The next morning, Su Nuanru woke on her own without Huo Hanye calling her. She had heard the sound of someone sawing wood in the courtyard outside. Although Huo Yangshu had been doing his best to keep the noise down, it had still reached her ears.
After waking, Su Nuanru stared at the scene before her, completely dazed. She had actually been lying on top of Huo Hanye, with one arm draped across his chest.
During the day, she kept her distance from Huo Hanye. Who would have thought that after falling asleep, she would cling to him so readily? Would Huo Hanye misunderstand her?
She was terribly embarrassed, and her face flushed bright red. She hurriedly pulled back her arm and moved her leg away. Just as she was about to turn over and lie on the inside, she discovered that Huo Hanye's arm was still wrapped around her waist.
What was she supposed to do? If she moved Huo Hanye's arm away, he would definitely wake up. But if she left it there, then once Huo Hanye woke up and saw the scene before him, he would surely misunderstand her too.
Just then, she felt the arm around her waist move. She quickly closed her eyes, lay back down on Huo Hanye, and pretended that she was still asleep.
Huo Hanye opened his eyes and lowered his gaze to the person lying on top of him. Seeing Su Nuanru's flushed cheeks, his eyes darkened. He stared at her for a moment before gently pulling his arm away.
He got out of bed and dressed, then said, “Wife, it's time to get up.”
Su Nuanru could not keep pretending any longer. With her eyes still closed, she answered, “Mm.”
When Huo Hanye returned after washing up, he saw that Su Nuanru had pulled the quilt over her head. Thoughtfully, he said, “I'm going to work in the fields.”
“All right,” Su Nuanru replied.
Only after she heard the door close did Su Nuanru finally lift the quilt. That had been far too embarrassing. Tonight, she would keep a little farther away from Huo Hanye.
When Su Nuanru got up, she saw that Old Mrs. He was not in the kitchen and felt relieved that she had risen early. Then Huo Yangshu told her that Old Mrs. He and Huo Hehua had gone to work at the shop. She quickly tidied herself up and went to the shop by the wharf.
“Mother, why did you come to work so early?”
“I've gotten older and don't sleep much. I had nothing else to do, so I came over to clean.”
“The work here isn't urgent. We can finish it in just a couple of days.”
“Once it’s finished, I won’t have it weighing on my mind.”
Su Nuanru was about to persuade her further when Huo Hehua said from the side, “Sister-in-law, you don't have to persuade her anymore. Mother is just like this. She can't stand having things on her mind.”
Hearing her daughter say this, Old Mrs. He smiled but said nothing.
Su Nuanru stopped talking and lowered her head to work. She had originally planned to make breakfast herself, but she was afraid Old Mrs. He would be too tired, so she sent her home to cook. She and Huo Hehua stayed behind to work, returning home to eat once it was about time.
Over the next few days, Huo Yangshu worked with others to make tables, chairs, and benches, while Su Nuanru and the others cleaned the shop. Once the shop had been tidied up, Su Nuanru and Huo Hanye went to town together to purchase the things they would need to open it. Although they were exhausted every day, their lives felt full and meaningful.
A few days earlier, Su Nuanru had already tried making buns filled with cabbage, eggplant, and radish. Today, she made buns with green-bean filling. She was generous with the oil and used a complete assortment of seasonings. The wrappers were thin and the filling plentiful, and everyone in the Huo family loved them.
Huo Hanye in particular could eat four or five at a time.
Besides testing the fillings and flavors, Su Nuanru was also calculating the cost of making the buns.
She made twenty buns in all that day. Seeing that she had made so many, Old Mrs. He said to Huo Hehua, “Hehua, take a few buns to the auntie across the street.”
Huo Hehua had always hated the Qian family. When she heard Old Mrs. He say this, an unwilling expression appeared on her face.
“You girl, what are you standing there spacing out for? Hurry up and go.”
In her previous life, whenever the Huo family had anything delicious, they would send some over to the Qian family. Every time, Old Mrs. Zhen would look down her nose at it, yet as soon as the Huo family left, she would eat more than anyone else. Although Old Mrs. Zhen occasionally sent food to the Huo family, it was always something she herself did not like, and she acted as though she were bestowing charity on them. Since the Qian family did not appreciate it, there was no need to send them food anymore.
When Huo Hehua looked over at her, Su Nuanru calmly lied, “Everyone in the Qian family has gone out. No one is home.”
Old Mrs. He looked puzzled. “But I just saw that their door was open.”
Although her lie had been exposed, Su Nuanru did not panic in the least. She continued lying, “Perhaps Scholar Qian is the only one at home. I saw the auntie across the street and her daughter-in-law both go out. Scholar Qian is probably studying at home right now. If Hehua goes over, she might disturb him.”
Hearing Su Nuanru say this, Old Mrs. He immediately abandoned the idea of sending over the buns. Studying was an important matter. They certainly could not disturb Scholar Qian.
“Oh, is that so? Then don't send them for now.”
