Chapter 302 A Family of Three
Almost all the crops in the fields have been harvested, and the remaining farm work is to cut sorghum stalks, soybean stalks and millet stalks. Erhei and Ding Quan can handle these tasks, so Zhao Xiping dismissed the hired helpers.
"It's already October, why haven't the slave traders outside the Great Wall entered the Great Wall yet?" Sui Yu wondered. This time she was at home, and she planned to buy ten more slaves, five to take care of the crops in the fields, and the remaining five to comb the cotton.
"Have the slave traders gone outside the Great Wall?" Zhao Xiping asked.
"Yes, I met them in Loulan. Xiao Chunhong and Liu Yaer were bought from that slave trader," Sui Yu said. "They were well-informed and had good luck. They took advantage of the war outside the Great Wall to go out and buy captives or refugees."
"It's not necessarily bought, it's not impossible to rob it." Zhao Xiping patted the dust off his hands and said, "Let's go back."
Sui Yu responded, picked up the dung fork and knocked it on the ground. When there was no dirt, she handed the dung fork to the man who stretched out his hand.
The two acres of land they were inspecting had been purchased just last month. It was not far from the guesthouse, west of the river. It had been previously barren, purchased two years ago and cultivated for a year before finally planting a crop this year. The soil was infertile, so Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping had been busy fertilizing it with fermented pig manure, camel manure, chicken manure, chicken feathers, chicken bones, pig bones, and sheep bones. Her family had plenty of manure, and they hoped to transform the two acres into productive land before next year's cotton planting.
The reclaimed wasteland is exempt from grain tax for five years, and most importantly, it is not subject to the control of agricultural officials, so you can plant whatever you want. This is the main reason why Sui Yu bought the two acres of land.
The stream dried up, leaving only a palm-wide trickle on the riverbed. The exposed riverbed was cracked by the wind and sun. Sui Yu stepped on it and stomped on it, leaving a shallow footprint. The riverbed was still soft.
In Dunhuang in October, the midday sun was still warm, and the winter chill had not yet set in. At the end of the oasis, the mountains were already covered in heavy snow.
Xiaozai and Dazhuang climbed the collapsed ruins west of the guesthouse. The ruins had shrunk nearly a foot from the wind and sun, and the soil had weathered, leaving no grass growing on them. Birds occasionally nested there, and occasionally, a hen would fly up to lay eggs. They chased away the two hens and, after searching around, found eight more eggs in their basket. Standing on the highest, raised mound, Xiaozai gazed into the southern sky. Above them was a dazzling sun, while atop the snow-capped mountains, dark clouds gathered.
Dazhuang held the kid tightly. He had no interest in looking at the sky. He just felt that the wind was too strong up there and was afraid that the wind would blow them both down.
Sui Yu rubbed her hands on her body, bent her fingers, put her knuckles against her lower lip and blew a loud whistle to greet the boy on the earthen wall.
The cub led Dazhuang slowly down the ruins and followed the two big black dogs to meet them.
"Don't come over me, I stink." Sui Yu said in advance.
"I don't mind my mother's stink." Having said that, the kid slowed down his pace as he got closer.
"What did you do at home today?" Sui Yu asked.
"I wrote some words on a board, combed the cat official and two big black dogs with Aunt A Shui, and then went to pick up eggs." The kid counted on his fingers. He forgot Sui Yu's instructions and pounced on them in joy. A foul smell of feces hit him, and he immediately retreated three feet away.
"Don't you mind that I stink?" Sui Yu smiled.
The kid was speechless. He stammered a few times and could only fake a smile to fool people.
After returning home, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping changed their dirty clothes. It was getting late, so Zhao Xiping gave some instructions and rode his camel into the city to take up duty.
Sui Yu wiped his face carefully, and also pulled the cub to wash his face and hands, then rubbed camel oil on his hands and face, otherwise his face and hands would be chapped and bloodshot when blown by the northwest wind when going out.
