Embers of the Huntress

Untitled 6

Tong Sui brought all the ladies of the Xiao family to the eastern compartment of the young couple.

There are three rooms in total, the north and south houses are living room pattern, the south house is reserved for the children after the use, now empty, you can put some sundries, can also be used as a bathroom.

In the middle of the hall, there are two pots connected to the kangs in the north and south houses, because the whole Xiao family eats at the old man's side, the small stoves in each room are basically just used to boil water for the kangs, and to make some snacks on the fly.

A large porcelain water tank, an unused low table and benches, a waist-high cupboard for dishes, plus a set of indoor brooms and dustpans, almost everything in the hall is in plain sight, so you can see everything at a glance.

He followed her as if she had entered her own home and headed for the north room.

Xiao Yucan followed closely behind.

Tong Sui observed without moving and found that her sister-in-law Liu Chu gave her a slightly worried look, and that third sibling Lin Ningfang, who also belonged to the second house, frowned slightly at He's back, while she stood behind Liu Chu, waiting for Tong Sui, the master, to advance.

Tong Sui looked to the other elder, “Auntie, go in and sit down.”

Aunt Xiao smiled and patted her arm as she went in.

Tong Sui walked at the end, coming in and first looking towards the small basket behind the door panel, realizing that it was already empty and should have been taken away by Ah Fu, she quietly sighed in relief.

He and Xiao Yucan stood in the middle of the room and were looking around.

Speaking of which, the compartments of the Xiao family's first and second houses were newly built last year after the return of several sons and daughters, in order to prepare the house for the marriage of their daughters-in-law.

Four grandchildren, Xiao Yan himself brought a daughter-in-law back from the outside, the Lin family parents and relatives are dead, which directly saves the cumbersome wedding, accordingly, Lin Ningfang also has no dowry to fill up the new mansion, there is only a maid A Zhen.

Xiao Ye and Xiao Shibi have yet to discuss marriage, so there is no way to compare.

Anyway, in He's and Xiao Yucan's opinion, Xiao Jing's new house is better than Xiao Yan's side, why is it better, it's not that the old man is biased to fill it up more?

Thinking of the deer skin, He cut her own flesh, pointing to the north kang head of the two new large camphor wood box, asked Tong Sui: “The next hire that I went to your home have not seen these two boxes, is the back of the dowry and new purchase?”

Tong Sui smiled and acquiesced.

He: “This box seems to be strong and durable, and that bronze mirror is also a good thing worth money, could it be that you have sold the buckskin?”

Tong Sui admitted with a big face: “Yes, my father said that the deer skin is too eye-catching, stay in the village people miss, not as good as sold to save the heart.”

He's eyeballs turn: “How that deer skin can also sell more than ten taels, your father are spent on you?”

These things in front of me are not enough for a dozen taels, and He wanted to set up a conversation to see if this nephew-in-law had brought silver over.

Tong Sui froze, somewhat blankly looked to the other people, as if she did not expect He to ask such a blunt and rude question.

The young daughter-in-law looked good and easy to bully, Aunt Xiao had already put up with He's a few sentences, and at this time directly pulled Tong Sui to her side, glaring unhappily at He's: “Sister-in-law is doing the work for the county office's household room, inquiring so carefully.”

The poorer the people are, the more the government thinks of ways to exploit the people, these years the county government often sends over the servants, all the insufficient to pay the harsh taxes will rummage through the boxes to search for family property, can be peeled off a layer is a layer.

Aunt Xiao's words are calm, but immediately called people will be He's and the police officers rampage mean face to face.

He was bashful into a pig's liver face, glancing at the new daughter-in-law behind Auntie Xiao who did not know whether she was snickering or what, He hummed, to make up for himself: “I just casually asked, thinking that if the in-laws really sold the deer skin silver to his nephew-in-law, that is really love his daughter, under the sun, a rare good parents.”

Aunt Xiao: “That's a given, the dowry that Ah Man brought over isn't much different from what sister-in-law prepared for Yu Cicada back then.”

He: “......”

She sheepishly looked at her daughter.

Xiao Yucan glared at her mother complainingly, the Tong family's conditions could be compared to her own? It was just that she had met a stingy old mother who refused to give her anything good.

