Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Miao Dahai offered Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue some more words of encouragement. When the villagers started chatting about local affairs, the couple listened for a while, but soon lost interest and took their leave.

Though it was New Year’s Day, the weather was bleak. A hazy fog filled the air, a gray sky hung over the land, and the wind was bitterly cold. The more experienced villagers were already predicting snow for that evening.

”It’s so cold,” Zhao Nuanyue said softly, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them.

Seeing this, Hua Yusen took Zhao Nuanyue’s hand and said softly, ”Let me warm them for you.”

Zhao Nuanyue’s small hand was held tightly in Hua Yusen’s large one. Unlike her icy fingers, his hand was very warm.

”You should let go. It would be so embarrassing if someone saw us,” Zhao Nuanyue said shyly. She tried to pull her hand away, even though his grasp was wonderfully warm.

Hua Yusen loved seeing her blush. He chuckled. ”What’s there to be afraid of? We’re courting, aren’t we? Besides, it’s freezing out, and the path to the Dragon King Temple is deserted. No one will see us.”

Unable to break free, Zhao Nuanyue resigned herself to his grip. She glanced around, then spotted two people walking toward them. She jutted her chin in their direction. ”So much for ’no one.’ Look who’s coming. And they’re old acquaintances, no less. You’d better let go now, before they start running their filthy mouths. You know they’ll say anything.”

Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, Hua Yusen released her hand.

But the two women approaching had no intention of letting them be, clearly looking for a chance to needle them. ”Well, well, look who it is!”

Just as Zhao Nuanyue had predicted, as the two women passed by, Liu Lanhua let out a cackle. ”My, my. Young girls these days, getting so physical with men at such a tender age. Shameless, aren’t they!”

The other woman, Wang Cuihua, who also had it in for Zhao Nuanyue, chimed in, ”That’s right, that’s right! I saw them holding hands just now. Sneaking around like a couple of degenerates.”

Hua Yusen’s face darkened. He was about to step forward and teach the two big-mouthed women a lesson, but Zhao Nuanyue held him back.

’When it came to dealing with these two, as long as it didn’t come to blows, Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t afraid of a war of words.’

’Hua Yusen, on the other hand, was a man. It wasn’t appropriate for him to argue with women in a situation like this, and he certainly couldn’t get physical.’

”My, my. It’s only New Year’s Day and the two of you are already spouting such filth. I wonder if you’ll even be able to taste your dumplings after this.” Zhao Nuanyue was sharp-tongued herself. ”And speaking of shady business... I often see a certain plump man sneaking into a courtyard in the west end of the village and not coming out all night. Tsk, tsk...”

Hearing this, Wang Cuihua’s gloating expression instantly soured.

In Nianqiao Village, everyone knew that ”a plump man sneaking into a courtyard in the west end of the village and not coming out all night” could only refer to her husband, Wang Dadan.

Many villagers knew about Wang Dadan and Widow Qian’s affair, but they only ever discussed it in private. No one dared to mention it openly, so Wang Cuihua could pretend she didn’t know a thing.

But now, after trying to humiliate Zhao Nuanyue, she had it thrown right back in her face—and with the uncomfortable truth, no less.

It wasn’t that Wang Cuihua was magnanimous—even if she had come to terms with her husband’s filthy affair with Widow Qian, being called out on it like this still made her furious.

”So young and already running your mouth full of nonsense. With that sharp tongue and mean streak, who knows what family would ever want you,” Liu Lanhua sneered. ”Cuihua, let’s go. Don’t waste your breath on this little hussy.”

”Who I marry is none of your damn business! If someone insults me, I’ll insult them right back, you two filthy-mouthed old crones!” Zhao Nuanyue retorted, refusing to back down. ”It’s the New Year. You should try to earn some good karma. If you don’t start doing some good deeds, it won’t just be your husbands who suffer broken bones—your whole families will!”

”You little bitch! I’m going to rip that mouth of yours shut!” Wang Cuihua shrieked, lunging at Zhao Nuanyue.

”Wang Cuihua’s gone mad! She’s attacking people again! She’s bullying people!” Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t about to just stand there and take a beating. ’Even with Hua Yusen here, I don’t want him getting involved. This is a small matter I can handle myself.’

Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s shouts as she bolted back toward the village center, Liu Lanhua had a moment of clarity and grabbed Wang Cuihua. ”It’s the New Year, don’t go looking for trouble with Miao Dahai! He’s already got it in for our families. If you go after that little hussy now, Miao Cunzheng definitely won’t side with us. We have plenty to do at home. Let’s not waste any more time out here.”

Wang Cuihua halted and stopped chasing Zhao Nuanyue. She spat at the girl’s retreating figure, then followed Liu Lanhua down a fork in the path, heading toward the other side of the village.

Once she saw Liu Lanhua and Wang Cuihua were gone, Zhao Nuanyue walked back. She had only been pretending to run back into the village.

Zhao Nuanyue walked back to Hua Yusen’s side and looked up at his amused expression. Her cheeks flushed. ’The things I said, the way I acted... just like a village shrew.’ She was worried he would laugh at her.

”That was a women’s battle. It’s better for a man like you to stay out of it. If they had started getting physical and I couldn’t handle them, *then* you could have stepped in to protect me,” Zhao Nuanyue explained, trying to steer the conversation. ”Even if no one in the village likes Wang Cuihua and Liu Lanhua, if you had hit them, even Director Li—who can’t stand them—wouldn’t have sided with you. So sometimes, I have to be the one to step forward. You can’t. The situation forced my hand. It’s not who I really am, so... please don’t laugh at me.”

Her voice trailed off, and the blush on her cheeks deepened.

”Haha...” Seeing how adorable she was, Hua Yusen couldn’t help but burst out laughing. ”I’m not laughing at you...”

”Not laughing? Who are you kidding?” Zhao Nuanyue shot back. ”Then what are you doing right now? You’re grinning from ear to ear!”

”Haha...” Hua Yusen laughed again. ”I’m really not laughing at you. I just think you’re so adorable! Even the way you argue with people is adorable.”

Zhao Nuanyue clenched her small fists and said accusingly, ”You’re just being ridiculous! I’m ordering you to stop laughing! If you laugh again, I’m going to get angry! I already told you, the situation forced my hand! I only acted like a shrew to save you!”

”Alright, alright! I’ll stop laughing.” Seeing she was genuinely getting upset, Hua Yusen didn’t dare to laugh anymore. He didn’t want this little kitten to get her claws out; he knew a few scratches from her would be more than he could handle.