Chapter 189: Beating People
After taking off his dirty sheepskin coat and throwing his wolfskin mattress under the eaves, Zhao Xiping strode into the kitchen to wash his hands and face. Hearing familiar footsteps outside, he wiped his face and looked over. It was Sui Liang coming over with the cub in his arms.
When he saw his son, Zhao Xiping smiled knowingly. He leaned his hands on his legs and looked quietly at the child who was looking at him.
"Is it your father?" Sui Liang asked with his head down.
The boy stared blankly. When Sui Yu came over, he glanced at him, then quickly shifted his gaze and stared at Zhao Xiping.
"Don't you recognize me?" Zhao Xiping couldn't help but speak.
"He knows you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have stared at you for so long." Sui Yu handed over the razor and said, "Shave your beard."
Zhao Xiping glanced at the kid, then he splashed some water on his face, squatted on the ground, and shaved his beard against the water.
Sui Liang walked over with the baby in his arms, while the uncle and nephew stood guard beside them, one squatting and the other standing.
Da Zhuang ran to the door and stood there. Sui Yu said, "Go back to sleep. Call Zhang Shun and ask him to take you home. Don't run around."
Da Zhuang responded blankly, looked at Zhao Xiping again, and then left.
"Let me get some water. Do you want to take a shower first or eat first?" Sui Yu asked.
"Wash your hair and take a shower first, so you can warm your hair while eating." Zhao Xiping also wanted to soak in hot water, as he was cold to the bone.
After shaving, Zhao Xiping took the basin out to pour water. When he came back, he stretched out his hand to the boy and said softly, "Hey, come here."
The kid stretched out his hand and took a step forward. As soon as he moved, Zhao Xiping took two quick steps and picked up his son.
Before leaving home, the child was very affectionate to him, but now he is as distant as a stranger, neither crying nor laughing, which really makes Zhao Xiping feel sad.
"He's finally forgotten me," Zhao Xiping said to Sui Yu. "Or has he become a fool after hanging out with Dazhuang for so long?"
Sui Yu glared at him and ignored him.
"Sir, please eat two buns to fill your stomach first." Aunt Yin brought two buns and said, "I will roll the noodles and cook the soup noodles."
Zhao Xiping took the bun and took a big bite, then tentatively handed it to the kid. Seeing that he also wanted to eat it, he smiled and took the bun and fed it to himself.
"Little boy, uncle will hold you. Your dad is going to take a bath." Sui Liang stretched out his hand and said, "Come quickly."
The kid refused, twisted his body, and hid in his father's arms.
Zhao Xiping was immediately excited. This kid still remembered him, but he was quite good at pretending.
After taking a few bites of the two radish buns and preparing the bath water, Zhao Xiping handed the baby to Sui Yu and went into the warehouse to take a bath.
"Come on, let's get your dad some clean clothes." Sui Yu carried the cub out. Noticing the cub's reluctance, she patted him twice and muttered, "You were pretending not to know him just now, but now you want to cling to him again?"
Walking out of the kitchen, the kid lay on Sui Yu's shoulder and called out "Dad" vaguely.
"Yes, later you shout in front of your father and make him cry." Sui Yu smiled.
Sui Yu took the clothes and shoes and pushed the door open for the man to enter. She stood at the door holding the little boy, pointing at the man in the bathtub and asked, "Little boy, is he your father?"
"Yeah." The kid nodded heavily.
"Shout."
Zhao Xiping looked over in surprise, "Can you speak now?"
"Call him." Sui Yu said again, "Is he your father? Call him dad."
The little boy leaned shyly against Sui Yu's neck. He stole a glance at the man with fiery eyes and said obediently, "Dad——"
Zhao Xiping's eyes felt sore. He splashed some water on his face and said with mixed feelings, "How long have I been away from home? And the kid can already talk?"
"It's only been a few days since he started to pronounce words clearly. He can only call mom, dad, and uncle. He can't say the rest clearly yet." Sui Yu smiled at the man and deliberately asked, "Are you crying?"
"Why are you crying?" Zhao Xiping denied it. He quickly scrubbed his body, put on his clothes, and then scooped water to rinse his hair.
