Chapter 35 Sweet Talk and Soft Bones

In the middle of the night, under a house with earthen walls and tiled roof, Sui Ling squeezed into the man's arms, hugging a thin mattress. The work in the fields was almost done, and she finally didn't have to go out to the fields anymore.

"Husband, I want to go see my elder brother." Sui Ling looked up at him and said, "Can you go with me?"

Qian Wei lowered his eyes and glanced at the woman in his arms. Compared to her appearance over two months ago, she was now a completely different person. Her beauty, conversation, and manners were completely incomparable to that of a country woman. If he had previously disliked this person, now he was completely captivated by her.

"Husband, say something." Sui Ling hit him.

"Okay, I'll ask someone when I have time to find out where he is exactly." Qian Wei lifted Sui Ling's chin and nodded, thinking that he would ask some questions when he met him.

With these words, Sui Ling felt relieved. Thinking of the old woman at home who kept an eye on the food more closely than a cat kept an eye on a mouse, she thought about going to find Sui Yu.

Two days later, Qian Wei got wind of the situation, and Sui Ling found an excuse to slip out. She first wandered around the alleyway, but seeing the gate open and no one in the courtyard, she concluded that only Zhao Xiping was home. Once out of the alley, she headed straight for Nanshui Street. From a distance, she could hear Sui Yu's calls. As she approached, she saw her speaking humbly to a sullen, hunched-over old woman in sackcloth, her face drooping. She smiled broadly after receiving a few copper coins. She curled her lips, thinking she was lucky she wasn't with Zhao Xiping, otherwise she'd have to be like Sui Yu, setting up a stall every day to earn money by selling smiles.

The cat official was sprawled beside the stove, dozing off with his eyes half closed. Suddenly, someone grabbed his head. He sensed something wrong and pounced before he even opened his eyes. Sui Ling couldn't react in time, and her outstretched hand was scratched. She screamed, staring angrily at the blood oozing from the back of her hand.

“Sui Yu, your dead cat is scratching me.”

Sui Yu saw that she was very annoyed, but she ignored her and continued to serve the customers who bought buns. When she saw Sui Liang took the copper coins, she handed over four buns.

Sui Ling glared at Sui Yu, and seeing that the dead cat was still staring at her ferociously, she raised her foot to kick it.

"You want to die?" Sui Yu picked up the bowl and smashed it over. "The cat didn't provoke you at all, but you kept scratching it. It doesn't even know you, so who else should it scratch if not you?"

The coarse pottery bowl did not break when it fell to the ground. It rolled a few times and stopped in the middle of the road.

Sui Liang pulled the cat official over, fearing that Sui Ling would go crazy and kick the cat again, so he stared at the bowl and didn't pick it up.

"How would I know it scratches people? Why did you bring it out to sell buns? It's so annoying and disgusting." Sui Ling was in the wrong but loud, but since she had something to ask for, she grumbled a few words and then stopped. She walked to the stall with her scratched and bleeding hand and asked, "How much can you make a day?"

Sui Yu rolled her eyes at her and said, "If you have nothing else to do, hurry up and leave. Don't waste my time." Seeing someone passing by, she smiled again and called out enthusiastically, "Would you like to buy some buns? These are stuffed with radish and fried in lard. They're so delicious. Three cents each."

A passerby waved, and Sui Yu looked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hand reaching out from the steamer. She slapped it and said impatiently, "What? A lady from a wealthy family has become a thief?"

Sui Ling was irritated by her sarcasm and was about to retort, but she stopped herself. She grumbled for a while before changing her tone and saying, "I'm planning to visit my eldest brother tomorrow and was thinking of bringing something with him. You know my wife, it's harder than climbing to the sky to get anything from her. Please bring me some buns and I'll take them with me when I visit my eldest brother tomorrow."

Sui Yu stared at her for a few seconds.

"Really? Qian Wei has already found out where my eldest brother is." Sui Ling saw her suspicion and curled her lips in disdain. She deliberately asked, "Do you want to go see him? The fact that you can stand on the street selling buns today is all thanks to my eldest brother."

Sui Yu remained silent. Seeing an old customer coming over, she smiled and greeted, "Aunt Li, are you buying ten more buns today?"