He was disliked one after another, turned around and took it out on her daughter-in-law, said in a conspiratorial manner: “In this world, both parents are good, even if they don't give a dowry, at least they can still give their daughters a backing, unlike some people who don't have a dowry, even their parents don't have a dowry, and that's the real pity, and those of you who have a father and mother to protect them, you should know that you're contented with that. ”

This is too poke people's heart, Tong Sui looked at Lin Ningfang standing alone in the doorway.

Lin Ningfang a peasant woman dressed in cloth, just that face that posture temperament at a glance is not ordinary people, in the face of the words of his mother-in-law knife, Lin Ningfang is not angry and not sad, calmly smiled towards the He's: “Daughter-in-law is indeed pitiful, but if not my family is broken, how did the third master married to me such as the high family of the young lady, you'll be secretly happy.”

Stealing joy?

He's anger instantly rose to the sky, pointing at Lin Ningfang and counting down like a series of cannons: “I'm not happy, my ass! What else can you do besides reciting a few acidic poems? It's been almost a year since you came to our home, you haven't cooked a single meal for me, you haven't washed a single piece of clothing for me, and you've asked me to serve you as a mother-in-law in every way, if I had known that high class ladies are all like you, I would rather not have a son than allow him to bring you home!”

Lin Ningfang was still indifferent: “Firstly, I didn't serve you, but the A Zhen by my side was not used by you. Secondly, it was Third Master who had to take me as his wife, if you have any grievances, turn around and talk to him.”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law exchanged words, Tong Sui stood beside Auntie Xiao, silently watching the play.

Xiao aunt mother but can not let sister-in-law in front of the new nephew daughter-in-law disgrace, directly grabbed He's arm to push out: “Well, a good son you blindly yelling what, a large family, hurry with me to prepare lunch, let them aunt and sister-in-law a few stay.”

He's words with a crying voice, while turning back and complaining: “I'm easy? Everyone else is a mother-in-law enjoying the blessings of a daughter-in-law, but I'm being thrown in her face every day, I've never been so angry when I was a girl .......”

Aunt Xiao: “You're lucky enough, Ningfang comes from a family of scholars, her grandfather was a prime minister, and she's willing to call you her mother, so you don't know what else to do!”

Auntie Xiao: “You are lucky enough, Ningfang is from a scholarly family, her grandfather was a prime minister.

The house is still quiet, Tong Sui after all is the hostess, take the initiative to take up the responsibility of hospitality, surprised to look at Lin Ningfang: “Third sister's grandfather, could it be that everyone praised the Lin prime minister?”

Lin Yuanhong, the wise prime minister, once assisted Emperor Wuzong to make good governance for the benefit of the nation, but unfortunately Wuzong's life is short, succeeded the throne of Emperor Xi Zong is a completely big fainting, expulsion of the wise ministers reuse sycophants, the scourge of the people, and ultimately to eat the consequences, the lords and vassals rebel, but also the people of the group of rebels, wars in all four directions, the court's kingdom is also more and more shrinking smaller and smaller, only remaining in the north of the state counties.

Lin Ningfang looked up and down Tong Sui once, faintly said: “so what, Lin family has failed, I am the same as you are mustard, even worse.”

At least Tong Sui was properly married back by the Xiao family, she didn't even wear a wedding dress and directly married Xiao Yan in the barren forest.

Remembering that unpleasant night, Lin Ningfang lost half of her interest in socializing and turned around, “You guys chat, I'll go back first.”

Not waiting for Tong Sui to send, Lin Ningfang left quickly, Tong Sui chased to the door of the hall, only to see a slender as a willow's thin back.

“Don't pay attention to her, saying that she is the same as us, in fact, she is still pretentious, hiding in the house all day long, except for one or three meals, it is difficult to even see her face.”

Xiao Yu Cicada followed her over, looking at Lin Ningfang's back with a displeased face.

This is the matter of the second house, Tong Sui has no business interfering and continues to entertain Xiao Yucan and Liu Chu.

Xiao Yucan is simply a replica of He, bent on Tong Sui's words, Tong Sui half-truths, half-false, all perfunctory past. Xiao Yucan see Tong Sui mouth tight hand also tight, only a dish of leftover melon out, she gradually feel bored, eat melon on the go, leaving a scattered melon skin, 80% of which are her high.

