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The burning charcoal fire made a faint sound, and the weather at the beginning of winter was not too cold.
Before Cang Yi spoke, Taishi Zheng unconsciously blurred his vision, focusing solely on Cui Zhijun. There was no more noise around the desk, no more commotion in the hallway. Cui Zhijun seemed so dedicated and reliable in everything he did.
Zheng smiled slightly, thinking that it would be nice to spend her whole life with such a person.
When Cang Yi's calm voice reached her ears, Zheng finally pulled her gaze back. Seeing the mixed feelings of joy and sorrow in Cang Yi's eyes, she knew that this story must be too long to let go.
Cang Yi spoke.
"Zheng may not know, but Mingyue certainly does. I'm not actually an orphan without a father or a mother. It's just that when I was two years old, my biological parents gave me ten acres of fertile land in exchange for a family named Cang in Fuyuanfang, Bianjing."
"My family runs a noodle business. Although we're not rich, we're stable."
"That family treated me very well. I grew up there until I was ten years old. But those good days were ended when a neighbor's fire and fire spread to us. My parents both died trying to save me. I became what they called an orphan. I think the fire started in a month like this..."
Cang Yi paused. Although she recalled the story calmly, the fire in her eyes that burned her soul never went out.
Most of the houses in Bianjing were wooden, and such tragedies were a daily occurrence. Even the emperor's residence, like the Forbidden City, was often not immune. Humans always seem insignificant in the face of disaster.
Zheng is silent and speechless.
Song Mingyue sympathized with Cang Yi's experience, but she found it difficult to empathize with him. Her life, neither better than others nor worse than others, was ordinary, and there was nothing tragic about it. All she could do was not to join others in mocking and ridiculing him.
Song Mingyue asked her, "I've heard some things about my sister-in-law. But how did she live later? Did she return to live with her family?"
Cang Yi shook his head, and the story began to approach the point where Tai Shi Zheng first asked.
She said, "No. They thought I was the one who brought bad luck to my parents, so they never showed up. The neighbors in Fuyuanfang felt sorry for me and took turns looking after me. That's how I grew up eating at so many people's houses. If it weren't for those neighbors, I would have starved to death that winter."
"Most of the people who lived in Fuyuanfang were vendors doing business in front of the Suzaku Gate. So, when I grew up a little, I took turns helping out at the stalls and shops of the neighbors to repay their kindness."
"I met Dalang at Sister Li's breakfast stall."
Recalling this, Cang Yi laughed from the bottom of his heart. It was as if those lonely days were not suffering, but as warm as the scorching sun.
Zheng and Song Mingyue raised their heads.
Cang Yi did not forget to share the peeled peanuts with them. "Da Lang seems to like the soup made by Sister Li. No matter if it's windy, snowy, rainy or sunny, as long as he gets up early for his shift, he will always go all the way around the inner city and run to the Suzaku Gate to eat a bowl before going back to the palace for his shift."
"So I get to see him often when I go to help."
"We've known each other for a year, but we've never exchanged a single word. He always sits quietly, finishes his first bowl of soup, and then drops his copper coins on the table and quietly leaves. It's not my fault for not speaking to him, but Dalang is dressed in military uniform, with a fierce look on his face. How dare we, the common people, speak to such an official?"
"I was so scared of him that I trembled even when I served him the soup. I'm sure Dalang must have seen it a long time ago. It's so embarrassing to think about it now."
Cang Yi said this with some embarrassment.
Tai Shi Zheng smiled knowingly when he heard this, thinking that this was truly a wonderful fate.
I guess Cang Yi, who was terrified of Cui Zhijian at that time, never imagined that she would marry him today.
Song Mingyue, however, started to tease him, "What do you mean by liking the first soup? There are so many delicious first soups in the capital, why would Big Brother go all the way to Suzaku Gate? Eating it once is a coincidence, but eating it for a year is clearly an excuse! Sister-in-law, I think the first soup was fake, and the real reason was to go to see you."
Cang Yi was embarrassed by what Song Mingyue said, and waved his hands to deny it repeatedly, "How is it possible, how is it possible. Mingyue, don't talk nonsense, your elder brother just feels sorry for me..."
