Chapter 3
Despite being mentally prepared, she was still taken aback by the scene before her.
Amid a desolate grove stood a small courtyard with a rickety fence gate that seemed like it would collapse with just a gust of wind. The two low-thatched cottages looked like they leaked from all sides, especially evident in the dead of winter. Snow from a recent snowfall still covered half of the courtyard, mixing with mud to create a slushy mess.
This didn't resemble a prince's residence at all; it looked more like an abandoned, dilapidated compound.
Bao Ning looked around; there were no neighboring households, not even a village in sight. All she could see were trees shedding their leaves, and the only path was the winding dirt road the carriage had arrived on, disappearing into the distance.
This place was barely livable for an ordinary person, let alone someone like the Fourth Prince, who already had mobility issues.
They say those in the Ministry of Personnel are the most influential, and it seemed true now. When Pei Yuan was in his prime, everyone clamored to flatter him, sending him the best gifts. But now, they wouldn't even provide him with a decent house.
As Bao Ning was lost in thought, the gate suddenly creaked open, and a maid-like woman emerged, eyeing Bao Ning and asking the coachman, "Is this the Fourth Prince's consort?"
The coachman nodded and chuckled, "Cuifu, you must be thrilled now, right? No need to stay in this ghostly place anymore; someone else is here to take your place."
Cuifu rubbed her hands together, pursing her lips. "Indeed, staying here for two more days, and I'd have gone mad. Not to mention the fact that it's impossible to get enough to eat or stay warm here, not to mention the Fourth Prince's unbearable temperament..."
She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she was speaking in front of the Fourth Prince's consort and needed to show respect.
Withdrawing her previous statement, she bowed respectfully and glanced at Bao Ning, shaking her head. "Such a beautiful lady, but it's a pity she's married to such a cripple."
The coachman yawned, climbed back into the carriage, and waved. "Enough chatter, get in quickly. We need to get back to the capital before dark."
Cuifu sighed and didn't even bid farewell to Bao Ning. She simply climbed into the carriage.
With a crack of the whip, the horse neighed, and the carriage, along with the coachman and Cuifu, rumbled out of the courtyard.
Bao Ning stood there, watching the receding shadow of the carriage, pursing her lips, unsure of what to say.
Those two didn't even regard her, let alone treat her as the Fourth Prince's consort. In their eyes, she might not even be considered a mistress; she was merely an unfortunate bride, sent here to suffer, hoping they'd keep their distance.
Forget it. When the mountain collapses, everyone runs; when people flee, who should she rely on but herself?
Bao Ning sighed, held the shawl in her hand, and pulled up her pant legs, cautiously stepping into the yard.
The yard wasn't large, merely a dozen steps, and she soon reached the front of the thatched hut.
The two houses were nearly identical, except for one with a broken window, through which the wind howled, threatening to shatter the glass at any moment. The other seemed slightly better, at least with intact windows.
Which one was Pei Yuan's?
Bao Ning pondered, and took a step forward, intending to peek through the small hole in the window paper.
A large broom stood against the wall. Unaware, she accidentally touched it, causing it to fall with a loud "thud."
A hoarse voice erupted from inside the house, "Who's there?"
Bao Ning stammered, "I am..."
Before Bao Ning could finish, Pei Yuan grabbed a cup from the bedside table and hurled it, "Get lost!"
Bao Ning heard the swooshing sound, and instinctively sidestepped, watching the cup shatter the window paper, narrowly missing her nose, and leaving a neat arc in the snow.
Bao Ning stood still.
There was silence inside the house.
After a while, Bao Ning finally summoned the courage to peek through the broken window, only to meet Pei Yuan's cold, wary, and disdainful gaze.
"If you don't leave now, do you believe I'll slap you to death?" Pei Yuan's voice was menacing.
Bao Ning recoiled in fear.
She had prepared herself to marry someone disabled, knowing Pei Yuan's notoriously bad temper, but she hadn't expected him to be so cruel. Now it seemed that he might have been the one who threw something to break the window.
No wonder Cuifu had seemed relieved when she left.
Bao Ning glanced at the sky. It was nearing noon, and she had only eaten half a bun since morning; she was starving.
Perhaps she should cook first. Despite Pei Yuan's fierceness, everyone needed to eat. She could talk to him when the food was ready, maybe then he would be less hostile.
But where was the kitchen?
Bao Ning looked around but couldn't spot anything resembling a kitchen. The empty courtyard only had two thatched huts, and at one corner, there was a low, small structure, likely an outhouse. The yard was too open, with the cold wind blowing without hindrance. Bao Ning sneezed and headed towards the other hut.
She thought it might be Cuifu's room, but what she found inside was unexpected.
It was a cramped space, about seven steps long and eight steps wide, half of it was a raised earthen platform used as a bed, and the other half was a rudimentary kitchen!
