Miss and farmhand

Huang Chu sat to the left of the two women. She didn't like doing needlework, so she picked up a travelogue and flipped through it casually, not wanting her mother and aunt to sit alone.

Shen Yurui turned the question around and asked her, "Does Mother have a plan in mind?"

Shen Xuying quickly said, "Her father wants to keep her for another two years. No rush, no rush."

"How can we not be in a hurry? If we delay for another two years, she'll be nineteen, an old maid. When you were nineteen, your mother wouldn't even need to carry you anymore. If we keep delaying, people won't say it's her father who wants to keep her; they'll all say it's you, her mother, who's holding her back, being sick yourself and insisting on delaying her marriage."

Shen Xuying was startled upon hearing this.

Despite being repeatedly persuaded by Huang Chu and Huang Xingtong, who told her not to listen to her older sister and not to be afraid, they said that public opinion was no match for their own happy family life.

But after all, this family was too close-knit. They were sisters, Huang Xingtong and Huang Xingyu were brothers, and they were in the same academy. Even though they had separated and no longer lived together, the kinship ties were unbreakable.

Seeing her mother's displeasure, Huang Chu immediately said, "Who said that? Let him come to me and say it, and I'll have Han Mama tear his mouth apart."

Shen Yurui immediately became displeased, "Look at you, a proper young lady has grown up like this, who taught you to say such things?"

Huang Chu smiled and said, "I'm not a lady, I'm a wild girl. The only lady in my family is my mother, who has a good temper, and my father also has a good temper. But things always turn out the opposite, and that's how Rongniang and I, these two wild girls, were born. This is the way of heaven, and no one can be blamed."

As they were talking, Rongniang was still climbing on Shen Xuying's bed frame, trying to reach the beads on top of the curtain. Because she had been scolded by Shen Yurui earlier, the wet nurse dared not utter a word in front of her, so she could only stand behind Rongniang with her hands in her arms, waiting for her to fall so she could catch her.

Shen Yurui was speechless after being rebuked by Huang Chu, so she sat for a while and then left.

After Shen Xuying recovered, Huang Xingtong had to return to the academy. As the headmaster, everything had to go through him, so he couldn't linger for long.

On the contrary, Zhu Xiaoxu came more often.

He often worked as a messenger. Huang Xingtong would write or draw something during breaks and couldn't wait to show it to his wife, so he would send him over.

Huang Chu said, "Father has lost his mind. You still have to prepare for the exam, how can you have time to deal with his childish temper? I'll go and talk to him."

Zhu Xiaoxu laughed and said, "No, no. I thought this was a good job. Sitting at my desk all day long is making me dull and dull-witted, unable to write anything good. It's good to come out for a walk. I never get tired of your garden, but I'm afraid I won't have the chance to come again."

"Of course you had a chance—oh, you passed the exam, went to the capital to become an official, got married, and settled down. Of course you wouldn't come back to our little place, would you?"

Since Huang Chu learned about Zhu Xiaoxu and Luo San Guniang's affair, she no longer felt embarrassed or annoyed when she saw Zhu Xiaoxu. Instead, she could treat him like a fellow disciple, bickering and joking with him as if they were brothers.

But she was getting older and had to observe proper etiquette. Zhu Xiaoxu had no one by her side, but Huang Chu always remembered to bring Han Mama with her. Even maids wouldn't do; what difference was there between a young lady with two maids and a young lady alone? It was hard to say. It was better to have the old woman in the middle, so that everything would be clear at a glance.

Zhu Xiaoxu is well-liked by the elders; even Han's mother says he's good-natured and never gets angry no matter what Huang Chu says.

He had a pair of almond-shaped eyes with wide creases, and he always looked at everything with a smile, which showed his good temper.

He said, "If I could pass the exam, I would be willing to be transferred to a post outside the capital—I dare not say this to others, as it would make me seem arrogant. But it doesn't matter if I say it to you, you know I am telling the truth."

Huang Chu asked, "Why? Isn't being a government official in the capital a good thing?"

