Linxia

Chapter 154, Return Home

The next morning, the sun shone through the red double happiness paper-cut on the window, casting a glow. The red candle on the table burned down and its wax tears dried up.

Fang Lin woke up, looked at the soft and fragrant person in his arms, gently kissed Tian Xuan on the forehead, got up and got dressed.

When Tian Xuan heard the noise, her eyes fluttered open and she wanted to get up, but something disturbed her and she couldn't help but frown.

"Sister Xuan, there's no rush. Just sleep a little longer." Fang Lin got dressed and brought a bowl of honey water: "Come and drink some. It will replenish your blood."

"Lin Di!" Tian Xuan said angrily, with a lively expression on her pretty face. Compared to the sensible and sister-like care she had shown in the past, after the wedding yesterday, she felt more attached to him.

When Fang Lin fed her, Tian Xuan opened her small mouth as clear as cherry petals and drank. The sweetness in her heart spread like ripples in sugar water. After drinking only a few sips, she took the spoon and fed Fang Lin.

"Wait a few days, I've explained the things in the city, Sister Xuan, let's go back to Xiaohe Village with my parents? It can be considered a vacation."

So, it's like a honeymoon.

"Okay, I'll listen to Brother Lin." Except for calling him husband last night, Tian Xuan usually still called him husband as before. She couldn't change it for the time being, so Fang Lin didn't let her change it. After going through all the ups and downs together, in addition to love, there was actually a blood relationship between the two of them that was thicker than water.

The two of them fed each other and drank a bowl of honey water. Then Fang Lin got up, walked to the window and opened it.

It was a clear and crisp autumn day, the sky was high and the earth was vast, with very light clouds floating in the sky, and bright light rushed into the house.

……

According to custom, tea and cakes are eaten on the third day after the wedding. There are more than ten tables of tea and cakes, with all kinds of snacks. It is a buffet and no one will refuse anyone who comes to eat. The snacks on the table can be refilled at any time after they are finished.

Then, it was time to return to the bride's parents' home. It was customary here for the newlyweds to return to the wife's parents' home together on the seventh day after the wedding. This was considered the couple's first visit home and was quite a grand ceremony. Fang Lin and Tian Xuan were in a special situation, so they went to the Ou family once and completed the procedure.

There is no need to elaborate on all these things.

However, this wedding caused quite a stir in the city. For the two weddings that followed in the next half month, with Fang Lin's example, there was no need for the families to force themselves to do so. The betrothal gifts and dowries were no longer as extravagant as before, using up all the family wealth. Instead, they were much simpler.

If it were in the past, if I were so eccentric, others would definitely point fingers and say it was unseemly and shameful; but now they can no longer do that, because people have an excuse. They would say, 'Look, Mr. Fang, the shopkeeper who wrote the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he didn't hold a grand ceremony, so there's no need for us to show off.'

In particular, when Prefect Pu attended a wedding, this recognition further encouraged the trend of simplicity in the city.

The previous ostentatious and extravagant lifestyle was curbed, the social environment improved, and people began to advocate frugality and pragmatism. The big families in the city changed their mindset and stopped wasting money. They invested the money they saved in various factories and formed fleets, etc., which actually made the city's industry and commerce more prosperous.

The sprouts of capitalism grew further, factories expanded, the demand for labor increased, but it was obviously not met. The wages in the city rose sharply, and against the backdrop of abnormal climate, no one knew what kind of trouble would arise.

……

A small and happy home.

In a small garden with exquisite pavilions and towers, Shi Wenjun sat by the pond, her freshly washed black hair hanging down like a waterfall. She washed her feet in the stream, holding a copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in her hands.

In a pavilion not far away, Gu Yuyan was painting, drawing subsequent characters based on the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" she had read.

Although Fang Lin didn't say anything, she was very independent and had already started drawing the subsequent character cards.

