The Second Young Master’s Obedient Husband : Chapter 30

Once the fifteenth of the first month passed, the New Year was officially over.

The snow in the village hadn’t melted yet, but the days grew longer bit by bit, and the sun shining on one’s body carried a bit of warmth. Liang Yu had been cooped up at home for half a month, his bones almost rusting. Taking advantage of the good weather, he went into the mountains.

He didn’t go far, just wandered around the nearby woods and set a few traps.

On the way home he took a detour, cutting through that slope land at the end of the village.

Below the slope land were those few adobe houses, with thin smoke rising from the chimney.

Liang Yu stood for a while, then walked down.

The gate of the fenced yard was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and went in. The kitchen door was open, but no one was inside. Voices came from the room, Mother Su’s voice, and Su Qingyu’s soft responses.

Liang Yu stood in the courtyard and coughed.

The door curtain in the room lifted, and Su Qingyu’s face appeared. Seeing it was him, he froze for a moment, and the roots of his ears slowly went red. He turned back and said something, then lifted the door curtain and came out.

Su Qingyu walked up to him, lowered his eyes, and greeted him. “Second Brother Liang.”

Liang Yu looked at him, and pulled a money pouch from inside his clothes to hand to him.

Su Qingyu took the full money pouch, the copper coins making crisp sounds, and he could feel several silver corner pieces inside.

The door curtain in the room lifted again, and Mother Su came out.

Liang Yu called her aunt.

Mother Su nodded, her gaze turning around him, then falling on her son. Su Qingyu lowered his eyes, holding the money pouch without speaking.

Mother Su sighed. “Come in and sit, it’s cold outside.”

Liang Yu followed her into the main room. The room wasn’t large, but it was kept clean and tidy. On the wall hung Father Su’s spirit tablet, and in front of the tablet were several small plates holding pastries and fruits.

Su Qingyu went to the kitchen to boil water and make tea. The main room was left with only Liang Yu and Mother Su.

Mother Su sat on the stool by the window, looked at him for a while, then opened her mouth. “Second Master Liang has put in quite a lot of effort these past days.”

Liang Yu looked at her, and didn’t speak.

Mother Su’s gaze fell on the spirit tablet on the wall. “The mourning period is three years. But with our family’s situation, we can’t afford to be that particular.”

Liang Yu’s brow moved slightly.

Mother Su withdrew her gaze, and looked at him. “Second Master Liang is a sensible person. Some things need not be said by me. If after a year Second Master hasn’t changed his mind, then afterwards…”

Before she finished speaking, Su Qingyu came in carrying the tea.

The tea bowl was placed at Liang Yu’s side, steaming hot. Su Qingyu stood at the side with lowered eyes, his fingers gripping the corner of his clothes.

Mother Su stood up, looked at her son, then looked at Liang Yu, and slowly walked back to the inner room.

Only two people remained in the main room.

Liang Yu picked up the tea bowl, took a sip, a bit astringent. Su Qingyu stood at the side, head lowered, not speaking.

Liang Yu put down the tea bowl, and reached out to hold his hand.

That hand was soft, trembling slightly in his palm. He pulled him over, and had him sit at the side. Su Qingyu sat, still with his head lowered, his eyelashes trembling lightly.

Liang Yu looked at him, and after a while opened his mouth. “You heard what your mother just said?”

Su Qingyu nodded.

Liang Yu’s thumb rubbed against the back of his hand, stroke by stroke, unhurried, rubbing until Su Qingyu’s ears went completely red.

“Your father has been gone for over three months.” Liang Yu’s voice was low. “By law, one must observe three years. The village isn’t that strict, one year is enough.”

Su Qingyu raised his head to look at him, the rims of his eyes red.

Liang Yu looked at him, and pinched Su Qingyu’s soft fingertip.

Su Qingyu’s eyelashes trembled, and tears rolled down, falling on Liang Yu’s fingers.

“I’ll wait for you.” Liang Yu said.

Su Qingyu’s tears flowed even more fiercely, biting his lip, not letting himself cry out loud.

Liang Yu pulled him into his arms.

Su Qingyu buried his face in the hollow of his neck, tears soaking the collar, but Su Qingyu’s heart felt much lighter.

Outside the window, the snow was melting, drip drip, the sound of spring snow thawing.

Su Qingyu finished crying, raised his head from his arms, his eyes swollen and red, looking both pitiful and cute. Liang Yu lowered his head to look at him, his thumb wiping away the tears hanging on his face, and kissed his eyes.

“After the New Year, once the first month is over, the days will pass quickly.” Liang Yu said.

Su Qingyu froze for a moment, and looked at him.

Liang Yu leaned down and affectionately rubbed against Su Qingyu’s face. “Wait a bit longer.”

Su Qingyu’s tears welled up again, buried back into the hollow of his neck, and gave a muffled “mm.”

…

Liang Yu didn’t come these past few days. He heard from Shuanzi that Liang Yu was preparing to enter the mountains, this year’s first trip, and would stay in the mountains for some days.

Su Qingyu lowered his head sewing his work, a new undergarment, fine cotton cloth, the stitches dense and fine, Su Qingyu was being especially careful. When it was finished, he didn’t know if he dared to send it over.

When Shuanzi came to deliver things, he said that Second Brother Liang left before dawn, carrying bow and arrows and dry rations, going deep into the mountains. At the very least, it would be ten days to half a month before he returned.

Su Qingyu listened, didn’t say anything, only had Shuanzi pass on a message, telling Second Brother Liang to be careful.

After Shuanzi left, Su Qingyu stood in the courtyard, looking toward the mountains for a good while. Over there the mountains rose and fell, covered in white snow, with no human figure visible.

A few days passed, the snow melted some, and the earth showed black brown soil. The villagers began to move about, discussing matters after spring arrived.

That day Su Qingyu went to Aunt Wang’s house to visit, talking about the family’s land. The land originally bought with silver had long been sold after his father’s death to exchange for money. What remained was the dozen or so mu of wasteland distributed per person when the war ended and refugees were resettled. This land couldn’t be sold. When his father was alive, he had barely cleared a few mu, planting grain, barely enough for their daily needs. But several mu were still wasteland. Now that his father was gone, his own strength was small and he couldn’t work the land, so that land couldn’t just sit there.

Aunt Wang heard this, slapped her thigh and said. “Rent it out! What a waste to leave it barren, rent it to tenant farmers, collect some rent, enough for you mother and son to get by.”

Su Qingyu pressed his lips together. “I thought about renting too, but I don’t know who to rent to, afraid of meeting dishonest people.”

Aunt Wang nodded. “That is true. You are a widow and orphan, if you meet a slippery tenant farmer, you can’t collect the rent, and the land gets ruined by them, there’s nowhere to seek justice.”

She paused, then said again. “Why don’t you ask the Liang family’s second son? His family has much land, he must have connections.”

Su Qingyu lowered his eyes, pressed his lips together, and didn’t speak.

Going back that evening, he discussed it with Mother Su. Mother Su was silent for a while, sighed, and nodded.