Chapter 47: Zhou Yanliang
Of course, that booklet wasn’t purchased. In order to sleep well that night, Qiu Henian bought a piece of cloth that could cover his back for Qingyan with the two silver coins.
Qingyan blushed again. When they came out of the shop, he whispered in Qiu Henian’s ear, “So, you like this.”
Qiu Henian didn’t understand and looked at him in confusion.
Qingyan said, “Just now in the bookstore, on that page, isn’t the person wearing the style you bought?”
Qiu Henian once again felt that buzzing sensation in his head. He hadn’t really seen what was on that page just now. This matter was already unclear.
He gritted his teeth and simply responded with a “Hmm” to acknowledge it, forcing himself not to care about Qingyan’ “I knew it” expression.
At the pastry shop, Liu Fa’s wife was buying sour jujube cakes, and Qingyan wanted to eat mung bean cakes.
These things were cool and refreshing, sweet and crispy to eat directly, and when soaked in water, they turned into mung bean soup, a very good summer dessert. So he had the clerk weigh out seven or eight pieces.
With these purchases almost done, the weather outside was getting gloomier. It just so happened that Liu Fa’s ox cart was almost ready to deliver tofu. They were ready to leave.
Just then, a middle-aged woman’s voice came from outside the pastry shop, loudly saying, “You bought the book you wanted, the clothes too, and you still want to eat lotus seed cakes. Fine, I’ll buy them for you. But can you please make more progress in your studies? Your father has asked me several times how you manage to spend so much money every month. You need to give me an answer in front of your father, don’t you?”
“Oh, Mom, don’t say these things outside. It’s not good if people hear,” complained a young man’s voice.
“You’re still afraid of people hearing? Your father sees that you’re useless. The two taels of silver from before New Year are almost gone. Now he’s starting to regret that decision and is complaining to me. If you don’t improve yourself, how will your mother live in the future?”
As she spoke, the woman and the young man who spoke entered the pastry shop. Both groups of people inside and outside the room just happened to come face-to-face, and the woman first froze when she saw the situation inside the room, and then stiffly smiled and said, “Oh, isn’t this Wang Jialang and Qingyan!”
The young man who had just entered the door was also stunned, and his impatient expression turned into embarrassment.
He muttered, “Brother.”
Qiu Henian nodded at them and stood still.
Qingyan walked out from behind him and also put on a fake smile, saying, “What a coincidence to meet you here!”
The woman then realized and looked up and down at Qingyan. Qingyan loved beauty and dressed up a bit today. He wore a silk robe, a jade hairpin on his head, and a jade bracelet on his wrist.
His face was fair and tender, with a hint of a smile. He didn’t look like a villager from a remote village at all, but rather like a young gentleman from a wealthy family.
The woman’s gaze lingered on Qingyan’ head and wrists for a long time, and later came to the large and small bags in Qiu Henian’s hands, especially the oil-paper packaging from the meat and fish store that she wasn’t willing to leave.
“Qingyan, do you know these people?” Liu Fa’s wife asked curiously.
Qingyan glanced at her and smiled, “They’re acquaintances.”
This woman was the stepmother of the original owner, Zhou Yanliang, who was remarried to Yu Fengtang.
The young man was the original owner’s half-brother, Yu Qingxi.
Zhou Yanliang had a distinctive appearance but a harsh demeanor. She had a reason to marry into the Yu family. Her father was the county executioner and earned a lot of silver, but his status was low. Ordinary families despised such backgrounds.
After Yu Fengtang’s original wife passed away due to illness, he had not found a suitable match. Later, he happened to see Zhou Yanliang, who was past marriageable age and had no suitors.
Despite her family’s low status, he hurriedly proposed and they became a couple because he coveted her looks.
Zhou Yanliang had been physically abusive to the original owner since childhood. When he grew up and dared not hit him anymore, she still regarded him as a thorn in her side and mistreated him in various ways.
Originally, she wasn’t so malicious, but the original owner was too clever. Her own son was also incompetent, and she worried that if the original owner prospered in the future, after Yu Fengtang died, he might come to trouble her.
So she took the initiative to suppress him, marrying him off to the worst family, ensuring he would never rise again.
Earlier, Yu Qingxi had accidentally mentioned that he had seen his brother and that ugly man on the street a few days ago. He also said that his brother had changed. He no longer spoke silently and gloomily as before. He dressed like the young men in the county.
Zhou Yanliang said that Yu Qingxi was talking nonsense, but she felt uncomfortable inside. She hadn’t slept well that night.
She also went to inquire with acquaintances who had relatives in Liuxi Village, and when she heard the good news, she was furious. She said that Qingyan and Qiu Henian were living a prosperous life in Liuxi Village.
There weren’t many families in Liuxi Village who could compare with them. Not only were they living well, but she also heard that families who had good relations with them were also benefiting.
