Chapter 163 The Taoist Priest Who Loves Digging Graves
Song Chunmei had suffered so much mistreatment on a daily basis that she was almost resigned to her fate.
But she felt wronged by her younger sister's constant criticism.
I feel so wronged.
How could she have let her life turn out like this?
But for a woman like her, stuck with someone like Zhao Qian, how difficult it is to change anything.
However, this time she would wait until Zhao Qian came to invite her before she went back.
Otherwise, Zhao Qian would definitely have beaten her to death.
She was determined to let Zhao Qian know that she also had someone protecting her.
After eating, the three sisters went outside the courtyard to help Song Chunlian winnow millet.
The bright red millet glistened in the sunlight, and the tiny millet grains felt smooth in my hand.
What would normally take two or three days to complete was finished in less than two hours.
Song Chunlian felt a warm glow in her heart as she watched her older and younger sisters bending over and busy at work.
She felt like she was dreaming; it had been so many years since she had seen her sisters working together like this.
Her house was at the foot of the mountain in the southeast, where the orange-red sunset shone on the roof and walls, as warm as fire.
Winter has begun, and the temperature drops sharply after sunset.
Song Chunlian found an old iron stove in the cave dwelling and planned to light a fire to keep warm.
"This was made by Alai's father at the blacksmith's shop in the market when he was still alive. It cost several hundred copper coins. People in the village said he was a poor but fussy person. Only rich families could afford iron furnaces."
As she spoke, she wiped away the dust, then applied some lard and carefully wiped it again to prevent it from rusting.
Song Chunmei nodded, "But this stove is still so sturdy after almost twenty years. Spending a few hundred copper coins was definitely worth it."
She couldn't help but look at her fourth sister, "Your man has been gone for so many years, do you miss him?"
Song Chunlian got up, put a piece of tin bucket over her finger and stuck it out of the hole in the window. She let out a long sigh and said thoughtfully, "I can't even remember what he looks like. What's there to remember?"
She looked at Song Chunxue, "And you?"
Song Chunxue handed a large flatbread to her fourth sister, saying, "I haven't thought about him for a long time. Why bother thinking about him? It only adds to my loneliness."
"Oh my, not only does the fifth son look completely different now, but he also speaks so fluently. No wonder he's a mother who raised four sons," Song Chunmei teased her with a smile.
"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. It just means I'm more ambitious than my third sister. I work myself to the bone to support my son, while my third sister works herself to the bone to support our ancestors. Oh dear!"
Song Chunxue was beaten before she could finish speaking.
Song Chunmei pointed at her two younger sisters and angrily scolded, "Stop talking! I came here to have some peace and quiet, not to be lectured by you two. I'm your older sister, and if you say another word..."
As she spoke, Song Chunmei's eyes reddened and she began to wipe away tears.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore, I'm sorry, Third Sister." Song Chunxue looked at Fourth Sister. "We just wanted Third Sister to turn back in time and we won't say it again. Let's eat first. Fourth Sister, you chopped so many radishes and cabbages tonight, and even took out vermicelli. What are you planning to cook?"
"Didn't you see? The stove is all set up, of course we're going to have hot pot." With that, Song Chunlian picked up a flatbread and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll cut it open, we'll eat it tonight."
Cui Cui sat quietly by the kang (a heated brick bed), watching the three sisters bicker with curiosity and surprise.
She envied the three sisters who could get together.
Cuicui's two older sisters are both married and are currently busy having and breastfeeding. They have to come during the Spring Festival because their father makes a mess of things, so they haven't liked coming for the past two years.
Even if they come, they'll leave the same day and barely exchange a few words.
At that moment, Alai came in from outside.
"Oh, two aunts?" Alai said with a smile. "What a wonderful day it is today."
Song Chunxue stood up with a smile, "Alai, why are you back so late? Come in quickly."
Alai smiled and said, "Auntie, please sit down. I'll go find my mother. There's a Taoist priest outside who wants to stay the night. I'll ask her if she needs him."
