Chapter 109 A Favor Hard to Repay
"That's as it should be, as it should be."
The old grandfather stroked his beard and said happily, "Then I'll go get the scales in the backyard so you can distribute them more conveniently!"
Under the light, Tu Suye drank the steaming hot fermented rice in the bowl in one gulp, with a satisfied aftertaste on the corner of his mouth, and said: "Weighing alone is not enough, we have to boil hot water quickly!"
Tu Suye continued to savor the sweetness on his tongue, then he spoke slowly, "Use hot water to remove the pig's hair, bleed it, and slaughter it. I'm afraid your family will be very busy just by themselves. I'll go back and call a few helpers from my family to lend a hand."
"I'll go gather some people too!"
Hu Hongsheng put down the bowl, his eyes revealing an unsatisfied desire. He said eagerly, "Tonight, we need a huge amount of water and a lot of equipment. One more person means more strength. Let's finish it sooner and rest sooner!"
After saying that, he quickly left to summon more helpers. At this time, Gu Yuexuan took the opportunity to find an opening and quietly handed a bowl to Tu Subo.
Tu Subo shook his head instinctively as if he had been electrocuted: "Xuanxuan, I really don't know about the fermented rice wine..."
“This isn’t wine.”
A sly smile flashed across Gu Yuexuan's eyes: "Who would dare to let you touch that thing?"
"This is just boiling water, without any seasoning."
Her eyes fell on Tu Subo's clothes, which were twisted like pickled vegetables, and she couldn't help but smile: "We need to wait patiently for the water to boil. Why don't you go change your clothes first?"
Tu Subo held a bowl filled with hot water in his hand and slowly replied, "There's no rush."
"Let's talk about it after everything is settled."
Changing clothes now won’t solve any problems.
Gu Yuexuan thought that was the truth, so she rolled up her sleeves and said, "Then you sit by the fire and rest for a while, I'll go and boil the water."
The two iron pots at home were filled with water. When the lids were opened, there was very little water left, which was obviously not enough.
Just as Gu Yuexuan was about to reach for the bucket, Tu Suting, with a smile on his face and a row of big teeth showing, hurried over and said with a smile, "Niece-in-law, give me the bucket. I'll go fetch some water!"
She watched the bucket being taken away and couldn't help but laugh: "Uncle San has been working hard these days, why don't you take a break too."
"Alas, the one who really did the hard work was Tu Subo. I was just joining in to make up the numbers. How can I say that I worked so hard?"
"Just stay home and boil some water. I'll go get some."
Tu Suting walked out lightly with the bucket in his hand. After drinking the water, Tu Subo also picked up the hatchet on the ground.
Yu went in and out several times, carefully installing windproof covers on all the oil lamps in the house, and then hung them one by one in front of the door and above the stove.
"Why not make a bonfire at the door?"
Gu Yuexuan added a few pieces of chopped firewood to the stove and squinted her eyes and suggested, "The work at the door will take a while to finish. Making a fire can both illuminate and bring warmth."
"I think it's a good idea."
Xi Lanfang, feeling both amused and helpless, drove Tu Su Minxu away and walked out with the firewood in her arms: "I'm going to build a firewood rack. Once the others are ready, it should be ready to use."
The old grandfather also followed out in high spirits. Except for Tu Su Yanting and Tu Su Yunxi who stayed in the house because of timidity, Tu Su Minyang and Tu Su Minxu also enthusiastically helped to carry firewood.
Tu Subo glanced meaningfully at the closed door, then lowered his voice so only Gu Yuexuan could hear, "Is there something wrong at home?"
If something unknown to her had not happened at home, why didn't the old lady come out?
Gu Yuexuan didn't expect him to be so perceptive. She was slightly stunned, smacked her lips, and replied in a low voice: "She was angry. She just said she was not feeling well. She has been staying indoors for many days."
However, this is not a big problem.
No one will pay attention anyway.
Gu Yuexuan carefully grasped the deeper meaning behind Tu Subo's words, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a silent smile. After a moment's thought, she asked with concern, "Are you hungry? Perhaps I should prepare some food for you first."
It was obvious that Tu Subo and his companions had been eating rough food and lacking sleep during the past few days in the mountains. It would be really hard to bear if they returned home still on an empty stomach.
Tu Subo's eyebrows and eyes revealed a hint of secret pride: "I don't feel hungry."
"The fried noodles you cooked are really nourishing and filling. Two big bowls can sustain me for the whole day. If it weren't for the help from Big Brother Hu and the others, I'm afraid my uncle and I would have to bring back some leftover food."
Before they left home, their family had prepared enough food for them, but compared with Tu Subo's various dry rations, the food for others seemed pale in comparison.
Thanks to the fried noodles he created in the mountains, his relationship with his fellow travelers became even closer than before.
All this is thanks to Gu Yuexuan's skillful hands.
Gu Yuexuan didn't understand why he suddenly laughed out loud. After a brief pause, she turned her attention back to the fire.
She gazed at the slowly rising steam and asked softly, "The letter you and I sent back to Kyoto last time, was it sent to the Fuguogong Mansion?"
Tu Subo's heart trembled slightly, and then he heard Gu Yuexuan's gentle voice: "Madam Pei of the Fuguo Mansion has been very caring for my mother. Now my mother and brother's life in the mansion has improved a lot."
"Tu Subo, I'm so grateful."
Tu Subo didn't have to do this.
Although he had a bad reputation in Kyoto, he was born with a pride that was no less than anyone else, and the noble temperament of a prince made him always unwilling to bow his head and ask for help.
Even when Tu Su's family suffered a disaster and his entire family was confiscated and exiled, facing the hardships of migration and the difficulties of survival, he did not lend a helping hand to anyone.
However, in order to improve Aunt Xiao's plight in the mansion, he was willing to travel thousands of miles away and entrust others to take care of her on his behalf.
For the wife of the Duke of Fuguo, this little bit of care might be just an easy thing to do, but for Gu Yuexuan, who came from a humble background and lived thousands of miles away, it was a favor that was difficult to repay.
This is a favor that Tu Subo owes to Gu Yuexuan's mother.
Tu Subo was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head and stared into Gu Yuexuan's eyes from bottom to top: "Do you know why I didn't tell you in the first place?"
"I don't want you to use the word 'thank you' to express your gratitude."
He grabbed the axe angrily and chopped the firewood hard, his voice dull and suppressed: "If I were not in this situation, I should have done these things myself."
Entrusting others is really a helpless act.
However, he felt particularly annoyed by Gu Yuexuan's "thank you".
Treating each other with respect may be the ideal way of husband and wife praised by the world, but in his eyes, these fancy words are nothing but empty talk.
What he longed for was never politeness and distance.
Tu Subo gripped the handle of the axe tightly, his brows furrowed as he stared at Gu Yuexuan with a sharp gaze. He asked in a serious tone, "Do you know the meaning of 'holding the case at arm's length'?"
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