My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 101: Years ago

Xu Qing felt a mix of emotions.

This person he'd teased for so long was fiercer than a rabid dog, yet she always acted as innocent as a little bunny.

"Are you saying that even if you drag me along and carry cotton-padded pants on your back, you'd still be invincible like Jiang He?"

He glanced at Jiang He's clean little face, his expression odd.

"Huh?"

"'Huh' what? Hold on, let me make a call."

Xu Qing pulled out his phone and dialed the police, concisely reporting the location and describing the dog.

"It looks like a rabid dog, very aggressive."

He emphasized this one last time before hanging up, then turned to check the surrounding surveillance cameras.

Capturing a vicious dog hardly warranted much fuss. Even if someone uncovered the footage later, no one would believe that this silly girl scared the dog off.

Jiang He followed behind him quietly, lost in thought. What was she pondering just now? Oh, right, the "weak girl" act.

"Quite the convincing performance," Xu Qing muttered, feeling like he'd underestimated her. This girl could kill without batting an eye—literally.

Yet she acted like a harmless creature every day, tying on an apron, humming as she mopped the floor, wiggling her little hips while cooking.

"What act?" Jiang He blinked at him, wide-eyed.

"Do your eyes ever dry out when you're slicing someone?"

"Nope."

"..."

The winter sunlight glinted warmly off Jiang He's pale blue down jacket. Her face, soft and slightly fuller than when she first arrived, had lost some of its initial sharpness.

The current image of her overlapped in Xu Qing's mind with the memory of when she'd pointed a sword at him.

"I really am gutsy," Xu Qing muttered with a wry smile, tightening his grip on her hand as they continued forward.

"Remember, you're a girl."

"And?" Jiang He looked puzzled.

"Girls are meant to be cherished, to hide behind others when scared—not rolling up their sleeves to fight dogs."

"I didn't fight the dog."

"You almost did. What if you'd dirtied your shoes by kicking it?" Xu Qing explained patiently. "Always remember you're a girl. You're meant to be hugged, kissed, and lifted high... Okay, maybe not that last part. But either way, don't stoop to the level of a dog. Humans don't lose to dogs; there's just no need to engage with them.

"We can avoid it and take a little time to call for help. If you fight it and let it touch you, you've already lost—whether it's dirtying your clothes or your shoes. It's an unnecessary hassle. Got it?"

"Not really."

"Because it's just a dog. It’s not worth the trouble.

"Like that guy Liang Zi. He’s no different from a dog. He bothered us when we were having a good time. If I engaged with him, I'd have lost. He wasted our precious whispering time with his nonsense. Total loss."

"Then why did you fight him?"

"Because he messed with you."

"..."

The two of them strolled out of the alley by the barbershop and onto the bustling street, sunlight streaming around them.

"You're a girl. You don't need to wield a sword and fight to the death anymore. Just enjoy life," Xu Qing said, pausing briefly. "At most, wield a knife in the kitchen—do you ever miss the old days of living on the edge?"

Jiang He fell silent for a moment, gazing up at the sky before sighing softly. "With a stable life, who would still want to fight to the death?"

"Exactly. From now on, we'll live well."

??

Jiang He felt like she'd been tricked again. She lowered her head, keeping quiet.

After a while, she barely whispered, "Okay."

Living well... Was this what it meant?

Unaware of her inner turmoil, Xu Qing followed their planned route.

By late morning, they’d run errands: haircuts, manicures, and new clothes—two sets from head to toe, all tried on and purchased in-store. Everything was in perfect order.

Carrying the bags of new clothes back home, they skipped cooking and had a quick meal of stir-fried pancake before heading back out for more shopping: chicken, duck, fish, nuts, and fruits. They returned laden with large and small bags, piling everything on the table—a clear sign they were preparing for the holiday.

The fish was alive, left in a bucket to keep fresh until it was time to cook. The duck was roasted, to spare Jiang He the trouble of potentially overcooking it. Pre-cooked, it only needed to be chopped and sauced.

They skipped pork but bought several pounds of lamb to make dumplings later. Since Jiang He didn’t know how to wrap dumplings, Xu Qing planned to take her home to learn from Zhou Suzhi.

"Stop staring! Come help me—bring the glue," Xu Qing called.

They’d just bought couplets, and he was eager to stick them up. Jiang He, meanwhile, was inspecting the floral design on her freshly done nails.

Without couplets, a house didn’t feel lived in. It felt like no one was home.

"If we were in the countryside, we’d need to get two Door Gods to stick on the gate—Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong. You’ve probably heard of them. Oh, they’re from early Tang Dynasty, so a few emperors before your time," Xu Qing rambled as he applied glue and pressed the couplets to the wall.

The couplet read:

“Time and space endure together.

The sun and moon shine in unison.”

With the horizontal banner:

“Celebrate the Festival!”

"How’s that?" Xu Qing asked, turning to Jiang He with satisfaction.

"Seems shorter than other people’s," she replied after inspecting it. Six characters felt less imposing than others' ten-character couplets.

"Couplets aren't about length... You like long ones?"

"Long ones feel more auspicious."

"Then I’m very auspicious," Xu Qing joked with a grin, earning a baffled look from her.

Chubby Cheng Yulan came downstairs holding Little Yan’s hand and saw the two fussing over the couplets.

"Already put up?"

"Yep... Aunt Cheng, could you take a photo of us? Right here by the door."

Xu Qing handed her his phone, closed the door, and stood next to Jiang He. No fancy poses, just standing there, holding her hand with a bright smile.

"I need to step back... Okay, hold still," Cheng Yulan said, snapping a picture. "One more."

After two photos, she clicked her tongue in approval. "Looks great. The haircut really suits you two. Staying here for New Year’s?"

"Where else? Haha, heading out?"

"Just for a stroll!" chirped Little Yan.

Cheng Yulan grew more convinced the two were preparing for marriage. Spending New Year’s together? Practically confirmed.

Once they left, Xu Qing checked that the couplets were firmly in place and dry before taking Jiang He back inside. They organized the holiday groceries and shooed Winter Melon, the cat, away from the table. Thankfully, the roast duck was tightly sealed, or the cat might’ve had a taste.

"Close the kitchen door so it doesn’t mess with the fish," Xu Qing reminded as he finished tidying.

Sitting at his computer, he connected his phone to back up the photos. Jiang He sat beside him with a handful of pine nuts, cracking and eating them one by one.

"Can I have one?" Xu Qing asked.

"Sure."

But instead of taking it, he tilted his head and opened his mouth. "Ah~"

Jiang He blinked, then flicked a pine nut into his mouth like feeding a dog.

"This feels weird," Xu Qing said, chewing while shrugging. He showed her the photos on the screen.

"Why do you look so silly?" Jiang He asked.

"You’re too serious."

In the picture, Xu Qing wore a goofy smile, while Jiang He looked serious, standing stiffly by the door with the new couplets behind them.

The composition and vibe had an old-school charm.

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