Chapter 376 Extra Thirteen
“Dad—Dad—”
"Your father is sleeping in the room."
Uncle Niu was awake. He happily opened the door and saw Ah Shui rushing in. He said disdainfully, "Your father is not dead. Run slower."
"I'm glad you're not dead." Ah Shui rolled her eyes and complained, "You really spoil the fun."
Uncle Lao Niu laughed, looked her over quickly, and muttered to himself, "You've lost weight."
"If you're always on the road, you're bound to lose weight."
"How was your trip?"
"It was great. I met a lot of people from other tribes. The people on the grasslands don't have houses and are always migrating with cattle and sheep. There are also snow-capped mountains. We even crossed the Tianshan Mountains. Oh, and there's also the desert. Beyond the Gobi Desert, the desert stretches as far as the eye can see. There's not a single blade of grass growing in the desert..." There was so much to say, Ah Shui talked here and there, talking about whatever came to her mind. Finally, looking at her father's face, she said, "My sister-in-law said that she wants me to go to Chang'an with the caravan next year."
Uncle Niu was relieved that Ah Shui was not opposed to leaving Dunhuang. He encouraged him, "Just go if your sister-in-law asks you to. I'll be waiting for you at home next year."
"Are you sick? Do you stop showering and washing your hair when I'm not home? Do you change your clothes often?" The excitement of returning home faded, and Ah Shui stared at the old man and began to inspect him. She strode into the house and commented, "Not bad. The house is clean, no bad smells. There are no dirty clothes in the box, and the summer shoes are put away. It's not bad. You haven't been lazy. I'm quite satisfied."
Uncle Niu was afraid of death and was also afraid that Ah Shui would worry. After she left Dunhuang, he still lived the same life as when she was at home. He took a bath every day when it was hot, washed his hair every two days, wore the same clothes for only two days, walked around the guesthouse at least five times a day, and combed the cat official's hair every day.
"Don't worry about going out. I'm fine at home." Uncle Lao Niu reassured her, "Your eldest brother takes good care of me. It doesn't make much difference whether you are at home or not. My life is just as comfortable as before."
To be honest, the old man was in good spirits. Ah Shui's worries when she found out that he was outside were all just her own fantasies. Maybe it was true as he said, he could live another twenty years.
"Then I will leave with the caravan again next year and we will go to Chang'an to sell horses." said A Shui.
"Yes, go ahead. I haven't been to Chang'an yet. When you come back, tell me what the master under the imperial city looks like." Uncle Niu agreed with her without hesitation.
"Okay." Ah Shui agreed happily. "By the way, Dad, my brother got a wife in Wusun. Do you remember that black eagle? It was rescued by my sister-in-law when it was in Wusun, and it lived with her until two and a half years ago, when it was brought to Dunhuang by Hu merchants. This year, it came with us to Wusun and met its former owner again. Thanks to it, my brother got a wife."
"Sui Liang? Did he get married?" Uncle Niu got excited. He walked out and said, "Come on, let me go see his wife. What a coincidence! He saved an eagle and got a wife."
"He hasn't come back yet. Go to the government office to pick up Xiaohua." Ah Shui stopped him. She sat on the edge of the bed without moving, saying nonchalantly, "Dad, I met my mother in Loulan. She gave birth to another daughter."
Uncle Niu's heart skipped a beat. He turned around, not knowing what to say. What a coincidence! There were so many small countries outside the Great Wall, and Ah Shui ran into one just by going out?
"Is it really her? You recognized the right person? What did she say to you?
What's wrong? "
"It's her. My brother knows her. She hasn't said anything and doesn't intend to recognize me. She and her husband run a food stall in Loulan and live a good life." Ah Shui said calmly, "You're right, she and I look completely different."
"She hasn't changed. She's cold-hearted, scheming, and not a good person." Uncle Niu was furious. "She doesn't recognize you, and you don't recognize her. I didn't raise you to this age to let you suffer any injustice. Just treat your mother as dead. Don't go see her again when you leave the confinement."