While Old Mrs. He was not paying attention, Su Nuanru raised her brows at Huo Hehua. Huo Hehua gave her a thumbs-up.
The next moment, Su Nuanru saw Huo Hanye's face appear behind Huo Hehua. His expression was impassive as he gave Su Nuanru a cool glance. She suddenly found his look familiar. It was very similar to the way he had looked at her that day when she had argued with Old Mrs. Zhen.
Today's situation was different from that day, and Su Nuanru could not understand why Huo Hanye was looking at her with the same expression.
Noticing the change in Su Nuanru's gaze, Huo Hehua turned to look behind her. When she saw that her brother had returned, she happily recommended the buns Su Nuanru had made. “Brother, come try one quickly. Sister-in-law made green-bean buns today. They're delicious.”
“Mm.” Huo Hanye withdrew his gaze and turned away. He set down the farm tools in his hands and went into the courtyard to help Huo Yangshu make tables.
As dusk approached, the Huo family sat down to eat.
Huo Hanye kept his head down and ate without saying a word. Although he did not say that the buns were delicious, he ate five of them in succession.
Su Nuanru could tell that Huo Hanye liked the cabbage and green-bean fillings. He had eaten four of the eggplant and radish buns, but five of the cabbage and green-bean ones.
She grew increasingly confident about opening the shop.
Su Nuanru was full after eating only one bun. She glanced at the bamboo basket and saw that there were actually still ten buns left. In the previous few days, everyone in the Huo family had been able to eat two each. Today, Huo Hehua had eaten two, but Huo Yangshu and Old Mrs. He had eaten only one each.
“Father, Mother, did I not make the buns well today?” She thought they tasted quite good, and Huo Hanye clearly liked them. What exactly was the problem?
Old Mrs. He hurriedly said, “They're quite delicious. I'm just not hungry today.”
Huo Yangshu also said, “That's right. I'm not very hungry.”
Su Nuanru frowned. Huo Yangshu had been working hard making tables, chairs, and benches these past few days. Old Mrs. He had also accompanied her into town today to buy things, running around all over the place. How could they possibly not be hungry?
Could the buns really not taste good?
At that moment, Huo Hanye spoke up. “Father, Mother, there has already been some news circulating in the county. The prefect submitted a memorial to the Emperor last month, and the Emperor has agreed to open the South Wharf. The court's official document should arrive within the next few days, and our shop will be able to open as well.”
Huo Yangshu and Old Mrs. He both looked at their son in delighted surprise.
Although their son and daughter-in-law had said that the wharf might be opened, it had remained closed for quite some time. In preparation for opening the shop, the family had paid rent, had furniture made, and bought vegetables. Money had been flowing out constantly, with nothing coming in at all, and the two of them had felt deeply uncertain. They had not dared mention it to their son and daughter-in-law, so they could only reduce the household's expenses in their own way.
Su Nuanru looked at Huo Hanye with admiration. Huo Hanye truly was no ordinary man. Although he had grown up in a farming family, he was not the sort of person who buried himself in the fields and thought of nothing else. He was extremely perceptive when it came to important matters, and his judgment was precise.
When Huo Hanye looked over at her, Su Nuanru shifted her gaze away and looked toward Huo Yangshu and Old Mrs. He. From what Huo Hanye had just said, she now understood why the two of them had not been eating the buns. They simply could not bear to eat them.
“Father, Mother, eat as much as you like. Our family will soon be making money.”
Huo Yangshu still refused. “I'm really full. I've already had two bowls of porridge.”
Su Nuanru deliberately said, “Father, the tables and benches for our family haven't all been finished yet, and there is still plenty of work in the fields. If you don't eat your fill, where will you get the strength to work?”
Then she looked toward Old Mrs. He. “Mother, Husband said that the wharf will be opened in a few days. We still have another shop that hasn't been cleaned. You can't afford not to eat your fill.”
She was not saying this because she wanted Huo Yangshu and Old Mrs. He to work for her. She simply wanted the two of them to eat without holding back.
After hearing this, Huo Yangshu and Old Mrs. He exchanged a glance and picked up more buns.
As they ate, Old Mrs. He happened to mention something. “By the way, I heard that Chunniang across the street has been borrowing money from everyone. She says she also wants to open a shop at the wharf.”
Su Nuanru froze.
Hao Chunniang wanted to open a shop? Why had she never heard about this in her previous life? Given the Huo family's mild and accommodating nature, if Hao Chunniang had wanted to open a shop in her previous life, she certainly would have been able to do so. Why had she not opened one then, yet wanted to open one in this life? Could it be that she had wanted to open one in her previous life too, but had not had enough money?
Su Nuanru suddenly remembered the greatest difference between this life and her previous one. She had married Huo Hanye, while Hao Chunniang had married Scholar Qian. She had never been able to understand why this life was so different from her previous one, but at that moment, an answer faintly emerged in her mind.
Could it be that Hao Chunniang had also been reborn?