Chapter 160: Laughable and Angry
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Han Qiao put a safety buckle under Heng Yi’s pillow, using the jade gifted by Heng Congshan.
She made a bracelet on the outer ring and polished the heart of the bracelet to make a safety buckle.
Heng Yi had touched it whenever he was sleeping.
“For me?” Heng Yi asked.
Han Qiao sat under the blanket and took off the gold bracelet. She reached out to Heng Yi, “Let me put the bracelet on.”
Heng Yi kneaded Han Qiao’s hand and put the bracelet back on.
He thought that it looked very good.
Han Qiao’s skin was fair and tender. She looked really good wearing a jade bracelet. A hint of green to her otherwise white skin.
“1-1 didn’t prepare a gift for you,” Heng Yi was filled with regret.
He had not thought of getting her one at all.
“It’s okay. When 1 gave you the silver, didn’t you buy me earrings? Moreover, we still have many years to go.”
With Han Qiao’s coaxing, Heng Yi felt much better.
“Go to sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow.”
On the first day of the new year, there were still many things to pay attention to.
Han Qiao had been pregnant for so long and was already very sleepy.
Soon, she fell asleep.
Heng Yi couldn’t fall asleep. The excitement and happiness in his blood made him very wide awake.
He was turning twenty-five this year. He had a family, and a wife, and would soon have his own child. He also had a decent job.
Heng Yi slightly curved his lips.
He wanted to get up and go outside to practice a few sets of boxing, but he was afraid of waking up Han Qiao, who was sleeping beside him.
She was pregnant. Although she didn’t say it, her body was still different. For example, she was easily sleepy and tired. She would wake up easily at night.
A person who was originally fine had something in their stomach. As it slowly grew, it would squeeze her internal organs to other places and even distort them. It must be very difficult and painful.
However, his wife did not say anything.
She laughed every day.
He couldn’t bear the pain for her, but he wanted to treat her well, even better.
He had already thought it through. She would only give birth to this child, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl.
One had to get up early on the first day of the first lunar month. The early birds would get the worm. It was also a year’s plan in spring and a day’s plan in the morning. One had to make a good start on the first day of the new year.
And to pay their respects to the Kitchen God, Bodhisattva.
The first one was to light the fire on the stove, wash the pot and boil water. These were all done by the masters of the house.
Heng Yi didn’t allow Han Qiao to do this, so he did it all by himself and cooked eggs for his family.
He could peel eggs now, but if he was at home and Han Qiao was by his side, she would help him peel eggs.
Today was the first day of the Lunar New Year, so Han Qiao would not scold any of the children.
The children were all dressed in festive red jackets, and each of them was bright red, making people happy.
“Father, Mother, Happy New Year.”
“Great-Grandpa, Great-Grandma, Happy New Year.”
Grandpa and Grandma were laughing so hard that they called out to the children, “Okay, okay, okay. Sit down and eat.”
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, he didn’t need to read or study. He just needed to find a place to chat. There were enough melon seeds, peanuts, and tea.
Han Chi called out to a bunch of children and bragged some stories about the interesting things he had seen when he was a beggar. Sun Xiu, Sun Yi, Sun Ke, and He Cheng also went to hear him.
Sun Xiu and Sun Yi always thought that Han Chi was bragging in some ways, but they, who were inexperienced, could not tell what was wrong with bragging. The other children listened with great interest and were intoxicated by his words.
Bai Cha, who was at the door, also laughed when he heard the kid’s stories.
Beggars also had their own rules and customs. Han Chi did not lie about some things. The reality might be ten times, or even a hundred times cruder than what he was sharing.
This child was lucky.
Those unlucky children might have been sold as slaves.
Servants and slaves were only one word apart, but their encounters were like finding geniuses.
In this world, there were always many dark places where the sun could not shine.
On the second day of the new year, it was supposed to be the time for the married daughters to return to their parent’s homes. However, Han Qiao was pregnant, so Heng Yi brought the children back to Xishan Village. They would come back after lunch.
He Cheng also cried and wanted to go with them. Sun Xiu, Sun Yi, and Han Chi all expressed that they could take good care of him. In the end, he was wrapped up like a dumpling and brought along.
She was still not used to the sudden loss of several children at home.
Han Qiao accompanied her grandparents to eat and chat in their courtyard.
“When it’s warmer, your grandfather and I will return to Xishan Village to stay for a while.”
“Alright.”
Han Qiao wouldn’t make Grandpa and Grandma unhappy at this time.
In Xishan Village, the Han family was surprised and happy when Heng Yi brought back the children. They knew that Han Qiao was pregnant. They all thought that the kids wouldn’t come this year, and Heng Yi wouldn’t either.
However, Heng Yi came home with the children.
Although He Cheng and Han Chi were not their children, they still had to give him red packets when he called them Grandma, Master, Uncle, and Aunt.
The kids followed Heng Yi around and received a lot of red packets.
Han Chi coaxed He Cheng, “Little brother, come here. 1’11 keep the red packet for you. 1’11 return it to you when you’re older.”
He Cheng widened his eyes.
He looked at his sisters who were covering their laughter, but he refused to give it to him.
He didn’t know what this thing was used for. But he knew that it was good stuff.
When the sisters received it, they laughed happily.
The children were really curious about their new cousin, especially since he was very eloquent. He coaxed the Han children until they were stunned. Soon, regardless of age, they all recognized him as their leader and listened to his orders from then on.
Han Yuan nudged Sun Xiu, “That boy is—”
“My brother,” Sun Xiu said.
She looked at Han Chi and smiled.
“He’s not family.”
Sun Xiu nodded, “1 know, but 1 acknowledge him.”
“1, Ah-Yi, and Ah-Ke all recognize him as our sibling. He is our biological brother.”
After Sun Xiu’s declaration, Han Yuan couldn’t say anything to refute the notion. She asked, “I heard that you have a lot of maids and children at home now. Is that true?”
“Won’t you know after your visit in two days?” Sun Xiu said, keeping the suspense.
Han Yuan’s eyes lit up.
“That’s right, 1 heard your Father and Grandpa discussing that they’re going to the county town on the sixth day of the lunar new year. I’ll go too.”
Han Xiang came back today with Zhou Anshan. She looked pale, perhaps because she was pregnant.
Mother Han’s heart ached when she saw this. She pulled her into the house and asked her, “Why are you like this?”
Han Xiang threw herself into Han Yuan’s arms and cried, “Mother, the child is gone. The child is gone!”
“After 1 went back that day, 1 accidentally slipped and fell.”
Zhou Anshan personally came to pick Han Xiang up and explained to her that his cousin would have nothing to do with her. Then, her cousin was sent back and would never come to the Zhou family again.
Father Han and Han Yuan did not want Han Xiang to divorce Zhou Anshan, and even if they did Han Xiang was unwilling to do so. Han Yuan packed up a lot of things for Han Xiang to bring back to the Zhou family that day.
The Zhou family had not yet been separated. Han Xiang had stammered about the ten taels of silver, and Han Yuan had guessed that Zhou Anshan had used them all to do business.
Zhou Anshan also wanted to start a firewood collecting business, but he didn’t sell them to Han Qiao. He sold it to someone else.
He didn’t believe that Han Qiao’s family was the only one collecting firewood in Puyi County.
Mother Han comforted Han Xiang, but she couldn’t help but scold her as well, “The child is gone, you should just focus on taking care of your family. Why did you come back on such a cold day? This child, she doesn’t even know how the cherish her own body,”
Han Xiang sniffed and wiped her tears, “Mother, isn’t Han Qiao back for the new year?”
Han Yuan almost fainted from anger..