Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Sleeping in the same bed alone...
Sun thought that Lin Qiuran had been busy running around these days, and had just experienced such a big event, so he must have a lot to say to Xiao Xun.
Besides, Sun was really happy now and she had no resentment. In the afternoon, she blamed Xiao Xun for not telling her earlier, but Li Cuihua took the letter and did not blame Xiao Xun. Besides, it was not easy to come back alive, as long as the family was well, that was enough.
Why get angry? You can just live a good life.
Lin Qiuran had no way to cook, and she had just come back on foot. After taking a break, the couple also talked for a while.
She went to cook, she went! Now it was great, the family was reunited, God was really kind to her, not only did he give her a daughter, but he also gave her son back.
In Sun's heart, there is no difference between Lin Qiuran and her own daughter. Xiao Xun is not her biological daughter. Lin Qiuran has been taking care of them these days and is devoted to the family. She is just used to calling him son, so she still calls him daughter-in-law.
Sun said happily, "Manager Shi, please stay for dinner too!"
Shopkeeper Shi worked for a long time and kept smiling at the customers. He couldn't just let them go when nothing happened.
After that, she took Lin Dong to the kitchen. There were meat and vegetables, originally prepared for the evening business, but it would be okay to take some home.
Sun Shi now knows how to make braised pork and stewed lamb, and Lin Dong can stir-fry shredded potatoes, which tastes just like Lin Qiuran's, but she only knows how to make this one dish and can only stir-fry one at a time. Lin Qiuran can stir-fry four or five dishes, all in one pot.
Lin Dong was occasionally discouraged, but Lin Qiuran told her that it would be enough for her to just learn one dish. If she wanted to fry several dishes at a time, the key was the heat, and she would have to practice the skill for several years.
Lin Dong usually had a cold expression and didn't like to talk, but now there was a hint of smile in his eyes, and he looked much more lively. "Auntie, will everything be alright from now on?"
Sun smiled and nodded, "Yeah, it's okay."
Knowing that Xiao Xun had been promoted, he knew that even if the lost silver could not be recovered, Li Cuihua could still compensate for it and pay a fine. If she didn't pay, she would inevitably go to jail. After so many years of grudges, they finally came to an end today.
Lin Dong said: "That's good."
As long as the Xiao family was fine, she and Lin Xia wouldn't have to worry about being sold off, as some people are, sold from one family to another. Lin Qiuran was kind and treated them well, so Lin Dong hoped she would be well.
Lin Qiuran sat on the edge of the bed, separated by a wall. Xiao Xun added some charcoal to the charcoal basin and lit the candle. He turned around and the two of them looked at each other in silence.
After a while, Lin Qiuran's eyes darkened. She looked and saw Xiao Xun half-kneeling in front of her and asked, "Can I touch it?"
Lin Qiuran hesitated for a moment before nodding. No matter what, Xiao Xun was the father of the child in her belly, so touching her belly didn't seem like too much to ask. It probably wasn't easy for him to accept either: he'd been away for six months, and now he was a father.
People in ancient times got married early. Xiao Xun was only one year older than her and was about to become a father, so he was naturally not a young man, but he was indeed young. It was difficult for Lin Qiuran to say anything harsh when he was half-kneeling in front of her.
Xiao Xun reached out and put his hand on Lin Qiuran's face. He looked up at Lin Qiuran and said, "I'm sorry."
Lin Qiuran was stunned. She thought Xiao Xun asked because he wanted to touch her belly. She subconsciously turned her head to the side. Xiao Xun pursed his lips and put his hand down.
I came back a little late today and the room was dark, with only the area illuminated by the candlelight being bright. If someone passed by, they could see their shadows on the window, one sitting and one kneeling, one tall and one short.
Very close.
Xiao Xun hadn't gotten up yet. He put his hand on Lin Qiuran's hand and rested his forehead on the back of Lin Qiuran's hand.
It was at this inadvertent moment that Lin Qiuran caught a glimpse of his wet clothes.
He stayed outside for a long time, and snow fell on his body. He didn't shake it off after returning to the house. Then he went out again, stayed in the yamen for a long time, and came home again. It was hot in the house, so he got wet.
