That’s right, Shi Cheng was Liu Xu’er’s husband in her previous life.
Liu Xu’er was just a baby when she was transferred here. When she was two, during Shi Cheng’s yeye’s big birthday celebration, she accidentally discovered that her husband had also come over. At that time, both of them wept inconsolably on each other’s shoulders!
After crying, both of them felt immensely fortunate. It was wonderful that they could still be together, that they could still continue to look out and help each other.
Shi Cheng’s family was much better off than Liu Xu’er. His father was a businessman, but because he had accidentally offended the person in power in the city, he could only retreat to the village to avoid him.
Shi Cheng saw that Liu Xu’er’s family was so poor that they barely had enough to feed themselves – Liu Xu’er herself was so thin, a gust of wind could knock her over – so of course he could not bear it, and would always take things from his home to help support her. At first, he would still inform his mum, and if his mum was unwilling, he would expend all his effort to wear her down to his way of doing things.
After a while, he just bypassed informing her. After all, Shi Cheng’s mother was aware that Shi Cheng was good friends with the Liu family’s third girl. Shi Cheng’s mother was also helpless in this regard, however, since they were all just five, she didn’t think too much about it. She just thought that her son and that girl from the Liu family were very close.
Slowly, under Shi Cheng’s influence, Shi Cheng’s mother started to like her. Liu Xu’er was also not a normal village girl who didn’t know how to speak properly to others. Her mouth was sweet, and she was a chatty little thing. Her little person was also always very clean and neat which Shi Cheng’s mother really liked.
Bringing the yarn basket over, Shi Cheng’s mother smiled and took two strands out for Liu Xu’er. “Xu’er, go ahead and weave the simple tassel that Aunt taught you previously. Let me see if there’s anything you’ve forgotten.”
Liu Xu’er quickly nodded her head and took the yarn in both hands before seriously starting. She was always very serious about learning everything, whether it was making decorative knots, weaving braided cords or doing embroidery work, . She didn’t feel at all that these were things that she shouldn’t have to learn. After all, since she had come to this time, then she needed to get used to this way of living and continue to live the best life she could here.
She bent to do her work seriously and made the simple tassel before passing it to Shi Cheng’s mother. “Aunt, did I do this right?”
Shi Cheng’s mother took a look at it before nodding and saying, “That’s right, Xu’er didn’t forget anything despite it being a while. Good.” Toward this clever little Xu’er, she became even more well disposed. She took out a crochet hook, taught Liu Xu’er how to make a more complex knot, and got her to slowly practice it. Then Shi Cheng’s mother got up and left.
Bending over, little fingers outstretched, Liu Xu’er carefully held the crochet hook, twining some yarn around it, before hooking it from the middle…. While repeatedly practicing the actions, she would occasionally turn to look at the chair she sat on.
The chair she was on had a decorative covering, with a tassel that was combined with a crocheted braided cord. When she could make something like that, she would know that she had achieved a decent standard in her handiwork, and could use it to go and earn some money.
Shi Cheng’s mother re-entered the room, bringing with her a few sweets. She came and put it into Liu Xu’er pocket. When Liu Xu’er quickly offered her thanks, Shi Cheng’s mother smiled and asked. “Xu’er, I heard your sanshenzi’s xiaoshushu had been along some water routes? Did you hear what the adults said? Which routes did he follow? Was the route out at sea, or was it along the rivers?”
Liu Xu’er thought for a while, but she couldn’t recall anyone saying anything. So she shook her head and said, “I don’t know. I didn’t hear sanshenzi say.”
Shi Cheng’s mother then asked. “Then what did your sanshenzi say?”
Liu Xu’er continued to shake her head. “She didn’t say anything. When they came back, it was time to separate the family. Sanshenzi was busy all day packing up, so she didn’t come out. Dashenzi did go over to ask, but she didn’t manage to get any answers.” After thinking for a while, she added, “I just happened to be in the courtyard when I saw dashenzi go in to ask her. After a short while, she came back out and looked unhappy.”
Shi Cheng’s mother nodded, her face thoughtful.
Liu Xu’er continued to practice, but she wondered. Was Shi Cheng’s mother asking all this because she thought that sanshenzi’s xiaoshu went out to sea? All those who did were very rich, but was Shi Cheng’s mother really thinking of developing business along those lines?
Shi Cheng’s mother taught her another two ways of crocheting when Shi Cheng came in, laughing. The instant he came in, he quickly said. “My afternoon homework is done.”
Shi Cheng’s mother couldn’t do anything, so she nodded. “Go and drink some water, and eat a little.”
Who knew what Shi Cheng was thinking? He agreed, and ran out before coming back in a while with two white glutinous rice cakes. Eating one, he passed the other to Liu Xu’er. “For you!” This story is hosted at NovelPing.
Liu Xu’er quickly shook her head. “I don’t want it, you have it.”
“Just eat, eat! There’s no problem, so have it!” Shi Cheng warmly said, before pushing it toward Liu Xu’er’s mouth. Liu Xu’er attempted to duck backwards.
Shi Cheng’s mother was exasperated. Laughing, she gave Shi Cheng a look before saying to Liu Xu’er, “Go ahead and eat it, Xu’er! Remember all the different styles I taught you today – when you go home, practice them frequently. The two of you stay in this room to play. You are not to go out.” Saying this, she stood and left.
Both Shi Cheng and Liu Xu’er simultaneously sighed in relief. Shi Cheng passed his half eaten cake over to her. “Have this as well. This thing is so sweet, it’s not nice at all.”
Originally, Liu Xu’er wanted to glare at him – these things were so expensive, yet he could affecting disinterest! But on second thought, Shi Cheng had never liked eating sweet things, so what he said could just be the plain truth.
