Chapter 322: Juan Sui's Visit
Song Congzu took his servants to buy twenty sets of ready-made clothes and shoes and socks in the city, and went to the East Market to buy six live sheep. After leaving the East Market, he bought four jars of sorghum wine on the way. He asked his servants to take these things out of the city as a New Year's gift to his servants.
After watching the camel and servants walk out of the city gate, Song Congzu's eyes met Huang Ancheng. In full view of everyone, he walked over and called them uncles and greeted the city guards.
"Your mother and sister aren't home this year, so it's just you and your son celebrating the New Year. It's boring being alone. Why don't you come to my house for New Year's Eve dinner?" A city guard with a slightly graying beard spoke up. He looked at Huang Ancheng and asked with a smile, "Your son's marriage hasn't been decided yet, has it? Find him a wife soon. In two years, when we have a baby, the house will be lively again."
"Brother Li, I remember you have a daughter? She's about the same age as our great-grandfather, right?" another city guard responded.
"Grandfather, you are twenty years old this year, right?" asked Li Chengguan.
Song Congzu understood that this meant he wanted to marry his daughter to him.
"Yes, twenty." Huang Ancheng continued.
"Then my daughter is three years younger than my great-grandfather." Li Chengguan looked at Song Congzu and said to Huang Ancheng, "Come to my house during the New Year, and we will have a lively time together."
Huang Ancheng didn't respond. He couldn't make the decision, nor did he intend to cause trouble for himself. He looked at Song Congzu and let him make the decision himself.
"I dare not hide it from Uncle Li. I have to go out of the city in two days. This time I go back to the city, firstly to pay the money, and secondly to pay New Year's greetings to the shopkeeper Yu in the north of the city in advance. I will celebrate the New Year with the servant who raises camels." Song Congzu changed his mind at the last minute.
"So urgent? Why haven't I heard your father mention it?" Li Chengguan's face changed and he was very unhappy.
"I displeased my mother this year, and she threatened to give all the family business to my sister. How could I not care?" Song Congzu made an excuse. He smiled playfully and said nonchalantly, "There's nothing I can do. My mother trusts my old servants, and as their master, I have to please them."
Everyone at the city gate was surprised when they heard this, especially Li Chengguan. He suspected that the boy was lying, but regardless of whether it was true or not, since the other party had rejected the marriage, he stopped and didn't say anything more.
Song Congzu left calmly. He did not go home directly, but went to the market to buy some wine and meat to prepare New Year gifts for the upcoming New Year's greetings.
In the evening, the father and son sat together to eat, but they didn't say a word to each other.
The next day, Song Congzu took some wine and meat to visit his uncle and when he left, Zhao Xiaomi packed two pieces of braised meat for him to take away.
Afterwards, Song Congzu slaughtered a live sheep at the market and took it to the Zhao family while it was still fresh. He apologized to Zhao Xiping in person and used the excuse that the camels were in heat and fighting fiercely, and that there were not enough people in the desert, so he had to go over and watch over them. He did not mention what had happened at the city gate, so as not to bring up family matters and cause trouble for others.
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Song Congzu rode a camel out of the city.
As for Huang Ancheng, he usually had dinner at his eldest brother's house on New Year's Eve. After dinner, he went with his family to the guesthouse in the north of the city to watch the bodyguards' martial arts competition and eat barbecue with the merchants. He lived a carefree life.
"Master, there's a boy outside the door, claiming to be your nephew, and he's here to see you." Ding Quan found the man who was eating grilled fish in the bustling crowd.
"My nephew?" Sui Yu threw away the fishbone in her hand. She subconsciously thought of Aning, but it was impossible for Ding Quan not to know Aning. She followed Ding Quan outside and was surprised to see someone standing in the snow.
"Aunt, please don't be offended that my nephew has come uninvited." Hu Ansui knelt down and bowed, saying, "My nephew wishes you a happy new year."
Sui Yu was startled. She quickly pulled him up and said, "You kid, are you trying to ask me for New Year's money?"
"You've seen through it, that's what I meant. It's a sin that I've never come to pay New Year's greetings before." Hu Ansui explained, so that people wouldn't think that he was doing this kind of courtesy to ask for something.
Sui Yu sent Ding Quan inside to call Zhao Xiping and Sui Liang out. She then took Hu Ansui to the kitchen and said, "I'll call your uncle and cousin out. You can kowtow to them one by one and ask for some extra New Year's money. It's so noisy in the teahouse that you have to shout to talk. Let's sit in this room and talk. An'er, are you here alone? Your mother isn't here?"
"No, she caught a cold before the New Year and is recovering at home. I wanted to stay home with her, but she was worried that I'd pass away, so she wouldn't see me. Then I went out to watch people light torches and wanted to light one for her. On the way, I heard someone mention that the North City Guesthouse was bustling tonight, so I followed her over."
As soon as he finished speaking, there were footsteps outside the door. Hu Anyui stood up to greet them and was about to bow to the person he saw. Zhao Xiping acted quickly and pulled him up.
He looked at Sui Yu for help. What was this child's name? What did this mean?
"Anger is here to wish you a happy new year, but it's not New Year yet. You uncles and cousins, please give my nephew some New Year's money." Sui Yu understood what he meant.
Sui Liang put his arm around his nephew and sat on the bench, saying, "My boy, if you don't come soon I'll forget what you look like. I'll pack a bag of New Year's money for you later. Remember to come back next year."
Hu Ansui agreed with a smile. He glanced at his cousin out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't seen him for a year and a half, and he thought everyone had grown up.
Zhao Xiping went out for a while and soon returned with a pot of red dates and ginger water, which he gave Hu Ansui to drink to dispel the cold. He then brought him roasted mutton and grilled fish, but Hu Ansui was too weak to eat these, so he took a few bites and put them down.
