Chapter 6, Official Messenger
"I hurt, let me go, please!" Zhi Niang finally couldn't help but cry out loud: "Sun Lang, I don't want you to die on the road, you are my kin, you are my kin, I want to be with you forever, I want to help you manage the household, I want to raise our children. Oh, heaven, have mercy on me, do not destroy our Sun family!"
Zhi Niang was taken aback by Sun Dan's outrageous words and actions. She opened her cherry-like lips, her fully developed and ample bosom heaving violently. She shouted, "Sun Lang, do not speak such nonsense any longer. Quickly bow to your father's spirit and admit your mistake, then come with me to apologize to my family."
The water catcher smiled and said: "Old Four, you have been rather harsh on people lately. We are all from the same village, after all; we see each other often. As the saying goes, leave a thread of human kindness for future encounters. When you came here that day, were you really shouting for blood? Would the Sun family's boy take his own life? I say, do not push people too hard; let him pay a little silver to settle this matter. Where one can show mercy, one should show mercy." I say, do not push people too hard; let him pay a little silver to settle this matter. Where one can show mercy, one should show mercy.
"Sun Lang, I am afraid the house is going to collapse, and we will all die!" Zhi Niang could no longer bear it and suddenly threw herself into Sun Dan's arms
The wind gradually calms down
"Water catcher, it seems that you and I are unfortunate to be on this official duty. Just as we arrived at the destination, we encountered this strange wind. My goodness, I was almost blown up into the sky just now." The speaker kept patting the dust off his clothes, and the sound of chains clinking could be heard: "Once we catch that Sun kid, we will definitely take it out on him."
The wind grew stronger, sweeping over the rooftops like a torrent. The sky was dark and gloomy, as sand and stones flew about, enveloping the entire county town in a shroud of leaden storm.
A gust of cold wind blew in, pushing open the thin wooden door
Standing in the midst of the howling wind, the entire dilapidated house resembled a small boat navigating through tumultuous waves, with the possibility of capsizing at any moment
Zhi Niang, after bowing her head, looked at Sun Dan with a face full of sorrow: "Sun Dan, you should kneel down and bow to your father. The officials are coming to arrest you. This journey to Jiangnan is long and arduous, and you probably won't return. Bowing your head now will serve as a farewell to your father. Later, I will use the cloth I spun last night to hang myself, so as to spare others the embarrassment of our marriage."
Sun Dan was taken aback: "Ah, what has happened to you? Did I not just say that you need not worry? I will come up with a solution, won't I?"
It is unclear how much time has passed, as the two stood in the room, embracing each other.
The branch daughter continued to scold: "Very well, you are a tough man, unwilling to lower your voice and beg. But have you considered that if you cannot borrow money from my father, you will not be able to survive? You are only sixteen years old now. Over the past three years, we have endured together through thick and thin, managing to hold on. Now that we have finally reached the end of the three-year term, I originally planned to work hard for a few more years, earning some silver through weaving and mending, and then allowing you to set up a small stall to earn a meager living. In the future, I would also bear you a son or a daughter, which would be a way to repay the Sun family. But now, it seems you are going to die halfway. Among the three unfilial acts, having no descendants is the greatest. Tell me, can you face your deceased father? Can you face the ancestors of the Sun family?"
There was no one speaking at hetushu.com, and the room was terrifyingly silent
"Kneel down!" The young woman suddenly stood up, slammed the table, and roared like a small beast: "Sun Lang, why are you so willful!"
The sandstorm is so severe that it is rarely encountered, I experienced it when I was six years old
Looking at this girl in my hands, who is overwhelmed by sadness, and gazing at the impoverished home, Sun Dan let out a long sigh, remaining silent for a long time
The branch girl shook her head sadly and said, "There is nothing more to say. Originally, I thought I would cry. But the hardships of these past few years, including today, have dried up my tears. Yet, what is the use of crying? As long as you are here, I always have something to look forward to. I hope you can endure these three years quickly and marry to have a bunch of children. In this way, I won't feel so lonely. I know you hate my father and also hate me. However, I truly do not know anything about marrying you to bring joy or about your family's shop... I hope you can endure these three years quickly and marry to have a bunch of children. In this way, I won't feel so lonely. I know you hate my father and also hate me. However, I truly do not know anything about marrying you to bring joy or about your family's shop... Now, without this hope, I no longer have the strength to go on."
There is another person called Lao Si who is ruthless and malicious: "Let it go, he is really wealthy; why didn't he take it out earlier? What’s the point of committing suicide? Look at how poor the Sun family is; they probably don’t even have a single copper coin. I say, Shui Tou, you are just too soft-hearted. I think, to handle this task properly, it doesn’t need to be so complicated; we can just take action and grab him directly. Once we enter the room, I will seize that kid to prevent him from harming himself. I think, to handle this task properly, it doesn’t need to be so complicated; we can just take action and grab him directly. Once we enter the room, I will seize that kid to prevent him from harming himself. Shui Tou, you just put on the shackles; as long as you act quickly, that guy won’t have any chance to resist. At that time, we will hand him over to the county magistrate; whether he lives or dies will no longer concern me or my brothers."