Lin Qiuran didn't know what Xiao Xun was like in the past, but she knew that if his life wasn't really at stake, a soldier from a village wouldn't have been reported dead in battle.
The news is fake, but Xiao Xun's life may really be hanging by a thread.
Everyone had their own difficulties back then, no wonder Xiao Xun was so pale. Now his hands were pale again, and his body was pale, with no color between his lips.
Xiao Xun lowered his head, not noticing Lin Qiuran's gaze. He wanted to say thank you for your hard work, but couldn't bring himself to say it. Could a few words, so light as to cover up everything he had been through these days?
Sun hadn't said anything yet, but Xiao Xun could guess most of it. He knew what his family had been like before. If he'd been able to start a business, he would have done it decades ago, without having to wait for Lin Qiuran to marry into the family. Just thinking about it, it wouldn't be easy to run a restaurant from scratch in the county town in half a year.
These days, Xiao Xun had also thought about other possibilities. He was worried about his family and worried that something would happen to them when they learned of his death.
Lin Qiuran watched him like this for too long, and her hands were sore from being squeezed. She said, "Hurry up and change your clothes first. They're all wet."
Looking again, Xiao Xun's shoulders were also wet, so he might as well change them and warm himself by the fire.
"Your clothes are still at home. Have you brought them back? You have an official position now. How long can you stay? When will you leave?"
Xiao Xun probably couldn't stay too long, so it would give her time to think carefully about what to do next.
If they were just looking for a way to live together, as long as Xiao Xun was a decent person, it would be fine. But if they were looking for someone who shared their feelings, it wouldn't be suitable just to live together.
When she first came here, she naturally thought about surviving. The two elders of the Xiao family were good to her, and staying in the Xiao family was the best choice. Now she is making money, so surviving is not a problem. Lin Qiuran is only eighteen years old, and it is impossible for her to revolve around the elderly and children all her life.
She didn't want to marry just for the sake of marrying, nor did she want to live with someone for the sake of having children. She had originally thought that she would just go with the flow and consider the right person when she met one, but now... Xiao Xun's sudden return had left Lin Qiuran a little confused.
If she said it out loud, others would think she was being pretentious. The Sun family and the others would definitely think that she was willing to keep the child because she said she had feelings for Xiao Xun, and now that Xiao Xun is back, everyone is naturally happy.
But she is not...
The child had been hers since she knew she was pregnant, and she would be the one to give birth to the child in the future, so she could raise him well. Xiao Xun was a stranger to her, and she had been with Sun's Xiao Dashi for several months. If Xiao Xun was a good person, she would give him priority as the child's father, but she really couldn't consider him as a husband right now.
Xiao Xun said: "I brought some clothes with me. I can stay at home for two days, but I have to leave the day after tomorrow."
Lin Qiuran breathed a sigh of relief. She said, "Then change your clothes first. I'll go help you."
Xiao Xun breathed a sigh of relief. He stood in the room for a while, waiting for the others to leave before he began to undress. He had several more scars on his body. Two of them ran from front to back, where bloody wounds had healed, and two were from battlefield injuries that had only just scabbed over and hadn't fully healed.
If you want to make a contribution, you have to fight to the death and kill the enemy. If you want to come back, you can only come back after winning the battle.
Xiao Xun changed his clothes and hung them on the rack above the charcoal brazier to warm them by the fire.
Lin Qiuran went to the kitchen, where he felt much more comfortable. Sun had made braised pork and stewed lamb, and she grinned at Lin Qiuran's arrival.
Lin Qiuran took a look and said, "Mom, kill another fish and a duck. I'll make a ginger duck and a braised fish."
With so many people, two meat dishes definitely wouldn't be enough. At least we got back safely, so there's meat at home, so we can make a few more dishes. Besides, we still have beef, but it's frozen and won't thaw easily, so we can eat it tomorrow.
The three of them were busy in the kitchen. After Xiao Xun changed his clothes, he went to the yard to chop firewood. There was a whole shed of firewood, all of which were large pieces of wood. After chopping wood, fetching water, and sweeping the road, it was dark and the meal was ready.
Sun took the dishes to the front hall, and Lin Dong and others followed to help. There were no customers today, so Xiao Dashi poured a pot of liquor and pulled Manager Shi to have a couple of drinks.
