Blutbefleckter Tod

Kapitel 6

After saying that, she stood up, grabbed Lu Ling's hand, and stormed into the house, completely ignoring the fact that what she had just claimed to be taking away was actually someone else's 'little burden,' and that this 'little burden' was pitifully looking back at its own father every few steps...

Only Lu Ziqi stood silently in the empty courtyard. After a long while, he gently shook his head and gave a bitter smile.

Ultimately, it was I who had wronged her, and it's only natural to feel resentment. However, I hadn't expected her to be so harsh in her words.

Divorce? Such a serious matter was uttered so casually by her. Was it youthful ignorance of its gravity, or...did she truly not care? How could that be? What woman in this world wouldn't care about her reputation? So, it's just the petulant, childish remark of a child...

Her own money? He actually let his newlywed wife use her dowry; he's truly a terrible husband. But why didn't she tell him if she needed anything? ...

Sigh, it's always his oversight; he even forgot to prepare those everyday necessities. Without Huo Nan by his side to help remind him, he's truly made countless oversights…

Alright, alright, let him handle the rest!

As he turned around, he took one last deep look at the closed door, a helpless smile creeping onto his lips.

His young wife has quite a temper; could it be that he accidentally married a shrew?

He just said he would take Ling'er with him, which at least shows that Ling'er holds a very important place in her heart, right? However, he is the kind of 'old-fashioned and heartless' bad guy who would leave without a second thought.

They had a huge fight after spending less than half a day together. This newlywed life was truly 'colorful,' completely different from the harmonious and loving relationship they had in the past...

Meanwhile, in the room, Song Xiaohua was leading Lu Ling in a workout, scooping water from the large bathtub into a small wooden bucket so that it could be taken out and emptied later.

After channeling her grief and anger into her strength, she finally calmed down completely.

To be honest, upon closer examination, Lu Ziqi's views were not wrong. An honest official, especially one who was clearly loved and respected by the people, would inevitably have some degree of "moral fastidiousness"—being strict with himself and intolerant of any wrongdoing.

If he explained it properly, Song Xiaohua, as someone who supported the fight against corruption and still harbored some youthful idealism, could understand it. But why was he putting on airs and acting high and mighty? Let his damned chauvinistic male chauvinism go to hell!

Although she had made some harsh remarks before, she also knew very well that in this day and age, it was impossible to just get a divorce. And most importantly, if they really got divorced, she might not be able to survive in her current state of near-total blindness.

Therefore, the right thing to do is to quickly familiarize yourself with the environment and find a way to make a living, rather than being obsessed with divorce. This is called being prepared for any eventuality. As the saying goes, "If men can be relied on, pigs will fly."

It's just that I wonder how angry Lu Ziqi got from her outburst.

After all, this was a truly patriarchal era, and he was the absolute local leader.

Impulsiveness is the devil! I really need to change my fiery temper; I explode at the slightest provocation. Otherwise, it'll be too late to cry when I actually suffer the consequences. Oh well, what can I do? The Song Dynasty didn't have the "savage girlfriend" archetype…

Also, next time you argue, remember to avoid Lu Ling first, otherwise it may leave a shadow on the child's young mind.

This poor child, ever since I dragged him in so angrily, has been so timid and obedient. He must have been really scared, and he must have been really afraid of losing his mother again...

Thinking of this, Song Xiaohua felt both guilty and heartbroken.

Strangely enough, she, who had never liked children, was surprisingly attentive to Lu Ling. Smiling, she gently pinched his smooth little face: "Ling'er, are you tired?"

"Not tired." Lu Ling worked even harder, only stealing a glance at her face.

Seeing his little quirks, Song Xiaohua couldn't help but chuckle: "You little rascal, I'm not angry anymore! Shall we carry the water out and throw it away together?"

Lu Ling opened her eyes wide and looked at her seriously: "Mother, are you really not angry anymore?"

"I never lie."

As she had done countless times before, Song Xiaohua spoke these words with utmost seriousness and solemnity, without a single stutter. However, this time…

This time, however, none of her cronies disdainfully exposed her: "That's a lie!"

Forget it, forget it, I'm not going to think about it anymore. What's done is done, life still goes on, doesn't it?

Rubbing her slightly sore nose, Song Xiaohua lowered her voice mischievously: "Ling'er, go outside and see if your old man is still there?"

Lu Ling's face immediately fell: "Mommy's still angry with Daddy~"

"No, no, no... I just... Ling'er, these are the rules for adults." Song Xiaohua, without batting an eye, began to coax the child: "If you quarrel, you can't see each other or speak for at least two hours... two hours. Otherwise... you'll be punished by drinking the most bitter medicine in the world!"

"Huh?!" Upon hearing that the punishment was so terrible, Lu Ling immediately became serious. He ran out and circled the yard before running back, panting, to report, "Father isn't here. He's gone out."

Song Xiaohua secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After arguing, it was best for both of them to have a cold war and not provoke each other, so as to avoid growing to hate each other when they met!

