Chapter 10, The Sparrow Perches on the Branch (7)

Su Qing paused for a moment and said, "No, I have something to attend to that day as well"

The ring hanging on her chest was constantly warm, and she saw the two blue bars that had previously faded rising again. No, now it was three bars, and the deep blue was no longer just a little; it had transformed into a crescent.

He looked around and discovered that there were houses over there. She pointed to the houses shrouded in mist and rain, with the cooking smoke being blown in all directions by the wind, and said, "The pears seem to be grown by their family."

Jia San imitated Ye Qin's sarcastic tone: "The young master said that since there will be dancing tonight, it is first 'borrowed' for you to wear."

Su Qing paused, seemingly in thought. Er Ya, crying, approached her, fearing that she would also reject her. Suddenly, Su Qing took her hand and pointed to the dark mountains shrouded in mist: "Do you see that mountain? There lives a deity who, like you, wishes to eat pears"

Su Qing instructed Jia San to lead the way through the corridor, while the birds perched on the treetops chirped merrily. After passing through one empty hall and courtyard after another, they ascended to the second floor, arriving at Ye Qin's room

On the way back, it poured rain, and the sky was overcast with dark clouds. People on the road hurried home to collect their clothes and bedding, scattering in a rush.

The eldest son of the Ye family has returned from studying abroad in Europe, while the second son married a Japanese woman during his studies overseas. Their lifestyle has become Westernized, requiring a large living room to accommodate a sofa, and they also wish to gather friends and dance in the high-ceilinged dining room

Su Yu showed little interest in her disabled friend and quickly shifted to another topic: "I have an idea. Let's trick Mom into thinking that I have an exam in the city that day and won't be able to return. I'll need you to take care of my meals and accommodation for the night, so that we can both go out."

Su Qing led her through the path three more times. By the fourth time, Er Ya was stamping her feet in the rain, pounding her head, and crying in frustration: "I can't remember, I can't remember where to go."

Jia San said, "The young master has instructed that you may sit wherever you like"

Su Qing approached and realized that this was Er Ya's small wooden house. Er Ya is the village's simpleton, born with a mental disability. When her father was alive, he spent all his savings to seek treatment for her, only to be deceived by a quack doctor. Not only was her illness not cured, but he also sold their house.

Su Qing returned home, piled the wet clothes she and Er Ya had changed out of into a basin, rinsed herself off, and then went to fetch several buckets of water to fill the tub

Grease floated on the surface of the water, and the porcelain bowls were scrubbed clean and stacked to one side. Su Qing lowered her gaze and smiled slightly, saying: "You do not recognize him; both of his legs are broken and he needs assistance."

Finally, they stopped in front of the pear orchard: "Here, he has eaten the pear."

"You are referring to the Sixth Aunt?" Jia San laughed, "She doesn't care; the Sixth Aunt has a heavy smoking addiction and only recognizes cigarettes, not people."

Su leaned over the sink to wash the dishes, and Su Yu approached her: "Sister..."

Originally in Pingjing, they each had their own residences and lived in harmony. However, after fleeing to Min Town, there was only one old house, and the entire family was crowded together, inevitably leading to friction.

Su Qing suppressed a smile and took it out to wear on her hand: "Well, thank him for me."

The round raindrops have already fallen, striking their hair

After traveling for less than a quarter of an hour, the vehicle began to slow down. Min Town is not large, and the Ye family's old residence is not far from Su Qing's home. She did not understand why, for such a short distance, Ye Qin still had to send a car to pick her up.

Mrs. Su has always yearned for knowledge, yet this time she finds herself cursing the examination in her heart

Jia San scratched his head: "It was available at first, but the young master has difficulty with his legs, and the young lady cannot move it. Moreover, the young master's temperament is too peculiar, and not many can tolerate it."