The mother and son were one standing and one squatting. The little boy stared at Sui Yu intently. When he was discovered, he smiled shyly.
Sui Yu was so happy that she pulled the child into her arms and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
The little boy raised his arms and hugged her neck, raised his head, and although he was a little shy, he still said honestly: "Mom, you are so gentle, I like you so much."
"Do you still know gentleness?"
"I know." The little cub leaned over and said sweetly, "Mom, it's great to have you at home. I can see you every day. I'm so happy."
Sui Yu didn't say anything. This boy was so likable and eloquent that sometimes she couldn't handle him.
"Sister-in-law?" Ah Shui called out before he even entered the yard. "Sister-in-law, are you home? Xiaozai's uncle is here with the good news: Sister Xiaomi has given birth."
Sui Yu immediately took the cub out and calculated that Xiaomi was going to give birth this month.
"Third sister-in-law, I'm here to tell you the good news. You have a niece." Huang Lian said with a cheerful expression, "Xiaomi went into labor after lunch, and within two hours, the baby was born. It's a girl. After the midwife left, I rushed over to share the good news. I also invite you to come and give the baby a bath the day after tomorrow."
Sui Yu repeatedly called for people to catch the chickens and said, "Okay, we'll go there the day after tomorrow. Xiaomi is very tired right now, so I won't go over to disturb her."
Huang Lianzheng sighed and said, "We have chickens prepared at home. Sister-in-law, please don't let anyone catch them. I still have to go to my second uncle's house."
"Aning has a younger sister?" asked the kid.
"Yes, she is your sister. I will take you to see her the day after tomorrow." Sui Yu said.
"Third sister-in-law, I'm leaving first." Huang Lianzheng said.
Sui Yu nodded and instructed, "Take good care of your wife."
Huang Lianzheng nodded in agreement.
"I haven't seen Aning in a long time. After my aunt got pregnant, Aning stopped coming over to visit, stopped raising silkworms, and stopped coming to school." The boy couldn't quite place his feelings. He was a little unhappy, but he couldn't help but feel happy. Just like he would help herd the chickens when drying the grain, and help pick up eggs every day. When there were too many merchants and his uncle and Aunt Shui were too busy, he would knock on the door of the guesthouse to ask for work. Aning was the same. His family was too busy, and his mother couldn't bear to work hard. So he had to carry water and food to the fields, feed the chickens, and sweep the floor.
"When it snows, Aning will come over." Sui Yu said, "Your aunt has made money again this year. When the slave trader comes, I will persuade her to buy a maid to serve. Then Aning will come over to study."
"I'll tell Aning the day after tomorrow." The kid was happy. He pulled his mother and said, "Mom, I want to tell you something. You can't tell anyone else."
Sui Yu was surprised, "You can't tell your father either?"
"Maybe."
"Okay, go ahead."
"Aning cried once. Nineteen of his silkworms starved to death, and he gave them to me. He cried the entire day. My uncle and I sent him back, and he cried all the way. He was so pitiful."
Sui Yu nodded, it was quite pitiful. She remembered that when she went to the city to see Xiaomi, Aning was coaxing his uncle's younger brother and couldn't leave him alone during dinner.
At this time, she felt a little guilty, because the little boy also grew up following Sui Liang.
"Where is my uncle?" The boy also thought of Sui Liang.
"They must have arrived in Chang'an." The caravans coming from the interior brought back news of Sui Liang one after another. The caravans that brought horses into the pass were very conspicuous. Even if Sui Liang did not ask them to deliver the message, Sui Yu could more or less hear the exact news by asking when he received the merchants.
Sui Yu learned that Sui Liang's latest whereabouts were at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains. A large caravan met them. Sui Liang asked a bodyguard he knew to bring a bundle. In addition to some mountain products, the rest were wooden boards covered with words. The message of safety was only a few words. The whole message said that he missed his nephew, his sister and his brother-in-law, the big black dog at home, his chestnut horse, and the cat official... He was thinking about all the living and dead things in the family.
