Embers of the Huntress

Untitled 7

Xiao Yan, clutching two strings of Tomatoes on sticks, crept close to the east wing of the west courtyard where his husband and wife lived.

Azhen and Afu went to the river to wash clothes, while their mother and sister were cooking in the middle courtyard, making it quiet on the west side where they could hear the voices coming from next door.

Xiao Yan waited under the window for a while and didn't hear any movement inside, so he tiptoed inside.

Opening the door curtain, I found that the latch inside was horizontal.

The surprise couldn't be delivered, so Xiao Yan had to push the door open and say, "Open the door, I'm back

Someone sat up on the kang and opened the door latch from the side, moving so quickly that Xiao Yan couldn't even see his hand through the c***k in the door.

He pushed open the door and turned his head to see his wife Lin Ningfang lying down again, facing the wall with her eyes closed and her fair cheeks covered in frost.

Xiao Yan leaned down on the kang with a smile and put two strings of Tomatoes on sticks under the beauty's nose.

Lin Ningfang could feel the shadow passing by, and also smelled a sweet and sour smell. She frowned, opened her eyes, and saw two strings of red crystal Tomatoes on sticks.

Xiao Yan tried to please and said, "It's getting warmer now. Old Zhang said this is the last batch, and the next time he wants to eat it, he'll have to wait until winter

Lin Ningfang closed her eyes again and said, "You can eat it yourself. Give my skewers to Ah Zhen, she loves this one

Xiao Yan said, "I won't eat. You and Ah Zhen will have a string together. Come on, you choose first, otherwise if you don't eat, Ah Zhen won't dare to eat either

Lin Ningfang sat up after hearing this and didn't pick anything, just took a string casually.

She is a lady with red lips and white teeth. Eating Tomatoes on sticks is as elegant as playing piano and painting. Xiao Yan can't take her eyes off.

Lin Ningfang turned to the side.

Xiao Yan regained consciousness and tried to find a conversation, saying, "Second sister-in-law just walked in, and the eldest sister-in-law must have accompanied her. Why didn't you go

He has always hoped that his wife can truly integrate into this family, instead of being locked in the house every day and being able to hold back illness even without it.

Lin Ningfang smirked and tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Xiao Yan knows that she hasn't been very happy lately, and their relationship has been going smoothly. It wasn't obvious before, and there are too many things that happen without a matchmaker in chaotic times. But this time, the second brother's wedding was a lively event, with both a sedan chair and a banquet, and anyone else would feel sour.

He held Lin Ningfang's empty hand and whispered, "Don't worry, when I save up enough money, I will buy you a big red silk dress and let you wear it back. It's a thousand times better than what my sister-in-law and sister-in-law have

Lin Ningfang looked at his broad back of the hand, and the fire that had been burning in her heart for a few days suddenly dissipated.

Who is to blame?

At that time, the bandits killed her family members. If it weren't for the Xiao brothers' intervention, she and Ah Zhen would have been taken captive to the bandit den, and they would probably have been worse off than dead.

Xiao Zhen is upright and resolute, unwilling to bring the burden of their master and servant. If they were placed in any village, would they still be coveted by others?

In order to survive and have a seemingly reliable support, Lin Ningfang had to accept Xiao Yan's proposal and become his person.

He was impatient and vulgar, but he kept his promise to her and gave her and Azhen enough food and clothing.

I'm not envious of that, "Lin Ningfang clarified as she withdrew her hand." I'm not feeling well, but it has nothing to do with jealousy

She was just lamenting her own fate. When she was a child, gold was highly respected and jade was precious. Even if her grandfather lost power, the Lin family was still a prestigious family. She was destined to marry a refined gentleman of the same social status. Who would have thought that the days of carefree youth would be just a dream in a time of changing circumstances.

Xiao Yan didn't understand the sensitive thoughts of his daughter and assumed that she was envious of her sister-in-law. Just as she was about to say something nice, there were suddenly footsteps outside, undoubtedly rushing towards them.

