Just as dawn broke, Lan Lan took a bucket of clothes to wash in the lake. She loved such mornings, with the air filled with the fragrance of grass and flowers, breathing the fresh air absent in modern times, making her feel light. The lake surface was clear as a mirror.
She stared blankly at her reflection, realizing she had returned to her seventeen or eighteen-year-old self. Her features hadn’t changed much, but her skin had improved, and her features were more delicate. With this period of rest, she had become a healthy and elegantly beautiful woman.
After a while, she carried her clothes back to Aunt Zhang’s house and saw a muscular man chopping wood. Lan Lan stood watching him, wondering who he was. In over a month, she had met most neighbors but had never seen him.
Possibly sensing someone watching, he looked up and was instantly stunned. “Wow! Where did this beautiful woman come from?” He stared at her for a long time. Only when Lan Lan chuckled did he come to his senses, blushing.
Lan Lan immediately recognized him as Aunt Zhang’s son, Zhang Dazi, because he looked like Uncle Zhang.
“Are you Zhang Dazi?”
“Yes! And you are?” He blushed again at her greeting.
Lan Lan found him quite adorable. Modern men would swarm to something sweet, while the men of this era were truly pure. She didn’t consider that in ancient times, a beauty like her would be sought for selection, or if not chosen, would be picked as a concubine for a wealthy family.
Mountain girls were mostly healthy and strong but lacked delicacy, with few as exquisite as her, beautiful like fine porcelain.
Seeing his innocent and cute appearance, Lan Lan couldn’t help but want to tease him. “Can you guess?”
Zhang Dazi smiled honestly. “Are you a guest at our house?”
Lan Lan didn’t want to tease him further. “I’m Lan Lan. Your mother saved me and is temporarily sheltering me in your home.”
Zhang Dazai was about to respond when Zhang Dashen returned with a hoe. “Mom’s back!”
Zhang Dashen felt incredibly happy seeing her son talking with Lan Lan. She thought that perhaps she might soon have a grandchild and walked over slowly.
