Chapter 757 Make a Red Coffin
Song Chunxue smiled, "We ordinary people have always been self-reliant and have never been served by others. I appreciate your kindness, but please, brother, reconsider your decision."
She raised an eyebrow, her smile widening.
"If that person is truly kind-hearted, how could he send a beauty alone to serve me? I prefer to have young and handsome gentlemen at my beck and call rather than women. Please trouble him to send another batch."
"This..." The leader who led the way stared at Xie Zheng with wide eyes, and when he found that Xie Zheng had no expression, he looked at Song Chunxue in surprise.
"Alright, take your men and leave. Don't force me to take action," Xie Zheng said without any politeness. "I'm not worthy of such treatment. Since he has the time, he might as well read a couple more military books."
"..." The leader looked pale. He dared not say such a thing, as it might cost him his head.
"My lord..." the woman raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, "Please let us stay for the night."
"What, is there really no place for you to stay in this world besides my courtyard?" Xie Zheng said in a deep voice. "Steward, send someone to take them to an inn."
"No need, thank you for your kindness, sir. We will find it ourselves." The man in black cupped his hands and said, "We have disturbed you. Farewell."
Watching the five people walk out of the courtyard, Xie Zheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He held Song Chunxue's hand and explained gently, "Huoxiang mentioned this matter, but I didn't take it seriously. I didn't expect them to actually come. It was my carelessness, but I will handle it. Please don't worry about it."
"I didn't take it to heart, but I'm afraid this matter won't end so easily. What if they come back tomorrow?" Listening to the carriage outside the door gradually leaving, Song Chunxue's expression remained calm, showing little joy or anger.
However, when she thought of that person who didn't handle state affairs properly and instead meddled in other people's private matters, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the common people.
If he had paid so much attention to the border rebellion and racked his brains to solve it, things wouldn't be in this state now.
"Then kick them out. I'll submit a memorial to the emperor, politely declining this offer." This whole drama was giving Xie Zheng a real headache, and he rubbed his forehead, his brows furrowed deeply.
"I think you should make him pay more attention to his own people, stop being a matchmaker, and have more princes and princesses. Maybe that will help stabilize the country."
"..." Xie Zheng quickly covered her mouth, "Don't talk nonsense, he is, after all, the emperor."
Song Chunxue rolled her eyes and cursed inwardly, "This emperor, blinded by greed, is not even as reliable as a shepherd boy."
Song Chunxue entered the room, and after thinking it over again and again, she decided to tell him what she knew.
"I told you about how I once lived to be over seventy, but had to start all over again because I was full of resentment, right?"
"Yes, I have mentioned it." Xie Zheng was unsure of her meaning, so he quickly stated, "Once you're on my pirate ship, it's not easy to get off. I will pester you relentlessly."
“…” Song Chunxue was amused. “I didn’t mean that. You… well, I’ll remember that. But I have something else to say.”
Xie Zheng moved closer to her and held her hand tightly.
"Thirty years later, the people were living in misery and suffering. There was no peace in the court or the country. At that time, there were rumors that the dynasty would change in a dozen years."
"In other words, our dynasty may perish by the time it reaches our grandchildren's generation." Song Chunxue lowered her voice. "You must be careful in your actions from now on. It's not worth getting demoted or risking your life for things you can't change. Preserving your life is the most important thing."
Xie Zheng's expression was grave. He held her fingers and stared into the void in silence for a long time.
"You mean, you know what will happen in the future?"
Song Chunxue: "Not too much, after all, I used to only care about farming. But in the next twenty or thirty years, we did experience more turmoil. However, perhaps it was because we were too poor that even if someone raised an army, they didn't care about robbing anything. It was still relatively peaceful. Other things were just rumors, and I didn't see them with my own eyes."
“Then your choice to cultivate is truly a wise one.” Xie Zheng said earnestly, holding her fingers. “It also proves that my plan was correct. I intend to resign from my official post in a few years and devote myself wholeheartedly to cultivation with you.”
Song Chunxue didn't believe it. "Are you really willing to do that?"
"What are you willing to give up?" Xie Zheng chuckled. "Official position or power, but can you do some small, trivial things for the common people and stop corrupt officials from exploiting them?"
“It’s because I’m reluctant to part with it, so I need time.” He got up and took out a jar of wine from under the table. “I remember your master said it would be a five-year period, but I hope that after five years, I can cultivate with you.”
Five years had passed, and Song Chunxue dared not think too deeply about it; the unknown filled her with dread.
Unexpectedly, he had already made plans for this.
It's hard not to be moved by this.
She seems to always be going by instinct, while Xie Zheng is different.
"What if Master says our horoscopes don't match and we're not suitable to cultivate together?" She leaned on the table, tapped her wine glass, and the wine inside rippled.
"You mean becoming Daoist partners, right?" Xie Zheng adjusted the wick of the lamp, the gentle candlelight illuminating his face, his warm, low voice quite moving, "As long as you don't abandon me after starting something, that's fine."
...
The second son's wedding banquet had an unusually large number of guests, and Hu Wanying's dowry was also plentiful, making it very eye-catching when displayed in the courtyard.
It's clear how much the Hu family dotes on this daughter and has given her all the prestige she deserves. If the second son ever quarrels with his wife in the future, he'll have to think twice.
Hu Wanying's family members are exceptionally powerful.
Song Chunxue only learned today that the dowry of a young lady from a wealthy family includes a red coffin as a symbol of promotion and wealth.
This is the complete ten-mile-long red bridal procession.
Indeed, the wealthy marry off their daughters, the middle-class give away their daughters, and the poor sell their daughters.
A group of children curiously looked at the bright red dowry in the yard and happily played hide-and-seek among it.
Song Chunxue couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.
All five sisters were sold.
Tragically, the parents, in their quest to have a son, had long since lost their lives. They were not fortunate enough to be like other parents, using the money from selling their daughters to pay for their sons' weddings.
With many guests coming and going, Song Chunxue finally didn't have to do all the work herself anymore, as her sons were all grown up. In the afternoon, most of the guests left, and Song Chunxue sat in the courtyard looking after the children to prevent them from fighting and falling.
The red coffin was still on the table, and the storeroom was crammed full. It would take some time to make room to put the dowry items inside.
After working hard for most of the day, the eldest brother sat down to drink tea, his gaze falling on the red coffin.
"Mom, why are you staring at the coffin?" He had asked around and learned that the coffin was for his parents-in-law. The eldest son was a little flustered. "Don't be envious. I'll buy you a better one in the future."
Song Chunxue tossed a walnut over, saying, "I have money to buy one myself."
She just found it strange.
"Mother, why aren't you drinking today? You're sitting here all alone. You've married such a wealthy daughter-in-law, why are you still so sullen?" The eldest son lowered his voice. "If you remarry, I'll make you a red coffin."
"..." Song Chunxue suddenly stood up, picked up a broom and beat him hard, "Good for you, boss, you are truly my filial son!"
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