Lin Ningfang looked indifferent, as if anything that happened to the Xiao family had nothing to do with her.

Xiao Yan stood up and didn't go out yet. When the curtain of the door was lifted, Xiao Yuchan rushed in like a whirlwind. He looked at Lin Ningfang on the kang, and then looked at another string of Tomatoes on sticks in Xiao Yan's hand. He swallowed the fire and said, "Brother, is this for me?"

Lin Ningfang also looked at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan smiled very naturally and said, "This is mine. I asked my fourth and fifth brothers to bring your string. What, they stole it and didn't give it to you

Under the eaves outside the window, Xiao Ye signaled to Xiao She.

Xiao She immediately said, "Third brother, don't blame anyone! We took a total of four skewers, two for sister-in-law and two for sister-in-law, and kept two for Mianmian Yao'er. Sister, that skewer is clearly in your hands

Xiao Yan: "Get lost! If the child is not at home, there won't be any. Hurry up and bring those two strings over

Why does he have such a stupid younger brother? It's not a big deal to watch a play, right?

Xiao Yuchan had already recognized that she would not steal her nephew's daughter's share. She just stared at Xiao Yan and said, "I want this! What kind of Tomatoes on sticks do you eat for a big man? Should you marry your daughter-in-law and forget your sister? You should give both to the third sister-in-law?"

She glared at Lin Ningfang with fiery eyes.

Lin Ningfang just smiled and even took a slow bite of hawthorn fruit, more like watching a play than the two uncles outside.

Xiao Yuchan stomped her feet in anger!

Xiao Yan was afraid that his sister would make a big fuss, so he quickly handed her the string in his hand and said, "Alright, I'll give you this string, I won't eat it anymore

Xiao Yuchan compared the size of the next two strings of Tomatoes on sticks, and stuffed the Tomatoes on sticks back: "I don't want others to pick the leftovers, you go and buy me a new one!"

Xiao Yan couldn't get used to her and said, "Your sister-in-law didn't even choose. If you want to eat, just take it. If you don't eat, I'll eat

As he said this, he raised the Tomatoes on sticks and threatened to bite.

Xiao Yuchan quickly took back the Tomatoes on sticks, glared, and turned away.

Xiao Yan felt tired and turned to see his wife looking at him calmly. He immediately said, "Don't worry, I'll go buy another string for Azhen

Never mind, it's still Ah Zhen who gets scolded when people see him

At this moment, Xiao Ye hoarsely imitated Xiao She's voice and said under the window, "Third Brother is biased, I want to eat too

Xiao She: "Why are you learning from me

Xiao Yanmei jumped vigorously, rolling up his sleeves and rushing out to beat up two brats.

Xiao Ye and Xiao She ran away early and returned to Tong Suiliu Chu's side to learn it vividly.

Xiao Ye: "If I had to say this, it would be Third Brother's fault. After sending it to Third Sister in law, I would immediately send it to Yuchan. There's nothing wrong

Xiao She said, "Third brother, let's eat it ourselves

Tong Sui and Liu Chu are both quiet personalities, and no one has attempted to analyze them.

Xiao Ye, as his second sister-in-law, was not interested in those things. After thinking for a moment, he took the initiative to talk about his second brother: "Second sister-in-law, you don't know. Among our five brothers, the most powerful one is the second brother. When we first went to the battlefield, the eldest brother was a little scared. It was the second brother who rushed ahead and killed a few enemy soldiers first, which aroused our blood

Tong Suifei quickly glanced at Liu Chu.