Shopkeeper Shi glanced at Lin Qiuran and said, "I have to work tomorrow, so I won't drink."
Lin Qiuran said, "It's okay to drink a little, just not too much. I'm having a good time today."
Xiao Xun: "I won't drink anymore, it will be more convenient for me to take care of Qiu Ran at night."
Sun nodded seriously, "Yes, but I can't get drunk. I have to take care of you, and besides, the smell is not good."
Lin Qiuran laughed dryly. She thought to herself, Xiao Xun wouldn't want to sleep with her tonight. There were two rooms in the house. Lin Dong and Lin Xia shared one with her, and Sun's Xiao Dashi lived in another.
There is another room in the shop, and Xiao Xun can actually live here.
But if she told it, Sun would probably think that she blamed Xiao Xun. They would talk about the future later. Lin Qiuran didn't want Sun and Xiao Dashi to get involved in what happened between them. If Xiao Xun was allowed to look after the shop, Sun and Xiao Dashi would definitely speak well of Xiao Xun.
Lin Qiuran didn't want to be roasted on the fire, and as a pregnant woman, she wouldn't do anything even if they slept in the same bed.
Xiao Dashi was in high spirits and didn't say anything about how your father didn't want to drink with you. He just had a couple of drinks with Manager Shi.
Lin Qiuran heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing this. Xiao Xun had returned, and his attitude towards her, Sun Shi, and Xiao Dashi hadn't changed. He didn't take advantage of his son's return to boss people around and act like a boss.
In the past, she just thought that Xiao Xun was dead, and the Sun family treated her well, but he was a son after all, and a son and a daughter-in-law are definitely different.
Just listen to her from now on, otherwise it will be hard to stay at home. Xiao Xun has an official rank, but Lin Qiuran can support herself and her children.
The food was delicious. The braised pork made by Sun tasted almost the same as that made by Lin Qiuran. The shredded potatoes were fried by Lin Dong and tasted good too. There were seven people at the table, and Xiao Xun ate the most.
Lin Qiuran saw that he was thin, his face was red from the cold after being outside for a long time, and his face was pale from being indoors for a long time. It was hard to tell whether the news of his death was true or not.
On the way back, Sun asked what had happened in the past six months and why the village head said he was dead. Xiao Xun simply said it was a mistake, and with a few words, he calmed the two of them down. Now that he had returned and left the county government safely, the two of them stopped dwelling on the matter.
People have to look forward. Now that Xiao Xun is fine, he believes that statement.
Xiao Dashi and Manager Shi were drinking and eating at the same time. They didn't eat too much or drink too much, but they cried under the influence of alcohol.
Shopkeeper Shi patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Good days will come in the future. After all the hardships, there will be sweetness! I envy you, big brother, for having such a good son and daughter-in-law."
Xiao Dashi stopped crying. Sun thought it was shameful that he could get drunk with such a small amount of wine.
After dinner, Manager Shi went home, and Lin Dong and Lin Xia went to clean up the dishes.
It was still early today, so Sun and Lin Qiuran said, "Qiuran, your father and I will stay in the shop today. You two go home."
Now that Xiao Xun is back, it's naturally not appropriate for Lin Dong and Lin Xia to squeeze in together, and they can't be left in the shop either. It would be best if Sun and Xiao Dashi looked after the shop.
Looking at Sun's expression, Lin Qiuran probably didn't think of letting Xiao Xun look after the shop while they went home to sleep.
She looked outside. The snow on the street was already very thick and was still falling, but it was lighter now. She wondered what it would be like tonight. If it continued to snow overnight, it would definitely be difficult to get here in the morning. It would be slippery and too cold.
Although Xiao Xun came back on horseback, the horse was too bumpy for Lin Qiuran to sit still.
Lin Qiuran was already over four months pregnant, and she was even more afraid of something happening, so she said, "Mom, Xiao Xun and I will stay in the shop so we don't have to come over tomorrow morning."
There are bedding and toiletries here, but the space is small. The bed is big enough for two people.
Besides, she bought some meat this afternoon, so she can cook it right away tomorrow. She has already delayed the business all night, so she can't delay it any longer tomorrow.
Sun thought Lin Qiuran's words made sense, "Okay."
