Chapter 338 Leaving Chang'an
Under the guidance of the tomb keeper, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping paid homage to the Grand Marshal. After coming out of the tomb, they found a group of people squatting by the lake and breaking ice.
"Sister." Sui Liang threw away the ice in his hand, stood up and asked, "Are we going back now?"
"Let's go back. It's getting late." Sui Yu looked up and said, "This is a really great place. It's located halfway up the mountain, in the valley, close to the mountains and the water. The cold winter wind will be weakened a bit."
"When we return to Dunhuang, I will find a place with good feng shui to bury my father," said Sui Liang.
Sui Yu glanced at him and said, "What is good feng shui? Is it to be near mountains and rivers? Then there are only the sand hills upstream and the Great Wall downstream."
Sui Liang was thinking about it and didn't respond for a while.
The cub tucked his cold paw into his father's hand and held it there. He leaned forward and said, "Our house is close to the mountains and water, so why bury my grandfather so far away? It would be much better to bury him behind the house. Uncle, you and my mother can visit him every day."
"There's no mountain behind our house... Are you referring to the collapsed ruins?" Sui Liang realized what was happening. He broke off a branch and tucked it between his fingers, saying, "That seems to be true. We even planted mulberry trees by the river. There are mountains, water, trees, people, and a bustling scene."
The boy nodded repeatedly. He looked up, meeting his father's gaze. He swallowed the words that were about to come to his mouth. He didn't want to assume that his parents were dead and buried. But if his parents died in the future, he would build a grave behind the house, and when he ate, he would sit in front of the grave and eat with them.
Zhao Xiping pressed his head down and said, "Watch the road carefully."
"Please stay, my dear heroes. It's about to snow again. Why don't you stay in the village for a night?" An old man caught up with Sui Yu and his group when they were about to leave the valley.
Zhao Xiping waved his hand and refused: "We came here on camels and will be back in the city in less than an hour."
The old man stopped when he heard this, bowed from a distance, and watched the group leave the mountain.
Zhang Shun and Qingshan stayed at the foot of the mountain to guard the camels. When their master came down the mountain, they rode the camels back to the post station in the biting cold wind.
Almost as soon as I entered the house, snowflakes started falling.
"The snow is doing you a favor. They'll only fall when you come back." Lu Yaer came into the house carrying a pot of red dates and ginger water and said, "Aunt, I've almost sold all my goods. I won't go into the city before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. After the first lunar month, I'll use the remaining goods to exchange for a batch of silk. After February, should we leave Chang'an?"
"Yes, we'll leave on the second day of the second month." Sui Yu took the kettle and poured water, then asked, "Have you sold the goods to the caravan?"
"No, I sold it to a shop on Shaoling Plain. With the New Year approaching, officials and their families are busy buying New Year goods. My carpets have exquisite patterns, and the price is not more expensive than those sold in the shops in the West Market. Even a fool would know how to choose." Lu Yaer sat down next to the boy and said, "Aunt, I've discovered that many people's integrity is only temporary. As long as they can save face, no one will go against money. I deliberately didn't admit that I knew you, and they were happy to pretend to be confused. When they were trying to buy goods from me, those shopkeepers were almost fighting to get the good patterns."
The little cub looked at her curiously. Green Bud noticed and asked in confusion, "Don't you recognize me? Why are you staring at me?"
The boy thought for a moment and said, "Extremely old-fashioned."
Sui Liang laughed loudly. Lu Yaer was so angry that her head was dazed and her face was a little embarrassed. She reached out and nodded at the uncle and nephew, and fiercely retorted: "What are you laughing at? My old-fashioned attitude is better than your childish mentality."
Then he twisted the kid's ear and said, "Do you think anyone would want to live like a child like your uncle? Like a big chick hiding under the wings of an old hen."
The smile on Sui Liang's face fell. He felt a little embarrassed. Maybe he was too close to the candlelight and his face was burning.
The little boy pushed Green Bud's hand away and said angrily, "You don't understand anything. You are childish. You are a child."
"Mingguang." Sui Liang scolded, "Talk properly, what are you doing?"
Zhao Xiping stood behind the screen, in a dilemma. As elders, they should not interfere in the quarrel between three teenagers, so he simply kept silent and pretended not to hear anything.
The boy's lips trembled with anger. He glared at Lu Yaer, then glared at his uncle fiercely, then ran away.
