The Double

Tongxiang awoke that morning to the kiss of gentle snowflakes.

In the south, even the coldest of winters rarely saw snowfall, so the streets were sparsely populated. Venturing out from Green Stone Lane, one could spot many women sweeping the freshly fallen snow in their yards. The children were undoubtedly the most delighted for snowflakes offered natural entertainment, a novel amusement.

Daiyun rose early, meticulously brushing the snow from the branches in the courtyard. Her young daughter, six-year-old Pingan, sat obediently inside the main hall, savoring her meal—a thin porridge so watery one could almost see their reflection. Every so often, she glanced out the window, captivated by the snowflakes tumbling down.

From the courtyard, Daiyun called out, "Pingan, close the window. Don’t catch a cold."

Pingan answered and clambered off the stool, tiptoeing to close the window.

Taking in the snow-laden roof, Daiyun heaved a sigh. The weather was turning colder, and the melting snow would seep through the broken roof, making the house even chillier. If it were to drip on Pingan, that would spell trouble. She needed to find time to have the roof repaired... If only there was a man in the house. Daiyun couldn’t help but think this way. When Xue Huaiyuan was still with her, she had never had such thoughts, but now they surfaced frequently.

Daiyun was not yet twenty-five, youthful and beautiful. She was a widow, her husband having been taken by the river while fishing during a storm, the likes of which came once a decade. His boat capsized, and he never returned, leaving Daiyun and Pingan to fend for themselves.

Without a man in the house, things were always inconvenient. The newly appointed County Magistrate Feng Yutang had been eyeing her, and while she managed to fend him off once or twice, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could withstand. The uncles in the neighborhood who used to help now steered clear out of fear of Feng Yutang’s threats, leaving her to suffer in silence.

Daiyun sighed. No matter what, her only wish was for Pingan to grow up healthy. She walked over to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. The table bore her unfinished needlework, which she relied upon to supplement their income. Seeing her mother like this, Pingan quietly brought out her wooden puppy and sat next to Daiyun. The toy was a creation of her father’s, a reminder of his love, and it brought a pang of sadness to Daiyun’s heart.

As the mother and daughter prepared to start their day’s toil, a knocking sound suddenly came from the outside door, "knock knock knock."

"Someone’s here!" Pingan exclaimed.