Chapter 299: A lot of effort
There were footsteps in the yard. Sui Liang listened and asked, "Brother-in-law, are you back?"
Zhao Xiping said "hmm", walked in, stood at the door and looked around, and asked: "Why haven't you packed your luggage yet? I just asked the head of Xu, they are leaving the city the day after tomorrow morning"
"What?" Sui Liang paused, stopped counting the coins, stood up and said, "My sister came to see me this morning. Didn't she tell you?"
It was obvious that he was a little helpless and embarrassed, and was even too embarrassed to say that he would not go with the caravan.
"No, she went to the city with a wooden box after dinner." Zhao Xiping walked to the bed and sat down, his eyes sweeping across the end of the bed. Half of the neatly folded clothes belonged to the kid, and the sheep knee bones, flat stones, and small wooden combs he was playing with were scattered around. Every corner showed that the kid had encroached on his uncle's territory.
Seeing this, Zhao Xiping slowed down his tone and asked, "Your sister doesn't want you to go with the caravan, so you changed your mind?"
"My sister said she will go out with the caravan in the future, and I will go with her then." Sui Liang clenched his hands tightly behind his back. He frowned and asked, "Could it be that my sister lied to me? She said I don't need to worry about the safety of the caravan. Brother-in-law, don't beat around the bush with me, just tell me straight."
Zhao Xiping looked at him and said, "I also think it should be fine to let the slaves lead the camel caravan this time. But with you accompanying us, the caravan will have a leader, and the slaves' household registration will be in your hands, so the caravan's affairs will be more secure."
"Then I will follow the caravan the day after tomorrow." Sui Liang understood that his brother-in-law wanted him to follow the caravan to Chang'an.
He agreed so readily that Zhao Xiping hesitated again. He sighed and said, "Sui Liang, don't think your brother-in-law is heartless and cruel. I raised the child, and someone else took over the business of the guesthouse, but now he has turned his back on me and wants to kick you out of the house to suffer..."
"No, brother-in-law, what do you think of me?" Sui Liang interrupted him and said jokingly, "Before, I said that the little boy's stingy personality is like mine, but that was nonsense. I'm really not narrow-minded. I have thought about going out to do business with the caravan before, but the little boy was only two or three years old at that time. My sister was not at home, and I couldn't leave the guesthouse without me, so I never thought about it. Brother-in-law, don't worry, this is my home. I can go out and come back. You didn't force me to leave."
"Then this time..."
"My sister hasn't been home for two years. I want to stay with her." Sui Liang scratched his head. He was embarrassed to say that he was leaving home alone to follow the caravan. He was a little scared, and he missed home before he even left.
"You can go with the caravan first, go out and come back. If you still like to stay at home and take care of the business of the guesthouse, you can stay at home." Zhao Xiping thought about what he was like when Sui Liang was this age. He said from the bottom of his heart: "When I was your age, I wanted to go out and make a living. I dreamed of joining the army to kill the enemy. I didn't want to stay at home to farm. The days were like the wheat in the field. After harvesting one crop this year, there will be another crop next year. It's the same every year. It's really boring. Later, I really went to the battlefield. I was holding my own head in my dreams. I was shot to death by arrows, trampled to death by horses, and stabbed to death by Hun soldiers. After returning from the battlefield, I fell in love with a stable life. I knew what I would do when I woke up before going to bed. It made me feel at ease. I want to say that you have been living a stable life with no worries about the next meal. After a long time, you dare not go out, afraid of the wind, the rain, and the uncertainty of three meals a day. So you have to go out, leave me and your sister, and no longer have to worry about the children. Then we can see whether you want to stay at home to manage the business of the guesthouse or join the caravan. This is your choice, and I will not interfere.
Sui Liang's face flushed with anger as he heard this. He walked to the bedside, unashamedly hugged Zhao Xiping, and said with emotion, "Brother-in-law, I thought you were a heartless person, but I didn't expect you would consider me so far ahead."
Zhao Xiping pushed him away, finding it cheesy, but he hugged her again, clinging tighter and tighter, unable to be pushed away, so he had no choice but to let him be. This brother-in-law sometimes really acted like a girl. He wondered how he developed this personality. Carefree, straightforward, heartless, but not without a clue. If you say he was stubborn, he looked like a fool. But he was also a good runner at the guesthouse and knew right from wrong. No wonder Sui Yu didn't want him to go out. Sui Liang lived like the sun, pure and innocent without a trace of cloud. Even at his beard-growing age, he didn't even have the aggressiveness that belonged to men. Such a personality was rare. She was capable, so she wanted to protect him. She lived hard and sophisticated, wanting Sui Liang to live freely and easily.
But Zhao Xiping is a man, and he prefers to let Sui Liang grow up with more edges and corners. A man should look like a man, and cannot act like a twelve or thirteen-year-old child when he is in his twenties or thirties.
Even though he thought so, Zhao Xiping couldn't help but say, "We don't seek anything from you going out to see the world, but you can't be afraid to go out. If you really don't like the life of traveling, the business of this guesthouse is still yours."
Sui Liang should be good.
