After a busy day, it had turned evening. Su Qingbai still had some work to do.
At that time, his mother came to deliver his meal while holding Su Caicai in her arms.
“I"ll go call your Dge!” Madam Su said.
Su Qingbai quickly stopped his mother. “No need, I"ll finish it right away. No need to call Dge.” Taking the basket in his mother"s hand, Su Qingbai took Su Caicai in her arms, kissed his lips twice before returning him back.
“Niang, it"s getting dark. Take Caicai back with you. I"ll be back in a moment.”
He was afraid his mother"s little feet would not withstand long standing because Su Caicai was so heavy. She had better hurried back.
Madam Su nodded anxiously, told him a few words, and left with Su Caicai in her arms.
When Madam Su left, he was the only one left in the field. Su Qingbai felt much cooler when the evening breeze blew, and he continued to cut cornstalks with his sickle.
Jiang Mao watched Su Qingbai waving his sickle. It was almost dark and he had not returned home yet. It was obvious that he had work for the whole day.
“You, how did you find this place?” Su Qingbai was surprised to see Jiang Mao. He had wanted to wait a few days for Jiang Mao to be less angry before he went to see him. He didn"t expect Jiang Mao to come here.
In the distance, Hu Hong took out a broken piece of silver and thanked the person who brought them to the field.
“You come here for a bit!” Jiang Mao said.
Su Qingbai hesitated. “Could you wait for me for a minute? I"ve got to finish this job and then let"s find a place to talk properly.”
As if Jiang Mao had not heard, he looked at Hu Hong and said, “You handle the things here.” Then he took Su Qingbai"s hand and went into the cornfield not far away.
Su Qingbai followed him in, and he just thought of the wording to speak to Jiang Mao, but he was blocked by Jiang Mao"s lips.
Su Qingbai was very tactful. He embraced Jiang Mao"s neck with both hands.
Jiang Mao let Su Qingbai go after who knew how long they had been kissing. He said, “I didn"t like children, but last night I thought about it all night… for you, I can bear his existence.”
Su Qingbai was delighted hearing that. This meant Jiang Mao accepted?
Seeing his happiness like that, Jiang Mao intentionally made a vicious appearance on his face. “Only once, you can"t hide anything from me in the future.”
Almost without thinking about it, Su Qingbai nodded his head. He didn"t have to be separated from Jiang Mao, and didn"t have to expose the unspeakable secret.
Su Qingbai did not have the slightest awareness that with a man, he could have a child the first time, and so the second time.
“Are you accepting Caicai?”
“Who?” Jiang Mao was stunned to hear him say so.
Su Qingbai explained, “My son, Su Caicai.”
Caicai? What"s with the name?
Jiang Mao looked at Su Qingbai and felt a little pity for the child. It seemed that Su Qingbai spent most of his time either in town or in the field, and had little time to care for the child.
But that pity was fleeting, just like as fast it came, as fast it went.
Su Qingbai was so excited that he needed to do something to calm down.
Jiang Mao was about to talk to Su Qingbai about his return to the capital when he suddenly noticed Su Qingbai"s eyes shining and then jumping at him like a hungry wolf. Su Qingbai was extraordinarily energetic in a flash, throwing him to the ground and pouncing on him like a prey.
“Jiang Mao Jiang Mao, I"m so happy.” He had been worried about it, but it was settled just like that.
Afterwards, he wanted to take Jiang Mao"s clothes off.
Jiang Mao couldn"t say what he wanted to say. Jiang Mao grabbed Su Qingbai"s waist and restrained him.
Su Qingbai blinked at him. He delivered himself at the door, but Jiang Mao was all silent.
Jiang Mao swallowed his saliva as he watched as such and aggressive Su Qingbai and held back. “I"m here to say goodbye to you today. There"s something urgent in the capital that I have to leave right away.”
Su Qingbai looked at him. They had just made up and Jiang Mao was leaving.
Su Qingbai felt a little reluctant, looked at him and bit his lip. “Once, there is still time.”
Jiang Mao couldn"t resist eating the meat delivered to his door. Hmm―― pad his stomach first.
It was not known how long, but by the time Jiang Mao came out, it was already dark.
Hu Hong and several people were waiting there. Seeing Jiang Mao came out alone, he asked, “Where is Su Gongzi?”
What about Su Qingbai?
Su Qingbai was holding the corn stalk in one hand and his waist in the other.
By the time Su Qingbai revived and came out, Jiang Mao had already left.
When he came to the field, the corn stalks had been cut down, and two sickles were laid aside neatly.
Su Qingbai, full of spring, picked up his sickle and went back.
There was also a basket of food at the side.
Back home, Su Lingchuan was still in bed, tired.
Looking at Su Qingbai as couldn"t even stand straight, Madam Su knew he was tired after a day"s work. She took the sickle and basket in his hands and said, “Are you tired? Niang helped you heat the water. You wash up and go rest quickly.”
Su Qingbai smiled and agreed.
The bathtub at home was once made by people to worship their ancestors before their family had not decline.
Su Qingbai had just entered the bathtub and sat down. He"s in a great state of comfort.
Suddenly, his mother called him from the kitchen.
Then, before Su Qingbai came to react, Madam Su rushed over.
Su Qingbai shrank into the bathtub. His neck was full of teeth marks, gnawed by Jiang Mao. “Niang, what happened?”
“Qingbai, is this yours? What"s in this purse?” It looked like a pretty purse fastened with a dead knot.
Su Qingbai untied it after long time. He opened it and saw many silver tickets. Suddenly he knew what was going on. He knew the purse very well. Jiang Mao"s purse was almost the same style.
