Chapter 271 Dispute
After a night of revelry, on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the guesthouse nestled in the wilderness was exceptionally quiet, with almost no one to be seen, and everyone was still fast asleep inside.
The wooden door creaked open, and the birds foraging in the snow flew away in a flash, quickly turning into a line of black dots under the clear sky.
The weather on the first day of the New Year was fine. The sun was shining brightly against the snow on the ground. The wind blew up the snow, which shone brightly in the air.
Sui Yu folded his arms and looked at the row of snowmen outside the wall. He said, "With today's good weather, if it's sunny for another two days, these five snowmen will melt and become unsightly."
"It doesn't matter, we'll build it again when it snows," said Zhao Xiping.
The little boy walked to the snowman in confusion and said, "Dad, Mom, we didn't make this."
Sui Yu glanced at the man with a faint smile.
Zhao Xiping smiled and said, "I built it."
"Who is the little snowman? Aning?" asked the kid.
Zhao Xiping didn't answer. He took the kid to the kitchen. Although the merchants and escorts might not get up to eat, the cooks had already prepared the food.
"Sister, the cash box is here." Sui Liang was waiting at the door. "I strung the coins together last night. The big string is twenty coins, and the small string is ten coins."
Sui Yu followed him in. The brother and sister, one holding a box, and the other distributing strings of money. The official slaves who cooked in the kitchen received a reward of twenty coins each, and A Qiang, Huaniu, A Shui and Da Zhuang received a reward of ten coins each.
"New year, new atmosphere. You have worked hard last year. Our family has seen it. This money is a reward for you," said Sui Yu.
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Ah Shui held the string of money and smiled with her teeth showing. It was worth it for her to get up early today to help in the kitchen.
"This year's money is more than last year's." Da Zhuang said frankly.
"My wife must have made money inside the Great Wall." Hua Niu took Meng Ma's money string and slung it over her shoulder, saying cleverly, "I hope my wife makes a lot of money this year, so that we can also get a twenty-cent reward on the first day of the first lunar month next year."
"Brother Liang, give Hua Niu another string of copper coins." Sui Yu said.
Ah Shui exclaimed "Wow!", and then she reacted and rushed to say, "Sister-in-law will make a lot of money this year, and she will have a smooth journey out of the customs, and there will be noble people helping her along the way."
Now, without Sui Yu saying anything, Sui Liang immediately presented another string of twenty coins as a reward, which was originally prepared for the helpers.
Ah Shui was so happy that he took the money and said loudly: "Thank you, Shopkeeper Yu, thank you, Shopkeeper Er, Shopkeeper Yu and Shopkeeper Er will make a fortune."
Cui Sao pushed A Qiang, and A Qiang took two steps and met Sui Yu's smiling eyes. She moved her mouth but did not speak.
Da Zhuang just followed along with a silly grin as if he was watching a show. He didn't know how to speak, so Sui Liang didn't give him any more money.
When the master took the breakfast to the warehouse next door, Cuisao poked the girl who was stoking the fire and scolded her, "You useless girl, don't you have a mouth?"
Ah Qiang smiled softly and said, "I don't think it's a good idea. This idea of asking for good fortune wasn't mine, and I'm not Ah Shui. If I shamelessly imitate her, I'll feel like I'm forcing the host to give me a reward, which is not a good idea."
"The master doesn't need that ten or twenty cents." Mrs. Cui sneered.
"Someone is coming." Grandma Yin reminded.
Huang Ancheng and his son came over. Zhao Xiping went out to greet them and asked, "Haven't you eaten yet? Have something to eat at my house."
"We came after dinner. We woke up early and had dinner early." Huang Ancheng stamped the snow off his feet and asked, "Did Lu Yaer and her mother come over last night?"
Zhao Xiping was not sure and said, "I'll ask for you."
Sui Yu stopped him in time and asked worriedly, "What happened? Why are you here so early in the morning? Didn't Sister Song and Lu Yaer come home last night?"
"No, after the New Year's Eve dinner last night, my mother took Lu Yaer out." Song Congzu continued, "My father and I thought they would come to your place, so we went to bed early last night. When we woke up this morning and didn't see anyone, we came to ask."
