When she woke up in a daze, the sky was still dark. Xiaochan was sleeping beside her. Her body leaned over like an octopus. Her body was soft and warm. Feeling this body, she recalled the feeling in her dream. In her dream … she almost thought of her as her Husband.
After the marriage, although Xiao Chan had already taken in a concubine, a concubine shouldn't sleep with the first wife according to reason. However, it did not matter that much since they were not in the same country. After all, they were like sisters. When they were younger, they had slept on the same bed.
In comparison, among the three maidservants, Juan 'er had the quietest temperament. She slept slightly sideways, like a little girl who needed protection but was a little shy. Her hands would never hug randomly. Xing 'er's temperament was like her sister's. Although she was fierce to others, she was very gentle when they were together. She slept on her back with her hands on her abdomen. Sometimes at night, she would wake up and pull up the quilt for her sisters.
Only Xiaochan was the most troublesome. She was likable but clingy. When she fell asleep, she would unknowingly look for someone to hug. When they were young, her hugs were often unbearable. It was said that Juan 'er cried when she hugged her. When she woke up in the morning, her eyes were swollen. She kept complaining to her, and Xiaochan would feel guilty and apologize. That was a matter between the sisters. However, that time, she happened to pass by and saw it.
She did not mind it too much. When she was young, she had a few little people around her. However, she had just learned the word "Imperial" from her father. At a young age, she was thinking about how to treat the people around her. She felt that she should not be too close, but she could not bear to be too distant. In the end, she did not make up her mind. She felt that the clingy and cute Xiaochan was more like a younger sister who was easy to get close to.
Now that they were all grown up, even if they hugged like this, it would not be as inappropriate as it was when they were young. Sometimes, it even made her feel uncomfortable. Xiaochan was of medium height, but her body was slender. She felt the young girl beside her who was like a younger sister. She could not help but reach out and tickle Xiaochan's waist. In her sleep, Xiaochan moved her body, smacked her lips, and made a sound of "Mmm". Feeling all of this and recalling the times when he was young, a warm smile appeared on his face.
They had grown up together at such a young age and had grown into what they were now. Then, they had married the same man and become sisters. Just thinking about it made people feel warm. She tried to imagine what Ning Yi would do to Xiaochan when he was here, what expression he would have when Xiaochan hugged him like this, and how they would fall asleep together. She then recalled the way she slept with him. Yes, she liked lying in his arms …
Therefore, she also tried to hug Xiaochan gently, just like how Ning Yi felt when he hugged her. When Xiaochan leaned over, her thoughts also flew to Bianliang City, which was hundreds of miles away.
What would he do on such a night? Would he sleep alone in an empty house, or would he hug Juan'er like this … Before leaving, she had hinted that he could take Juan'er as his wife, but she did not know whether he did it or not.
It was still late at night. Before she fell asleep again, Su Tan'er hugged Xiaochan and sighed softly. She admitted that she missed him and the children … She had been thinking about them since the first day she came here.
*****
In the early morning, the morning wind blew pollen across the sky. The small county called Muyuan had woken up.
The small county was located on the bank of a tributary next to the Grand Canal. Although the traffic was convenient, compared with other cities along the Grand Canal, it had not been developed much. It was originally a small town with only a few roads and more than a thousand families. Recently, due to the arrival of the Su family, they built warehouses and workshops, and it became a little more lively.
After dawn, the simple courtyard on the side of Muyuan County was a little noisy for a while. This was the courtyard where the Su family temporarily stayed. Most of the people living here were women. In addition to Su Tan'er, Xiaochan, and Xing'er, there were several female stewards whom Su Tan'er was familiar with, led by a middle-aged woman named Feng Qiuhua. In the early morning, there were also some female cooks, accounting ladies, and other female family members. They were busy dressing up, eating breakfast, and reporting to Su Tan'er about today's work.
After the morning, these people went out one after another. When the sun rose, the courtyard would be quiet for a while. This courtyard was not big, with a few mud brick houses and mud walls. There were no decorations. Outside the courtyard wall was one of the main roads of the town, but there were not many pedestrians. When it rained, it was mostly muddy and dirty water flowed freely. On a sunny day, if a carriage passed by, it would often stir up a cloud of dust. Only in the morning of the market day, which happened once every three days, there would be more pedestrians. People in the surrounding villages gathered in the county after picking up things. Some passed by here, and some sold their goods on the roadside. After half a day, they would disperse.