At this time, Shi Wenjun sighed softly and put down the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in her hand: "Beauty is short-lived. Now look at Cai Wenji's life again, how rough it was... Women like us, no matter how talented or beautiful we are, what's the use? We are like duckweed, helpless."

As she spoke, her bamboo-like feet moved in the stream, attracting fish to kiss them, creating ripples and floating duckweed on the water's edge.

"Yes!" Gu Yuyan put down her paintbrush: "If I have the face I always dream of, will I be happy? I'm afraid not. Youth is easy to pass, and beauty is easy to fade. When the face is old, what will be left?"

“You should always do something in your best years.”

She turned around and said, "Sister Wenjun, have you ever thought about the future?"

In response to this question, Shi Wenjun did not express her own thoughts, but talked about her former sisters: "Yan'er, do you still remember those sisters? Some chose to be talented and impoverished scholars, some chose to be sons of powerful families, some chose to be wealthy merchants... They redeemed themselves and left. Now, few of them are doing well, and some even passed away early..."

This is not surprising. No matter how good a color is, it is only temporary. Once the novelty wears off, it will be disliked. Men always like new things and dislike old things.

"Yes, they have entrusted their trust to the wrong person. I have finally let it go. Rather than taking a gamble and becoming those men's concubine, it is better for me to be with Mr. Fang!" Gu Yuyan frowned and said so.

"You may be willing, but others may not. I think Mr. Fang is a loyal person and may not take a concubine." Shi Wenjun shook her head slightly.

Gu Yuyan heard this and thought about how she had hinted at it before, but Fang Lin never responded. She felt depressed and stammered, "Well...well...at worst, I can redeem myself and live a lonely life, which is better than being abused by others."

In Qinghuan Xiaoju, in order to motivate the girls, they are given a certain share of the profits.

“Even if we redeem ourselves and leave here, with our looks, it will be a disaster rather than a blessing if we don’t have any protection… However, we don’t have to become Mr. Fang’s concubines. We need to show our value, such as your painting and my learning of business. These are always useful. Perhaps we can use them to stay with Mr. Fang and get his protection.” said Shi Wenjun.

"Sister, you are smart!" Gu Yuyan was happy again after hearing this idea. She thought and looked forward to it, "Wait another year or two, until Mr. Fang's reputation expands and our friendship deepens, and then we can bring this up. I have heard that Mr. Fang treats his friends very well, and he will be willing to help us when the time comes. However, as sister said, we have to show our value to last."

Shi Wenjun listened, nodded slightly, and sighed again: "What I have seen and thought, all tell me that in this world, women always have to rely on men to make a living... Many women spend their lives just taking care of their husbands and children. It shouldn't be like this. I'm not saying it's bad, but I always feel that women in the world should have another way to live. If the world can allow women with talent and ability to make a living, to protect themselves, and to truly be independent people, how great it would be!"

……

In the afternoon of that day, Fang Lin returned to Xixiang Hutong from Xuanmozhai.

The store hired a woman to cook and replaced Tian Xuan. Liu Hongwen, Huang Di, Chai Yiwei and Geng Shi also had experience and everything was in order. They also said that he had just got married, so they could leave the store to them. He looked at it and came back.

On Xiaowu Mountain, there was a gentle breeze. Some old ladies were doing simple movements like stretching their hands and lifting their legs in the open space. Some were sitting down to chat, and they laughed out loud when they were happy.

I don't know who brought in a small table and a small bamboo bed here, it's very comfortable.

Even Master Ou was no longer under the osmanthus tree. He moved his rattan chair over here and squinted his eyes while watching Mrs. Ou learning to write next to him.

Fang Lin walked closer and heard this group of aunts and young wives talking about his wedding that day.

"Sister Fang, the food on your Linzi's wedding day was really delicious, with chicken, duck, fish and meat."

——It is true that the banquet that day was relatively frugal, but it was by no means stingy. Pork, fish and other meats were all available. It was not luxurious, but definitely dignified.

"Yes, I saw those nobles sitting down and eating a few bites, which shows that it is very clean."