The author has something to say: It's said that Song Dynasty women's dowries were very generous, and after marriage, they didn't become part of their husband's family's property; they remained theirs forever... So, I think Comrade Xiaohua can still hold her head high a bit!

Chapter Eight: A Successful Conversation

Half an hour later, Lu Ziqi hurriedly returned home. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard laughter coming from the kitchen. He hesitated for a moment before following the sound. When he arrived at the door, he was stunned.

There are three living creatures in the room: Song Xiaohua, Lu Ling, and a dog.

Two people, one older and one younger, were bathing a small black puppy that was just over a month old, using Lu Ling's small bathtub. It wasn't a big deal; they could just buy a new one.

The key point is that Lu Ziqi is afraid of dogs, very afraid of them...

He involuntarily took a step back, his throat tightening: "You...you people are..."

Lu Ling, with her hands still wet, rushed towards Lu Ziqi: "Daddy's back! Aunt Zhang brought us a puppy, it's so cute, Daddy, come and see, Daddy will definitely like it too."

Just as he was about to pull Lu Ziqi inside, he suddenly remembered a very serious problem and quickly pushed him back outside: "Father can't come in yet, it hasn't been two hours!"

Lu Ziqi was both horrified and utterly bewildered, so he turned his gaze to Song Xiaohua, only to find her watching the spectacle with a smug look on her face. He could only smile wryly and pick up Lu Ling, asking, "Ling'er, why won't you let Daddy go in?"

"Because it hasn't been two hours yet!"

"...What do you mean two hours?"

"If it takes less than two hours, you'll be punished by drinking very bitter medicine!"

"…………"

While the father and son were talking at cross purposes, Song Xiaohua had already dried the dog's fur with a dry cloth and then wrapped it in another piece of cotton cloth: "Ling'er, take Wuque to get acquainted with its new home. Be careful when you hold it, otherwise it will have to drink very bitter medicine if it gets sick!"

Lu Ling quickly jumped down from Lu Ziqi's arms, carefully took the dog, and hesitated before leaving. Seeing this, Song Xiaohua suppressed a laugh and said, "It's alright, I'll have to take my medicine soon anyway, consider it punishment. As for your father… he can be punished next time! Ling'er, remember that for your father!"

"good!"

After Lu Ling solemnly agreed, she carried the dog, wrapped in a cotton cloth, to each room to familiarize herself with it. Only then did Lu Ziqi dare to secretly move her slightly stiff body: "The Wuque you mentioned is..."

"Song Wuque, that's the dog's name. I chose it, and it has my surname!"

"..." Lu Ziqi pressed his throbbing forehead speechlessly: "A dog, with a name..."

"What, is that not allowed?"

Lu Ziqi hurriedly tried to soothe Song Xiaohua, who was already looking for trouble, with gentle words: "It's nothing, it's just that it's a little strange... um... why did you suddenly decide to get a dog?"

"Aunt Zhang kindly sent it to me, saying it would keep me entertained and that it could guard the house when it grows up. It is said that this is a purebred wolfhound breed that was brought from the Liao people. It is the most intelligent, human-like, and loyal to its owner, so it must be raised from a puppy."

It was...it was actually the big wolfhound he feared most! Lu Ziqi's scalp began to tingle:

"But...Ling'er is still so young...what if she gets hurt?"

"Dogs would never hurt their owners, don't you even know that?"

"But... the security here is very good, so there's no need for a dog to guard the house. If you really want to relieve boredom, I actually think it would be better to get a cat. They're gentle and obedient. What do you think?"

"No! I've wanted to have a dog for years, but the circumstances didn't allow it before. Now that it's finally possible..." Song Xiaohua frowned impatiently, "Anyway, I'll pay for everything Wuque needs from now on, is that alright?!"

Lu Ziqi was taken aback, then gave a helpless wry smile: "You misunderstood, that's not what I meant..."

That's it, looks like I'll have to keep this dog no matter what, since he married such a dog-loving wife...

Dogs have names and surnames, they even have clothes and belongings! I wonder what the Song family ancestors would think? Would they be so angry they'd rise from the dead? Do dogs need clothes? What else can dogs use besides food? ...

Forget it, let's solve the people problem first!

He handed over the paper package, saying, "This is the last of the local delicacies. Try it."

Lu Ziqi's sudden change of topic caught Song Xiaohua, who was prepared for another argument, off guard. She took the package blankly, opened it, smelled it, broke off a small piece, ate it, and beamed with joy.

The same trick used against Ling'er worked on her as well... Lu Ziqi smiled to himself.

Song Xiaohua broke off another piece and wrapped the rest up: "It tastes good, Ling'er will definitely love it, right?"

"Um."

"Then I'll take it to him."

"distant……"

Lu Ziqi called out softly, stopping Song Xiaohua in her tracks: "I have already paid the shop owner the original price for the bath tub."