There weren't many decent furnishings in the room—just a rickety table, a wobbly chair, and a pot on the stove.
Yet, despite this, the room felt cluttered. It was dim, damp, and smelled strongly of coal smoke.
On the bed were haphazardly stacked blankets, a pillow tossed on the floor, and several pieces of women's clothing strewn around—undergarments and dresses littered the space.
Bao Ning speculated that Cuifu had hurriedly dressed and left, abandoning everything. Not that there was anything valuable left.
Bao Ning fanned her nose, the smell was overpowering. She couldn't bear it anymore and opened all the doors and windows to let in some fresh air.
The afternoon sunlight poured in, instantly brightening the room.
Bao Ning sighed with relief, feeling much better. She began tidying up the place. There wasn't much to tidy, just Cuifu's abandoned clothes and odds and ends, which she quickly gathered and put in a laundry basket. Bao Ning's dowry chest was still outside in the courtyard. She decided to tidy it up later and focus on preparing food first, then she could talk to Pei Yuan after.
Cuifu must have known Bao Ning would come today and hadn't bothered to cook lunch or light the stove.
There was no spark in the stove, and the pot still contained remnants of the last meal, resembling some kind of corn porridge, stuck to the pot and emitting an unpleasant odor.
Bao Ning wrinkled her nose. It had gone bad, probably left for a few days.
Bao Ning wondered, what did these two eat on a regular basis?
To cook, she needed firewood.
There was a pile of firewood not far from the door. It wasn't much, but it would do, and there were plenty of dry branches in the woods outside.
The problem was, where were the ingredients? Where was the water?
Bao Ning searched the room but only found a wooden bucket containing about a finger's width of water—barely enough to drink, let alone cook with.
There was no well in the courtyard.
Bao Ning stood at the door, at a loss for words. How did these two survive these days? Did they not eat, not even drink water?
After some contemplation, Bao Ning decided to ask Pei Yuan. He had been living here for quite some time; he should know.
The thatched hut was rundown, with an old, worn door made of a piece of uneven wood. The wedge used to lock the door was broken, so the door couldn't be properly closed and rattled with every gust of wind. With the door and windows broken and the stove unlit, Bao Ning could only imagine how cold Pei Yuan's room was. How had he, already in poor health, endured it?
Bao Ning sighed, raised her hand, and knocked on the door, "Fourth Prince, may I come in?"
There was no response from inside. After waiting for a while, she knocked again, still no response.
Bao Ning found it strange and feared something might have happened to Pei Yuan. Without waiting for his response, she pushed the door open.
As soon as she entered, Bao Ning was overwhelmed by a noxious smell, worse than in the kitchen. It was a bitter, acrid odor mixed with an indescribable stench, stinging her eyes. Upon closer inspection, she could detect a faint scent of blood.
Pei Yuan was lying on the small kang, half-awake.
He seemed to be sleeping restlessly, with furrowed brows, stubble around his lips, and messy hair. The blanket covering him was also dirty, stained with yellow and red marks, some places even revealing cotton.
Perhaps due to the fever, Pei Yuan felt extremely thirsty, his mouth dry, and his throat burning.
He wanted water.
Pei Yuan propped himself up on his elbow, reached for his forehead, and half-opened his eyes to grope for a cup on the table.
After searching for a while, he found nothing but ashes.
Bao Ning couldn't bear to see it. She picked up the teapot and handed it to him, "The cup was thrown out by you, and the water in the pot has gone cold. Do you know if there's a well or stream nearby? I'll fetch some water to boil for you to drink."
A strange female voice entered his ears, soft and gentle, contrasting sharply with the cold environment.
Pei Yuan was startled and opened his eyes abruptly.
The sight of him, unkempt and disheveled, resembled a beggar, far from the dignified Fourth Prince he used to be.
Bao Ning stood there, feeling a pang of heartache.
Pei Yuan was awakened by her coughing, finding it difficult to transition from sleep to wakefulness. At least in sleep, he didn't feel cold, hungry, or in pain. But as soon as he regained consciousness, those unbearable sensations returned: the throbbing pain from his wounds, the incessant itchiness, threatening to drive him insane.
Perhaps due to the fever, Pei Yuan's mouth felt dry, and his throat burned.
He wanted water.
Pei Yuan propped himself up on his elbow, reached for his forehead, and half-opened his eyes to grope for a cup on the table.
After searching for a while, he found nothing but ashes.
Bao Ning couldn't bear to see it. She picked up the teapot and handed it to him, "The cup was thrown out by you, and the water in the pot has gone cold. Do you know if there's a well or stream nearby? I'll fetch some water to boil for you to drink."
A strange female voice entered his ears, soft and gentle, contrasting sharply with the cold environment.
Pei Yuan was startled and opened his eyes abruptly.
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