"Who are you, and what did you do to me?"
I feel the cold of the metallic blade pressed against my neck. I knew it; he really is a scumbag.
"You ancient scumbag! I shouldn't have helped you or even brought you home. Next time, I will just let you rot outside and allow the wild animals to feast on you!"
I turn around to look at this handsome face I had saved. Death really makes you fearless.
"Kill me, go on, kill me! Even as a ghost, I'll haunt you and your annoyingly handsome face!"
He drops the blade from my throat and bows to me.
"Sorry. I didn't recognize my savior sooner. Pardon my earlier rudeness."
"It's okay. Here, drink it."
I hand him the medicine I had brewed earlier and walk toward the bed.
I take on an intimidating stance and stare him down.
"Are you a noble, a general, or a scumbag?"
"I don't understand what exactly you mean, miss."
"I am trying to ask if you are some secret powerful noble or maybe a hidden prince or a military general attacked while pursued, or maybe a morally flawed man who will try to ruin my peace by making me a secret concubine."
"Look, miss, what exactly do you spend your time thinking about? I am neither noble nor royalty and have no military achievements, and I believe I am of impeccable character, so no need to worry. I will leave once I heal and not trouble your peace or your thoughts."
"Alright, alright, make yourself comfortable. I'm heading to the mountains."
Hmm, why did his reply sound somewhat mocking, as if he were indulging a child? No, wait, maybe I'm just being sensitive. Yeah, that should be it.
I head to the mountain this time with a bow and arrow. I haven't had meat in a while. If I'm lucky, I could even catch a wild boar and sell the rest for some money. I'm almost out of slush fund money.
If there is one thing I have had in abundance since I was young, it would be luck. And from the looks of the dead boar lying in front of me, it seems it hasn't diminished even in this ancient era.
I carry my boar and head back to my house in the village.
As soon as I enter, my guest comes and helps take the tools from my hand.
"A-Xin, did you really kill a wild boar alone?"
"Of course. Why are you saying it like it's hard?"
"Interesting."
"Stop! Don't say that. Not interesting at all. Very uninteresting."
"What's wrong with you again this time?" he asked, slightly amused.
"Nothing, nothing. Don't pay me any mind."
Of course, there's a problem. In any novel, once a man says "interesting," it usually leads to excess involvement and even romantic involvement. What if he becomes the male lead in my story?
Even though I don't want any involvement in the main story, I still won't settle for a broke commoner. I just want to survive, not suffer.
"Here, help me with the wild boar. We'll keep some for ourselves, share some with the villagers, and the rest we'll sell."
"Why give the villagers any? If we sell all the rest, we'll make good silver."
"You don't know anything. This is called giving up small profit to gain greater righteousness (shě xiǎo lì, dé dà yì)."
"Of course, A-Xin knows best."
I call all the neighbors who had initially helped me, telling them to come take some meat. The look of confusion then dawning on their faces was quite comical.
"A-Xin, you caught a boar on your own? You don't have to give us anything!"
"Yeah, she's a young girl living alone. How could we ever shorten your food?"
"Uncle, Auntie, don't worry. If I run out, I'll just get another from the mountain. And I'm not living alone; a distant relative of mine is around and helping me. His name is… ah, well, I will introduce you all another day."
I quickly distribute a quarter of the meat and send them off.
After the last of the villagers leave, I head over to the kitchen where my unlikely guest is.
"Hey, I just realized it. You have been eating and living here for free, yet I don't even know your name."
"Well, you never asked. I thought if you deemed it important, you would ask, seeing how you asked me if I was a scumbag just when I barely opened my eyes."
He doesn't look at me, just continues with the meat as a teasing smirk replaces his usual stoic expression.
"Well, I am asking you now. What exactly is your name?"
"Just call me Zhou'er. Since I am supposed to be your relative, I'll call you Xin'er. Is that okay?"
"Yes, it is. But I would still like to know your full name."
"My full name is Chen Qingzhou."
Chen Qingzhou. I didn't see that name in the script. So maybe he really is an insignificant extra just like me. Perfect.
"What's with that scary expression on your face? Are you that happy to know my name?"
"Yes, very, very happy even. It's an excellent name, a very beautiful name. I like it."
I practically skip out of the kitchen, not paying any mind to the puzzled looks he keeps giving me.
I am one step closer to not dying and one step closer to having money—my two most favorite things.
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