There was an inconspicuous tile pot under the eaves of the courtyard. Two buds were stretching out from the soil. They were the seeds planted by Xing'er on the day they came to Muyuan.
In the silence of the courtyard, there were people coming in and out from time to time. As the head of the family, Su Tan'er did not go out often. If there was something, it was usually Xing'er who did it, and Xiaochan would carefully classify the raw silk or cloth samples in the next room. The cook bought the ingredients for a few days and asked the maids to prepare lunch in the kitchen. Every one or two days in the morning, someone would secretly send some information. Su Tan'er would read it in the room. When Xiaochan went there, she would often hear the news of Bianliang from Su Tan'er.
"... Takeshi's Wanzhao House has become famous. Li Shishi appeared … It seems to be well done. It's very impressive. Husband's new poem came out, and people in Bianliang were shocked again …"
Sometimes Su Tan'er would laugh while reading, and sometimes she would frown, "... It's not a good thing to offend the High Magistrate. Husband probably has to ask the Prime Minister's Mansion to help him."
Sitting aside, Xiaochan looked at Su Tan'er and gently pursed her lips, "Miss, why are you so happy about Takeshi's matter …"
"Although the name is Takeshi, Miss Nie doesn't care about it anymore. No matter what it is called, it will belong to our Ning Family in the future. If it can be done well, I don't care." Tan'er shook her head and didn't care. A complicated but peaceful smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, "What's more, Miss Nie will marry into our family sooner or later. She is quiet, so it's not difficult to get along with her."
The door and window of the room were open, and the spring sunshine and warm wind came in from the outside. They dyed the hair on Tan'er's forehead and the calm smile. Although she had been troubled by some things, when she found that her husband was even more troubled, the hidden bitterness in her heart actually dissipated slowly. Now that she was angry and gone, leaving the man she missed to sulk in the capital, it was time for her to show the temperament of a matriarch …
Of course, as a woman, she didn't want her man to be separated from her. This was human nature. In her heart, there was no joy or open-mindedness. But it was not accurate to say that she was jealous. If one were to sum up this complicated feeling, it would probably be a bitter smile, a sigh, and a smile saying, "I really can't help it."
From the point of view of a businessman, there were not many ways to solve the situation since it had developed to this point. Fortunately, she didn't dislike Miss Nie's temperament. In fact, in these years of experience, she had seen many couples get along. According to her original idea, even if this husband was a good-for-nothing, he would use her money to go to the brothel to get to know a few bosom friends. She would be able to deal with it more calmly. Only these things that happened later were strange to her.
From getting close to him to being moved, to the later things, and even to knowing each other physically and mentally. Her husband's actions and thoughts were too novel and strange to the point that she didn't know how to deal with it. But in any case, she had been angry, and it was time to pull things back to the right path.
Because of this, during the time when they came to Muyuan, Xiaochan felt that Miss, who had cried and made a fuss not long ago, had quickly calmed down. Sometimes she saw her sitting in front of the window with her cheeks in her hands. She should be missing her family in Bianliang. She looked serene and affectionate. Sometimes when they talked about things in Bianliang, she could laugh and make fun of them, as if nothing had happened when she parted with Ning Yi.
Even with Xiaochan's understanding of Su Tan'er, she couldn't clearly tell whether she was really not angry anymore or was brewing another storm. But in any case, it seemed that she was not willing to be separated from her Husband. Knowing this, Xiaochan also felt relieved.
"… But the performance at the House of Swift the day before yesterday, well, this poem seems to be much better. It caused a sensation … After a dream, the tower is locked high, the curtain is lowered when I sober up. When the hatred of last spring comes, falling flowers stand alone, the swallows fly together in the light rain. Remember the first time we met, the two words "heart" luo yi, the pipa string says "lovesickness". At that time, the bright moon was there, the colorful clouds returned … Well, at that time, the bright moon was there, the colorful clouds returned … "
Su Tan'er didn't know much about poetry, but she could see the advantages of this poem. She compared this sentence with "Beauty meets for a thousand years" in her mind. That was the poem that Ning Yi used to please her last year. She was very happy. Then she felt that a thousand years should be better. Xiaochan looked at the "falling flowers stand alone, the swallows fly together in the light rain" and said, "Is it about the matter that Miss ran away from home?"
