Chapter 97

Suniang said with a carefree attitude, "Who would want to learn to play the flute from you? I won’t learn; it can’t be eaten as food." Suddenly, she realized that it was so late and quiet, and as a widow, she was in her younger brother-in-law’s room, which was a taboo. Unlike in Liujia Village, her excitement subsided, her face turned a bit red, and she said, "You... you should rest early, I’ll go out first!" Not daring to stay in the room for too long, she turned and left.

Chuhan suddenly said, "Suniang, is there anything else missing in the house?"

Suniang stopped and thought for a moment, then said, "We don’t lack oil, salt, soy sauce, or vinegar. The rice jar has rice, which will last for a long time... Mr. Su also sent some salted fish and meat, quite a lot, probably won’t finish this winter. Hmm... seems like we don’t lack anything!"

Chuhan found it amusing in his heart. Suniang, being a housewife, naturally thought about daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt. He said, "I think something is missing!"

"What?"

"Clothes!" Chuhan looked at Suniang’s blue cotton jacket. Although it was clean, it was somewhat old and made her look a bit bulky. Although Suniang’s body was quite plump and solid, Chuhan knew that her figure was actually very beautiful. That night in Liujia Village when Suniang secretly poured out her bathwater, Chuhan had seen her once. Her firm buttocks, slim waist, and full breasts made her figure very graceful, but the thick cotton jacket completely concealed her good figure.

More importantly, the cotton jacket looked thick but wasn’t very warm, and it seemed to be the only one Suniang had. Wearing it through the winter was quite pitiful.

Chuhan had a large sum of gold leaves given to him by Ma Jing. For Chuhan, the best use of this gold was to improve his family’s life. Food and clothing were the top priorities.

Suniang was a bit puzzled and asked, "Clothes?" She looked at her cotton jacket, which was clean, and asked, "What’s wrong with my clothes?"

Chuhan pondered for a moment and said, "If you have nothing to do tomorrow, go to the market with me to buy some clothes for you and Mother... The city is different from the countryside, the fabric will be better and warmer!"

Suniang’s face lit up with joy, but she quickly turned gloomy and shook her head. "You haven’t even started working, and you’re already thinking about spending money. Have you already been paid? Even if you get paid, you still need to pay off debts... The family needs money for expenses, and things in the city are too expensive, so let’s not go!"

Although they now lived in a large house, Suniang was used to being frugal and didn’t know that Chuhan had a large sum of money.

Chuhan didn’t say much and just said, "Just remember, don’t worry about the money. A few pieces of clothing won’t cost much."

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Master Li was already up. Chuhan told him about the house, and Master Li thought for a moment and finally said, "The Su family is generous. If they say it, refusing would be pretentious. Since they treat you well, just do your best for them." He sighed and said, "Your mother has had a hard life. Now that she’s with you, she hopes for a better life!"

Chuhan said, "Uncle, Er Lang can now earn some money to support the family. Why don’t you stay here with us? Er Lang will naturally take good care of you!"

Master Li lived alone, and Chuhan genuinely wanted to keep him close to take care of him.

Master Li patted Chuhan’s arm and said with satisfaction, "Your heart is good, and that makes me happy. But I’ve lived in Qingliu County all my life and have students. Living here wouldn’t be appropriate. If I have time, I’ll come over occasionally."

Chuhan knew the old man was stubborn and didn’t persuade him further. He thought that in a few years, when the old man couldn’t move, he would bring him to live with them. After all, Master Li and the Chu-Li siblings had no other relatives, and the responsibility of taking care of him would naturally fall on Chuhan.

Perhaps because of the journey from Liujia Village to the city, and the cold weather, Chu Li had caught a cold and didn’t get up.

Chuhan went to Chu Li’s room and talked for a while, telling her about the house the Su family had given them. Chu Li was very surprised, but with Master Li’s help, the matter was smoothed over.

