Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

Chapter 691: Habit

Gu Jinli said, "Your brother probably thinks the county is better and wants to spend Dongzhi there."

Hearing this sarcastic remark, Luo Huiniang knew that Gu Jinli was angry, and quickly said, "Xiao Yu, don’t be mad, my brother must have been delayed by official business."

Feeling that these dry words she had repeated for three months lacked sincerity, she added, "Don’t worry, my eldest brother will definitely come back tonight."

Gu Jinli said, "Let’s talk about it tonight. Anyway, my family has done all it could out of kindness and duty."

Luo Huiniang almost cried. She had always thought that Sister Xiu would become her sister-in-law, and her family had even built a courtyard with a spacious embroidery room specifically for Sister Xiu when they were constructing their home.

But how did things turn out this way? Why has it become like this?

Not wanting to make Luo Huiniang feel awkward, Gu Jinli looked around and, not seeing Father Luo and Ms. Chu, asked, "Where are your parents?"

Luo Huiniang said, "Sister Xiu made a cotton-padded jacket for my mother, and your mother took her to try it on. My father is preparing the mutton in the kitchen; we have two sheep this year, and my father bought another one."

Perhaps out of guilt, the Luo Family brought a lot of food items for the meal this time, including a live sheep, which Father Luo was in the process of slaughtering.

Gu Jinli looked back and saw Qin San Lang coming, so she said to him, "Brother Qin, you’re good at cooking mutton, go help Uncle Luo in the kitchen."

"Okay." Qin San Lang nodded, headed to the kitchen through the right corridor, saw Father Luo washing the butchered mutton, and said, "Let me do it."

He added, "Brother Dashan is back, but Brother Luo Wu hasn’t returned."

Hearing this, Father Luo paused in his work and sighed, "Dalin, you and San Lang start working on it, I’ll be right there."

"Ah, Brother Tie Zhu, you go on with your work." Gu Dalin had come back from the county yesterday, and before returning, he went to the county government to ask Brother Wu when he would be back home. Brother Wu had said he was certain to return today, so why hasn’t he come back yet?

Everyone in Brother Dashan’s and Brother Tie Zhu’s families knew that their two families were expected to intermarry. How could it be that both children had grown so big and their marriage was still not settled?

Father Luo had already washed his hands and after putting his cotton-padded jacket back on, went to the livestock shed of the Gu Family.

Gu Dashan was unloading the mule cart, and Father Luo came over to help. They separated the mule cart and the mules, with one putting away the cart and the other tying up the mules.

"Dashan, don’t take it to heart, it’s our family’s fault. If that boy doesn’t come back today, I will go to the county and drag him back myself. If you want to scold or beat him, you have my family’s permission." Father Luo was also extremely troubled; he had asked Luo Wu why they hadn’t approached the Gu Family for the marriage proposal yet, and the boy simply said that the house in the county was not ready and asked to wait longer.

What to wait for? It was not easy for Ms. Chu to give her consent, and if they waited any longer, the two families would become enemies.

But the boy was stubborn, just like when he insisted on marrying Sister Xiu. This time, he was determined not to let his family approach the Gu Family for the marriage proposal.

Gu Dashan didn’t want Father Luo to feel uncomfortable and said with a bitter smile, "Brother Luo Er, don’t talk like that. Brother Wu is someone I watched grow up, he’s a good young man. He must have been held up by some urgent duties in the county and delayed his return home. Let’s just celebrate Dongzhi first, he might be back any moment now."

Gu Dashan was able to marry Mrs. Cui and have her registered in the household records entirely thanks to the help of the Luo Family. When they were fleeing famine, they encountered many Evil Men on the road, and it was the Luo Family who helped to drive them away. Every time the group of fleeing refugees rested, Hui Niang would run over to stay with Sister Xiu and Brother Cheng.

Gu Dashan always remembered the Luo Family’s kindness and did not want to harbor any resentment over the children’s marriage affairs.

Father Luo felt even more guilty and could only work harder to compensate.

...

Gu Jinli took Luo Huiniang back to their courtyard to change clothes. After changing, they went to the main room next door.

The sisters lived in the left and right wing rooms of this courtyard, with the main room being shared space. Gu Jinxiu would do her embroidery here, and Gu Jinli would do accounting and take naps.

"Big sister, I’m hungry, is there anything to eat?" Gu Jinli asked Gu Jinxiu as soon as she entered the room.

Gu Jinxiu came back to reality and said, "We have tofu pudding, roasted tofu, and roasted chestnuts that Hui Niang and Xiao Hua made at noon. They left a lot for you; go ahead and eat."

As she spoke, her gaze turned toward the courtyard gate, her ears tuned to the sounds coming from outside.

Gu Jinli saw that and felt very heartbroken. After thinking, she simply said: "Big Sister, Brother Luo Wu hasn’t returned."

