Chapter 017

Chapter 017

The women and girls by the river were mostly gathered together, chatting while they washed clothes to pass the time more pleasantly.

Tong Sui and her sister-in-law rested some distance away from them. When they stood up to join A Fu and Ah Zhen, who had finished washing their clothes, others who had also finished their tasks approached them on the way back to the village.

"Mianmian's mother hasn't left the house for years, yet she still looks so fresh and youthful, just like when you first got married."

"Xiao Er's wife is quite charming too; they make such a well-matched couple."

Of course, in front of the individuals themselves, everyone showered them with compliments. Tong Sui, being a new bride, could handle it with a shy smile. Liu Chu, having been out of touch with outsiders for a long time, was not good at conversation, making the sisters-in-law quite similar.

As they neared the village, the women went their separate ways.

Tong Sui was drawn to the rows of people practicing martial arts on the empty ground west of the Xiao family’s home. She saw Old Master Xiao Mu standing on a makeshift wooden platform, demonstrating techniques, while Uncle Xiao Shouyi moved through the ranks, correcting mistakes. Despite everyone wearing ragged clothes, the uniformity of their movements gave them an impressive air.

Tong Sui roughly counted about forty adults of varying ages and over thirty children, including two spirited young girls. No matter how much the villagers joked around, these girls continued to practice their moves diligently.

Tong Sui whispered to Liu Chu, "Does Grandfather accept female disciples as well?" She had heard that martial arts schools usually only took male students.

Liu Chu replied, "There has never been a strict rule against it. In earlier years, no girls showed interest in learning martial arts. But after the chaos began, when they heard Grandfather didn’t charge any fees, some girls came to try. Seeing that he was willing to teach them, they stayed. However, only a few dared to learn. Several enthusiastic ones came but ran away when laughed at, too embarrassed to continue."

Tong Sui looked at the villagers sitting or standing around watching the practice, discussing and laughing, pointing and gesturing.

Liu Chu continued, "According to Fourth Younger Brother, there are about seventy people learning martial arts every day, but not all the same batch. Altogether, there are over five hundred people, and some even ride donkeys from distant villages to come here."

Tong Sui said enviously, "Our home is too far away, otherwise I would have my brother and younger brother come to learn too."

The skills of hunter families were mostly self-taught through experience in the mountains, while the Xiao family taught genuine martial arts.

Liu Chu smiled, "Distance isn’t a problem. Next time Second Brother accompanies you home to visit, he can give them pointers. It would be faster than learning in a group."

When Tong Sui mentioned Xiao Zhen, she searched the crowd but couldn’t find him.

Some villagers glanced over at the sisters-in-law, whispering among themselves. The sisters-in-law then entered the compound, feeding the donkeys and pigs before putting aside the remaining vegetables for making buns.

After tidying up the baskets, Tong Sui was about to head to the eastern courtyard when she turned and found Xiao Zhen sitting in the main hall of the central courtyard, holding a book.

He had clearly seen them coming and was facing her direction.

Liu Chu took the basket from her hands and encouraged her, "I’ll go back now. You should go talk to Second Brother."

Tong Sui hesitated, unsure what to say to Xiao Zhen. Even during yesterday’s dangerous situation, they had barely spoken.

Seeing Liu Chu leave, Tong Sui reluctantly approached Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Zhen watched her approach.

Tong Sui wished he would look down at his book instead of giving her that intense gaze, which made her almost stumble.

"Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be helping Grandfather and Uncle teach martial arts?" Tong Sui asked, trying to appear natural.

Xiao Zhen sat where everyone ate meals. With no mealtime, the two low tables were set aside, surrounded by small stools.

He casually picked up a stool and placed it next to him, then looked back at Tong Sui.

Tong Sui sat down beside him.

Xiao Zhen explained, "Two people are enough over there. We need to watch out for wandering refugees, so one of us will stay here with Grandfather."