"Mom? I heard there are guests coming to our house?" The kid walked in holding a lantern made of silk cloth.
A young boy in a bright red satin cotton jacket walked over the threshold. The red jacket made his face look as white as snow, his lips and teeth were red, his eyes were bright and clear, and his eyebrows and eyes were very lively, as if he had walked out of a painting.
Hu Ansui's eyes were full of admiration. He said to Sui Yu, "Aunt, my cousin is so handsome. You have raised him so well."
"It's my cousin! I remember him now." The kid had an impression.
"Have you forgotten me? Your mother didn't mention me to you?" Hu Ansui asked in a disappointed tone.
"I didn't forget, but you've grown more handsome, so I didn't recognize your face." The boy explained calmly, "I remember you and where your home is. When I went to the city with my uncle, I told him which way to get to your house."
Sui Liang: ...He almost believed it.
The boy walked over and sat down next to Sui Yu. He felt a little hot and asked if he could unbutton his cotton jacket to get some fresh air.
Sui Yu only allowed him to unbutton two buttons, "Just sit quietly for a while and you won't feel hot anymore."
Juan's eyes fell on the clothes worn by the four members of their family. The jackets and trousers were fluffy but not heavy. When they stood up and sat down, the thick jackets folded down easily, and when they let go of their hands, they bounced back quickly.
Sui Yu noticed his gaze and took the initiative to say, "This is a cotton jacket. You've heard about my cotton farming, right? I got the seeds from your uncle, and I grew most of them."
"Don't worry, Auntie. I'm not here for this. My uncle gave you the cotton seeds, so they're yours. I'm not here to take credit or get any benefits." Hu Ansui explained, "I heard about cotton from my father, and I'm curious, but I just haven't had the chance to come and learn more."
Sui Yu glanced at Zhao Xiping, and he went out. After a few words, he brought a cotton jacket from next door for the merchants to try on.
When Hu Ansui received it, he found that compared with the reed-flowered jacket and the sheepskin jacket, this jacket was too light.
"Originally, I should have made a set of cotton-padded clothes for you and your mother, and sent you two quilts, but this year we only planted two acres of cotton, and the yield was not high, so there is no extra to send to your father and your mother. If I leave them out and send cotton-padded clothes and quilts to you and your mother alone, it is hard to say whether they will end up in your hands, and it will cause trouble for you." Sui Yu explained, "Next year, when we have more cotton, I will send 50 to 60 kilograms of cotton to your family, so that you and your mother can wear cotton-padded clothes."
As he spoke, Hu Ansui could feel his legs warming up from the cotton-padded jacket. This was indeed a good thing. He thought about it and asked, rather sheepishly, if he could take the jacket apart and make it into cotton trousers for him. In winter, when he was cold, he could wear a sheepskin coat, but his legs and feet would still be cold no matter how thick his clothes were.
Sui Yu called Cui Sao and asked her to get some cloth and make a pair of cotton trousers tonight.
"There's no rush. In two days, on the third day of the New Year at noon, I'll wait for you at the back door of my house, okay?" Hu Ansui asked.
Sui Yu had no objection, "I'll ask your cousin to send it to you when the time comes."
The water in the bowl had cooled down, so Zhao Xiping took it out and poured it out, then brewed another bowl of hot water.
Juan Sui thanked them and drank some water from the bowl. Realizing that his arrival had disturbed the family's joy, he said a few more words and then said goodbye.
"I'll take you home," Zhao Xiping said. "It's late, don't walk at night."
As he spoke, he pulled out three cloth bags from his bosom, which were filled with copper coins. Zhao Xiping handed them over and said, "This is New Year's money. Take it. I hope you will grow taller next year."
Hu Ansui was not polite. He accepted the three bags of money and said, "Thank you, aunt, uncle, and cousin. I will come to pay you New Year's greetings next year."
"Okay, it doesn't have to be Chinese New Year, you can come any other day." Sui Yu saw him out and handed him the cotton jacket, saying, "Take it to keep warm, and ask your uncle to bring it back when you get home. Don't sew before the fifth day of the New Year. On the sixth, I'll have someone make you a set of close-fitting cotton pants, which will be delivered at noon on the seventh. You're thin, so no one will notice if you wear it underneath."
Hu Ansui thanked him, put on his cotton jacket, took the lantern handed to him by the boy and followed Zhao Xiping away.
After the horse's hooves faded away, Sui Liang stretched and asked, "Sister, why do you think he came here this time?"
"Can't you just come over and sit down?" Sui Yu asked with a smile.
"I don't believe it. He is a scheming person. It was so cold and he walked all the way from the city. How could he just sit here and drink two bowls of red date ginger water from you?" Sui Liang asked back.
"He probably understands the benefits cotton can bring us, and thinks we're rich and powerful, so he wants to associate with us and use us as a backer for him and his mother." Sui Yu sighed and said, "Don't think too much. He's a smart man. Even if he turned stupid overnight, he wouldn't turn against us. He and Sui Hui are in a difficult situation in the mansion, and they're scheming everywhere. If using our name can make their lives easier, then let him do it."
The cub held his mother's hand and said, "Mom, when I grow up, I will protect you too."
"What do I want you to protect?" Sui Yu didn't understand.
"You're jealous." He said firmly.
"What am I envious of?" Sui Yu became more and more puzzled.
"You envy my aunt for having a good son."
Sui Yu: ...No?
"Okay then, I'll wait for you to grow up and protect me too," Sui Yu said, "but I don't think you have a chance."
"I think so too." The kid chuckled. He decided not to have this chance. "My mother will always be strong."
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