Xiao Ye realized and quickly apologized to Liu Chu, "Sister in law, I didn't mean to mention Big Brother. I

It's okay, it's been so long, "Liu Chu smiled and said

Xiao Ye cleverly stopped mentioning the big brother's part and only praised his second brother Xiao Zhen harshly: "One time our team made great achievements, and eight of them were all thanks to our brothers. But our second brother didn't allow us to compete and watched as another person took the credit. As a result, the higher ups also wanted to take the credit alone. When they saw that person was not sensible, they found an excuse to kill him. At that time, we realized that our second brother had already figured out the thoughts of the generals above

Six years, Dan Erge's military achievements can at least grant him a thousand households or something. There is indeed such an opportunity, but Erge didn't ask for it. He said that there aren't many people in the court who really do practical things, and instead of getting involved in the scheming, it's better to go home and farm. That's why we all followed Erge back

Liu Chu nodded and said, "Second brother is indeed meticulous and thoughtful

In the current court, good officials are often framed, and only corrupt and evil officials can stand firm.

Tong Sui thought of her elder brother Tong Rong, whose life and death were unknown. He had a strong body like a small mountain, but he was honest and calculating. Although she hoped that her elder brother would have another fate, it was 80%

If only Big Brother could have been with the Xiao brothers at that time, perhaps he could have saved his life.

Someone left the hall in Yuguang, and Tong Sui turned her head and saw Xiao Zhen.

She dropped her eyes. There were four hawthorn fruits left in a string of Tomatoes on sticks.

Second brother, come sit here

Xiao Ye greeted.

Xiao Zhen really came over and sat next to Xiao Ye, diagonally facing Tong Sui.

When Xiao Zhen heard his younger brother praising himself so much, he interrupted him and said, "Don't make up stories

Xiao Ye: "Who made it up? Which one isn't something you've actually done? Besides, whether it's true or false, just listen to what my sister-in-law likes

Xiao Zhen looked at his newlywed wife, who was wearing a red fine cloth dress and sitting in the sunshine, with a pink face and rosy lips.

Being teased by her younger brother, she was eager to distinguish and immediately avoided his eyes.

This simple eye contact, Xiao Ye and Xiao She didn't even notice, but Liu Chu felt the undercurrent surging between the man and the woman.

She stood up with a smile and said, "I'll go help Auntie Er and Auntie Er. Fourth brother, fifth brother, you guys go check the water tanks in each house. If they're missing, fill them with water

Xiao Ye understood, blinked his eyes at Second Brother, and pulled Xiao She away together.

Tong Sui: “……”

Without others, the line of sight became more obvious. When being stared at like this, Tong Sui couldn't eat any more. He bowed his head and handed Tomatoes on sticks to him: "I'm tired of eating, you can eat these."

Xiao Zhen: "You eat, I'll go to the mule shed and take a look

As soon as he left, Tong Sui relaxed and ate the Tomatoes on sticks at a faster speed. The corners of her mouth were sticky. She returned to the east wing room alone without waiting for Xiao Zhen.

Being alone means being at ease, "Tong Sui wiped her hands and face and sat on the kang, reminiscing about this morning's social gathering.

Tong has few family members, and Tong Sui either helps her mother cook and wash clothes or goes to the mountains and fields to assist. She has little free time and rarely interacts with outsiders.

Someone is coming outside, humming a tune.

It's Xiao Ye, probably expecting no one in the room. Xiao Ye just stayed in the hall for a while, checked the water tank, and left.

Xiao Ye's ease of movement made Tong Sui feel uneasy.

Including Xiao Yan and Xiao She, the three uncles of the Xiao family all look too powerful, and in times of chaos, strong men themselves are a threat, like wild beasts that may suddenly attack at any time.

There are too many gates in the Xiao family, and the courtyards are connected. Villagers can come to visit at any time.

Tong Suining can be ridiculed for being too careful, and she doesn't want to be in danger because of her carelessness.

Thinking of this, she plugged in the door of the house.

Not long after it was inserted, someone came outside again. Tong Sui stared at the door panel, holding her breath and concentrating.

Xiao Zhen pushed the door open and said, "It's me

Tong Sui felt a little relieved and moved to the kang to help him unlock the door.