Ah Shui regretted telling him that he really had no feelings for Tong Huaer, which further proved that Tong Huaer's choice was right. However, she did not refute the old man's words. Two people who would never meet again, whether good or bad, would not affect each other's lives.
"Yes, I also told her that I won't see her again." Ah Shui echoed him, "I just want to tell you that I don't want to find my mother anymore, and you don't have to worry about it anymore."
"I'm not worried. We'll just live together as father and son." Uncle Niu heard some noise outside. It was Xiao Chunhong and the others coming back from unloading the goods and opening the warehouse door to check the money. An idea struck him, and he asked, "If you come with me this time, will your sister-in-law give you a share of the profits?"
"They should give it to me, but Hua Niu, A Qiang, Da Zhuang and I didn't do much on this trip except talking to outsiders." Ah Shui felt a little embarrassed. She warned, "Dad, don't say anything in front of my sister-in-law. It's her decision whether to share the profits or not. I have no opinion."
"I'm not stupid, I definitely won't ask. But even if she wants a share of the profits, it won't be until next year, after this batch of goods is sold." Uncle Niu walked out and said, "I'm going to go see if there's hot water in the boiler room next door. Before it gets dark and it's not too cold, you can wash and change your clothes. The stench you carry is giving me a headache. You also have the nerve to sit on my bed. I've made it dirty."
Ah Shui: ...
"Where is the cat official? Is it still alive?" A Shui chased out and shouted.
"Just like me, he's not dead, but I don't know where he went."
Xiao Chunhong came out of the barn. She smiled and said, "Uncle Niu is in good spirits."
"It's just that your mouth is annoying. You have to keep talking about death. The word 'alive' seems to burn your mouth." Ah Shui said disdainfully, "How is it? You didn't lose any money, did you?"
"No." Xiao Chunhong waved her hand.
*
That night, as Sui Yu and his family were about to cross the river to return home, Zhao Xiping caught a glimpse of a figure outside the gate. He shouted, "Who's there?"
"Sir, it's me." Gan Da walked out from the shadow behind the wall.
"Why are you here at this hour instead of going back to your room to wash up?" Sui Yu asked. "Looking for me? You're planning to go back to Zhangye, right?"
"Yes, I want to leave tomorrow, and I will catch up with the caravan when it passes through Zhangye next year," said Gan Da.
Sui Yu nodded and said, "Okay, just tell me about this in the kitchen. You don't have to come over and wait."
Gan Da was silent for a moment. He rubbed his hands and said awkwardly, "Master, I have another favor to ask of you. Could you lend me ten thousand coins? I want to redeem Liu Yaer from slavery. Xiao He is two years old now and it's time for her to be registered, but her mother is still a slave, so she can't become a good citizen. I want to redeem Liu Yaer from slavery this year to prevent her from becoming a slave. I'll have to pay an extra fifty thousand coins."
"Only ten thousand coins?" Sui Yu asked.
"I also borrowed 25,000 coins from Gan Er, plus the 15,000 coins that Liu Yaer and I saved, and I'm still short of
Ten thousand coins." Gan Da couldn't wait to explain.
Sui Yu was quite satisfied. He asked Gan Er to borrow money instead of borrowing 25,000 yuan from her out of friendship.
"Okay, I'll give you this ten thousand yuan as interest first, and deduct it from the dividends later." Sui Yu was happy to be a good person. "Come and get it tomorrow."
Gan Da slumped to his knees. He had been anxious for half a year, but he had never expected his master to agree so readily. He kowtowed and cried excitedly, "Thank you, master. Thank you, master. You are a very good person. Thank you."
"Alright, alright, get up." Sui Yu was about to go in with Xiaohua in her arms, saying, "Go back and rest early."
Zhao Xiping had been following behind, not interrupting until now. He finally spoke up, "Liu Ya'er's slave contract is in our hands and belongs to Dunhuang. To redeem her, you need to go to the government and find Supervisor Hu. Don't take the money and run to Zhangye to redeem her. Another thing to do is, when you go to the Ministry of Agriculture to find the official Hu Ansui. I'll tell him, and you can go with him to find Supervisor Hu. We'll also register your daughter's household registration in Dunhuang, so she won't be denied a good name elsewhere because of her age."
