chapter 32
2686 Words
What does praying for blessings mean? Little ginseng doesn't understand.
But she has always listened to Madame Liu, and simply nodded: "Alright, I will go."
Madam Liu didn't bother them either, bowed respectfully and left.
Only then did Ye Jiao remember to pull Qi Yun and ask: "Husband, what does praying for blessings mean?"
Qi Yun held Ye Jiao's fingertips, and said slowly: "Every year before the Lunar New Year, Mother goes to the temple to make a wish. Sometimes she even invites the monks in the temple to give serm, hoping that the whole family will be harmonious and have good fortune in the coming year. We need to donate some sesame oil money, don't you worry about these, Mother will tell you what to do when the time comes."
But listening to Ye Jiao's ears, she didn't catch anything else, only heard one word.
Monk.
This wasn't the first time Ye Jiao had heard this word. Originally she had been buried deep in the mountain soil, knowing nothing about the outside world. Most of what she knew was told by the little fox, and this word was also mentioned by the little fox.
The little fox said, if you meet a person with no hair, you must walk around them. Those people hate goblins the most. As long as you're a spirit, no matter if you're good or bad, you'll get in trouble if you run into them.
Back then the little fox ran into a wandering big monk, they fought for no reason, and he healed for a long time right here at little ginseng's place before he recovered.
Now when Ye Jiao heard she was going to meet monks, she immediately widened her eyes, and blurted out instinctively: "I won't go!"
This was the first time Ye Jiao had shown such resistance, and it shocked Qi Yun.
Not even bothering to ask for a reason, the man immediately pulled Ye Jiao into his arms, stroked her hair, and soothed her: "If you don't want to go, then don't go. It's no big deal."
Ye Jiao clutched tightly at Qi Yun's fur robe, and pressed her whole body into the man's arms.
And when Qi Yun's cool fingertips touched her cheek, Ye Jiao suddenly realized that she wasn't a ginseng spirit anymore.
She was human, completely human, no magic, no demonic aura.
Back then the little fox almost lost his life because the big monk hated goblins, but Ye Jiao isn't a goblin now, nothing can happen to her...
Her tense body slowly softened, Ye Jiao rubbed against Qi Yun's chest, and mumbled: "Does Mother like going very much?"
Qi Yun still held her close, his voice became even softer: "Mother didn't believe in this before, but later my health got worse and worse, so she started to worship Buddha. It's been almost ten years now, she goes every year without fail."
Ye Jiao's fingertips twitched, she looked up at him: "Is it really... effective?"
Qi Yun smiled, lowered his head and touched the top of her hair with his own forehead: "This kind of thing can't be said for sure. If you believe it, it exists; if you don't believe it, it doesn't. It's just that sincerity works miracles."
Ye Jiao still couldn't figure out what praying for blessings really was, but after hearing Qi Yun's words, her mind shifted.
She used to be an enlightened ginseng, so of course she believed everything has a spirit, but from the day little ginseng gained consciousness, to becoming human, over a thousand years she had never seen gods or ghosts besides other goblins.
Little ginseng doesn't know if there really are gods and buddhas, but what if there are?
She's human now, there's no need to be afraid of those big monks, going with mother-in-law shouldn't be a problem.
Since she became human, she should live properly as a human.
Ye Jiao comforted herself in her heart, then said softly to Qi Yun: "I want to go tomorrow."
Qi Yun had no idea what Ye Jiao had thought of in this short time, and wasn't impatient at his wife's wavering, instead he curved the corner of his mouth: "Don't worry, Xiaosu will go with you then. If you get bored you can just come back with her. The eldest sister-in-law comes home early every time, Mother won't mind."
Ye Jiao nodded obediently.
Then Qi Yun thought of the sesame oil money, and asked: "Is there no money left in your box?"
Ye Jiao answered softly: "There's about seven or eight qian left, I saved it to tip Xiaosu and Tiezi at the end of the year."
"Take that with you first. When the shop's revenue comes in after a while, your little box will be full again." Qi Yun said with a smile, and pulled her closer into his arms.
But this time her hand touched something the man had tucked in his arms, it was long and thin. Ye Jiao couldn't help pinching it: "This feels really sharp, husband, don't just carry this around. What if you prick yourself?"
Hearing this, Qi Yun remembered he had brought a gift back today, the previous topic just wasn't the right time to give it. Now the atmosphere is perfect, so he took out the jade hairpin and said: "This is for you."