"Dad?" The kid peeked into the yard and saw his uncle's door was open. He shouted, "Uncle? Are you home? Business is coming."
After he had said the words and greeted them, he rushed to the open wooden door and saw his uncle leaning against his father and acting like a spoiled child. He stopped and looked at them, biting his fingers.
"What are you looking at?" Sui Liang asked in a rough voice.
"Uncle, you are so shameless! I'm not acting like a spoiled child anymore, but you're still acting like a spoiled child." The kid scoffed, "Are you ashamed?"
Zhao Xiping smiled, pushed Sui Liang away and strode out.
Sui Liangcai was not ashamed. He followed his nephew out with a smug look on his face, stroked his nephew's bun and said, "You are just jealous."
"What did my father tell you?" The boy was not jealous at all. He was only thinking about finding out the little secret and showing off in front of his mother.
Sui Liang felt a tightness in his heart when he thought about being away from home for more than half a year. The smile on his face disappeared and he squatted on the ground in disappointment.
"Uncle, did my father scold you?" the kid asked as he got closer.
"No." Sui Liang reached out and hugged his nephew. He must have missed his little cub very much after leaving Dunhuang.
The kid knew nothing. His uncle carried him out with great difficulty, and he laughed with joy.
Sui Yu came back in the evening and met a boy who was delivering pork to the guesthouse on the way. He was the eldest son of the butcher and looked like his father, a big and strong man.
"Shopkeeper Yu, I wouldn't have made this trip had I met you. Take these thirty pounds of pork back with you. Keep the bill on hold and we'll settle it next time." The young man stopped the camel and explained, "Your brother told me that whenever the camel bells sound heading north, I'll send him thirty pounds of pork."
Sui Yuyan agreed, she took the pork and walked home.
Before they even got home, two big black dogs and the cat came over to greet them after smelling the meat. Sui Yu raised the pork in his hand and muttered, "You guys eat after everyone else has finished, don't come here to cause trouble."
"Mom--" The cub ran out as soon as he heard the voice. After Sui Yu jumped off the camel, he chased the camel towards the livestock pen to prevent the thief from stealing vegetables from the vegetable garden again.
"Mom, let me tell you..." He ran after her, "My uncle is shameless. He hugged my dad and acted like a spoiled child this afternoon."
Sui Yu was a little unconvinced, "Your father allowed him to hold her?"
"Xu, my father is still smiling."
Sui Yu suspected that the kid was talking nonsense again, but she didn't take it seriously and just agreed with him a few times.
The pork was delivered to the kitchen, and Sui Yu went to find Zhang Shun to see how he had arranged things.
"I've handed the customs documents and household registration to Headmaster Song. You'll all accompany her all the way," Sui Yu instructed. "Once we get to Chang'an, ask the caravan there about the price of the white horse. Then, go to Anpingfang in the West Market and find Zuo Duhou. If he likes horses, sell him the black horse. The price of the black horse will be 5,000 to 10,000 coins less than Dari's, and the minimum price cannot be less than 80,000 coins. Of course, if you can sell it for a higher price, I'll give you a commission."
Zhang Shun smiled and nodded.
"If he still wants to buy honey, the horses have been sold. You should go to Taiyuan County and ask Qisheng's family about the news of dried kelp." Sui Yu continued.
Sui Liang came over and he stood silently by, listening silently.
"After the horses are sold, you can take out 200,000 yuan to buy silk and satin. You don't need to buy coarse cloth." Sui Yu continued.
Zhang Shun and Sui Liang nodded in unison.
"When you come back next year, please join the caravan heading west. Don't go alone." Sui Yu thought for a moment and said, "That's all. Oh, and one last thing. Bring twenty mulberry saplings with you when you return."
"Sister, I will remember this." Sui Liang said.
Sui Yu frowned. What does this mean?
"I'm going to Chang'an with the caravan the day after tomorrow," Sui Liang said cheerfully. "Now it's your turn to wait for me at home."
Sui Yu was silent. She remembered what Xiaozai had said before and asked, "What did your brother-in-law say to you?"
"He suggested that I leave you and go out with him to explore the world. He wanted to see if I preferred being away from home or managing the business of the inn. I thought he was right, so I'm going out with the caravan this year."
Sui Yu wanted to object, but quickly suppressed her desire to control. She herself said that she would let Sui Liang and Xiaozai choose the path they liked, so she had to give Sui Liang the right to choose.
"Master, don't worry. We will definitely take good care of the Second Shopkeeper." Seeing that Sui Yu didn't object, Zhang Shun said, "Mrs. Song's daughter is younger than the Second Shopkeeper. She was fine even after leaving the customs. The Second Shopkeeper is still a boy. If he goes through the customs with us, he will definitely come back safe and sound."
How could he understand that Sui Yu's concern wasn't about safety, but about his temperament. Lu Ya'er had been nurtured by a life of luxury, so she needed to cultivate her sharp edges. Sui Liang, on the other hand, had smoothed out the spurs of his childhood thanks to a peaceful and harmonious life, freeing him from gloom and resentment. Sui Yu was astonished to see him blossom into this person: sunny, cheerful, carefree, innocent yet not naive. She had hoped he would develop this personality, but it was impossible for him to do so. Sui Liang perfectly matched her character. So she wanted to protect him, fearing he would suffer if he embarked on the same painful path of his childhood alone.
