Chapter 67 Homecoming
Upon learning that Zhao Xiping was safe, Sui Yu's heart was relieved. She thanked the two people who delivered the news again and again. After the soldier left, she sent the people who came to watch the fun out.
The wine jar was put into the woodshed, and the fat of ten pounds of pork was cut off to make oil. It was too hot and the meat could not keep well, so Sui Yu cut the lean meat into pieces, rubbed salt on them and marinated them. When the lard in the pot was refined, she first skimmed off the browned meat slices, then slid the lean meat that had been marinated with blood into the oil pan and fried it half-cooked, and finally sealed it in the jar together with the lard.
"Wait until your brother-in-law comes back before touching this meat," said Sui Yu.
Sui Liang nodded, he was not greedy.
"We'll go to the west gate to wait for him the day after tomorrow." Sui Yu said with a smile.
Sui Liang looked at her and smiled too. His sister had been unhappy these days, and he was unhappy too.
In the evening, during dinner, Uncle Niu came over. He didn't come in, but stood outside the gate and asked, "Sui Yu, I heard there was news about Xiping?"
"The guy who went with him came back today. He went to the desert to catch camels and said he would be back in a few days." Sui Yu put down his bowl and said, "Uncle Niu, have you eaten yet? If not, come in and have something to eat. I made some soup noodles, they are so soft."
Uncle Niu refused. Since he had a woman at home, he had never eaten out and he already had hot meals at home.
"Okay, you close the door, I'm going back too." Uncle Niu left with his hands behind his back.
"When Xiping comes back, I'll ask him to invite you home for a drink." Sui Yu said loudly.
"Will you invite me?" the neighbor on the right asked with a smile.
"Please, I'll kill a chicken and stew meat when he comes back, and you guys can come and drink with him." Sui Yu said cheerfully.
After saying that, she walked in briskly.
After a night of sleep, Sui Yu and Sui Liang busied themselves cleaning the house. While the camels, pigs, and sheep were out grazing, Sui Yu, with her nose blocked, walked into the pen to clean up the manure. She shoveled the camel, pig, and sheep manure into baskets, carrying them repeatedly to the vegetable garden.
"You're a woman, how can you do such dirty work? Just give me a shout and I'll run over and pick out all the manure." A man who lived at the end of the alley squinted at her and smiled in a friendly manner.
"So kind? Then starting tomorrow, all the excrement and toilets in this entire alley will be your responsibility." Sui Yu choked him, "Auntie Sun said yesterday that her toilet needed to be cleaned up. I'll go tell her later, and you can go to her house tomorrow."
The man looked embarrassed. He didn't answer, turned around and walked quickly into the house.
When Sui Yu returned, he found the door of his house closed.
"Isn't your husband coming home soon? You can wait for him to come back before you start picking up manure." Sister Lamei saw this and said, "Men are strong and unpretentious, so they are suitable for doing this kind of dirty work."
Sui Yu wiped his sweat and said with a smile: "He's been away for a month or two. It's not easy for him to be away from home. I won't bother him with what I can do."
Sister Lamei tutted her tongue a few times and muttered, "You feel really bad for that cold-faced man in your family."
Sui Yu laughed twice and went back to pick up the last half basket of pig manure.
Now the house was clean inside and out. Sui Yu took the bucket and went to find the camel. When it came back, the camel carried two buckets of water. Sui Yu boiled a pot of water and after dinner, he washed himself from head to toe.
On the morning when Zhao Xiping passed Yumen Pass, Sui Yu took Sui Liang to the west gate to wait for him.
Huang Ancheng looked at them for a long time, and did not dare to recognize them until Sui Yu and her brother left.
Later, Sui Yu and Sui Liang came again, this time they brought a camel. The camel walked and ate grass under the city wall. When it was tired, it lay down and slept, and only started to walk back when its owner came to lead it.
When Huang Ancheng heard Sui Yu call out "Brother Liang," he was certain the woman walking away was Zhao Xiping's wife. He couldn't believe his eyes. Last year, she was a frail, gray woman. Six months later, she looked like a completely different person. Even the khaki linen clothes she wore couldn't hide her vibrant face. Had a weed grown into a flower?