Tong Sui went out to see off the guests, and then back, I saw Liu Chu hand holding a broom is helping to sweep the floor.

This is her own sister-in-law who will be living in the same courtyard with her for a long time to come.

People are different from each other, Tong Sui removed the politeness and detachment in front of He Shi, Xiao Yucan and others, and reached out to grab the broom in Liu Chou's hand: “Sister-in-law, rest quickly, I'll do it myself.”

Liu Chou smiles, “A little thing, you are also quite tired these two days ......”

She is really want to help, made up her mind to keep the broom, I did not expect Tong Sui look at the face of tender and soft quiet, strength is actually quite big, directly will broom snatched away.

Liu Chu: “......”

Tong Sui pushed her to the side of the bed with one hand, signaling her to sit down, with one hand, gently waving the broom, in a flash, swept those melon peels to the corner into a pile.

Liu Chu watched her go to wash her hands, thought for a moment, and softly said, “You've just gotten married, and our mother is no longer here, so I'll be the sister-in-law, and briefly tell you about the family's temperament, but of course it's all my own thinking, and it may not be right, so just listen to it, and don't take it completely seriously.”

Tong Sui puts the towel after wiping her hands on the washing rack, walks over and sits next to Liu Chou, gratefully saying, “Thank you sister-in-law, I was worried that I don't know anyone well.”

Liu Chou then started with Old Master Xiao.

Tong Sui listened for a while, and realized that in Liu Chou's eyes, all the Xiao family members are good, including He's also got the evaluation of “a little petty minded but not bad”.

Tong Sui himself thinks, in fact, is Liu Chu gentle nature, unwilling to speak ill of others behind their backs.

When she first arrived, Tong Sui was not in a hurry to find out about the Tong family, but only about herself: “I heard the second master say that we take turns cooking on both sides of the table?”

Liu Chu: “Yes, cooking, brushing dishes, feeding chickens and livestock are all together, take turns, so that everyone has a break, anyway, we do not need to wash clothes, than other family's daughter-in-law is much easier.”

After saying a lot of words, Liu Chu proposed, “I'll take you to the backyard to take a look?”

Tong Sui was just about to nod when footsteps suddenly came from outside the window.

The sisters-in-law stood up together.

After a while, Xiao Jian opened the curtain from outside and when he saw Liu Chu, he politely said, “Sister-in-law is here.” The person did not go inside.

Liu Chu was a little nervous.

When she was first married, she was not familiar with Xiao Zhen and Xiao Ye, the two youngest uncles, and after only two years of marriage, the imperial court forced a conscription, and her father's brothers and her husband's five brothers all went to the battlefield, during which her father and her husband died outside, and only after six long years did Xiao Zhen's several brothers come back, all of them taller and stronger, and the simple temperament of the peasant children had changed into the harsh ferocity of the soldiers, which was intimidating.

Coupled with the fact that she was a widowed sister-in-law, she had to deliberately keep her distance from her younger uncles.

“Second brother is back, it's fine, I was just about to leave.” As soon as she was nervous, Liu Chu forgot about her agreement with Tong Sui and just wanted to slip away first by herself.

Tong Sui almost instinctively grabbed Liu Chou's wrist and said to the tall man outside the door with his eyes downcast, “Sister-in-law said she wanted to take me around to familiarize myself.”

Don't look at the fact that she's married to Xiao Zhen, but at this moment, she's more interested in staying with Liu Chou than being alone in a room with a strong man who presses her to do that early in the morning.

Xiao Zhen glances at her hand and picks the curtain to make way for her sisters-in-law, “Go ahead, there's nothing going on over here.”

Tong Sui immediately half pushes Liu Chu out.

Leaving the east room, Liu Chu relaxes, seeing Tong Sui's cheeks a little red, she teases in a low voice: “Nervous about seeing second brother, aren't you?”

Tong Sui did not deny it.

Liu Chou only had envy in her heart, she and her husband also had a shy and joyful newlywed stage, however with the passage of time, she could barely remember her late husband now, and the only thing that accompanied her was her daughter and the endless long nights.

“Take your time, get used to it.”

The sisters-in-law went through the hall on this side of the upper room and arrived at the backyard of the Xiao family.

