Chapter 270 Good Man
After the fun, a group of people returned to the Huang family. Huang Laoer and his wife were still eating. Cui Hongxia was pregnant and got hungry quickly, so she had to get up every night to eat a meal.
"Brother, sister-in-law, my third brother-in-law and his third sister-in-law, you must be hungry after playing around, right? Come in and have something to eat," Huang Lao Er said. "These are all leftovers from dinner, and there's quite a lot."
"No, we have to hurry back. There will be roasted lamb in the teahouse tonight." Zhao Xiping went to lead the camel.
"Where are Dad and Mom?" Huang Lianzheng asked.
"They probably went to Third Brother's teahouse to join in the fun."
"Then we'll go too." Zhao Xiaomi said in a low voice, "Third sister-in-law, you guys stay for a while. When Aning falls asleep, his father and I will go with you."
Sui Yu didn't want to wait, as she was worried that if she went back too late, there would be no mutton to eat.
"Wrap the child in a mattress. There's a spare room in the guesthouse. You three can stay with me tonight," Sui Yu said. "Come here, little cub, put on your wolfskin robe, and sit in your father's arms when you go back."
Seeing that Zhao Xiaomi had no objection, Huang Lianzheng went to lead the camels. His family bought four camels this year and all the money they earned was spent on buying livestock. He felt bad when the money was spent, but fortunately he wouldn't have to borrow camels for everything in the future.
All the camels were driven out. Sui Yu picked up the cub and handed it to Zhao Xiping. He took off the child's shoes and gave them to her. He unbuttoned his wolfskin coat and held the cub's feet in his arms to prevent the child's legs and feet from getting cold.
Zhao Xiaomi was also ready. A group of people rode on their camels. Sui Yu said goodbye to Huang Laoer and his wife, then rode away on their camels.
Meeting someone coming from the guesthouse on the way, Zhao Xiping asked, "Why are you going back to the city so early?"
"The children are sleepy. I won't bring them here to play next year."
"The roasted mutton in the teahouse hasn't been finished yet, right?" Zhao Xiaomi asked in a muffled voice, covering her face with a scarf.
"How could we know this? We are sitting at the door and cannot see what is happening ahead."
Not just on New Year's Eve, but even on ordinary days after a snowfall, city dwellers would come and spend twenty copper coins to buy a table and enjoy the fun, sitting there all day. Those with more money would choose to buy a bowl of soup and noodles from the kitchen, but many would bring their own. At noon, when the merchants had gone to eat, they would gather around the fire to roast their noodles and enjoy them with free hot water. Whether they brought their own food or paid for soup and noodles at the guesthouse, these people were not the type to eat roast lamb out.
After that, I met about ten people who were going to the guesthouse. These people had finished dancing Nuo dance and had agreed to walk here to listen to ventriloquism.
The guesthouse located in the wilderness was immersed in the night. Most of the merchants gathered in the teahouse. There was no light in the guesthouse. Only one or two fire lights could be seen occasionally when servants patrolled with dogs.
The teahouse was brightly lit, the oil lamps in the holes in the wall and on the dining table were all lit, and there was a long fire trench surrounding the stage, with roasted lamb, roasted salted eggs, roasted leeks, roasted fish, roasted pork, and roasted camel meat on the fire trench. The merchants ate and drank, and gathered together to brag and drink.
Kurban and Anle called Dazhuang and Aqiang to come on stage. It was almost late at night, and the people who were eating meat and drinking wine were confused by the smell of alcohol and meat. In order to prevent someone from getting drunk and causing trouble, they went on stage and beat gongs and drums to wake these people up.
"The child is about to fall asleep. I'll take him back to the house." Zhao Xiping said to Sui Yu, "You go in and have something to eat and drink. I'll come back after the baby falls asleep."
Sui Yu nodded. She saw Song Xian and walked over to her and said, "What a rare guest! Why are you here tonight?"
"It's lively here." Song Xian said in a hoarse voice.
Sui Yu beckoned to Xiaoxi, and when the others came over, she said, "Cut me a few pieces of mutton and roast them until crispy. Bring me two roasted eggs, two strips of pork belly, and a bowl of honey water and scallion and ginger water."
"Would you like to drink some wine?" Song Xian asked.
Sui Yu waved her hand and the water was brought. She first drank half a bowl of onion and ginger water to dispel the cold.
Song Xian suddenly approached and asked curiously, "Are you pregnant?"
"What? Who told you?" Sui Yu was surprised and amused. "No, if I were pregnant, I would definitely tell you first."
"I saw five snowmen piled in front of your house. The smallest one was not even as tall as my knee. I thought you were pregnant." Song Xian breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried all night.
Sui Yu was stunned for a moment, and when she came to her senses, she realized that the extra snowman must be Zhao Xiping's masterpiece.
"Your Captain Zhao wants the second one?" Song Xian understood what she was saying. She chuckled and said, "He's calling you."
"No, I told him as soon as I got back. He knows in his heart that the earliest he can come is the year after next, oh no, it's already the first day of the new year, and the earliest the second child can come is next winter. He must be looking forward to it." The roasted lamb was served. Sui Yu took the chopsticks and picked up a piece to feed his mouth, covering his mouth and continued, "He is not the kind of person who would do things secretly. Even if he had that intention, he would discuss it with me privately and would not bring it up openly to make things difficult for me."
Song Xian felt a complicated feeling in her heart. She picked up the wine bowl and took a sip of sorghum wine. The spicy taste suppressed the sour taste that came up. She took a hissing breath, reached out and took the roasted salted egg that Sui Yu had peeled and took a bite.
