The Comments Section Said She Was My Wife - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

◎ Chu Tang was still waiting for her in the same spot ◎

The night on Yunwu Mountain was pitch-black, with the only light originating from the hunter’s small courtyard.

Usually, after dark, Xia Shi and Chu Tang would retire early. Xia Shi was especially diligent about this when Chu Tang was home alone, as wild beasts were more active at night. Even in the outskirts of the forest, where sightings were rare, the occasional predator would wander through. For the sake of safety, staying tucked away inside was always the best course of action.

Tonight, however, was an exception. First, Xia Shi hadn’t returned, and second, with two women from the village keeping her company, the normally quiet courtyard felt a bit more lively. The three women simply lit a bonfire in the yard and waited.

They ended up waiting until nearly midnight.

When the moon hung high in the sky, the bonfire in the courtyard began to dim. Chu Tang carried more firewood from the kitchen to feed the flames. As she poked the growing fire and listened to the crackling of the wood, she glanced at the two women sitting nearby. Both were leaning against each other, overwhelmed by exhaustion, their heads bobbing as they drifted off to sleep.

Chu Tang wasn’t sleepy; she was far too worried about Xia Shi. She would frequently stand up to check outside the courtyard gate. After pacing back and forth countless times, she finally saw a few flickering specks of light in the pitch-black wilderness.

“Wake up! They’re back!” Chu Tang suddenly called out, her eyes locked on the distant lights.

The two women, who had been dozing, were startled awake by the sound. It took them a moment to grasp where they were, but once they realized, they scrambled to their feet and followed Chu Tang out of the yard.

The lights drew closer and closer. The two women cheered, “It’s torches! They’ve finally made it back!”

The person carrying the lead torch was moving quickly, or rather, the leader was moving quickly, leaving the others behind in the dark. She ran all the way toward the courtyard, and even from a distance, Chu Tang recognized her by that familiar, athletic gait.

A smile blossomed on Chu Tang’s lips, and the distant firelight reflected in her eyes, turning into points of starlight.

The bonfire in the courtyard was bright, and Xia Shi saw the person waiting at the gate from far off. She broke into a light jog, stopping only when she stood right in front of Chu Tang. Her eyes crinkled into a smile. “I’m back.” She reached out to take Chu Tang’s hand, then couldn’t help but complain, “It’s so late, why aren’t you asleep? Waiting outside the gate like this is so dangerous.”

Chu Tang didn’t respond immediately; she used the torchlight to look Xia Shi up and down. Xia Shi spun around obligingly, letting her inspect her. Fortunately, aside from a few more tears in her clothes, she was unhurt.

Relieved, Chu Tang replied, “You weren’t home, so I couldn’t sleep. Besides, the two sisters were here to keep me company while I waited.”

Xia Shi’s eyes crinkled with joy at the first half of the sentence, but as she heard the second half, she turned her gaze and noticed the two familiar women watching them. She wasn’t embarrassed, but she realized she truly hadn’t noticed anyone else until that very moment.

The two women, seeing Xia Shi look over, felt a sense of relief—the atmosphere between the couple was a bit too intimate for them to interrupt. They spoke up, “Xiao Xia, are you alright? Did you find the boy?”

Xia Shi nodded and gestured behind her. “Found him. Tian Er and Shiquan are right behind me. Everything’s fine.”

The women saw the approaching torchlight, and with Xia Shi back in one piece, the worry that had weighed on them vanished. Now, hearing Xia Shi’s confirmation, they were completely at ease. They smiled and said, “As long as everyone is safe, that’s all that matters.” They then pointed toward the courtyard. “You’ve been out all day—you must be starving. Your wife left you some dinner. Go eat.”

There was no lack of food in the autumn forest, but it was mostly wild fruit—tasty, but not very filling. After running through the mountains for half the day, even if she wanted to wash up and rest, she needed to fill her stomach first.