The room quieted down, and Lu Yaer also calmed down. She looked at Sui Liang and apologized stiffly: "I was angry for a moment and said nonsense. Don't take my words to heart."
"No." Sui Liang said coldly, "Your opinion has no influence on me. I'm happy as long as my sister and brother-in-law have no opinion of me."
"Well, you're right." Lu Yaer walked out.
"I apologize for what I said, little bastard. I shouldn't have laughed. You are indeed very capable and resilient." Sui Liang continued, "In the future, you will be like my sister, able to stand on your own."
Lu Yaer felt a little regretful at this moment. She didn't understand why she was so impulsive a moment ago. It was just a laugh.
She said nothing and walked out. Seeing that there was no one under the eaves, she didn't dare to think whether Aunt Sui would be unhappy when she heard her words. She could only go into her room and worry in frustration.
Sui Yu dragged the kid to the kitchen. With the New Year approaching, the cooks at the post station had gone home, and there were only a few postmen left. Now, everyone's three meals a day were prepared by Xiao Chunhong and her staff. When she went over, the fried meatballs and tofu balls had just come out of the wok, and the kitchen was filled with the warm aroma of oil and meat.
After eating three meatballs, the kid calmed down. He stood on tiptoe and asked, "Are there green onions and ginger in the meatballs?"
"No, doesn't your uncle dislike eating onions and ginger? There are no onions and ginger in this plate of meatballs fried in the pan." Xiao Chunhong said.
The kid snorted, took a meatball with green onions and ginger, put it in his hand, and said, "Mom, I'm going back to the house."
"I'll go too." Sui Yu followed him.
Sui Liang was pacing in the yard on the snow. He heard voices and hurried over.
"Why are you walking in the snow without a hat? There's snow on your head. Go pick it off yourself. I can't reach it anymore." Sui Yu said, "Where's your brother-in-law?"
"Fell asleep in the house."
These words were spoken to Lu Yaer, and Sui Liang glanced at the tightly closed wooden door.
Sui Yu passed by and knocked on the door, saying, "Lu Ya'er, don't fall asleep. Dinner is almost ready. Come over and eat in one more incense stick."
Lu Yaer breathed a sigh of relief and responded loudly, "Okay, I'm not asleep."
The boy stuffed the meatball in his palm into his uncle's mouth. He glared at him and said, "Chew it and swallow it."
Sui Liang frowned, he had chewed the ginger to pieces.
It's really hard to understand. The meat with a strong fishy smell is fragrant after being fried, but why do the onions and ginger still have the same smell after being fried?
The kid watched him swallow the meat with a bitter face. He squinted his eyes and whispered, "No wonder you get bullied."
Sui Liang found it funny that a little kid like him came to seek justice for him.
"I can handle my own problems. I'm not speechless." Sui Liang slapped his nephew on the back of the head and said, "If you're rude again, I'll slap you on the mouth."
The boy looked at his father who came out from behind the screen, then looked at his mother who looked calm and composed, and he shut up silently.
"Dinner is ready."
Xiao Chunhong came over with a hot pot, and Zhang Shun followed behind with an iron bucket filled with charcoal.
Lu Yaer heard the sound, opened the door and came out. The five of them sat down around the iron bucket as if nothing had happened, and gathered together to eat as usual.
The little boy carefully placed a tofu ball into Green Sprout's bowl. Green Sprout smiled and said cheerfully, "Thank you, little boy."
"Well, no thanks." There was some reluctance in his words.
Lu Yaer didn't care. She gave the kid a piece of cooked bacon. Her eyes met Sui Liang's face. Seeing his distant expression, she put away the smile on her face.
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping looked at each other, and the couple watched the show silently without saying a word.
"Why do I hear someone calling at the door?" Lu Yaer suddenly said, "I'll go out and take a look."
Sui Yu thought the little girl was uncomfortable, so he let her go.
Half a cup of tea later, Lu Yaer came running in, covered in snow and wind, saying, "Aunt, it's the servant from General Hu's residence. He's here with a cart of glazed porcelain. I asked him to have dinner with Zhang Shun and the others."
Sui Yu looked outside and saw that it was already dark.
"Why are you here so late?" she asked.
"They said they were worried that it would snow heavily tomorrow and the roads would be difficult to travel on. If the donkey cart overturned, all the porcelain would be broken." Lu Yaer said.
Sui Yu looked at Sui Liang and said, "You go over there later and leave the Hu family servants here for the night before you go back. The city gates are probably closed by now."