Silently all the way
Zhi Niang was frightened by the ferocity on Sun Dan's face; the man she had spent three years with now appeared so strange and terrifying: "What do you want to do?"
The voices of the two people were very soft, but due to the favorable wind, this segment of conversation was carried into the room word for word, reaching the ears of Sun Dan and Zhi Niang
This is a dust storm unique to the northern region
Upon returning home, he proudly lifted the gourd ladle, savoring a large gulp of cool water, and laughed, "Refreshing, truly refreshing. Mother, don't be angry; there's no need to lower yourself and beg. When the cart reaches the mountain, a way will surely be found. No need to worry; I can think of a solution."
It can only be this way. Shui Butou sighed, saying: "Old Four, be careful not to be too heavy-handed; do not injure him. Sun Dan is also quite pitiful. Alas, encountering such a situation, I, Shui Sheng, have surely offended all the villagers."
The wind gradually grew stronger, blowing intermittently, and a cloud of dust rose in the room, making it difficult for one to open their eyes.
Although Sun Dan is a twenty-seven-year-old man in modern times, ever since he took over this sixteen-year-old young body, his mindset has also become youthful. Just now, he rejected the charity of the butcher Wan, feeling an unparalleled sense of exhilaration. As he walked, his steps appeared particularly light and brisk
He clenched his fist and took two steps forward, standing before the spirit tablet, glaring fiercely at the name above: "Father, oh Father, are you truly my father? Yes, in a certain sense, that is the case"
Sun Dan turned around and saw Zhi Niang kneeling before the spirit of Sun Dan's father, slowly bowing her head.
Everywhere there are the cries of the common people, and the sound of storms sweeping away the debris from rooftops can be heard all around
The atmosphere in the room seemed somewhat unusual, and Sun Dan suddenly felt a bit embarrassed: "Branch... Mother..."
There is nowhere left to go, nowhere left to hide, haha, even the heavens are competing with me!" Sun Dan laughed loudly: "I am tired, I am truly tired. Enough, it is what it is, let us just sit and wait for our fate!
Upon reflecting on her own plight and the parents in another world, Sun Dan could not help but be overwhelmed with tears, as the accumulated pain of the day finally erupted at that moment
The damned time travel, the damned Ming Dynasty, I have truly had enough!
Branch daughter
"What a load of nonsense; I see it as cowardice. Afraid of suffering at the hands of the soldiers on the road, he chose to end it all. His death is of no concern, but he has tarnished my reputation in the process"
The road home is not long, and Sun Dan walks briskly ahead, while Zhi Niang follows behind with small, quick steps. She intended to call out, but with so many people on the road, she opened her mouth yet could not make a sound no matter how hard she tried
The two felt a jolt in their hearts and instinctively separated as if electrocuted
At this moment, several sounds of "pah pah!" came from outside, accompanied by the voices of a few people.
Sun Dan suddenly grabbed Zhi Niang's arm, looked fiercely into her eyes, and roared: "Zhi Niang, you are a member of the Sun family. After marrying into our Sun family, I have the final say in family matters. I cannot abandon my dignity and bow down to others."
I am still afraid, I am so afraid
Sun Dan stood before the spirit tablet, his tattered clothes flapping in the draft. He shouted loudly: "Haha, Father, yes, I admit you are my father. I want to ask, was this marriage truly arranged by you? Do you find this matter of bringing joy through marriage amusing?"
Sun Dan was infuriated by her words. He was an adult in the modern world and a civil servant. Although he held no official position or power, he was still a respected individual in society. Now, however, he was being lectured by a young girl, and the anger within him could no longer be suppressed. It surged forth: "Zhi Niang, over the past three years, I have seen and remembered your kindness. However, I am a man, and what men think and feel is something you do not understand."
Looking at his father's memorial tablet, for some reason, Sun Dan felt uneasy and knelt down. He was filled with frustration, thinking: What is this? She's just a little girl. I'm already quite troubled, having to deal with an unwedded fiancée like this. If you're feeling down, does that mean I don't feel frustrated? I'm a fine young man, yet I have to listen to the lessons of a sixteen-year-old girl
The door panels rattled loudly, and the entire house began to shake in the midst of this fierce wind
Another person, known as the Water Catcher, laughed and said: "Do not be reckless; the Sun family boy is also a hot-tempered person. If someone really gets hurt later, it will be difficult to explain to our superior. Recently, the county magistrate has been pressing for labor and money as if it were a matter of life and death. If we fail to meet the amount he has given us, our days will become difficult."
Dust swirled recklessly in the room, then settled down with a rustling sound, covering them from head to toe.
The branch girl exclaimed softly, "What should we do, what should we do?"
It is evident that this water catcher is a kind-hearted person