Ye Jiao had studied hair accessories a lot these days, she already knew all the hairpins, jade pendants in her box, and at a glance she could tell this was a hairpin.
But Ye Jiao's hand was already tucked into the man's fur robe warming up, she really didn't want to pull it out, so she just lowered her head a little and moved closer to Qi Yun: "Help me put it on."
Qi Yun had never put a hairpin in anyone's hair before, but he wouldn't refuse Ye Jiao. He could only carefully stick the jade hairpin into her hair, afraid he would scratch his wife's skin.
After it was pinned in, Ye Jiao lifted her head again and asked with a smile: "Does it look good?" But before Qi Yun could answer, Ye Jiao gave the answer herself: "Of course it looks good when I wear it."
A smile spread across Qi Yun's face, he nodded very definitely: "Of course. Jiao Niang is beautiful, so of course anything you wear looks good."
Ye Jiao was very happy to be complimented. She liked complimenting others, and she also liked hearing others compliment her.
She happily pulled Qi Yun to continue walking beside the flower bed planted with medicinal herbs, leaning against each other. From far away they looked very much in love.
By early the next morning, the yard was already lively.
With the New Year coming up, every household is busy this time of year: sweeping the house, pasting new paper on windows, preparing the New Year's feast. Especially the Qi family, who have many tenant farmers, they have to prepare a lot every New Year, it's very lively.
Just at dawn Xiaosu and Tiezi were already busy in the yard. Even though they tried to keep their voices down, it was still noisier than usual.
But Ye Jiao didn't want to open her eyes, she turned around and burrowed into Qi Yun's arms.
Ever since she found out that Qi Yun doesn't get hot even when they sleep hugging each other, Ye Jiao has loved sleeping pressed up against him.
She runs hot, he runs cold, putting the two of them together is just perfect.
Little ginseng yawned, eyes still closed, her voice mumbled: "Husband, what watch is it?"
Qi Yun tucked the quilt edge around her, and said: "Three quarters into the Mao hour."
So early.
Normally when there's nothing to do in the morning, Ye Jiao doesn't get up this early. She still wanted to sleep, but very quickly she seemed to remember something, and opened her eyes.
Qi Yun reached out and patted her: "Sleep a little more."
But Ye Jiao exhaled, sat up from under the covers, rubbed her eyes and stretched, turned her body, reached for her clothes while saying: "I promised to go out with Mother yesterday, it's bad to be late."
But before Ye Jiao even touched her clothes, she felt Qi Yun staring at her, his gaze was extraordinarily focused.
Back when Qi Yun was in poor health, he had insomnia and slept very lightly, even when he slept he felt tired, so he always slept until the sun was high before getting up. By the time he woke up Ye Jiao had already gotten up early.
Later after Qi Yun started sleeping well, he woke up earlier than Ye Jiao. Often when Ye Jiao is still sleeping soundly, Qi Yun is already up checking accounts and reading.
If you think about it, today is the first time since they slept together that Ye Jiao got up earlier than Qi Yun.
And what Ye Jiao didn't notice was that the ties of her nightgown had come loose, revealing the delicate pattern on her breastband, making Qi Yun's ears turn pink again.
Ye Jiao felt Qi Yun's gaze, but she didn't understand what he was looking at.
She looked down at herself, then looked at Qi Yun. Ye Jiao's soft hand suddenly pulled at Qi Yun's collar, tugged it open with a little force.
Qi Yun: ...
The man looked at Ye Jiao blankly, as if he couldn't react for a moment to what just happened.
Ye Jiao tilted her head slightly, her smile pure and clear: "Husband, you're pretty fair-skinned too, why are you looking at me like that?" Then Ye Jiao picked up Qi Yun's clothes too, tucked them under the covers: "Put it in here to warm up, it won't be cold when you put it on." After saying that, Ye Jiao nimbly wrapped her cotton jacket around herself, stepped over Qi Yun and got out of bed.
Even after Ye Jiao lowered the bed curtain, Qi Yun still hadn't come back to his senses.
Just now... was he complimented by his wife?
But why doesn't it make people happy...
When Qi Erlang slowly took off his nightgown to change clothes, he suddenly saw the bed curtain pulled open again.
A charcoal brazier had already been lit in the room, it was warm inside, and when the curtain was pulled open you could feel waves of warmth.
Probably because Ye Jiao's gaze was too clear, Qi Yun didn't even think to grab clothes to cover himself.
