Zhao Ce took the charcoal and went home. Su Caier was taking out everything that Zhao Ce had brought back. When she saw Zhao Ce return, she quickly put down what she was holding and went over to take what he had brought.
After taking it, she said, "I should have gone with my husband." "This thing is dirty, carrying it will dirty my husband's clothes." Zhao Ce felt that the charcoal in his hand was not heavy, so he let her take it.
He brushed off the dust on his clothes and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter." "In the countryside, there is mud everywhere, and it's impossible to keep everything clean." After brushing off the dust, he felt that his long robe was getting in the way.
He saw the new cloth on the table and remembered that he had bought some sugar and cloth today. Su Caier came back only after putting the charcoal away.
Zhao Ce waved his hand and the little girl trotted over. Pointing to the two pieces of cloth that had been cut, Zhao Ce said, "I don't know what color you like, so I just bought some randomly." "You can wear these two new clothes first, and when you have time in a few days, we can go out and buy some cloth that you like?"
Su Caier looked at the new cloth on the table, then pointed at herself. "You, you bought these for me?" Zhao Ce smiled and pointed at her. "Hmm, I bought them for you." Since her father passed away, Su Caier hadn't worn new clothes for a long time.
Occasionally, her mother got some old clothes from her uncle's house that were no longer wearable, and she patched them up for her to wear. It made her happy for a long time. But her husband directly bought her new cloth and let her make new clothes to wear.
Su Caier's nose was sour, feeling like everything in front of her was like a dream. She murmured, "I, I can still wear my clothes." "Just make new clothes for my husband." One of the two pieces of cloth was cotton. Su Caier looked at the plain color and hesitated, glancing at her husband. This color is the color that young wives wear... She regretted that it couldn't be used to make clothes for her husband.
Zhao Ce's long robe was still new. What he needed to make now were two convenient short jackets for working. He saw the regretful look on the little girl's face and guessed what she was thinking.
He couldn't help but laugh and say, "I have to go see the teacher tomorrow and can't take you with me." "After the matter is finished, I will go to the cloth shop to buy some cloth and trouble you to make me two short jackets."
When Su Caier heard that she had to make clothes for her husband, her eyes lit up. She agreed and said, "Okay, I will wait for my husband at home. When the cloth is bought back, I will make clothes for my husband." Zhao Ce rubbed her little head. "Okay, you wait for me at home."
Su Caier smiled at him, her eyes curved. She had just experienced the frightening experience of being driven away that morning, but as soon as she saw her husband, all her fear and hesitation disappeared. Just a few words from him filled her with anticipation for tomorrow again.
Zhao Ce let her make the clothes and went to the kitchen to prepare some sugar to bring to the teacher tomorrow. Although this thing was not top-quality, it was still expensive and rare.
Zhao Ce's former teacher, Liu Xiucan, was a typical middle-aged scholar who liked to attach himself to refined things. Taking this thing as a gift should make the teacher feel less angry.
Zhao Ce thought about it, made the sugar, and then went to study for a while to avoid being unable to answer the teacher's questions tomorrow.
When the sugar was almost done, the little girl came in to help. Her face was filled with a sweet smile. Zhao Ce asked, "Are the clothes done?" Su Caier whispered, "Not yet." "My clothes are not urgent; I still have clothes to wear." "We can slowly make them in a few days." "Let me help my husband first." After saying that, she happily said, "When my husband buys the cloth tomorrow, I will make clothes for him first."
By late afternoon, the sun was starting to set. A small beam of sunlight shone through the window onto the spot where a little girl was standing. The gentle light fell on half of her face, highlighting her flowing eyes and small, delicate features.
Zhao Ce couldn't help but look at her, noticing her drooping eyebrows, fine lashes, and dry, peeling skin. He reached out and lightly pinched her cheek, asking why she was so well-behaved.
Su Cai'er, standing next to him, giggled in response, revealing her small white teeth, and said she always listened to her husband.
Zhao Ce smiled back at her and went to his room to look for a book, leaving Su Cai'er to attend to the kitchen.
As she stirred the sugar water, she couldn't help but touch her face where her husband had pinched her. It was slightly itchy and warm, and she blushed at the thought of his large hands compared to hers.
Time flew by, and before she knew it, it was already dark outside. Su Cai'er quickly finished cooking dinner and helped Zhao Ce pick out a new outfit for school the next day. As she climbed into bed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly.
Zhao Ce, on the other hand, replayed in his mind the contents of the book he had read earlier that day.
Just as he was about to relax and drift off to sleep, he heard the little girl muttering in her sleep beside him. He turned to look and saw her sleeping on her side, her brow furrowed as if she was having a nightmare.
He felt sorry for her and gently stroked her hair, whispering "sweet dreams" into her ear. As if hearing his words, Su Cai'er's face relaxed, and she slept peacefully throughout the night.