Chapter 48: A Late-Night Dream of Grand Plans

Chapter 48: A Late-Night Dream of Grand Plans

After making a compromise, Zhao Xiping felt a great relief. He could secure Sui Yu and her brother's freedom from slavery without having to fight on the battlefield, which was beneficial for both of them and the most convenient solution.

The night was deep and quiet, even the wind had stilled, the perfect time for sleep. Yet, Sui Yu lay awake for a long time with her eyes closed.

She stretched her foot towards him, and he pushed it away. She whispered, "Aren't you asleep either?"

"How can I sleep with you moving around like that?"

Sui Yu grabbed the clothes she used as a pillow and moved to the foot of the bed, saying, "Let's talk."

Zhao Xiping shifted away to avoid her accidentally lying on him again.

"Once we're free from slavery, I'll continue selling buns at my stall. I also know how to make oil tea; I'll sell both. When I earn enough money, I'll buy some tables and chairs so customers can sit down. First, I'll have a stall, then I'll buy a shop, hire a few helpers, and gradually expand. It might take five years, ten years, or even longer, but I'll save up slowly. Eventually, I'll sell the food shop and buy land to build an inn for travelers and merchants."

"What about me?" Zhao Xiping couldn't help asking.

Sui Yu chuckled and turned to face him. "You'll stay home, farm, raise sheep, and camels, cook for me, and do laundry."

Zhao Xiping was not satisfied and immediately said no.

"Didn't you live like that before you married me?" Sui Yu asked with a smile.

"Well, well... anyway, it's not happening."

"So, what do you plan to do?" Sui Yu asked.

He couldn't give a clear answer and closed his eyes, saying he wanted to sleep.

Sui Yu pulled his arm and rested her head on it. When he tried to move away, she held him firmly and said, "Do you want to listen or not?"

"I don't want to listen anymore; I'm going to sleep."

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you seriously." Feeling the pressure ease, Sui Yu stopped fussing and said, "I think this way: since you're good at taming camels, once we have extra money, we can buy more young camels or catch wild camel calves in the desert. We'll raise a large herd. When my inn is built, we can rent out the camels to caravans heading into the Western Regions. See? Not only will we provide lodging and food, but also transportation. Even if others open inns nearby, they won't be able to compete with us."

Zhao Xiping was struck by her wisdom once again.

"Once the first inn is established, I'll build more along the road to Jiuquan. Then, when we return home, we won't have to stay at farmers' houses," Sui Yu said excitedly, grabbing his hand. "Then we'll be rich, eating meat every day, using lots of oil in our cooking, wearing fine cloth, and wearing warm furs in winter. No more freezing!"

"Are you happy?" she asked.

"Happy," Zhao Xiping admitted honestly.

"Don't you feel lucky to have married me? Did smoke rise from your ancestors' graves when you went back to offer sacrifices?"

"Not really."

Sui Yu punched him lightly, and he chuckled.

They chatted for a while longer, their bodies growing closer. Sui Yu leaned into his chest, pulling his other arm around her waist, and whispered softly into his ear, "When I'm better, do you want me to bear a child for you?"

He turned his head, trying to cool his burning ears with the cold air seeping through the door crack.

"Hey, do you want one?" Sui Yu persisted.

Zhao Xiping lifted his stiff hand from under the quilt and covered his face, mumbling, "Yes."

Sui Yu giggled and hugged him, whispering, "If you want me to bear a child, you need to treat me well."

Zhao Xiping pushed her away slightly, and they both shifted closer. If they moved any closer, they would fall off the bed.

"Did you hear that?" she pinched him.

He drew a sharp breath, held her hand, and nodded vigorously, agreeing.

At this moment, the rooster crowed, signaling the late hours of the night. Sui Yu yawned lazily and said, "We slept too late; I won't wake up tomorrow morning. You make breakfast."

"Okay," Zhao Xiping agreed, propping himself up but hesitated, not wanting to disturb Sui Liang. He then said, "Go back to your side to sleep."

"It's warmer here," Sui Yu refused to move.

"Quickly," he urged, then lowered his voice, "I can't rub your feet if you sleep here. If you don't want to move, I'll go to your side."

"Forget it; Sui Liang is a little heater. I'll cuddle with him," Sui Yu removed her limbs from him, crawled over, and patted Sui Liang back to sleep.

Zhao Xiping breathed a sigh of relief, shaking out the quilt, feeling hot despite the cold night. Tonight's bath was in vain.

"I'm going to sleep now. I want bean porridge for breakfast tomorrow," Sui Yu said sweetly.

"Okay."

With her worries lifted, Sui Yu fell asleep with pleasant dreams. The man at the foot of the bed, however, stayed awake all night. The sudden closeness and Sui Yu's detailed plans filled him with warmth and purpose. In his youth, he had been full of passion to fight on the battlefield, but after the wars ended, he lost direction. The government assigned him to farming, and he lived day by day. Tonight, he found a new goal, a clear path forward.

Suddenly, he felt energized.

Feeling her feet stretching towards him, Zhao Xiping turned and began rubbing them, contemplating what he needed to do tomorrow. Then, he thought about Sui Yu's idea of opening an inn, which required saving and earning money.

After the third crow of the rooster, the man who hadn't slept all night got up energetically to prepare breakfast.

Opening the stove, the chickens came out to beg for food. Zhao Xiping cheerfully scattered some millet on the ground for them.

"Mew—" The cat stretched and yawned loudly.

