Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The breakfast was very appetizing.
For the three children, boiled eggs were simply a delicacy.
They could no longer remember when they had eaten it.
Heng Yi had never eaten this before.
Han Qiao gave them two each.
âLetâs eat.â
Heng Yi took the boiled egg and hesitated for a moment before putting it in front of Han Qiao. âYou eat it!â
âI have two.â
Sun Xiu, Sun Yi, and Sun Ke began to peel the eggs and eat them in small bites, their faces filled with happiness.
Seeing Han Qiaoâs insistence, Heng Yi also took an egg and prepared to peel it.
However, he was good at hunting and chopping firewood, but peeling eggs was a mess.
Han Qiao couldnât stand it anymore. She took the egg from his hand, peeled it, and handed it to him.
Heng Yi took the peeled egg and ate it in small bites.
Originally, he could eat two of such small eggs in one bite. But this was the first time Han Qiao peeled an egg for him, and he ate it reluctantly.
After breakfast, Han Qiao didnât even need to do the dishes. Sun Xiu and Sun Yi could do it.
Han Qiao instructed the two sisters to boil a pot of water and make some tea. Then, she would cut some grass to feed the chickens. At the same time, she would check if there were any eggs. If there were, she would bring them home so that they wouldnât be crushed by the chickens.
She went to the front to take out the fabric and tidy it up.
Sun Ke walked around her and followed her in and out. Han Qiao asked Sun Ke to play with her two sisters.
Sun Ke looked at Han Qiao for a moment, then nodded and ran off to look for her two sisters.
Heng Yi was digging in the yard.
That piece of land was not big to begin with. He was strong and did a solid job, so he turned it over in a short while.
He stood in the courtyard and hesitated for a moment, planning to flip through it again.
âHeng Yi!â
Han Qiao called out to him.
âComing!â
Heng Yi put down his hoe and entered the central room.
Han Qiao asked him to sit down and drink a cup of tea. She looked at the mud on his shoes and pants. His shoes were cracked, and she frowned slightly.
Heng Yi followed Han Qiaoâs line of sight and saw his shoes. He stood up immediately. âIâ¦Iâll go outside and clean them now.â
Han Qiao reached out and pulled him back.
âSit down. Iâm not put off by you.â
The main thing was that Heng Yi didnât have any sense either.
He had made a lot of money from hunting, and so had the taverns in Puyi County.
However, he did not know how to use the money.
The bags of fabric were very heavy. He had spent a lot of effort picking them from Ninghe Town, thinking that she would like them.
He didnât know how to please her. He gave her all the money and bought so much fabric.
But he never thought about himself.
This was a silly and oblivious man.
âIâll take your measurements and make a few sets of clothes for you. My cousinâs wife made a lot of soles and sold them in town. Iâll buy a few pairs later and make a few pairs of shoes for you.â
âCan you ask White Tea to come to my house and ask him to help me bring something back from the county town?â
Heng Yi nodded blankly.
He didnât expect Han Qiao to prepare shoes for him.
In any case, he felt like he was floating.
âIâm going into the mountains for two days. Can you help me prepare some food?â Heng Yi asked tentatively.
âTwo days in the mountains? Are you alone? Where are you going?â Han Qiao was puzzled.
Wasnât it always half a day?
âYes, Iâm going to hunt tigers. Someone has been waiting for a long time.â
Han Qiaoâs hands paused.
Tigers were ferocious beasts.
âAre you going alone?â
âYes, itâs dangerous to have more people!â
Han Qiao took a deep breath and said, âHeng Yi, you donât lack money. I have 1300 taels of silver with me. You can take it all whenever you need money. Thereâs no need to risk your life.â
âI know, but I have to go this time.â Heng Yi said.
He had his own persistence.
âI can live in Xishan Village, I can live here for the rest of my life, but I have to have a house and land before I get married. Other than money, I can still give you a home.â
Hearing this, Han Qiao turned her head, feeling a little uncomfortable. After a while, she asked Heng Yi, âis it worth it? Is it worth it to sacrifice so much for me?â
II
Itâs worth it!
II
Han Qiao wanted to call him a fool.
But looking at Heng Yiâs determined face, she couldnât help but sigh.
Han Qiao slowly lowered her head to hide the look in her eyes. âHeng Yi, even if you can earn a lot of money, even after we get married, I wonât stay in the Inner Residence and be a rich lady who doesnât leave the house.â
âI, Han Qiao, also want to make a career of my own.â
âI wonât use the money you gave me. At least, I wonât use it before we get married.â
âIf you want to enter the mountain, I canât stop you. I only hope that you remember one thing and come back alive. If you die in the mountain, I wonât keep my chastity for you!â
Han Qiao got up and went to the kitchen.
Only then did she realize that she was feeling very uncomfortable, and her eyes were a little red.
Heng Yi sat on a chair in the central room, silent.
Then, he went back to his room to get his tools. He left without a word to Han Qiao.
When Han Qiao packed up her things and couldnât find Heng Yi anywhere, she realized that he might have already gone into the mountain.
II
Bastard!
II
Han Qiao cursed.
She went into the room and opened the closet. Heng Yiâs clothes and shoes were still there.
His clothes and shoes were very old. She took the fabric and measured it before cutting it.
The undergarments and underwear were made of white cotton cloth.
There were several colors of clothes and pants on the outside. They were tied with belts and strings.
The hem of his pants was rolled up, and he sewed the pockets inside.
Then, she took the shoe size to her uncleâs house and found the sister-in-law.
When the lady in the lobby learned of Han Qiaoâs visit, she even teased Han Qiao. âI used to only make soles for sale. Later, I realized that the price of the finished shoes was higher, so I made shoes. Look at these pairs. Theyâre just the right size.â
Not only did the eldest uncleâs wife make shoes, but anyone who knew how to do needlework was also doing it.
Han Qiao thought about Heng Yiâs expensive hunting shoes, so she asked for five pairs at once.
âAh Qiao, youâre already so good to him now. When you get married in the future, wonât you treat him with all your heart?â
âHe treats me quite well!â Han Qiao pretended to be shy.
After a few vague words, she paid for the shoes and left home.
The Han family was actually not very poor. Regardless of whether they had skills or not, they were trying their best to save money and live a good life.
It was just that no matter how hard they worked, they would always lack luck and opportunities.
They couldnât get sick either, as they couldnât afford to be sick.
Many people could only wait for death in pain.
When Han Qiao returned home, she taught the three children to sort out the rags and spread them on the table piece by piece. Then, they cut them into squares or rectangular shapes.
âThe big ones can be made into purses, the small ones can be made into sachets, and the smaller ones can be sewed together to make pillows.â
âMother, what is a bolster?â
â Weâll sew these pieces of fabric into a big piece and sew them together. When the chrysanthemums bloom all over the mountain, weâll pick them and wash them to dry. Then, weâll put them in and hug them to sleep at night!â
The three children were already looking forward to it.
âIt can be used to store osmanthus flowers.â
âIt can also be used to store herbs.â
âThe wood and leaves that are used to store the text should also work, right?â
âOf course!â Han Qiao rubbed Sun Keâs head.
The mother and daughters were busy with their own things.
When Hu Laosan brought his men to deliver the cotton to the door, Han Qiao was extremely surprised.
âAnd you are?â
Old Third Hu sized up Han Qiao.
She was good-looking, but she was a little tanned and looked a little old.
What did Heng Yi like about her?