Qiu Su raised her eyelids slightly, lazily turned over, and continued to feign sleep. Huang Tao, on the other hand, put her hands on her hips, glanced at her, and snorted, "Miss Pink, what you're saying is utterly laughable."
Lu Qing glanced over as well, raised her chin, and said, "My surname isn't Feng, it's Lu. Hmph, ignorant. If my father says it's mine, then it will naturally be mine."
Huang Tao smiled with her eyes narrowed, spread her arms and said, "Miss Fen should say this: This tree is mine, this house is mine, this courtyard is mine, this land is mine, this sky is mine, and even this Pei mansion is mine."
Lu Qing nodded. "Pretty much."
Huang Tao stumbled, pretending to slip and fall, and lay down by the couch, laughing as she said, "Miss, did you hear that? A madman came today."
"You're the crazy one! My father said I'll be the young mistress of the Pei family sooner or later; she's just a pawn."
Qiu Su suddenly turned her head and looked at Lu Qing, who had instantly covered her mouth, expressionless. She narrowed her eyes, remained silent for a long time, then turned over and closed her eyes again.
Huang Tao was stunned for a long time, then twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Miss, don't listen to her. Who would cover their mouth after letting something slip? It's pointless to take off your pants to fart. It's obviously an act."
Lu Qing pursed her lips as if she was about to retort, but when she saw Qiu Su's stiff back and remembered her father's words that she should not cause trouble for the child in her belly, she unusually did not argue, but only glared at her fiercely and snorted.
Pei Lingling glanced worriedly at Qiu Su's back, then tugged at Lu Qing and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I'll take Sister Qing to play in that courtyard over there."
Qiu Su waved her hand and only opened her eyes after hearing their footsteps leave.
Huang Tao gave a worried, dry laugh. "Miss, the young master told me this morning to take good care of you and make sure you don't catch a cold. Hehe, he also said he'd bring you and the young master some delicious food when he gets back. Oh, hehe~"
Qiu Su glanced at Huang Tao, whose smile was so creepy it made one's scalp crawl, and suddenly said, "It's been so long since I've received a letter from the village."
"Huh?" Huang Tao helped Qiu Su stand up, frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "It's been two months. The last letter was written by the scholar, saying that Uncle He had someone help him build the academy, and part of the foundation had already been laid. Once the foundation is laid, construction will be quick. Could it be that it's already more than halfway done?"
Huang Tao sighed and continued, "You know what, I'm actually starting to miss it. That silly scholar even chopped down two rosewood trees and got a beating from Ruan Hu, Miss, you didn't know, did you? Hehe, he kicked his butt, it hurt so much he didn't dare sit on a bench for days. Sigh, I wonder how Ruan Hu and Di Gua are doing, and what about Aunt He and Sister-in-law Zhou? Miss, do you think that old rascal Zhou Tong is still carrying people up the mountain every day?"
Qiu Su seemed to recall the past as well, and said with a smile, "Who will we carry it up and dump it on this time? Sister Zhou? Hehe, I didn't say anything."
“I didn’t hear it either. But the old couple are actually quite noisy. Aunt Zhou has locked him out several times, I don’t know why.”
"They were bickering." Qiu Su couldn't help but grin as she recalled how Zhou's wife chased after Zhou Tong, who was nearly thirty but still playful, because he had rolled two scallions and half a bowl of bean paste into a pancake and stuck two scallions in his nostrils. She remembered how Zhou Tong ran ahead eating as he went, and she couldn't help but grin.
Happiness is actually very simple; sometimes it's just a flatbread and two scallions. The life in this rural area is truly incomparable to anywhere else.
*********************************
Qingfeng Theater:
Lu Qing: This courtyard will really be mine.
The mountain lord looked at the large apple with leaves, somewhat puzzled. Huh? It can move!
34
34. So close...
Although it was a sunny day and there was no snow yet, winter had arrived, and the weather was already quite cold. Qiu Su sat in the courtyard for a while before wrapping herself in a blanket and going inside. Qiu Su thought of Qingfeng Village and her family there, trying her best to recover from the shock of Lu Qing's words. Whether those words were her own imagination or something she'd heard from someone else, they were unpleasant.
Qiu Su looked at the pile of plush toys, baby clothes, and shoes on the bedside table, and her heart couldn't help but warm. Although Pei Yuan had been busy lately, he would always bring back some little trinkets when he came home in the evenings. Sometimes they were small gifts for Qiu Su, and sometimes they were just children's items like these. They weren't expensive, but they pleased her more than gold, silver, or jade.
Qiu Su took a plush rabbit from behind her pillow. It was a very simple rabbit; if it weren't for its long, thin ears and short tail, she wouldn't even recognize it as a rabbit. Pei Yuan said he'd seen it in the hands of a child running around on the street, and had it made at someone's house after following the child. It must have been quite a hassle for such a young master. Qiu Su thought Huang Tao's embroidery skills were quite good; perhaps she could try making some other small cloth dolls. How about two pigs? She'd make a black one to put beside his head and a white one at his feet.