"You don't need to guard against mice anymore; go back to sleep," Zhao Xiping nudged the cat aside, started the fire, and began cooking. While the porridge was boiling, he brought a log stump, dug a hole, and slowly burned it with embers from the stove.

The bean porridge was ready as the sky brightened. Zhao Xiping quietly entered the room to get money and went to the market to buy pig blood. Returning, he found Sui Liang awake and lifted him out of bed, saying, "Your sister is tired; let her sleep. Wash your face and eat breakfast. Later, I'll take you to exchange for tofu."

Sui Liang nodded obediently, glancing at him cautiously, still afraid his brother-in-law was angry about yesterday's incident.

"Wash your face." Zhao Xiping scooped a ladle of hot water into a basin and then took a bowl to serve the meal.

Seeing that Zhao Xiping didn't seem angry, Sui Liang immediately smiled, washed his face, and carried the basin outside to pour the water.

The two of them squatted in the kitchen to eat. Zhao Xiping scooped two bowls of beans into a cloth bag, took a bowl, and brought Sui Liang to the market to exchange them for tofu. Since they needed to save money, anything they could get without spending money was better.

...

Sui Yu woke up when the sun was high in the sky. She heard it was quiet outside, opened the door, and saw no one at home—the camel and chickens were gone too, only the cat was napping on the wall, basking in the sun. She went to the kitchen to scoop water for washing her face. When she lifted the pot lid, she found two bowls of warm bean porridge with an egg soaking in the water. She giggled, washed her face, and sat by the fire to eat, noticing the burned-out logs in the hearth, which explained why the food was still warm.

Since she had overslept, she wasn't very hungry. After finishing a bowl of porridge and an egg, she felt full. She washed the dishes and put them away in the cupboard, then filled the pot with water, planning to wash clothes once it heated up.

After finishing these tasks, she took the key and walked to the door, calling out to passersby to help unlock it.

"How did you lock yourself inside? Didn't your husband go to chop wood early this morning? Why didn't you go?" The auntie who opened the door gave a suggestive smile, teasing, "Did you sleep in?"

Sui Yu scratched her head and explained, "I'm not feeling well. I chopped wood for half a day yesterday and couldn't handle it."

The auntie didn't believe her, "Your husband looks strong enough to handle anything. You're so skinny; it's understandable you can't keep up."

Sui Yu quickly waved her hands, mumbled something vague, and hurriedly ran off with the key.

The auntie laughed heartily as she watched her leave.

Sui Yu spat at the laughter, feeling wronged. She and Zhao Xiping were just holding hands and touching feet.

Leaving the military settlement, Sui Yu headed straight for Hu Mansion on White Hart Lane. Upon reaching the side gate, she noticed many people coming and going. Realizing it was the Lantern Festival, she wondered if she should come another day.

"Hey—" The old guard waved at Sui Yu, "Looking for your cousin?"

Sui Yu nodded, taking out ten coins and offering them, "Could you please deliver a message for me..."

The gatekeeper pushed back the coins, saying, "Miss Sui, you have good fortune. Your cousin was taken in by the master two days ago. I'll send someone to fetch you shortly."

Sui Yu shook her head. Sui Hui, being a former slave, was already looked down upon in Master Hu's household. Going in now might embarrass her and invite ridicule from other concubines.

"I have something else to do, so I won't go in. Please just deliver my message. I agreed to what she asked before." Sui Yu insisted on giving the ten coins, knowing a little incentive would help, "Thank you, Uncle. I'll be on my way."

"Sure, sure, I'll make sure she gets the message."

Sui Yu walked back home. With all the back-and-forth, it was noon again. She arrived to find the front door open and smoke rising from the chimney.

"Zhao Fuzhang, cooking?" Sui Yu peeked around the door frame.

Zhao Xiping had heard her enter and glanced up, asking, "Where did you go?"

"To tell Sui Hui something." Sui Yu entered the kitchen, saying, "I'm going west tomorrow. I'll go alone."

Zhao Xiping had no objections; he hadn't planned to go anyway.

"What are you cooking?" Sui Yu asked.

"Steamed bean rice. I also bought pig's blood and tofu. What do you want to eat?"

Sui Yu smiled warmly. When a man truly cares, he is both considerate and thoughtful.

"Let's have pig's blood for lunch and tofu for dinner. I'll fetch some pickled vegetables." Sui Yu grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, then remembered the water she had heated, asking, "Where's the hot water in the pot? Did you pour it out? I was going to wash clothes."

Zhao Xiping pointed outside, where the laundry line hung dripping wet clothes—dirty clothes he had washed himself.

Sui Yu smiled at him, stepped into the woodshed to fetch pickled vegetables, and soon returned, saying, "We need to add another room to the house. When it gets warmer, we should move Liang out. It's not ideal for him to share a room with us."

Zhao Xiping coughed lightly, not responding.

Sui Yu washed and chopped the pickled vegetables and pig's blood. Once everything was ready, she stood beside Zhao Xiping at the stove, stepped on his foot, and whispered, "What do you mean?"

"Oh."

"Oh what?" Sui Yu walked away, "Forget it, let's keep sleeping like this."

"…I'll handle this. Don't worry. I know what needs to be done."

Sui Yu glanced at him meaningfully, "You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?"

Zhao Xiping clenched his fists, looked at her with deep, dark eyes, saying nothing, yet conveying more than words ever could.

Sui Yu turned away, feeling as if a raging bull was charging inside her.