After Xiao Zhen came in, he didn't ask her why the door was closed. He went to wash his hands and then sat down on the edge of the kang, looking at her and asking, "Are you tired

Tong Sui shook her head and lowered her eyes, saying, "There's nothing to do, I might as well come back

Xiao Zhen: "I have been idle recently preparing for marriage. After accompanying you back home, our brothers will go hunting and gathering herbs in the mountains until spring plowing

Tong Sui asked curiously, "Do you also hunt

Xiao Zhen: "Hmm, earning a little more is a little bit. In the future, even the fourth and fifth brothers will need money to get married

Tong Sui understood that other common people did not know kung fu, and venturing into the mountains was fraught with danger. They could only rely on farming to make a living. The Xiao brothers were all skilled and easy to harvest when entering the mountains, which was certainly better than being idle at home.

I think you're a bit far from the mountain here

Riding a mule, five miles away, run fast for a while and you'll be there

Tong Sui's heart stirred and she asked, "How long will it take to go to our house

Xiao Zhen said, "It takes more than an hour to drive slowly, and about 25 minutes to ride a mule

Tong Sui remained silent.

Xiao Zhen: "Can you ride

Tong Sui shook her head.

Xiao Zhen: "I'll teach you this afternoon, and it will be convenient for you to come back and forth then

Tong Sui: "Where do you study

Xiao Zhen: "It works in the backyard and on the way outside the village

Tong Sui: "Let's stick to the backyard

As soon as she got married, she took her husband outside to learn how to ride mules, and the villagers would definitely come to watch and guide her.

The room fell silent again. Tong Sui looked around and suddenly noticed her fine cloth pants, which were brand new. She changed her mind and said, "I'll learn after I go back home. I'll talk about it when I bring my old clothes over

She is afraid of wearing out her new pants and wasting good things during the process of learning to ride.

Xiao Zhen: "That's okay too

Tong Sui tried hard to find something to do: "Do you have any torn clothes? Let me help you mend them while I'm free

Xiao Zhen really has a torn sleeve on one of his outerwear, and he has been forgetting to deal with many things.

He went to the wardrobe and found out that Tong Sui's dowry had a set of needles and thread, which saved him from having to borrow from Ah Fu or Liu Chu.

Picking the gray thread to introduce the needle hole, Tong Sui flipped over the sleeve and sewed it from inside.

At first, Xiao Zhen sat down, but soon changed to lying down, with his hands behind his head and his slanted eyes looking at his wife who was carefully sewing on the kang.

Tong Sui has serious things to do, so she doesn't care whether he looks or not.

After biting off the thread, she went to see Xiao Zhen again and found that he had closed his eyes at some point.

You should be tired too. Yesterday was the whole day on the way to welcome the bride, socializing with neighbors in the evening, and one after another at night

Toward noon, Brother Mian Mian and Brother Yao came back from the school. One person held a string of Tomatoes on sticks and sat under the eaves of the courtyard, eating happily.

Xiao Zhen went to the study to meet the old man, and Tong Sui came to the stove.

Xiao Yuchan is burning the fire, He Shi and Xiao Gu Mu are cutting and stir frying vegetables one by one, and Liu Chu is serving rice and setting up a bowl.

Seeing Tong Sui, He Shi sneered heavily and said, "Why are you here so early? Let's learn from your three siblings. It would be great to come and eat all the dishes directly after they are cooked. Each one is the life of a young lady

Xiao Auntie: "As long as you have a lot of things to do, with so many people here, even if Ah Man comes, she won't have a chance to take action

Liuchu looked at Tong Sui apologetically. In fact, the female relatives in the big room shouldn't have been cooking today. It was her excuse to come here to help her younger brother and his wife before, but now it has actually caused Tong Sui to be squeezed by the He family.

Tong Sui already knew about He Shi's temper, so she ignored it and went straight to help Liu Chu.

Xiao Yuchan called out to her, "Second sister-in-law, I'll go call Third sister-in-law over for dinner. You can come and watch the fire for a while

Aunt Xiao: "You don't need to, Brother Yao. Just go see your third aunt and say it's time for dinner

Brother Yao, who was willing to help because he had Tomatoes on sticks to eat, answered crisply and ran away.

Xiao Yuchan: "