Chapter 124: Instructions, Connections, and Means
Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Instructions, Connections, and Means
Actually, Zhao Nuanyue already knew.
In the cave, Zhao Nuanyue voiced her thoughts as she kneaded dough.
"I can’t shake this feeling of unease. I think you need to make a trip to the county town," Zhao Nuanyue suggested. "That Li Siming has backing, but so do we. If we only rely on Miao Cunzheng, I’m afraid that no matter how well Uncle Miao writes the letter, it will never reach the right people. Instead, they’ll just frame Uncle Miao for ruining their plans."
Hua Yusen listened and nodded. "Mm, I’ll plan on going to the county town with Uncle Miao tomorrow. I’ll make some moves while I’m there. We can’t let Miao Cunzheng fight this alone."
"Mm, you be careful too," Zhao Nuanyue said softly, looking up. The effort of kneading the dough had left a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. The tip of her nose was pink, and a serene smile graced her flushed little face. The light in her eyes was utterly enchanting.
Even though their circumstances were harsh, having Hua Yusen by her side meant she didn’t have to live in fear.
She was now devoted to caring for her younger brother, Hua Yusen, and the elders, and to living her life with purpose. It was a hard life, but she felt incredibly happy.
Hua Yusen took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her brow.
Zhao Nuanyue’s hands were covered in flour. She wanted to push him away but worried she’d get flour on his clothes and have to explain it, so she could only let Hua Yusen do as he wished.
Zhao Nuanyue’s face flushed. Her soulful eyes, shimmering with emotion and brimming with affection, watched Hua Yusen as he stood near the cave entrance.
Hua Yusen felt some of his own heat subside. He turned back to meet Zhao Nuanyue’s gaze.
He smiled.
It was a smile that was a little bashful and a little doting, but most of all, it was filled with the happy sweetness of love.
Seeing that Zhao Nuanyue had almost finished her preparations, Hua Yusen came inside, lit the fire, and began to cook the flatbreads.
Though they didn’t speak, a single glance or a shared smile was enough to fill them with a sweetness and happiness that made them wish they were the only two people in the world.
’Work at sunrise and rest at sunset. The man takes care of the outside world, the woman takes care of the home. A life of carefree leisure.’
Once the flatbreads and roasted flour meal were ready, Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen packed them in sealed earthenware jars to deliver to the elders.
He Qiang was in charge of receiving the supplies and hiding them in a concealed spot.
A major incident had occurred during the day, so when the elders heard Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen were bringing supplies that night, they all stayed awake, waiting for them so they could talk and discuss what to do next.
This gave Hua Yusen the perfect opportunity to tell them what had happened at the village meeting earlier that day.
After listening to his account, they all fell silent for a long time.
Finally, Gu Qingyu spoke slowly. "Xiaohua, you’ve both thought this through very carefully. Proceed with the plan you’ve discussed. If necessary, don’t hesitate to use your connections and means."
In front of everyone, Gu Qingyu didn’t mince his words.
Hua Yusen nodded. "Yes. Nianqiao Village and its people are, on the whole, decent. But there are always a few bad apples. The situation is still within our control. It’s just that Uncle and Aunt Qian were wronged today."
Old Madam Qian smiled faintly. "I wasn’t wronged. If that Wang Dadan and Li Siming hadn’t frightened me, I might not have come to my senses. You could say it was a blessing in disguise. My health is better now, and my mind is clear, so you won’t have to secretly do my work for me anymore."
Old Sir Qian was overjoyed. His brilliant wife was finally lucid again. No matter how hard life got from now on, he wouldn’t find it bitter.
"That’s right. We will all do as the village commune requires," Old Sir Qian said with a smile. "I can already recite that good book backward and forward."
"Me too," He Qiang chimed in with a grin. "After reading it carefully and pondering its meaning, I’ve found it to be quite reasonable, actually."
Sun Haoran, who could memorize countless medicinal formulas, had an excellent memory and naturally had no trouble memorizing it as well.
But upon hearing He Qiang’s words, a melancholic expression flickered across Gu Qingyu’s face.
’Those words, those theories... they’re more than just reasonable.’
Gu Qingyu was constantly pondering what the future would hold.
’I hope we can break free from these shackles soon and get back on the right path.’
"I can recite it too," Gu Qingyu said, snapping out of his distant thoughts. "Tell them not to worry. We won’t be a drag on the village."
"Okay, I’ll tell them tomorrow," Hua Yusen said with a nod. "It’s getting late. You all should get some rest."
In truth, Hua Yusen had seen the exhaustion on Zhao Nuanyue’s face and couldn’t bear to see her stay up any later.
"You two should get some rest as well. You work all day and still have to make food for us at night sometimes. It’s incredibly taxing," Sun Haoran said gratefully. "We old folks are depending on you. You have to take good care of yourselves. Oh, right, I prepared some medicinal herbs for a foot soak. Soaking your feet tonight will help with the fatigue and improve your sleep."
"Thank you," Hua Yusen said, accepting the herbs. They were good to these people, and in return, these people did their best to be good to them.
The two of them left through the backyard, then climbed back over the wall into their own.