The tear marks on Er Ya's face were streaked, and she vigorously wiped her eyes with her sleeve. It turned out she also understood that once this tree bent its waist, it would never bloom again

Su Yu knew that Su Qing would never pressure him to do anything like their mother did, and would not be surprised to hear about his absurd actions, so whenever there was something to address, he would first seek out Su Qing

The old woman noticed her pale face, held her shoulders to prevent her from moving, and cheerfully comforted her: "Miss Su, do not be nervous, my skills are quite good. Over the years, it has been I who styled the hair of the ladies of the Ye family."

He seemed to become increasingly agitated as he spoke: "The young master was exceptionally clever in his childhood; by the age of four, he could recite Tang poetry from memory. The master would carry him on his shoulders every day, which frightened some people. They hid poisoned cherries soaked in toxic wine in his bowl of ice. After the young master ate them, he bled from all seven orifices and was on the verge of death. The nurse hurried to find the sixth concubine, who had just taken a dose of Fushou ointment and was sound asleep, her body so weak that she could not be roused even with a push. When the nurse said the young master was dying, she merely mumbled, 'If he’s gone, then bury him; let me have a good sleep first.'" The young master bled from all seven orifices and was on the verge of death. The nurse hurried to find the sixth concubine, who had just taken a dose of Fushou ointment and was sound asleep, her body so weak that she could not be roused even with a push. When the nurse said the young master was dying, she merely mumbled, 'If he’s gone, then bury him; let me have a good sleep first.'

When Su Qing was unexpectedly bumped into, she was startled, but she did not make a sound to avoid causing a scene and losing face. Several matrons measured and recorded on their notebooks, whispering a few words to each other while wearing expressions of admiration.

Following her gaze, I turned around and discovered that a slender pear tree in front of the wooden house had been struck down by lightning during the night

Su Yu puffed his cheeks and glared: "Do you really think there could be any danger in going to someone else's house?"

She saw a driver sitting in front, who, upon seeing her face in the rearview mirror, respectfully called out, "Miss Su"

There was no one in the room, and Su Qing knew that Ye Qin was intentionally avoiding her, not wanting her to feel awkward

She pointed to a distant area filled with intertwining branches and said, "Don't cry anymore. If you really want to eat pears in the future, you can go there to pick them."

Jia San said, "That is the house of the eldest young master and the second young master’s family"

Jia San opened the car door and instructed her to lift her foot: "Miss Su, be careful, the threshold is quite high."

Su Yu found it strange: "What are you going out for?"

As the noisy sounds from outside erupted, Jia San finally remembered the important matter at hand. He took out a small box and opened it with a "whoosh" towards her; it was the bracelet chosen by Su Qing.

Before the carpenter passed away, he borrowed a pear tree and had it planted at the entrance of the wooden house. In March, it blooms atop, and by August, it bears fruit, ensuring that no one goes hungry.

People are truly strange; when no one paid her any attention, she always felt that Su Qing had this flaw and that flaw. Suddenly, with the arrival of Cui Lan who wanted to compete with her, she suddenly realized the value of Su Qing.

When the young master was still weaning, he slept in the same bed with her. She slept so soundly at night that she did not wake even when she pressed down on the child. The young master cried silently, and by the time the wet nurse carried him out, half of his body was already cold

Su turned her head towards the window, as if she hadn't heard anything, but Jia San was scared to death, quickly shut his mouth, and fanned behind Su's back.

Su Qing glanced at him and said approvingly: "Good"

What do you want to do

This was not the strangest part; the strangest part was when she was pressed against Ye Qin's desk, an old woman untied her braid, took a comb dipped in water to smooth her hair, while another held a pair of tongs that had been heated red over the stove, then dipped them into a basin of water, producing a cloud of white steam with a "sizzle". She approached Su Qing with the steaming tongs in hand

Jia San, have you always been taking care of the Fifth Young Master?

What happened

Have no other maids been sent?

As soon as she put it on, the seamstresses came in. Jia San, retreating outside, was called by Su Qing: "The sun is nice today; you should take the quilt out to dry as well."

As soon as the quilt and pillow were removed, a crumpled piece of paper was revealed beneath the pillow. Su Qing picked it up and examined it closely; it was indeed the page soaked in water featuring the spider spirit.