"Thank you, sir." Gan Da knelt down and bowed excitedly. "Thank you, your family are all good people. I wish you and your wife a long life and many children and grandchildren..."
Zhao Xiping waved his hand, interrupting him, "Go back to your room and rest."
The door to the mansion was closed. Zhao Xiping looked at Sui Liang and Tuoya and said hesitantly, "Why don't you two go back to your rooms and rest as soon as possible?"
"No, no, no." Sui Liang waved his hand, "Brother-in-law, let Tuoya sleep in the front yard. After we get married, she can move into my room."
"Aren't you already married?" Toya was puzzled. "You even call me wife."
"Listen to me, we have to have a wedding, otherwise it will be too much of a bully for you." Sui Liang suppressed her words, "Before the wedding, you will live in the front yard. There are four courtyards in the mansion. I live in the last one, and Xiaozai lives in the second one. The second one is reserved for Xiaohua, and this one is where my sister and brother-in-law live."
"Only two people live in such a big yard?" Toya exclaimed.
Zhao Xiping left. He didn't want to waste time chatting with the young couple. As he left, he told them, "You can take care of your wife yourself. You can choose any empty room in the mansion. If you need anything, ask the servants for it."
Watching Zhao Xiping enter the room, Toya whispered, "I want to sleep with you."
Sui Liang felt his ears burning, and he insisted that it was not possible.
"So when are we getting married?" Toya asked, "Tomorrow?"
"Next month, I'll go and ask for a good date tomorrow."
Tuoya was not satisfied. She heard the dog barking and said, "Da Zhuang sent Hari into your yard. I'll go check on him. You lead the way."
Sui Liang took her there, but Tuoya refused to leave, saying her legs, back, and head hurt, and that not being able to see him made her heart ache. He couldn't stand her pestering, so he had to find an empty room in his yard. However, there was no bed or couch in the room, and it hadn't been cleaned, so it was completely uninhabitable.
Sui Liang was busy all the time, so Toya went to the small kitchen to light a fire and boil water. She had already washed her hair and taken a shower in the afternoon. After a simple wash, she quietly sneaked into Sui Liang's room and slept on his bed.
By the time Sui Liang realized something was wrong, Toya had already warmed up the quilt. He suddenly realized what was going on and said, "I'm stupid. What's all this trouble? You sleep here, and I'll go sleep with the kid."
Toya immediately jumped off the bed, she held Sui Liang back and didn't let him go, even picked him up and threw him down.
On the bed, the quilt was lifted and covered, and the two lay together.
"Why are you being so hesitant? What's the point of a wedding? You're my husband." Tuoya said in Wusun language, "I don't understand your Han weddings, and I don't care about them. Let's not have one. Let's just sleep together."
"You can't say that. When in Rome, do as the Romans do." With a woman in his arms, Sui Liang was frightened and stuttered. He lay straight and stiff, forcing himself to stay awake and said, "If you don't have a wedding, outsiders will laugh at you."
Toya hated what she heard. She threw off the quilt and sat up, sitting on the bed with a sullen face.
Sui Liang carefully sat up with the quilt in his arms. He didn't dare to get out of bed, let alone sleep with the baby.
"You're wrong. I'm not happy." Tuoya turned her head to look at him. To make her thoughts clear, she spoke in Wusun language: "I don't understand your words, and I don't like your words. Why do we have to have a wedding just to avoid being laughed at by outsiders? And you still refuse to live with me. I'm not happy. You are my husband. You promised me on the grassland, so I'm willing to come back with you. If you weren't my husband, I wouldn't leave Wusun with you."
Sui Liang opened his mouth to explain, but Toya covered his mouth and refused to let him speak.
"I like that we are just like on the grassland. If I like you, I will pursue you. If you like me, I will agree without hesitation. We can both express our feelings and tell our parents directly. We don't need to care about the thoughts of cows, sheep or horses. Do you understand what I mean?" she continued.
Sui Liang pointed to his covered mouth and couldn't speak.
