Chapter 62 Sui Ling's Affair
Zhao Xiping left in front of the people in the alley. At first, everyone thought he had gone out for something. After a few days, there was still no sign of him. Only Sui Yu and Sui Liang went out to herd pigs and sheep every day, opening the door at sunrise and closing it at sunset. Now the people in the alley began to worry.
That afternoon, Sui Yu was carrying a basket to the vegetable garden when a woman sewing in the alley stopped her and asked, "I haven't seen Captain Zhao for a long time. Has he returned to his hometown?"
"I'm not going back to my hometown, I'm going out on business."
"On errands? What errands?" The seven or eight people present were now alerted. "Who gave the order? My man didn't listen to anyone's instructions."
"Captain Qu sent him away. I don't know what the specific matter was." Sui Yu pretended to be dumb.
"Did you just send him away alone?" asked the better-dressed woman.
Sui Yu shook his head, "I don't know about that."
Since she knew nothing about anything, the women stopped asking her. Sui Yu stopped and chatted with them about the farmland for a while, then went to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables.
The radish seeds sown in mid-February had already grown into fairly large radish heads three months later. Sui Yu pulled up the large, leafy radish stalks. Each one was about the size of a palm, and she filled a basket with over thirty radishes. She then went to pick a bundle of bitter herbs, tied them together with long-stemmed weeds, and carried the basket in one hand and the vegetables in the other.
As soon as I entered the house, I heard the grunting of pigs.
"Here they come." Sui Yu took the radish stalks from the basket and tossed five fresh radishes into the pigpen. As the pigs grew, their appetites increased. The thin soup they ate was no longer enough to satisfy them. Besides their three daily meals, they had to be fed again in the morning and afternoon.
Sui Liang drove away the chickens that came to peck at the vegetables. He dragged a wooden basin over to pick the vegetables. He chopped the vegetables with yellow leaves and those that were eaten by insects to feed the chickens, and threw the rest into the basin.
"Go, go, go—" Sui Yu raised his hand to chase the chickens away. "You all starved to death and were reincarnated as ghosts. Why don't you go out and find bugs to eat? If there's anyone at home, just stay inside."
The chickens were driven away but came back around again. Sui Yu had no choice but to go into the woodshed to get a machete, chop up a few radishes, and cut the radish vines into small pieces. She then mixed the chopped radishes with the chickens and poured them into the trough to feed the chickens.
The two sheep were also bleating. Sui Yu looked at the few radish seedlings in the basket and simply poured them all out to feed the sheep.
"Brother Liang, I'm going to the vegetable garden again. You can play at home. If you don't want to be alone at home, go find Big Head Erya at Sister La Mei's house." Sui Yu instructed.
Sui Liang nodded, but he didn't go out to play. After the chickens finished eating, he took a broom to sweep up the leftovers, and poured the leftovers mixed with chicken manure next to the pepper tree.
"Is anyone home?"
Sui Liang walked over with a broom. He didn't recognize the person outside the door.
"Are you home alone? Where is your sister?" the man asked.
Sui Liang waved his hand, meaning that he was not at home.
The man didn't come in. He stood in the alley waiting. When Sui Yu came back, he asked directly, "What business trip did Mr. Zhao take?"
"How would I know about men's affairs?" Sui Yu shook her head. "If you want to know something, ask Uncle Niu. He might know better than me."
This was what Zhao Xiping told her that night. If anyone asked, she would pretend not to know. If she showed any signs of it, she would never have peace at home again, as everyone would be eager to get to the bottom of it.
Uncle Niu happened to arrive, and the man went to inquire. Others who had heard the noise also began to leave. These soldiers, who had retired from the battlefield, were often like this: afraid of turmoil and fighting, yet also coveting military glory and wealth. If they were farming, everyone would stay at home and work the land, sharing the hardship together, and there would be no trouble. But if someone emerged, even if they had no desire for fame or fortune, some would toss and turn, restless and unable to sleep.
Uncle Niu explained everything he knew and said with a smile, "My life is more comfortable. I don't attract attention. The adults don't like me. I stay at home every day and eat and sleep well."