"Xuanxuan, how is it? After you get married, you and Linzi..."

...Even though Tian Xuan was married, she still couldn't handle these aunts and young wives. It was only with the help of Fang's mother that she was able to move on. After a while, they started talking about which store in the vegetable market was cheating people and shortchanging people on weight, and which store had the freshest vegetables and had a discount today.

Then, Ulala got up and they all went out, as if they were going to a war, but they would usually come back after a while and start picking and peeling vegetables again.

Fang Lin saw this scene, smiled, and sat down next to Master Ou and Madam Ou.

"Fang Lin, how do you feel after getting married?" asked Master Ou.

"The feeling on the wedding day was sacred and pious. It's hard to put it into words, but it's unforgettable. After marriage, I feel like my heart has settled. I always feel like there's good news, and my heart is sweet. I also feel more responsible and more mature." Fang Lin thought for a while and said.

Master Ou laughed loudly after hearing this, and then said, "Time is long and life is short. If you want to make your short life meaningful, you need to follow these traditions of our ancestors, so that it will be interesting and solemn."

"When I was in my teens and twenties, I resisted tradition. I thought tradition was old-fashioned, pedantic and unacceptable. I liked new things, kept up with the times and followed the changes in the world. Later I realized that changes in the world, moving forward and tradition are not in conflict."

Fang Lin listened to this and nodded in agreement. Life does need some sense of ritual.

Daxia is a country of etiquette, and its etiquette has influenced people for thousands of years. It is deeply engraved in the bones of every person on this land and flows in their blood. There are etiquettes for eating and drinking, and there is a saying that there is no lack of sense of ritual at all.

"Is Madam Ou feeling better?" Fang Lin asked when he saw Madam Ou stop beside him.

"It's still the same, my body... Oh, let's not talk about it, let's not talk about it."

Mrs. Ou was in great pain and had many difficulties in her heart. Apart from some small temper tantrums in front of Master Ou, she never said a word in front of outsiders. She still dressed appropriately, clean and tidy, and her hair was smooth and docile, never letting it rustle on her head. Especially after she fell ill, she had to take a bath every day. After washing, she would apply a little bit of perfume on her body to cover up the odor on her chest.

Fang Lin sighed secretly and said that he might go back to Xiaohe Village soon and would make more fragrant dew and leave it for others.

"It's hard for Fang Linni to still be thinking about me!"

Master Ou thanked him and said, "Okay, let's go back. It's right to go back and take a look."

Mrs. Ou was reluctant to leave after hearing this, and said sadly: "With my health, I don't know if I can see you come back..."

"What are you talking about? Mrs. Ou, you must have seen it. I think that in the future we will be able to hear our children call you grandma!" Fang Lin said.

"Okay, if that happens, I will help take care of your mother." Mrs. Ou said softly, with a little light in her eyes, as if she had really seen that scene.

Huh~huh!
At this time, the wind was strong, and the petals of the osmanthus tree in front of Master Ou's door began to wither and fall like snow.

……

Because he was preparing to return to Xiaohe Village, Fang Lin made arrangements for the industries in the city.

He paid a visit to Prefect Pu and also to Dong Zugao, who was concentrating on preparing for the spring examination. He told him about this and asked him to look after the bookstore business. Dong Zugao naturally agreed and told him not to worry and that he would keep a close eye on it.

The same thing happened to Xu Kuo Lao, who also went there.

By the way, when he went to Xu's house, he ran into Xu Xianwen. This guy came back with a stack of cards in his hand, looking very proud and confident, like a victorious general. It turned out that he had won all the cards from others. He even wanted to discuss with Fang Lin about recycling and selling the cards for money, which made Fang Lin laugh and cry.

……

Finally, Fang Lin visited Manager Liu and asked him to help take care of the bookstore's business affairs.

