Chapter 212 Good Days
Catching someone in the act?
Upon hearing those two words, Sanwa blushed deeply, seemingly startled by the Taoist priest's audacity.
“No… I don’t know how to… catch someone in the act,” the last two words were extremely difficult to say. Sanwa walked to the door and turned his back to them, saying, “There’s no need to catch them. I know the Taoist priest doesn’t like my mother.”
After saying that, Sanwa wished he could bite off his own tongue. His mind was in complete chaos. He quickly lifted the curtain and ran away, leaving behind the words, "Mother, I'm going to read a book."
"..." Sure enough, the truth is hard to hear. What do you mean by liking or disliking someone? Does she have to be liked by someone?
Song Chunxue was both angry and frustrated, thinking how wonderful it would be if the Taoist priest were a woman, so that everyone wouldn't be suspicious of their relationship.
However, she thought of the gossipy people in the village. Even if the Taoist priest was a woman, over time, rumors would spread that their relationship was improper.
There used to be two women in this village who had married into the village from other villages. They were both very beautiful and their families were related, so they were very close and often helped each other out.
Young women, especially those who have just given birth, often feel afraid and unable to sleep if their husbands are not at home.
They would often keep each other company and sleep together for most of the night.
Later, someone with a big tongue actually said that it was abnormal for the two women to be together, that their behavior was too intimate, and that they even held hands when they went to the market together.
The men from both families forcibly separated them, forbidding them from seeing each other again.
Later, one of them moved away with her husband's family, leaving the other behind who didn't interact much with the people in the village and would hide whenever she saw someone.
Public opinion is a fearsome thing.
The Taoist priest chuckled and shook his head. "I was just teasing him, and he ran away in fright. I like Sanwa. How about I take him as my disciple?"
"You wish! Sanwa needs to study. Besides, he's too young. It's not the right time for him. What child would want to learn this?" Song Chunxue said irritably. "Senior brother, hurry up and teach me how to draw talismans."
"Alright, alright, you're getting impatient." The Taoist priest stroked his beard. "Sanwa said he didn't think much of you, and you're still angry?"
"..." She's a woman, after all. Does she really have to expose her?"
Can't we at least give her some face?
She raised her hand and pinched the space between her eyebrows. She had lived for so long, how could she be getting worse as she got older?
It would be best if the Taoist priest disliked her; it would be terrible if he didn't.
“I’m not angry,” she quickly composed herself and looked up at the Taoist priest. “Please teach me how to draw talismans properly, and please don’t think I’m stupid.”
“Easy.” The Taoist priest slid off the kang (heated brick bed), picked up his brush and ink, and said, “Diligence can make up for lack of talent. I’d like to see just how stupid you really are.”
Song Chunxue's palms were sweating nervously. Before she even started writing, she kept switching between pens and wiping her sweat off her clothes with both hands.
Because she had never held a calligraphy brush before, the Taoist priest always found her brush-holding posture awkward and spent half an hour adjusting it.
One hour later...
When the fourth brother returned from watching the play, he heard the two people in the north room arguing.
He didn't dare go to the north room, but went into the west room and asked Sanwa, "What's wrong? I've never heard them arguing before."
Sanwa closed the book. "Mother is learning to draw talismans, but she doesn't know how to hold a brush or draw circles. The Taoist priest gradually lost patience and spoke harshly. Mother didn't like it, so they started arguing."
The fourth brother lowered his voice, "The play just ended. If they keep arguing like this, the Cheng family will definitely hear it if they pass by. Why don't you go and talk to them, Third Brother?"
"..." Sanwa opened his eyes wide and deliberately looked him up and down. "Don't think that just because you call me Third Brother, I can be used by you. No way."
"Third brother, third brother," the fourth brother said in a drawn-out tone, deliberately trying to annoy him, "my third brother, why don't you go and see him?"
