Chapter 13: Riverside Undercurrents

Xue Dongting got an idea when she heard that question. She coughed and shook her head. “It’s not good.” She handed him the other cake. “Taste it and you’ll see.”

“Alright, I’ll try it,” Song Yuming said quietly. But he didn’t take the cake she offered him, but leaned over and kissed her. She was still chewing when he planted his lips on hers. She wasn’t expecting that and tried to push him away, but he was heavy as hell. Her hand against his chest and he didn’t budge an inch.

She had to give up resisting. His kiss was soft and gentle. An indistinct feeling suddenly came over her—she found herself comfortable with his kiss. When he released her his breathing was labored. Xue Dongting felt her ears were hot. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

Song Yuming, though, never took his eyes off her. His staring made her uncomfortable. “Why do you keep looking at me? is there something on my face?”

He smiled. “A petal from the cake.” He plucked it from her cheek, some pastry still stuck to it.

She was puzzled. How did a piece of the cake end up on her face? Song Yuming left the cabin, smiling, and took up the oar and continued sculling the boat across. From outside she heard his crisp voice singing, “…My boat drifts on the water without care, Going home, the moon rides in the riverbend there. My cup is full, clouds of fog fill the air, What sights and sounds in this world can compare…?” Xue Dongting felt there were many stories contained in that song. This fisherman seemed diffrerent from other village fisherfolk.

When they reached land, Xue Dongting came out of the cabin. There was a woman standing on the bank. Upon closer inspection she saw it was the widow who had brought shoes over the day before. Xue Dongting frowned and side-eyed Song Yuming, but she said nothing. The widow, though, smiled. “Are you Lady Song? Why are you returning home before three days are up?”

Xue Dongting knew she had thought she had returned to Cloudgem Lodge. She gave a wan smile but didn’t explain herself. But she was thinking, “So what’s the meaning of you giving Song Yuming shoes after I just married him?”

When she didn’t respond, the widow smiled again. “I heard you had a lot of sisters back home. Now that you’re married, you must be cold and lonely once Brother Song goes out for the day… I live in the west end. If you doesn’t mind, you can come over and chat with me.”

Xue Dongting knew what she was insinuating when she said “a lot of sisters”, referring to her time back at Cloudgem Lodge. She smiled faintly. “Thank you, Madame. I hear you have been looking after my hubby well… Oh yes, those shoes you made fit nicely. I’m all thumbs with that sort of thing, in the future I will ask you to make my husband another pair.”

The widow didn’t say anything, but her smile froze on her face. Song Yuming gave Xue Dongting a look, but he held his tongue.

Xue Dongting gave it right back to him. He was forced to look away and say nothing. The widow had come there to wait for a boat to ferry her across the river. She asked if he was still ferrying, but Song Yuming shook his head. “Not today.”

They disembarked and Xue Dongting didn’t say a word the whole way home. Song Yuming walked beside her. He tilted his head to her, smiling. “Why do I feel like you’re sour?”

She ignored him. He laughed and reached his big hand out fastened onto her frail shoulder. “When did I where those shoes?”

She glared at him. “In your heart you already wanted to wear them. Just then when I was talking to her, you just watched me. Didn’t you feel sorry?”