Chapter 019

The buns hadn't come out of the pot yet, but the aroma was already wafting through the steam seeping from around the lid, reaching even the courtyard.

Preparing steamed buns was troublesome, but once they were steaming, it became easier compared to making pancakes that needed constant flipping.

At this moment, Lady He sat in front of another stove, adding firewood to cook egg drop soup. All she needed was one beaten egg stirred into the broth and some chopped green onions sprinkled on top for a complete dish.

The men were seated inside, while Xiao Yuchan set up a low table in the north. Four-year-old Qi Yao stood by the stove, salivating at the bun scent.

Seeing Tong Sui and her sister-in-law, Lady He couldn't help but speak sarcastically, "You two sure have good timing. Smell that?"

Liu Chu kept her head down, and Tong Sui ignored her.

Lady He stared at her, but even as Tong Sui walked past her, she couldn't discern anything.

Xiao Yuchan also observed Tong Sui closely.

Tong Sui was the type who might reveal her thoughts to family but would be completely guarded when faced with outsiders trying to mock her.

She didn't know why these two women acted this way, but she wouldn't let them guess anything about her private life with Xiao Zhen.

She helped place a stack of bowls on the stove, ready to fill them with buns and return them to the dining table.

Once she stepped away, Xiao Yuchan moved closer to Lady He, raising an eyebrow.

Lady He huffed, unwilling to speculate further.

The table was set, and Xiao Mu and his three sons came out, sitting at the men's table. Each man got two fist-sized buns, while the women and children each received one.

Qi Yao ate one and looked expectantly at his mother.

Xiao Yuchan knew her son was hungry and deliberately ate slowly, intending to give him half of hers.

Xiao Mu noticed and said, "Go get another bun from the pot. Give half to Yao Ge Er and half to Mianmian."

Xiao Yuchan went to fetch the bun while jokingly saying, "The old ones dote on the young ones; only we in the middle don't get any love."

Xiao Mu glanced at his three slender granddaughters-in-law and then at his plump granddaughter, shaking his head without further comment.

Xiao Yuchan returned to the table, the bun already split evenly between the two children.

Tong Sui glanced at her.

After the meal, the two children headed back to the private school, while Tong Sui and Liu Chu walked together to the eastern courtyard.

Liu Chu whispered, "Yuchan is lazy, but she's quite nice to Mianmian. Before she married, she often played with Mianmian."

Tong Sui: "I can see that."

Liu Chu smiled at her, "Being part of this family, I feel truly content."

Tong Sui was currently satisfied with the Xiao family too. The house was sturdy, food was plentiful, and the men were capable fighters. The only troublemakers were Lady He and her daughter, but they weren't unreasonable or prone to violence.

Liu Chu: "By the way, do you have any plans for the afternoon?"

Women usually washed clothes by the river after breakfast, finishing early to ensure they dried quickly. In the afternoon, the river was mostly deserted, which could mean encountering vagrants.

Tong Sui: "I'll stay home. Second Master has a torn shirt that needs mending."

Liu Chu: "Why not come to my room? We can work together?"

Tong Sui: "…No, I'll finish sewing and take a nap."

Liu Chu understood, recalling her own fatigue during the early days of marriage.

She smiled awkwardly and returned to her room.

Tong Sui's ears turned red, but she just wanted to read alone.

Regardless of whether Xiao Zhen would return, Tong Sui locked the door upon entering and started reading by the bed.

Since these were texts learned in childhood, the meanings were straightforward, and she absorbed herself deeply in the pages.

When tired from sitting, she leaned against the pillows, face up. When that grew tiring, she switched to resting her cheek on her hand, lying on the bed. Finally, when she couldn't hold on any longer, she put the book down for a brief rest.

Before she knew it, it was late afternoon.

Xiao Zhen returned.

Tong Sui watched him warily.

Xiao Zhen glanced at the thickness of her book and reminded her, "Reading continuously can strain your eyes. I've already spoken to Grandfather. He only asked you to be careful, so there's no need to rush."

Tong Sui felt relieved, her guard lowering slightly.

Xiao Zhen: "Third Younger Brother and the others are back. They had good luck today, catching a deer."

Hearing this, Tong Sui hid her book and hurried to put on her shoes by the bed.

She had seen deer in the mountains, and her grandfather and father had encountered them too, but deer were always too alert, fleeing before anyone could get close enough.

Leaving Xiao Zhen behind, Tong Sui called Liu Chu and headed to the central courtyard.

Everyone in the Xiao family, except Lin Ningfang and the two children still at school, had gathered here, along with some curious villagers.

Xiao Ye was boasting, "We spotted the deer this morning and chased it around the mountain for hours, neglecting everything else. We only managed to catch a pheasant in our earlier trap."

Xiao She: "If you hadn't tripped and let the deer escape, we wouldn't have wasted so much time."

Xiao Ye: "Scram, that’s the mountains. Dare you say you’ve never tripped?"

A Fu: "Fourth Master and Fifth Master are both skilled; catching a deer is impressive."

The two of them finally stopped bickering.

Xiao Yan saw his eldest and second sisters-in-law approaching with joy and couldn't help but glance towards the West Court. But thinking about Lin Ningfang's disinterest in these game animals, he lowered his eyes and sighed.

Lady He asked the elder, "Father, should we keep the deer alive or...?"

Xiao Mu stroked his beard and said, "No need to keep it alive. Third, Fourth, Fifth, take it to the river and slaughter it there."

Trouble could break out at any moment, and when it does, who knows what might happen. It's better to eat this wild game early to nourish the family's health.

