The Second Young Master’s Obedient Husband : Chapter 50

That night, Liang Yu lay in his own room, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his mind full of that little one.

Small in stature, yet stubborn in temper, but he wasn’t ungrateful.

He accepted things readily, smiled sweetly too, but he kept track in his heart, remembering everything. Who was good to him, he kept in his heart, and found opportunities to pay it back.

Liang Yu opened his eyes, turned his head to look at the small cloth bag on the table, and sighed lightly.

He had never thought to have him pay it back.

That bit of silver was nothing in his hands, just a few hides sold and he had it. But in the Su family, that was a household’s living expenses, life saving money for medicine.

Yet that little one, having saved enough silver, couldn’t wait a single moment, had to brave the cold wind to come over. His face frozen pale, eyes rimmed with red, eagerly holding a bundle of silver saying he wanted to pay it back, looking both pitiful and amusing, yet so well behaved it made one’s heart go soft. When paying it back he was afraid Liang Yu wouldn’t accept, so he specifically chose to come before the wedding, saying things that gave him no way to refuse.

Liang Yu turned over, pillowed his arm and looked at the roof beam overhead, thinking of Su Qingyu’s appearance, the corner of his lips couldn’t help curving up.

He remembered the first time he saw Su Qingyu, that ruffian gripping his wrist, him unable to break free, clearly terrified, crying hard, like a little rabbit being bullied, pitiful and pretty. Yet he kept struggling, biting and kicking, looking fierce.

But once given a little kindness he became so well behaved, willing to do anything, like a soft bun, very easy to bully.

Liang Yu had originally just been passing by, thinking to drive that ruffian away and that would be that. But seeing him looking pitifully at himself, somehow, he couldn’t move his feet.

Later he helped him carry the firewood back, chopped more firewood, filled the water vat, and even brewed medicine. Those chores, he normally couldn’t even be bothered to think about, with Shuanzi around he didn’t need to worry about these things himself, but that day he did them willingly.

Youthful and arrogant, thinking himself cold hearted and cold feeling, little knowing that ordinary mortals in the dust most hate love yet also love deepest.

Later, that bun came knocking on the door, entered the room and teardrops fell one by one, grew anxious after being left to dry a while, and peeled off his own skin to reveal the filling inside. Liang Yu tasted it carefully, and indeed it was truly a sweet bun, sweet and steaming hot, carrying fragrance, stirring up cravings, making his heart itch terribly. Such a sweet bun tilting his little face up, watery eyes full of expectation looking at you, who could refuse? Anyway, Liang Yu couldn’t refuse.

Liang Yu thought and thought and smiled, his throat moving unconsciously.

Such a little one, looking soft, yet his bones were hard.

Back then he had given how much silver, Liang Yu couldn’t remember clearly. Dozens of taels at least, enough for that mother and son to live on for several years.

He had thought that silver could make life a bit easier.

Who knew that little one, having silver yet unwilling to spend it, not a single coin willing to use on himself.

Having silver, yet his clothes were still old, the collar and cuffs worn fuzzy, washed white, patched again and again, full of patches yet unwilling to throw away. With food too, he saved severely. Liang Yu had seen with his own eyes, that mother and son’s meal was a bowl of porridge with a plate of pickled vegetables, the porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it. Su’s mother loved her son, scooping the thick parts for him, and he secretly scooped them back.

The new cloth shoes Su Qingyu made for him used all good cloth, soft and sturdy to wear. The shoes he made for himself used old cloth, the soles worn thin yet unwilling to replace. That silver bought Su’s mother a new quilt, and the medicine for the root cure was very expensive, yet Su Qingyu didn’t save at all, buying all good medicinal herbs. He himself still covered himself with that old cotton quilt, the cotton all matted, feeling hard and stiff, barely able to block the wind.

At that time he didn’t say anything, went back and dug out two pieces of fine cotton cloth, went to town and bought several pounds of new cotton, and had Liang’s mother help make a quilt. When he sent it over, Su Qingyu refused for a long time, saying he didn’t lack anything, saying the old one could still be used. Liang Yu put the quilt on the bed, turned and left.

Liang Yu later didn’t give much silver money, giving things directly instead. Firewood, charcoal, meat, medicinal herbs, cloth, clothes, boots, what could be made well he made well and sent, what could be prepared well he prepared well and sent. To spare that little one from getting silver and being unwilling to spend it, saving here and saving there, making himself sallow and thin, dressed in rags, looking distressing.

Slowly raising him, his little face grew round, white with a flush of red, his waist still so thin, the places that should be soft were very soft, holding him no longer so bony, his nature grew much more cheerful too, even daring to tease back.

Liang Yu closed his eyes, the little one’s image before him, the corner of his mouth curved, impossible to press down.

Crying, laughing, head lowered, face red, lip biting, softly leaning in his arms, shy yet bold.

So many years, seeing life and death on the battlefield, tasting the warmth and coldness of human relations, returning to the village and growing accustomed to those faces that fawned on the powerful. He had thought he had long gone cold, didn’t care about anything, living alone for a lifetime seemed fine too.

But that little one, somehow had wormed his way in, wormed his way into the heart’s hollow, made a home inside, and refused to leave.

He lay for quite a while before Liang Yu finally got a bit drowsy. He turned over and wrapped the quilt tight. The quilt was warm, but missing a person, it was just different.

Normally in that mountain wooden house, his arms always held a soft body, pressed close and unwilling to let go. Sometimes waking at night, lowering his head he could see a little face sleeping with red cheeks. Now his arms were empty, and for days he couldn’t get used to it.

Once they were married, that little one could lie in his bed every day, curling up into a tiny soft ball, from time to time even stealing kisses. When successful he would press his lips in a soft smile, making one’s heart go soft, and he couldn’t help smiling along with him.

Liang Yu closed his eyes, sighed contentedly.

Soon.

…

Liang Yu didn’t know when he fell asleep. When he woke, the sky was already bright. He sat up, dressed, washed up, and went to the front room for breakfast. His older brother had already eaten and gone to duty, his sister in law couldn’t stay idle, cutting chicken feed and feeding the chickens, the little nephew probably hadn’t woken yet, the courtyard quiet and peaceful.

Entering the kitchen, Liang’s mother was already busy. Seeing him come out, she served a bowl of hot porridge and handed it over.

“Today you should go to town to pick up the things. Ordered fifty boxes of wedding cakes, go early, don’t make them wait.”

Liang Yu made a soft sound, took the porridge and finished it in a few mouthfuls.

After breakfast, Liang Yu took his silver and went out. In his heart he thought, after getting the wedding cakes he should buy that little one some pastries and candied fruit to sweeten his mouth.