Chapter 296 “Follow Me, Follow Me, I’m Being Stingy”

Chapter 296 "Follow Me, Follow Me, I'm Being Stingy"

Wenzhu Garden (Bamboo Garden) is located in the northwest corner of the backyard, separated by a corner from the servants' living quarters, near the back gate, where the voices of passersby outside the wall can be clearly heard. The courtyard is even more cramped, but it is neat and tidy, with a row of wildflowers planted by the wall, bursting with red and yellow blooms.

Sui Liang entered and said, "Sis, why don't you two go inside to talk? I'll stay in the yard with the little one."

Sui Hui wiped away her tears and glanced around with a hint of resentment. The yard was small, and the house was small too. It was roomy enough for her and a maid, but there's no room for anyone else.

"When An'er gets here later, let him take you to his courtyard to sit," Sui Hui said somewhat awkwardly. "When the child comes, I don't have much to serve here. Chunqiao, slip out the back gate and head to the market to pick up some pastries."

"No need, we've already eaten breakfast," Sui Yu cut in. "No need to stand on ceremony, we're not here for a social visit. Let's head inside to talk."

Sui Hui glanced at the maid, who went inside and then quickly went out.

"I ran into your brother in Ferghana. After leaving Dunhuang, the following year, he went to India with some monks and didn't come back until last year. He spent a month in a remote town and then left again, saying he wanted to promote Buddhism," Sui Yu stopped the small talk and got to the point. She opened the wooden box, with neatly folded monk robes on top and two pairs of cloth shoes with worn-out soles, patched on the uppers.

"He took monastic vows, unwilling to engage in worldly matters anymore, and doesn't plan to return. This box of worn-out clothes and shoes was what he meant to discard. I picked them up, washed them, and brought them back for you to keep as a keepsake," Sui Yu said, taking out a string of prayer beads from the bottom of the box. "This is what he handed me as he left. I believe he wanted me to pass it on to you."

Sui Hui stared blankly, tears streaming down her face.

"Is he really not coming back?" she asked unwillingly.

"That's what he said, but I don't know if he will return."

"Did he ask about me? Did he ask about his nephew?"

Sui Yu remained silent.

Sui Hui looked disappointed, her face suddenly turning ashen, as if she had aged four or five years in an instant.

"He still cares about you and hopes you are well," Sui Yu couldn't bear to look at her and added, "I asked him to come back, but he said he didn't want to get involved in past disputes anymore, fearing it might cause trouble for those who had shown us kindness. The only people still involved are you, Officer Hu, and the Officer at Jade Gate Pass."

"Auntie," a thin, short boy strode in. Seeing Sui Yu, he immediately bowed. "You must be Aunt Yu? I've often heard my aunt mention you. She admires you, and so do I."

"This is An'er, you haven't met him yet," Sui Hui's eyes lit up again.

Sui Yu looked at his figure, unsure if this was the first child or a later one. If it was the first child, he should be the same age as A’shui, but he didn't seem as tall as A’shui.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Twelve years old," An'er replied.

The same age as A’shui, but looking as thin as a bamboo pole, Sui Yu concluded he was frail, but at least he had grown up.

"Time flies, twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye," Sui Yu picked up a stack of stone-blue Shu brocade. "Your uncle likes this color. Boys your age look good in this color, not old-fashioned. It's my first time meeting you, so I don't know what you like, so I prepared some fabric for you to make two sets of clothes."

Sui Liang, hearing this from outside, leaned in and greeted loudly, "Hello, nephew."

"Take your uncle and cousin to your courtyard to sit," Sui Hui said. "I need to talk with your aunt."

"Can I listen? Is there news about my uncle?" An'er noticed something was off with his aunt as soon as he entered. He bowed to Sui Yu and said, "Forgive my rudeness, but I'm really worried about my aunt. She's been very concerned about my uncle."

This was a smart child, perceptive and well-mannered for his age, and most importantly, he cared for and was close to his mother. Sui Yu looked at Sui Hui and said, "He has found his freedom, living more freely than you, and has found his path. Don't keep worrying about him, or the child will worry about you every day."

"My uncle is alive, that's a relief," An'er patted Sui Hui's shoulder. "As long as my uncle is alive, you'll meet again someday."

Sui Hui sighed, not in the mood to say more.

Sui Yu glanced outside and happened to see the kid fanning himself with his hand. She immediately felt the urge to leave and didn't delay further, continuing, "I met our cousin in Ferghana by chance. By the way, his Buddhist name is Liaojing. The horse trader we bought horses from is a Buddhist, and because of my connection with Master Liaojing, I got a good deal when buying horses. On the other hand, I also got some seeds from Master Liaojing. Besides making him some monk robes and socks, I couldn't repay him much. Later, I thought it would be better to give the money to you, so your life would be easier, and it would also help him let go of his worries."

"He has nothing to worry about," Sui Hui said with a bitter smile, wiping away her tears. She pointed to the items on the ground and said, "Take these back. I can manage on my own, and I don't need such valuable things. Sister Yu, we're family. Whether he gave you seeds or you gained an advantage through his help, these things don't require repayment. You meeting him means the seeds were destined to come into your hands. He owed you, and you gaining an advantage through his help is his way of repaying that debt. You saw he was short on clothes and shoes, so you gave him some—he should be thanking you. I should also thank you for bringing me news of him and his things from afar, easing my worries."

