Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Jinjiang Authentic

She lay down directly in his quilt, put her hand on the side of his face, and asked:

"Qin Sizhao, aren't we going to visit your mother's grave? We're almost there now."

"Well, it will probably arrive tomorrow."

He tried to suppress the anxiety in his voice, but it was still trembling.

"Do you miss your mother?"

She leaned over and asked in his ear.

Qin Sizhao was stunned for a moment:

"Why do you ask?"

"You seem unhappy and can't cheer up."

Tao Jinrong blinked, kissed the side of his cheek, buried his head in his neck, rubbed against him like a kitten, and depended on him.

She whispered softly:

"Actually, I miss my mother too. I miss her every day."

She simply put her arms around him and hugged him.

There was no trace of lust in this hug. She held him gently, purely out of comfort and dependence on him. She smelled the clean scent of soapberries on him and felt at ease.

"Rong'er...I..."

Qin Sizhao swallowed his words halfway through, as if he had swallowed a thousand-pound weight.

"Sleep."

She obediently lay down on the other bed and went to sleep.

That night, Tao Jinrong slept soundly, like a child who was tired from playing, burying his head in the soft pillow.

Qin Sizhao, however, stayed awake all night. He opened his eyes and looked at Tao Jinrong's back. She was lying on another bed, with her back to him, without any guard at all.

Until now, she had no idea about him.

If she knew, would she still be able to sleep peacefully in the same room with him like she does now?

Would she think that the jade bracelet hanging on her hand, which was safe and warm, was actually a venomous snake with a green body?

During the days when he couldn't find her, the greatest wish in his heart was to see her face again.

Now his wish has been fulfilled, and the reality is even better than his fantasy, far exceeding his expectations. For him, she overcame all kinds of difficulties and chose him firmly and bravely.

Perhaps it is human nature to want more after getting something once, and he has developed an unnecessary greed.

He stared at her intently. At least before she got tired of him and felt disgusted with him, he had to remember her. Every glance he took wanted to remember her sharp, downward-curved eyes, and the joy and cunning in her eyes when she kissed him.

He has a very good memory, and all of this will be stored in his memory as precious, real and special memories about love.

The next morning, Tao Jinrong got up, washed, changed into clean clothes, and rarely put some rouge on her lips.

This rouge was bought casually from a roadside stall. It was very cheap. She felt that no matter how she applied it on her lips, it would all be red. They all looked the same and she couldn't tell which was better.

Qin Sizhao came over and used his fingers to help her apply the rouge on her lips evenly, and said with a smile:

“It’s really beautiful.”

"I have to go see your mother today, so I have to dress up a little."

Tao Jinrong held his face and said with a smile.

But she noticed that there was a dark area under his eyes, making him look very haggard, and there was a wrinkle above his double eyelids because he didn't sleep well.

Although she was very worried about him in her heart, she did not show it on her face at all. She just stood beside him with a smile on her face, holding his arm intimately, and walking briskly.

Because she knew that if she showed her worry, Qin Sizhao would have to suppress his unhappiness to coax her, and she didn't want him to do that.

She didn't know what he had been through, but no matter what the reason was, it was normal to show negative emotions. Everyone has unhappy times, including Qin Sizhao.

She didn't think she should just rush to get things done. All she could do was stay with him and support him.

The carriage was shaking, and Qin Sizhao, who had not slept all night, fell asleep.

He first fell asleep leaning on Tao Jinrong's shoulder, and then fell on her thighs.

To be honest, she felt a little sore from his pressure, but she didn't wake him up.

He's in a bad enough mood already, so let him sleep.

She gently pushed his hair behind his ear and touched the dark skin under his eyes with her fingers. She must have not slept well last night. She frowned slightly and looked at him with a faint smile.

"A Zhao, wake up, Master said we're here."

She shook him gently.

"Rong'er?"

When he woke up, he found himself lying on her lap and felt a little confused.

"Are you numb from my pressure?"

"Nonsense! Of course I'm numb. Hurry up and get up. Help me down."

Qin Sizhao quickly got up, lifted the curtain and got down.

He turned his back to Tao Jinrong and said:

"Rong'er, come up. I'll carry you."

"Can you carry me?"

Tao Jinrong's legs were indeed numb. She supported herself on the side and slowly climbed up. Then she leaped over and hung on Qin Sizhao's neck by inertia.

She was a little surprised. Although Qin Sizhao looked slender, he was very strong and carried her very steadily.

"My legs are numb, why don't you just wake me up?"

"I am a magnanimous person. Seeing that you didn't sleep well last night and your eyes are all black and blue, I didn't call you."

She bit Qin Sizhao's ear.