Sun gave Xiao Xun a few more instructions, "Usually, I make breakfast for Qiuran and then wake her up. Go buy it tomorrow and wake her after 12:00. There needs to be hot water at night and for washing up in the morning, so boil it first."
Xiao Xun nodded. After Sun gave her instructions, she took Lin Dong and Lin Xia home.
After everyone left, the shop seemed empty. Xiao Xun locked the door and went to the kitchen to boil water. He saw a hot water bottle in the room, filled it with water, and stuffed it into the quilt.
He had to light the stove at night, so he added a charcoal brazier and left a gap in the window.
Lin Qiuran washed up with hot water and lay down. Seeing that Xiao Xun was still awake, she asked, "How about you?"
Xiao Xun: "I haven't showered yet. I'll go to bed soon."
He blew out the lights, and some snow-like light came in through the window paper. Lin Qiuran adjusted for a while, then closed her eyes and fell asleep peacefully. She was not used to it, and Xiao Xun probably wasn't used to it either. He went to join the army three days after his marriage, and when he came back he had a child.
Xiao Xun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lin Qiuran close her eyes, and waited until she fell asleep before lying down.
Looking over in the light of the snow, Lin Qiuran was already fast asleep.
*
The next day
The snow stopped, and Lin Qiuran was woken up by Xiao Xun. She felt the quilt was a little warm, and when she reached down, she found that the hot water bottle under her feet was hot, probably because it had just been changed.
Xiao Xun had already bought breakfast and gave her five taels of silver notes, saying it was her salary for the next two months. Lin Qiuran didn't know how much the salary was, and it would be inappropriate to ask about it rashly, but not asking didn't mean not accepting it. Xiao Xun ate a lot, so he must give money to his family.
Lin Qiuran accepted it silently. Anyway, she had never told Xiao Xun about the family business, nor did she tell him how much money they made. She didn't talk much about it with Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi, and Xiao Xun didn't contribute anything.
After she finished eating tofu pudding and dumplings, Xiao Xun came to eat. After she finished eating and put away the dishes, someone from the government came and asked Xiao Xun to come over.
This time, Lin Qiuran didn't have to go as well.
An hour later, Xiao Xun came back and caught up with the shop to do business. He told Lin Qiuran that he was back, but Lin Qiuran was too busy to pay attention to him, so Xiao Xun went out again.
Business was average at noon. It was difficult to go out due to the heavy snow, so there were not many customers.
Not only is the restaurant business bad, but business elsewhere is also bad. There were few customers in Jin Ruyi and Yuxiang Teahouse all morning, but there were still more than a dozen tables of customers in the restaurant at noon.
There was no need for Xiao Xun to go ahead, so he went to chop wood, and he chopped it quickly and well.
After finishing the business, he said to Lin Qiu: "The letter was found at her house, but the money was spent a long time ago."
During the investigation, Li Cuihua's eldest daughter-in-law said that a while ago, just a month ago, Li Cuihua had several more sets of clothes, and some villagers saw Xiao Wei drinking and gambling.
I always buy meat outside.
Xiao Wei did not give the money to the other two wives, nor to his own wife. He kept it all for himself. His wife did not even see any meat, and was very angry. She started cursing. The other two wives also complained that Li Cuihua was partial, and the family was in chaos.
The money had to be returned, and in addition to that, each person was fined twenty strokes of the cane. This was a real beating, of course. She'd just received thirty strokes yesterday, and now she was being punished again. Li Cuihua was old, and fifty strokes would leave her buttocks bruised and half dead. It was enough for her. Xiao Wei could handle it, but he'd need to recuperate for a while. If his employer found out, he'd probably be out of work.
Moreover, it was freezing and snowy, and I couldn't go back even after being beaten.
Because they couldn't release her without the money, the county government wouldn't hire a doctor, so it depended on when her family could raise enough money. The fine was ten taels, and the return was five taels, for a total of fifteen taels.
The eldest wife said she didn't care, and she hadn't spent any money, so why should she contribute money? In the past, Li Cuihua was partial to her, and now she was causing trouble for her family. This was against the law and would affect future generations, but she was still asked to pay. Why? Not only did she not pay, she also took the opportunity to split the family.
