Chapter 38: Accusation
In the middle of the night, Zhao Xiping was awakened by a noise beside him. He turned over and sat up, letting the mattress open to the wind. The feet that reached out to him were hit by the cold wind and quickly retracted. However, after a moment, the feet stretched out again.
"Don't go too far." He whispered.
The foot's owner didn't react. Zhao Xiping waited for a moment, then reached out to push the foot away and rolled up the mattress to lie down again, this time on his side, facing the door. However, just as he began to feel sleepy, the foot behind him began to rub back and forth, and a suppressed groaning sound echoed in the silent snowy night.
Zhao Xiping was annoyed. He threw off the quilt and sat up. Just as he was about to hit someone, his hand was raised in the air when the person opposite him also sat up.
"Not pretending anymore?" he asked angrily.
Sui Yu was in a daze and didn't hear what he said at all. She curled up her feet and took off her socks. The familiar burning and itching made her feel something was wrong. Her toes and insteps felt hot and swollen, and there were the same bumps on her hands.
"It's over, the frostbite has relapsed." Sui Yu said helplessly.
Zhao Xiping calmly withdrew his hand. He stared at the dark figure and asked, "Do you have frostbite?"
"I got frozen on the way to exile. It healed when the weather got warmer, but it came back again yesterday when I got frozen. It itches so much." Sui Yu didn't dare to scratch and could only rub it with the palm of his hand.
"Why are you awake too?" she asked.
Zhao Xiping was silent for a moment, then said, "I woke up from the cold."
"Did I steal the mattress? Then you go to sleep quickly, I'll go to sleep too." Sui Yu had no intention of chatting. After the itchy feeling passed, she tied her socks again and lay down with her hands and feet outside the mattress. Chilblains need to be kept cold.
Sui Yu fell asleep again, but Zhao Xiping couldn't fall asleep. He lay there for a long time, waiting for the bedside breathing to calm down. He got dressed and went out. The bowl of noodles on the steamer was already boiling. He washed his hands, mixed the noodles, kneaded them into a smooth dough, and put it back on the steamer to smoke.
The cat officer squatted on the food cabinet and stared at the ceiling intently. He looked at it when people came in and looked at it again when people went out. Then he stayed on the top of the food cabinet with his ears erect, motionless.
The night returned to silence. The mouse hiding on the roof came out. Just as it went up to the stove, a black shadow pounced on it silently. The cat's tail swept across the basin on the stove. With a twist of its front paws, it bit the mouse in mid-air and fell to the ground. The big mouse, with a cold body, died in front of the warm stove.
The next day, when Sui Yu was making a fire, she felt a mouse tail in the straw residue under the stove. She woke up the cat that was sleeping soundly on the stove and flattered it again.
"There's no oil at home. I'm going to buy a can of soybean oil and a pound of pork fat. You keep an eye on the fire in the pot," said Sui Yu.
"I'll go buy it. You stay home." Zhao Xiping went into the house to get the money and came out to ask, "A pound of pork fat and a can of soybean oil?"
"Yes, the soybean oil goes to the store next to the liquor store. I told the owner yesterday."
Zhao Xiping went out in the snow. He walked quickly and came back in just an incense stick of time.
After that, the three people in the family had their own tasks, with Sui Liang lighting the fire while Sui Yu fried the stuffing, and Zhao Xiping kneading the dough on the side. He didn't leave when Sui Yu wrapped the stuffing, but helped by kneading the pancakes.
The steamer was put into the pot and Sui Liang continued to light the fire.
With Zhao Xiping's help, all the buns were out of the pot at noon. Sui Yu ate her fill at home and filled the water bag with hot water. She carried the two hot water bags and went out in high spirits.
"I'll go with you." Zhao Xiping followed out.
"I don't want you. You can't help even if you go. It will just be one more person suffering from the cold. You should prepare dinner at home so that I can have a hot meal when I come back." Sui Yu refused firmly. After saying that, she was afraid that he would catch up with her. She covered the water bag with one hand, held the camel with the other hand, and ran with big strides.
Sui Yu followed the same route as yesterday. After a round trip, she had sold two baskets of buns, leaving her with the remaining two baskets to hawk in the military settlement. Farmers weren't as wealthy as merchants, and with no income in winter, they were even more reluctant to spend money. Sui Yu hawked her wares back and forth in the alley until dark, with a dozen or so buns still left.
The next day she made one less pot, but still sold it until dark before coming back.