The little cub watched with great interest. When Zhao Xiping came over, he took the initiative to reach out his hands to ask for a hug.
"Good boy." Zhao Xiping kissed the kid's cheek and said expectantly, "Call me daddy again."
The kid stopped talking. He smiled and staggered to avoid his dripping hair touching him.
"Let's go eat first. You sit in front of the stove and warm yourself by the fire." Sui Yu opened the door and said, "Hurry up and run. It's so cold outside."
Zhao Xiping ran quickly with the baby in his arms. The baby laughed out loud with joy. The candlelight in the kitchen was reflected in his big eyes, which were as clear as black gems.
After Sui Liang left, only Aunt Yin, Sister Cui and Aunt Lin were left in the kitchen, kneading dough to prepare for breakfast tomorrow morning.
"Has A Qiang also returned to the guesthouse?" Sui Yu asked.
"Yes, Uncle Niu just came over and took A Qiang away." said Grandma Yin.
Sui Yu looked at the man who was hunched over and eating noodles while holding the baby. The father and son were very affectionate and didn't seem to need her much. She went out to the guesthouse to confirm whether the three children had returned to the house.
The servants and Uncle Niu all slept in the second guesthouse. Uncle Niu and Ah Shui shared one room, while the eleven female slaves, including Yin Po, shared two. Later, Ah Qiang and Hua Niu also joined. Fortunately, they were small and didn't take up much space, so they were able to fit in. The fourteen male servants and Da Zhuang shared three rooms. This left only six rooms in the second guesthouse, which housed a mix of lone travelers and groups of knights. Despite the diverse population, nothing serious ever happened.
"Hua Niu and A Qiang are back?" Sui Yu knocked on the door. "Is Da Zhuang back?"
"I'm back. Everyone has gone to bed. Do you have something to talk to them about?" Xiao Chunhong was pouring water for washing feet.
"It's okay, as long as we're all back. You should take good care of these three little ones. It's so cold, don't forget them outside." Sui Yu gave an instruction and went to see the dog again.
The big black dog and the little black dog slept in the haystack. They dug a nest for themselves under the haystack. The two dogs huddled in it and felt warmer than sleeping in an empty house.
"No need to get up, no need to get up, I'll just take a look at you and then leave." Sui Yu pressed Dahei's head, "You go to sleep, is Xiaohei here?"
Xiao Hei barked, and Sui Yu patted it, "You lazy bastard, you keep silent until your name is called."
After walking around for a while, Sui Yu returned to the room. The lights were already on and the man on the bed kept asking his son to call him dad.
"You're back? Let the kid scream again, I told him he wouldn't listen." The door opened and Zhao Xiping turned around quickly.
Sui Yu ignored him and sat at the table, taking off her hair in silence.
Zhao Xiping subconsciously felt something was wrong. He picked up the wolfskin on the mattress and put it on himself. He got out of bed, walked to Sui Yu and asked, "What's wrong?"
Sui Yu rolled her eyes at him, put down the comb, walked around him and got on the bed.
"Mom——" the cub crawled over.
"Lie down nicely while Mommy takes off her clothes."
Zhao Xiping was certain that she was angry with him. He thought about it and had a guess in his mind.
Sui Yu lifted the mattress and lay down. She hugged the cub and asked, "Are you hungry?"
The baby is not hungry. He now eats three meals a day with the adults, such as fish soup, meat soup, egg soup, or soft noodles. His demand for milk is much smaller, and one or two meals a day is enough.
Zhao Xiping also lay down. He put his arms around his wife and children and whispered in Sui Yu's ear, "I miss you. Do you miss me?"
"No, I'm very happy when you're not at home."
"I don't believe it."
"I don't believe you miss me either." Sui Yu snorted. She moved her hand away from her waist and scolded, "Behave yourself and reflect on yourself."
Zhao Xiping wanted to laugh. He pulled down Sui Yu's shirt and kissed the back of her smooth and delicate neck, explaining, "There were so many people in the West Kitchen, I was embarrassed to stare at you."
