Sui and Tang Dynasty Generals

Chapter 40 Misunderstanding outside the Fu Family
Early December in Xin County.

Due to the severe cold, fewer and fewer people go out. Occasionally when you go to the streets, you can hear people talking about how the Yongji Canal has been covered with a thick layer of ice.

Inside the Li Mansion.

Li Le, Li Zhaotian, Xu Huaichuan and others were all in the front yard, looking with curiosity at Li Qiong and Cui Wenjin who were competing in the yard.

"They are both amazing!"

This was the only thought in their minds as they watched Li Qiong and Cui Wenjin fighting back and forth with wooden swords in their hands.

However, not long after, as Li Qiong's beautiful eyes focused on her pretty face, she blocked Cui Wenjin's stab and stepped forward at lightning speed, holding a wooden sword.

Seeing Cui Wenjin retreating again and again, Li Qiong did not give Cui Wenjin any chance. He directly picked up Cui Wenjin's sword and then put the wooden sword in his hand against Cui Wenjin's neck.

"I lost again!"

Cui Wenjin looked at Li Qiong helplessly. As a child of the Cui family, she had rarely suffered such a huge blow.

Although she was not ugly and was even considered pretty compared to others, when looking at Li Qiong's appearance, Cui Wenjin could only admit that she was just a little bit inferior.

Now even his swordsmanship, which he was so proud of, was inferior to Li Qiong.

If you ask yourself, before meeting Li Qiong, Cui Wenjin had never been hit so hard by any other woman.

"It's because the wooden sword in my hand is used for competition, not for real fighting!"

Li Qiong put away the wooden sword in his hand, looked at Cui Wenjin and said with a smile.

"Teacher once said that fighting is different from competition. Between life and death, many people who have martial arts skills often do not dare to draw their swords and kill people when in danger. In the end, they are indecisive and die tragically under the opponent's sword!"

Seeing that Cui Wenjin had no intention of continuing the competition, Li Qiong turned around and put the wooden sword aside.

Even Li Qiong was not sure whether she was the person the teacher was talking about.

Cui Wenjin felt better after hearing Li Qiong's comfort, and then looked at Li Qiong curiously.

"Who did you learn swordsmanship from?"

Cui Wenjin was really curious. His swordsmanship was learned from a senior master that his parents had found for him, but even so, he could only be defeated in front of Li Qiong.

Suddenly thinking of something, Cui Wenjin suddenly laughed.

"No wonder Fu Zihou doesn't deserve you! You are so outstanding! I don't know who will be worthy of you in the future!"

Cui Wenjin looked at Li Qiong and said that her obsession with losing her beloved hairpin was instantly relieved.

What he lost was just a beloved hairpin, but Fu Zihou lost a beautiful woman who was both talented in literature and martial arts and had impeccable appearance and temperament.

The pleasure of knowing that the other person is more miserable than oneself makes Cui Wenjin happy both physically and mentally.

"He was an old friend of my grandfather..."

Li Qiong said.

Hearing Cui Wenjin mention Fu Zihou, the young man who had broken off his engagement with her, Li Qiong felt helpless and was about to say something. However, before she could open her mouth, she and Cui Wenjin saw many servants coming over carrying wooden boxes, and three maids, each holding a bundle of cloth, following their mother Zhou.

"Aunt Zhou! Whose wedding banquet is this?"

Seeing Li Qiong's mother, Zhou, Cui Wenjin hurriedly bowed. After seeing Li Qiong's mother nod, he casually asked, thinking that there was a happy event in Xin County.

"It's not a wedding banquet! It's because the old lady is worried that the Fu family won't have enough clothes for the winter as the weather is cold!"

Zhou looked at Cui Wenjin and explained softly, then looked at the things in the hands of the servants and maids.

"There were some unused woolen quilts in the mansion before, but the old lady was worried that they would become old and would be unfair to the Fu family, so she specially sent someone to buy new woolen quilts! Because it was cold, there was a shortage everywhere, and I just got them these two days by using my connections! When the old lady gave instructions, she saw that there were three pieces of cloth in the warehouse, so she asked me to send them over as well, saying that there happened to be three female members of the Fu family, and each of them should get a piece of cloth!"