When seeing Fang Lin, Shopkeeper Liu was very enthusiastic and even invited him to stay for dinner. This time, Old Lady Liu was finally not as generous as she had been in the store before, and the food was quite filling.

Fang Lin asked, "Manager Liu, how have you been lately? Now that you two have unloaded the store's work, are you two having a lot more free time?"

"Speaking of this, ah, I didn't feel it before in the store, but it's only now exposed. My two sons are fine, they are both filial, but my two daughters-in-law..."

Shopkeeper Liu sighed, "Fang Lin, you just saw my wife, she has lost a lot of weight! You can't imagine how tired she was taking care of my second daughter-in-law giving birth. Originally, she was just cooking and mending shoes and clothes in the store. Now, when she went to my second daughter-in-law's house, she had to take care of her and her grandchildren. My second daughter-in-law felt that she didn't take good care of the child. Whenever the child cried, my second daughter-in-law would ask about the child's fate. But you tell me, how can you take care of a baby without crying? She helped take care of the child, but not only did she not get any credit, she didn't even work hard. And you can't say that she's pregnant, and my wife is so angry that she's lost weight."

Fang Lin listened and thought to himself that it was no wonder that Liu Hongru sometimes stayed in the inn and didn't want to go back. So that was the reason. He had a conflict between his mother and his pregnant wife and was caught in a dilemma.

"How about, boss, you two go to Brother Hongwen's house?" he suggested.

"My eldest daughter-in-law is not one to worry about either. The other two daughters-in-law worry all day long that they do too much for the other and not enough for themselves, and thus suffer losses. My husband and I don't want to take care of our grandchildren, but we really don't want to have to see the faces of the two daughters-in-law... Others say that it's difficult to be a daughter-in-law, but we, as parents-in-law, also have to endure the bullying. Tell me, what's going on? It's because we have good tempers, too good, too much." Shopkeeper Liu shook his head.

Fang Lin listened and could only comfort him: "You should be more open-minded. You are not deaf or dumb, and you are not a patriarch. Don't take everything too seriously."

"Isn't it? Never mind, let's not talk about it. Everyone has troubles in life, but other people's families can't see or hear them. My family is actually much better off. At least my two sons don't steal, rob, visit prostitutes or gamble."

Shopkeeper Liu waved his hands and said, "I have also come to terms with it. I am content! The world is stable now, we have enough to eat and wear. It is better than the prosperous Kaiyuan Period of the Tang Dynasty in the books. I just hope that this prosperous period will not be too short, and that it will soon fall into chaos like the Tang Dynasty... I heard that the Tartars in the north..."

He was an old and experienced man, and it was obvious from his words that he had a premonition.

"The Liaodong Tartars!" Fang Lin shook his head and said, "For a country as big as our Daxia, it is impossible to kill them all at once if they come from outside. If there are only external threats, even if we decline, we will sink little by little. But I am afraid..."

He paused, then left without saying anything else.

"I'm afraid that the family will start fighting among themselves." Manager Liu said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to see that scene. I can only pity my children and grandchildren. Alas, I just hope that this peaceful day can last longer and longer. I'd rather be a dog in peacetime than a man in troubled times!"

……

After saying goodbye to Prefect Pu, Dong Zugao, Xu Kuolao, Manager Liu and others one by one, Fang Lin came back that night and said that he had contacted the caravan and would set out in three days.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Fang were happy to hear this.

"I'm out here. If I'm doing well, I'll miss the village. If I'm not doing well, I'll still miss the village. Xiaohe Village is my root, and I can't leave it."

Father Fang paused and said, "After all, our ancestors are buried there!"

Fang's mother and Tian Xuan were already discussing what to buy in the next two days to bring back as gifts for Grandpa Fang, Grandma Fang, and the other three families, as well as some things to bring back for the Geng family and the other families in Xiaohe Village who stayed in the city.

……

Three days later, Fang Lin's family, Fang Chuanhui and Fang He followed the caravan they had contacted and left Huai'an City with large and small bags.

……

(End of this chapter)