Chapter 080

Chapter 080

Xiao Zhen was not at home today, and it wasn't the eastern courtyard's turn to cook either, so Tong Sui had plenty of free time.

While reading, Tong Sui somehow thought again about the ugly sachet that Xiao Zhen wore at his waist.

The brothers in the Xiao family must have worn many fine clothes when they were young. After returning from war, their circumstances changed. Ever since Tong Sui married into the family, she noticed that they wore only ordinary coarse cloth garments. During busy farming seasons or when they went hunting in the mountains, they would even choose their oldest clothes.

Xiao Zhen’s ruined garment was one he first wore for farming and then for fighting bandits in the mountains, where it got slashed several times. Even someone as thrifty as Tong Sui gave up on mending it, washing it clean and folding it away to be cut into rags later. An ugly gray sachet made from such old fabric could hardly look good.

But it wasn’t just the fabric; Tong Sui’s needlework was indeed not outstanding. She was skilled with a bow and arrow but mediocre at sewing, only able to make simple clothes and quilts like an average village girl. Embroidering delicate sachets and handkerchiefs was beyond her capabilities.

During a break, Tong Sui opened her chest and took out three small embroidered items.

One was a sachet sent by her cousin, another was a handkerchief from Lin Ningfang, and the last was a headscarf from Liu Chu.

On the eve of her birthday last month, Grandpa specially asked for a bowl of longevity noodles to be cooked, making her birthday public. That night, Tong Sui followed Xiao Zhen to Imprisoned Dragon Ridge and forgot all about her birthday due to various events. It wasn't until the family stopped mourning Xiao Ye that Lin Ningfang and Liu Chu brought these gifts to celebrate her birthday.

Tong Sui liked all three gifts. She simply compared the embroidery skills of the three women.

Her cousin was young, and during the years of war, there was no time to learn embroidery properly. Fortunately, she had a natural talent, and her embroidered flowers and birds looked lifelike, far better than Tong Sui's, though still not as good as Liu Chu and Lin Ningfang. The latter two, Lin Ningfang being a lady of noble birth, surely had proper instruction in embroidery. Liu Chu, born in a peasant family, naturally couldn't match her.

Tong Sui thought that embroidery and painting should be interconnected. Lin Ningfang’s painting skills were extraordinary, so her embroidery must be excellent too.

The handkerchief Lin Ningfang gave her had a crescent moon, a stream, and a few small wildflowers embroidered on it.

It was beautiful, but it didn’t seem suitable to copy for Xiao Zhen’s sachet. The moon and stream had a cold feel, and Xiao Zhen definitely wouldn’t want flowers.

Ultimately, Tong Sui opted not to embroider a design. She selected a piece of exquisite blue cloth from her collection, trimmed a section, and embroidered "岁岁平安" (safety every year) onto it. Afterward, she sealed the bag, expending no more effort than she had on the unattractive pouch she had sewn the previous night.

In the afternoon, Xiao Zhen returned, having been exposed to the sun all day. He greeted her and went to the south room to take a shower.

After washing up, he came to the north room, bare-chested, to fetch a shirt from the wardrobe. Suddenly, he saw a small blue sachet underneath.

Xiao Zhen picked it up and looked at it, then glanced at the girl reading with her back to him: "With such good material, why didn't you embroider more?"

Tong Sui: "I’m clumsy with my hands. If I embroidered badly, it would be worse."

Xiao Zhen: "Your hands are not clumsy."

Tong Sui: "That’s because you haven’t seen exquisite work. My cousin and sister-in-law are both better than me. Third Sister-in-Law’s embroidery is something you can’t buy even if you pay for it."

Xiao Zhen: "These four characters are also something you can’t buy."

Tong Sui turned a page and muttered, "Then why did you criticize? I’m reading, let’s not talk anymore."

If it weren’t for fearing that he’d be ridiculed in the capital for wearing an ugly sachet, she wouldn’t have bothered.