Captain Li also came over when he heard the noise. He couldn't understand how Captain Qu knew Zhao Xiping. The only explanation that made sense was that Captain Qu saw Zhao Xiping practicing archery.
"It's not easy to live a peaceful life. Be honest and don't dwell on trivial matters." Captain Li warned, "If you have nothing to do, go work in the fields. If you want to be rich, consider whether you have the destiny to do it."
The smile on Uncle Niu's face fell. He was not under Li Daquan's control, so naturally he was not afraid of him. He bent his neck and spat a mouthful of phlegm at him with a "click".
Captain Li was disgusted to death, but there was no point in arguing with this old ruffian, so he waved his hand to let these people disperse and left as well.
Uncle Niu walked forward, his hands behind his back. He walked into the Zhao family's house and saw Sui Yu cutting radishes to dry. He told him to come to him if he needed anything. Thinking about the one at home, he didn't stay long, but took half a raw radish and chewed it while walking away.
The cleaned bamboo mats were piled on the stones, and Sui Yu moved two tree stumps from the woodshed to place under the bamboo mats. She and Sui Liang spread the sliced radish on top, filling the entire bamboo mat. Sui Liang sat next to them and drove the chickens, while Sui Yu went into the kitchen to light a fire and scald the radish seedlings and bitter herbs.
The scalded radish seedlings and bitter herbs were piled in a basket. When the temperature was no longer hot, Sui Yu carried the basin out by himself and hung the drained vegetable seedlings on the clothesline. If he could dry more vegetables in the summer, he would not have to worry about having no vegetables to eat in the winter.
The sun was already setting when the last bitter herb was hung. Sui Yu put her hands on her hips and breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she didn't work in the fields, the little things around the house were tiring.
"Let's go, Liang'er. You go and herd the sheep and pigs. I'll take the camels to fetch water, and let the pigs and sheep go out for a walk as well." Sui Yu said.
Two buckets tied together were placed on the camel's back, and Sui Yu carried another small bucket. She woke up the sleeping cat owner, locked the door, and went out with it.
Less than half an incense stick's time after Sui Yu left home, Tong Huaer walked from the Seventeenth Village to the Thirteenth Village. She ignored the eyes of the people in the alley and strolled slowly. After walking back and forth, she turned into the next alley. When she passed the Qian family, she slowed her pace and heard the old woman in the yard scolding Sui Ling again. She curled her lips.
As the sun sets, smoke rises from the chimneys of every household. Sui Yu and Sui Liang come back with camels, pigs and sheep. After entering the house, Sui Yu closes the door immediately.
Tong Huaer passed by again, walked to the end of the alley and went straight back to Shiqitun.
Night fell quickly. When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Uncle Niu was urged by Tong Huaer to go out and patrol for Sui Yu. He yawned and when he opened his squinting eyes, he heard footsteps running in front of him.
"Is there really a thief committing crime in the middle of the night?" Uncle Niu muttered to himself. He looked around, picked up a stone from under the wall, and followed in with light steps.
The moon in early June was curved like a sickle. The dim moonlight could not penetrate the darkness, and the night covered the figures under the tree. Uncle Niu could not see the people clearly, but he heard panting. He cursed inwardly and turned into another alley to patrol.
He walked back and forth in the second alley of Shisantun, thinking that the wild couple would eventually leave, but when he was leaving, he bumped into someone.
"Who?" Sui Ling was scared to death, but did not dare to speak loudly.
Uncle Niu suddenly realized it, but he didn't want to get involved, so he said in a gruff voice: "Why are you hanging out alone in the middle of the night? Go home now."
Hearing the voice was a man, Sui Ling immediately ran away.
After she left, Uncle Niu chuckled. He went back and told Tong Huaer, "Sister Sui Yu is not a quiet person. She ran out in the middle of the night to meet her lover."
"Who?" Tong Huaer perked up. "Are you talking about Sui Ling?"
“I don’t know if that’s the name.”
