As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window and onto the wooden bed frame, Gu Nanqiao awoke.

She opened her eyes, a little dazed at first. She took in the furnishings of the room with a glance and let out a soft sigh, Gu Nanqiao realized that she truly couldn't go back.

On the stool by the bed lay a stack of clean cotton batting. Gu Nanqiao, holding her skirt, clumsily draped it over herself.

It has been a whole month since I came to this ghostly place. Every day, I hope that I'm just dreaming, that when I wake up, I'll be back in China. Unfortunately, after a whole month, from the initial disbelief to being forced to face reality, it feels all too real.

Her long hair, cascading down to her waist, was braided into a long plait, secured with a strip of cloth. Gu Nanqiao tidied it up and then opened the door, walking lightly towards the kitchen.

Looking at the meager handful of rice left in the grain jar, Gu Nanyan frowned. Her luck was terrible. Everyone else who crossed over became a princess, a wealthy miss, or had a rich fiancé.

He got to that point, and suddenly he was a pitiful orphan, beaten by his stepmother and abandoned by his father.

Qǔ Dà Niū was once the village flower of Qǔjiā Village. After the Spring Festival, she just turned thirteen. When she was seven years old, her biological mother passed away. In less than a year, her father remarried to a widow from the neighboring village. The widow came with her two sons to marry into the Qǔ family.

Everyone says that if there's a stepmother, there's also a stepfather. That statement isn't entirely wrong.

Since her stepmother moved in, Qu Daniu's life became even more miserable. The first year was still bearable because her biological mother was alive and could protect her. However, after her mother passed away, her stepmother, no longer restrained by any concern, began to torment her in every way possible.

All the dirty and tiring chores at home were given to her, while the stepdaughter brought by her stepmother acted like a little princess, spending her days sitting around doing nothing.

If life went on like this, it wouldn't be so bad. However, the stepson, Jiang Dapang, is already twenty-three years old and hasn't even considered marriage yet. Some families are too embarrassed to consider marrying into our humble home, while others find him too much of a glutton.

Nobody wants to marry him.

The stepmother was in a hurry and finally set her sights on Qu Da Niu. Qu Da Niu, of course, was unwilling. She had been planning to wait until she was fifteen years old, then find any decent match and marry out, far away from this family.

Qu Dayu was unwilling, but the stepmother had ill intentions in her heart. She directly sent Qu Dayu to Jiang Dapang's bed, wanting them to get intimate.

How could Qu Daniu let his stepmother get her wish? Of course, she resisted. In the scuffle, she accidentally pushed Jiang Dapang down, hitting his head and bleeding profusely.

The stepmother, seeing this, felt a surge of pity. She grabbed a wooden stick and chased after Qu Daniu, beating her relentlessly. After a while, Qu Daniu was left gasping for breath, barely alive. Fearing his wife had gone too far, Qu Da quickly wrapped Qu Daniu in a tattered mat and, under the cover of night, threw her into the deep mountains to be devoured by wolves.

Gu Nanqiao still remembered the wolf howling she heard when she first woke up. She was so scared that she wanted to get up, struggled for a long time, but couldn't. Fortunately, she was lucky enough to meet her elder brother who came back late from hunting and saved her life.

I've been nursing a wound for a month, and it has now healed completely, leaving only some scars.

Gu Nanqiao washed the rice and put it in the pot, then sat down in front of the stove to add firewood. Her mind was racing, thinking about how to improve their lives.

Orion's brother's family was so poor that they were barely scraping by. There was only enough rice left in the rice jar for this morning's breakfast. How were they going to survive the rest of the days? This was a question.

Breakfast was very simple, two bowls of white rice porridge. Gu Nanqiao scooped all the dry rice into her brother's bowl, while she ate the thin porridge. There was only one dish on the table, a plate of pickled vegetables. Just as the food was served, Mo Yu Heng arrived.

After living together for a month, the two people already knew each other's lifestyles very well.