Sui Liang nodded.
"By the way, Auntie, have you heard that the Da Sima clan has fallen? The Huo family members who went to pay tribute to Da Sima today are from a distant branch of Da Sima." Lu Yaer found a new topic to talk about. "I heard that the Huo family once had a queen. Now that the queen is gone, the Huo family is also wiped out."
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping were shocked. She lowered her voice and asked, "What's going on?"
"I heard that it was a plot to murder the prince." Lu Yaer also lowered her voice.
Having said this, no one in the room dared to respond or continue.
"Let's eat." Sui Yu said.
At the end of the meal, Sui Yu suddenly remembered something. She told Lu Yaer and Sui Liang, "After the New Year, go into town and ask around. The Huo family has gone bankrupt. Are there any of their singing and playing instruments who are poor and can't afford to eat? See if you can trick a few of them into going to Dunhuang with us. Kurban and Anle probably can't stay in the guesthouse for the next two years."
"Leave it to me. I'm familiar with the city and I can go and inquire about it." Lu Yaer took the responsibility.
"Brother Liang should go too. The distant branch of the Huo family has seen you. With the relationship we have today, you can get close to them." Sui Yu said.
"Okay, come with me, little one." Sui Liang put down his chopsticks, "I'm full."
"Let's go take a look at the glazed porcelain that the Hu family sent." Sui Yu was also full. "Dad, take your time eating. Let's go out for a walk to digest the food."
Zhao Xiping had no objection. He didn't have to concentrate on listening to her, and he could eat faster.
The yard was already covered in snow. When people walked on it, each step left a snow print, making a crunching sound.
Braving the snow, I went to the large storage room at the back. A group of slaves were unloading porcelain from a donkey cart. There were thirty porcelain pots, forty porcelain cups, fifty porcelain bowls, and a stack of twenty-five porcelain plates.
Sui Yu held up the oil cup and played with the porcelain plate. The clay plate was coated with green glaze and then fired in the kiln. There was a red seal on the bottom of the plate. The firelight fell on the plate, and the clear luster flowed like water.
It is indeed a good thing coming out of the official kiln.
"Please go back and thank your master for me. I like this cart of porcelain very much." Sui Yu said to the Hu family servants.
The servant murmured in agreement.
Sui Yu asked Xiaoxi to wrap the porcelain with hay in advance and then put the hay in the wooden box, so that on the day of departure, if they were careless in the rush, they would not break the porcelain and waste it.
New Year's Eve was two days away. After having their New Year's Eve dinner, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping packed up and took their servants and family members with them to go into the city. There were many people coming into the city tonight and no one had time to pay attention to them.
The Nuo opera at the foot of the Imperial City was far more lively than the one in Dunhuang, with gongs and drums blaring and the streets packed with people. Sui Yu was so engrossed in the performance that she didn't even notice her purse had been cut off. It wasn't until she returned to the post station at night that she discovered it was gone, the rope neatly cut.
Sui Yu cursed that it was unlucky and she would not go into the city after New Year's Eve.
…
On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, Sui Liang led Xiaozai and Lu Yaer into the city. After five days of searching, they finally tracked down the servants who had been driven out during the Huo family's raid. Some of the servants, who were attractive, graceful, and had singing voices, found work in other officials' households. Five servants, whose voices had faded and whose faces had aged, had nowhere else to go. They subsequently rented a house in Xianyang Plain, earning a living by performing at funerals and performing for money.
These people were despised in Chang'an, but Sui Yu did not despise them at all. If their voices were hoarse and they could not sing, they would play the pipa. It was actually easier for the old and no longer beautiful entertainers to stay in the guesthouse than the young and beautiful ones.
After agreeing on the wages, four courtesans were willing to go to Dunhuang with her.
For the rest of the days, Sui Liang and Lu Yaer went in and out of Chang'an City with their servants every day. They bought the dyes they had their eyes on years ago, the donkey skin paste they had ordered from the donkey meat dealer, the big iron pots and iron plates they had ordered from the blacksmith years ago, the satin brocades they bought from other caravans, and the coarse cloth and silk cloth they bought from the East Market, all of which were bought back at the end of January.
On the second day of February, the merchant caravans of Sui and Song left the post station. As soon as they left, the postmen in the post station received an imperial decree from the palace, which was to abolish the policy of using camp prostitutes to comfort the soldiers.
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