Chapter 148 The Caravan Leaves
A team of ten garrison soldiers came in. The escorts and merchants were a little scared at first, but their rationality could not resist the temptation of the alcohol. Under the smoke of the flames, they started to have fun again. Some escorts who were eager to try came over with wine jars to toast, and they encouraged the garrison soldiers to compete with them.
The ten garrison soldiers looked at Zhao Xiping, and seeing that he didn't say anything, they continued to eat the meat calmly. When they were half full, they drank another bowl of wine to warm themselves from head to toe. Then they walked into the cold wind again, holding torches and returning to patrol the city.
At three o'clock in the night, roosters crowed everywhere, and the firewood pile in the kitchen yard was added again and again. The roasted mutton was slowly reduced to the skeleton. The merchants, who were drunk and staggering, supported each other and returned to the guesthouse to sleep, smelling of alcohol.
The escorts, still lucid, stayed behind to help clean the kitchen. Zhao Xiping lit two torches and said, "Someone's cleaning up here. Come with me to the guesthouse to see if anyone gets drunk and leaves their mattress unprotected, or sleeps on the floor. If they wake up, they'll be half frozen to death."
The escorts followed him and said, "Captain Zhao, you are so responsible. You are a fun-loving person and you can also handle the aftermath. Next year, no, it's already this year. This year, your business is bound to be good. These merchants will definitely stay at your place when they come again in the future."
"That's great. I'll make some money this year and build guesthouses on the few acres of land in the north, so that the New Year celebrations will be more lively in the future," said Zhao Xiping.
When he walked into the guesthouse, Gan Da was delivering hot water to the merchants in the guesthouse. When he saw Zhao Xiping, he helplessly held the tip money given by the merchant.
Zhao Xiping pretended not to see it and said, "Be careful, don't let anyone get into trouble. Watch out for anyone visiting. You can't go into their house unless they ask you to."
This is to prevent merchants' property from being stolen, and also to protect their own servants. If something happens, the blame will not be thrown on them.
Gan Xiaoxin responded and went back to the boiler room to continue boiling water.
He checked each room one by one, asking those who were still sober to stay awake and take better care of the drunk people. If everyone in the room was drunk, it would be Uncle Niu who had to pay more attention and get up more often to check around at night.
After settling matters with the merchants, it was almost dawn when Zhao Xiping returned to the west kitchen. The smell of alcohol in the kitchen yard had dissipated, and there was a strong aroma of barbecue. The fire pit had been filled in, and the fire was lit again in the kitchen.
There was still a lot of meat left on the sheep skeletons. The two brothers Zhao Da and Zhao Er chopped the sheep bones with an axe, washed them twice with hot water, and then stewed them in a pottery pot. The skeletons of three sheep could make three pots of mutton soup.
The little ones were drowsy. There were no beds or mattresses, so they fell directly on the hay pile in front of the stove and dozed off by the fire.
"Let's cook a pot of soup noodles with mutton soup later. We'll eat it and then go back. There are no guests today, so we'll close the door and sleep all day." Sui Yu said with a yawn.
Zhao Ersao rubbed her stomach. She had been talking non-stop all night. She wasn't actually hungry, but her mouth felt dry. She thought it would be good to drink some mutton soup to warm her up.
"It's more lively here," said Mrs. Zhao. "We live in the village, far from the city. It's not worth it to go to the city so late at night. In previous New Year's Day celebrations, each family would gather around a pot of fire, and then go to sleep after the fire died down."
Sui Yu didn't respond. She yawned again and acted listless.
Zhao Xiping didn't react either. He didn't talk about New Year's Eve on the first day of the new year. He wondered whether to let people from his hometown come over for the New Year next year, no, this year. He would talk about it at the end of the year.
"Madam, would you like some porridge? I'll make you another pot of millet porridge," Mrs. Yin asked. "Mutton is very hot, and it's been roasted over a fire all night. Drinking mutton soup might give you a sore throat."
Sui Yu cheered up and said, "That's fine. I'm not that hungry, but I don't want to go back on an empty stomach. I just want to drink something hot."
Mother Yin went to the warehouse to scoop out rice. As she was washing it, she said, "I'll cook it thinner."
"OK."
The noodles were rolled and cut, and the millet porridge was cooked. Sui Yu took a bowl of porridge and said, "Drink it yourself. If you want to eat mutton soup, wait a little longer."
People who seldom eat meat all year round will not find meat greasy. The Zhao family, young and old, are all hungry for oil and water. They will never drink the bland porridge if they have mutton soup. Only Sui Yu, Sui Liang and Zhao Xiping, brother and sister, serve the porridge to drink.
After the mutton noodle soup was cooked, Mrs. Zhao Da and Mrs. Zhao Er woke up the five children. Dalang and Erlang were okay, as they were older and more sensible. However, the three younger ones had not slept well, and they felt uncomfortable after being woken up. They cried with their mouths open and had no appetite to eat.