Although Jiang Mao was kind, he didn"t say anything about this to him. It was totally giving him something to quarrel.
“Nothing, Niang.”
Madam Su didn"t believe him and try to look.
Su Qingbai had to say, “Niang, I"m taking a bath. Wait a minute until I"m done with it.”
By the time Su Qingbai went out, the silver tickets had been hidden by him.
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After autumn, it slowly entered the winter, and several heavy snows successively fell.
The environment of the border town was not so good. After a few snowfalls, the road became very difficult to walk.
Everyone thought that Zhang Su would go back to the capital city. First reason being the climate here was not good, it was inconvenient. Second, the Lunar New Year was approaching slowly. Zhang Su would always go home for the Spring Festival. As a result, Zhang Su did not go as they had expected. He did not go home for the New Year. He abnormally drilled into their small mountain village, and did not even stay in the county town.
After Zhang Su arrived, wonder if it was Su Qingbai"s illusion that Xu Qian was silent a lot.
Every time Zhang Su came, he and Su Lingchuan liked to talk about the current various situations of Imperial Court.
Today, Su Qingbai felt that Zhang Su was specifically speaking to him.
When the family ate and sat around the table, Zhang Su began to say. “I heard that Yue w.a.n.g had returned to the capital a month ago.”
Su Lingchuan listened in silence. But Su Huai who was listening asked Zhang Su, “So, with the help of Yue w.a.n.g, did Third Prince take that throne?”
Zhang Su took a sip of his own wine, shook his head profoundly and then suddenly looked at Su Qingbai.
Su Qingbai, who was eating after being stared at so much, he could eat it anymore. “What"s wrong?”
Zhang Su smiled at him. “We"re talking about Yue w.a.n.g… You don"t need to bury your head into the meal. You can have a few drinks with us and have a chat.” After saying that, he poured Su Qingbai a cup of wine.
Su Qingbai took a sip from his cup.
At the side, Su Caicai saw everyone had a cup but he didn"t. He was greedy and wanted to drink. Su Huai dipped the tip of his chopsticks into the wine cup and sent it to Su Caicai"s mouth.
Su Caicai took a lick, frowned and did not want to drink it anymore.
Madam Su couldn"t help but say that a child as young as Su Caicai should not drink alcohol.
Su Huai had to bow his head to admit his mistake.
The topic went back to Yue w.a.n.g.
Zhang Su said, “Qingbai, what do you think?” Qingbai and Yue w.a.n.g seemed familiar with each other, so Zhang Su asked him. In his heart, he thought Su Qingbai might know something about the news.
“How can I know what Yue w.a.n.g thinks?” Su Qingbai said.
When he said this, Zhang Su a.s.sumed that he didn"t want to say it, so he stopped asking him. He turned around and continued to talk with Su Huai.
Su Qingbai also had thought of Jiang Mao in his heart. In the six months, Su Caicai could walk a few steps, but he had no news about Jiang Mao there.
Su Qingbai was anxious; his family could not leave this town. Jiang Mao was far away in the capital that if something happened to him, he would be helpless here. Similarly, if Jiang Mao stayed in the capital and did not return, he would not have any other way.
Su Qingbai"s heart worried nothing. The person in his heart was on the way to the side of the border town in the wind and snow.
Jiang Mao arrived in this town after a month ride.
It was an afternoon when Jiang Mao arrived at the border town, arranged a group of people, and at thought of his sweetheart in the village, Jiang Mao almost never stopped rushing alone to the side of the small mountain village.
Half of a year had gone by. It was late summer when he left, and it was cold in spring when he came back.
Jiang Mao missed him very much.
Sometime ago, Consort Lou who was devoted to venerate the Buddha and did not let go the image of disregarding the affairs of life had suddenly joined the mortal coil. She also stopped venerate the Buddha and chanting sutras and began to take over some of the household ch.o.r.es of the residence from Jiang Mao. Now, she even gave advice for Jiang Mao"s friends, partner and marriage. She would say: to make friends depends on the character of the other party bla bla bla. You"re twenty year olds; most people should have children and so on.
From the outsider"s point of view, it seemed her acts were necessary to make up for years she neglected her son.
Of course, people would think so, mostly because they respected Jiang Mao"s pride. No matter what others think in their hearts, they would be exaggerating in their mouth.
Consort Lou gave birth to the original body but she had little mother and son affection towards the original body. Looking at this body"s past, he would keep her clothed and fed without worries or seeing to Consort Lou"s safety.
Jiang Mao had no patience to deal with these people in the capital during the Spring Festival.
Just after the end of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Mao did not have time to spend with her. He told her about the affairs of the capital city. Then he went to the border town to meet the person he missed.
In a month, he finally arrived at this county.
Afraid to frighten the people in Su Qingbai"s village, Jiang Mao came to small mountain village by himself.
It was mid-afternoon and smoke was already rising from the roof of the houses for the dinner time soon.
Jiang Mao looked at the small village from afar, swung his whip and sped towards the village.
This village was somewhat remote, narrow and difficult to walk. Because it was warmer than the capital, the snow had melted, the road was muddy, and from time to time one could see a small puddle beside the road.
Not far ahead, pa.s.sed through a round pier, a child was playing something on the muddy roadside.
Jiang Mao specially slowed down the speed.
But that"s what happened. Wherever the horse"s hooves went, it inevitably splashed.
The road was so narrow that it would have spilled on the child.
The child also subconsciously wanted to hide, but it seemed that he wore too many clothes that it inconvenient to move. He originally wanted to hide and as a result, one did not stand firm and plunged into the mud.
Jiang Mao picked him up and saw that his little face was covered with mud and his clothes were obviously wet.
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> Chapter 38