Xiao Zhen smiled and didn’t disturb her further. He dressed and went to the central courtyard to speak with Grandpa about the news from the capital and Song Lan’s gift of calligraphy.

Xiao Mu: "Mr. Song is a smart man. He sent you those four characters because he believes you are also smart. So, he must have guessed about Imprisoned Dragon Ridge long ago. Writing the eulogy for the fourth brother was just a way to help us make the act more convincing."

Xiao Zhen: "He indeed has no ill intentions towards us."

Xiao Mu: "Then why reveal it? Wouldn’t it be better to pretend ignorance and maintain peace?"

Knowing someone’s secret means taking the risk of being eliminated. A smart person wouldn’t create trouble for themselves unless...

Xiao Zhen: "Mr. Song said he wanted to complete this connection with me. Completing it also means leaving. He probably intends to go somewhere else."

A scholar of his caliber could never truly retire in seclusion.

Xiao Mu remained silent for a while, looking out the window: "In troubled times, heroes emerge. I wonder which side Mr. Song favors."

The north and south are vast, and there are countless heroes. Without any evidence, Xiao Zhen didn’t know whom Song Lan would support.

He only knew that in Song Lan’s eyes, they were all playing child’s games.

A few days later, Tong Gui hunted some game in the mountains and sold it in the city. On his return, he specifically visited the Xiao family.

Everything in Taohuagou remained the same. Because of Zhou Yuanbai and Zhou Xian’s medical skills, the villagers respected the Zhou and Tong families even more.

The significant news was that the Song family had moved away.

Tong Sui exclaimed, "Gone?"

Tong Gui: "Yes, they didn’t say where they were going. They left Auntie some money. I think Song Zhishi didn’t want to leave, but Mr. Song seemed excited. Auntie guesses he might be returning to the capital for an official position."

Mentioning Song Zhishi, Tong Sui instinctively looked towards the window.

Tong Gui laughed, "Don’t worry, my ears are sharp. When will Second Master return?"

Tong Sui: "If they catch something good, they’ll be back early. Otherwise, it might be late."

Tong Gui: "Then I won’t wait. If I return late, my family will worry."

Tong Sui prepared to see her brother off.

Suddenly, Tong Gui pinched her cheek, "You’ve gained a bit of weight and look paler. It’s clear that Second Master takes good care of you."

Tong Sui: "…"

After sending her brother off, Tong Sui went to the mirror. The dressing mirror her aunt gave her on her wedding day was clearer than ordinary bronze mirrors. The girl in the mirror had a rosy complexion and seemed to have put on some weight.

"Aman, you’re too thin, this is for you to eat."

Suddenly, Song Zhishi’s figure flashed through her mind—a gentle scholar holding a package of pastries bought from the city.

Tong Sui lowered her eyelids.

Last time I whispered to my cousin, she pointed out some flaws in Song Zhishi. It was indeed the truth, but no matter what, Song Zhishi was the first person she liked after her first crush.

Now that he's gone, we might never meet again in this lifetime.

---

At dusk, Xiao Zhen and his two brothers returned. Their luck wasn't great today; they only managed to catch some large birds and rabbits.

Hearing from the old man that Tong Gui had come by, Xiao Zhen looked at his wife standing beside his eldest sister-in-law.

Tong Sui smiled at him: "Second Brother was worried about us worrying, so he didn't wait for you to return."

Xiao Zhen understood.

Only when they were lying in bed did Xiao Zhen have the chance to ask Tong Sui what she and her brother talked about.

Tong Sui recounted some casual chatter, then casually mentioned the departure of the Song family.

Xiao Zhen held her hand: "After all, they were neighbors for six or seven years. Without even saying goodbye, will you miss them?"

Tong Sui: "Not really. I've been married for over three months now. Even my mother isn't someone I see often, let alone neighbors."

