Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Ye Chen held a worn wooden bucket tightly in his hand as he slowly made his way to the riverbank where the villagers often washed their clothes.
The boy, around twelve or thirteen years old, had a slender frame that seemed as if a gust of wind could easily knock him over. His clothes were faded from washing but remained clean and tidy, though his gaunt face appeared even paler under the sunlight.
As soon as Ye Chen arrived, a group of women and children quickly gathered around him, their eyes fixated on him as they began to whisper among themselves.
"Ah, so this is the boy from the the Ye Family."
"Yes, look at him—he's even thinner than my little girl. He must be thirteen this year, how could he be like this..."
"Sigh, it’s all because of that damned Liu Ya. A stepmother can never compare to a real mother. Just look at how much this child has suffered. He was a fool when he was younger; his mother died early, and his father remarried. Just when he finally came to his senses, his father passed away too. What kind of life is he living?"
"And yet they talk about others. This year the taxes have increased by ten percent; we don’t even know if we’ll have enough food to eat."
"…"
Ye Chen quietly squatted by the riverbank not far away, listening to the women’s chatter, and a wave of bitterness rose in his heart. He lowered his head slightly, his gaze falling on the stick in his hand and the clothes floating in the river, lost in deep thought.
These were chaotic times; everywhere he looked, there were corpses scattered on the ground—a sight too grim to bear. The Tianqi kingdom was embroiled in war with the northern Wolf Tribe, and the situation was unstable.
If he chose to run away now, where could he possibly escape to?
In this vast world, it seemed there was not a single place where he truly belonged.
Lost in thought, Ye Chen mechanically pounded the clothes in the river with a stick, his movements somewhat awkward.
He had never washed clothes before; all his previous garments had been cleaned by a washing machine. Now, he was learning how to do it by watching the women by the river.
Suddenly, the women began discussing a new topic.
“Did you hear that Liu San’s son has joined the army?” one of them asked.
“Who hasn’t heard? Joining the An Guo Army's Military Camp comes with two taels of silver. Now, families struggling to get by are sending their children to the Military Camp,” another woman replied, sighing heavily. “Sigh, with all these natural disasters and man-made calamities, who knows if these kids will even come back alive after joining the Military Camp?”
Joining the Military Camp might offer two taels of silver along with food and shelter, which sounded appealing, but it could also cost lives. Ye Chen shook his head and dismissed the thought.
When he returned home, Liu Ya was standing in the courtyard.
She cast a disdainful glance at Ye Chen from the corner of her eye and said coolly, “You’re making dinner tonight.”
Ye Chen tightened his grip on the basket in his hands, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure. Lowering his head, he silently walked past Liu Ya and replied in a subdued voice, “Understood.”
He then spread out the freshly washed blankets and clothes clumsily in the yard to dry.
Watching Ye Chen's busy figure, Liu Ya nodded in satisfaction, a barely noticeable smile tugging at her lips before she turned on her slender waist and entered the house.
As soon as Liu Ya stepped inside, Ye Chen spat in her direction.
This situation couldn't continue; he needed to get rid of this woman soon.
That evening, Liu Ya stared incredulously at the dark, unappetizing food in her bowl and looked at Ye Chen. "Is this really the meal you prepared?"
Ye Chen nodded, saying, "I did my best. It’s what it is."
"You..." Liu Ya's anger flared as she looked at the food, but she quickly composed herself, her expression twisting into a determined glare. "Fine, I'll cook from now on."
Ye Chen wasn't much of a cook, especially with such a large iron pot. If he didn't control the heat properly, the food would end up burnt and charred. As he brought the bowl of rice to the table, he felt a pang of regret; after all, in this season, being able to afford a bowl of rice porridge was already a luxury, and here he was wasting it.
Before long, Liu Ya returned from the kitchen with two bowls of rice.
Watching Ye Chen devour his meal, Liu Ya's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the bowl rack in the kitchen as her mind raced with calculations.
Ye Chen was at an age where he was still growing. Given how much he ate during this transitional season, she simply couldn't afford to support such a "big boy."
It seemed she needed to come up with a plan to send him off quickly.
Comment 0 Comment Count