Chapter 155: Something seems to be wrong
The next morning, just as Yun Tangyin had finished combing her hair, Fu Yucheng came in carrying a small bamboo cart: "Let's push this over there. It's better than walking. You can even sit for a while if you get tired."
He put a layer of cotton padding in the cart. "It's more comfortable than sitting directly on it. It won't hurt when it bumps around on the road."
Yun Tangyin put a small bamboo stool in the cart: "If there's nowhere to sit, this is better than standing."
She stuffed a cloth bag into Fu Yucheng's hand and said, "It contains two vegetable dumplings."
As they left the village, they saw Jiang Jianhua walking towards town with a bamboo basket. "What a coincidence! Are you going to the market too? I heard things have been a bit volatile in town lately, with more unfamiliar faces than usual. You better be careful."
Fu Yucheng quickly pulled Yun Tangyin to his side: "I know, I'm more alert than anyone else."
He stuffed a bamboo whistle into Yun Tangyin's pocket and said, "If there's anything, blow it. It's faster than calling for help."
When they arrived in town, the market was crowded with people. Fu Yucheng held Yun Tangyin's hand tightly and said, "Follow me closely."
He pointed to the cloth stall in front and said, "Go buy some floral fabrics first. If you're late, the good stuff will be taken away."
The cloth stall owner greeted them with a smile as he saw them coming, "Miss, would you like to order new clothes? This peony red one complements your skin tone better than the others, and it's even prettier than last year's new patterns."
Yun Tangyin touched the fabric and said, "It's quite soft, more comfortable than the coarse cloth at home."
Just as she was about to ask the price, she heard two vendors next to her whispering.
"Have you heard? Last night, thieves broke into Mr. Zhang's house in the west end. They rummaged through everything, it was quite scary, and they stole a lot of things."
"That's right. I saw officials when I came here this morning. They were checking more strictly than usual. They said things are not going well lately and asked everyone to be careful."
Fu Yucheng frowned and moved closer to Yun Tangyin: "Let's finish shopping quickly and go back."
He picked up the peony-red cloth and said, "This is it, boss, let's settle the bill."
Yun Tangyin glanced at the sugar painting stall next to the cloth stall and said, "Let's buy a sugar tiger. It looks good and is edible."
Just as she was about to walk over, she was stopped by Fu Yucheng.
"I'll go buy some." Fu Yucheng squeezed into the crowd and quickly returned holding a candy tiger. "Look at this tiger, it's quite majestic."
He stuffed a pair of small bamboo tweezers into Yun Tangyin's hand and said, "This is perfect for clamping the thread. It's more convenient than pulling it with your hands."
As they were talking, the owner of the bun shop next door came out with a bamboo tray. "What would you like? These freshly baked meat buns are more fragrant than cold ones, and more filling than other places."
She lowered her voice and said, "I really need to get home earlier. It's not safe to walk on the road after dark. My husband came home last night and said he saw a few men with knives wandering around the alley. They looked so ferocious and scary."
Yun Tangyin stuffed a meat bun into Fu Yucheng's hand and said, "Eat it quickly. It's better than having an empty stomach."
She looked around and said, "Let's go back after we finish shopping."
Fu Yucheng took a bite of the bun and said, "I'll listen to you."
He pointed to the fruit stand in front and said, "Buy another bunch of grapes. Don't you like them?"
The fruit stall owner put two more grapes in their bags: "Are you pregnant? Eating more grapes is better for the baby than eating sour ones."
He stuffed a piece of oil paper into Fu Yucheng's hand and said, "Wrap it up. It's better than getting all the juice on you."
On the way back, Fu Yucheng was pushing a cart with Yun Tangyin sitting on it. He suddenly pointed to the blacksmith shop on the side of the road and said, "Let's buy a pair of small scissors. They are faster than the ones at home and more convenient for cutting fabrics."
Fu Yucheng stopped the car: "I'll go buy it."