Su Qing listened intently, her gaze fixed on his eyes which held a glimmer of light. Jia San suddenly found her eyes captivatingly beautiful, for they contained a sympathy and deep affection that resembled both a lover and a mother.

Su Qing could not help but laugh, and she sat down on the edge of the bed. When she looked up, she unexpectedly saw two small sachets hanging from the bed frame, one red and one yellow, which were quite eye-catching, being the only vivid colors in the room

Er Ya could not distinguish the difference between that area and a tree in front of the house; she was simply delighted to see so many pear trees, and the tears no longer welled up in her astonished eyes

Su Qing hesitated for a moment: "Is it dangerous?"

Su Qing led her back to the cabin: "Do you remember? Walk through it for me to see."

Because he saw a strand of red silently climbing up behind her ear, lingering for a long time; if Ye Qin were to see it after getting off the car, he would not only be dead but also suffer a loss of face.

He walked over there, kept walking, knocked on the door and asked if he could eat the pears from their house, and they said, go ahead

Jia San was very surprised: "Drying the quilt?"

Su Qing nodded and asked, "Where is the young master's mother?"

Er Ya's eyes widened, reflecting the overcast sky like a pair of glass beads, her mouth slightly ajar

Su Yu said ambiguously: "A classmate invited me to their home to hang out"

The eldest and second young masters of the family found the rooms partitioned off in the old house to be small, so they forcibly constructed a new house in the garden that Old Master Ye cherished the most. This matter caused a great uproar in the family for over half a year

Er Ya was very surprised, her pitch-black eyes fixed unwaveringly on the distant mountains

As the old women gathered around to take a look, Su Qing, in a moment of panic, quickly folded the page and hid it in her pocket

The exam required Su Yu to travel such a long distance alone for a day and a night, which made her extremely uneasy. Therefore, when her son suggested bringing Su Qing along, she immediately agreed

He rubbed the dust on the ground with his toes: "I might skip school once in a couple of days, won't come home for dinner, and will be back very late. Can you help me deceive Mom?"

Su Qing turned around and headed towards the towering spruce tree, saying, "He wants to come down, but there's no ladder. We'll have to find the tallest tree to use as a ladder."

Lifting the curtains, the pink walls and dark tiles outside, along with the lush leafy trees, quickly receded, revealing that they were moving at such a fast pace

Today is a day off, and Su Yu is staying at home. Mrs. Su prepared a cold dish with a fat duck and made soup from the bones, enjoying two meals in a row. Due to the recent birthday gift incident, Mrs. Su has been very courteous towards Su Qing in the past few days

Su Qing observed the spring breeze on his face, and that classmate was most likely the third young lady. She did not inquire further, as the loofah pulp in her hand skillfully glided across the porcelain bowl: "Which day?"

She said "Excuse me," handing the bun to Jia San: "Have something to eat."

Su Qing carried two steamed buns, walking straight ahead without glancing sideways. She passed the shops, exited the alley, and reached the main road, where a black carriage was waiting for her.

The dog suddenly ran out, and Su Qing quickly followed behind, chasing until they reached an old house. The yellow dog sniffed around and barked fiercely at the small cabin.

The old man was a carpenter. Before his death, he worked day and night despite his illness, spending six months to build her a wooden house in the woods to shelter her from the wind and rain

Well, that is not possible

The Ye family ancestral home is quite large, reflecting the style of a scholar's garden from the Qing Dynasty. Surrounding it is a winding corridor and various rooms, with a garden featuring a lake enclosed in the center. However, this garden is now overgrown. To the east, a large gray building stands out abruptly, separated by a considerable distance, while several old trees grow at odd angles.

The door closed, and the nurses began to measure her with a soft leather tape. At one moment, they asked her to raise her arms, and at another, to let her arms hang down while bending at the waist. The tape passed over her waist and legs, making her feel a bit ticklish. When she bent down, one of the nurses even gently lifted her chest from underneath.