"Forget it. I'll ask Grandma Yin to leave half a basin of mutton soup for you to eat in the evening." Sui Yu said.
"Stand up! You're not allowed to sleep anymore." Mrs. Zhao pushed her little daughter up and said to Sui Yu, "It's not that we're short of food. We'll be out later and it's easy for them to catch a cold if they fall asleep. Wake them up, have them drink some soup, and then walk back awake. Then go back to sleep."
Sui Yu's head ached from the crying. She squatted down with the bowl in her hand and said, "Raising a child is quite troublesome."
Mrs. Zhao smiled and said, "Just raise one child. The eldest will take care of the second child, and the second child will take care of the third child. We won't let them go hungry, and they'll have a place to sleep at night. As long as they don't get sick, they'll grow up in the blink of an eye."
Sui Yu bit her chopsticks and said nothing. Seeing that Xiao Nan was still crying, she tempted her, "Don't cry. I'll buy you some candy when we get back to the city."
Zhao Xiaonan didn't listen, so the candy was useless now.
In the end, Brother Zhao carried the little daughter into the city, and the little girl slept all the way with tears in her eyes.
Just as she took off her clothes that smelled of wood smoke, Zhao Xiping came in with some water. Sui Yu stretched and washed her face with the water.
Zhao Xiping also took off his clothes and shoes. He came over to wash them and said, "My face is dry from being roasted by the fire all night."
Sui Yu squeaked, took off her shoes and soaked her feet. When the water cooled down, she wiped her feet and jumped onto the bed. She crawled into the cold quilt and urged with a hoarse breath, "Come up and cover yourself with the quilt."
But Zhao Xiping became restless once he got into bed. Lamb has a pungent nature and he was very anxious.
"I'm so sleepy." Sui Yu picked up his hand and bit it, then closed her eyes and said, "Don't touch me, I'll bite you to death..."
As he spoke, his thoughts became confused.
The man took a deep breath, fiddled with himself for a while, and moved to the edge of the bed to try to fall asleep.
When he woke up again, the room was dimly lit and outside was quiet. He couldn't tell whether it was day or night. Sui Yu turned over, and as he moved, the person behind him rushed over. The memory of before going to sleep came back, and the person was already lying on the bed.
"It's cold!" she cried in a husky voice.
Zhao Xiping pulled off the mattress and put it on her, but he only cared about the upper part and not the lower part, so her two long white legs hung there, exposing her panties.
The support pole had already entered the alley. Sui Yu forgot whether she was cold or not. She gripped the bedpost with one hand and asked sideways, "You didn't sleep?"
"Asleep." Zhao Xiping said briefly, he leaned over and kissed her, then moved all the way down.
I don’t know the day or the night, I don’t know the length of time, it’s like the chirping of cicadas throughout the whole summer.
The sound stopped, and a tingling sensation came over her. Sui Yu hugged his sweat-soaked waist and fell asleep again.
When I woke up again, it was really dark.
"My third sister-in-law is still sleeping?"
Zhao Xiping pushed the door open and took a look. Seeing no movement on the bed, he closed the door again and said, "I'll heat up her food when she wakes up. Go back to the backyard and don't hang around here."
"Mom's place..." Zhao Xiaomi hesitated.
"I know."
Zhao Xiaomi left.
Zhao Xiping then pushed the door open again. He went out and came back in with the oil lamp. The tiny candle flame gradually grew longer, illuminating half of the room.
"Still pretending to sleep? Are you hungry? I brought back two buns and a bowl of thick porridge."
Sui Yu laughed, opened her eyes, and said, "How did you know?"
"Breathing. People breathe differently when they're asleep and awake." Zhao Xiping went out again.
Sui Yu lay there for a while, but he didn't come back, so she got up and put on her jacket.
"It's getting dark, you don't have to get out of bed." Zhao Xiping brought a basin of hot water and said, "Go wash up, I'll go heat up some food for you."
Sui Yu put on his sheepskin pants, ran to the toilet quickly, went back into the house to wash up, and just as he sat on the bed, steaming hot porridge and buns were brought in.
Sui Yu sat on the bed and ate, while Zhao Xiping chatted with her. After Sui Yu was full, the couple lay back on the bed and spent time together.
I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and tossed and turned. When I woke up, it was already bright outside.
Sui Yu's face was rosy and she was in a good mood. She packed up, hummed a tuneless little song and went to the guest house with Zhao Xiping.
"Third brother, it's a nice day today. Let's go take a walk in your fields." said Zhao's father.
Zhao Xiping thought for a moment and said, "I never know when I might have work to do. Since I have some free time today, why don't we talk about Xiaomi?"
The family gathered in the warehouse. Sui Liang took the children out of the house and closed the door considerately.
"Xiaomi told me she plans to stay here and get married, and asked me to find her a good husband." Zhao Xiping got straight to the point and asked, "My parents are still alive, and I have older brothers. Normally, this isn't my responsibility to worry about it, but Xiaomi asked me, so I'm asking for your opinions on her behalf."