"You guys were so sleepy that you didn't send servants to pick them up? Aren't you worried they'd run into bad guys on their way back in the middle of the night?" Zhao Xiping said disdainfully. "We got back late last night and went to bed right away, so we didn't see them. Where else would they go besides us? Go ask them again."
"Could it be that he went to my aunt's house?" Song Congzu was a little panicked.
"No, your aunt and uncle stayed at the guesthouse last night, and Xiaomi's family of three is also here with me." Sui Yu shook her head. "Does your mother have any other relatives?"
"besides……"
"They're right here." Huang Ancheng interrupted his son and said, "If Song Xian and Lu Ya'er weren't here with you, Sui Yu, you wouldn't be sitting here right now. You'd have already gone out to find them."
Sui Yu gave him a blank look, then turned and went back into the warehouse, saying, "Your husband doesn't care about her as much as I, a sister who came here halfway, do. No wonder she feels resentful."
Huang Ancheng stopped talking and stood silently under the eaves.
Zhao Xiping finished the porridge in the bowl in a few mouthfuls, and then handed the bowl and chopsticks to Song Congzu, asking him to take it to the kitchen.
"What happened? Did you two have a fight?" Zhao Xiping asked.
Huang Ancheng didn't want to talk about it, nor did he want to let outsiders deduce his family affairs. He declined politely, "It's hard to explain in a few words."
Hearing this, Zhao Xiping stopped asking questions. He didn't like to interfere in other people's family affairs.
Huang Ancheng was sure that Song Xian was staying in the guest house, so he planned to go back. But when he went out, he ran into his brother and sister-in-law holding Aning's hand. He went over to say hello.
"I heard from my niece that you had a fight with her mother?" Father Huang asked. "At the beginning of winter, I heard from Xiaomi that there seemed to be discord in your family, and they've been sulking ever since?"
"That's not true." Huang Ancheng denied, "You guys are busy, I'm going back."
"I'm not busy, and you don't have to leave in a hurry." Huang's father grabbed him. Song Xian secretly found him last night and wanted him to come forward to persuade Huang Ancheng. Their family had received a lot of benefits from Song Xian, and he could not refuse this request.
"Come with me in. When your sister-in-law wakes up, you can talk it out in front of us." Father Huang said, "You're a grown man, don't be so shy with a young wife. You don't even coax your own wife, and you expect other men to do it for you?"
Huang Ancheng didn't know which words convinced him, but he followed her into the kitchen again.
Zhao Xiping passed him by. He took his son into the city to wish Captain Qu and Captain Hu a happy new year. After walking around the city, he came back and found Huang Ancheng's whole family still there. Song Xian hadn't gotten up yet, and no one went to call her.
Sui Yu was preparing lunch. It looked like the whole family couldn't leave at noon and had to eat at her place.
The boy had a bag of sweet-scented glutinous rice cakes in his pocket. He ran into the house and first fed a big piece to his mother.
"Where is my uncle?" he asked.
"He's gone to feed his bay horse. Wait for him to come back, don't look for him. The camel has melted the snow on the ground, and your shoes will get wet if you go over there." Sui Yu said, "Who gave you the osmanthus glutinous rice cake?"
"Uncle Captain."
"Can you give me a piece?" Cuisao teased him, "Give me a piece, and I'll steam a big pot for you in a few days."
The cub looked at her suspiciously.
"Meng Ma can do it, I asked her to teach me." Cui Sao added.
Meng Ma smiled and nodded.
The kid immediately gave her a piece.
"Master Song is here." Grandma Yin brought in rice and hurriedly delivered the message.
Sui Yu glanced outside and saw Zhao Xiping striding in.
"Let's not get involved and let the family solve it themselves," said Zhao Xiping.
Sui Yu nodded, "It's not appropriate for outsiders to interfere in this matter."
"What's the matter?" Zhao Xiping couldn't help but express his curiosity.
Sui Yu told him about it, and after hearing about it, Cui Sao said, "Mrs. Song is amazing. She found a way out for her son, and she also worried about raising her daughter. It's a blessing to be her daughter. Many families give birth to a daughter like raising a dog, raising her up and finding a husband to marry her off, and they don't care whether she lives a good life or not."
At this time, Zhao Xiaomi came in holding Aning's hand. She handed the child over and rolled up her sleeves to help her aunt argue.