I am going to meet a friend

Su Yu mentioned the date

Su Qing pushed the dog aside and squatted down beside her, the musty smell of the bedding wafting into her nose in waves. She finally heard clearly what Er Ya was murmuring: "The tree is dead, Dad's tree is dead"

The Ye family seems to be filled with contradictions and calculations, yet everyone still tolerates living together in such circumstances. The new government has been established, and everyone believes that Pingjing has stabilized, making it only a matter of time before they return.

In ancient times, many scholars traveled to the capital to take the imperial examination, often accompanied by their wives who took care of their daily needs. Being alone together allowed them to cultivate their feelings quite well

Su Yu was somewhat surprised. In his eyes, Su Qing spent all day dealing only with chickens, ducks, pigs, dogs, and kitchen utensils. Someone like her could actually have friends.

Su Qing looked at him with a hint of reproach. Under the illumination of this clear gaze, Jia San felt that he had gone too far, even neglecting to help the young master air out the bedding. He hurriedly picked up Ye Qin's pillow and blanket, clumsily making his way out.

Approaching the nearest spruce tree, she pressed Er Ya's hand to stroke the damp bark, "I found it, here is the tallest tree, he climbed down from the sky."

Before her eyes, there was a flicker of light followed by darkness, and suddenly a thunderclap struck down. The yellow dog began to bark wildly, and Su Qing seemed to hear a faint, intermittent sound of crying.

The vehicle is quite tall, with a glossy black front, and streams of milky white steam are billowing from the exhaust pipe

... ... why is it still being kept

"Miss Su, please do not keep lifting the curtain." Jia San, with his mouth full of steamed buns, felt that in the presence of the Fifth Young Master, Su Qing was so understanding and considerate that she seemed like a celestial being. Thus, he spoke without restraint, "Do not be misled by the shortness of the wedding procession; the grand red sedan chair is what draws attention, and the bride's face must not be revealed to others"

His room is not as large as she imagined, with only a few low windows on the second floor letting in light. Below the window stands a desk, which is very clean, with only a bottle of ink and a pen placed closely beside it.

Su Qingwan rolled up her sleeves, pulled her up, and then walked forward ten steps from the cabin, turned right, turned right again, and walked fifty steps, where there was a grove of pear trees

Which friend

Er Ya left the small wooden house and soon got lost. She only recognized the small wooden house and needed someone to guide her when going out; otherwise, she would be unable to go anywhere.

Jia San saw her hesitating by the bedside and quickly came over to help her tidy the bed: "Well, it's not that the bed can't be sat on; anyway, the young master said it's fine to sit wherever."

She suddenly recalled the joke made by Ye Qin, saying "Serve me in dressing and dining." She was certain that there was no such person beside Ye Qin. If there were even a maid nearby, the room would be warm, fragrant, and cozy, and it would never be so cold, empty, and filled with a desolate atmosphere.

He suddenly thought, how happy would it be for whoever becomes Miss Su's child in the future, far happier than the young master by a thousand times, even ten thousand times

In Min Town, every household is not affluent; even if there are kind-hearted individuals, they merely place a bowl of rice at the entrance of the wooden houses.

Su Qing did not sit down, but walked around to the front of his bed to take a look. Lying in this manner, he was backlit. The room was empty and dim, with only a small patch of light devoid of warmth, filtered through the thick block of glass, transforming into a pale white color

Then Su Qing saw Er Ya, who was curled up in the corner by the door, crying with wide eyes, muttering to herself, occasionally wiping her tears and snot with her sleeve. Er Ya was sixteen years old this year, but she still looked like a little child. She did not hit anyone; she was just foolish, and being foolish meant she lacked the ability to work and could only rely on others for support

The families of the eldest young master and the second young master, along with their servants and maids, are crammed into one house, appearing amicable on the surface while secretly engaging in open and covert struggles for power

On that morning, Su Shusheng had no intention of taking the exam; his mind had already flown away. Upon leaving the door, he escaped from Mrs. Su's nagging, and he didn't even have time to greet Su Qing before he dashed off, throwing the breakfast that Mrs. Su had prepared for him back to her.