Chapter 4: Marriage
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The girls outside the door were exactly who Liu Sanniang thought to be.
Liu Sanniang opened the door and let the sisters in.
Looking at the young girls, Liu Sanniang panicked.
Liu Hui looked at Liu Sanniang and asked worriedly. “Sanniang, are you still not recovered? We all know that your mother invited a Taoist to pacify your soul last time. She said that your soul was uneasy and she didn’t want us to disturb you.”
Liu Sanniang recalled the bad memories of drinking scented ashes for the past few days and revealed a disgusted expression.
She never wanted to drink that thing again in her life.
“Sanniang, this is brown sugar I brought for you. It can nourish your body. Put some into water and drink it.”
Liu Hui opened the basket. There was a small pot of brown sugar inside.
This was an expensive item that would cost some copper coins.
Liu Sanniang subconsciously rejected her. “Hui, I can’t accept it.”
As Liu Hui smiled, her eyes formed a curve, and there was a pair of dimples on her face. She waved her hand. “You’re not allowed to reject it. I bought it with my own money. We’re good friends. This is the least I can do for you.”
Liu Sanniang was very touched.
Liu Ju’er carefully removed the cloth of the basket. There were a dozen eggs inside. She smiled and said, “Sanniang, these are from the hen I raised. It’s the first time it laid eggs. They’re definitely delicious.”
Liu Zhi’er also opened her basket. “Sanniang, these are two little quails my brother caught. They don’t have much meat, but when you stew them, the soup will be delicious.”
In the basket, two quails with wings tied together were lying in the basket. They flapped their wings in fear, wanting to take off, but their wings were tied up, so they couldn’t escape from the basket.
Tears welled up in Liu Sanniang’s eyes.
In her previous life, her friends did not even live to the age of 70. Their relationship had always been good. After they died, Liu Sanniang was very sad.
Now that they were all alive in front of her, Liu Sanniang wanted to cry.
Liu Hui started to worry. “Sanniang, don’t cry. My mother said that it takes a long time to pacify the soul. Take a good rest. We’ll come to see you next time.”
The three of them stood up, opened the door, and walked out.
Liu Sangniang wiped her tears and got up to chase after them.
Liu Hui and Liu Zhi’er both turned around and waved at her, indicating for her to return to the house.
The three of them disappeared around the corner of the alley.
Only then did Liu Sanniang retract her gaze. Just as she was about to close the door, she saw Chu Yan standing opposite her courtyard, looking at her.
Chu Yan’s gaze was very deep. Coupled with his innate fierceness, Liu Sanniang felt her legs go weak instantly.
This person was too scary. She closed the door in a panic, as if a ferocious beast would pounce on her and eat her up if she didn’t run away.
Chu Yan came to deliver the hoe. As soon as he came out, he saw Liu Sanniang leaning against the courtyard door, looking at the girls’ departing figures with tears in her eyes.
She was very weak and delicate. Chu Yan couldn’t move his eyes away from her crying face. He felt as if there was a ferocious beast inside him trying to break free from the cage and escape.
When Liu Sanniang found him, she looked so scared… like a sheep seeing a wolf.
Chu Yan suddenly chuckled.
He looked at the closed door not far away and walked off.
For the entire afternoon, Liu Sanniang did not open the door again.
The sky started to darken.
Liu Sanniang was busy in the kitchen.
The two quails given by Liu’er were first drowned to death. Then after cleaning them up, she chopped them into pieces. She heated some oil in the pot and poured the quails into the pot to stir-fry.
At the same time, she steamed cornbread.
She went to the backyard and picked a bunch of vegetables.
She took a few artichokes and scraped them.
Then, she steamed three eggs.
When Madam Wei returned, Liu Sanniang was adding artichokes to the pot.
The freshness of the quails was appetizing. Madam Wei was satisfied but also felt bad for her daughter. “Who asked you to cook? You have not recovered yet completely.”
Madam Wei had three children, two sons and a daughter.
Everyone preferred sons, but she was different. She really loved her daughter.
When her daughter was 14 years old, the number of people who came to talk about marriage had increased. At the thought that her precious daughter was getting married, Madam Wei could not couldn’t help but feel sad.
Madam Wei took the spoon from Liu Sanniang and said, “Go and start the fire. I’ll cook.”
Liu Sanniang was stunned. When their hands touched, she heard Madam Wei’s inner voice.
Madam Wei thought to herself. ‘Although there are many people coming to propose marriage, I have to choose carefully. I have to find a good husband for Sanniang. That scholar in the alley is not bad. I wonder if Sanniang will like him.’
Liu Sanniang was speechless.
She didn’t like that scholar, Liu Shun.
In his previous life, Liu Shun was a scholar on the surface and had a bright future.
However, in private, he was very ruthless and resentful. He loved to torture living creatures. Whether it was stray cats or dogs, he would kick or torture them to death whenever he saw them.
Because she saw Liu Shun torturing the cat, she was frightened by his ferocious look and begged Madam Wei not to agree to this marriage.
Later, Liu Shun married the daughter of a well-to-do book store owner. That family only had one daughter, and she devoted herself to supporting Liu Shun’s studies and taking care of him.
However, after Liu Shun became an official, he divorced this woman. At that time, the matter was blown up and many people said that he was ungrateful. After the rumors died down, the woman’s family moved away.
Liu Sanniang did not expect the matchmaker to come so soon.
In her previous life, it was June when Madam Wei asked Sanniang about it.
Liu Sanniang started the fire absent-mindedly.
The sky darkened, and the fragrance of food wafted out.
Madam Wei had already started setting the table.
The door to the courtyard opened. Liu Sanniang heard Liu Erlang snort. “I’m so unlucky. I actually fell into the ditch. Chu Yan, thank you so much. If you didn’t happen to pass by, I would have suffered a lot.”
When Liu Sanniang heard the sound, she came out of the kitchen and saw a tall figure helping Liu Erlang sit down. At the same time, he put down the hoe and basket on his back.
With dirt all over his body, Liu Erlang was thanking Chu Yan.
Chu Yan was also a little dirty. He was not as talkative as Liu Erlang and only nodded slightly.
At this moment, Chu Yan looked at Liu Sanniang
Liu Sanniang felt her legs go weak. She was really terrified.
For some reason, when she met Chu Yan’s dark eyes, Liu Sanniang felt like she was a frightened sheep.
As for Chu Yan, he was like a tiger eyeing its prey.
She was afraid that he would skin and swallow her.
“Sanniang, hurry up and get some ointment for me.”
When Liu Erlang saw Liu Sanniang, he wailed.
Liu Sanniang looked at him with a worried expression and returned to fetch the ointment.
Madam Wei asked her. “What’s wrong? Why is your second brother wailing outside?”
Liu Sanniang took out an ointment from under the cupboard. “Second Brother fell into the ditch on his way back and sprained his ankle.”