Suniang got up early to make breakfast and served Chu Li. After they finished, Master Li, Chuhan, and Suniang had breakfast. After breakfast, Chuhan went out alone, found a bank, exchanged a gold leaf for 120 taels of silver, and hired a carriage to bring it back. Master Li wanted to leave, and Chuhan couldn’t stop him, so he hired a carriage to send him back.

Chuhan originally wanted to take Master Li back to the county, as he had a horse and the distance wasn’t far. However, Master Li stopped him, saying he had been to the city before and knew the way well, so there was no need to send him. Chuhan couldn’t persuade him, so he gave Master Li 20 taels of silver, which Master Li reluctantly accepted. He got into the carriage and left, and Chuhan rode his horse to see him off for a while before returning.

When he got home, he hadn’t even entered the house when he heard the sound of a bamboo flute. The sound was intermittent and far from beautiful. Chuhan quietly followed the sound to his room, where the door was slightly ajar, and the strange flute sound was coming from inside.

Chuhan peeked through the gap and saw Suniang sitting on a chair, holding the bamboo flute vertically, her plump pink lips pressed against the mouthpiece, trying to play it like he had the night before. She was pressing the holes seriously, but playing the flute wasn’t that simple. Suniang couldn’t control her breath, and the flute often didn’t make a sound, let alone produce beautiful music.

After playing for a while, Suniang looked very disappointed, resting her chin on her hand and muttering to herself, "That’s strange, Er Lang can play it, but why can’t I? Did I do something wrong?"

Chuhan watched and found it amusing. He hadn’t expected Suniang to be interested in the bamboo flute. Last night, she had said it couldn’t be eaten and didn’t want to learn, but today she was secretly practicing when he was out.

Suniang thought for a while but couldn’t figure it out. She picked up the flute and tried again, but it sounded even worse. Chuhan couldn’t hold back his laughter, and although he tried to suppress it, a chuckle escaped his nose.

Suniang’s ears were very sensitive, and she heard the laughter. She jumped up like a frightened rabbit. Chuhan pushed the door open and smiled, "Suniang, playing the flute?"

Suniang quickly put the flute aside, looking a bit flustered, "No...!" She suddenly thought of something and glared, "You... you were hiding outside?"

"No!" Chuhan shook his head, "I just got back and saw you playing, so I listened for a bit!"

"You’re still talking!" Suniang was a bit embarrassed and angry, turned around, and tried to leave the room. Chuhan picked up the flute and said slowly, "In the 'Lieshuo: Xiao Shi,' it says, 'Xiao Shi, a man of the time of Duke Mu of Qin, was skilled in playing the flute and could attract peacocks and white cranes to his courtyard!'"

This cryptic sentence made Suniang stop and turn around, asking, "What does that mean?"

"If the flute sounds beautiful, it can attract peacocks and white cranes to the house," Chuhan smiled. "If Suniang learns to play the flute, even if she can’t attract peacocks and cranes, sparrows and green birds will surely come!"

Suniang’s face turned slightly red, and she slowly moved closer, asking, "How do you know how to play the flute?"

"Practice!" Chuhan said gently, "Playing the flute isn’t hard if you master four things!"

"Which four?"

"Breath, fingers, lips, and tongue!" Chuhan, clearly skilled in playing the flute, explained, "Breath refers to the correct breathing technique, fingers to the flexibility of your fingers, lips to adjusting the wind gate and controlling the airflow, and tongue to the movement of the tongue in the mouth..."

Suniang listened with interest. When he mentioned the tongue, she subconsciously stuck out her small tongue and licked her lips, either because she was absorbed or for some other reason.

This action was unintentional, but Chuhan found it heart-stopping. Although Suniang usually seemed a bit fierce, that unintentional lick of her red lips was incredibly alluring and captivating, revealing her feminine charm.

Chuhan suddenly felt that discussing the flute in the room seemed a bit strange, especially when thinking about breath, fingers, lips, and tongue. The knowledge he had accumulated made the topic seem more intimate. While Suniang didn’t think much of it, Chuhan found it too ambiguous. He saw Suniang fidgeting with the hem of her cotton jacket, as if she was being instructed.