She thought that by marrying Qingyan into this family, Qiu Henian, a rough blacksmith, and Qingyan’s high spirit, this day was doomed to be troublesome.
Unexpectedly, the situation she had anticipated did not occur.
After listening, Zhou Yanliang almost went to Liuxi Village several times to see for herself.
Seeing it today, she found that this brother looked much better than before he was married. He completely didn’t look like someone who had been tortured.
There were many people in the shop, and she was originally hesitant, but Qingyan had just shown that indifferent appearance. She also remembered that she used to scold him and hit him, and he never dared to talk back.
Her anger came up all at once.
In front of everyone in the shop, she sarcastically said, “Your father has been thinking about you recently, and he hasn’t seen you come home during the holidays and festivals.”
Her eyes turned to the things in Qiu Henian’s hands.
She swallowed saliva and said quietly, “I don’t know how you raised such a large child. Have you ever thought about your father and your brother during the day when you eat so much?”
Anyone could her the sarcasm behind her words.
Liu Fa’s wife didn’t understand who the two people in front of her were until now, and then looked at the two people again.
Qingyan’ marriage to this family had been discussed in the village for a while. Although they dis’t know the inside story, this stepmother’s husband’s marriage is a nail on the head.
What happened at the Yujia Gate a while ago, they also heard.
Originally thought we would never interact again until death, didn’t expect things to turn out like this today.
In Liu Fa’s wife’s heart, she understood that this stepmother was not well-regarded, but she couldn’t interfere in other people’s family matters. She just listened and observed how Qingyan would respond.
Under the scrutiny of several pairs of eyes, Qingyan was questioned like this. It was obvious he was being labeled as unfilial, but his expression remained calm.
He took a step forward, adjusted the cuff of his shirt casually, and said, “Have you spent all the money when you sold me?”
Zhou Yanliang’s face flushed red.
“You…!”
She pointed at him, trembling with anger. Qingyan’s words hit her sore spot directly. She hadn’t expected Qingyan to be so sharp-tongued now, leaving her momentarily unsure how to retort.
At this moment, Yu Qingxi, behind her, took two steps forward, his face also flushed.
With a reasonable demeanor, he said, “Brother, how could you say something so harsh? We are family, and children should be filial to their parents. Even if parents have faults, we should not harbor resentment!”
Qingyan nodded slightly, his expression changed slightly, appearing sorrowful.
“Brother is right. I know my father has been kind to me. But just as Henian and I started our family, our savings at home were depleted,” he looked meaningfully at the robes worn by the mother and son, clearly recently purchased.
It was obvious where the family’s savings had gone, both the mother and son avoiding eye contact.
He sighed deeply. “Father pitied me and was afraid I would look bad wearing old and worn-out clothes from home, so he didn’t even provide a single robe for my dowry. Unable to bear seeing our poor appearance, he didn’t allow me to return home. Only when he heard that we were managing fine these days did he allow me to come back to visit. It was my fault for not distinguishing between inside and outside matters. Although outsiders helped us, how could it compare to father’s kindness? Father has been studying all his life, living by principles, so he surely understands better than I do. It was my fault as a child.”
With that, he turned back and took a package from Qiu Henian’s hand.
After opening it and grabbing something inside, he smiled at Zhou Yanliang, whose face alternated between red and pale white.
“Could you please deliver this to father on my behalf as an apology?”
Zhou Yanliang subconsciously reached out, and Qingyan placed a handful of melon seeds in her palm. Her expression changed immediately.
Qingyan smiled mischievously, “Tell father that this is my filial gift to him. Ask him to take it easy on eating them, preferably lasting until the end of the year. By then, I’ll consider whether to visit him again and show him more filial respect.”
Laughter erupted in the shop. Zhou Yanliang felt embarrassed and angry, her face flushing red. She threw the melon seeds on the ground and aimed her sharp nails at Qingyan’s face.
They were very close, and Qingyan couldn’t avoid it or react in time to block it. Just as her nails were about to reach his face, a large hand reached out from behind him with a loud slap, blocking Zhou Yanliang’s hand back.
She cried out in pain and took two steps back.
At this moment, Yu Qingxi was in a hurry. His eyes were red, pointing at Qiu Henian beside Qingyan, “How dare you hit my mother! I’ll fight you!”
With that, he was about to rush forward.
Qiu Henian didn’t retreat but instead moved forward, stepping past Qingyan, standing in front of him with a straight posture and a firm gaze, facing the young man rushing towards him.
Halfway through, Yu Qingxi suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes evasive.
He flusteredly bluffed, “Just wait and see, I’ll call someone to deal with you!”
With that, he dragged his tearful mother and turned to run out of the shop.
The mother and son left in embarrassment, and the farce ended.
Liu Fa walked over and patted Qiu Henian on the shoulder.
His wife sighed and said, “Every family has their own troubles.”
On the way back, the atmosphere was subdued for a while. Just as the ox cart entered the village, raindrops began to fall.