"Tell me in detail." Tong Huaer wanted to laugh out loud. She was worried that she couldn't take revenge on Sui Ling, but she ended up delivering it to the door herself.
…
Another late night, Sui Ling and the man beside her fell asleep. She quietly got out of bed, put on her shoes, slowly pushed open the door, and walked lightly towards the woodshed. The door of the woodshed was half open, and as soon as she approached, she was pulled over by the person hiding inside.
Before going to bed, she went to the toilet on purpose and lowered the bolt on the front door before returning to the house. When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, a nimble man pushed the door open and walked in quietly.
"My dear, you made me wait so long."
"I came out when Qian Wei fell asleep."
"Did he give you any trouble? Let me see..."
There was a rustling sound, and Sui Ling put her arms around the man's neck. She lowered her voice and asked, "When will you take me back?"
At this moment, the sound of a door opening was heard in the yard. Qian's mother got up in the dark to go to the bathroom. Sui Ling was so frightened by the coughing outside that she froze and dared not move.
When Qian's mother heard some noise in the woodshed, she thought it was a mouse. She cursed twice and kicked the door to scare the mouse away.
Sui Ling was trembling with fear. When the noise in the yard died down, she collapsed and said, "I can't stand this life of stealing and cheating. Take me back."
"Life like this is so exciting, don't look for trouble." The man pushed Sui Ling away, put on his clothes, and went to open the door, whispering, "I have something to do tomorrow night. I'll be waiting for you here the night after tomorrow."
Sui Ling held the man back and wouldn't let him go. She wasn't the type to suffer any loss, but she didn't dare to anger him. After reluctantly sending the man out, she secretly thought of an idea in her mind.
Behind a pile of firewood, Tong Huaer and Uncle Niu came out after the man left. Hearing the sound of water splashing in the courtyard across the wall, she sneered, "It's a pity that such a person ran away from the brothel."
Uncle Niu was shocked that the daughter of a wealthy family could be so dissolute.
As the night wore on, the filthy alleyway, once bustling with activity under the blazing sun, became bustling with activity. Farmwork had slowed, and most people were busy at home with chores. Women were bustling in and out, drying vegetables, while men sat under trees weaving bamboo baskets. As Tong Huaer walked by, behind her, a series of ambiguous laughs echoed, and then, after someone whistled, the laughter erupted with a sudden, resounding roar.
Sui Ling came out with a dark face to pour out the slop. She was already unhappy, and when she saw Tong Huaer, she felt even worse. She spat in disgust, "What bad luck."
Unlucky? Tong Huaer lowered her eyes and smiled.
The sun sets and the stars rise, the moon rises and the stars move. After waiting all night for no one, Tong Huaer went back with Uncle Lao Niu when it was just dawn. They slept for most of the day. After dark, the two, one who wanted to make trouble and the other who wanted to watch the fun, hid behind the haystack again.
Footsteps approached, and the wooden door creaked softly. Half a cup of tea later, Tong Huaer ignored the obstruction and approached the main door. She pressed herself against the door to listen for any movement. After Sui Ling came out, she suppressed her excitement and waited for a moment, then pulled the doorknob tightly and shouted, "Hurry, someone, there's a thief, there's a thief in the Qian family."
The sleeping person was awakened by the shout. Qian Wei jumped up, pulled out a machete from under the bed and ran out.
Uncle Niu grabbed Tong Huaer and ran away.
The man who had just entered the alley wanted to run away, and Sui Ling took the opportunity to move over to him. With a move of her feet, she kicked off the man's pants.
"Where is the thief?" Qian's mother ran out barefoot.
The others followed him out. Father Qian went to the kitchen to get a kitchen knife, lit an oil lamp, and brought it out, saying, "Look for them all."
The people in the alley also got up. A group of people came over with knives and axes and pushed the door open.
"A thief really broke in?" Brother Qian was shocked. It was he who locked the door before going to bed at night.
"Please help me look for it." Father Qian went to the camel pen first with an oil lamp. Qian Wei walked around the yard. He raised his machete and kicked open the door of the woodshed. These were the only two places in the house where people could hide.
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