Hearing this, Gu Jinxiu’s eyes uncontrollably reddened, but she quickly smiled: "Maybe he got held up with official duties."

Gu Jinli snorted coldly: "Perhaps."

Luo Huiniang hurriedly said: "Sister Xiu is right, my brother has always said he would definitely return on Dongzhi and even bring us some new silk flowers."

Gu Jinli: "The silk flowers my big sister makes are much prettier than those sold in the county, no need for your brother to buy."

Luo Huiniang glared at Gu Jinli: "Xiao Yu, don’t speak."

Gu Jinli hummed, leaning against a couch in the main house, eating roasted chestnuts... Brother Qin is not here, she had to peel the chestnuts herself, truly annoying.

"Xiao Ji, Xiao Ji, have you come back? Come help me peel these chestnuts."

Brother Cheng had just walked into the courtyard when he heard this and said to Gu Jinli: "Second Sister, you’re seriously lazy, even needing someone to peel chestnuts for you."

Tian Xiaohua, followed by Gui Niu and Jin Niu, came in and immediately said: "Sister Xiao Yu, let me do it for you."

Tian Xiaohua greatly admired Gu Jinli, and as long as Gu Jinli spoke up, she was willing to do anything for her. Bringing Gui Niu and Jin Niu into the main house, they began to peel chestnuts.

"Gui Niu, help Sister Xiao Yu peel chestnuts as well." Gui Niu was already six years old, lovely and pure as jade snow; Third Grandma said she looked like Ms. Xie, both good-looking.

Gu Jinli tugged at the two little tufts of hair on her head: "Gui Niu is such a good girl."

Jin Niu protected Gui Niu’s hair: "Sister Xiao Yu, don’t pull Gui Niu’s hair, it’s hard to tie it up nicely."

Jin Niu, the daughter of Ms. Yan and Gu Damu, was Gui Niu’s older cousin and had been looking after Gui Niu since childhood. Now the two sisters shared a room, and every morning, she had to comb Gui Niu’s hair. Because her hair was difficult to manage, Jin Niu protected it as if it were silver.

Gu Jinli withdrew her itchy hand and picked up a spoon to eat tofu pudding, glancing at Gu Jinxiu beside her. Although she kept her head down, Gu Jinli could still see the redness around her eyes.

Gu Jinli said to Xiao Hua: "Xiao Hua, Brother San Lang is roasting lamb, you take Gui Niu and the others to snag some meat."

"Okay." Tian Xiaohua always listened to Gu Jinli and immediately ran off with Jin Niu and Gui Niu.

Gu Jinli’s gaze shifted: "Gu Jincheng, this is a lady’s room, don’t keep hanging around here. Hurry off, Brother Dashan is preparing gifts for Master Ouyang and Young Master Zheng. Go help."

Brother Cheng glanced at his second sister and saw she had a look that said "you’d better leave or there’ll be trouble," and he quickly slipped away.

Sister Li was clever; seeing this, she also pulled Luo Huiniang out of the main house and thoughtfully closed the door behind them.

Gu Jinxiu’s hand clutching the embroidery needle trembled, not daring to look at Gu Jinli.

Gu Jinli walked over and crouched beside her, saying: "Big Sister, if your marriage to Brother Luo Wu doesn’t work out, don’t be too upset."

Gu Jinxiu held back her tears and asked, "Is it really not going to work out?"

And she said: "I’m not delicate; I can do work. I used to work in the fields back in our old home, and although I haven’t done so in recent years, I still remember how to do farm work."

Gu Jinli frowned: "Big Sister, our family is different from before; no matter who you marry in the future, you won’t need to farm... It’s not about whether or not you can farm or whether you are delicate, it’s about Luo Wu not wanting to marry you, do you understand?"

Gu Jinxiu didn’t want to believe that Luo Wu wouldn’t want to marry her. She shook her head and said: "Brother Luo Wu has always been kind to me; he has protected me since I was young. To prevent me from getting beaten, he got beaten up all over by our Grandma; on the road fleeing famine, when Evil Men wanted to harm the women of our family, it was he and Uncle Luo who drove them away time and again; whenever he receives his salary, he buys me things..."

Hearing Gu Jinxiu count the ways Luo Wu was good, Gu Jinli could only helplessly smile: "I just want Big Sister to be mentally prepared. As for whether it’ll work out, it’s too early to say now; it’s not dark yet, maybe Luo Wu will come back."

After hearing this, Gu Jinxiu forced a smile and continued with her embroidery, head down.

A moment later, she suddenly said: "I’m used to Brother Luo Wu, used to the Luo Family. If I were to marry into another family, I’d feel insecure." And afraid.

Only Brother Luo Wu made her feel most secure.