Sui Yu remained silent.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The maid who had gone to buy pastries returned, drenched in sweat. She carried a large bowl filled with the fragrant aroma of oil cakes and approached Sui Liang and the little boy, saying, "Young masters, freshly fried oil cakes, still warm. Want to try one?"

An Ge'er stepped out and said, "Uncle, cousin, let me take you to my courtyard to talk. You can get to know me, so you won't pass each other on the street without recognizing one another."

Sui Liang glanced inside the room. Sui Yu had already stood up and came out, saying, "An Ge'er, no need to bother. Your uncle will be off work soon and will come to get us. We still need to visit your cousin's aunt's place."

"Little one?" An Ge'er looked at the handsome little cousin, who had big, innocent eyes and a clear, pure gaze. He was clearly a cherished child, which explained his cute nickname.

"My name is Zhao Mingguang, my uncle gave it to me," the little boy said.

"A nice name," An Ge'er said, suddenly feeling competitive. "My name is Hu An Sui, picked by both my parents, and it shares a character with my uncle's name."

At this point, he stopped calling Sui Hui "aunt."

The little boy's eyes lit up as he understood and said, "A nice name, I'll remember it."

An Ge'er smiled and patted the little boy's bun, saying, "It looks good."

"My mom did it for me," the little boy said proudly, looking at Sui Yu.

Sui Yu smiled and said, "Let's go now, so we don't make your father wait."

The little boy nodded.

"Sister Yu, take the stuff with you. I'll just keep two jars of honey. An Ge'er enjoys it," Sui Hui said, carrying out a blanket and some fabric. She spoke earnestly, "I won't take these, and I'm not just being polite. An Ge'er, take the box on the floor and help your aunt out."

"In that case, I'll take the blanket and fabric, and you keep the box," Sui Yu said. "There's a thousand coins in the box. Keep it handy for when you need it. An Ge'er is growing up, and you should set aside some money for him, so he's not left in a tight spot."

Sui Hui hesitated for a moment but still refused. She had no right to take Sui Yu's money.

"An Ge'er doesn't need this money. He's clever and well-liked by his father. He's raised under the care of the main wife and lacks nothing. If he ever needs money, he can figure out how to get it from his father. I don't need to worry about it," Sui Hui said frankly. "Sister Yu, take the things with you. You shouldn't be spending money, and I shouldn't be taking it."

"Aunt, I don't have any big expenses. Thank you for your kindness," An Ge'er stepped in, lowering his voice. "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, my aunt won't be mistreated."

At this point, Sui Yu didn't insist further. She gestured for Sui Liang to take the money box. The boy was truly weak; his legs trembled just from carrying the box.

After bidding farewell to Sui Hui, Sui Yu and the other two followed An Ge'er out. At the gate, they indeed saw Zhao Xiping. Her earlier excuse had been a lie, just to make it easier to leave.

"Uncle, why didn't you come in when you arrived? I'll talk to my father about it someday. Our hospitality is truly lacking," An Ge'er said, embarrassed.

Zhao Xiping glanced at Sui Yu and said, "I just got here."

"Alright, we're leaving," Sui Yu waved her hand. "You should go back inside. It's quite hot."

An Ge'er responded with an "Ah," but didn't move. He stood at the gate for a while, watching Sui Yu and the others ride away on camels before finally going back inside.

"Is my mother still busy?" he asked the maid serving in the main courtyard.

"No, the mistress just asked about you."

An Ge'er called out first, then lifted the bamboo curtain and entered.

"Has your aunt left?" Madam Hu asked, reclining on a bamboo couch and fanning herself with a small fan.

"Yes, she just left, and she took the things she brought with her. My aunt didn't accept them."

Madam Hu chuckled, "Putting on airs."

An'er looked down and stayed quiet.

"Didn't she invite you to her house? I heard she hired a teacher from Chang'an. By the way, a few days ago, she brought back a group of tall horses from beyond the pass. I wonder if they're Ferghana or Wusun horses. Your uncle really likes Ferghana horses."

Here, the uncle naturally refers to her brother from her maiden family.

"No, I feel that this aunt is quite distant from my aunt and doesn't seem to plan on frequent interactions." An'er shook his head, a hint of resentment on his face, "This aunt isn't great; my Aunt Cui is much better."

Madam Hu perked up and said, "You're twelve already, and this is the first time you've met her. You've never even gotten a piece of candy from her before. How can she truly care about you?"

An'er nodded.

"What did she come to see Aunt Wen for? And why did she bring so many things?" Madam Hu asked with a serious tone.

An'er left out the part about the seeds and explained about meeting Sui Wen'an and buying the horses. He was sharp and noticed Sui Yu being a bit evasive when mentioning the seeds, presumably she didn't want others to know.

On the other side, Sui Yu and her crew headed north out of the city. Zhao Xiping inquired, "I remember when your cousin was freed from servitude, didn't Sui Hui give birth? Was the boy who just saw you off her second child?"

"That's the one."

"He looks quite young." Zhao Xiping looked at the son in his arms and said, "I thought he was just two or three years older than Xiao Zai, and was amazed at how articulate he was at such a young age."

"I can too." Xiao Zai was jealous, "What do you want to hear? I'll tell you."

"You can't do anything, you and your uncle combined are no match for him. I'd say, your cousin takes after your mother... Hey! You're biting me again, are you a dog?" Zhao Xiping pinched his chin and deliberately said, "Look at your petty temper, not at all like your mother."

"Like me, like me, I'm petty." Sui Liang claimed.