Tong Sui: "…Then I won’t go out tomorrow. I’ll help guard. You can go do your own things." It seemed wasteful to use such a strong laborer just for guarding.

Xiao Zhen: "I’m guarding both the family’s wealth and you. If someone really attacks, you wouldn’t even have time to call for help."

Tong Sui fell silent.

Xiao Zhen added, "Besides, I’m injured right now. I can’t do much else."

Digging graves and burying bodies was unavoidable, but rest was necessary to prevent the wound from reopening.

Tong Sui recalled last night; he hadn’t used his injured arm, only moving his waist.

The memory made her face flush.

Xiao Zhen noticed her blushing face.

For the past few nights, only on their wedding night did the candles provide dim light, making it hard to see her blush. The subsequent nights were pitch black.

Tong Sui knew he was looking at her and quickly changed the subject, pointing to the book in his hand. "What’s this?"

Xiao Zhen flipped the book, revealing the title “Six Strategies.”

Tong Sui had received some education, but until age twelve, she had only studied basic texts taught by private tutors. During the turmoil, although Song Lan, a scholar, had taught them, survival was the priority, and they only resumed studies during brief periods of peace. As a result, Tong Sui’s knowledge was limited, and the matchmaker’s praise about her scholarly abilities was exaggerated.

At this moment, Tong Sui recognized the words “Six Strategies” but had no idea what the book contained.

Her eyes filled with curiosity, Xiao Zhen explained, "This book was written by Jiang Taigong Jiang Wang, divided into six volumes: Wen, Wu, Long, Hu, Bao, and Quan. The Wen volume discusses state governance and national strength, while the Wu volume…"

State governance, conquering territories, military management, weapon tactics, and troop coordination were all topics Tong Sui had never encountered or considered, much like sparrows not understanding why geese fly so high or village girls unable to imagine the refined activities of noble ladies.

Not knowing and having no means to understand.

"Can you understand all of it?" Tong Sui asked subconsciously.

The Xiao family was indeed one of the prominent households in the surrounding villages, and Tong Sui knew their ancestors were hereditary military officials. However, the Xiao brothers’ appearance, speech, and behavior didn’t seem much different from her second brother, Tong Gui. Even if Xiao Zhen was special, Tong Sui couldn’t associate him with scholarly knowledge.

Xiao Zhen: "Why, do I not look like it?"

Tong Sui: "…" With a robust build and a killer instinct, how could he possibly resemble a scholar?

Xiao Zhen closed the book and stood up. "Come, I'll show you the study."

The old man's central courtyard also had east and west wing rooms. The east wing served as an ancestral hall, while the west wing consisted of three rooms. The northern room was used as a study, the central room for receiving guests, and the southern room as a schoolroom.

Xiao Zhen and his brothers all studied in their family's schoolroom when they were young, with a private tutor hired by the Xiao family. Now that circumstances have changed, Mianmian and Qi Yao attend the village school for their initial education, leaving the schoolroom for family members to read in their spare time.

The old man kept a strict watch over the family's collection of books. Only he, Xiao Shouyi, and Xiao Zhen could take books out; everyone else had to sit in the schoolroom to read and return the books immediately after finishing, never taking them outside.

At this moment, the door to the west wing was locked.

Naturally, Xiao Zhen had the key. He unlocked the door and led Tong Sui inside.

First, they saw the reception room, where the tables and chairs were surprisingly clean.

"These are cleaned and tidied by Grandfather himself," said Xiao Zhen.

Tong Sui had seen the old man carrying water out from there earlier that morning when she and Liu Chu came to cook.

"The schoolroom only has tables, chairs, and writing materials. Let's go to the study."

The northern room, which served as the study, was about the same size as the couple's bedroom but felt much more spacious without a bed. Upon entering, on the right side near the window, a large desk was placed centrally. At both ends of the room, tall cabinets reaching above a person's height stood against the walls, storing stationery, vases, and scrolls.