Taoist priest?
Song Chunxue stood up. "Where is the Taoist priest?"
“Right outside the courtyard, I saw that he was planning to sleep in the kiln in the ditch. I was afraid that he would be eaten by wolves at night, so I called him up.”
Alai always spoke with a smile, leading Song Chunxue to the door.
Song Chunxue looked closely and saw a man dressed in a black Taoist robe talking to his horse.
The horse twitched its ears, seemingly unwilling to listen to his rambling.
"Senior brother?"
The tall Taoist priest turned his head in surprise, "Junior brother?"
Alai looked at Song Chunxue in surprise, his tone gentle, "Junior brother?"
He asked, "Isn't my aunt a woman?"
Master Zhang smiled, led the horse to them, and said, "This child calls you 'aunt,' he's your sister's child?"
“That’s right, this is my fourth sister’s child.” Song Chunxue pointed to the yard. “I’ll go ask my fourth sister and see her…”
"You call him senior brother?" Fourth Sister Song Chunlian stepped out of the courtyard gate, looked Zhang Daoist up and down, then looked at Song Chunxue, her brows furrowing slightly. "You don't like the person your second sister introduced to you? So you've taken a liking to a Taoist priest?"
"..."
"..."
Song Chunlian looked at Zhang Daoshi again and nodded. "Hmm, he is better than ordinary farmers. He has a straight posture and a straight back. Most farmers at this age are hunched over. Not bad."
Song Chunxue smiled awkwardly, "Fourth Sister, you misunderstood. Senior Brother is Senior Brother. He is focused on cultivating the Dao and has no such thoughts."
Master Zhang smiled, placing his left hand on the back of his right hand in front of him, as if he were being looked at at will.
“If Fourth Sister wants to improve, she can straighten her back. You are taller than average, so it’s easier for you to hunch over. If Fourth Sister could practice the Eight Pieces of Brocade or Tai Chi, she could stand upright like a pine tree even at eighty.” He said with a smile, “Junior Brother has been having a lot of bad luck with women lately, so it’s understandable that Fourth Sister misunderstands.”
Song Chunlian said to Alai, "Take the horses to the donkey pen and add more hay to prevent them from fighting."
"Sigh." Alai walked up to the chestnut horse with a smile and stroked its fur with great affection.
Master Zhang was somewhat surprised. "This horse is very stubborn and doesn't usually let people touch it. It seems this child is very intelligent."
Song Chunxue nodded and said, "Everyone says this child is stupid, but I think he's very smart. Senior brother, do you have any ideas about what kind of path would suit him?"
Master Zhang stroked his beard and nodded. "Let's try it first thing tomorrow morning."
"Come on, let's go inside and talk." Fourth Sister Song Chunlian looked at him. "Taoist Master, why don't you sleep with Alai tonight? He keeps saying he sees the blue bricks in the room circling around him. Please take a look and tell me what's going on."
Master Zhang smiled slightly, "It doesn't matter. It just proves that this child is extraordinary and not an ordinary child."
Song Chunlian took it as the Taoist priest comforting her.
She said to Song Chunxue, "Take good care of your senior brother, I'll go get another set of bowls and chopsticks."
Song Chunxue looked at Zhang Daoshi and lowered her voice, "Are you really planning to sleep in the kiln?"
"I knew I'd be taken away by a kind person tonight, but I never expected it to be your fourth sister's son. It seems my divination for unexpected wealth has come true. Junior brother, tell me honestly, did you strike it rich again today? How did you do it?"
Master Zhang was completely baffled. "No matter how I try, I can't find anything valuable, but I can find gold when I go digging with my junior brother. I've got my eye on it. Come with me to the nearby plains tonight; there's bound to be something good there."
Seemingly afraid that Song Chunxue would refuse, he quickly said, "That way you won't have to hide it anymore, but can openly help your sister. As the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. You understand this principle, right?"
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