"Of course not. There is' Remember the first time we met 'at the end … Humph, who is Little Pin …"
"But falling flowers stand alone, the swallows fly together in the light rain … The pipa string says" lovesickness ". At that time, the bright moon was there, the colorful clouds returned. It seems to be talking about the matter that Miss ran away. "Person stands alone, the swallows fly together in the light rain" means that Miss ran away, and Husband was there alone. He was looking forward to Miss going back … "Xiaochan said seriously.
Su Tan'er laughed, and then stopped, "Even if it is, he shouldn't have written it for someone else …"
"Because he wrote it for someone else to hang it in the building, so he added someone else's name. Maybe it was the occasion … Well, Husband wrote it, and Li Shishi went to perform it. Maybe he wrote it for Miss Li on the spot …" Xiaochan raised her head, and put a finger on her chin to make a deduction, "Well, could it be that Miss Li has a nickname called Little Pin?"
"Shishi should be a stage name." Su Tan'er interrupted.
"Then, Li Shishi's original name should be Li Pin. Li Pin … this name, uh …"
As if she suddenly thought of something, Xiaochan's face suddenly turned green. Su Tan'er was stunned, and then the corner of her mouth moved twice, but she didn't say anything. Xiaochan thought for a while, "Maybe there is a girl called Little Pin. Ah, I remember. When I was in Jiangning, there was a very famous girl called Zhao Xiaopin in Jincui Pavilion."
"Ah …" Su Tan'er pointed with her finger, "I remember too. Zhao Xiaopin … Did Husband see her at that time?"
"Although Husband didn't have much contact with them, he should have seen them. Otherwise, there should be other Little Pins, such as Bianliang … Uh …"
Xiaochan thought hard for a while, and Su Tan'er laughed, "Don't talk about this anymore …" After all, the two of them were sisters who married the same man. At this time, when they talked about things related to Ning Yi, they more or less had some idea. But in any case, because of the sudden messy association, their mood was affected. Even the quality of the poem, when they looked at it again, they felt that the quality was much worse.
Little Pin for the first time … Heart Silk Dress … I can't stand it …
After the initial disgust, the two of them couldn't help but think about it for the whole day. If there was no one around, when Xiaochan thought about it, she would blush a little, but as long as she saw her miss, she wanted to laugh. So, at noon, when she sat at the table with Su Tan'er, Xing'er, Feng Qiuhua, and others, her little face turned like a persimmon, and she pursed her lips to hold back her laughter.
Of course, Su Tan'er knew why. Seeing her like this, she also wanted to laugh, but she was used to being the host, so she still had some self-control. Xing'er and others were confused. When they were halfway through the meal, Xiaochan couldn't help but climb on the table and laugh. After a few laughs, she raised her head and pretended to be serious. When she saw everyone's expression, she couldn't help it … Although Xiaochan was usually cute, in front of Feng Qiuhua and other stewards and servants, she still had the momentum of a concubine. At this time, everyone was confused. Su Tan'er also couldn't help it. She supported her mouth with one hand and hit the back of Xiaochan's hand with the other, and then pinched her face. This scene made Xing'er, who was eating next to them, confused, "What, what's wrong?" In the end, Xiaochan lay on her shoulder and laughed for a while.
In fact, there was no way to entertain themselves in Kiyuan, except for this unexpected thing. In the afternoon, after dealing with some things, Su Tan'er would go out to the nearby construction site, or see the progress of recruiting female workers in the workshop.
This was a remote town, and there was nothing to do. Green mountains and clear waters could be seen everywhere, but it was really difficult to have any interest in sightseeing. Dog dung, cow dung, chicken dung, and other such things could be seen everywhere on the roads near the town. The pedestrians on the road were dressed in old clothes and the houses were low. Occasionally, he would see one or two ruffians squatting by the roadside with dull or wretched eyes, carefully looking at the women from the big city. To Ning Yi, these were the scenes of the villages in the old society. He was talking about the matter as it was and not belittling it. Even if Su Tan'er was from this era and could get used to it, she might not like to see these scenes. If she lived here for a long time, her life would become boring.