But Li Cuihua didn't come back, so how to divide the money? Xiao Wei's wife tried to persuade him earnestly, making promises and other things, but the money couldn't be gathered in a short time, and she was heartbroken. No one else would give it, and even she and her daughter wouldn't give it to spend. Is Xiao Wei still a human being?
Li Cuihua's family probably still has a lot of trouble, because the county government won't release her unless they get money.
Xiao Wei's wife brought her children to the restaurant, but Lin Qiuran didn't see them.
Xiao Xun will go back tomorrow. Lin Qiuran was a little happy. When he was doing business in the evening, Xiao Xun went out.
Lin Qiuran didn't ask her where she was going. Business was pretty good tonight. She couldn't stay at home for two days, so she came out to eat something delicious because she had a strong appetite.
After eating and drinking, the coldness was gone. Someone asked, "Boss, when will you make Maoxuewang again?"
After eating Maoxuewang, I felt that boiled pork slices were not fragrant or spicy enough. That's natural. Maoxuewang is made by Lin Qiuran using butter. There is not much butter, and he can only make some by using a whole cow.
She wanted to make it, but she didn't. There was some left over from last time, and Lin Qiuran planned to make it in the evening while Xiao Xun was around. After all, she had brought back ten taels of silver and had chopped firewood for half a day today, so it would be bad to eat it after he left.
There was butter and meat. Lin Qiuran planned to have a beef hotpot, so she took out five pounds out of ten pounds of meat.
Slice half of the beef and mix it with eggs to make tender beef. Simmer the other half in a pot and then add it to the spicy hot pot to make it more flavorful.
A clay pot is used, and vermicelli is also served. The only dishes are potatoes, radishes and cabbage. The spicy pot absorbs oil, but it’s okay to eat it occasionally, just for the sake of trying something new.
Otherwise, it would be better to make a double pot, and use mushroom and bone soup in the other pot to boil the vegetables, but beef is not common and hot pot is not eaten often, so Lin Qiuran has put the matter of buying a pot on hold.
The beef was tender and tender, and the sesame oil and garlic sauce was fragrant. Lin Qiuran also made egg fried rice, fried in lard with only eggs and chopped green onions. It looked golden and lustrous, and the steaming hot pot was full of energy. Shopkeeper Shi's eyes lit up at the sight.
Today we will wait until all the guests have left before eating, so as to avoid having to ask when this dish will be served.
There were so many people that we cleaned up the place quickly and served the food.
Wan Niang only brought some leftovers back and did not join in the fun, otherwise her daughter would be unhappy. She was very happy for Lin Qiuran. It was not easy for a woman to take care of a child. Life would be easier with a man at home.
Lin Qiuran is still young this year. Not to mention herself, even her child will need a father in the future.
Wan Niang also told Zhao Shi about this matter in the evening. Zhao Shi said: "I originally wanted to wait until her child was born to help talk to her. I also know a lot of people. Now there is no need."
Wan Niang: "Of course, I saw her husband, he is really handsome."
Zhao Shi coughed, and Wan Niang said without caring about her conscience: "Of course I can't compare to you."
*
In the restaurant, a group of people were eating enthusiastically.
Lin Dong and Lin Xia still didn't dare to pick up their chopsticks, but Manager Shi and Lu Fan were not polite. Even though the food was so spicy that their noses were running, they still couldn't help eating.
Shopkeeper Shi also praised, "Mrs. Lin's fried rice tastes better than the one at home."
This is not an exaggeration. Although they are individual pieces, they taste soft and glutinous. The eggs and green onions are also fragrant. Paired with spicy braised beef and tender beef, it is truly a unique dish.
Shopkeeper Shi thinks this can be sold in the shop, but rice can be refilled at 2 cents per person, so fried rice with egg may not sell as well as white rice.
Lin Qiuran's nose tip was a little red from the spiciness, but it was indeed very satisfying. There was still half of the beef left, so he could eat it again.
After dinner, Sun and his family returned home.
Lin Qiuran was either busy or resting throughout the day. At night, she went to bed first. No one knew when Xiao Xun woke up the next day, but when she woke up, she heard a donkey braying outside.
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The author has something to say: Please water it. Today's chapter 49 has quite a few words, so I will give you 5000 nutrient solution for extra chapters~
Thanks for the nutrient solution, thanks for the mine~
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