Early in the morning of the third day, Sui Yu and Sui Liang went to the west gate again, and they kept looking outside the gate.
"Sister-in-law?" Huang Ancheng came over and greeted, "Waiting for my brother Zhao?"
"Brother Huang, I saw you a couple of days ago, but I didn't say hello because you were busy." Sui Yu explained that she had already received a favor from him, and if she didn't say hello when they met again, she would seem ungrateful. She pointed outside the city gate and said, "Xiping will be back soon. I have nothing to do at home, so I came here to wait for him."
Huang Ancheng said "Oh" and suddenly didn't know what to say.
"By the way, Brother Huang, which day are you not on duty? Xiping made meritorious service this time, and his superiors have given him wine and meat. When he comes back, let him invite you to dinner at his home. We should have invited you last year, but you were busy and delayed it. If you delay any longer, we will forget about it." Sui Yu thought that since he was going to invite Uncle Niu to dinner, he might as well invite Huang Ancheng as well. They all had friendships with Zhao Xiping, and they would have something to talk about if they had a meal together.
"Let's talk about it after my brother Zhao comes back." Huang Ancheng hesitated for a moment, then touched his face and said meaningfully, "Sister-in-law, my brother Zhao is not at home. You, you might feel more at peace at home. There are too many people outside and your mind is full of confusion."
Sui Yu had noticed since the first day she came that the gatekeepers would stare at her and smile. That was why she didn't go to greet Huang Ancheng. She smiled and said, "It's just a piece of skin. There are many people who are better looking."
Seeing that she refused to listen, Huang Ancheng gave up and returned to the city gate to continue his duty.
Another passerby stared at her, and Sui Yu looked over as well. The other person quickly looked away, and she followed suit.
At noon, while returning to cook, Sui Yu leaned over the water tank to look at her. She had a bright and beautiful face, beautiful yet not vulgar, resembling the original owner's concubine. Sui Hu had been captivated by her beauty and had gone to great lengths to rescue her, eventually even asking his brother for help in de-enslaving her.
Sui Liang walked over and stuck his head in, kicking the water tank with his foot. Ripples appeared in the water tank and the reflected face was shaking so much that it was impossible to see.
Sui Yu turned her head to look at him. Sui Liang also had a fair face, and his eyebrows, eyes, and nose looked very similar to Sui Hu's. Only the shape of his mouth was exactly the same as hers.
"Is my sister beautiful?" she asked.
Sui Liang pursed his lips and smiled. He nodded vigorously and said a little sadly: My aunt and sister are both beautiful.
Sui Yu touched his head, then turned to look at the water tank, thinking that there were so many beauties in the world, and the Hu girl from the Western Regions was even more stunningly beautiful. People around her were used to it and thought it was just like that.
She scooped water into the house and while cooking, she was glad that she lived in a military settlement with many people. There were many eyes and people around her, which was a protection for her.
If this face causes trouble in the future and restricts her freedom, she would rather not have this beauty.
After lunch, Sui Liang took a nap at home. Sui Yu asked Sister Lamei to go out to cut grass. In the evening, she went to the west city gate again.
After five days of going there, the city guards who used to stare at her seemed to have gotten used to it. She was either standing or sitting, and there was nothing interesting to watch after watching her for a long time. Except for taking a look when they were bored, they just ignored her.
The sun rose above her head again. Sui Yu brushed off the dust on her body. She planned to go back to cook. Before leaving, she took a look outside the city. A camel that appeared outside the city looked familiar.
"Brother Zhao, you're back." Huang Ancheng greeted loudly while looking towards the city.
When Sui Yu heard the sound, a smile appeared on her face before she saw anyone. She pulled Sui Liang and ran over, and saw the man leading the camel at a glance.
"Come in quickly, your wife is about to tear down the city wall." Huang Ancheng joked.