"Yes, ten more." Aunt Li handed the basket over and said, "Are there any more in the pot?"

"Yes." Sui Yu opened the steamer and put the buns in it. After selling ten, there were still six left. She piled the remaining six into two piles and handed them to the people who stayed in front of the stall and refused to leave.

"Just this once," she said.

Sui Ling nodded perfunctorily. She took the buns and turned to leave without a word of thanks, as if she had paid for them and it was her right.

Sui Liang spat at her, he let go of the cat official and went to pick up the bowl on the road.

"You can't make friends with people like her. If you see her on the road next time, stay away from her. If she calls you, ignore her, but don't offend her either." Sui Yu instructed him.

Sui Liang nodded.

Another guest came. Sui Yu put aside the unpleasantness brought by Sui Ling and greeted the guest with a smile.

Sui Ling looked back, and seeing that Sui Yu wasn't looking at her, she ducked down into the alley, finding a place sheltered from the wind to hide. She lifted the slightly hot bun with one hand and took a big bite. The soft dough broke open, and the hot steam that rushed out burned her mouth. She exhaled in small sips, and when the heat dissipated, she took another mouthful of stuffing. From the time her house was searched and imprisoned, to her exile, it had been a year since today. During this year, she hadn't eaten anything that could fill her mouth. At the Qian family, it was either bean porridge or wild vegetable dumpling soup, and occasionally some meat, but it all went into the men's mouths. The more she thought about it, the more angry she became.

After finishing one bun, Sui Ling felt even more hungry. She figured four buns would be enough for her brother, so she ate a large one while it was still hot. After finishing two buns and feeling slightly full, Sui Ling wiped her mouth, stuffed the buns into her clothes, and walked back, her back hunched and her head lowered.

"Captain Zhao, are you delivering noodles again?"

Zhao Xiping nodded and quickened his pace. He caught a glimpse of Sui Ling walking along the wall like a thief. He glanced over and quickly looked away.

As soon as they passed each other, Sui Ling breathed a sigh of relief. She touched the bun in her arms and smiled proudly.

"Where have you been? You still remember to come back?" Qian's mother stared at him as he entered the house. "You go out for no reason? Who is the man you are looking for? Have you swept the floor at home? Feed the chickens? Wash the clothes?"

Sui Ling turned a deaf ear to him. She walked straight into the room and glared at the man lying on the bed, "You're not dead. Your mother scolded me for having an affair and you didn't say anything?"

"Well, let her say whatever she wants." Qian Wei said annoyedly.

"Humph, let her scold me? I'm really going to pick up a man someday..."

Qian Wei glared, then sat up and cursed, "You little bitch, are you tired of living...Huh? Where did you come from?"

"Hush." ​​Sui Ling pointed outwards and said in a low voice, "I'll go see my eldest brother tomorrow. I'll ask Sui Yu to get it."

"You only gave me four? You're really stingy." Qian Wei got off the bed, walked over, took one and started chewing it, mumbling, "Let me try it."

"Hey, I brought this for my big brother." Sui Ling said anxiously, "If you want to eat it, go buy it with money, or give me money."

"Where did I get the money? It's quite delicious, try it." Qian Wei handed the bun to her and asked her to take a bite. He said, "Just bring three buns for your brother. It's not like he has no food to eat."

Sui Ling glared at him, then opened her mouth and took a big bite.

"It's delicious, right? Let's split one between us. Good things come in pairs, so sending two is just right." Qian Wei couldn't taste the flavor.

…

The next day, Sui Ling took two cold buns and got on a camel to go out with Qian Wei. After leaving the city, the north wind blew. When the camel started running, the wind hit their faces like a sharp blade, cutting the skin exposed outside the clothes.

"I'm freezing to death. I won't come here when the weather gets colder." Sui Ling was shivering with cold. She shrank back and the buns in her arms rolled out from under her clothes. She reached out to grab them, but only held down one. The other one rolled to the ground and was crushed to pieces by the camel's hind hooves.

"What an unlucky thing." She slapped the camel angrily.

Sui Wen'an looked at the lonely bun handed to him and sighed. He felt that Sui Ling must have a hard time at her husband's house. He did not eat the bun and asked Sui Ling to take it back, saying that he could eat three meals a day and would not go hungry.