She wrapped the uneaten cake in a clean handkerchief and kept it in her pocket, before taking the half eaten piece and taking a bite. Shi Cheng may not want it, but she really craved it.
“Shi Cheng, can you help me get a few things? One is a book on how to rear long-furred rabbits, another is….” She started to issue instructions around her mouthful.
She hadn’t finished speaking when Shi Cheng laughed and took a book out from behind his back. “I guessed you would want that! I spent half a day searching my house, before finding this. This is actually a book on farming, but there’s a section explaining how to rear livestock. You go ahead and have a look…. Oh right, if you bring it back, how are you going to explain it to your family members? That you suddenly can read?”
“Don’t worry, I will just say that you taught me…. Furthermore, I won’t claim to understand everything, only a few words, and that I’m waiting for you to explain more! That should do it shouldn’t it?” The minute Liu Xu’er saw the book, she immediately smiled widely. She quickly stuffed the cake into her mouth, patted her hands before taking the book to flip through.
Shi Cheng pointed her to the relevant few pages before saying, “There are a lot of unfamiliar words in here that I don’t recognise. Just look through and have a rough understanding first. Whatever you don’t understand, I will go and check and teach you after that.” Saying this, he paused for a moment and asked. “What else did you say you wanted?”
Liu Xu’er raised her head. “I also want some apple tree saplings. This climate is suitable for raising apple trees. Can you help me get a few?”
Hearing that, Shi Cheng said. “That’s easy! My family has an apple tree orchard, did you know? On a faraway ravine, atop the slope….” He sighed, “But it is a bit far, so I haven’t been there before. We will need to wait for a chance.”
Liu Xu’er nodded. “I know, there’s no urgency. When you get the chance, then we will discuss it again.” She thought of something else and softly said, “Oh, and don’t keep bringing things to my family. Don’t let your mum become upset.”
Shi Cheng nodded, “ I know, I’ve considered all this. I won’t do things too excessively and cause my mother to get upset…. Actually, my mother is really lonely here; there’s no one to chat with her. If she could become good friends with your mother, that would be good.”
Liu Xu’er laughed in spite of herself. “As if that’s so easy – there’s a huge difference in terms of family standing. There’s no way they can become good friends.”
Shi Cheng sighed, and nodded. After a while he said, “You can now tell your family members that I want to teach you how to read. That way, I can give you more books and no one would become suspicious.”
Liu Xu’er agreed. “Ok.” Thinking about what happened earlier, she asked, “Shi Cheng, what business did your family do previously? Was it …. Tea and porcelain? Did your father go out to sea when he was younger?”
Liu Xu’er shook her head. “It’s nothing, your mother was asking about whether sanshenzi’s xiaoshu went to sea….”
The instant he heard it, Shi Cheng immediately said. “Yeah, I know about that. My mother wants to ask my father to go out to sea. She worried that by leaving the business alone for so long, it would wither, and the family would never be able to reverse our fortunes.”
Liu Xu’er was stunned. “Huh? Out to sea…. I heard the life is very hard.” She thought to herself, Aunt Shi sure was eager to get ahead!
Shi Cheng also nodded. He said softly, “My mother is overambitious. She feels that living in the village like this is unbearable. But I won’t let my father go, it’s too dangerous. Furthermore, we need to take things one step at a time. It’s not realistic to suddenly strike it rich.”
Liu Xu’er also approved. She definitely did not want anything bad to happen to Shi Cheng’s family, so she nodded and said, “That’s right, it’s too dangerous, and he’d be gone for such a long time. You’d best advise her not to push your father to go out to sea. Even if you are here in Taohua Village, you can still think of ways to better your life. Furthermore, there are still options – your family has businesses in town, it’s only that they’ve been inactive for these two years.”
“En, relax, I have this under control. Oh right, Xu’er, was it a difficult separation from the rest of the family? Is there not enough to eat? I see that all of you…. Why don’t I give some more things to you?”
Liu Xu’er frantically shook her head. “Please don’t! I will raise the rabbits well, so that they start producing some fur and start breeding by the time of the New Year. There currently is enough for us, and next year during spring, I will plant some apple trees and raise two pigs, as well as a few more chickens ….”
Shi Cheng laughed despite himself. “To rear pigs and chickens all require money, do you have any?”
Liu Xu’er sighed again when she heard that. “I will take things slowly. We will first monitor the rabbit’s development.”
Shi Cheng paused for a moment before nodding. “Actually your plan is sound. There’s no hurry, things will definitely progress.”
Liu Xu’er agreed. “Help me keep an eye out for those apple tree saplings. Also, help me ask the gardener what to take note of when growing these trees.”
Shi Cheng nodded his head. “Don’t worry.”
From the doorway came the sound of footsteps. Shi Cheng’s mother’s voice was heard. “Liu Shu, why don’t you let Xu’er stay for the meal?”
Liu Xu’er abruptly recalled, “Oh no, is it already the afternoon?”
Liu Shu’s polite voice drifted from outside. “No need, Aunt. Thank you. Xu’er has already bothered you for long enough. We can’t impose any further.”
Liu Xu’er hugged the book to her chest. She had already jumped off the chair to run out. “Dage.”
Shi Cheng didn’t manage to say anything before seeing that she had run out. He had originally wanted to discuss their plans further, but could only leave it for next time. He quickly followed her out.
Liu Shu was standing in the courtyard. Seeing Liu Xu’er, he laughed. “Did you forget the time, Xu’er?”
Liu Xu’er stuck out her tongue, “Yeah, I forgot.” She smiled and turned to give Shi Cheng’s mother a bow. “Bye, Aunt. Bye Shi Cheng.”
“Bye Xu’er, come again tomorrow!”
“I will.”