"Sister?" Sui Liang called out, "It's settled."
Sui Yu nodded.
…
When night fell, Zhao Xiping came back and saw Sui Yu standing alone in the wilderness waiting for him. He jumped off his camel and walked over.
"Did Sui Liang tell you?" he spoke first.
"Yeah." Sui Yu was not very happy. She looked at him and said, "Xiping, I want to enter the customs this year."
"Because of Sui Liang?" Zhao Xiping asked.
Sui Yu did not deny it.
"Where are the cub and I? It's been less than ten days since you came back."
"Why don't you ask Captain Qu for leave?" Sui Yu said, "You won't be on duty after the snow anyway, and October isn't far away. We can take a long vacation and go to Chang'an as a family."
Knowing that she had not abandoned him for Sui Liang, Zhao Xiping calmed down again. He held her hand and said, "It seems that the road of business is very difficult. You would rather risk losing both your money and your life than let Sui Liang go with you."
"How could they lose everything? The caravan on the road is an acquaintance of mine, and their household registration is in Sister Song's hands. They'd be crazy to kill a bunch of people, steal their property, and escape, turning from private slaves into desperate criminals." Sui Yu laughed. "If they were really that ruthless, I would have died outside the pass. They could have ganged up on me, stolen my horses and camels, and escaped. Wouldn't that be easier than inside the pass?"
"Since you trust your servant so much, what are you worried about? Wouldn't it be better to let Sui Liang go out and gain some experience? Do you really want him to live like a child forever?"
Sui Yu understood now. She suddenly realized: "So your target is Sui Liang. From the very beginning, when you proposed that Zhang Shun lead the caravan to Chang'an to sell horses, you planned to have Liang follow."
"Yes, Sui Liang told me today that he wanted to travel with the caravan a few years ago, but the business of the inn and his young children hindered him, causing him to desire a stable life now. But he is so young, this won't work." Zhao Xiping admitted.
This thought came to him only after he met Sui Hui's child. "You Sui family members are all intelligent and generous. You don't need to mention them, there's no doubt about it. As for Sui Wen'an, we all know about him. He was an extraordinary man. Just talking about his two sisters, the one who died may be dead, but she was scheming and courageous. Sui Hui and her son are both people who are scheming and daring. When I think about it, Sui Liang managed the guesthouse business by himself, and took care of a child at the same time, and he managed it smoothly for four years, and he was only seventeen years old. I think he deserves the surname Sui, and maybe staying at home is too much for him."
Sui Yu fell into deep thought.
"Let's take this opportunity to let him leave us and see if he can have a chance to go out. If he still chooses to stay at home, I won't say anything." Zhao Xiping said.
Sui Yu no longer objected.
"I've been in charge for too long, taking on so much, and developing a domineering personality. I say I want Liang Ge'er and Xiaozai to live freely, but in my actions I want to confine them." Sui Yu reflected, patting her forehead and saying, "My fault, my fault. Captain Zhao should be more clear-headed."
Zhao Xiping sighed lightly and said with a smile: "As long as you don't blame me, I'm just afraid that you will be angry with me."
Sui Yu smiled awkwardly, a little bit.
"Now that the servants have been brought out, you should let go a little, delegate power, and spread the work around. If you have to make all the decisions, you'll be exhausted. Don't look at me like that. It's not that I have a business mind, it's something I learned from Captain Qu. He oversees the captain, and the captain has ten thousand households under him. Among the ten thousand households, he only favors one or two. Like me, I only obey him and not Captain Hu." Zhao Xiping hugged her and continued, "He has been biased towards me from the beginning, so I am loyal to him, and so should you. You need to cultivate loyal servants who are loyal only to you. The first batch of servants may have more complicated mindsets, but we still have people to support. Ah Shui treats us wholeheartedly, Da Zhuang is even more so, and Hua Niu and Ah Qiang are not bad either. Don't we support so many people so that they can be of use when we are not convenient? Sui Yu, you will get sick and grow old. You can accompany me on my journeys in the near future, but what about later? Rather than letting your subordinates become useless, it is better to let go early."
"Hey! Captain Zhao is right." Sui Yu hugged his arm and shook him. "You are amazing. You know a lot and you hide it very well. You are completely different from before."
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"Bullshit, I found the wooden board you were practicing calligraphy on. You're so wicked, you actually secretly studied hard behind our backs. Well, now you've surpassed me." Sui Yu rolled up his sleeve and took a bite, saying bitterly, "How hateful."
Zhao Xiping was proud. When it got dark, he took her hand and walked back, saying, "You're too busy. You're too busy to stop and think. I'm different. When I miss you, I can't sleep. Apart from thinking about you, I can only burn the midnight oil to write and study."
He could almost recite the several scrolls of bamboo slips that Sui Hui sent him.
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