"Nonsense, you're so focused on your son." Sui Yu raised her hand to push him away, "Don't touch me."
Zhao Xiping refused to listen.
"Little boy, your father pinched me." Sui Yu complained, "Quick, beat him for mother."
The kid took it seriously. He threw himself on Sui Yu and stared at Zhao Xiping with his pair of expressive eyes.
Zhao Xiping kissed him secretly, and seeing that the boy was stunned, he laughed out loud.
"Today, I'll let you and your son see Captain Zhao's methods." Zhao Xiping rolled up his sleeves, held his wife and child in one hand, and kissed them madly.
Sui Yucai still had the strength to resist at first, but later she surrendered and looked at the man with a smile on her face.
The woman beneath him had affectionate eyes, a gentle radiance, and a faint blush on her cheeks, which put Zhao Xiping out of his playful mood. Zhao Mingguang, still staring with wide eyes, glanced at Sui Yu, reached out and lifted the cub onto his stomach, coaxing him softly, "It's getting dark, go to bed! There are wolves chasing us outside. They like to eat children who don't sleep."
Sui Yu turned sideways, raised her hand and placed it on the cub's back, saying, "Go to sleep quickly. Mommy wants to sleep too."
The cub obediently closed his eyes and lay on the heaving belly. Listening to his parents' breathing, he soon fell asleep.
"He's asleep." Zhao Xiping peeked in and asked, "Where's his crib?"
"In Liang Ge'er's room." Sui Yu leaned forward and said, "Put him at the end of the bed and cover him with a wolfskin mattress. Be careful later."
The little cub who was so cherished just a moment ago suddenly became an abandoned child. He lay at the end of the bed, moving his eyelids uneasily, and soon fell asleep in the afterglow of the rocking.
Milk and water blend together, the spring tide surges, the cold winter night quickly warms up, and the snow on the roof ditches turns into spring water, dripping and meandering all over the ground.
"You missed me." The man was very satisfied.
Sui Yu bit her lip and smiled. She tilted her head to wipe away the tears that oozed from the corners of her eyes, raised her soft arms and wrapped them around the man's waist, and asked in a tender voice, "Don't you miss me?"
"No, I miss you very much." Zhao Xiping hugged her and explained, "It snowed three times in a row this month. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. I've been thinking about you and the little one all the time back home."
"The guesthouse on the other side of the river collapsed, killing two merchants." Sui Yu slowly told him what happened at home while he was away. "I had someone push the last three guesthouses in the middle of the night. That Cui Liu has been trying to bully me while you're away. Go to his house tomorrow and give him a good beating."
"good."
At dawn, Zhao Xiping went into the city alone with a stick in his hand. While the city was crowded and bustling, he walked into Cui Liu's house and broke in openly. After knocking down three servants, he broke into the bedroom, dragged Cui Liu off the bed, and beat him on the ground like a dog.
"You've been to a rotten house three times, and you've been coming to my house for days to pressure my wife into buying it? The house collapsed, and you're accusing her of having someone knock it down?" Zhao Xiping hit Cui Liu's thigh with a stick and angrily asked, "What? Do you think I'm dead? You're bullying my wife now."
Cui Liu screamed in pain, and still unrepentantly shouted that he wanted his brother-in-law to seek justice for him.
Zhao Xiping hit him with the stick again and said, "Just go ahead and file a complaint. Have Captain Hu come to me. I want to see who is not afraid of death."
Captain Hu didn't even utter a word when he heard the news. Zhao Xiping had dared to go to the battlefield to save his wife from slavery, risking his life. He was a complete lunatic. Who in the army didn't know this? He wouldn't provoke such a situation.
"Sir, the eldest lady is here." The servant reported.
"No, tell her to stay put if she doesn't want Cui Liu to get into trouble," Captain Hu warned through the door. He was well versed in the ways of the thieves and knew exactly which men's women were untouchable. In the officialdom, letting Zhao Xiping suffer a minor loss was fine, but touching Sui Yu was like provoking a mad dog.
Zhao Xiping's life was worthless, but Captain Hu had not lived long enough.
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