She said, “Mother, boil this for your husband to drink.”
Xue Shi was startled when she saw the Renshen: “Where did this come from?”
Su Nuan replied in a low voice, “I came across it while gathering herbs. Don’t mention it to anyone. Use that Tao Guan over there to brew the Renshen Tang. Here’s some salt to prevent the Renshen Tang from spoiling quickly.”
Xue Shi happily took the small bag of salt and went to brew the Renshen Tang for her son.
She opened the hemp bag and looked inside. The upper half of the bag was filled with Zhutong, while the lower half felt soft and she didn’t know what it was.
She took everything out of the bag and couldn’t help but laugh and cry at what she saw.
The Zhutong were all filled with food. Although the weather wasn’t particularly hot now, these dishes had been sitting for a day. If they weren’t eaten soon, they would have to be thrown away, which would be such a waste.
The soft items at the bottom were bedding wrapped in oilcloth. This was actually good – it could be spread on the ground to prevent moisture.
Su Nuan said, “Mother, you and Grandmother should sleep in the carriage with Tuan Tuan tonight. We can sleep outside the carriage.”
Although Xue Shi hadn’t been with Su Nuan for long, she could tell that Su Nuan was both decisive and filial, so she obediently nodded.
This family had the old, the young, and the only able-bodied laborer was simple-minded. They needed someone who could hold everything together, and that person was Su Nuan.
Old Madam worriedly asked, “Child, you’ll get cold sleeping outside. What if you catch a chill?”
Su Nuan quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, Grandmother. I’ll take good care of myself. Actually, I’m not as delicate as I look. The biggest help you can give me is to take good care of your own health.”
Old Madam also understood that she was already a burden. If she got sick again, she would be too ashamed to live, causing more trouble for everyone.
Seeing the sorrow on her face, Su Nuan feared that Old Madam might think negatively, so she smiled and said, “Grandmother, people say that having an elder at home is like having a treasure. You must stay healthy to keep us mischievous monkeys in line, otherwise there would be no one to make decisions.”
Old Madam was amused and chided, “You silly girl. Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
Su Nuan liked reasonable people and was most wary of those who were unreasonable and willful. But if anyone dared to be difficult with her, she had a hundred ways to deal with them.
She poured the food from the Zhutong into the pot, mixing everything together regardless of what it was, filling the large pot to the brim.
Su Nuan smiled and said, “Let’s all start eating.”
The bowls and chopsticks were ordinary Tao Wan and Zhu Kuai. They would only think that Su Nuan had bought them in town, and no one would suspect anything unusual.
The food in the pot was so fragrant that it perfectly masked the smell of the Renshen Tang. The aroma spread everywhere, causing many people to look over.
Some people were tempted, but when they remembered how Su Nuan had threatened people with a kitchen knife, they became afraid and could only watch them eat with longing eyes.
Seeing Ling Yun eating with his hands, Su Nuan frowned and scolded, “What kind of behavior is this? Stop that immediately.”
Ling Yun froze, clutching his bowl protectively like guarding food, and asked warily, “What are you doing? Are you trying to steal my food?”
Su Nuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She took out a handkerchief, wet it with water, and carefully wiped Ling Yun’s hands. Then she picked up the chopsticks.
“Come, learn from your sister-in-law. Use chopsticks to eat.”
“Our hands have touched many things and are particularly dirty, so we can’t eat with our hands.”
“If your stomach hurts later, you’ll regret it. Although we’re in exile and our clothes can get dirty, what we eat and drink must be clean.”
Listening to Su Nuan’s gentle and slow words, Ling Yun’s cheeks quickly turned red.
Su Nuan thought he was embarrassed by her words, so she smiled and said, “Just don’t grab food with your hands from now on. Right now you probably have the intelligence of an eight-year-old, and even an eight-year-old should understand these things.”