"I'll make one less pot tomorrow. The snow has stopped, and more people will be cooking." Sui Yu shook her head as she warmed herself against the fire. She had been hawking her wares in the military settlement for three days, but her true identity had finally been exposed. The residents, knowing she was a convicted slave, had lost their usual kindness. Today, she encountered a few shameless people who even took the buns without paying. Another person yelled at her for charging too much when someone else bought them.
Zhao Xiping stared at her red and swollen fingers and said, "Don't sell them tomorrow. You can set up your stall when the weather warms up."
"When the weather gets warmer, we have to work in the fields. Besides, what else can we do if we don't sell buns? When it's cold, there's nothing to do, so we just shiver in bed every day?" Sui Yu shook his head.
Zhao Xiping didn't argue with her, but after dinner he stopped kneading dough for her.
Sui Yu sat on the bed, staring at the person who came in, and asked, "Is the dough ready?"
"I won't sell it tomorrow."
"You're so annoying." Sui Yu was anxious. She didn't let him get on the bed and said, "Go knead the dough for me."
The man stood still.
"I didn't ask you to sell it. I'm freezing, not you." Sui Yu yelled.
Zhao Xiping said nothing, but also did not move.
"Or do you like me? You don't want me to go out and suffer from the cold?" Sui Yu provoked him.
Zhao Xiping didn't say a word and didn't respond no matter what she said.
Sui Yu hated him for being so stubborn. She spat at him, put on her clothes, and went to the fields to knead the dough.
Zhao Xiping quickly locked the door, then stood at the entrance, blocking it. He said in a deep voice, "I told you I won't be setting up a stall anymore. You can just stay home for the winter."
Sui Yu stood in front of him, glaring, and said firmly: "Zhao Xiping, you are finished. You have fallen in love with me."
"I just can't bear to see you ruining yourself. I want to get a good night's sleep, too." At this point, the man's voice faltered. He stared at the dark figure in front of him with resentment and said angrily, "You keep whining and moving around in bed in the dead of night, and you won't stop until you wake me up."
Sui Yu was speechless, she didn't know this.
"My frostbite has recurred. Even if you don't let me go out to sell buns, I'll still be whimpering when I feel itchy at night." Sui Yu pushed him away while he wasn't paying attention. She swiftly pushed the door open and said with a laugh, "I'm out."
Zhao Xiping followed him out, and Sui Yu closed the stove door first. She leaned against the door and said, "It won't be cold if it doesn't snow. I'll cook less next time. I'll just steam a couple of baskets of buns and sell them on the street. I'll be back in an hour at most."
What nonsense! Zhao Xiping had been in Dunhuang for six years. How could he not know what the winter weather was like? Once it snowed, it was always cold. People could freeze to death.
"Open the door," he said.
"You go back to your room and sleep. I'll go in with a bowl of noodles." Sui Yu had made up her mind. She leaned against the door and stared at the cat on the stove, ignoring the people outside.
Zhao Xiping walked around outside for a while and felt so cold that he couldn't stand it anymore, so he had to do as she wished.
Hearing the footsteps, Sui Yu left from behind the door. She lit the stove, washed her hands, and kneaded the dough in a basin. Thinking of Zhao Xiping's behavior tonight, she smiled happily, and a piece of ice was finally melted by her.
After kneading a bowl of dough, Sui Yu stuffed some grass residue into the stove hole. To prevent the cat from getting in and getting burned, she blocked the stove hole with a wooden block.
After closing the stove door, Sui Yu hunched her neck and walked into the bedroom. When she pushed the door open, a warm breeze came in. She quickly closed the door and walked to the bed in the dark.
Halfway through the walk, she suddenly had an idea, turned on her toes and walked to the side where the man was sleeping. When she touched the edge of the bed, she took off her shoes and climbed over.
"We took the wrong turn." Zhao Xiping said.
"Oh." Sui Yu stifled a laugh and rolled over him. "It's really warm here."
Zhao Xiping ignored her.
"I only mixed one bowl of dough, which is enough to make three steamed buns. I'll probably be back in an hour." Sui Yu squatted beside him and said, "How about you come with me tomorrow?"
He wanted to go when she disagreed, and she took the initiative to propose it, but Zhao Xiping didn't want to go anymore.
"It's settled. You help me lead the camel tomorrow, and I'll just do the shouting." Sui Yu made the final decision.
"Go to sleep." Zhao Xiping agreed.