On the left side, five rows of almost fully stocked bookshelves lined up, their sturdy wooden bases making them hard to tip over.

Stepping into a treasure trove, Tong Sui held her breath lightly.

Villagers who had seen the Xiao family's study were envious and admiring. Who wouldn't want to be a learned scholar? Unfortunately, most commoners couldn't even afford books.

Xiao Zhen showed no hint of boasting. If Tong Sui looked up at that moment, she would have noticed the fleeting complexity in her husband's eyes.

Unfortunately, due to their height difference, Tong Sui rarely looked directly at her husband's face.

She focused on the books: "So many..."

"These were accumulated by our ancestors over generations," Xiao Zhen replied.

Until Grandfather was framed and lost his hereditary military post, leading to the family's decline.

His words were concise, and Tong Sui didn't delve deeper. She walked along the bookshelves, examining each one. Most of the books here were new to her.

The more unfamiliar they were, the more she wanted to read them.

But these were the treasures of the Xiao family, cherished by the old man like his own eyes.

Tong Sui casually asked, "Do many people in the family come to read in the schoolroom?"

"Besides Grandfather, Second Uncle occasionally comes to sit here. Third Younger Brother, Fourth Younger Brother, and Fifth Younger Brother don't enjoy reading, but Mianmian is very studious," Xiao Zhen replied.

Tong Sui: "Does Eldest Sister-in-Law accompany Mianmian?"

"Eldest Sister-in-Law is always busy," Xiao Zhen said gently.

Tong Sui understood. In the past, Liu Chu had to do work for two households and care for her daughter, leaving no leisure time for reading.

"What about Second Aunt and Yuchan?"

"They're not interested either."

Tong Sui lowered her gaze, realizing she hadn't asked about Third Sister-in-Law Lin Ningfang. Given Lin Ningfang's habit of only appearing for meals, it was unlikely she would come. Perhaps a noble lady didn't care about the few books in a fallen household.

With none of the other wives or daughters coming, and remembering the old man's stern face, Tong Sui hesitated to speak up or come directly.

Taking one last look at the books that seemed to sleep peacefully in the bright light, Tong Sui forced a smile. "Let's go. I need to greet Second Aunt and ask her to make buns for lunch."

Such fresh mallard leaves should be eaten at lunch for maximum freshness; leaving them until evening would be a waste.

If it were Tong Sui, she would prepare steamed buns as soon as her mother-in-law brought in a basket of mallard leaves.

In a brief moment, Tong Sui had put aside the precious books and focused on preparing her words for dealing with her mother-in-law later.

She started walking out, but after just two steps, someone grabbed her arm.

Tong Sui turned back, then... looked up.

Xiao Zhen pointed to the first row of bookshelves. "Those are books for children, progressing step by step. Choose one, and I'll bring it back for you to read. When you finish, I'll return it and get another."

Tong Sui was stunned by this unexpected surprise. "Can... can we do that?"

Xiao Zhen: "Read it secretly in your room, so no one sees you."

Tong Sui had never done anything sneaky before and feared the old man most. "What if Grandfather finds out..."

She respected the old man and would rather not read than upset him.

Xiao Zhen: "Grandfather cleans the bookshelves daily and will notice any missing books. But since you are the granddaughter-in-law he chose, as long as you treat them with care, he will turn a blind eye."

He would definitely know?

Tong Sui's heart raced. On one hand, breaking the old man's rules openly; on the other, her desire for the books.

Anxiety, difficulty, and hesitation made the eighteen-year-old girl flush red, her eyes darting around.

Xiao Zhen looked down at her, suddenly lifting her waist and pressing her against the wall behind the door.

Tong Sui was forced to meet his unsmiling face and nervously turned her head away. "What... what are you doing?"

Xiao Zhen: "Whose words matter more to you—Grandfather's or mine?"

Xiao Zhen: "Take your time, think it through."

Tong Sui: "..."