu's stuttering second sister."

Lin Ruanyuan blinked and nodded vigorously.

"So it is you. Why are you here?"

The woman rolled her eyes disdainfully and glanced at Bai Cheng'an beside Lin Ruanyuan.

Last time, the servants of Master Ding came looking for trouble because of you. Who is this man? Didn't your husband die? Is this the one who's going to take you back to be Master Ding's concubine?"

Lin Ruanyuan: ....

She roughly guessed who the woman was, but the woman kept talking incessantly, not giving the stuttering Lin Ruanyuan a chance to speak.

Lin Qiu was a good young man, how did he end up with someone like this?

"Wife, who are you talking to outside?" The loud voice of Lin Qiu's wife finally alerted Lin Ruanyuan's parents.

Lin's mother, with oil-stained hands, peeked her head out from the yard.

When she saw who was talking to Lin Qiu's wife, she suddenly froze.

Lin Ruanyuan, likely influenced by the original owner's emotions, had tears in her eyes at the sight of her mother.

"Mom." She opened her thin lips and called softly.