Xia Shi didn’t actually feel hungry; she had plenty of experience finding food in the mountains. Still, hearing that her wife had set aside food for her made her feel pleasantly surprised. She turned to the women: “I’ll go check on it first. Sisters, just wait here a moment. The others aren’t far behind; they’ll be here shortly.”

They both agreed, and they watched as Xia Shi took Chu Tang’s hand and walked into the courtyard.

Chu Tang went into the kitchen to bring out the food. The porridge had been cooked with rice halfway through, and the main dish was smoked meat stewed with radishes—a recipe Tian Er’s wife had taught her earlier that day. Tian Er’s wife had told her: if you don’t know how to cook meat, just stew it with radishes, winter melon, or cabbage; add a little salt, and it’s impossible to make it taste bad.

And it was true. The smoked meat and radishes, which both women had grown tired of eating separately, had taken on a completely different flavor when cooked together. The aroma was so appetizing that Xia Shi, who hadn’t felt hungry a moment ago, suddenly had a sharp appetite.

As she took the bowl, Xia Shi was just about to compliment her wife when a clamor rose outside the courtyard gate.

It was Tian Er and the others arriving. Chu Tang was naturally a bit curious about the commotion. She tilted her head toward the gate, and Xia Shi’s voice reached her ear: “Don’t look, it’s nothing serious. When we found Liu Sheng, he was perched in a tree, terrified by a small wild pig. We just took the pig down while we were at it.”

It was indeed a small pig, weighing barely twenty pounds. It had bumped into the boy’s leg when it darted from the brush. The boy’s nerves were so thin that even that had scared the wits out of him—yet he wanted to be a hunter.

As they spoke, the people outside entered the yard. Chu Tang immediately spotted the sullen, wilted boy following behind his father.

He looked familiar; after a moment’s thought, she realized it was the same person who had spoken to her when they went up the mountain with Tian Er last time. However, their interaction went no further than that. Chu Tang looked once and then looked away, having no intention of saying anything more.

Xia Shi didn’t plan to keep them, either. At the end of the day, her house was home to two women, and it wouldn’t do to have a group of men spending the night. She stepped forward and told them, “The village is right down the mountain, and I’m sure your families are worried sick. Since Liu Sheng is fine, I won’t keep you. Everyone should head back and get some rest.”

Everyone agreed; no one had intended to overstay their welcome.

Tian Er stepped forward and set down the small pig he had been carrying. “This is yours, Xia Shi. I brought it back for you; make sure to process it soon.”

Liu Laoda also came forward, then turned back to pull Liu Sheng along. “We owe you a lot for today, Xia Shi. I’ll remember this, and I’ll send over a reward in a couple of days.” He slapped the back of Liu Sheng’s head. “You reckless brat, hurry up and thank your Sister Xia.”

Liu Sheng was already miserable, he wasn’t a strong-willed person to begin with, and right now he looked like a drowned rat. He didn’t dare raise his head; his dark face, illuminated by the bonfire in the yard, looked as though it was turning blood-red. “Thank you, Sister Xia…thank you, Tian Er, thank you everyone for coming to look for me. I’m sorry for causing everyone such trouble.”

Xia Shi waved it off carelessly and said to Tian Er, “Brother Tian, you take the wild pig. My house doesn’t need the meat.” Seeing he was about to refuse, she added, “Why don’t you trade me a chicken for it? My wife eats eggs every day, and raising a chicken would be convenient.”

A small wild pig was worth much more than a chicken. Tian Er hesitated, then happily agreed.

After the boisterous group finally left, Xia Shi let out a long breath. She could always hunt more pork later, but she truly didn’t want to butcher a pig in the middle of the night. Especially in this heat—if she didn’t process it tonight, the meat would spoil by morning.

The courtyard returned to silence. Xia Shi walked over and locked the gate. When she turned back, she saw that Chu Tang was still waiting for her in the same spot.

Xia Shi paused. Her heart suddenly felt full, solid, and completely at peace.