Chapter 62 Sui Ling’s Secret Affair

Chapter 62 Sui Ling's Secret Affair

Zhao Xiping left in front of the people in the alley. At first, everyone thought he had gone out for some business. After a few more days passed and he was still nowhere to be seen, only Sui Yu took Sui Liang out every day to tend to the pigs and sheep. They opened the door at sunrise and closed it at sunset, which made the people in the alley start to wonder.

One afternoon, Sui Yu carried a basket to the vegetable garden. The women sitting in the alley doing embroidery stopped her and asked, "We haven't seen Captain Zhao for a long time. Has he gone back to his hometown again?"

"Not back to his hometown, he went out on official business."

"On official business? What kind of business?" This piqued the interest of the seven or eight people present. "Who gave the order? My husband didn’t hear any notification."

"Commander Qu called him away. I don't know the specifics," Sui Yu feigned ignorance.

"Did he call just Zhao alone?" asked a woman dressed better than the others.

Sui Yu shook her head, "I don't know that either."

With no answers, the women stopped asking her and Sui Yu stood there chatting about the crops before heading to the vegetable garden to dig up vegetables.

The radish seeds sown in mid-February had grown significantly after three months. Sui Yu pulled up the radishes with large leaves, each one as big as a palm. She filled a basket with over thirty radishes and then dug up a bundle of bitter greens, tying them together with wild grass. Carrying the basket in one hand and the greens in the other, she left the garden.

As soon as she entered the house, she heard the pigs snorting.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Sui Yu took the radish leaves from the basket, tossing five fresh radishes into the pig pen. As the pigs grew larger, their appetite increased, and the thin gruel could no longer satisfy them. In addition to three meals a day, they needed extra feed in the late morning and afternoon.

Sui Liang chased away the chickens pecking at the vegetables. He dragged a wooden basin over to sort the vegetables, separating the yellow and worm-eaten ones to feed the chickens, while the rest went into the basin.

"Shoo, shoo—” Sui Yu waved her hands to drive the chickens away. “You’re all like hungry ghosts reincarnated. Can't you go find some insects to eat? Stay inside when there are people around.”

The chickens scattered but quickly gathered again. Sui Yu had no choice but to go into the woodshed, grab a cleaver, and chop several radishes into pieces. She also chopped the radish leaves and mixed them with the chopped radishes to feed the chickens.

The two sheep were also calling out. Seeing the limited radish leaves left in the basket, Sui Yu decided to feed them all to the sheep.

"Liang, I'll go to the garden again. You can play at home, or if you don't want to be alone, go find La Mei’s sons Doutu and Erya," Sui Yu instructed.

Sui Liang nodded but stayed home. After the chickens finished eating, he swept up the leftovers and dumped them near the Sichuan pepper tree.

"Is anyone home?"

Sui Liang walked over with the broom; the man outside was unfamiliar.

"Are you alone? Where is your sister?" the man asked.

Sui Liang shook his head, indicating she wasn't home.

The man didn't enter but waited in the alley until Sui Yu returned. He asked directly, "What official business did Captain Zhao go on?"

"A man's business, how would I know?" Sui Yu shook her head. "If you want to know, ask Uncle Old Niu. He might know more than me."

This was what Zhao Xiping had told her that night: if anyone asked, pretend not to know. If she showed any signs of knowing, she would face endless questions.

Uncle Old Niu arrived, and the man approached him. Others who heard the conversation also came out. These veterans, retired from the battlefield, feared unrest and war but coveted military honors and wealth. If everyone farmed, they would all be poor together, and there would be peace. But once someone stood out, even without seeking fame or fortune, others began to feel restless and agitated.

Uncle Old Niu explained everything he knew and said with a smile, "My life is comfortable, not drawing attention. The officials don't care about me, so I eat and sleep well every day."

Li Baihu also came over, puzzled by how Commander Qu knew about Zhao Xiping. The only explanation was that Zhao Xiping's archery practice caught Commander Qu's attention.

"A peaceful life is hard to come by. Be honest and don't think too much about things you can't have," Li Baihu warned. "If you have nothing to do, work in the fields. If you want wealth, see if you have the fate for it."

Uncle Old Niu's smile faded. Since he wasn't under Li Daquan's jurisdiction, he wasn't afraid of him. He spat loudly.

Li Baihu found it disgusting but couldn't argue with this old rogue. He waved for everyone to disperse and left himself.

Uncle Old Niu walked with his hands behind his back, checking on Sui Yu, who was slicing radishes to make dried radish. He told her to find him if she needed anything. Thinking of someone at home, he didn't stay long, chewing on half a raw radish as he left.

Sui Yu cleaned the bamboo mats and placed them on stones. She moved two tree stumps from the woodshed to support the mats. Together with Sui Liang, they laid out the sliced radishes, filling the mat completely. Sui Liang sat nearby chasing chickens while Sui Yu went to the kitchen to boil the radish leaves and bitter greens.

After boiling, the radish leaves and bitter greens were piled in the basket. Once cooled, Sui Yu carried the pot outside and hung the vegetables on the clothesline. Drying more vegetables in summer ensured they wouldn't run out in winter.

Hanging the last piece of bitter greens, the sun had already set. Sui Yu put her hands on her hips and sighed deeply. Though she hadn't worked in the fields, the household chores were exhausting.

"Come on, Liang, let's take the sheep and pigs out. I’ll bring the camel to fetch water. Let’s take the animals for a walk," Sui Yu said.

