Chapter 413 Unstable Dao Heart

Song Chunxue was helpless. Even though his ears weren't itchy, they were already sunburned and would definitely swell if he stayed in the sun any longer.

Sunburn is awful; he'll get his comeuppance in a couple of days.

"Thank you, sir. Please go back. I'll see you off." Song Chunxue explained earnestly, "I'll feel bad if you get sunburned."

Helpless, Xie Zheng put down the stalks of wheat in his hand, got up, put on his clothes, and followed behind Song Chunxue without saying a word for a long time.

"Stubborn to save face, yet suffering for it," Song Chunxue thought to herself. "Are all scholars like this?"

She feared that if she let Lord Xie go back alone, he would be so ashamed and indignant on the way that he would jump into the river.

As they passed by the vegetable garden, Song Chunxue picked two small watermelons and handed one to Xie Zheng.

A dejected Xie Zheng took it, saying, "Sister Song is really good at farming. Her grains and herbs are all top-notch, and this vegetable garden looks even more delightful."

Everyone who toils in the officialdom dreams of retiring to a peaceful life, but Xie Zheng knows that if he can't even do a good job now while he's still young, he probably won't even be able to lift a hoe when he resigns.

"I was originally a farmer. If I didn't know how to farm, I would have starved to death decades ago."

She picked a handful of green beans. "Would you like some? I'll have the inn's cook stir-fry them for you. They're very fragrant."

Xie Zheng took it again, saying, "Thank you."

They parted ways at the intersection; Song Chunxue went home to cook, while Xie Zheng hurried toward the inn.

As she walked into the alley, she couldn't help but laugh as she thought about Xie Zheng's various actions.

Just as they were about to reach their house, Tian'e came out of the yard to get some water.

She wore a light pink and dark blue dress, her lipstick was bright red, and bright red earrings dangled from her ears; she was still as flamboyant as ever.

"Oh my, is her sister coming back from the fields? You're smiling so happily, is someone with you?"

She leaned the wooden basin against the corner of the wall and went over to chat with Song Chunxue.

"Hey, you don't have a man to keep you in check..."

Song Chunxue raised her hand to her lips, "Shh, can we not talk about men as soon as we meet? Where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you around."

When this was mentioned, Tian'e's face fell.

"Hmph, where else could he have gone? He got into a fight with a man and stayed at his daughter's house for half a year."

"Six months?" Song Chunxue asked in surprise. "Aren't you afraid that someone will bring their mistress and take your place as the legal wife?"

“He wouldn’t dare. I really would pick up a cleaver and chop them both up,” Tian’e said irritably. “Damn it, I must have owed him something in my past life.”

Song Chunxue knew she had to complain.

"I also need to go home and do laundry. Let's talk another day."

"Why are you running away? I won't nag about this anymore, okay? I heard that Lord Xie came to your child's wedding too, are you really..."

"Really? You actually think someone would fall for an old woman who farms? What are you thinking?" Song Chunxue opened the door, and two wolfhounds rushed out. "I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to feed the dogs."

Lord Xie is a good person, but this kind of goodness makes people uneasy.

*

On the fifteenth of August, the Fortune Inn will have a grand opening.

As the second-in-command, Song Chunxue was so busy welcoming and seeing off guests that her face was practically frozen from smiling.

Xie Zheng and Liang Xiao also came, bringing a gift: a landscape painting about five feet long, with Xie Zheng and Liang Xiao's calligraphy at the end.

It was actually drawn by Xie Zheng himself!

Yao Man said all sorts of nice things and personally led them to a private room upstairs. She served them food and wine very attentively and even refilled their tea every now and then.

As she came out of the private room, Yao Man glared at her with annoyance.

She pulled Song Chunxue aside. "I'm not trying to be mean, Sister Song, but Lord Xie is only here because of you. How can you hide outside and not go in?"

"I know what you're thinking. Be open and honest. What are you afraid of? At worst, it won't last and we'll part ways on bad terms. Let's just live in the moment."

Song Chunxue handed her the wine, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? That's just how I am. I don't know how to entertain acquaintances. You're good at this, so thank you for your hard work."

“You…” Yao Man said helplessly, “Fine, you’ve changed a lot in the last two years, but why are you still so stubborn about this?”

Watching Yao Man enter the side room, Song Chunxue turned around, went downstairs, and found an empty stool to sit down.

Perhaps this is something she can't change from her very core. She also felt that she had shed her shabby and stingy ways in the past two years, and thought she had transformed herself through self-cultivation.

However, in such a crowded place, she felt an unprecedented sense of disgust.

Even if you're dressed smartly and have a perfect smile, you still feel out of place in this setting.

She can't do what Yao Man did.

Her fourth son, however, was quite at ease in this situation. He took his seat with his companions who had gone through thick and thin with him over the past two years, and even tearfully apologized to the old man of the Zhang family in the side room, saying that he wanted to continue to travel with him in the caravan.

Whether what they said is true or not, they were able to say it.

No wonder he was able to thrive in the future.

For some reason, sitting in the noisy inn, Song Chunxue missed her senior brother very much.

She told her fourth brother and went home first.

After leaving the house, she turned left towards Dongsheng Gate, climbed Dongshan Mountain, and arrived at the Taoist temple where her senior brother lived.

The door opened, and all that could be heard was the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.

She sat down on the steps to the side, clearing her mind and gradually calming down.

Did she belong here?

Her troubled mind suddenly calmed down, and she sat cross-legged in the courtyard with her eyes closed.

Before she knew it, her stomach started growling.

broken!

I was so focused on coming up the mountain that I forgot to bring a food box for my senior brother.

She quickly sat up, tiptoed to the kitchen, hurriedly kneaded the dough, made a bowl of noodle soup, and placed it at her senior's door.

Then, she quietly went back to the kitchen and served herself a bowl.

Afterward, she washed the dishes, swept the leaves from the trees in the yard, and quietly left.

She slowly descended the mountain as the sun was about to set.

The autumn wind is desolate, and the wild geese fly by without leaving a trace.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion.

As she passed by the inn, she suddenly remembered that she still owed Lord Xie a drink last time.

"Sister Song, you're here?"

It was Liu Chunshu's voice.

Song Chunxue turned her head and saw him helping Xie Zheng down from the carriage.

"Has Lord Xie been made drunk?"

Xie Zheng leaned half his body on Liu Chunshu's shoulder and couldn't help but smile when he saw Song Chunxue.

"I'm not drunk yet, but I can't walk." He waved his hand at her with bleary eyes. "I can't drink your wine anymore. Maybe next time. You can treat me to a drink next time... Ugh, so sleepy."

He staggered up the steps of the inn. "Sister Song, you should go back and enjoy the moon with your family. I... I'm going to sleep."

Liu Chunshu nodded to Song Chunxue, "Then we'll go up first."

When she got home, she made noodles and asked Sanwa to take them up the mountain.

Afterwards, Hongying bought a chicken, Mulan made chicken blood noodles, and bought a lot of snacks for the children. Everyone gathered together and celebrated the festival in a lively atmosphere.

But for some reason, Song Chunxue felt uneasy.

She knew her resolve could not be shaken, and she reaffirmed her intentions once again.

Lord Xie will be leaving in a few days, and she will go to see him tomorrow.

The fourth brother arrived late, drunk and staggering back.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he looked for Song Chunxue.

"Mother, Lord Xie is leaving tomorrow. Why don't you invite him to come home and see him off?" the fourth son muttered. "Second brother was originally going to fight in the war. Lord Xie saved his life."

P.S.: I'm offline...