Xie Yushu stepped through the thick night and returned home. The candlelight glowing from inside looked warm and inviting. Her heart warmed at the sight, and she couldn’t wait to go in.
As she approached, she nearly collided with Su Chi, who was coming out from inside. Xie Yushu quickly reached out and steadied him, her hand bracing his waist.
“What’s with the rushing?” Xie Yushu scolded softly, though her voice carried a hint of concern.
Su Chi fell silent when he saw who it was, looking up at her with a slightly wronged expression.
She was so late and still hadn’t come home. He’d been worried and wanted to go outside to check, only to run straight into her.
Xie Yushu said no more. She took Su Chi’s hand and led him inside.
“Have you had dinner?” She was worried that if she wasn’t home, Su Chi wouldn’t eat properly.
“I ate… a little.” Su Chi’s voice carried a hint of guilt. In truth, he hadn’t eaten a single bite—he’d been waiting for Xie Yushu to come back.
His voice was small: “The food’s still warm in the pot. Let’s go eat now.”
Xie Yushu sighed, then lowered her head and gave him a firm kiss on the lips.
“Disobedient.”
The kiss, carrying a hint of punishment, landed on Su Chi’s warm lips. He was dazed by his wife’s scorching breath and wanted more—standing on tiptoe, he wrapped his arms around Xie Yushu’s neck and offered himself up to her.
Xie Yushu seemed particularly fond of Su Chi’s initiative. Her whole body grew excited, like a large dog enveloping Su Chi, pressing him into a fervent kiss.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, the intimate atmosphere around them suddenly rising. As she kissed him, Xie Yushu’s hands roamed over Su Chi’s waist, kneading the slender, delicate flesh beneath her palms without any particular pattern. Su Chi had a small frame, little flesh on his waist—thin, but well-proportioned, carrying that unique softness of a man. She also loved squeezing this spot whenever she was teasing him.
Su Chi had been missing her all along. Kissed into a daze, his body felt light and floaty, as if suspended in clouds. With his eyes closed, he parted his lips and teeth, allowing Xie Yushu’s tongue to slip in.
They kissed for a while, but reason eventually won over desire. Remembering that he still hadn’t eaten, Xie Yushu let him go for now. “Go eat first.”
After they’d finished dinner and the water was heated, Xie Yushu let Su Chi go to the bathhouse first to wash up. She would wait until he came out before going in. Both of them had been busy all day and weren’t very clean—they needed a good wash.
On the wooden shelf in the bathhouse sat several jars and bottles—bath beans, shampoo paste, facial cleanser, hand cleanser, plus their brushes and tooth powder. This was where they usually washed up. As the weather grew colder, washing in the warm bathhouse was wonderfully cozy. Su Chi really loved this room.
He thought to himself that once they’d saved up some money, he’d have one made for his father too.
By the time Xie Yushu came out after her wash, Su Chi was already obediently lying in bed waiting for her.
They’d both changed into new undergarments. The old ones had rough fabric, and Xie Yushu had cut them up into squares for wiping hands and feet.
In Xie Yushu’s opinion, Su Chi’s old undergarments were far too coarse. Such rough fabric was just right for hand and foot towels—they had good friction, and it wouldn’t hurt to wear them out.
Su Chi had initially been reluctant to part with his old clothes, even complaining a little about how she’d turned them into such things. But after putting on the new undergarments, he instantly fell in love with them. The new fabric was soft and fit his form perfectly—he had no idea when Xie Yushu had arranged for them to be made behind his back.
Tao Qiu’s clothes weren’t ready yet—they’d take a few more days. Xie Yushu had gone to a tailor shop some days earlier and paid a premium to have two sets rushed. They fit perfectly now.
Before next month came and the weather turned even colder, she also needed to buy cotton to make a few padded jackets for Su Chi, and thicker quilts for the bed. Xie Yushu kept all these things in mind.
A single candle burned by the bedside, its small flame flickering from time to time. The dim yellow glow spread out in a small circle, casting large shadows on the wall. Xie Yushu climbed into bed, lifted the covers, nestled up beside Su Chi, and pulled him into her arms, ready to sleep.