Song Mingyue, on the other hand, became excited and stood up with a show of force. "Sister-in-law, you don't believe me? Then why don't we go ask Big Brother and find out—"
Cui Zhijian turned around when he heard the sound. Fortunately, Tai Shi Zheng was quick to hold him down, so Song Mingyue didn't say anything nonsense.
Cui Zhijian looked down the corridor and asked, "Why did you call me?"
Cang Yi quickly turned around and said, "No, no, Dalang, you misheard. Just focus on making dumplings."
Cui Zhijian turned away again after hearing what his wife said. But when he looked back, he saw Cui Zhichou saying with a gloating look on his face, "Ah, what do you mean by misheard? It's clearly saying bad things about big brother! Big brother, can you tolerate this?"
The third brother and his wife were exactly alike, enjoying the fun without getting in the way. Even their tone of voice was identical.
But what bad things can his wife say about him?
Cui Zhijian immediately pretended to be disdainful and started rolling out the dumpling wrappers in silence.
Just looking at his forceful movements, it was as if he was venting his anger. Cui Zhichou had shot himself in the foot. He could only say: "Brother, please have mercy on me! There is really only one elm rolling pin left——"
Down the corridor, Cang Yi scolded Song Mingyue, "Mingyue, if you continue like this, I won't continue..."
After hearing this, Taishi Zheng, who was already listening halfway and was in high spirits, intervened and said, "Don't, sister-in-law, please be kind and finish your story. Otherwise, my sister-in-law will definitely not be able to sleep today. It's all Song Mingyue's fault for not keeping her mouth shut! Song Laoliu, hurry up and apologize to your sister-in-law——"
Just as Taishi Zheng said, if Song Mingyue didn't finish hearing this story today, she would definitely not be able to sleep all night. She immediately apologized, "Sister-in-law, I was wrong."
But with Cang Yi's temperament, how could he really be angry with her? Cang Yi then walked down the stairs.
"Then you must not do anything stupid again."
Song Mingyue and Taishi Zheng nodded obediently, and with a gesture, they sealed their mouths. But before that, Zheng still wanted to ask, "Sister-in-law, tell me, if you and big brother haven't spoken a word for a year, how did you get together?"
The story got back on track during the interlude, and Cang Yi finally spoke: "It's because of that day..."
The past is still vivid in my mind.
Cang Yi hesitated again before speaking, finally recounting that day. "My biological parents suddenly appeared out of nowhere and went to Li's sister's stall, causing a scene. They wanted me to marry a complete stranger under their arrangement. I refused, but they said they had already accepted the betrothal gift from that family, so I had to marry them whether I wanted to or not. Then they tried to forcibly take me away."
"Sister Li naturally disagreed and started an argument with them. Who knew they would actually hurt someone?"
"I really didn't want to implicate innocent people, but I had no other choice, so I agreed to go back with them. As long as I didn't cause trouble for the neighbors, it didn't matter what I looked like. But at that moment, Dalang stood up and shouted them off, unlike usual. Seeing Dalang in his military uniform, he calmed down and said he would come back tomorrow."
The ups and downs in the story are regrettable, and Tai Shi Zheng listens quietly to her past.
After her grief faded, Cang Yi walked toward the light. She continued, "Then, after they left, I wanted to thank Da Lang for sending him through the Vermillion Bird Gate, but he stood with me at the gate for a long time. I remember that day in Bianjing, it was drizzling, and we just stood there at the gate, neither of us speaking."
"Until the first words Dalang said were to ask me if I wanted to marry him..."
The romantic atmosphere made Taishi Zheng and Song Mingyue exclaim in surprise. Their excited eyes were like standing in the rain that year. They never expected that among the three brothers, Cui Zhijian, who looked the roughest, was actually so delicate...
"Then sister-in-law, did you agree to him?" Song Mingyue walked forward curiously.
Tai Shi Zheng retorted, "Song Laoliu, are you talking nonsense? If you didn't agree, then who is sitting in front of you now?"
Song Mingyue reacted and shrank back. Tai Shi Zheng then asked, "But why did Sister-in-law agree to this, brother? You two aren't that familiar with each other. Even if you were in trouble, you wouldn't have rashly agreed to your request, right?"
Cang Yi smiled and lowered his eyes to glance in Cui Zhijian's direction.
She replied, "I asked Dalang why he wanted to marry me then. He didn't say much, he just told me that he and I were in the same situation. But I think it was probably because we felt sorry for each other that we decided to be together."