He quickly returned with a pair of scissors and shoved them into Yun Tangyin's hands. "Try and see if it's faster. It's much better than the previous one, isn't it?"
Yun Tangyin picked up the scissors and cut a strip of cloth. The blade was very sharp. "It's really fast and saves effort." She stuffed the scissors into the cloth bag and said, "Put it away and don't lose it."
She pointed to the grocery store in front and said, "Go buy a pack of matches. We're almost out of them at home."
The grocer was weighing out salt for someone. When he saw them come in, he stood up and said, "What would you like? The pancreas just arrived and it smells delicious."
"Give me a box of matches." Fu Yucheng took the matchbox and put it in his pocket, then picked up a soap. "Take this too, it'll be comfortable for you to wash your hands."
After leaving the grocery store, Yun Tangyin suddenly grabbed him and said, "Listen, there seems to be some noise over there."
The two looked towards the corner of the street and saw several men arguing with a vendor.
The man's face flushed with anxiety: "I'm telling the truth. Two cows were lost in the south of the city last night, and the Public Security Bureau is investigating!"
A man spat: "Stop talking nonsense, just sell your stuff."
Fu Yucheng frowned and whispered to Yun Tangyin, "Let's go quickly and don't stay here any longer."
As I turned the corner, I ran into a man carrying a medicine box, dressed like a traveling doctor.
The itinerant doctor saw Fu Yucheng pushing the pregnant woman, stopped and stared at Yun Tangyin, then warned: "Don't go out at night recently. A family got up at night and met a stranger asking for directions. The next day, they lost a new cotton-padded jacket and ten yuan."
Yun Tangyin squeezed Fu Yucheng's hand tightly: "I understand, thank you."
Fu Yucheng quickened his pace, and the wheels of the cart made a rapid sound as they rolled on the stone road.
Yun Tangyin suddenly said, "Do you think...will there be any trouble for us?"
"Don't let your imagination run wild." Fu Yucheng freed one hand and patted the back of her hand. "Ours is a military compound. If there's any movement, we can take care of it."
He glanced at the roadside and said, "There's an old locust tree ahead. Let's take a break before we go on."
There were a few elderly people enjoying the cool under the tree. When they saw them coming, they moved forward.
An old man, smoking a pipe, said, "Young man, take your wife home early. Things have been a bit turbulent these past few days. I'm sure they'll lock the door in the evening."
Fu Yucheng nodded in thanks and took out a vegetable dumpling from his cloth bag: "Eat some to fill your stomach."
Yun Tangyin took a bite of her vegetable dumpling and suddenly pointed into the distance: "Isn't that my second sister-in-law? Why is she going that way?"
Fu Yucheng looked in the direction she pointed. Jiang Jianhua was standing in front of a tea stall, talking and gesturing with his hands. His heart tightened. "Let's go over and say hello and ask about the situation."
Seeing them coming, Jiang Jianhua quickly waved, "You guys should go back soon. The tea stall owner said that someone saw a few strangers wandering around the ferry this morning. They don't look like good people."
"Got it, let's go now." Fu Yucheng pushed the cart and turned around, "You should go back early too, don't delay."
They were silent all the way. When they were almost at the door of their house, Yun Tangyin suddenly whispered, "Let's go back and close the gate tightly and find a thick piece of wood to prop it up."
"Okay, I'll do it right away." Fu Yucheng looked down at her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Yun Tangyin leaned closer to him: "I'm not afraid, I'm just thinking about the child."
She touched her belly and said, "It will be fine after this period."
Fu Yucheng stopped pushing the cart and bent down to help her tidy up her hair. "It will be fine. I'll put another lock on the gate to make it safer."
Yun Tangyin looked up at him, the sunlight shining through the leaves onto his face, his eyes bright.
She suddenly smiled: "Yeah, it will definitely work."
Fu Yucheng also smiled. The wheels of the car rolled over the dirt road, making a rustling sound, accompanied by a few dogs barking in the distance. It made people feel more at ease than the hustle and bustle of the town.
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