Sui Yu had a hunch that when Sui Liang returned from Chang'an next year, he would most likely choose to stay at home.
The sound of camel bells carried on the wind, and the cub was startled. He tilted his ear to listen carefully and asked excitedly: "Mom, listen, are the camel bells coming from the east?"
Sui Yu was unsure. She walked north and said, "Let's go meet them."
"Mom, let's have a race," the kid yelled. "You stop first, and I'll say one, two, three."
"Let me count to three." Sui Yu turned her head with a smile and said, "Come and chase me. If you catch me, I will carry you on my back."
The cub's eyes lit up and he immediately ran away, his eyes fixed on the figure in front of him.
As the sun sets, the wind carries the tinkling sound of camel bells towards the north. Two figures, one in front and one behind, move sometimes fast and sometimes slow. The shadows, one tall and one short, continue to lengthen under the setting sun.
The sun set and the shadows on the ground disappeared. Sui Yu squatted down and the cub jumped up happily.
"Let's go." Sui Yu stood up with the child in her arms and said, "I'm going to sell my treasure for money."
"You're the one who can't bear to leave." The kid laughed. "Mom, my dad carried me back on this road last year. I pretended to be asleep, so he didn't know."
"Your dad is so stupid."
The kid laughed again.
The camel caravan came over, and a large group of camels were running with yellow smoke rising. The little cub covered his own mouth and nose with one hand and covered his mother's mouth and nose with the other hand.
It was not a caravan that came over, but slave traders entering the pass. When they met, the slave owner did not recognize Sui Yu. She had gained weight, her sunken cheeks had become plump again, and her expression had changed. She no longer showed the tension she had when she was outside the pass.
"Sister-in-law, I want to ask you something. Is the guesthouse in the north of the city the same one from a few years ago?"
Sui Yu nodded.
The camel kept running, and the slave trader muttered something, but Sui Yu couldn't hear it clearly.
Behind the camel caravan were three or four hundred disheveled slaves. By the time this group passed by, it was already dark.
"Mom, aren't we going back?" The cub had already landed.
"We're waiting for your father."
First, Erhei and Ding Quan came back from working in the fields. Farm work was more tiring than a caravan's day's journey. They dragged their heavy legs and walked with their heads down. If the little guy hadn't spoken, they would not have noticed that there were two people standing under a tree on the side of the road.
"In a few days I will buy five more male servants to help you share the farm work." Sui Yu said.
Erhei and Ding Quan both breathed a sigh of relief.
"You go back first." Sui Yu sent people away.
The two male servants left, and Sui Yu and Xiaozai continued to wait under the tree.
When a crescent moon appeared in the sky, the sounds of hooves and camel bells were heard at the end of the road. Sui Yu took the cub and hid in the grass. When the camel came running over, the mother and son jumped out screaming.
Zhao Xiping was stunned for a moment, then pretended to be frightened, which made Sui Yu and the kid laugh.
"Why are you two here?" Zhao Xiping jumped down.
"Waiting for you to come home."
"Dad, mom and I are here to pick you up. We miss you."
The cub's mouth is sweeter than Sui Yu's.
The camel was slapped and left, leaving the family of three to walk back slowly under the moonlight.
"Rock, paper, scissors..." Sui Yu sighed, turned her back and said, "Come up, I'll carry you."
Zhao Xiping lay on top of her without any hesitation, his two long legs still dragging on the ground, but suddenly he raised his legs and pressed them down, making Sui Yu's legs go limp.
"Are you serious?" Sui Yu immediately refused to do it and turned around to beat him up, "Son, come and help me beat up your dad."
The kid giggled and he pretended not to hear.
The next moment, Zhao Xiping picked up Sui Yu and ran away, leaving him alone.
"Ah!! Wait for me." The kid shouted and he hurried to chase.
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