"..." Sanwa got goosebumps all over from being called "Third Brother" so many times, and couldn't help but pick up the old broom for sweeping the kang and threaten him, "If you call me again, you can go sleep in the east room."
The fourth brother curled his lip, "You don't like it anymore? Didn't you like hearing me call you Third Brother before? You're such a liar, a smooth talker."
He picked up the wooden basin and went to the kitchen. "I'm going to boil some water to wash my feet. Do you want to wash your feet too?"
"I've washed up, time for bed." Sanwa rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. "Leave some hot water for the Taoist priest."
The fourth brother chuckled twice, sounding rather smug.
He lowered his voice and asked, "Do you really like the Taoist priest and want him to be our stepfather?"
"..." Sanwa suddenly opened his eyes. "Don't talk nonsense. Aren't we good as fellow disciples? Why do we have to become husband and wife? What if they hear this and the Taoist priest won't dare to come anymore?"
"Why are you glaring at me? I was just saying it offhand."
The fourth brother went to the kitchen to boil water, while the third brother listened quietly to the sounds coming from the north room, lost in thought.
But he quickly calmed down, deciding that whether they would have such thoughts in the future was their business.
As a junior, he wouldn't interfere.
He will support his mother's decision, no matter what others say, as long as she is willing.
*
On the 17th, the four siblings of the Song family arrived at Song Chunxue's house carrying delicious food.
"Oh my, what a wonderful day it is today! Sister, second brother, you've come!"
Song Chunxue was carrying a basket, preparing to start a fire and cook, when she saw four people walk in through the entrance of the threshing ground. She happily dropped the basket and ran over to them.
"We thought that with so many people coming, we could mill the grain for you, but you haven't been enjoying the New Year these past few days, and all that's left is sesame seeds?"
Looking at the several stacks of grain that had been there before, now only two small stacks of sesame seeds remained, Song Zhizhu knew that she had only left them one day's work to avoid troubling them.
He walked up to the stack of sesame seeds and took down two small bundles of sesame seeds. "The sun is shining brightly today, and the wind is just right. Let's spread them out and grind them."
The second sister also walked over with a smile, "His second brother is just destined to work; he's always eager to work wherever he goes. But it's good that he's done it early. If the fifth brother doesn't leave this village soon, he'll definitely be bullied."
Third Sister held Song Chunxue's hand and said, "Fifth Brother, thanks to you for giving me..."
Fourth Sister Song Chunlian glared at her, "Can't you keep your mouth shut and stop causing trouble for Fifth Brother?"
The third sister wisely kept quiet. She had gotten into the habit of saying whatever came to mind over the years, and she had completely forgotten the instructions she was given before leaving the house.
"I'm so sorry, Fifth Brother. Second Brother said it's all my fault for being so talkative, causing the matchmaker to come all the way to your house. I'll try to be more restrained in the future and talk less to outsiders." As she spoke, she lowered her head and patted the newly made clothes on her body. "Does it look good?"
She lowered her voice and whispered in Song Chunxue's ear, unable to hide her gratitude and joy, "It was you who gave me the money to buy it, so Zhao Qian doesn't dare to boss me around anymore."
Song Chunxue took her third sister's hand and greeted the others, "Let's go inside first. Second brother, you're in too much of a hurry. At least have a drink of water before you start working. There's no rush."
“I’m not thirsty,” Song Zhizhu said. “You sisters go inside and chat, I’ll get right back to work.”
“We’re not thirsty either. Third Sister and Fifth Brother, go cook. It’ll be faster if there are more people.” Fourth Sister Song Chunlian looked at Third Brother, who was walking out of the courtyard, and called out with a smile, “Third Brother, come here quickly and let your Fourth Aunt take a look at you.”
"Aunt, Uncle, come inside first." Sanwa walked over with a smile. "How can you expect relatives to start working before they even enter the house? Lao Si and I will just spread out the work."
As he spoke, Sanwa pushed his aunt and uncle into the house.
He called out into the yard, "Fourth brother, come out and get to work!"
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