novelraw Chapter 376: A Father’s Smile
Chapter 376: A Father’s Smile
"You want to join the military now? Do you think you have what it takes to enlist? Besides a body full of muscles, what else do you have that’s worth joining the army for? Is it your half-baked skills, or your not-so-smart brain?"
Jingzhe truly is Mr. Su’s prized student; his words are even sharper than Mr. Su’s.
He held a clean, thick coat in his hands and personally helped Mr. Su put it on over his long robe.
Nie Xiaofeng listened to this, and instead of getting angry, he laughed, saying, "Uncle, I know you mean well and are just trying to motivate me."
Jingzhe: "..."
Nie Xiaofeng had never shown a good face to Jingzhe before; whenever they met, they always ended up mocking each other.
After over half a month of being together, Nie Xiaofeng really started seeing Tong Huaqiong and the whole bunch of bad bamboo as family.
Since they were family, they wouldn’t deceive him.
Jingzhe thought, this nephew, besides his strength, has some good qualities; for instance, he has quite thick skin.
And actually, a thicker skin with a bit less sensitivity suits the military well.
In the army, people speak bluntly; who cares about your fragile heart?
"I see that you don’t just want to be a cook following the army, nor merely a regular soldier. If you want to be a general or a commander in the army, you have to fight your way up step by step with real skills. Not only do you need good martial arts skills, but quick thinking, the ability to strategize in battle, to command respect from soldiers, to assess the enemy situation, and whether you face a crushing defeat or a big victory, never be arrogant or impatient." Jingzhe sincerely explained to Nie Xiaofeng.
Nie Xiaofeng listened and then said, "I thought you were just a bookworm; you actually know so much. Maybe I should just commence uncle as my teacher in the future."
Jingzhe replied, "Where do I know about military strategies? Just stick to learning from Lai Fu."
Jingzhe spoke as he carried firewood into the kitchen.
Tong Pandi, after feeding Hua Er, came into the kitchen to cook.
"Cousin, let me cook; you go take care of Hua Er," Jingzhe said.
"Duo Er is watching over, she won’t wake up anytime soon."
Tong Pandi looked at this younger cousin, feeling extremely complex inside.
The Jingzhe from the previous lifetime wouldn’t even light a fire for her, let alone glance at this cousin.
This lifetime’s cousin is just as talented in reading as the previous. If nothing unexpected happens, he will pass the Scholar exam this spring.
Come autumn, he’ll marry the beautiful Miss Lu, pass the provincial exam next year, and head to the capital the year after to become a renowned young scholar.
Then he’d divorce his wife to marry a Commandery Princess, living in success for over a decade, only to eventually bring down the Gu Family and Tong Family with him.
Compared to the past life, this cousin seems like a completely different person, modest and practical.
Moreover, she hasn’t heard about him getting engaged to Lu Zhaozhao.
This type of cousin, she hoped wouldn’t have the same ending as in the past life.
"Cousin... Cousin..."
Tong Pandi snapped back to reality at Jingzhe’s call.
"What’s up, Jingzhe?" Tong Pandi asked.
"The pot’s burnt," Jingzhe said.
She had been lost in thought and forgot to stir with the spatula.
Tong Pandi, feeling embarrassed, waved the spatula to stir the pot’s contents, casually chatting with Jingzhe.
"Jingzhe, you’ll be fifteen after the new year, has Aunt arranged a marriage for you?"
Each time he returned to the village, asking him if he was engaged or liked any girls was the usual question topic from the village women.
Now, the cousin was no exception.
Jingzhe replied calmly, "No."
Tong Pandi responded with an ’oh,’ feeling inexplicably conflicted. She both wanted to meet Lu Zhaozhao from the past life and yet didn’t want her to marry Jingzhe.
In the past life, after Jingzhe got married, the aunt wanted to show off the marriage to Miss Lu from the Lu Family, and she took Lu Zhaozhao to Black Dragon Pond.