Zhou said, feeling somewhat helpless.

The old lady was in a hurry to deliver things to the Fu family, fearing that the Fu family would suffer any injustice or hardship in Xin County.

But the old lady didn't think about it. Not to mention the daughters-in-law of the Li family, even the old lady herself had not changed the woolen quilt she covered herself with for many years.

Zhou also knew that the old lady had always wanted to repay Uncle Fu's kindness in her heart, so it was not easy for her to say anything. Moreover, she thought that the Fu family had already agreed to cancel the engagement with her daughter and marry her niece Li Cha instead.

"Qiong'er, you can chat with niece Cui here, and mother will send the things to Fu's house first!"

Zhou looked at Li Qiong and said, then looked at Cui Wenjin with a kind smile, indicating that if Cui Wenjin needed anything at the Li Mansion, he should tell Li Qiong.

During this period of time, Cui Wenjin often came to the mansion alone to keep his daughter Li Qiong company, and Zhou was happy for her daughter.

You have to know that Cui Wenjin was born in the Qinghe Cui family. With such a background, her husband's family in the future must also be a prestigious family. It is a blessing for her daughter to be on good terms with Cui Wenjin.

Zhou did not ask her daughter to become as close as Cui Wenjin, she only asked that she could speak to Cui Wenjin if necessary in the future.

"Aunt is busy first!"

"Don't worry, mother!"

Li Qiong and Cui Wenjin nodded, then watched Zhou turn around and walk out of the mansion with her maid.

"New wool quilts, new cloth and silk, and one piece for each person!"

When Cui Wenjin heard what Zhou said, she turned to Li Qiong and asked in a low voice, "What a good relationship the Li and Fu families had back then! The old lady even sent them woolen quilts and silk!"

Li Qiong watched her mother leave and heard Cui Wenjin's question. She was about to speak when she suddenly saw Cui Wenjin startled.

"Right! Let's go and take a look at the Fu family too!"

Cui Wenjin looked at Li Qiong.

"No!"

Li Qiong shook her head when she heard this. She and Fu Zihou had already broken off their engagement, so it was not appropriate for her to go to the Fu family right now.

"No! Aren't you also curious about what he said to my brother in the attic a few days ago? Let's go together! You will know when we get there!"

When Cui Wenjin thought of Fu Zihou's words in the past, he really didn't want to wait any longer, so he picked up his sword, walked forward and took Li Qiong's hand, and regardless of Li Qiong's objection, he pulled Li Qiong towards the outside of the mansion.

On the streets of Xin County, Cui Wenjin and Li Qiong followed Zhou and the others and came to the alley. As there were fewer people, they soon arrived at the Fu family residence.

"Why is there such a strong herbal smell?"

Standing behind the servant of the Li Mansion, Cui Wenjin frowned. Smelling the disgusting smell, he couldn't help but have a bad premonition in his heart.

No, this is, wine?

Thinking of this, Cui Wenjin sighed and looked helpless and bitter.

She thought Fu Zihou really knew how to brew wine, but this disgusting smell...

Is this wine?
Who are you kidding! Are you bullying her because she has never smelled alcohol?

The more Cui Wenjin thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. In her eyes, Fu Zihou might as well have said that he could boil medicine!
And make up for myself! Lead myself to make money! And send a letter to Xie!
Cui Wenjin kept muttering to himself that Fu Zihou was unreliable. The only good impression he had of him before disappeared at this moment, and he was left with only resentment.

"Fortunately, when I sent the letter to Xie, it was said that Fu Zihou was looking for someone, not me, Cui Wenjin. Even this Fu Zi... liar still has some conscience!"

Cui Wenjin couldn't help it, so he covered his nose with his hand and turned to look at Li Qiong beside him.

"Why don't you just go!"

