The Second Young Master’s Obedient Husband : Chapter 48

Snow was falling outside, and Su Qingyu was sitting on the heated bed sewing his wedding clothes. The bright red satin had been sent by the Liang family on the engagement day, very good material, and you could tell it was worth quite a bit of silver just by touching it. Su Qingyu held the needle, every stitch careful, afraid of ruining this good fabric.

Snowflakes drifted outside the window, rustling as they landed on the window paper. A charcoal brazier burned in the room, warm and cozy, making that bright red satin look even more vivid.

Su’s mother sat nearby stitching shoe soles, making shoes for Liang Yu. Thick layered soles, she looked up at her son from time to time as she worked, the corner of her mouth carrying a smile.

The wedding clothes were nearly finished, only the frog buttons at the cuffs remained. Su Qingyu measured them, undid a few stitches and resewed them, always afraid they weren’t good enough.

Su’s mother smiled and said, “That’s enough, it’s good enough. When Liang Er sees it, he surely won’t be able to look away.”

Su Qingyu’s face went red, he lowered his head and kept sewing, the tips of his ears red.

The twelfth month arrived before they knew it.

The village had been lively these days.

Second Master Liang bringing people to deliver betrothal gifts, and he was marrying that pretty little one from the Su family. This had long been spread throughout the village. When the wives saw Su Qingyu, they would all smile and tease him a few words, embarrassing him into lowering his head and walking quickly.

The betrothal gifts were heavy, two ox carts of things, covered with red cloth, carried into the Su family’s small courtyard. Many people in the village gathered around to watch, chattering and discussing. Su Qingyu hid in the kitchen and didn’t dare come out, his face burning hot, only hearing bursts of laughter from outside.

Su’s mother went out to receive the gifts and invited the visitors in for water and tea. Those things were carried into the main room, the red cloth lifted off, packed full. Just the silver alone was forty taels, and the rest of the cloth, jewelry, food… were piled in several mounds as if they cost nothing. There was also a pair of live geese, their feet tied with red silk, honking away.

Su Qingyu peeked through the door curtain, his eyes going round. Though he knew Liang Yu would give a lot, he hadn’t expected this much. In the village all these years, marrying a young male lover basically cost two taels of silver, sometimes a few bags of grain could marry one. Girls’ betrothal gifts were more, but wouldn’t exceed ten taels of silver and so many things. Liang Yu really was… Su Qingyu thought and thought, his heart full of sweetness.

Liang Yu didn’t see Su Qingyu, there were too many people watching the excitement, and Liang Yu couldn’t stay long. He said a few words to Su’s mother and left.

That evening the mother and son sat on the heated bed, counting those things one by one. There were several bolts of cloth, silk, satin, and cotton all included. The jewelry included a pair of gold hairpins, a pair of gold bracelets, and a pair of gold earrings, all with small fish patterns. The food was even more abundant, pastries, dried fruits, cured pork and cured fish, filling the cabinets. Su’s mother picked up the pair of gold bracelets to look at, then took Su Qingyu’s hand and put them on him. Su Qingyu lowered his head, his face red, letting her fuss over him.

“If your father were still here, how happy he would be.”

Su Qingyu’s tears fell, landing on the back of his hand.

Su’s mother hugged him and patted him, smiling. “Don’t cry, it’s a happy day, what are you crying for.”

Su Qingyu nodded, wiped his tears, and smiled sweetly.

The wedding drew near, and the Liang family’s work grew day by day.

Liang Yu didn’t go into the mountains anymore, busying himself at home every day. The house walls needed repairing, the courtyard ground needed leveling, the tables and stools for the banquet needed gathering, and they had to go to town to buy things for the feast. Liang’s father managed the overall accounts, Liang’s mother and sister in law Zhang Yun managed everything inside and out, and even Liang Feng helped move things when he came home from duty. Liang Yu didn’t talk much, did whatever he was told, his hands quick, one person doing the work of two or three.

Only occasionally when he had free time, he would glance toward the Su family direction.

According to custom, the bride and groom were not allowed to meet before the wedding.

Liang’s mother had specifically instructed him, saying it was an old custom for good luck. Liang Yu didn’t say anything, only nodded to show he agreed. But every morning and evening, when he passed the fork in the road leading to the Su family, his steps would always slow a little, his gaze always drifting toward those few mud brick rooms.

…

The second day of the twelfth month, the wedding day drew closer and closer.

Su Qingyu sat on the heated bed, needle and thread in hand, making the last pair of wedding shoes. The shoe uppers were embroidered with mandarin ducks, red background with gold thread, the stitches dense and lifelike. Su’s mother sat nearby picking vegetables, looking up at her son from time to time, the corner of her mouth carrying a smile.

Su Qingyu finished the last stitch, bit off the thread end, and set the wedding shoes aside. He got down from the bed and dragged out a small clay pot from underneath. The pot was heavy, and when he lifted the lid, inside were strings of copper coins and over a dozen pieces of broken silver. He ran to the kitchen and took out the hidden silver, came back into the room and poured it all onto the bed together.

This year it wasn’t only Liang Yu who had been busy; Su Qingyu had also been busy doing embroidery to save up silver. At first Liang Yu had given quite a bit of silver, and Su Qingyu had only bought some necessary things, storing the rest of the money carefully.

Su Qingyu counted the copper coins and silver again and again, and put them in a small cloth bag. Then he took out a wooden box from the cabinet and opened it. Inside was a sheet of paper with accounts written on it.

All the things Liang Yu had sent over this past half year, he had recorded them.

Firewood, charcoal, meat, medicinal herbs, clothes, boots, cloth, bits and pieces, nothing left out. Some things had a price, some things were priceless. For those with a price, he had estimated their value and written it on the paper.

Su’s mother finished picking the vegetables, wiped her hands clean, sat by the bed and reached out to touch Su Qingyu’s head. Su Qingyu handed her that paper to look at, densely packed with all the items Liang Yu had sent over nearly this past year. Su’s mother took it and looked for quite a while, then sighed.

“You really intend to pay it back?”

Su Qingyu nodded and said, “Mother, with Brother Liang… at the beginning, it wasn’t a clean start.”

Su’s mother looked at him without speaking.

Su Qingyu lowered his head and explained clearly everything between him and Liang Yu. “At that time the family was in difficulty, he helped, and I was grateful in my heart. But later… later when he sent those things, I never refused. In my heart, I was actually willing.”

Speaking here, Su Qingyu paused, holding back tears. “But when I marry him, I want it to be with a clean conscience. Not because I owe him, just… just wanting to live my life with him.”

As soon as the words fell, tears still came down.

Su’s mother looked at him for quite a while, then suddenly smiled, reached out and touched her son’s head. “You child, high spirited, that’s good too. Though our family is poor, our ambition cannot be poor. When your mother married your father in her youth, I came with empty hands, bringing nothing. Life is lived by two people, not piled up with silver.”

Su Qingyu leaned into his mother’s arms with red eyes. Su’s mother hugged him and patted him. “You want to do this marriage with a clean conscience, Mother understands. We don’t owe him either, leaving no loose ends, so that going forward you can hold your head high when living your days. This is your backbone, Mother won’t stop you.”

Su Qingyu buried his face in Su’s mother’s embrace, holding her and not moving.