"Brother, the days of building the Great Wall are too hard. How about I go to Yumen Pass for you and ask Captain Li to transfer you to work somewhere else?" Qian Wei waited until the two of them had finished reminiscing about the past before speaking slowly.

Sui Wen'an refused. He had seen too many fawning and flattering people around his father, and the faces of those who were trying their best to climb up the social ladder were all similar. In his eyes, Qian Wei's temptation was like a child peeing, which he couldn't hold back.

"This is my own request. A son should pay for his father's debts. I am atonement for my father's sins." He glanced at Sui Ling and said, "You can go back with your brother-in-law. Don't come here anymore. Live your life in peace. If I become your uncle, come back and tell me the good news."

In his opinion, considering Qian Wei's personality, Sui Ling's life would probably be more stable only if she gave birth to a child.

Sui Ling frowned unhappily. She forced the frozen bun in her hand onto him and said, "Let's go."

"Well, do you have any news about Sister Yu?" Sui Wen'an asked again.

"She's...she's having a great time." Sui Ling almost let it slip, then added angrily, "She's cheerful every day. You don't need to worry about her. She doesn't even associate with us anymore. I can't even get in the door when I go to see her."

Sui Wen'an was a little unconvinced, but he didn't say anything. After the two men rode away on their camels, he stood there and ate the cold bun. Before the inspector came to urge him, he picked up his load and went to pick up sand.

"Your elder brother is a fool. He has connections but doesn't use them. He's asking for trouble." On the way back, Qian Wei complained indignantly and asked, "Have you ever met Captain Li?"

Sui Ling shook her head and whispered, "My father only met my eldest brother before he died."

Qian Wei snorted coldly and said, "Don't come here again. Look at your cousin. She doesn't think about anything else. She's busy making money every day. Don't you have any ideas?"

There was a flash of resentment in Sui Ling's eyes. She hated it most when people compared her with others. It was so cowardly to let a woman go out and make money.

It was dark when she got home. Sui Ling was cold all the way and started sneezing as soon as she entered the house. She got off the camel and ran straight to the side room, then quickly jumped onto the bed and shivered.

"You come out to light the fire and cook for me, but you've been out all day and you come back to bed. Whose daughter are you?" Qian's mother rushed into the house with a spoon and scolded, "You're lazy every day, you don't earn a penny, and you're just greedy and lazy. What other daughter-in-law is like you?"

"It's cold, and there's been a cold wind all the way. Let her rest and don't get sick..." Qian Wei came in to help.

"Why should I rest? When have I ever rested? It's not raining or snowing, so why should I be cold? Zhao Xiping's wife from the next alley just came back from closing her stall after dark. She's a money earner and doesn't mind the cold, but how can she, who eats for free, complain about the cold? Get down here right now." Qian's mother raised a spoon and pounced on the bed, hitting her, cursing as she did so: "I'm going to tie you up and sell you tomorrow. You're worse than a pig."

Sui Ling was hit several times, and after hearing her say that, she was angry and scared. She burst into tears, and all the grievances in her heart turned into hatred. She wanted to kill everyone who bullied her.

Sui Yu went out to fetch firewood and vaguely heard crying and cursing. She took a deep breath, went into the house and closed the door.

"Are we having noodle soup or dumpling soup tonight?" she asked as she entered the kitchen.

"It's getting late, let's just make some dumpling soup." Zhao Xiping brought two pairs of straw sandals to the stove and used the firelight to close them. He said, "There's still half a bundle of straw left. I'll make you two more pairs when I have time."

Sui Yuxi nodded, "I can make three or four cents a day now, plus the money I've saved from setting up shop at the West City Gate. In a couple of days, it'll be a month. I'll go to the cloth shop and buy a few feet of cloth so that the three of us can get some warmer clothes. The weather is getting colder."

"I don't lack clothes, you two can buy an extra set."

"That won't work. Captain Zhao treats me well, so I have to treat him well too." Sui Yu shook his head and laughed, "Captain Zhao, don't you agree?"

Captain Zhao said nothing. He didn't like to hear numbing words.