Sui Yu patted the eggshell on his hand, picked up another baked egg and peeled it, then asked casually, "Did you come here alone tonight? Didn't Brother Huang and the two children come?"
"Congzu is at home with his father. Lu Yaer came with me. She doesn't like the smell in the teahouse, so she's playing with cats in the kitchen barn. You're back, and she'll probably come over if she hears the noise."
As he was speaking, Sui Yu looked up and saw Lu Yaer and A Shui coming in together, but the two of them did not come over. Instead, they found an empty seat and looked up at the drums on the stage.
"You haven't reconciled with Lu Yaer's father yet?" Sui Yu asked with some concern.
"What's the point of getting along? It's just like that. I can't get along with him." Song Xian was in a bad mood when talking about family matters.
When she returned from the interior in late autumn, she excitedly discussed with her husband the idea of sending her two children to school to learn how to read and write. She also confided her plans: she would use the money to buy an official position for her great-grandfather, leave the family camels to him, and leave the caravan and servants to Lu Yaer, so that she could stay home and find a husband. Before she could finish her words, Huang Ancheng became furious. He accused her of leading Lu Yaer astray, saying that she was obsessed with money and ignored the safety of her children, causing the family to spend less time together and become a broken family.
At that time, Song Xian and Huang Ancheng had a big quarrel and they kept arguing. Song Congzu and Song Luya were not in the mood to come to school, and they never came after that.
"So what's going on now?" Sui Yu asked, "What does Lu Yaer think?"
"She's like her father, conservative, likes stability, and doesn't like leaving home." Song Xian disliked her daughter's lack of ambition. She patted her belly and said, "If I had a third child, I wouldn't count on her. I'm thinking about her wholeheartedly, but she doesn't appreciate it. She even says that she doesn't like me being away from home all year round, thinking that I don't spend time with her." She became more and more angry and said angrily, "Ah Shui has been without a mother since she was a child. I think she can manage the household and help you with the business of the guesthouse. She is three years younger than Lu Ya, and she can take care of herself and her father. She also feeds chickens and collects eggs to earn money every day. Alas, I spoiled her too much. She never worried about food, clothes, or money. She had nothing to do all day and was bored."
After listening to all these complaints, Sui Yu felt overwhelmed. As an outsider, she felt bad when she put herself in Song Xian's shoes. No wonder Song Xian had so much resentment.
"Sister Yu, I envy you. Your children are well-behaved and caring, and your husband understands you and, most importantly, supports you." Song Xian was on the verge of tears. She felt the alcohol kicking in, and her words were slurred. "He said I was too strong-willed, too wild, and too unsatisfied... I don't want to be strong. He and his two children can't have a good life. All his colleagues work in the fields. Even Captain Zhao works there every year, sowing in spring and harvesting in autumn. But since he followed me, he hasn't set foot in the soil since... I regret it. I thought he was content..."
Sui Yu didn't say anything, she pushed the undrinkable honey water over.
Song Xian picked up the honey water and drank it in a daze. After drinking a bowl of water, she seemed to sober up a little. She ignored what she said when she was drunk just now and ate the roasted eggs bit by bit.
Sui Yu was full, but she was not in the mood to play anymore. She missed her man and children.
"You and Lu Ya'er will sleep here with me tonight. Don't go back." Sui Yu said, "The ninth guesthouse is still empty. It's occupied by Old Chen and Hua Suichun's family. Xiaomi's family will stay in one room, and her parents-in-law will stay in another. You and Lu Ya'er can stay here too."
Song Xian thought about it and nodded in agreement.
Sui Yu went out to find someone to make arrangements. When she walked to the gate of her courtyard, she saw the little snowman hiding behind "Sui Liang" in the light of the snow. She smiled, touched the little snowman's head, pushed open the door and went in.
Zhao Xiping recognized her footsteps as she entered the room. He unbolted the door before her and asked in a low voice, "You're back so soon?"
Sui Yu took two quick steps, walked in and threw herself into his arms, muttering, "I missed you."
"Why are you thinking of me out of the blue?" Zhao Xiping was a little unconvinced. He hugged her with one hand and closed the door with the other.
"I think you're good, so I wanted to come back to see you." Sui Yu looked over him at the child on the bed. The little kid was sleeping in the quilt with a rosy face and a raised mouth. It was obvious that he was having a sweet dream.
"I'll get you some water to wash your face and feet?" Zhao Xiping asked. "Are you not going out to play?"
Sui Yu nodded.
Zhao Xiping opened the door and went out. Sui Yu took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. She walked to the bed and leaned over to kiss the little cub. What a warm and sweet baby.
When the hot water came, Sui Yu used the bath beans to wash his hands and face and asked, "Have you washed yet?"
"Yeah, I took a bath with the kid, gave him some ginger and onion water, and stuffed a water bag under the quilt. He shouldn't catch a cold tonight."
Sui Yu uttered a soft "ah". She dropped the handkerchief she was using to wipe her face, threw herself into the man's arms and kissed him passionately, saying coquettishly, "I'm so lucky. You're so good."
Zhao Xiping hugged her with a smile. After holding her for a while, he urged her, "Wash your feet quickly. The water is getting cold."
Back in bed, Sui Yu just lay down when the little guy smelled her scent in his sleep and subconsciously came close to her. She hugged him and smiled, and the more she looked at him, the more she liked him.
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