Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 21 Apologize
Having done a lot of hard work, the farm food seemed particularly delicious, and Tan Huaike ate two bowls of rice with it. Shentu Zhuo, who had been busy all day and had also helped out a bit, was extremely hungry, so he ate four bowls of rice and a piece of toasted naan.

Tan Huaike laughed at him: "Every time I see you, you look like a starving ghost."

Shen Tu Zhuo retorted, "Every time I see you, you're busy doing nothing. Why don't you stay at home and be your wife? Why go to the countryside to farm? I really don't know what you're thinking."

"How can I call it busy work? I'm earning my own living." Tan Huaike said frankly, "Of course I have to see with my own eyes how much grain I can produce and how much rent I can collect from my own land. I can't just let others fool me."

"You are really calculating and unwilling to suffer any loss."

Although her true identity and origins were still unknown, after several encounters, Shentu Zhuo suspected that she most likely came from a merchant family, much like Tan Huaike himself. This was because she subconsciously weighed the costs and benefits of every undertaking, instinctively seeking to profit by any means possible.

She always knows what should be given up decisively and what is worth fighting for.

Ultimately, she didn't trust the Shentu family, nor did she completely trust him, so she held everything she had tightly in her own hands. This was a very wise move, and Shentu Zhuo agreed with her, although he felt a little helpless.

The Zhong couple and Pei'er finished their meal in the backyard and came to clear the dishes and table for them.

It was not convenient to talk about business at this time, so the two of them tacitly waited to meet again later.

Shentu Zhuo gave Uncle Zhong a few words and returned to his own room. He had come in a hurry because he had a lot of things to buy. Tan Huaike went to the backyard. The two seemed to be busy with their own things and did not disturb each other.
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After cleaning up the dishes, Mrs. Zhong and Pei'er went to the backyard and saw Tan Huaike washing dirty clothes.

Madam Zhong was startled and hurried forward to take over: "Oh, Madam, put it down quickly. How can we let the master suffer? This is the job of us servants."

Pei'er also said: "Madam, you have been busy in the fields all day, let me wash the clothes."

Tan Huaike refused their help. He knocked the dirty clothes in the basin with a mallet and said, "My uncle fell into the compost pile because he came looking for me. I feel a little guilty about this. So I'll wash his clothes as a small apology."

It was obvious that Shen Tu Zhuo had rushed to Hongsha Village without stopping after returning from Dunhuang County, not even having time to change his clothes. She had even accidentally pushed him into the manure pile, which was truly unfortunate. Tan Huaike thought that since he had not forgotten to investigate clues while doing his job, and had helped her spread the manure despite past grudges, washing his clothes would be a favor to him.

However, as she was washing, she realized that one of her inner and outer garments was missing, so she asked Madam Zhong, "Where's the garment that was rolled in the pile of compost? Why can't I see it?"

Madam Zhong replied, "The second young master thought the clothes were too dirty and smelly, so he wanted to throw them away."

"Why throw it away? The material of the clothes is very good. You can still wear them after washing them." Shentu Zhuo's clothes were very exquisite. Tan Huaike felt it was a pity. "Where did he throw them? I picked them up and saw if there was anything I could do to save them. At worst, I could fumigate them with vanilla a few times. I guarantee they will be clean and fragrant when they are worn."

"I haven't seen it either." Madam Zhong shook her head.

"I seem to see the second young master throwing a pile of clothes in the courtyard." Pei'er said.

There was a small courtyard behind each of the east and west wing rooms. Shentu Zhuo lived in the east wing room. After Tan Huaike washed the clothes and hung them up to dry, he went to the east wing room on the pretext of looking for a pile of dirty clothes. It happened to be a good opportunity to talk business.

There was a candle on in the east wing. Tan Huaike knocked on the door and a voice came from inside: "Come in."

The two had an appointment, and Tan Huaike thought the other party was waiting for him, so he pushed the door and walked in: "Uncle, where did you throw the clothes that rolled in the pile of garbage? I'll wash them for you..."

There was a sudden sound of splashing water in the inner room, accompanied by Shen Tu Zhuo's exclamation: "Why is it you?!"

Seeing him curled up in the bathtub, Tan Huaike was also confused: "Why are you taking a bath again?"