The three brothers agreed. One carried the deer, another fetched the skinning knife, and the third carried two basins for the deer blood and meat.

A Fu, Ah Zhen, and the onlooking villagers all followed to the river to watch.

Lady He asked again, "Father, do you want it stewed or roasted?"

Xiao Mu: "Roast it. We can store the leftovers for a couple more days."

Lady He immediately instructed her daughters and nieces-in-law to prepare a bonfire in the backyard.

For such a rare joyful event, Tong Sui and Liu Chu didn’t mind whose turn it was to cook today and happily got to work.

When the Xiao brothers returned with the skinned meat, Qi Yao and Mianmian also came home, jumping around the roasting deer as if it were New Year's.

The Xiao brothers, skilled at roasting wild game, took over the task, letting the women rest.

The setting sun bathed the Xiao family's backyard in a warm glow. Everyone sat around the bonfire, their eyes reflecting the dancing flames, all wearing smiles.

Except for one person missing.

Xiao Yan sent Ah Zhen: "It’s almost ready. Go call Third Lady over."

Ah Zhen nodded and went.

After a while, the mistress and servant arrived, Lin Ningfang leading the way. Dressed in simple clothes, she looked like a peasant wife, but her indifferent demeanor and cold expression made her stand out from the crowd.

Following the order of seniority, she sat next to Tong Sui as usual.

Lady He rolled her eyes at her daughter-in-law. If not for fearing the elder's annoyance, she would scold her daughter-in-law every day. In contrast, even Tong Sui seemed more pleasing to her.

Qi Yao: "Why isn’t it ready yet? I’m starving."

Lady He glared at her grandson: "You haven’t done anything and you’re hungry? Your uncles and aunts worked all day and aren’t as hungry as you."

Qi Yao: "...I studied!"

Lady He: "How much effort does studying take?"

Hearing the veiled criticism, Xiao Yan quickly changed the subject: "Elder Sister, Second Sister, did you go to the river to cut grass today?"

The sisters-in-law both nodded.

Xiao Yan: "With the weather warming up, there must be plenty of wildflowers by the river now, right?"

They glanced at each other and nodded again.

Xiao Yan asked again: "Are you going tomorrow?"

Liu Chu looked at Tong Sui, who said: "We might not have time tomorrow."

They had to cook and feed the pigs, leaving little time before preparing lunch.

Xiao Yan was taken aback but persisted: "Then surely you’ll go the day after? If you do, invite Ningfang along; she hasn’t gone out much."

This wasn’t just about Tong Sui’s willingness; she turned to Lin Ningfang beside her.

Lin Ningfang tilted her head slightly and said: "I walk slowly; don’t let me hold up Elder Sister and Second Sister."

Tong Sui thought that she couldn’t possibly hand a noble lady a hoe and basket. If Lin Ningfang went, she’d just stand there awkwardly watching them work. Even worse, if they encountered refugees, what if Lin Ningfang couldn’t run?

So, she smiled and said: "Okay."

Xiao Yan: ...

Xiao She: "Hey, it’s ready!"

Xiao Yan: ...

Xiao Ye and Xiao She ignored him and enthusiastically helped distribute the meat.

Xiao Ye, closer to the women, gave everyone a large bowl of meat.

Liu Chu: "Too much, I can’t eat all of this."

Old man Xiao Mu looked over: "Eat what you can, save the rest."

Liu Chu blushed, and Tong Sui, looking at her bowl, quietly said: "I can finish it, but you need to eat with me so it doesn’t look like I’m eating too much."

Liu Chu laughed and started eating heartily.

On the other side, Lin Ningfang genuinely couldn’t eat much. Looking up, she met Xiao Yan’s direct gaze.

She paused and divided half of her meat to Ah Zhen sitting behind her.

Eating too much isn't good for sleeping right away, so the family dispersed in the backyard to digest their meal. Only Lin Ningfang went back first.

Mianmian was playing with Qi Yao, while Tong Sui and Liu Chu stood nearby, speaking softly.

Liu Chu: "Third Younger Brother seems to hope we spend more time with Third Younger Sister-in-Law."

Tong Sui: "That's only if Third Younger Sister-in-Law is willing. If we force ourselves on her, she might not like it."

Liu Chu leaned close to her ear and said, "She's been married here for almost a year, and we barely speak more than three times a day."

Tong Sui guessed, "You say 'Sister-in-law, please eat,' and she says 'Thank you, Elder Sister-in-Law?'"

Liu Chu laughed, then sighed, "At least I cook and feed the pigs. She stays cooped up all day without moving. That's no way to live." It's not as if she's in prison.

Tong Sui didn’t respond.

How one lives their life is a personal choice. She didn't know Lin Ningfang well and had no right to interfere under the guise of concern.

That was Xiao Yan’s business; she was merely the second daughter-in-law of the Xiao family's main branch.

After it was completely dark, Tong Sui finally followed Xiao Zhen back to the east wing room.

While Tong Sui was washing up, Xiao Zhen watched beside her and suddenly asked, "You talked with Elder Sister-in-Law for so long, what were you discussing?"

Tong Sui spat out some water, turned away from him, and said, "We talked about Third Younger Sister-in-Law. Third Younger Brother seems to want us to get closer."

Xiao Zhen: "She's the one he brought back; you don't need to meddle."

Tong Sui sensed his dislike or indifference toward Lin Ningfang and suddenly became curious, "When you rescued them together, how did you..."

She stopped mid-sentence, realizing it wasn't quite appropriate.

Xiao Zhen: "What?"

Tong Sui shook her head, "Nothing. I'm done washing, it's your turn now."