Zhu Xiaoxu said, "Southerners don't adapt well to the North. It's not that the capital is bad; even someone like you, who could have been a Hanlin scholar, couldn't stand the urge to stay home and came back. The year I went to take the provincial examination, I initially found it novel. The capital also has mountains, water, and gardens, but the best places were all taken by princes and nobles, leaving us poor students to only go on outings. Summer was alright, but it deteriorated as soon as autumn arrived. Once, a local student took us to climb a wild mountain, saying that we could see the royal gardens from the top. We climbed up with great effort, but after a quick look, it was nothing special, and we were immediately disappointed. That day, I missed home the most."

Hearing this, Han's mother sighed. At her age, she was always moved when her child said they missed home.

Huang Chu disagreed. She suddenly realized, "Senior brother, you've spoiled me. Instead of focusing on the exams, you're always dreaming about fancy things. Even if you pass, you can pick and choose your officials. What a pipe dream!"

Zhu Xiaoxu laughed and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Junior sister is right. Please forgive me this time, but please don't tell the master."

Huang Chu didn't intend to complain, but rather thought that Luo San definitely wouldn't want to stay in the area; she would surely want to go as far away as possible. Since the woman herself couldn't travel far, she could only rely on her husband.

Hmm, if someone is transferred to another province, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll be sent back to their home province. They might be sent somewhere else entirely. With a selection process every three years, after serving as an official for more than ten years, they might be able to travel all over the country.

Perhaps in this way, Miss Luo's heart can be more open.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice that Zhu Xiaoxu was also staring at her.

Like her mother Shen Xuying, Huang Chu did not have a striking appearance, and at first glance, she was not as pretty as Luo San and Shen Yurui.

But on this day in the garden, the spring sunlight shone on her face, making her seem transparent and serene, giving off a sense of tranquility.

Zhu Xiaoxu looked at her, his throat trembled, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Junior sister, I have something to tell you. There's no need to announce it. I think we should wait until after we pass the exam..."

Huang Chu snapped out of her daze and immediately knew what he was going to say, so she confided in him to put his mind at ease.

She whispered, "Don't worry, senior brother, I know."

"You know?"

Huang Chu smiled sheepishly, "That day in the garden... I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I saw a noise and left, and didn't hear anything after that. Don't worry, Senior Brother, I didn't tell anyone."

Her eyes were bright, with the cunning of a little sister who had discovered her older siblings' secret and threatened to keep it quiet for a treat.

Zhu Xiaoxu seemed to be shaken. Upon hearing "Yuanzi that day," he immediately knew what she was referring to. He couldn't believe she had actually seen it and couldn't process it for a moment. His face darkened, and he remained silent for a long time.

"Senior brother?"

Zhu Xiaoxu snapped out of his daze and forced a smile.

"I didn't know you had such sharp eyes and ears, and such a tight tongue, that you didn't reveal a single clue."

Huang Chu thought Zhu Xiaoxu was afraid she wasn't keeping a tight enough mouth, so she quickly covered her mouth.

"I wouldn't dare. I can't bear the responsibility of ruining my senior brother's happiness."

For some reason, Huang Chu felt that Zhu Xiaoxu's smile had a meaning she couldn't understand. But the topic immediately changed.

"That's about it. Give this painting to your teacher's wife. I still need to go back and make a fuss, otherwise you'll have another handle to say that I've been spoiled."

Huang Chu saw him off at the back gate of the garden, and halfway there she heard another strange noise. She felt as if the garden was a treasure chest, with countless secrets hidden in its layers and drawers.

This time, however, the sound was different from the rustling noises of the last time; it was mixed with gruff shouts and curses.

"You think you can take over just because I'm dead! Don't you know what kind of person you are! You bastard! It's not your turn to be in charge, yet you're acting like you're the boss!" Accompanied by the sound of wind breaking.

Huang Chu felt a pang in her heart. Without even saying goodbye to Zhu Xiaoxu, she grabbed her skirt and rushed over. Zhu Xiaoxu dared not let her go alone, so he and Han Mama followed behind.