Little ginseng didn't mind Qi Yun's bare arms at all, she reached out and poked him: "Remember to help me draw my eyebrows when you get up." After saying that, she poked Qi Yun's shoulder twice more, said with a smile: "Husband, your body isn't as thin as it used to be, that's so good." Then she went to wash up, leaving Qi Yun sitting on the bed lost in thought.
And these days Qi Yun has been helping Ye Jiao draw her eyebrows, the man has practiced a good skill at drawing eyebrows, the pair of distant mountain eyebrows he draws are exceptionally beautiful.
When Ye Jiao saw Madame Liu afterward, Madame Liu looked at her and praised: "Jiao Niang, your eyebrows look better and better drawn."
Ye Jiao didn't take credit for it, and said directly: "Husband drew them for me."
When these words came out, not only Madame Liu laughed, but also Madame Fang over there laughed too.
She looked like she had already gotten over the shadow of the thirty guan from before, her round face was smiling so her eyes narrowed slightly: "Sister-in-law is so lucky. Now Second Brother's health is getting better and better, the two of you are so harmonious, this is the best thing that can happen."
Ye Jiao blinked, and answered honestly: "Husband is really good to me."
This one sentence made Madame Liu and Madame Fang smile at each other.
This smile felt familiar to Ye Jiao, it seemed like Madame Dong used to smile at her and Qi Yun like this...
Today because they were going to the temple, which has thick incense smoke, children can't necessarily stand the smell, so Madame Fang didn't plan to bring Shitou along.
There is a temple in town, but Madame Liu is sincere, she always goes to a temple in the mountains. Starting from the Qi house, you have to go through town then walk for almost an hour to get there.
This time they didn't take an ox cart, they took a horse carriage instead.
Ox carts are great for country roads, slow and steady, but most of this trip is on the main road, a horse carriage is more spacious and faster than an ox cart.
Ye Jiao didn't care what she rode, she was happy as long as she had food and drink.
Madame Liu was also generous, she brought a whole basket of sesame balls, but only Ye Jiao ate them. Even though Madame Fang craved them, she stroked the soft flesh on her arm and didn't reach for any.
The whole trip went smoothly, but it was a long way, by the time they got outside the temple the sun was already high in the sky.
Ye Jiao had already stopped worrying about whether she'd be caught by a monk, she knew it in her head, but when she was actually outside the temple her heart still flinched.
Her fingers under the cloak clenched together, Ye Jiao followed behind Madame Liu and Madame Fang, walking slowly forward.
When it was time to cross the threshold, Ye Jiao took a deep breath, and held it.
Lift leg, set down.
Lift the other leg, set down.
After little ginseng crossed the threshold safely, she found nothing was wrong with her, and a smile appeared on her face.
Being human is great.
Just then, a richly dressed middle-aged woman walked quickly over, smiling before she spoke, and said to Madame Liu: "Third Sister, you arrived later this year than you have in previous years, are you too busy with things?"
Ye Jiao immediately noticed in surprise that her always gentle and easygoing mother-in-law suddenly straightened up. She was still smiling, but that smile was different from usual.
She couldn't say what was different, she just felt inexplicably there was a kind of lively energy to it.
Then she heard Madame Liu say: "There's a lot going on at home, but with my two daughters-in-law helping it's manageable." As she spoke, Madame Liu turned her head to look at Madame Fang and Ye Jiao.
Ye Jiao instinctively looked at Madame Fang, saw Madame Fang smile and say "This is what a daughter-in-law ought to do." So Ye Jiao also wanted to say something along those lines.
But just now Ye Jiao was being too careful, she crossed the threshold too slowly, so now she was a ways behind them, it didn't really look like she came with them.
Madame Liu gestured with her eyes for Ye Jiao to take her time, no rush, then walked and talked with that woman.
Ye Jiao tugged Xiaosu's sleeve, and asked in a low voice: "Who is that?"
Xiaosu is just a tenant farmer's child, she only knows bits and pieces about the employer's business, she doesn't know more.
It was Madame Fang, who seemed to intentionally hang back behind Madame Liu and that woman, walking slower. She heard Ye Jiao's question, so she covered her mouth with her handkerchief, and also lowered her voice: "Her surname is Zhang, she seems to have known our mother since she was young. But she always likes to compete with mother, it's been like this every year. We don't need to get involved, just do whatever mother says."
Before Ye Jiao could think more about it, Madame Zhang suddenly turned around, asked with a smile: "I heard your second daughter-in-law is here, where is she? I heard she's from a farming family, what's this, Third Sister, you're reluctant to bring her out?"
- Writer