"Aunt, my uncle doesn't know what's good for him, and my sister can't tell the difference between good and bad. We've been so used to a good life that we don't know the value of money. If you don't mind, I'll be your daughter. Let my sister till the soil and plant grass for me, and I'll take care of you in your old age." Zhao Xiaomi said loudly, "I'll be your daughter. You can hold your grandson now. I'll leave your grandson at home, and we'll go out to trade."
Song Xian nodded. "Okay, I need a daughter like you. If you weren't several years older than my great-grandmother, I would have snatched you away as my daughter-in-law and handed over all my business to you."
Both Song Congzu and his sister blushed, Song Congzu was embarrassed and Lu Yaer was annoyed.
"That's not the right thing to say." Huang's mother quickly interrupted, and then she advised: "Second brother, didn't you choose to marry into the Song family because you liked your sister-in-law's personality? She is efficient and considerate, and you have enjoyed her blessings for so many years. A grown man who looks younger than your wife, but you don't thank her but blame her. How heartless! Lu Ya'er is her biological daughter, how could she harm a girl?"
"We're a well-off family now. There's no need to let Lu Yaer suffer the hardships of living outdoors. We only have this one daughter. Can't we let her live a normal life?"
"She has hands and feet, so why can't she earn her own living? What is a normal girl's life? Marrying into her husband's family and being bullied by the man? Expecting a little money from the man to live?" Song Xian asked.
"Don't we still have you and me? We can provide her with money to support herself." Huang Ancheng looked at her and asked sincerely, "Don't you feel that life outside is hard? Don't you feel scared when you sleep outside?"
Song Xian was speechless for a moment. Then, with her neck stiffened, she said, "Even if I'm worried, I'm happy. I earn my own money and spend it myself. I won't be bullied."
"So I got mad at you."
"Yes, people who don't make money have to endure hardship." Song Xian nodded. "If she gets married, her life will definitely be even harder than yours. With her current temper, no matter how much money I give her, she won't be able to keep it."
"I'm not a fool." Lu Yaer was almost crying with anger.
Song Xian looked at her without saying anything, the meaning was self-evident.
Zhao Xiaomi wanted to laugh. In her opinion, this cousin was nothing but a fool. She was naive and short-sighted. She refused the huge fortune that was given to her and thought she was smart.
"I'll take you out of confinement. Will you go? Tell me your opinion today." Song Xian asked Lu Yaer, "As long as you nod, I will take you away no matter what."
"I heard from merchants last night that there are Xiongnu outside the Great Wall, and they eat people," Lu Yaer said hesitantly. "There are also wolves outside the Great Wall, and there are will-o'-the-wisp fires in the desert at night..."
Song Xian closed her eyes in disappointment. She stood up and went out, saying, "Okay, I'm not afraid of the Xiongnu. I'll go feed the wolves, and you three can stay at home and eat and dress well."
After the person left, Lu Ya covered her face with her hands and cried. Zhao Xiaomi rolled her eyes and followed him out.
"Sister Yu, when are we leaving this year?" Song Xian asked, standing outside the kitchen. "We're going to Dayuan this year, so why not leave sooner?"
Sui Yu wiped his hands and came out, asking, "What do you mean?"
"Let's leave in February. There's no snow in the desert anyway, so we'll need to prepare plenty of dry food, fodder, and mattresses. We'll walk slowly, eat when we're hungry, and sleep when we're tired." Song Xian couldn't wait to leave home.
Sui Yu was somewhat reluctant. She would rather rush on the road and make time to spend more time with her children at home. However, in the past three years, Song Xian had been accommodating her schedule. She had never complained when she went to the grassland to look for graves or into the mountains to buy honey. Now that Song Xian had made a rare request, Sui Yu could not refuse.
"Okay." Sui Yu nodded. "After the fifth day of the first lunar month, I'll arrange for the servants to go shopping. We'll meet outside the West City Gate on the second day of the second lunar month."
Song Xian thanked her and turned to leave.
"Hey, have lunch at my house. The meat is already stewed." Sui Yu shouted.
Song Xian waved her hand, and without stopping, she disappeared at the gate in a few steps.
"We're back too. Sorry for disturbing you today." Huang Ancheng led his two children out.