Lu Zhaozhao gave a pair of bracelets and a longevity lock to Duo Er and a jewelry set to her.
Just before leaving, Lu Zhaozhao had a maid stealthily give her a bundle of silver notes.
She knew Lu Zhaozhao helped her because she noticed the hardship she faced living in the Wu Family.
Thinking about this, Tong Pandi couldn’t help but ask: "Last time Aunt arranged Mr. Huang’s daughter to marry the Lu family’s son. I heard there’s a Miss Lu; do you know her?"
Jingzhe, lifting his head, looked at Tong Pandi in surprise, wondering why she brought this up all of a sudden.
Could it be cousin saw the name Lu Zhaozhao written on paper while tidying his room?
"I know her, not well," Jingzhe replied awkwardly.
He hoped Tong Pandi would quickly drop the subject.
Fortunately, Tong Pandi didn’t pursue the conversation further.
"Wow, cousin, you’re making so much food. Thank goodness the family’s conditions improved, or it’d be hard to support so many people. Just like how you provide for Hua Er and Duo Er, the monthly cost isn’t small."
Liu Yueer, returning from visiting, leaned against the kitchen door, munching seeds while talking.
These days, Tong Pandi often heard Liu Yueer gossiping about Tong Huaqiong when she wasn’t around.
Tong Pandi smiled; she usually didn’t argue with Liu Yueer, her cousin-in-law, known for running her mouth.
Jingzhe sternly said to Liu Yueer, "Second sister-in-law, look at what you’re saying. Cousin isn’t freeloading here; she feeds pigs, cooks, does laundry, and whatnot. Second sister-in-law, if I may say, your words these days are like explosives, is it because Mother won’t let you and Second Brother go to the prefecture, so you’re taking it out on Cousin?"
Liu Yueer, usually a bit afraid of Jingzhe, didn’t dare respond after what he said, snorted, and turned away.
Jingzhe then said to Tong Pandi, "Cousin, don’t take it to heart, second sister-in-law is like that. Besides not daring to speak harshly to Mother or Taohua, she talks back to anyone at home."
Tong Pandi smiled and said, "I know."
She resolved that when spring came and Hua Er grew a bit, she must move out of Aunt’s newly built house.
...
By evening, Tong Huaqiong returned with Gu Taohua and He Chao from Pingchuan County.
Man Er, Xiao Long, and the other children rushed forward to greet Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong, smiling, hugged Man Er, kissed Duo Er, and told the children she brought them beautiful lanterns from Pingchuan County.
The children cheered.
"Grandma, we already have lanterns, Mr. Su gave them to us," Man Er said.
Mr. Su had actually come to the house to give lanterns to the children.
When Tong Huaqiong entered the house, she saw Mr. Su was there as well.
Her heart was touched; Mr. Su truly cared a lot for Jingzhe.
But Tong Huaqiong quickly noticed that Mr. Su’s visit wasn’t purely selfless.
"Aunt is here."
Tong Pandi, seated on a cushion and holding Hua Er, stood up when she saw Tong Huaqiong enter.
"Sit down quickly."
"Mr. Su is here."
Tong Huaqiong, helping Tong Pandi sit, greeted Mr. Su.
Mr. Su, upon seeing Tong Huaqiong, appeared a bit uneasy.
Mr. Su held a rattle to amuse Hua Er, and as Hua Er’s tiny face followed its movements, a bright smile appeared on his own.
This smile seemed familiar to Tong Huaqiong.
It was a fatherly smile.
Reaching this realization, Tong Huaqiong couldn’t help but closely look at Mr. Su.
Mr. Su was not very old, probably just in his early thirties.
Because he taught at a private school, he didn’t need to labor or worry about daily necessities, which made his demeanor more elegant and youthful than most men in Yan Guan Town.
This Chinese New Year, Mr. Su had visited the Gu family three times.
Before Tong Pandi moved in after her divorce, Mr. Su had only come once.
Could it be that Mr. Su had taken a liking to Tong Pandi?