Tuoya ignored him and said solemnly, "I don't want a wedding. That's your Han etiquette. I don't understand it at all. It seems like you're trying to please outsiders. I'm a Wusun girl. This has nothing to do with me. We're getting married on the prairie, with the gods of heaven and earth as witnesses and the eagle god as matchmaker. No one can break us up."
Sui Liang vaguely understood what she meant. This seemed to be in line with her personality: straightforward, free and easy, spontaneous, and not bound by worldly constraints. This was also what initially moved him.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Sui Liang took her hand away, "From now on, we'll only do what we enjoy doing."
Tuoya was happy. She threw herself into Sui Liang's arms, tilted her head back and kissed him on the chin. She said excitedly, "I really didn't make a mistake about you. You're so nice. Let's go to bed."
Sui Liang's palms were sweating. He reached out and held Tuoya's face, then bent down and kissed her. Since he didn't have to worry about the opinions of outsiders, he didn't have to endure it anymore.
The black dog sleeping against the door was annoyed by the noise in the room, so it walked under a tree with its ears turned down to sleep, and later lay down against the wall. When it couldn't stand it anymore, it angrily yelled at the door through which the light came through.
Dahei and Xiaohei heard the sound and ran across the river to bark. The two dogs barked at each other through the wall.
"Go out and take a look." Sui Yu kicked the man.
Zhao Xiping had just finished fighting, and he was too lazy to move. He made an excuse: "There's someone else in your brother's room. How can I go to his yard at night?"
"Tuoya is sleeping in Sui Liang's yard?"
"Well, it's gone and never comes back."
Sui Yu thought about it and said nothing. He also had no intention of interfering in Sui Liang and Tuoya's affairs. As long as the two of them were willing, anything was fine.
*
The next day, Sui Liang and Tuoya slept until noon and no one called them during that time.
Tuoya happily went out holding Sui Liang's arm. When she met Sui Yu, she enthusiastically called out, "Sister, are you playing with Xiaohua?"
"yes."
Sui Yu spoke as if nothing had happened, without even looking at Sui Liang. She said to Tuoya, "After dinner, come with me to the city and find a tailor to take your measurements and make you some clothes. You can also ask Liang to take you there."
"I'll go with him," said Toya.
"Okay." Sui Yu liked her straightforwardness. "There's nothing else to do next. Let him take you around Dunhuang."
"Sister, let me tell you something. Tuoya and I won't have a wedding. She doesn't understand Han marriages, and her family isn't around. Going through all this formality is just for show, there's no point." Sui Liang said, "We're getting married on the grassland. Her parents are here, and heaven and earth are witnesses. The engagement is done."
Sui Yu looked at Tuoya and asked, "Did you two discuss this? Or was it his decision alone?"
"I don't want to do it. I don't like it," Toya said. "I can do it again if I like it later."
"Then it's up to you." Sui Yu didn't force it. Not having a wedding would save her trouble. "If there's no wedding, just buy Tuoya some nice clothes. Tuoya, if Sui Liang does something wrong, tell me and I'll beat him up."
"I'll beat him myself." Toya clenched her fists.
"Mom, uncle, aunt, the meal is ready, come and eat." The kid shouted.
"Here he comes." Sui Liang responded. He saw Hari following the cub and went over to ask, "Did you take him out this morning?"
"It ran to my door and waited. I saw it as soon as I opened the door." The cub touched Hari's head and said, "Aunt, please let Hari out to play. It was locked in the yard and kept barking. I didn't sleep well last night."
"Big Black and Little Black don't bite it? If they don't bite it, we can let it out." Sui Liang said.
The cub chuckled, "Hari is a female dog. Big Black and Little Black are fighting to please her, so they won't bite her."
As he was speaking, Dahei and Xiaohei each came out with a sheep bone in their mouths. Dahei threw the bone in front of Hari, and then ran into the house and came out with another sheep bone in its mouth.
"They accepted Hari. Hari, go and play with Dahei and Xiaohei." Toya said in Wusun language.
Sui Yu laughed, "The two dogs at home don't speak the same language."
Zhao Xiping came back on horseback, and the family went into the house to eat.