The room was quiet, and everyone looked at Zhao's father and mother, while the two elders looked at Zhao Xiaomi and Zhao Xiping.
"That's fine. The eldest and second oldest can look after each other back home, so you two siblings can stay here to help." Father Zhao said, "Xiaomi has been with you for two or three years, and she's grown wild and doesn't want to go back with us. So, let her stay here."
Zhao Xiaomi lowered her head and said nothing. She felt a little ashamed and angry. These words came from her own father's mouth, and it was almost like saying that she was too picky and looked down on people from her hometown. So even if she got what she wanted, she couldn't be happy.
"Do you have any requirements?" Zhao Xiping asked.
Father Zhao waved his hands and said angrily, "Don't ask us, ask her. She has the best ideas."
Zhao Xiping frowned, too lazy to talk to him anymore. He looked at Zhao's mother and said, "Mom, what do you think?"
"Find an ordinary family. Apart from you, a promising one, we're all farmers. If Xiaomi marries someone with similar financial resources, she won't be looked down upon. With you as her brother around, she won't be bullied." Mother Zhao looked at Zhao Xiaomi and said, "You have to listen to me on this matter. You can't just do whatever you want."
Zhao Xiaomi nodded and said, "As long as the man is hardworking and willing to work, it doesn't matter whether the family is rich or poor. But I do have one request. The man's parents can't be sickly, or at least they can help me take care of the child."
These requests were not demanding, so Zhao Xiping nodded in agreement and said, "Then I'll keep an eye out. If I find a suitable one, and Xiaomi is willing, I'll take him back with me."
Both Zhao's mother and father had no objection.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Mrs. Zhao rubbed her hands, a smile on her face, and looked at Sui Yu and asked, "Sister-in-law, do you need help here? What do you think of me?"
Before Sui Yu could say anything, Brother Zhao interrupted her and said, "If you don't go back, who will take care of the child? It's spring and we're busy with farm work. How can you stay here and help out?"
Mrs. Zhao gave him a sharp look and said, "Let our parents worry about us. You and I can come here and earn some money during our free time."
"Then your eldest brother and I will come too." Mrs. Zhao refused to suffer any setbacks. Farmers never have slack time. Seeds need watering after planting, weeding after germination, bird protection after crops, and fertilizing after harvest. The few days she has free time are usually spent tending the vegetable patch or collecting firewood and manure. The second son and his wife just walked away, leaving them to stay home and care for the elderly and the young? I dared to think.
"Go back," Zhao's father said with a fierce look on his face, "Have you all become wild? After a few days of eating meat, have you forgotten the taste of food? You've abandoned the land, and you're all starving to death."
Mrs. Zhao was still afraid of her father-in-law. She hated him to death in her heart, but she didn't dare to refute him outwardly.
From beginning to end, Zhao Xiping and Sui Yu didn't say a word.
"When will these caravans leave?" asked Zhao's father.
"Maybe at the end of the month, or early February, anyway, it's around those days." Zhao Xiping figured it out and asked, "Are you planning to go with them?"
Father Zhao hummed, "I'm still thinking about home. Your uncle's camel is needed, so we need to send it back to him as soon as possible. Oh, and I see you have quite a few camels here. I'll take one with me so I don't have to borrow from others all the time."
Zhao Xiping was silent and looked at Sui Yu.
"The camel is already well-trained. If I go back with you halfway, I'm afraid it won't obey my orders." Sui Yu said, leaning forward and saying, "How about this? I'll give my parents three hundred coins. When you go back, you can buy a baby camel from the local area. I'll raise it from a puppy and make sure it grows up to obey your orders."
Zhao's mother didn't know her plan. She just thought she had a lot of camels and didn't need to spend any more money. She said, "Don't you have a little camel here? We can just take this one."
Sui Yu shook her head, "I promised not to let them suffer with me."
"Who? Who did you promise?" Zhao's mother looked complicated. "You mean the camel?"
Sui Yu nodded.
Zhao's mother looked at her like a lunatic, an animal, acting like a human. She felt uncomfortable hearing this, as if there was a hornet's nest in her chest. She went out to chop some firewood to feel better.
…
On the 20th day of the first lunar month, Zhao Xiping received his salary for the year, a thousand coins. During those twenty days, the guesthouse's food income alone totaled over 1,100 coins. After deducting the cost of rice, flour, cooking oil, and salt, Sui Yu earned over 700 coins. Adding the guesthouse's accommodation fees and his salary, she had 2,470 coins left.
When the eleven members of the Zhao family left with the caravan, Sui Yu took out three hundred coins and gave them to Zhao Xiping, who then gave them to his father.
"Uncle San, can we still come over for the New Year this year?" asked Zhao Dalang.
"Let's talk about it at the end of the year." Zhao Xiping's meaning was unclear.
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