When Zhao Xiping saw the woman waving at him, he stared at her absent-mindedly for a moment, and a few bursts of laughter brought his dazed eyes back to life. He took the bamboo slips and held them in his hand, subconsciously brushing off the dust on his body.
"You're finally back. I had a dream that something happened to you. I was so scared." Sui Yu looked him over and said distressedly, "You've lost a lot of weight..."
"Not bad." Zhao Xiping felt a little uncomfortable. His wife had grown beautiful, and he felt unfamiliar. He said in a dry voice, "Let's go back."
He couldn't wait to go back, as if there was another familiar person living in the house.
Sui Yu then realized that the camel was carrying two baby camels. She walked over and touched them, then asked, "Did you walk all the way back?"
"Not really. I've ridden on caravan camels before."
Sui Yu was a little bit unconvinced. His shoes were worn out and his toes were exposed.
Zhao Xiping followed her gaze, cleared his throat and said nothing.
Sui Yu felt very uncomfortable and stopped talking.
They walked in silence all the way into Shisantun. Smoke was rising from the roofs of every household in the alley. Most of the people walking in the alley were men. When they saw Zhao Xiping coming back, they came over one by one to ask about him.
Sui Yu heard the man's stomach rumbling, so she opened the door and went in. She washed her hands first and went to cook. She poured rice into the pot and asked Sui Liang to watch the fire. She picked up the vegetable basket and hurried to the vegetable garden to pick radishes.
When the rice boils, scoop up the soup and drain it. Sui Yu takes out a piece of fried meat from the oil tank, slices it and stir-fries it. When the meat is fragrant, pour in the radish strips. When the radish is soft, pour in the rice and simmer.
"Brother Liang, come here. I'll light the fire." Sui Yu sat down. Rice should be simmered on low heat. If the heat is too high, the food will get burnt.
"We are going to eat. Come back in the afternoon if you have anything." Zhao Xiping was impatient to deal with people who were trying to get information.
It would be tactless to stay any longer. The men living in the alley went out one after another. Zhao Xiping has always been like this. They are used to it. They are not unhappy about being kicked out.
As soon as the spectators left, Zhao Xiping went to close the door.
"Wash your hands and face, it's time for dinner." Sui Yu shouted.
"Okay." Zhao Xiping breathed a sigh of relief, but when he saw someone the next moment, he held his breath back.
"What's cooking?" he asked with his eyes lowered.
Sui Yu touched her face and thought that she had underestimated the power of beauty.
"Stir-fried radish and pork with rice. This is my first time making it for you, and it should be your first time eating it too." Sui Yu handed over the cooled rice soup and said, "Have a bowl of rice soup first. You didn't eat well on the way, did you? Don't overeat this time, or you'll feel upset."
Zhao Xiping reached out to take it, but he subconsciously raised his eyes and his hand slipped, spilling half of the bowl of rice soup.
"What? Were you knocked out by me?" Sui Yu asked happily.
Well, it’s still the same person. Zhao Xiping regained the familiar feeling. He shook his hands and said nothing, then drank half a bowl of water in one breath.
"If you're not thirsty yet, have another bowl." He handed over the bowl.
"Chop it yourself, I'll serve you the rice."
It was a familiar tone, and the discomfort in Zhao Xiping's heart mostly disappeared.
As soon as he took his first bite of the food, the last trace of discomfort disappeared. It was the taste he had been thinking about day and night.
Three radishes, two bowls of rice and a piece of meat made up half a pot of rice. If Sui Yu hadn't stopped him, Zhao Xiping would have eaten two more bowls with an open stomach and filled up the remaining rice in the pot.
"Walk around in the yard for an hour, and when the food in your stomach has been digested, you can take a bath and wash your hair with the heated water in the basin." Sui Yu instructed.
"I'll wash it in the evening. I'll clean the livestock pen first." Zhao Xiping walked over and took a quick look. There was no pile of manure.
"You did it?" he asked. "Are you not bothered by the dirt this time?"
"I still think it's dirty, but I feel sorry for you even more and want you to rest."
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