When Su Caier heard the knocking at the door, she hesitated for a long time. In the end, she had no choice but to open it. Uncle Zhao asked her sternly about her eye problem. Su Caier dared not speak and just hung her head low. Uncle and his wife were both irritated and asked her to lift her head so they could see her eyes. Su Caier felt as if she had returned to the village where everyone rejected her and shouted at her to leave every day.
Later, her husband came back. He looked at her with comforting eyes, but he was blamed by the people in the village. They all blamed her. Su Caier didn't want to drag her husband down with her and was willing to leave by herself. But she couldn't bear to leave her husband behind.
After the apology, Su Caier hung her head in disappointment. Zhao Ce smiled and said softly, "It's okay, it's all in the past now. Uncle has spoken, so you don't have to hide anymore. Tomorrow we will go up the mountain together to cut more firewood."
As soon as Su Caier heard the word "firewood," she temporarily forgot about everything else. She stuttered, "F-firewood. I was thinking about going to the mountain to collect firewood tomorrow. I picked up a lot of firewood by the river today but didn't bring it back. We're running out of firewood at home."
As expected, as soon as she heard about work, her attention was quickly diverted. Zhao Ce laughed and said, "Shall I take you to the river to collect firewood?"
Su Caier hesitated and then said firmly, "No need. Uncle said I can stay. I can go by myself. My husband just came back from working outside, so he can rest at home."
Zhao Ce couldn't help but touch her small nose. "It's okay, I'll take you there and help you."
With just one sentence, Su Caier's heart bloomed like a small flower. She looked up at Zhao Ce and asked softly, "Husband will help me?"
Zhao Ce raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course. Let's go, lead the way."
Su Caier smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go with my husband." The two of them left the house, leaving the front door open without locking it. Zhao Ce didn't take the small path but walked on the main road with Su Caier following behind him, looking at his back with some nervousness.
Su Cai'er was nervous, hanging her head and following behind Zhao Ce, trying hard to keep up with his pace. However, as she walked faster, her leg problems began to surface.
Along the way, there were many villagers who saw them. Although Zhao Ce spoke up and asked Su Cai'er to stay, everyone was still curious about her. After all, they had lived in the countryside their whole lives and some had never even been to the city. When a person who was different from them suddenly appeared, they were all very curious.
"Is this Zhao Ce's little wife?"
"She's hanging her head and I can't see her eyes."
"And what's wrong with her legs? Why does she limp when she walks?"
Everyone speculated. Su Cai'er listened and felt a little regretful. She should have taken the small road... Although she had been called "little monster" and "little cripple" by people in the village before, it was different then. She didn't care about herself, as she had already gotten used to it.
However, her husband was a scholar, and she had repeatedly embarrassed him in front of others...
Just as she was thinking this, Zhao Ce suddenly stopped. Zhao Ce had walked a little too fast and didn't react at first. But, after hearing the people's words, he remembered that the little girl had some problems with her legs.
Although it didn't affect her daily walking, her posture when walking was not as good-looking as that of an ordinary little girl. At home, the little girl always tried to control herself and walk more naturally. So Zhao Ce didn't really pay attention to it.
After stopping, Zhao Ce looked around at the people. The old ladies who saw Zhao Ce looking at them temporarily closed their mouths. Zhao Ce imitated the tone of the original owner's speech and said loudly, "Ladies, pointing and talking about others like this can bring trouble. After all, as Mengzi said, 'Speaking ill of others will lead to trouble in the future.'"
As soon as they heard Zhao Ce quoting Mengzi, the old ladies rolled their eyes and muttered, "You still say that Zhao Ce has changed, but he's still quoting the sage's words. Who can understand that?"
"Ah, forget it. He's a scholar after all. I'm leaving first..."
The people quickly dispersed. Zhao Ce turned around and said only to the little girl behind him, "Let's go, let's get some food and cook it. I'm hungry."
Su Cai'er lifted her little head, her eyes shining in the sunlight. She replied with a cheerful voice, "Okay, okay. Let's go back and cook for my husband."
This time, Zhao Ce deliberately slowed down his pace. Su Cai'er followed him slowly. The weather in late summer was a bit stuffy.
The weather at the end of summer was a bit hot and stuffy. But Su Caier felt as if her heart had been brushed by a spring breeze. Although she couldn't understand what her husband meant by the quote, it was just the feeling of having someone to support her.
Su Caier lowered her head, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up. The two of them walked slowly by the river. Zhao Ce had already sweated all over his head, and Su Caier's little face had turned red from the sun.
The firewood by the river was still there. Su Caier walked over to it, patted it, and picked up the firewood. The unpleasantness from earlier was forgotten.
Su Caier happily said, "Luckily no one picked it up." "Husband is hungry, let's go back and cook," Zhao Ce took the firewood from her hand and said, "I'll do it." Su Caier quickly said, "Husband is a scholar, how can he do such heavy work?" Zhao Ce helplessly lifted a small bundle of dry hay and branches in his hand.
Was this something that he could easily carry with one finger considered heavy work? His little wife was clearly only as tall as his chest, yet she treated him as if he were a delicate porcelain doll.
Zhao Ce turned around and said, "Are you underestimating me?" "I can do this kind of work." "Not only can I do this, but I can also do many other things too."
Su Caier nodded her head beside him. "Yes, yes, husband is very capable." "Husband used charcoal to make white sugar and made a lot of money from it." "Husband can also read and write." "Husband..." As she spoke, her voice became quieter. Her husband was so capable, but she wasn't good at anything. "Caier?" "Hmm?" Su Caier snapped out of her thoughts.
She realized that a large shadow had fallen in front of her. Her husband stood in front of her, his tall figure casting a shadow over her. She lifted her head and saw him smiling gently at her. Zhao Ce lightly tapped her forehead and said, "The sun is too strong. Let's not get sunburned. Let's go home first." Su Caier quickly nodded her head. "Yes, let's go home!"