"The meal is almost ready. You can have lunch here with me." Sui Yu said again.
Huang Ancheng shook his head, walked straight out from under the eaves without looking back.
Sui Yu looked at Zhao Xiaomi's family again. Before she could speak, Zhao Xiaomi said, "Third sister-in-law, let's stay for dinner."
"Okay, clean up and I'll serve the food." Sui Yu turned into the kitchen again. She walked over to Zhao Xiping, bumped into him, and said, "Bring out the mulberry wine. We'll have some to warm ourselves up."
Lamb chops and lamb legs were stewed in the iron pot. Xiaozai and Aning each took a bowl and started eating. When the mutton pot was served on the table, the two cousins were already full. It happened to be the time when the merchants got up to eat. They were holding a money box and collecting meal money outside. If they met a generous merchant, they could even receive tips.
"This is what your nephew left for you." Sui Yu handed the last piece of sweet-scented glutinous rice cake in the handkerchief to Sui Liang and said, "I will be leaving on the second day of next month. I will hand over the business of the guesthouse and the cub to you. But don't neglect your studies. If you are too busy, let Ah Shui, Hua Niu and Ah Qiang help you."
"Why are you leaving so early?" Sui Liang's face fell.
"Because she was angry, my aunt was so angry at her family that she wanted to leave home." Zhao Xiaomi continued, "It's really a blessing for fools. I wish I had a mother like her."
Mother Zhao glared at her and said sarcastically, "Oh, I, your mother, have embarrassed you."
"No, no." Zhao Xiaomi forgot her mother was still at the table. She hurriedly said flatteringly, "Mom, I'm especially grateful to you for giving me a useful brain."
Mother Zhao wanted to say that Huang Ancheng's idea was not wrong, but her daughter and daughter-in-law were both strong-willed. If she spoke at this moment, she would offend both of them. She tactfully said nothing and was busy eating meat.
The date of travel had been set, and Sui Yu started to get busy early. She used silk to exchange for sheepskins from the caravan that entered the pass last winter, and bought two new sheepskins for all the slaves. She also took out coarse cloth to buy each slave a light and warm woolen coat and trousers. At the same time, she bought two sets for everyone in the family, young and old.
While packing her bags, Sui Yu also made an appointment with two caravans. After some persuasion, the two caravans moved up their departure date and planned to leave the country with them.
"Shopkeeper Yu, does your caravan need more people?" Hua Suichun approached Sui Yu. "My people are planning to travel east to the coast, and I don't plan to go with them. Do you need more people for your caravan? I'm familiar with the route to Dayuan, and I'll lead the way."
"Are you here as a bodyguard or something?" Sui Yu asked. "It's definitely no problem for my caravan to have more people. What about the money?"
"I'll give you money, one thousand coins a year, and I'll bring the goods with me and go with you." Hua Suichun explained.
Oh, Sui Yu understood. What he meant was that he was alone in a small caravan, and one thousand coins was the joining fee. He wanted to join her caravan and use her influence to go out of the customs to do business.
"Okay." Sui Yu agreed readily, "Do you have any more goods?"
"I emptied my family's savings and bought a batch of goods from the merchants staying at the guesthouse, enough for me to make the trip." Hua Suichun smiled bitterly, "There's no other way. I have to start all over again."
"I thought you would go to the coast where kelp is cheap and profitable," said Sui Yu.
"My children can go to school here with you, and my wife lives more comfortably in Dunhuang than in Chang'an. I'll earn less, so I won't leave with my tribe." Hua Suichun said.
"Then you should get ready. We will leave in a few days."
Hua Suichun nodded. He was ready. Even if Sui Yu didn't agree, he would find another caravan.
On the first day of February, Sui Yu took the poem about kelp from Old Chen and gave it to Hua Xiangrong. After that, he counted the goods and camels and set off early the next morning.
"Come on, give me a high five." Sui Yu raised his hand. "Just stay home with your father and uncle. I'll go to Dayuan this time and bring you a pony."
The boy raised his palm and pressed it against Sui Yu's hand. With red eyes, he said, "Mom, come back when the wheat is ripe."
Sui Yu agreed.
"Let's go." Zhao Xiping said, "Be careful on the road."
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