The three households were connected together in the mansion, with a wall built in front to separate them, and the backyard had no wall repaired, so the view was suddenly much wider, about one and a half acres.

The north wall was built under the root of the wood shed, mule shed, pigsties, hutches, chicken coop, the rest of the open space are reserved for planting vegetables.

Not to mention the village, even in the town, the Xiao family is also a large and prestigious family.

Liu Chu recalled: “In the early years, the family son also better, and then the war, the food in the ground is not confiscated up to be robbed by the soldiers bandits, go outside to buy rice, medicine, oil and salt are all expensive, son gradually become tight, last year, the second uncle and second brother, they came back to restore some vitality.”

Tong Sui laughed bitterly: “Family is like this, grandfather has kung fu can also guard the house sub, we are leaving the house to escape to the mountains, each time back home with into the thief like, even the broken quilts are searched away.”

Liu Chou ton hugged her compassionately, “Well well well, all in the past, in the future Zi will only get better and better.”

Tong Sui looked at the two big black mules under the shed, and then looked at the two big pigs with a litter of piglets in the pigsty, her heart was also harboring hope.

As the sisters-in-law walked from east to west and then circled back to the east courtyard, Xiao Ye and Xiao Shibi ran over from the front, the former clutching two strings of sugar gourds in his hands.

“Sister-in-law and second sister-in-law, so you're here!”

Xiao Ye rushed over with a few arrow steps, and a sister-in-law shared a bunch, “Recently, Old Zhang Tou comes every day, so I went to the village head to keep watch after dinner.”

Liu Chu awkwardly said, “Have you guys eaten?”

Xiao Shibi: “It's not like we're craving for this, sister-in-law eat it, Mian Mian and Yao Ge'er's are reserved for them.”

Liu Chu knew that the two were trying to get close to the new second sister-in-law, so she didn't refuse anymore and urged Tong Sui to eat as well.

Tong Sui thanked the two younger uncles, then raised the sugar gourd in front of her, just opened her mouth, her remaining light glimpsed Xiao Ye and Xiao Shibi looking straight at her, Tong Sui had never experienced this kind of situation, her white cheeks immediately reddened in two groups, it was not right to continue to eat, it was not right not to eat.

Liu Chou laughs, reminding the younger uncles, “I know you guys are enthusiastic, but don't scare second sister-in-law.”

Xiao Ye rubs the back of his head and pulls Xiao Shibi to sit on the wood next to him.

Liu Chou also pulled Tong Sui to find a place to sit, eating the things sent by the younger uncles, it is not good to leave immediately.

Xiao Ye smiled and asked Tong Sui, “Second sister-in-law, I heard that you know how to hunt?”

Tong Sui wipes the corners of her mouth and explains, “Archery and setting traps are okay, but when it comes to fierce beasts, I definitely can't beat them.”

Xiao Ye: “It's already good enough, I'm also afraid of wolves and leopards.”

Xiao Shibi: “I'm not afraid, it's better to have a few more, wolf skin is worth money.”

Xiao Ye: “Go and brag.”

Xiao Zhi: “Who bragged, I was too young when I was recruited, otherwise let me go to the battlefield, I guarantee to kill more people than you.”

The two fought to the mouth, Xiao Shibi urn voice is also particularly persistent, the Xiao Ye annoyed, shooed him: “look for your sister-in-law to go, do not get in the way of our side.”

Xiao Shibi: “Sister-in-law two sister-in-law is also my sister-in-law, you say that again I told grandfather to go.”

Xiao Ye: “......”

Tong Sui and Liu Chou all laugh.

At this time, Xiao Yucan came to the backyard to fetch firewood, the line of sight turned to see Liu Chu, Tong Sui hands of sugar gourds, Xiao Yucan immediately crossed his waist with one hand and pointed at Xiao Ye, Xiao Shibi scolded: “Good ah you two, why for sister-in-law and sister-in-law to buy sugar gourds, but I do not have?”

Xiao Ye poked Xiao Shibi.

Xiao Shibi: “There is ah, third brother took two bunches, did not give you?”

When Xiao Yucan heard this, she turned around and headed to the west courtyard of the second house.

Xiao Ye pulled Xiao Shibi up, “Go, watch the theater!”