Liu Sanniang walked into the house. This was a gift from Liu Zhi’er. Although the two quails did not have much meat, the soup made with them was fragrant and tasty.
If she sold it, she might get a hundred coins. It would be a loss if she didn’t try it.
Liu Sanniang decided to go for dinner. No matter how scary Chu Yan was, this was after all her house!
What could he do to her!
Her father, and her elder brothers would definitely kill him if he dared to do anything.
Madam Wei had already distributed the bowls and chopsticks. There was a large cornbread in each bowl.
There were a total of five dishes.
The quails were stewed together with potatoes and vegetables, and there was also a bowl of egg soup, a stack of pickled sour and spicy vegetable hair, and a bowl of meat. Everything looked delicious.
They did not pick up their chopsticks because they were waiting for Chu Yan to come.
Chu Yan arrived very quickly and sat down.
Mr. Liu smiled and said, “There is not much food. Don’t mind it.”
Although Mr. Liu said that, his smile was smug.
His wife was a cook, so her culinary skills were excellent. Even if it was just a simple stir-fry of cabbage, its taste was extremely good. He was always proud of having such a wife.
Chu Yan said to Mr. Liu, “Auntie’s cooking is very good. I’m lucky to have the chance to try the dishes today.”
Madam Wei was very happy to receive a compliment from him.
Mr. Liu held a wine gourd and asked. “Do you want a drink?”
Chu Yan nodded. “Yes.”
Mr. Liu poured the wine. “It’s good that you can drink. Drink with me.”
Liu Dalang naturally drank as well, but Liu Erlang was not allowed to drink.
Madam Wei glared at him. “Try it if you dare!”
Liu Erlang instantly cowered. “Mom, I’m injured, of course I won’t drink.”
Liu Sanniang looked at Liu Erlang who was instantly terrified, and thought of how much Liu Erlang was scared of his wife, and how much he loved drinking in the previous life.
Several times, he was pulled out of someone’s house by his fierce looking wife.
At this thought, Liu Sanniang could not help but smile.
Madam Wei kept giving her daughter the quail meat.
When Liu Sanniang unintentionally touched her mother, she heard her thoughts.
Madam Wei thought to herself. ‘With outsiders around, my daughter is too embarrassed to eat. I have to get her more food so she can recover quicker.’
Liu Sanniang ate with satisfaction, and her eyes curved. It was because of such a mother that no one dared to gossip about her even if she was unmarried in her previous life.
Suddenly, Liu Sanniang’s heart skipped a beat as she sensed an intense gaze on her.
She stole a glance at Chu Yan and met his dark eyes. The food in her bowl instantly lost its fragrance.
Her heart trembled, and she was terrified.
Chu Yan looked away and ate the cornbread in big mouthfuls. There was a trace of satisfaction in his ink-black eyes.
He looked at Liu Sanniang, who was frightened by him, and felt like bullying her even more.
After dinner, Chu Yan went back.
Madam Wei and Mr. Liu sent him out.
Madam Wei said to him, “I’ll wash your clothes for you tomorrow and send them to you.”
In the night, Chu Yan replied in a deep voice. “Ok.”
He only had one word in response.
Back at her room, Liu Sanniang lit a candle and started embroidering. She liked embroidery and cooking, so when she did either of them, she always felt very happy.
Her embroidery was exquisite, making the lotus on the handkerchief look lifelike. She could’ve sold it for money, but she decided to give it to her mother.
In her previous life, Madam Wei passed away when she was 50 years old. It had been 25 years that she hadn’t seen her mother for, and even in her dream, Liu Sanniang would imagine being loved by her mother again.
Now that she was reborn and cherished by her mother again, what she wanted to do the most was to treat her mother well.
The sound of the night watch was heard again from outside.
“The weather is dry and things are flammable, take care not to catch the fire.”
Dong! — Dong!
Dong! — Dong!
Dong! — Dong!
After three dongs, the night watch walked away. Liu Sanniang yawned. Putting down the embroidery, she went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, she heard a knock on the courtyard door.
Someone said anxiously, “Auntie Wei, my wife is about to give birth. We haven’t found a midwife yet. Please go and take a look.”
Madam Wei lowered her voice. “Liu Cheng, let’s go. We’ll talk on the way.”
The courtyard door was shut after that.
Liu Sanniang suddenly recalled something. In her previous life, it was also this year that Liu Cheng’s wife gave birth in the middle of the night. He couldn’t find a midwife and asked an old lady to help him deliver the child. In the end, both the mother and child died.
The two families were very unhappy and went to court.
To avoid an autopsy, Liu Cheng cremated the corpse, so that there would be no evidence. The old lady was so angry that she fell seriously ill. She eventually paid a hundred taels of silver to settle the matter and avoid going to jail.
A hundred taels was enough to destroy a family.
Liu Sanniang thought that if her family had to fork out a hundred taels, it would cost them ten years of their savings.
She immediately got up, put on her clothes, and opened the door quietly.
She did not know why in this life, her mother was the one being asked to be the midwife.
However, this was not a good thing. She did not know when and why Liu Cheng’s wife died. Liu Sanniang was so anxious that her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She had to hurry up and catch up to her mother!
This kind of thing must not happen to her family.
It was already late at night. The moonlight was pale and it was so quiet that Liu Sanniang could even hear her own heartbeat.
For some reason, she felt like someone was following her.
Hearing footsteps, she was so scared that her hair stood on end. She quickened her pace, but she was too anxious and actually tripped and fell.
Seeing that she was about to fall to the ground, someone reached out to hold her. Liu Sanniang was so frightened that she wanted to scream, but her mouth was covered by a rough hand. “Stop shouting. What do you think people will say about you coming out in the middle of the night?”
It was Chu Yan’s cold voice which she heard. Liu Sanniang choked her scream back down, but when she was held by Chu Yan, she trembled in fear and stuttered. “Let go, let go of me.”
Chu Yans looked at the girl in front of him. She was soft and fragrant. When he covered her mouth just now, Liu Sanniang had opened her mouth to call for help. Although she didn’t make a sound, he could feel her hot breath on his palm.
It was itchy.
Looking at the terrified sheep, Chu Yan let go of her.
Liu Sanniang immediately took a few steps back and maintained a safe distance from Chu Yan.
Chu Yan looked at her. “Why are you out so late?”
Liu Sanniang was already afraid of him, let alone in such a situation. Without thinking, she replied. “My mother was called out by someone. I’m worried.”
Chu Yan’s eyes darkened. “Which house? I’ll take you there.”