Cui Wenjin had no intention of staying. When he thought about staying here, not only would he have to see a liar, but he would also have to keep smelling this disgusting smell, Cui Wenjin shuddered and wanted to leave.

Li Qiong was frowning, but when he saw Cui Wenjin was willing to leave, his expression relaxed. It would be best if they didn't have to go into the Fu family, so he nodded and turned to leave with Cui Wenjin.

Outside the Fuji family residence.

Zhou knocked on the door, blocked her breath with her fingers, and watched her daughter and niece Cui leave without asking any questions. After all, she couldn't stand the smell.

As the door of the house opened and Zhou saw Zhang, she quickly put down her hands that were covering her nose.

"Madam Fu, this is because the old lady is worried that the Fu family hasn't had enough time to prepare for the winter, so she sent it over! There are also three pieces of cloth!"

Zhou said with a smile, and motioned to the maid outside to give the silk to Zhang.

"How can this be so embarrassing! Sister-in-law, come and help! Second Lady of the Li Family, come in quickly..."

When Zhang saw so many things, her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. She said sorry, but her hands and feet were not polite at all. She quickly reached out to take the cloth.

Zhang was just about to invite Zhou to come in and sit for a while, but when she saw the strange looks on Zhou's face and the maids and servants in Li's mansion, she finally reacted.

"My nephew is boiling herbs, and the smell is pungent! When it's convenient, I'll invite the second lady of the Li family to come in and sit down!"

Zhang said with a smile.

When Zhou heard what Zhang said, she breathed a sigh of relief. She exchanged a few polite words with Zhang and prepared to let the servants carry the wooden box into the front yard.

"No, no, no!"

Tao took the cloth from the maid and hurriedly stopped her.

Seeing Zhou's puzzled look, Zhang smiled and said that the room was too messy and that she and her sister-in-law Tao would just carry it in after it was cleaned up, and it wouldn't be too troublesome.

"That's fine!"

Although Zhou felt strange, she also wanted to leave as soon as possible after smelling the disgusting smell, so she smiled and nodded, and the servant put down the wooden box.

After a few more polite words, Zhou took her leave. As Zhang and Tao watched her go, she turned around and left with her servants and maids.

Zhang and Tao looked at Zhou's departing back, then looked at each other, and without caring about the wooden box outside the house, they quickly closed the door.

In the front yard of the Fuji family residence.

Along with the strong smell of grass, you can also vaguely smell a hint of wine in the air.

At this moment, Tao looked at the drunken Aung and Old Liu with red faces, and hurried to the wooden house to watch her son who was pouring wine into the jar.

"Zihou, are you done now?"

Tao looked at his son. He didn't expect that he could actually make wine. He was also curious about the mysterious old man who was similar to Huang Shigong in his son's words.

Unfortunately, when she and her husband heard about this in the village, they thought their son had been cheated and did not take it seriously.

"Nephew, add some more herbs to it and make it thicker. This wine is so fragrant, but it's starting to lose its flavor!"

Zhang also frowned and came to Tao's side. Looking at the iron pot where the medicine was boiled, the happy look on Zhang's face had disappeared, replaced by worry.

Even today, Zhang still has some trauma in her heart because of what happened in her hometown back then.

Fortunately, the nephew knew to cover up the pungent smell of herbs, otherwise, Zhang would probably have wanted to move away.

"Okay, it should be done before dark!"

Fu Zihou nodded and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Fortunately, it was winter and the wine would not deteriorate so easily.

In the busyness, time passes by unknowingly.

As the sky gets darker.

Fu Zihou finally poured all the wine into the wine jar, and then moved into the house with the help of his mother and aunt.

Suddenly, Fu Zihou heard another hurried knock on the door.

"Who?"

Seeing this, Zhang turned around and walked towards the gate.

After a while, as his aunt opened the door, Fu Zihou heard the voice of his cousin Fu Zhi.

"Mother! Uncle is back!"

Hearing his cousin's words, Fu Zihou, who was looking at the wine jar, was suddenly stunned, and then an expression of surprise appeared on his face.

Dad is back!
(End of this chapter)