Two tied buckets were placed on the camel's back, and Sui Yu carried another small bucket. She woke the sleeping cat and locked the door before leaving.

Less than half an incense stick later, Tong Huaer arrived from Seventeen Villages, ignoring the gazes of the people in the alley. She slowly wandered around, walking back and forth. Passing by Qian's house, she slowed down, hearing the old woman cursing Sui Ling. She smirked.

As dusk fell, smoke rose from chimneys in every household. Sui Yu and Sui Liang returned with the camel and pigs and sheep, closing the door immediately upon entering.

Tong Huaer passed by once more, heading straight back to Seventeen Villages.

Night soon descended. When it was quiet, Uncle Old Niu was urged by Tong Huaer to patrol for Sui Yu. Yawning, he squinted his eyes and heard footsteps running ahead.

"Really someone stealing at night?" Uncle Old Niu muttered, picked up a stone from the wall, and followed quietly.

The crescent moon in early June barely illuminated the darkness. Night concealed the figure under the trees, and Uncle Old Niu couldn't see clearly but heard heavy breathing. He cursed under his breath and turned into another alley to patrol.

He walked through the second alley of Thirteen Villages, thinking the clandestine couple should have left by now. However, he bumped into someone.

"Who's there?" Sui Ling was terrified but dared not speak loudly.

Uncle Old Niu realized something but didn't want trouble. He gruffly said, "What are you doing out here at night? Go home."

Hearing a man's voice, Sui Ling ran away.

After she left, Uncle Old Niu chuckled and told Tong Huaer, "Sui Yu's sister isn't a calm one. She sneaks out at night to meet her lover."

"Who?" Tong Huaer perked up. "You mean Sui Ling?"

"I’m not sure if that's her name."

"Tell me everything carefully." Tong Huaer wanted to laugh out loud. She was just worrying about how to get back at Sui Ling, and now Sui Ling had delivered herself right to her door.

...

Another late night, after the man beside Sui Ling fell asleep, she quietly got out of bed, put on her shoes, and slowly pushed open the door. She tiptoed towards the woodshed, where the door was half-open. As soon as she approached, the person hiding inside pulled her in.

Before sleeping, she had deliberately gone to the outhouse and lowered the bolt on the main door when she returned. In the dead of night, a nimble man silently pushed the door open and entered.

"Honey, you've made me wait so long."

"I came out as soon as Qian Wei fell asleep."

"Did he give you a hard time? Let me see..."

There was a rustling sound as Sui Ling wrapped her arms around the man's neck. She whispered, "When will you take me back?"

At that moment, there was a sound of a door opening in the courtyard. Mother Qian was getting up in the dark. Sui Ling heard the coughing outside and froze with fear, not daring to move.

Mother Qian heard some noise coming from the woodshed and thought it was a rat. She muttered under her breath and went over to kick the door, hoping to scare the rat away.

Sui Ling trembled all over. When the sounds in the courtyard died down, she said weakly, "I can't stand this sneaking around anymore. Take me back."

"How exciting this is! Don't cause trouble." The man pushed Sui Ling aside, dressed himself, and opened the door, whispering, "I have something to do tomorrow night. I'll be here the night after."

Sui Ling held him back, not wanting to let him go. She wasn't one to take a loss, but she didn't dare anger him. After reluctantly seeing him off, she began to scheme in her mind.

Behind a pile of firewood, Tong Huaer and Uncle Niu emerged after the man left. Hearing the splashing water from the courtyard, she sneered, "It's a shame such a woman escaped from the brothel."

Uncle Niu clicked his tongue, surprised by the debauchery of a high-born daughter.

As the sun rose, the dirty alleyway became lively under the blazing sun. With less work in the fields, most people were busy with household chores. Women were coming and going, drying vegetables, while men sat under trees weaving baskets. As Tong Huaer walked past, the ambiguous laughter behind her grew louder, followed by whistles that echoed through the air.

Sui Ling came out with a grim face to pour out the slop. Already in a bad mood, seeing Tong Huaer only made it worse. She spat in disgust, "What bad luck."

Bad luck? Tong Huaer smiled, lowering her eyes.

As the sun set and the stars rose, another night of waiting yielded no results. At dawn, Tong Huaer and Uncle Niu returned home, sleeping for most of the day. By nightfall, one eager to stir trouble and the other to watch the spectacle, they hid behind a pile of straw again.

The sound of footsteps approached, and the wooden door creaked. Half a cup of tea later, Tong Huaer, ignoring any attempts to stop her, moved closer to the gate. She pressed her ear against the door to listen. Once Sui Ling came out, she waited a moment longer before grabbing the door ring and shouting loudly, "Help! There's a thief! A thief has broken into the Qian family!"

The sound woke the sleeping residents. Qian Wei jumped up, grabbed a machete from under the bed, and ran out.

Uncle Niu pulled Tong Huaer and ran away quickly.

The man who had just entered the alley tried to flee, but Sui Ling took the opportunity to step forward and kicked his pants away.

"Where's the thief?" Mother Qian ran out barefoot.

Others also came out. Father Qian went to the kitchen to grab a cleaver, lit an oil lamp, and said, "Everyone, search around."

The neighbors also woke up, armed with knives and axes. The gate swung open easily.

"Really a thief?" Elder Brother Qian was shocked; he had bolted the door himself before sleeping.

"Please help me search thoroughly," Father Qian said, holding the oil lamp. He went to the camel pen first, while Qian Wei circled the courtyard, brandishing the machete and kicking open the woodshed door—the two places where someone could hide.