Shen Tu Zhuo said, "Can't I wash it again? Do you know how stinky that dung pile is? How can it be cleaned in one wash? I always feel like there's still a lingering smell in my hair... Wait, what are you looking at?"

From five steps away, Tan Huaike glanced at him and said, "You look stronger than when you're wearing clothes."

"I'm...I..." Shen Tu Zhuo blushed, perhaps because of the hot water or something else, and spoke incoherently, "Do you have any shame? Staring at a naked man like that?"

"You were the one who let me in, not me who barged in rudely." Tan Huaike said innocently.

"I thought it was Uncle Zhong!" Shen Tuzhuo hurriedly explained, "I asked Uncle Zhong to find me some clean clothes, and he went to get the new clothes that Madam Zhong had made for him. How could I have known it would be you who came in!" "I see, then I'll just leave."

With that, Tan Huaike retreated, brought a table and a cushion, brewed a pot of tea, and sat in the courtyard to admire the moon, waiting for him to finish his bath.

After a while, Uncle Zhong came with new clothes, nodded to Tan Huaike, and knocked on the door to go in. After a while, Uncle Zhong left, and Shen Tuzhuo came out in a coarse cloth shorts and sat down opposite Tan Huaike.

Tan Huaike looked him up and down and handed him a cup of tea: "Not bad, now you look like a tenant farmer."

Shen Tu Zhuo replied, "I came to Hongsha Village to look for my sister-in-law, but I didn't expect to see a village woman spreading fertilizer in the fields." He took a sip of tea and glanced at her awkwardly, "I certainly didn't expect this village woman to barge into my room while I was bathing."

"What are you afraid of? I won't do anything to you."

"You... haven't you heard of not looking at what is inappropriate? Aren't you embarrassed?"

"This is a misunderstanding," Tan Huaike argued. "Did I molest you? I just glanced at you from a distance. Besides, it's not like I've never seen a man bathing before. It's no big deal."

"Have you seen it? Who else have you seen bathing?" Shentu Zhuo was surprised.

"My brother," Tan Huaike commented, "to be honest, your arms are not as strong as mine."

"I... this isn't a question of thickness! Ask your brother to compare..." Shen Tuzhuo suddenly came to his senses. "Your brother? He can't be that scoundrel Tan Anfeng, right? You have a brother yourself?"

The night wind ruffled the tea in the cup.

Knowing that he had spoken out of turn, Tan Huaike lowered his eyes and remained silent.

After a while, Shentu Zhuo sighed and asked tentatively, "Abdu'il Salani, Caizhu'er, who is buried in the sand, you are a Mohe, right? You have a brother. Perhaps I can help you find him?"

Tan Huaike shook his head: "No need, tell me about your brother, what did you find out?"
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Speaking of this, Shentu Zhuo couldn't help but frown.

After calming down, he tried his best to organize the information he had learned, but there were still many points he couldn't figure out, so he could only piece them together and state them.

He said: "I went to Dunhuang County on business this time and visited Zhu Tingwei, who was quite friendly with my brother. Zhu Tingwei's two cousins ​​were both in the Zhenxi Army, one of whom was under my brother's command and has also been reported to have died in battle.

"Because I was eager to inquire, Chief Justice Zhu spoke a little more. He also thought the matter was quite suspicious. He also learned from another cousin that my brother and his team did indeed leave the border that night, but they were not carrying out a normal patrol mission. Instead, they received an urgent order to escort an important merchant caravan that was about to enter the border."

"Caravan?" Tan Huaike couldn't help but blurt out, "How could it be a caravan?"

It was clearly a marriage alliance; all the attacks and escorts that night were directed at them. Their small caravan had clearly been implicated.

"Treasurer Zhu and I share this suspicion," Shentu Zhuo said, seemingly puzzled. "What kind of merchant caravan warranted an urgent dispatch of the Zhenxi Army? And what kind of danger did they encounter to annihilate my brother's elite squad?"

Tan Huaike was already certain that the general who appeared in the valley that night was his husband Shen Tu Heng.

At this point, she decided not to hide it anymore. She looked at Shen Tu Zhuo and said, "No, they are not escorting the caravan. They are ordered to greet and escort..."

Shentu Zhuo looked into her tough and bright eyes.

They both said at the same time: "She is Mo He's princess who is to be married to a foreign country."
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　Next chapter: Being in the game.

　　【Double update in progress, scroll back.】

　　
　
(End of this chapter)