They both breathed in the pleasant scent of osmanthus bath beans on each other’s freshly washed bodies, mingled with their natural fragrances.
Su Chi’s body was soft and pliant. He willingly wrapped his arms around Xie Yushu’s waist, holding her like this, doing nothing else.
Xie Yushu thought the person in her arms might be sleepy. She was about to turn and blow out the candle when the one in her arms stirred slightly.
“You said before you’d teach me to read.” Su Chi leaned against Xie Yushu’s chest, tilting his head up to look at her with bright, eager eyes.
Xie Yushu lowered her head and brushed her lips against his: “In a while. You’ve been working too hard these past few days.”
“I’m not tired.”
Su Chi said it earnestly, his gaze fervent, with not a trace of drowsiness.
Xie Yushu couldn’t help but smile and pinched his cheek.
There was no helping it—with her husband being so eager to learn, how could she refuse? Luckily, it wasn’t very late yet; there was still some time to teach.
So the two got out of bed. Xie Yushu took out the calligraphy practice sheets she’d prepared earlier from the cabinet, and Su Chi obediently sat down at the table to wait for her.
Xie Yushu’s practice sheets started with the most basic characters, transitioning gradually from simple to complex—perfect for her illiterate husband’s foundational education.
She spread out the blank paper and the practice sheets on the table, ground the ink, then went around behind Su Chi, leaned down, and wrapped her arms around him, enveloping him completely. Su Chi was stunned for a moment, then docilely and naturally leaned back against her chest.
Xie Yushu first taught Su Chi how to hold the brush properly, letting him try on his own first, then covering his hand with hers: “You have to hold it like this to keep it steady.”
To protect his eyes, Xie Yushu lit another candle.
The surroundings were remarkably quiet, broken only by their soft, focused breathing. The bright candlelight flickered, casting their two shadows tightly intertwined.
·
Xie Yushu finished breakfast at home and went to Zhou Carpenter to have the pre-made wooden racks and other items transported by ox-cart to the compound.
One ox-cart couldn’t carry everything at once, so she had to make multiple trips. Fortunately, Zhou hadn’t finished everything Xie Yushu had commissioned yet.
When she arrived at the bluestone compound, He Chao was already there, eating coarse steamed buns with water alongside Xiu He and Xiu Wei.
He was a kind-hearted young man. After learning of the brothers’ plight, he’d brought them food with every meal without needing Xie Yushu to tell him. Though the food wasn’t anything special, the two brothers ate it all politely.
They had clean meals to eat every meal, and no longer had to catch fish or forage wild fruit to fill their stomachs. They were nothing but grateful—how could they possibly complain?
Xiu He was deeply thankful, and Xiu Wei also liked this older brother. The three of them were all men, and He Chao quickly grew close to them. They chatted and laughed together during meals.
Ever since Xie Yushu had bought this compound, He Chao no longer went to set up his stall. After all, it barely earned him anything—following Xie Yushu was the right move.
Seeing the three of them happily gnawing on big steamed buns, Xie Yushu thought with some regret that she’d forgotten to bring them breakfast.
When He Chao saw her arrive, he wolfed down the last bite, gulped a mouthful of water, and walked over to her.
The two of them unloaded the things from the cart and carried them over for washing. Fortunately, the large pond had already been rinsed several times by Xiu He the day before. He worked meticulously—now that water had been filled in, it was so clear you could see the patterns at the bottom.
Xiu He also came to help with the washing after finishing his meal. Though he’d only known them a few days, he was already developing a sense of belonging here.
Yesterday, He Chao had asked him if he was willing to join them and work together—there would be wages too. He’d described Xie Yushu as the best boss in the world.
Since Xiu He was a man, it wouldn’t have been appropriate for Xie Yushu to tell him certain things directly, so she had He Chao relay the message. Though He Chao was also a young man, Xie Yushu treated him without any reservation, regarding him as a capable subordinate.
He Chao understood Xie Yushu’s intention. His boss was truly the kindest person he’d ever met, and his admiration for her grew even stronger.
Naturally, Xiu He was willing after hearing this.
He and his brother had no home to return to, had stumbled upon this place by chance, and the young lady had kindly not chased them away—she’d even given them a small room that could shelter them from wind and rain. Even without pay, he would repay her kindness.