Xiao Zhen leaned over her, looking into her eyes: "Are you blaming me for not taking you back to your parents' recently?"

Tong Sui: "No..."

Xiao Zhen: "I'll take you tomorrow. Uncle and the others should have moved to the neighboring courtyard. Your room is empty, so we can stay there for a night and come back."

Tong Sui: "Really, it's not necessary. It's so hot outside, don't bother."

Xiao Zhen: "I want to bother."

Because of this conversation, the next morning after breakfast, Xiao Zhen really prepared the mule cart.

Mrs. He watched the young couple drive off and sarcastically remarked to her husband: "Newlyweds are always pampered. Whatever they want, their husbands indulge them. For grandmothers like us, our husbands probably forget the door to their in-laws' house."

Xiao Shouyi: "Today, Second Son used the cart. When they return, I'll take you too."

Mrs. He was finally satisfied.

On Tong Sui's side, seeing her family made her very happy. As Xiao Zhen predicted, Uncle's family had indeed moved to the neighboring courtyard.

The courtyard was still familiar, just missing a pair of scholar father and son.

At this moment, Tong Sui felt no complex emotions. Uncle's family lived comfortably with ample space to dry medicinal herbs, which was better than anything else.

The next morning, while still in bed, Tong Sui heard her mother say: "It's so cloudy; it might rain heavily."

Tong Sui jumped up. Usually, the window would be bright by now, but it was indeed dark and gloomy.

She quickly dressed and stepped into the main hall, where a strong gust of wind blew through.

Xiao Zhen stood in the yard, looking up at the sky with a heavy expression.

Summer rains are common, and water alone isn't scary, but heavy rain accompanied by strong winds could knock down the corn stalks in the fields.

"I'll stay here; you go back first," Xiao Zhen said, discussing with Tong Sui.

Tong Sui: "Let's go back together."

Their own land was small, but the Xiao family had vast cornfields. If something happened, they would be busy.

The later they left, the more likely it was to rain. The couple didn't even eat breakfast and hurried off. Tong Sui leaned against Xiao Zhen as he drove the mule cart swiftly.

In Taohuagou, surrounded by mountains, the wind didn't seem too strong. But once they left the mountain path and entered open terrain, a sudden gust lifted Tong Sui's skirt entirely.

She had to turn around, pressing her face against Xiao Zhen's broad back.

Xiao Zhen looked eastward at the dark clouds gathering and smiled, saying to Tong Sui: "Last time I went to the city, I met Mr. Song again. He warned me about the changing weather. Today, the weather has indeed changed."

This change was different from the one he meant.

The wind was strong, and Tong Sui couldn't hear clearly. She slightly turned her head to look at the hills behind, watching the trees sway wildly in the wind.

About four or five miles from Lingshui Village, the fierce wind continued, and heavy rain finally poured down.

Xiao Zhen pulled Tong Sui into his arms and opened the umbrella given by his mother-in-law.

The oiled paper umbrella barely lasted a few breaths before the wind tore it apart, breaking its ribs.

The couple stared dumbfounded at the broken umbrella.

Tong Sui laughed first. The heavy rain had already soaked her hair and clothes, with streams of water flowing down her forehead to her chin. Her dark eyes were hard to keep open, but her lips curved upward in a bitter smile.

Laughing, she slapped Xiao Zhen's chest: "I told you not to go, and now look what happened?"

Xiao Zhen caught her hand: "What's wrong? It's just rain, saving us a bath at home."

With her hand trapped, Tong Sui couldn't hit him anymore and lost the mood to do so. She leaned into his embrace, letting the cool rain seep into her collar.

Beside them, someone's cornfield, scattered across a couple of acres, had already been knocked down by the strong wind.

Tong Sui tightly gripped the back of Xiao Zhen's shirt, tears mixing with the rain on her face.

Surviving wars and avoiding bandits, enduring high taxes from the government—these were all bearable. But why, in a peaceful year, must the heavens still kick us down?