Ling Yun didn’t know how to behave appropriately in this situation, so he could only lower his head and use his chopsticks to shovel food into his mouth.
Although Xue Shi felt the way the two interacted was too intimate, she reconsidered—having someone willing to care for her foolish son without disdain was already a tremendous blessing. She shouldn’t say anything wrong that might hurt her daughter-in-law’s feelings.
The Old Madam tilted her head thoughtfully, but she also said nothing.
What was the point of sticking to formalities in such circumstances? They were no longer the wealthy family they once were, and were now even worse off than common laborers. It was better to let things take their natural course.
The Ling family adapted the fastest, their mindset shifting quickly. At this moment, the family was truly united for the first time.
After they finished eating, Su Nuan went to the river to wash the dishes and discovered many finger-sized fish in the stream. Unfortunately, without any tools, she couldn’t catch them.
As she washed the dishes, she thought, “If only these fish could enter the river in the Space. Then I’d have an endless supply of fish to eat.”
Though she thought this, she didn’t look at the fish in the water again, failing to notice that the small fish had instantly disappeared.
As dusk approached, the Ling family returned to the carriage. Tuan Tuan, who had been unconscious all day, finally woke up.
Su Nuan held Tuan Tuan in her arms and asked, “How are you feeling? Is there anywhere you’re still uncomfortable?”
Tuan Tuan replied in a childish voice, “Sister-in-law, I’m not uncomfortable. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”
Seeing how sensible and well-behaved Tuan Tuan was, Su Nuan couldn’t help but kiss her little cheek. “No trouble at all. Our Tuan Tuan is the best behaved.”
Tuan Tuan immediately cast aside her unease upon seeing her sister-in-law’s gentleness.
Xue Shi smiled and said, “Your sister-in-law specially cooked porridge for you. Get dressed and have something to eat.”
“Thank you, Sister-in-law. Thank you, Mother.”
Xue Shi took Tuan Tuan and went into the carriage to help her get dressed.
Su Nuan ladled two bowls of She Zhou from the earthen pot, handing one to Ling Yun.
“Eat up. I noticed you staring at it earlier. Tuan Tuan won’t be able to finish it all.”
Ling Yun held the bowl of porridge, a smile on his face, but a trace of emotion flickered in his eyes.
People always said noble young ladies were spoiled and willful, but this sister-in-law seemed different—she had the grace of a noble lady without any of the bad habits.
Getting along like this didn’t seem so bad. It was like gaining another blood relative.
He took a sip of the porridge, expecting a strong earthy taste, but it turned out to be unexpectedly delicious. Could someone who never lifted a finger in the kitchen make something this tasty?
He hid himself in the shadows and murmured, “Investigate…”
But after saying just two words, he paused, then let out a long sigh. “Never mind.”
What would investigating Su Nuan’s past accomplish? What was done was done. What mattered now was looking forward, as long as the future was bright.
Recalling all the things Su Nuan had done, Ling Yun couldn’t help but smile, though he didn’t realize he was doing so.
At that moment, Su Nuan was happily feeding Tuan Tuan, both of their faces lit up with warm smiles.
Xue Shi and the Old Madam watched them with affectionate eyes, while only Cui Yi stood somewhat awkwardly to the side, though she too wore a smile.
Ling Yun watched this scene with a heartwarming feeling. The sorrow of losing his family and home dissipated slightly, but the hatred remained. For now, however, he could only bury that hatred deep in his heart.
He clenched his fists, using all his strength to control his emotions before forcing a foolish grin onto his face. He knew he had to maintain this facade of foolishness—otherwise, he would never survive the journey to the northern lands.
The sky gradually darkened completely, and most people had fallen asleep.
Su Nuan looked up at the pitch-black, starless sky, her brow slightly furrowed. Had she remembered incorrectly? Was the heavy rain going to arrive earlier than expected?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a raindrop landed on her face. She quickly urged, “Hurry, get into the carriage. It’s starting to rain.”