20
Su Jiayu
He Xunzhou looked at the twenty-two taels of silver in his hand. The road ahead was still long.
“Buy hairpins! Latest styles and beautiful designs!”
The streets were bustling with people.
Hearing the vendor’s call, He Xunzhou thought buying a hairpin for Liu Shuhuai was a wonderful idea.
He approached the stall and examined the various hairpins on display.
The vendor asked, “Is the young master buying for a sweetheart?”
“For a Ge’er.”
“That Ge’er is truly fortunate,” the vendor said with a smile.
He Xunzhou picked up a plum blossom patterned hairpin and said, “I’m the fortunate one.” Then he asked, “How much for this one?”
The vendor felt he was showing off and replied, “One tael of silver. This is the most popular style this year. I guarantee your husband will like it.”
He Xunzhou paid the vendor, carefully stored the hairpin, and said, “I’ll take your auspicious words.” Then he left, as he still had other purchases to make.
Some time ago, when he had given Liu Shuhuai two sets of clothes, Liu had happily kissed his cheek before excitedly going to change. He had stood there dumbfounded, thinking about what just happened.
Adding to his previous savings, he now had thirty taels of silver in total – a good omen.
Afraid of losing the money, Liu Shuhuai had stored his precious money pouch in his Dimension. He Xunzhou had never looked inside, not knowing how much silver it contained.
Every night, Liu Shuhuai would insist that he take out the money. Only by looking at the money could Liu Shuhuai fall asleep.
He never complained. Instead, every evening without being asked, he would already have retrieved the money from the Dimension for Liu Shuhuai. During these moments, Liu Shuhuai’s eyes would always shine brightly.
If Liu Shuhuai liked it, then he would earn more money to give him.
There was nothing wrong with loving wealth.
“Jiang’er, it’s time for you to marry and have children.”
Lin Jiang looked at his ailing mother and said helplessly, “Mother, I cannot give her a lifetime. I cannot burden her, making her suffer with me.”
He had heard that Yu’er’s family was arranging a matchmaking for her.
He struggled to suppress the pain welling from the depths of his heart, as if gripped tightly by a giant hand.
Both his hands trembled uncontrollably, his legs shook so badly he could hardly stand. His entire body went weak, gradually collapsing to the ground as silent tears streamed from his eyes.
He desperately wanted to see her, yet knew he shouldn’t.
She had said she was willing to endure hardship with him, even if it meant eating chaff and vegetables, and was willing to care for his parents.
But he had concerns!
His mother’s medicine expenses, his father with only one arm who couldn’t work – only making common items like brooms and baskets at home, taking three times longer than others.
His mother couldn’t even get out of bed. Why should he burden someone else?
Mother Lin said sorrowfully, “It’s us, your parents, who are burdening you. Others your age already have half-grown children at twenty, while you don’t even have a wife.”
“I… I might as well die.”
As Mother Lin moved to crash against the wall, Lin Jiang caught her in his arms, choking back tears: “Mother, I cannot live without my parents.” He knew if his mother died, his father wouldn’t want to live alone either.
“Mother, how can all good things in life come to us? As long as you and father are both here, I feel secure, like I haven’t been abandoned by the world.”
He didn’t want to marry and have children. If it couldn’t be her, he would rather not marry at all.
“But what about your wife? What normal family would let their child marry you, with two old burdens like us?” She shouldn’t go on living – dying would at least lighten her son’s burden.
Lin Jiang looked at his mother, whose heart seemed dead, and said ruthlessly, “If… if both you and father leave me, I’d rather go with you.”
As he spoke, he began bashing his head against the wall. Father Lin, who was at the door, hurried in to stop him.
Father Lin had become like this years ago because of a hunting accident. Back then, he was grateful to be alive, able to shelter his wife and son from life’s storms.
But what use was he now? Standing at the door, hearing the child’s mother say it would be better to die, he had also considered that possibility—he just couldn’t bear to leave them.
Hearing his son say that if they died, he would die too, he felt utterly powerless. Upon hearing the sound of his son hitting the wall, he rushed in to intervene.
With blood streaming from his head, Lin Jiang smiled at his parents and said, “Your son does not wish to marry or have children.” He knew this was an act of great defiance.
But he did it anyway.
Mother Lin, heart aching for her son, could only agree and didn’t dare ask whom he fancied.
This turmoil finally subsided, but it left a shadow over all three of them.
The next day.
Lin Jiang went to the county town to buy medicine for his mother. On the way, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Let me go! My father won’t let you get away with this…” The young woman’s voice trembled slightly, as if she were afraid.
“We’re going to be husband and wife sooner or later; what’s wrong with touching you?” This was a young man’s voice.
Lin Jiang saw someone harassing Su Jiayu. Furious, he strode over, pulled Su Jiayu aside, and shielded her with his body.
Su Jiayu, having been tugged aside, felt her heart race as she fearfully glanced at the person. Only when she saw it was Brother Lin did her tense body relax.
The young man, seeing someone snatch his fiancée, said menacingly, “Who are you? Do you know she’s my fiancée?”
Lin Jiang turned to Su Jiayu for confirmation.
Su Jiayu angrily retorted, “My parents never agreed to it; you’re the one who thinks so.”
Reassured, Lin Jiang said to the man, “You don’t need to know who I am. I only know you’re forcing this young woman.”
“Looking to die? I’ll grant your wish!” With that, the man suddenly threw a punch at Lin Jiang. Lin Jiang didn’t dodge, because she was behind him.
The punch landed squarely on his face, drawing blood from the corner of his mouth.
Lin Jiang grabbed the man’s hand, twisted it, and heard him cry out in pain as his body was wrenched around, his back now facing Liu Jiang.
He ended up kneeling with his back to Lin Jiang, one hand gripped by Lin Jiang and his leg pressed down under Lin Jiang’s foot—too afraid to move.
Damn, I’ve picked a fight with a trained fighter.
Lin Jiang, with blood at the corner of his mouth, gently wiped it away with his thumb.
He turned to Su Jiayu and said, “Move farther away.”
Su Jiayu uneasily stepped aside. Once Lin Jiang confirmed she was safe, he immediately kicked the man in the rear, sending him sprawling face-down on the ground, crying out:
“Oww, have mercy!”
Lin Jiang smiled, grabbed the man’s hair, and yanked his head back. Pressing his lips close to the man’s ear, he said in a voice both eerie and gentle, “From now on, turn and walk away when you see her, understand? Otherwise… heh~.”
The man gulped. Before he could respond, Lin Jiang slowly twisted his hand again. Terrified, the man quickly agreed, not daring to say another word.
Lin Jiang released him with a “Get lost.” The man fled without looking back, stumbling because his legs gave way, but he didn’t dare stop—he got up and kept running.
Lin Jiang hurried over to Su Jiayu and asked worriedly, “Are you hurt?”
Su Jiayu shook her head, gazing with heartache at the injuries on Lin Jiang’s face. She raised her hand and gently touched the wounds, asking, “Does it hurt?”
Lin Jiang hissed softly and replied, “It doesn’t hurt.” As he spoke, he scratched his head with a foolish grin.
Su Jiayu said with a smile, “Silly fool.”
Her smiling eyes held a special warmth that brought boundless comfort.
Lin Jiang didn’t dare ask anything, afraid of hearing an outcome—one he couldn’t accept.
That man earlier even had the right to visit Su Jiayu’s home, while he couldn’t even bring himself to imagine it.
Looking at Brother Lin who had fought for her, Su Jiayu wished he would come to her home to propose. She was willing to endure hardships with him, hoping only that his heart mirrored hers.