The impulse is formed in just a moment.
Cang Yi knew that their only choice that year was also the right one. Resisting the injustice of fate was the bravest thing they had ever done. However, the unimaginable hardships they faced in the days ahead diluted their former passion.
So they started to become cowardly again.
But the days are still long, and no one can guess the final outcome... The story ends here, and many details remain in Cang Yi's heart. As for Tai Shi Zheng and Song Mingyue, all they can recall is the throbbing of youth.
Over there, Cui Zhijun summoned a servant to bring the dumplings that the three brothers had wrapped and were ready to cook into the courtyard. Seeing this, Cui Zhichou suggested, "Brothers, why don't we each bring our own dumplings and let them judge them to see who makes the best?"
Cui Zhijian has always had a strong desire to win, so he had no objection.
Cui Zhichou turned his gaze towards Cui Zhijun, but Cui Zhijun didn't fight or grab anything. He just felt bored, but he couldn't resist the two stubborn donkeys in front of him. He had no choice but to follow them. But when the three of them came to the corridor, he didn't pay attention to the three sisters-in-law's expressions. He was only concerned with competing and said, "Come on, these are the dumplings we made. Come and try whose is better--"
The previous atmosphere disappeared.
Song Mingyue pointed at the dumplings on the small table and said to Cui Zhichou disdainfully, "Aren't the fillings all prepared in the kitchen? Is there any difference? Look at how capable you are..."
Cui Zhichou frowned and protested, "How can they be the same? Even though this thing is ready-made, we were the ones who put it together!"
Tai Shi Zheng was shocked as she looked at the exquisite dumplings Cui Zhijun brought over. "My dear, please don't tell me this is your first time making dumplings. You're so skilled—"
Cui Zhijun seemed a little proud, but he slowly put the dumplings down without saying a word.
Where's Cang Yi? She looked at Cui Zhijian confidently placing the strange-looking dumplings before her, wanting to praise them but unable to bring herself to eat them. She paused for a moment, only to utter a single, resounding "good."
Cui Zhijian, upon hearing this, drew courage from his wife. He looked blindly at the crowd and said, "Then you should judge quickly and see whose is worthy of the best quality."
Comment? Why even comment? The result is obvious.
Cui Zhijun kept his composure. Even without Tai Shi Zheng's praise, he was confident in his competition with those two guys.
I don’t know if it’s because they just heard Cang Yi’s story, but Tai Shi Zheng and Song Mingyue always felt that Cui Zhijian looked tall and majestic.
So after Cang Yi was the first to vote for Cui Zhiyun, who deserved the title, the two sisters-in-law looked at each other and chose the ugliest-looking dish with their eyes open.
Cui Zhijun frowned and remained silent. Cui Zhichou protested loudly, "It's a shady deal, absolutely a shady deal! Did Big Brother give you any benefits? I protest, I object--"
"Protests are invalid, and oppositions are invalid." Song Mingyue rejected the protests of her unfortunate husband.
Tai Shi Zheng avoided Cui Zhijun's gaze.
At the moment, only Cui Zhijian was feeling proud and enthusiastically shared his winning plate of dumplings, which scared his two sisters-in-law so much that they retreated one after another.
But there is always a price to pay for telling lies.
Song Mingyue dodged to the right and said to Cui Zhichou, "No, big brother, I'll just eat the third brother's. He probably won't be able to finish it." But Cui Zhichou angrily protected the dumplings and didn't give Song Mingyue any face at all.
Then Tai Shi Zheng moved to the left and said to Cui Zhijun, "Thank you, brother. I appreciate your kindness. I won't eat Erlang's food. He must be sad." Unexpectedly, Cui Zhijun reached out and gently pulled the dumplings to his sister-in-law.
In this way, there is no way out.
The two of them awkwardly leaned back against each other.
Zheng looked at the plate of hard-to-swallow dumplings and realized that she had brought disaster upon herself, so she spoke first: "Mingyue, aren't you hungry? Come, please go first--"
Upon hearing this, Song Mingyue narrowed her eyes and looked at the person next to her, smiling without saying a word.
Hungry? Who's hungry?
Tai Shi Zheng, don't tell lies to harm me - otherwise you will be the headline in tomorrow's tabloids!
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