The ring had transformed into a small black mole on Qin Mian's left wrist. And now, on his new body's left wrist, the very same kind of mole appeared in exactly the same place. Perhaps it was coincidence, or perhaps there was some mysterious explanation. Qin Mian didn't care. What mattered was that the dimension was still his.
The dimension was an entire miniature world of its own, with mountains, water, sunrise and sunset, and even a traditional courtyard residence. Most noteworthy of all was a miraculous spiritual spring. Qin Mian didn't know where its water came from; he only knew that it never ran out. The springwater had remarkable effects. Ever since drinking it, he'd enjoyed excellent health. Fruits and vegetables watered with it flourished and tasted wonderfully good—far better than anything sold outside.
Because of the apocalyptic predictions of 2012, he'd stocked up on a considerable quantity of supplies: food, clothing, household goods, and all sorts of other things. He'd also raised a few chickens and ducks, grown many kinds of fruit and vegetables, and even cultivated several plots of rice and wheat. Food you grew yourself was more reassuring to eat. Of course, he could only afford all this because Qin Shiyuan had given him five million yuan as compensation.
Now, even though he'd transmigrated, those supplies gave him confidence that he'd live well. The dimension had another unusual feature: it could form a “bond of hearts.” When he found a woman he loved, he could share the dimension with her, and they could be bound together through life and death. Even in these backward ancient times, he could still enjoy a happy, fulfilling life.
After drinking a cup of spiritual springwater, he watered the unidentified flower buds in the flower bed behind the courtyard house, as he usually did, and left the dimension. Now that he was in an unfamiliar place, he intended to spend as little time there as possible and avoid entering it at all when he could.
He stayed in the room until he heard Madam Du telling Lei Chuntao to prepare lunch. Then he got up and went to the kitchen to help tend the fire.
Madam Du still gave him sour looks. Qin Mian didn't care; a few glares wouldn't tear the flesh off him. Besides, he was hoping something she said might reveal information about this time and place.
“Eldest son's wife.” The sight of his unruffled manner infuriated Madam Du. “Now that you've married into the Lei family, you belong to the Lei family. Don't spend all day trying to shirk your work! It's your good fortune that Eldest cherishes you, but that doesn't mean you can take advantage of him and grow presumptuous. Understand?” She stirred the vegetables in the wok violently with her spatula. The metal clanged against the pan as if she were treating Qin Mian himself as the wok. No matter how quickly she stirred, a burnt smell soon rose from the vegetables.
“Have you got something against me or what? Why have you made the fire so big?” Madam Du abruptly smacked her spatula against the stove and glared at Qin Mian. “Do you want to burn a hole straight through the wok, or are you deliberately trying to stop this family from eating? Huh?”
Qin Mian was speechless. Eggplant needed a generous amount of oil for stir-frying. She'd only dripped a few drops into the pan; of course it would burn. Whether he worked or didn't work, he was wrong. Now he understood: Madam Du simply disliked him. What puzzled him more and more was why, if that was how she felt, she'd agreed to let Lei Tie marry him in the first place.
“If you don't rescue those vegetables now, they really will be inedible. I'll go see whether everyone's back yet.” With that, Qin Mian stood and left.
Before Madam Du could react, he walked straight out of the courtyard. For a moment, he truly wanted to leave and never come back, but reason quickly prevailed. His current body was unhealthy, and he was only in his teens. How far could he get? He could stay in the dimension until he'd recovered, but he knew nothing about this world. If he inadvertently violated some taboo, or someone discovered the dimension, he would be dead. Then there was his household registration. If he left like this, he'd become an undocumented person, leading to who knew how many problems. Most worrying was whether the original Qin Mian had married Lei Tie for some special reason. If he ran away secretly, would the Lei family hunt him down?
He hadn't gone far when a laughing, chatting group approached from the opposite direction. It happened to be Lei Daqiang and the others.
After a moment's hesitation, Qin Mian stood at the roadside and waited.
Lei Tie spotted the boy from a distance and quickened his pace, reaching him in no time. He looked at him questioningly.
Qin Mian had no idea what the unspoken question meant. He simply shook his head, then smiled at Old Master Lei, who was approaching.
“Father, you're all back. I was just coming to call you in for lunch.”
“Mm.” Old Master Lei gave only a short acknowledgment.
Lei Xiangren and the others called him “Eldest Sister-in-law.”
Qin Mian nodded as before.
A few other villagers returning from farm work were behind them. They gave Qin Mian strange looks, smiled suggestively, and headed down another path.
Qin Mian discreetly caught Lei Tie by the arm. Once Lei Daqiang and the others had gone inside, he let go. “There's something I'd like to discuss with you.”
Lei Tie gestured toward the house, indicating they should talk inside.
The moment they entered the thatched hut, Madam Du's shrill voice rang out. “Eldest son's wife! Where have you run off to shirk work again?”
Qin Mian sighed. “Never mind. Let's talk tonight.” He refused to believe the old woman would keep him tied to her side after dark too!
Lei Tie watched him go out and stood motionless, his thoughts unreadable. Only after a while did he leave as well.
