C37 (1/2)
With this shout, the entire village became lively. Everyone was curious about Ling Chaofeng's appearance, and the people who had seen him in the town's bazaar all had their own opinions of him. The more the news spread, the more bizarre it became.
Everyone knew, however, that Ling Chaofeng and Madam Xu did not get along well. Last time, when Mu Wen Bao was smashed into a pulp, everyone said that Xiaowan got married to such a powerful man, and it was finally possible for her to vent her anger after so many years.
The villagers thought that even if Madam Xu met her son-in-law in the future, she would still have to hide and leave. Who knew that she would have plotted against the Aunt Wang next door in order to earn money from Ling Xiao Inn through the Xiaowan. Right now, it was too late for her to find a chance to interact with them. She didn't care about face, she only knew that there was no way she could live without money.
At this moment, Madam Xu was in the kitchen making corn porridge. Upon hearing these words, she hurriedly scooped out the porridge and rushed into the house, beating up her son and daughter who were still sleeping soundly. She could not even open her eyes as she shouted: ”Go, your Big Sis and Brother-in-law are back, quickly go and bring them back.”
When Mu Wen Bao heard it was Ling Chaofeng, he was so frightened that he saw a ghost. He hid in a corner and cried, ”I won't go, I won't go, he's going to throw me out again. Mother, my butt is still hurting.”
Madam Xu picked up the broom that was used to sweep the dust on the brick bed and threatened, ”Do you want to go?
However, Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng had never planned to return to the village. Since they had decided to follow their husband and live in an inn, unless something happened to their father, she would definitely not go back to that house.
He had originally thought that the Xiaowan would be overly kind, and because he had coincidentally married a good person, he would be able to forget everything from the past and take care of his younger brother and sister. But she didn't do that at all. Aunt Zhang had also told him that he said that he would never care about the life or death of his family, and that he would never forgive Madam Xu.
But now, when they returned to their mother's grave, they put away the incense burner, unwilling to let anyone else spoil it or call it a stray dog or cat, and decided to bring them all back again next year during the Qing Ming Festival to pay their respects to their mother.
Ling Chaofeng supported Xiaowan down the mountain, but Xiaowan was smiling: ”Going up and down the mountain makes me more nimble, I used to go up and cut firewood everyday.”
But just as he finished speaking, he tripped over a dried twig beneath his feet, fell into Ling Chaofeng's embrace, and was scolded by his husband: ”Did you slap your mouth? I told you to be naughty. ”
The two of them held hands as they walked down the mountain. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the Xiaowan took one last look back and said to Master, ”Actually, I've never told Mother about my hardships. I was afraid that she might be worried about me from the sky.”
”Then what did you say?” Ling Chaofeng asked.
”I said I was fine, so I assured my mother.” Xiaowan snickered, as if she was afraid that her husband wouldn't believe him. ”It's true, anyway …”
She hadn't cried at all, but now she couldn't hold back her tears. She looked at her husband and choked with sobs, ”It doesn't matter what I say, it's not like mother can come and save me, but I'm really healed now. I have a husband who loves me and protects me.”
Ling Chaofeng said gently: ”Then why are you crying, am I bullying you?”
Xiaowan sniffed with her nose, feeling even more sad. ”My dear husband, I was not willing to marry at the beginning, and wanted to fight with you to the death. Fortunately you didn't lose me, so what would I do if you lost me?”
Ling Chaofeng laughed: ”I still wanted to ask you. At that time, all you wanted to do was run, have you thought about where you could have left me?”
Xiaowan wiped her tears and said, ”At that time, I was not stupid.”
They slowly walked down the mountain, where the carriage was tied up. Most of the people inside the Qingling Village were donkeys and mules, and they were all very curious to see a horse.
Ling Chaofeng supported the Xiaowan up the carriage, but just as he sat down, the voice of a child came from afar. The two children ran frantically towards the carriage, and shouted out, ”Big sister, big sister!”
It was her little brother and sister. Xiaowan looked at Ling Chaofeng and saw his husband nodding, so she got out of the car again. The two children ran over to her and Mu Wen Bao hid behind his second sister Wen Juan.
”Eldest young mistress …” Wen Juan was also timid, and did not dare to look at the tall and big man beside him. She pulled at Xiaowan's sleeves and stammered, ”We made breakfast at home, and Father and Mother call you, Big Sis, and Brother-in-law out for breakfast.”
Wen Juan's hair was in a mess, Wen Bao's face still had a pillow mark, she must have just been dragged out of bed.
He touched his sister's hair and said, ”We've finished eating breakfast. We still have things to do, so we're in a hurry to leave. Tell Father that I'll come see him next time.”
Wen Bao shouted, ”Big sister, go back first. If you don't come back with us, my mother will beat me to death.”
His little sister, Wen Juan, also begged, ”Big sister, mother said that she will definitely bring you back.”
”Juan'er, I can't go back.” Although the relationship between the Xiaowan and her sister-in-law was not close, they were children who did not understand. If they followed their mother and bullied others, they would not be able to differentiate between the right and wrong.
But this was the same thing, she could only say that she did not care, but she did not intend to bear any responsibility for their present future, even with such a small matter.
”Hubby, let's go.” Unexpectedly, Wen Bao acted shamelessly and sat down on the ground while hugging her leg, ”Big sister, I won't let you go, go home and eat breakfast with me, if you don't go, my mother will beat me up.”
Xiaowan could not push it away, nor could she persuade them to do so. Thus, the two of them decided to just cry, the sound spread far and wide, and the villagers who came to see them became more and more.
Seeing that the Xiaowan was not moved, and that there was nothing he could do, Ling Chaofeng took out two silver ingots from his bosom and gave one to each of them, ”Bring this back, and Mother will not beat you up. We are leaving today, we will come back next time.”
Mu Wen Bao took the silver from his brother-in-law's hands shakily and whispered to his second sister. The two of them were young, but understood money, and seemed to have followed their mother, taking the silver ingots and immediately running back.
”Don't give them money next time.” But Xiaowan was not grateful to Ling Chaofeng, she showed a somewhat wifely attitude, ”Didn't you say that all of the money is mine, I still haven't nodded my head.”
Ling Chaofeng laughed, then said: ”That is my private money, sending the little brat away is not worth anything.”
Xiaowan insisted, ”You have to promise me that you won't give me any money. That woman is a bottomless pit, if you give her this, she will taste the sweetness.
Ling Chaofeng happily carried his wife, ignoring the people watching from afar, and kissed her on her tender cheek: ”Evening, you aren't stupid at all, you will always surprise me.”
”What's wrong? Are you laughing at me again? ”
Xiaowan didn't know what his husband was happy about, sshe was still brooding over the two pieces of silver. On the way back, he muttered for a long time, secretly thinking of using the Jade Ring to make a wish to ”bring back” the silver. But when she thought about how the Madam Xu would turn his family upside down if all the money disappeared, how would he be able to run over to the inn and cause trouble instead?
Moreover, this Jade Ring was so sacred, she wanted to use it for a good deed.
On the way back, after going through the Baisha Town, Ling Chaofeng went to the charcoal shop to set a deposit for the winter, and then brought a few workers back to the tavern to check up on the kang.
Their bedroom was on the third floor. Since they did not burn the brick bed in winter, this year, when the Xiaowan was newly married, they set up a new charcoal stove.