Qiu Henian and Liu Fa hurriedly bid farewell, taking Qingyan off the cart. The two of them protected what they were carrying and hurried back home.
Upon entering the house, their clothes were soaked through, not cold but uncomfortable sticking to their bodies.
Qiu Henian put down what they were carrying and handed Qingyan a towel to quickly dry off. He himself took off his soaked outer robe and went to the outer room to light a fire and boil water.
The firewood was dry, and the fire burned particularly brightly. It didn’t take long for the water in the pot to start simmering.
Qiu Henian brought out the bath tub, scooped water to wash and drain it repeatedly. After preparing everything, the water was nearly boiling. He moved the bath tub into the inner room.
Inside the room, Qingyan finished drying his hair, letting it hang loose over his shoulders. He wrapped a blanket around himself, sitting at the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
Seeing Qiu Henian bringing the bath tub over, he stood up to help, but was pushed back by the other’s arm.
“You just recovered from illness not long ago. Don’t catch another cold. Sit there and wait; I’ll do it.”
Qingyan had no choice but to sit back by the bedside, watching Qiu Henian work. Watching, he lost himself in thought again.
After everything was ready, Qiu Henian let Qingyan wash first.
It was then that Qingyan came back to himself. Qiu Henian thought to wait outside as usual, but was stopped when he heard Qingyan call out to him.
“Henian,” Qingyan said softly.
Qiu Henian stopped in his tracks, turned to look, and as soon as he saw, his eyes widened slightly, and his breathing became a bit hurried.
The blanket on Qingyan’s body fell to the ground. Underneath, he wore nothing but the new “Qiu Henian likes very much” underbelly.
Qiu Henian thought that this underbelly should at least cover half of the spine, and now that it was on his husband’s body, he realized that there was much more fabric on the back of this underbelly, perhaps cut from the front.
It was not yet dark, and Qingyan was somewhat embarrassed.
He used his white arms to partially cover himself in front, his eyes moist and asked softly, “Don’t you like it?”
Qiu Henian’s throat rolled, and he answered heavily, “Um.”
Qingyan smiled slightly, “It hasn’t been soaked yet. I’m afraid you’d be anxious, so I put it on first to show you. Later when I bathe, I’ll wash it too.”
Qiu Henian swallowed hard, forced himself to look away, his voice hoarse and fast, “I’ve seen it, you go ahead and wash, call me when you’re done.”
He wanted to leave, but Qingyan called him again, this time calling him “husband.”
Qiu Henian halted his steps again, listening intently to his “deadly” husband call.
With a soft tone, he remarked, “It’s so troublesome to do things step by step. We can just do them together.”
Veins began to bulge on Qiu Henian’s forehead. He closed his eyes, struggled to contain himself, but couldn’t resist any longer. Abruptly turning around, he strode up to Qingyan, his hand gripping Qingyan’s soft waist.
His voice lowered, tinged with a hint of threat, “Are you trying to get pregnant?”
Qingyan looked up at him and quickly denied, “No, I haven’t prepared…”
Qiu Henian cut him off, lowering his head to bite Qingyan’s lip, a real bite that caused some pain. Tears welled up in Qingyan’s eyes from the pain.
Qiu Henian released him, his breath heavy, almost menacingly saying, “Provoke me again, and I’ll…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, instead lightly kissing Qingyan’s lips and quickly exiting the room. Qingyan stood in place, his face, neck, and chest flushed red.
It wasn’t intentional; it just happened in the heat of the moment. His face was burning, a blush of embarrassment even showing. He dared not think about the rest of the sentence and hurried to distract himself by taking a bath.
Once both had finished bathing, Qiu Henian put on his undergarments, lifted the bed curtain, and found Qingyan sitting at the head of the bed, his brow furrowed in thought.
Qiu Henian sat down beside him, helping to tidy his disheveled hair, and asked, “You’ve been restless since we got back. What’s on your mind?”
At his words, Qingyan turned to look at him, slightly embarrassed, and pursed his lips, “It’s nothing.”
Seeing he didn’t want to talk about it, Qiu Henian didn’t press further and concentrated on drying Qingyan’s hair.
However, Qingyan couldn’t keep it in, slapping his body under the cool mat with frustration, “I wasn’t mentally prepared to meet the mother and son at the pastry shop today. The argument was really unseemly; it could have been handled much better!”
Qiu Henian set aside the towel and regarded him with a complex gaze. “So, since we returned home, you’ve been thinking about this?”
Qingyan nodded. “Let me tell you, Henian, next time,” he gestured with his hands, “if there’s a next time, I’ll make sure it goes a hundred times better than this!”
After saying this, Qingyan stared at him with shining eyes.
Qiu Henian understood he needed to respond, so his lips moved, “Then I wish you success?”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
He felt like those alfalfa plants by the fence outside the window, baked by the sun, thirsty, and almost dry.