The three of them put the wooden racks and other items into the pond and washed them several times, then laid them out in the open space to dry. The sun was shining bright—they’d be dry by the afternoon.
Xie Yushu selected a suitably sized room among the row of houses for the Xiu brothers to live in. They’d originally been staying in a corner of the main building up front, sleeping on the floor with a tattered cloth spread beneath them. Now that the weather was growing colder, sleeping on the ground was definitely not feasible—especially with Xiu Wei so young, he wouldn’t be able to withstand the cold from the floor.
Xiu He led Xiu Wei in thanking Xie Yushu profusely.
“Go clean up the room. You’ll be living there from now on.” Xie Yushu waved her hand, telling them not to bow to her so formally—she couldn’t bear it.
With that instruction, Xiu He took Xiu Wei’s hand and went to sweep and clean their new room. He Chao kindly went over to help them.
Xie Yushu looked at the rows of wooden racks set out in the open space, and the new employees she’d gained. Everything was gradually moving toward her expectations. She nodded with satisfaction.
After the two of them finished cleaning their new room, He Chao said goodbye to Xie Yushu and took Xiu He to town to buy supplies.
Before leaving yesterday, Xie Yushu had given He Chao a sum of money to buy new bedding and other necessities for them. That money was still tucked safely in He Chao’s bosom.
Little Xiu Wei was left behind. Xie Yushu didn’t have much experience looking after children. She remembered that Su Chi had given her a new cloth bag that morning for carrying things, and inside were several pieces of wrapped malt sugar.
She’d mentioned to Su Chi before that eating something sweet could lift one’s spirits. Su Chi had remembered—when the shop wasn’t busy, he’d stolen a moment to sew a square cloth bag and bought several pieces of sweet malt sugar to put inside, so she could have some whenever she wanted.
Xie Yushu silently marveled at Su Chi’s thoughtfulness and his love for her.
She crouched down and beckoned to little Xiu Wei. He obediently came over—his brother had told him to get along well with the boss and be good.
Then a piece of sweet malt sugar appeared before him. His little nose couldn’t help but twitch.
“Take it.” Xie Yushu placed the malt sugar in Xiu Wei’s small palm.
Xiu Wei accepted the candy nervously. He knew this kind of candy—it was expensive. He gave it a gentle lick. So sweet—his eyes immediately curved into crescents with his smile.
Seeing him so happy, Xie Yushu thought to herself—no child could resist candy, indeed.
Looking closely at Xiu Wei, she noticed the child was small and thin, with a rather adorable face, but his hair was messy and his face hadn’t been washed very clean. He really needed a good wash.
Before long, He Chao’s father arrived. He’d figured there was nothing to do at home, so he might as well come see if there was any work to be done.
Xie Yushu thought his timing was perfect, and asked Father He to take little Xiu Wei home and give him a good wash.
Father He had met the child yesterday—he was only two or three years younger than his own He Xi. He couldn’t help but feel softhearted toward him.
So he cheerfully took little Xiu Wei home to bathe him.
Xiu Wei knew they were going to wash him. He obediently placed his hand in Father He’s and followed the husband out.
Xie Yushu watched them walk away, then began surveying the empty rooms again. She thought about building one or two latrines and bathhouses—once there were more people, they’d have physiological needs. As the boss, she had to make sure their needs were met.
He Xi was playing outside. When she saw her father leading that small, skinny young man back, she followed out of curiosity—only to be shut out with a “bang” by her father.
She wasn’t upset. She played by herself for a while longer, and then the door opened. There stood the previously grubby little young man, now clean and fair-skinned, his hair properly washed. Her father was still drying his hair.
He Xi looked at him for a moment and thought he was rather cute.
Seeing that he was shorter than her—probably younger—He Xi perked up. Once his hair was dry, she extended her hand to him.
An invitation to play together.
“Go on.” Father He smiled at the two little ones.
Children naturally loved to play. Before long, the two were playing together happily. He Xi, considering herself the big sister, looked after him in every way.
By around noon, He Chao returned with Xiu He. They laid out new bedding in their room and tidied things up. It looked decent now—just like an ordinary, livable room.
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