Suddenly, Chuhan thought of a line from a poem: "On the Twenty Bridges under the moon, where is the jade person?" This era was different from the history he knew, and he wasn’t sure if there was a Yangzhou with twenty-four bridges, but the image of a jade person playing the flute was the most beautiful.

Seeing Chuhan stop talking, Suniang was a bit puzzled and asked, "What’s wrong? Keep talking!"

Chuhan’s throat moved, and he quickly said, "This isn’t something that can be explained in a short time. By the way, it’s not snowing outside, let’s go to the market!"

Suniang naturally knew what they were going to do and said a bit shyly, "Really going... to buy clothes?"

"Of course," Chuhan didn’t say more and went out, heading to his mother’s room. His mother was still sleeping, so he didn’t disturb her and quietly closed the door.

Hearing they were going to the market, Suniang was a bit nervous but also excited. She had heard that the city was very prosperous, and she was looking forward to seeing it.

They left the house, locked the door, and didn’t ride the horse. Chuhan knew there was a long street nearby with many shops, so he led Suniang there.

Walking next to Chuhan, Suniang felt it was a bit inappropriate and slowed down. Chuhan understood her thoughts and smiled, "At the end of this street, turn left, and you’ll reach the shops. You walk in front, and I’ll follow behind. When you see a clothing shop, go in and pick what you like, and I’ll pay!"

Suniang was a bit embarrassed that her thoughts were seen through, but Chuhan really followed behind her, keeping a small distance.

They walked in silence for a while. Following Chuhan’s instructions, Suniang turned onto a side street. Soon, they heard the noise of people, and looking ahead, they saw a bustling street with people coming and going, and the calls of vendors echoing. It was truly prosperous. Suniang, who rarely went to the county, was intimidated and stopped, looking back at Chuhan. Seeing him following not far behind with a strange smile, Suniang was annoyed, thinking Chuhan had noticed her nervousness. She gritted her teeth and walked onto the busy street.

The street was crowded, and Suniang, a pretty widow in a simple cotton jacket, attracted the attention of many men. She walked for a while, and her confidence grew. When someone looked at her strangely, she glared back. A few well-dressed women also looked at her, perhaps jealous of her appearance, pointing and whispering, clearly commenting on her clothes. Suniang just sneered and ignored them.

She thought, "You’re just wearing fancy clothes, but you’re not necessarily more beautiful. Wait until I buy new clothes and see if you’re still so proud!" She quickened her pace, occasionally looking back to make sure Chuhan could see her, and always saw him following not far behind, which reassured her.

The street had many shops with a wide variety of goods. Suniang found it fascinating, looking left and right with a curious expression. They finally reached a fabric shop with colorful fabrics. Women naturally love beautiful things, and seeing the colorful fabrics, Suniang couldn’t resist touching a particularly bright one, which felt smooth and soft. She had never seen such good material, let alone worn it.

As Suniang was feeling the fabric, a shop assistant frowned and came over, coldly saying, "Stop!"

Suniang was startled and looked up. The assistant was looking at her coldly, waving her away, "Go away, go to a rough fabric shop. This isn’t a place for you. Did you wash your hands? Don’t dirty the silk, you can’t afford to pay for it."

Suniang was a bit scared and took a step back, asking, "Can’t I even touch it?"

"Of course you can touch it," the assistant said coldly, "but it depends on who touches it. Ladies and misses can touch it, but you, if you can’t afford it, don’t touch it, don’t dirty my silk!"

Suniang, in her simple cotton jacket, clearly looked like a country woman with no money. The assistant naturally thought she couldn’t afford it.

Suniang wanted to argue but knew she didn’t have much money. She also knew the fabric was too expensive for her to buy with the few copper coins she had. She didn’t know what to do and felt a bit wronged, her eyes welling up with tears.

At that moment, a voice beside her said, "Sister, you forgot your money!" A hand extended, holding two large silver ingots, weighing about 40 to 50 taels.