Chapter 040

Chapter 040

To make the plowing more fun, Xiao Yan suggested that the four brothers compete. They would start plowing simultaneously from one end of the field and see who reached the other side first. The last two would each give a copper coin to the first two, settling accounts when they got home.

After two rounds, it was always Xiao Zhen and Xiao She who won.

Xiao Yan snatched the old straw hat off Xiao She's head: "You two have it easier than we do; it’s not fair. It's time for me and Fourth Younger Brother to wear the straw hats."

Xiao Ye agreed but didn't dare to snatch it back when he saw his older brother's stern face.

Xiao She, seeing this, took his straw hat back when Xiao Yan wasn't looking: "It's mine. If you want one, ask Second Sister-in-Law."

Xiao Yan: ...

If Second Sister-in-Law had the gentle nature of Eldest Sister-in-Law, he might have dared to ask. But the day he spoke rudely to her, she refused to serve him dinner in the evening without fear of being criticized by their grandfather or Second Brother for being petty or immature. Xiao Yan couldn't bring himself to ask and risk being ridiculed.

Xiao Ye knew what he was thinking and chuckled: "This morning, I asked Second Sister-in-Law if she had a straw hat for me. She said she'd weave one this morning and deliver it at noon."

Xiao Yan: "Did she say how many she would weave?"

Xiao Ye: "She didn't say, but some people don’t like her getting involved. Second Sister-in-Law probably doesn't want to meddle unnecessarily."

He brought it up again, and Xiao Yan kicked him.

The four brothers were familiar with each other, and Xiao Ye was prepared. He ducked, grabbed Xiao Yan's kicking leg, and pulled it aside, almost making Xiao Yan do the splits.

Xiao Yan: ...

Xiao Shouyi noticed the commotion and yelled: "Are you done plowing already?"

The four brothers immediately resumed their work.

At noon, Tong Sui, Xiao Yuchan, and A Fu came to deliver lunch.

Xiao Yan stretched his neck to see what Tong Sui was holding. From a distance, he could only tell she had a straw hat but couldn't tell if there was one or two stacked together.

Everyone gathered at the edge of the field.

Tong Sui placed the straw hats on the ground and started distributing food and soup.

Xiao Ye picked one up and tried it on, happily saying to Tong Sui: "It fits perfectly, thank you, Second Sister-in-Law!"

Tong Sui smiled at him.

Xiao Yan saw another hat on the ground and thought it couldn't be for the refugees. He was delighted and about to grab it, but Xiao Zhen took the new hat to the elder and gave him the new one, then returned with the old one and tossed it to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan: "...Second Sister-in-Law isn't even mad at me, but Second Brother is so stingy."

Everyone heard his mumbled complaint.

Xiao Ye: "Be grateful you have one."

Xiao Yan grunted and glanced at Tong Sui as he took his bowl. Unaccustomed to apologizing, he said: "Second Sister-in-Law, I promise never to speak to you like that again."

Tong Sui looked at him and nodded.

—

During dinner, Xiao Zhen mentioned that he was scheduled to patrol tonight.

Tong Sui's hand paused slightly.

When the villagers first arranged the patrol schedule, she had asked Xiao Zhen, who said it would be a few days later. She hadn't inquired further since.

Mrs. He frowned: "Why does it have to be during the busy farming season?"

Xiao Zhen: "Other villagers also want to avoid these days. If all our brothers dodge it, the patrols might fall apart."

Xiao Yuchan: "What about the Sun brothers? Did the village head just talk nicely, or will they also avoid these nights?"

Xiao Zhen: "Sun Dian is patrolling tonight, and Sun Wei is paired with Fifth Younger Brother. Other men from the Sun family are also patrolling these nights."

Xiao Mu nodded: "The village head is generally fair."

After dinner, the women continued cleaning up, feeding the pigs and mules, especially the two mules, which were given better food these nights.

Once finished, Tong Sui and Liu Chu walked together towards the eastern courtyard. As they crossed the Moon Gate, they saw Xiao Zhen standing near the east wing with a lantern.