On the riverside of the town, there was a small piece of green land where the old dock could be seen from afar. Su Tan'er would go there to take a walk. Nowadays, there were few ships on the river. The Su family had bought several pieces of land nearby. From here, Su Tan'er could see half of the town, and there were not many people passing by. She could imagine what the town would be like in the future. More often, she thought of Ning Yi, Jiangning, and Bianliang. She remembered that when she ran away from the marriage, she also passed by such a small river. She thought of how she felt at that time, and how she and Ning Yi would be like if she didn't run away from the marriage at the beginning.
As for the future, she did not have very specific confidence. After the separation, the business had to be done slowly. Of course, she was confident that she could do it well. As for Ning Yi, she did not know what Ning Yi was doing. He spent a lot of money and made a big plan, but at present, she could not see the results and prospects. But no matter what, she thought, she would support him.
It was just that the two Takeshi shops had opened for business, and there was the interference of the High Magistrate. He would have to deal with everything, and it would probably take a long time. Although she was not angry anymore, she said that she would give him time to think it through, so she could not go back directly. Really... I miss Xiao Xi...
If only he could come back earlier, how good would it be...
She stayed here for a while, thinking about these things. In the distance, she vaguely saw a group of horses and carriages crossing the bridge and entering the small town. Then, there seemed to be some movement. Su Tan'er thought that it might be the family of some big family in the town who came back to visit their relatives. She did not take this matter to heart, but she could not help but get up and walk back.
Entering the town, passing through the streets, Tan'er let her mind focus on the progress of the construction today. Walking beside her were the martial artists that Ning Yi had arranged to be responsible for her safety. There were two women among them. When passing by the two big families in the town, she pretended to casually glance at them, but there was no sign of a horse carriage. So, she walked past the shabby county government office. In the distance, her family's construction site and courtyard were at the corner in front of her.
A thought rose in her mind, but she immediately suppressed it: Of course not, not much time has passed, there is no need for her to think about this. But tonight, she should instruct Xing 'er, to … to build a corner of the warehouse higher … it should be better if it is higher, and then … she heard a faint voice in front of her, and someone was looking in the direction of the courtyard from the other end of the road. Something gripped her heart, but it could not be … it could be another batch of goods, could it be which batch was brought forward … she calculated in her mind, and quickened her pace.
In fact, the sun was gradually setting in the west. Su Tan'er's pace was steady, and her eyes were calm as she crossed the corner of the street. She seemed to hear a child's voice vaguely. She looked in that direction and saw six or seven horse carriages parked on the street. Many people were moving things down the street and into the courtyard... Sure enough, a batch of goods had arrived. She took two steps forward, and her right hand involuntarily grabbed the clothes on the left side of her body.
After another two steps, a figure appeared in the gap not far away. It was a familiar figure, sitting on a large green rock at the entrance, carrying someone in his arms... The man and child's figures were blocked by the crowd. But at that moment, Su Tan'er saw the other person raise his head and look over.
She took a few steps forward and the child's voice traveled into her ears. Then Ning Yi and the child appeared in front of her. Ning Xi was in his father's arms, his mouth spitting bubbles. Ning Yi pinched his face. "There, that is your mother who ran away from home."
Su Tan'er ran over and hugged the child in front of Ning Yi. She kissed him twice and pressed her face against his, even if Ning Xi spat on her face.
Just like that, she was intimate with the child for a moment. "Why are you here so quickly?" She lowered her head and after saying that, she raised her head to look at her husband. Her gaze was slightly warm and she was smiling.
"Men tend to be more anxious when their wives run away... Why are you looking at me like that, what are you thinking about?"
"I wish I hadn't run away from the marriage back then."
"Ugh..." He didn't expect Su Tan'er to say that so suddenly but so naturally. Ning Yi was stunned. He then reached out and hugged the mother and son in front of him.
Su Tan'er felt her forehead pressing against his chest, her face heating up. "Don't, there are people watching …"
At the intersection, there were indeed people watching. There were a few families nearby who came to watch the commotion. There were also passersby who were pointing at this shameless couple from the big city. But Ning Yi didn't mind. "Who cares about them." He said as he waved his hands. "What are they looking at? Go home and hug your wife. "
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