As Sui Yu expected, the three pots of buns were almost sold out after just one round of shopping on the street. Zhao Xiping led the camel for her, and he used chopsticks to pick up the buns when someone bought them, and he also collected the money. Sui Yu only had to shout, and less than an hour after they went out, the two of them returned with a camel.
However, in the eyes of others, this is evidence of good business.
At the Hu Mansion, under heavy snow, a group of three people walked along the swept bluestone road. The servant who was hiding under the eaves to avoid the wind saw them and hurriedly went to sweep the snow with a broom in hand with a pale face.
"It's cold, go hide." Lord Hu waved his hand and strode to the eaves. The maid inside the door came out to brush off the snow for him.
"Is the old lady awake?"
"Master is here?" Old Mrs. Hu sat up from the warm couch, and the maidservant pressed the fox fur coat she was wearing for her.
"Why are you here today when it's snowing so heavily?" Mrs. Hu was very happy to see her son. She looked around the room and pointed at Sui Hui and said, "Go make some hot tea for Grandpa."
"promise."
"This maid was sent to me by you. She makes very good tea. You can try it later." said Old Mrs. Hu.
Lord Hu looked over and vaguely remembered that this had happened, but the maid who was kneeling in front of him with her head lowered and her eyes lowered did not match the skeleton-like criminal slave in his impression.
"Thank you, sir, for taking me back home. I will never forget your life-saving grace." Sui Hui kowtowed, then knelt down and handed a cup of hot tea to Sir Hu.
Lord Hu took a closer look at her. She was a southerner with a delicate figure and a woman from a prominent family with gentle manners. She was quite pleasing to the eye. He took a sip from the teacup and nodded, saying, "Yes, the tea is fragrant."
"As long as you like it, sir." Sui Hui lowered her head and smiled, then quietly returned to the tea stove to stir the fire.
Lord Hu talked to the old lady for a while, asking about her health and recent meals with concern.
"By the way, I remembered that you have two sisters?" Lord Hu suddenly asked.
Sui Hui was stunned. Before she could figure out what he meant, she replied, "I do have two younger sisters, one biological sister and one cousin. They both married soldiers in the army."
"Sui Yu is?"
"Sui Yu is my third uncle's cousin."
"But what happened?" asked Mrs. Hu.
"I just remembered a small matter. Yesterday, someone came to accuse her of instigating soldiers to engage in commerce." Lord Hu put down his teacup, his smile faded slightly, and he said, "The convict is a criminal. He has no right to share the land, so how can he make money by doing business?"
Sui Hui bit her lip secretly. With trembling hands, she poured another cup of hot tea into the teacup. Then, she put the teacup down and knelt on the ground, pleading, "My cousin is a concubine's daughter. She can't read or write, and she doesn't understand the law. She is reckless and ignorant. I hope you will show mercy and spare her life."
Old Mrs. Hu stroked the warming tube on her knees and said, "What business does a woman know? She's just messing around and selling some small things. Let people talk about it. Why bother shouting and killing people?"
Lord Hu smiled and nodded, "I've already sent someone over to tell them."
Sui Hui breathed a sigh of relief, she was too scare-free.
At this time, Captain Li and his subordinates had already entered the Zhao family's house. Sui Yu was steaming the second batch of buns in the kitchen. The subordinate came in and asked, "Selling buns?"
Sui Yu nodded. She thought he was here to buy buns. Just as she was about to smile, she heard him say, "Criminal slaves are not allowed to trade. This time is fine, but if it happens again, your earnings will be confiscated and you'll be exiled to the Gobi Desert to build canals and dams."
"This is Lord Hu's subordinate," Captain Li introduced with a smile. Then his expression changed again. He stared at Zhao Xiping and asked, "Captain Zhao, are the soldiers doing business and no longer want to stay in the army?"
Zhao Xiping really didn't know. There were no clear regulations in the military camp. Many of the people selling vegetables and food on the street were soldiers' families. This was purely a matter of the people not reporting it and the officials not investigating it.
"He's not into business, and he doesn't care about the few cents I make from selling buns. All the money from selling buns belongs to me." Sui Yu quickly put aside Zhao Xiping's guilt. She politely admitted her fault to the officials and promised, "It was my ignorance. From now on, I will behave myself and never interfere in business again."
Zhao Xiping saw that his subordinates wanted to take it easy, and that Li Baihu was deliberately trying to take advantage of him. He said to his subordinates, "From now on, I will keep an eye on Sui Yu. We won't sell buns anymore."
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