In the afternoon, Sui Liang took Tuoya to the city to buy clothes and shoes, and Sui Yu took Gan Da and Gan Er to move the cash box, and handed Liu Yaer's slave contract to him.
Fifty thousand coins were packed into twelve boxes. Zhang Shun and Xiao Chunhong brought camels to help carry the money boxes. They were all bought together by the master back then. Now Liu Yaer was the first slave to be redeemed, so they wanted to go together to witness it.
Sui Yu thought about it, and then she followed with Xiaozai and Xiaohua.
When they entered the city, they first went to the Agricultural Department, led by Hu Ansui, while Gan Da drove a camel into the government office alone.
In order to count the 50,000 coins, all the idle people in the government office went to help. The clerks brought a scale and worked together to lift the pole to weigh the money basket by basket.
"Is there really a slave who can afford 50,000 coins to redeem his freedom? Which family is he from?" asked the clerk who was watching the fun.
"He's Madam Xianhua's personal slave, not a member of a large family," said someone who knew the situation. "I've heard for a long time that Madam Xianhua gives interest to slaves who travel with her. I didn't believe it until now, but now I do."
"Hey, it's you. How many years did it take you to earn 50,000 coins?" the clerk asked Gan Da.
Gan scratched his head and didn't want to say anything, but he couldn't stand the intimidation from a bunch of petty officials, so he confessed everything honestly.
A minor official went out to ask Sui Yu about it, and Sui Yu did not hide the truth: "Slaves who trade with me can get 20% of the profits, but we have enough people at the moment, so we don't plan to hire more."
"Whenever you need help, please send someone to notify me and I will work for you." The clerk was extremely jealous, as he would never be able to earn 50,000 yuan in his entire life.
Sui Yu agreed with a smile.
Zhang Shun and his men felt like they were facing a formidable enemy.
Gan Da came out holding the household registration of his wife and daughter. Xiao Chunhong took it and looked at it carefully. Her eyes were red. She was happy for Liu Yaer and Xiao He, and also for her and her future children. It was not easy along the way.
Qingshan took Xiao Chunhong by the hand and said, "Next winter, it will be our turn to get the household registration."
Xiao Chunhong handed the household registration to Gan Da and said, "Are you leaving today?"
"Yes, I will bring this good news to Liu Yaer as soon as possible." Gan Da took the bundle handed to him by Gan Er and said, "I will wait for you in Zhangye in the spring of next year."
"Master, I'm leaving now." Gan Da knelt down and kowtowed to Sui Yu again, "Thank you for your kindness to us."
"Be careful on the road." Sui Yu warned.
Gan Da rode the first camel straight to the east city gate, while the others drove the camels carrying empty money boxes out of the government office. They looked back twice before leaving and agreed to come back next winter.
"Madam, you haven't gone home yet?" Hu Anyui came out and saw Sui Yu. He quickened his pace.
"Is your father free now? I have something to ask him." Sui Yu said.
"Yes, please come in with me."
Sui Yu went to Inspector Hu to ask him to help her find a slave who had come from a noble family. He should be good at identifying jewelry, jade, furs and fabrics, and it would be even better if he had knowledge of spices and herbs.
"It's best if it's a girl. I'll take her back to help me manage my warehouse." As soon as he said that, a name popped up in Sui Yu's mind.
Hu Ansui stood up suddenly when he heard this. He asked nervously, "Aunt, do you think my mother is suitable?"
Supervisor Hu frowned but said nothing.
Sui Yu just thought of Sui Hui.
"Dad, please let my mother out." Hu Ansui knelt down. "I beg you, our family doesn't need her. She can't stay in that small courtyard staring at the sky day and night. She will die."
"I'll give you a horse. Wusun horses are shorter than Dayuan horses and more docile, making them suitable for you to ride." Sui Yu proposed the exchange. "If Madam Wen is no longer Madam Wen, you will no longer have a fatal leverage."
Two days later, Concubine Wen in Supervisor Hu's mansion died suddenly, and a woman named Er Niang appeared in Changgui Guest House. Except for the host family, no one knew her origin and name.
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