Mo Yu Heng remained silent, seeing Gu Nan Qiao bustling about in the kitchen he didn't make any indication. He washed his hands by himself, then sat down at the table and began to eat.

After dinner, Gu Nanqiao tidied up the kitchen. Mo Yu Heng didn't rush to leave home today, but instead stared at Gu Nanqiao blankly, his face full of entanglement.

"Mo Ge, is there something you want to tell me?" Gu Nanqiao saw Mo Yuheng's entire face about to wrinkle into a frown, and couldn't help but ask with a smile.

Mo Yu Heng usually doesn't talk much. He's been here for a month, and the two of them barely speak. Gu Nan Qiao only knows that Mo Yu Heng lives alone here with no parents or relatives. As for anything else, she has no idea.

"Miss Gu, your injuries are almost healed. Would you like to go home?" Mo Yu Heng hesitated for a long time before stammering.

As soon as these words were spoken, the kitchen fell silent. Gu Nan Qiao was wiping dishes and heard this, Zi Yi's face lost its smile and she asked cautiously, "Mo Gege, are you going to drive me away? Have I done something wrong, made you angry?"

The voice carried a tinge of sadness, making it heart-wrenching to listen to.

Mo Yu Heng had only asked out of curiosity, but seeing the little girl about to cry, he was at a loss for words. "No, it's just that you disappeared for so long, your family would be worried if they couldn't find you," he stammered.

Gu Nanyao bitterly said, "These injuries I sustained are thanks to them. If I go back now, it's like walking into death. Mo Gege, do you still remember what you saw when you first met me? Those wounds were inflicted by my stepmother. My father, afraid of angering the superiors, abandoned me in the deep mountains and erased all traces."

Go back? Of course I'm going back, but not now. I still need to get revenge for the beating I received.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!

Thinking of those traces, Mo Yu Heng's eyes flashed with a different kind of light, and finally he could only awkwardly say, "Miss Gu since you plan to live here for a while, how about I build a small courtyard for you on the east side?"

Since he was not a close relative, people gossiped about Gu N anjing living in his home for so long and didn't treat him kindly.

Gu Nanyao took a step forward, Mo Yuheng hurriedly retreated, looking as if he was afraid that Gu Nanyao would take advantage of him. Gu Nanyao chuckled softly and coquettishly said, "Mo Gege, are you willing to let me, a weakling, live outside? What if some wild animals break in? If I scream for help, no one will know."

Mo Yu Heng felt that since he had encountered this matter, he naturally had to protect Nan Qiao wholeheartedly. Anyway, he couldn't possibly have children in his lifetime, so raising Gu Nan Qiao as his own wouldn't be a bad idea. After a hundred years, there would still be someone burning paper money for him.

Mo Yu Heng was already twenty-six years old. If they had children early, the child would indeed be about the same age as Gu Nan Qiao. Thinking this way, Mo Yu Heng felt reassured.

With the matter concluded, Mo Yu Heng decided to go to town to sell the game he had hunted yesterday. Before leaving, he also put on his belt. There was a dedicated leather goods merchant in town who bought these hides.

"Mo Gege is going to town? Can I go with you?" Gu Nanqiao had never been to an ancient market, and was very curious about it. She wanted to broaden her horizons.

Mo Yu Heng looked up and down at her, then refused, "This place is too far from town. You're delicate; you shouldn't be traveling back and forth like this. I'll go early and come back early. Just stay home and wait for me. Think about what else you need and tell me, and I'll bring it back for you."

Upon learning that she couldn't go, Gu Nan Qiao felt a little disappointed, but she quickly cheered up. She glanced at the kitchen and told him to buy some rice, noodles, salt, soy sauce, and chili peppers on his way back.

Mo Yu Heng nodded, slung on his heavy pack, and left home.

---- Aside ----

To be continued at the end of May.

(Editor in charge:saya no uta visual novel)