Dou Akou picked up the glass and gulped down several mouthfuls, but Fu Jiuxin didn't touch it at all. He was looking at something, his face showing a slightly nostalgic softness.
Along the way, Fu Jiuxin would occasionally stop at certain places and tell Akou that this was once the school where he studied, and that the desk he sat on was missing a corner; this used to be a tofu stall, grinding fresh soybeans to make melt-in-your-mouth tofu pudding, and also selling dried tofu and tofu skin; the big banyan tree there used to be very lush, and on summer evenings, the area under the tree was a playground for children...
It should have been a beautiful thing to reminisce about the past with my husband. However, Dou Akou felt very uncomfortable because Qingdai had once existed in the life she missed.
Dou Akou thought angrily, "Is that Qingdai sitting at the desk? Did you eat tofu pudding with Qingdai? Under the banyan tree, the children played house, and he played the groom and Qingdai played the bride, right?"
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and the more heartbroken she became. When you love someone, you can't tolerate even a grain of sand in their eye, let alone a girl who appeared in their life before her.
Dou Akou's vinegar scent permeated the entire town of Longfeng, making it sour.
She angrily put down her teacup and stared blankly at Fu Jiuxin: "I'm not shopping anymore, I want to go home."
Fu Jiuxin was taken aback. At first, he didn't understand why she was unhappy. Then he realized what was going on and a beautiful smile curved his lips. Instead of leaving, he took a sip of tea and sighed, "This tea is bitter but not astringent, and has a refreshing fragrance. It is in no way inferior to famous teas."
Dou Akou stared wide-eyed, but he was still laughing! She hated her husband's calm and indifferent demeanor, like an adult watching a child throw a tantrum.
Fu Jiuxin seemed not to notice Dou Akou's expression at all, elegantly put down the bowl, and said, "What a pity, it's just a bowl of tea soaked in vinegar."
Tea in vinegar?
Dou Akou gradually realized what was happening, her face flushed red, and she turned and left.
He hadn't walked more than a few steps when Fu Jiuxin caught up from behind: "Are you angry, huh?"
His expression remained calm, but Dou Akou could hear the doting in his words. Her face flushed, and she slowed her pace to walk alongside Fu Jiuxin on the bluestone road of Longfeng Town.
Fu Jiuxin couldn't bear to see his Akou overthinking things, so he slowly explained, "I'm not thinking about the days I spent with Qingdai, I'm thinking about my mother."
Dou Akou was suddenly startled. Although she had also grown up without a mother, she had Fu Jiuxin before the age of eight, and several concubines after the age of eight. She received no less care than children with mothers. As for her birth mother whom she had never met, she simply let go of her feelings.
Before he was ten years old, Fu Jiuxin had lived with his mother and depended on each other for survival. The year Dou Jincai found him was not long after his mother had passed away from a serious illness. He was wandering the streets alone and was fighting for food with a stray dog.
Dou Akou felt a pang of sadness and gripped Fu Jiuxin's hand tightly: "Don't be sad, sir. From now on, Akou will be here for you. Akou will give you a home."
Fu Jiuxin remained silent and slowly took her hand in return.
"Akou, I want to go home and visit."
Having not returned home for ten years, and having been overwhelmed with work due to Akou and the Dou family's affairs when he first arrived in Longfeng Town, Fu Jiuxin finally has some free time and wants to visit his mother's grave.
Dou Akou sighed and after a while said, "I'll go with you, sir."
Fu Jiuxin shook his head: "Go home."
His home was in the outskirts of Longfeng Town. Ten years have passed, and it might have long since fallen into ruins. There was no need for Akou to suffer with him.
Dou Akou thought for a while, knowing that her teacher wouldn't be so easily persuaded, and also knowing that she could no longer act like a spoiled child, after a long while, she raised her head and looked into Fu Jiuxin's eyes, and said seriously, "Teacher, I also want to go and pay my respects to your mother. You are Akou's person now, your affairs are my affairs, your mother is my mother, it is only right and proper for me to pay my respects to my own mother."
Fu Jiuxin was stunned. He pondered Dou Akou's words in his heart. Every sentence sounded right, but he couldn't help but feel that she had said it backwards.
For the first time, Fu Jiuxin was bewitched by Dou Akou and lost his mind. The two returned to the Dou family to explain the situation, packed their bags briefly, and rented a horse that day, slowly heading towards the outskirts of Longfeng Town.
The Fu family's house had been uninhabited for ten years, and it was indeed dilapidated. The weeds inside were more than half a person tall, and a corner of the roof had collapsed. Fu Jiuxin stood silently outside his desolate courtyard for a while, then led Akou toward his mother's grave.
It was late spring, and the grave was overgrown with weeds, so much so that the tombstone was completely buried. Dou Akou followed Fu Jiuxin, pulling weeds and covering the grave with new soil. After half a day of work, they finally managed to make it look presentable.
Fu Jiuxin laid out the incense, candles, and cold food he had bought in town, lit three sticks of incense, and knelt silently in front of the grave for a short while.
Dou Akou thought to herself that her husband must have a lot to say to his mother, so she silently squatted down and stared blankly at a wild peach tree by the grave.
"Akou, let's go." Fu Jiuxin finished kneeling, stood up, patted the dust off his knees, his face still indifferent, showing no sign of grief or sorrow.
"Wait!" Dou Akou called out. She took three incense sticks from Fu Jiuxin, lit them respectfully, and placed them in the incense burner. Suddenly, she mustered all her strength and kowtowed three times.
The sound was like muffled thunder.
Fu Jiuxin's eyes narrowed in pain, startled. It really was his Akou, so loyal, even her kowtow was so earnest.
As if she felt no pain, Dou Akou earnestly addressed the tombstone, saying, "Mother, don't worry, Master is mine now. I will take good care of him and never let him be all alone."
Fu Jiuxin pondered Dou Akou's words again and finally realized what she meant. He helped Dou Akou up from the ground, wiped the dust off her forehead, and slowly said, "Akou, what do you mean by 'I am your person'? You are my wife."
"Wife?" Dou Akou felt both curious and embarrassed when her husband said the word, but her heart was filled with joy.
When they returned to the former Fu family home, it was already dark. Fu Jiuxin took a bamboo broom and roughly swept the house. The wooden bed inside was still sturdy. He took out the bedding he had brought from Longfeng Town, spread it out, and after thinking for a moment, added an extra blanket.
Dou Akou was in the courtyard outside, rinsing her mouth and washing her face with well water. After Fu Jiuxin finished cleaning up, she ran in and called out, "Sir, I'm sleepy."
"Um."
Fu Jiuxin patted the pillow: "Come up and sleep."
Dou Akou took off her shoes and sank into the soft quilt. She opened her round eyes and whispered, "Sir, you should come up and sleep too."
I'm both shy and excited!
Dou Akou became happier and happier as she thought about it. She hid under the covers, drooling as she listened to the sound of Fu Jiuxin washing up in the courtyard. Then she heard Fu Jiuxin's footsteps as he walked in. Then a corner of the blankets sank slightly, and the blankets were lifted up, revealing Fu Jiuxin sleeping inside.
Dou Akou wrapped herself around Fu Jiuxin almost as soon as he lay down, hugging his waist, pressing her face against his chest, and giggling foolishly: "Sir, you smell so good."
Fu Jiuxin remained silent.
His heart remained calm, ignoring the soft, throbbing flesh pressed against his chest, and he said, "Go to sleep."
Hmm, this should be a peaceful and innocent night... right?
33. The rain is pouring down...