"Is the young mistress resting?" A low voice came from outside.
Qiu Su threw the rabbit she was holding onto the bed. Just as she turned her head, she saw Huang Tao lift the curtain and come in. Seeing her sitting there, she waved to the outer room.
Yu Hua entered with a smile, avoiding the mountain lord squatting at Qiu Su's feet. She took out the chicken soup from the food box, glanced at Qiu Su's slightly protruding belly, and said, "Madam asked me to cook chicken soup and bring it over. Young Madam, please drink it while it's hot. Also, a scholar surnamed Yang came earlier, saying that the young master sent him to the mansion. Madam asked me to ask if Young Madam knows about this."
"Surname Yang?"
"Yes, judging from his clothes, he should be a poor scholar. Madam doesn't know what's going on, and Master is currently recuperating at home and shouldn't receive guests. Madam asked me to come and inquire. If it's something the young master instructed, then Madam can see him. If it's not urgent, then send him back."
Qiu Su frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Yang Wenju?"
"Does the young mistress know her?" Yu Hua smiled at Qiu Su. "Shall I let her in? The living room is a bit too cold. Shall we go to the courtyard or the study?"
"Then let's stay in the courtyard," Qiu Su called to Yu Hua, who was walking out. "I'll go to Rong Garden to see Madam later. Also, Yang Wenju is Ziqing's friend, and his family has helped us before, so they're practically benefactors."
Yu Hua covered her mouth and smiled, "Young Madam doesn't need to explain these things to me. It saves Madam the trouble of knowing the details. Madam is afraid that not knowing the details might jeopardize Young Master's plans."
Qiu Su curled the corners of her lips. Yu Hua glanced at Qiu Su's expression, then smiled and said, "Also, Madam said that since the young master has chosen her, she is definitely the young mistress of the Pei family. If the young mistress hears anything unpleasant, she must not take it to heart."
Did she show it? The Pei family members all seem to be very shrewd, even her father-in-law who rarely appears. Every time he sees her, he smiles peacefully, but it always gives her a strange feeling.
Qiu Su met Yang Wenju in the next room. He was indeed quite poor, but he looked like he had cleaned himself carefully; his clothes, though old, were spotless. His hair was also neatly tied up and wrapped in a dark blue coarse cloth. Coupled with his tall but not thin figure, he exuded a scholarly air. However, Qiu Su found it somewhat unacceptable that his son was already so tall and still going out to take the imperial examinations. It seemed that for a married man, the primary responsibility was to support his family. If he were away from home for half a year at a time, what would happen if something happened at home without a pillar of support?
Yang Wenju had been keeping his head down since he came in. Qiu Su, however, looked at his forehead and nose, which resembled Chao Zi's, and couldn't help but ask, "Why haven't you gone back yet? The spring examinations are over long ago. Aunt Yang and the others are living a hard life."
Yang Wenju looked up at Qiu Su, then lowered his eyes again, cupped his hands in a salute and said, "I caught a cold and it didn't get better for two or three months. Fortunately, with Young Master Pei's help, I was able to recover. I've come here to thank Young Master Pei for his help. I will find a way to repay the money as soon as possible."
Qiu Su frowned and asked hesitantly, "Two or three months? It's been half a year since the spring exam. Have you been alone for the past six months?"
Yang Wenju blushed slightly, pursed his lips, and said, "A singing girl in the inn helped me a lot."
"So?" Qiu Su's expression wasn't good.
Yang Wenju looked up again, puzzled, clearly not understanding her meaning.
"And then, do you want to marry her to repay her?"
Yang Wenju was slightly surprised, and after a moment he said, "Miss Magpie took care of me for two months with the money she earned from singing. I am very grateful, but I have a foolish wife and young children at home, and I cannot repay Miss Magpie's kindness. We are not destined to be together in this life, but I can only repay her in the next life."
Qiu Su frowned slightly, but a sense of relief washed over her. During her stay at Aunt Yang's house, she had observed that her quiet daughter-in-law, though not talkative, was clearly a kind person with a clean and pretty face. If Yang Wenju had taken a concubine with him on his way to the imperial examinations, it would have been better for him to stay in the mountains.
For reasons unknown, Qiu Su inexplicably said, "Xiao Chao's mother is a very good person... As for that Magpie, perhaps I can arrange a good family for her."
Yang Wenju frowned slightly and remained silent for a long time before saying, "Please, Madam, don't pressure her. Give her time to consider."
Qiu Su thought of Zhu Yuan, who lived just across the courtyard, and felt a pang of sadness. A woman willing to give, even if a man can't guarantee that because of his so-called principles, will still leave an indelible mark on his heart. Like Zhu Yuan, in Pei Yuan's heart, she must be gentle and beautiful like a fairy; like Xi Que, in Yang Wenju's heart, she must be gentle, virtuous, and unforgettable for a lifetime. Sometimes, thinking about it from a different perspective is truly perplexing.
How did the spring exams go?
Yang Wenju said with embarrassment, "I am not talented enough to fulfill my wish."