Liu Chu was about to leave when she suddenly heard Xiao Zhen call out, "Eldest Sister-in-Law."

Confused, she stopped. Wasn't Second Master waiting for Tong Sui?

Xiao Zhen approached them, looked at Liu Chu, and said to Tong Sui: "I have to go out tonight. Will you be scared sleeping alone? If you are, stay with Eldest Sister-in-Law tonight."

Liu Chu quickly offered: "Come over, there's room on the bed."

In the village, a bed could accommodate five or six people side by side.

Tong Sui, used to sleeping alone and not wanting to trouble Eldest Sister-in-Law, smiled: "I'll be fine on my own. You should get some rest, Eldest Sister-in-Law."

After trying twice to persuade her, Liu Chu finally went inside.

Tong Sui followed Xiao Zhen back to the east wing.

After lying down, Xiao Zhen tried to hug her again.

Tonight, Tong Sui didn't want to indulge him. Even the strongest person needs rest.

"Let's sleep," she whispered.

Xiao Zhen: "I didn't do anything, did I?"

Tong Sui: "……"

He indeed only held her.

"After I leave, will you really not be scared?" Xiao Zhen stroked her head and asked. This was a girl who would bolt the door even when alone in her room.

Tong Sui: "First, the door is bolted. Second, Fourth Younger Brother lives across from me. Third, there are people patrolling outside. I truly am not afraid."

Just as Xiao Zhen was about to speak, Tong Sui suddenly covered his mouth. "Don’t mention the funeral."

Xiao Zhen wasn’t that cruel; he had just been teasing her that night.

He pulled down her hand and instructed, "Just sleep. When I get up, I’ll try not to disturb you. I’ll bolt the inner and outer doors from the outside, so you don’t have to worry."

Tong Sui: "I understand. Let’s sleep. We can get at most two and a half hours."

Xiao Zhen hugged her tightly once more before finally returning to his own bed.

Both were busy during the day, so they quickly fell asleep.

Around midnight, Xiao Zhen woke up on his own. Looking at his sleeping wife beside him, he quietly got out of bed, holding his clothes in his arms, and silently walked out of the room, carefully bolting the door from the outside.

When the bolt settled with a soft click, Tong Sui opened her eyes.

She wasn’t afraid to sleep alone, but she was always alert and had woken up when Xiao Zhen sat up.

Through the door, she listened to him slowly dress and then step out into the main room.

Tong Sui turned over.

Not long after, a low cry came from outside the eastern courtyard gate, followed by an unfamiliar male voice: "Why did you suddenly come out? You startled me. I was just about to knock and call you."

It was the villager assigned to patrol the early hours of the night, coming to relieve Xiao Zhen.

There was no response from Xiao Zhen.

Tong Sui thought that Xiao Zhen had purposely gotten up early to avoid disturbing their family’s sleep.

She continued to sleep.

As the roosters began crowing throughout the village, Xiao Zhen returned, quietly pushing open the door. He found Tong Sui sitting on the bed, dressing herself.

Bathed in the faint light from the window, Tong Sui studied him closely, expecting to see a man exhausted to the extreme. Instead, Xiao Zhen looked clear-eyed, without the dark circles common to those lacking sleep.

Seeing her surprise, Xiao Zhen explained, "During those years on the battlefield, I slept even less."

Tong Sui understood that he was used to it, but she felt no admiration, only sadness. Her father, uncles, and brothers had also been conscripted to the battlefield. Her father lost an eye, her eldest uncle died, and her elder brother disappeared without a trace. Although Xiao Zhen had returned safely, he had lost both his father and brother. Who would cherish such a habit?

She continued dressing and asked, "Grandfather said you could sleep until noon today. Should we eat something now or go back to sleep and have lunch when you wake up?"

Xiao Zhen: "I’ll just take a nap. I’ll eat breakfast with everyone else."

Meaning that after breakfast, he would continue working in the fields with the elders.

After saying this, Xiao Zhen took off his shoes and lay down next to his quilt, only using a pillow.

The morning was still cool, so Tong Sui picked up his quilt and gently covered him.