"Okay, put me down now. If anyone sees me, I'll be laughed at. There's a wooden stool here. I'll sit on it for a while."

He smiled helplessly, gently put her on the ground, and helped her sit on the wooden stool.

"It's a little damp up there, which is bad for your health. Get up quickly when your legs stop being numb."

He squatted beside her and reached out to pinch her legs.

"Yes, it's numb here. Move down a little."

She stretched her legs and began to give Qin Sizhao orders in a casual manner.

“Ouch…”

Tao Jinrong suddenly screamed, looked at Qin Sizhao with resentment in his eyes, and said a little aggrievedly:

"What are you doing with all that strength all of a sudden?"

"This will help it heal faster. Try standing up. Is it still numb?"

Tao Jinrong held his shoulders, stood up tremblingly, and turned his anger into a smile.

“It’s really good.”

She turned around and said with a smile:

"You look quite thin, but how come you have such strong hands?"

"I've done some physical work... and if you don't have strong hands, you can't reset the bones."

Qin Sizhao was a little absent-minded.

She took his arm affectionately.

"We're finally here. Let's go together and sweep your mother's grave and burn some paper money."

"Don't worry, you're probably hungry. Let's find a small restaurant nearby and have a meal first. You haven't eaten well these days due to the long journey."

He pulled Tao Jinrong in the opposite direction of the cemetery, as if he was avoiding something.

The two of them randomly walked into a small roadside shop. There were only a few people in the shop. The customers and the owner were all acquaintances, and they were chatting casually.

"Isn't this place very close to our hometown?"

Her eyes wandered around aimlessly, looking around curiously.

"It's very close. Just drive for an hour and we'll be home."

"That would be great."

She put a mouthful of noodles into her mouth and looked at him with a smile.

The noodles were indeed made with the taste of home, and the people around her spoke dialects that she could understand. She felt very happy.

"I opened a medicine shop in my hometown, and it is currently run by several of my apprentices."

He lowered his eyes and said:

"I was afraid you wouldn't be able to find me when you came back, so I waited here for a long time. When I saved up enough money, I went to find you."

Qin Sizhao pursed his lips. He said this not intentionally to make Tao Jinrong feel guilty, but he really hoped that she could accept his past sins for the sake of her waiting.

Even though his sins had nothing to do with her, they were truly against the will of heaven and could not be tolerated by ordinary people.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

She looked at him with some distress, then raised her head and asked naively:

"Does anyone back home still remember me?"

"Don't worry, everyone in the neighborhood knows I'm here to see you."

He smiled softly at her.

A plump aunt looked over and scanned the two of them carefully with her eyes.

She looked at Qin Sizhao, leaned back, and clapped her hands suddenly:

"Are you the clean-looking son-in-law of the Tao family?"

"It's me, hello, Aunt Yang."

He smiled at Aunt Yang.

Aunt Yang looked at Tao Jinrong's face carefully again.

"Why doesn't this beautiful woman look like that little brat from the Tao family? Not only is that brat sullen, but he's also been spoiled and runs around the streets like a monkey."

Tao Jinrong was a little angry at what he said, and protested with a frown:

"Why doesn't it look like that? It's me!"

"Hey, it sounds like that naughty monkey as soon as he opens his mouth. Do you miss Aunt Yang?"

Tao Jinrong pouted, crossed his arms, and said nothing.

Aunt Yang didn't argue with her and just smiled:

"That's great! It's not easy for young people to be together after such a long time. Your parents may feel relieved now."

After hearing what Aunt Yang said, Tao Jinrong's eyes were filled with tears. It was indeed not easy for her to come this far. If her parents knew about it in the afterlife, they would surely feel at ease.

"I miss home so much when I'm away...and of course I miss Aunt Yang too."

She whispered, her voice sounding aggrieved.

Aunt Yang was delighted and said:

"It's good that the child can come back."

After dinner, Tao Jinrong took Qin Sizhao out. The sunlight reflected on the stones and leaves. The broomrapes on the roadside were piled up together, and the leaves and flowers were stained with a layer of yellow soil. They did not look delicate and beautiful, but had a kind of contented beauty.

"Let's go visit your mother's grave."

She seemed to suddenly remember something and took out a small box of rouge from her pocket.

"Put it on for me."

Qin Sizhao smiled helplessly, wiped the small layer of oil on her lips with a handkerchief, and then carefully applied rouge on her lips with his fingertips.

She glanced stealthily into his eyes.

He lowered his eyes secretly, looking like he was worried about something.

What exactly is he worried about?

It was clearly he who took the initiative to ask to visit the grave, but why was his body unwilling to go near the cemetery?

What is he afraid of? What is he running away from?

Qin Sizhao suddenly asked...