——

"Second Brother is really amazing; he doesn’t need to catch up on sleep."

After the men left, the women were clearing the dishes when Xiao Yuchan expressed her admiration.

Madam He sighed, "He’s just afraid of delaying the planting season. Your Second Brother isn’t like your Third Brother and Fourth Younger Brother, who know how to slack off. Alas, it’s all because of these times. Think back to earlier years; our family didn’t need them to work the fields themselves. A little money and a call, and all the available men in the village would rush to our fields."

Xiao Yuchan: "Thinking about it, my sister-in-law had two comfortable years in our family. My second sister-in-law didn’t catch a good time."

Tong Sui smiled, "Now it’s pretty good too, at least it’s peaceful."

The women chatted while finishing their tasks and then split up to watch over the three courtyards.

After finishing her third book, Tong Sui was about to go to the study for another one when she saw an elderly lady, around fifty, approaching the gate. She wore fine clothing, looking quite respectable, but her expression was weary, and her eyes lacked vitality.

Tong Sui didn’t recognize her, but the lady recognized Tong Sui and smiled. "Are you the second son’s wife? I saw you once when you lifted your veil on your wedding day. You’re truly beautiful."

Tong Sui understood; this was a relative of the Xiao family.

The lady then introduced herself, "I’m Xiao Yuchan’s mother-in-law, Qi Yao’s grandmother. Are Xiao Yuchan and her family here? I see the West Court’s door is closed."

Hearing this, Tong Sui hurriedly invited her in and called out to Madam He and her daughter in the West Court.

Before they arrived, the door of the west wing opened, and four-year-old Qi Yao, holding Mianmian, curiously peeked out, but only leaned against the door, looking at Grandma Qi like a stranger.

Grandma Qi quickly rushed over, hugging her grandson tightly, tears streaming down her face. "My dear grandson, you’ve made your grandmother miss you so much!"

Her crying was so intense, breaking her heart, which startled Tong Sui, and Mianmian stepped back, staring in shock.

At this moment, Xiao Yuchan and Madam He ran over. Seeing the scene, Xiao Yuchan angrily pulled Grandma Qi away, holding her frightened son close while glaring at Grandma Qi. "If you want to cry, do it at your son’s grave. Don’t mourn in our home."

She knew Grandma Qi was crying because seeing her grandson reminded her of her deceased sons, not because she missed her grandson.

Madam He scolded her daughter, "How dare you talk to your mother-in-law like that!"

She greeted Grandma Qi politely, "Sister, stop crying. Did you walk here alone? Isn’t Brother Qi here?"

Hearing Madam He’s address, Tong Sui realized belatedly that Madam He and Grandma Qi were of the same generation. However, Madam He looked vibrant and energetic, like a woman in her prime, while Grandma Qi appeared old and frail, almost as if she belonged to the elders’ generation.

It's clear how much a person's well-being affects their body.

The group moved to the main room, but Lin Ningfang, who was in the study, did not appear. Xiao Yuchan also sent her son in and forbade him from coming out again.

Mrs. He scooped a bowl of water for Old Lady Qi. "Old sister, take a sip to moisten your throat."

Old Lady Qi had stopped crying. After drinking the water, she looked toward the back yard and asked, "Have the old man and the others gone to plant? How many days have you been at it? Are you almost done?"

Mrs. He glanced at her daughter and niece-in-law and sighed. "Not yet. We only started the day before yesterday. With a hundred acres, it'll take at least another seven or eight days, even with the help of two mules."

Old Lady Qi lowered her head.

Mrs. He didn't try to make more conversation, and Tong Sui and Xiao Yuchan remained silent in cooperation.

After a while, Old Lady Qi clenched her hands and said to Xiao Yuchan, "Yuchan, you know we have twenty acres of land, but there are only two old people at home—me and your father. Your sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews aren't much help. Anyway, since you won't be finished here for a while, could you let Yao Ge Er's uncles go over to our place to help? With just twenty acres, they should be able to finish in a day if they bring a mule..."

Xiao Yuchan: "...What a beautiful daydream! Bringing a mule too? Do you think my brothers are mules?"