Chapter 679: From Tensed to Relaxed
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“The apricots from Blossom Village are the tastiest.”
Su Binglan saw many apricot trees in Blossom Village when she arrived. Even the mountain had plenty of them. However, since they were plentiful, no one here bought them.
Even if the apricots were ripe, the villagers could not sell them for much. The apricots would rot in that case because they were difficult to store. However, if Su Binglan made canned apricots, the villagers could store them longer.
With those thoughts in mind, Su Binglan smiled. She knew there would be more fruits in summer.
The family busied themselves with picking mung beans and prepping them that evening. The following day, Shen Zhishan brought his father home. Shen Qiuchuan was thrilled when he saw his sister and niece.
He became even more excited when Su Binglan told him about the mung beans. Of course, he also quit his town job before going home. Immediately after, he started to help the family with the mung beans.
Shen Qiuchuan and Madam Me were so excited that night that they could not sleep. Madam Ma said, “Home is the best because we can sleep peacefully here.’
Shen Qiuchuan agreed. “That’s right. I couldn’t eat or sleep well when I was out there. Even though it was freezing, I had to drive the carriage around.”
When he returned home, his hands were cold and dry. Su Binglan had applied ointment on his hands to help them heal. Most importantly, Shen Qiuchuan was at ease when he realized his mother’s health had improved.
He felt relaxed as he lay on the heated brick bed.
Madam Ma looked at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” Shen Qiuchuan replied, “You’ve worked hard for his family.”
Madam Ma added, “We’ll be better in the future. I didn’t expect Binglan to be so capable. She can make so much money with her ideas.”
Shen Qiuchuan responded, “Well, my sister isn’t ordinary, so her daughter should be exceptional.”
He knew his sister’s true identity, but his wide did not. In Shen Qiuchuan’s eyes, his sister and niece were skillful.
Madam Ma guiltily said, “l always felt you and your parents were biased toward Qiuhua. I’m ashamed of how 1 treated her.”
Many things had become more apparent to Madam Ma as he grew older and
experienced more hardships. She wished she could hide in a hole whenever she recalled her past.
Shen Qiuchuan was surprised to hear his wife’s words. He knew she was straightforward but had never reflected on her mistakes. It took a while for Shen Qiuchuan to process his wife’s sudden character change.
He said, “It’s good you’ve realized it. A family can only improve if they stick together. My parents always taught me that a peaceful family will prosper. My sister is a good person.
“It’s good now since nothing is between you two. Qiuhua still came to help when we needed her. No one else could do that besides her. She’s the one who brought these duvets and other things.”
Madam Ma sighed, “You’re right. 1 was so narrow-minded in the past.”
Only at critical moments would a person see who was most sincere to them. It was also Su Binglan’s medicine that cured Lin Qin. Otherwise, Madam Ma and Shen Qiuchuan had to spend much money on medicine and doctor visits.
Thankfully, Su Binglan even checked on Jiang Nainai!s pregnancy. Madam Ma and Shen Qiuchuan were even more relieved about that. Of course, the older couple would not doubt their niece’s medical skills.
They even talked about the sweet potatoes and mung beans until they finally had a pleasant and relaxing sleep at midnight.
The following morning, Shen Qiuchuan shot up because he thought he was still working in town. He startled his wife awake, and she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Qiuchuan looked at his wife and then around the room. He was puzzled for a moment before finally calming down. He said, “I’m fine, I thought I was still in town. I was afraid I had overslept.”
Madam Ma understood her husband’s feelings. What she feared most when working for a wealthy family was oversleeping. She was always tense, even when asleep.
She also shot up in the same manner as her husband when she came home a day before him. She felt an indescribable relaxation when she realized she was back home.
“There’s no place like home. No one will scold me if I sleep in.”
Shen Qiuchuan lay down again, saying, “Yeah, home is the best place to be,”
He did other things besides driving the carriage in town. Still, he had to wake up before dawn. However, he would not wake up so early when he was at home. Instead, he would wake up whenever he wanted.
Since most people had nothing much to do after the autumn harvest, Madam Ma and Shen Qiuchuan could sleep on their warm brick bed. If they cut more firewood and stored it at home, they could use it to warm up their bed during winter.
Shen Qiuchuan covered himself with the duvet and said, “This feels nice and warm. I didn’t feel cold last night.”
Madam Ma added, “I was surprised when Qiuhua gave that to me yesterday. After using it all night, I realized how warm it made me. The duvet is light and comfortable.’
Shen Qiuchuan chatted with his wife until dawn. Then, they got out of bed, washed up, and prepared breakfast. Afterward, they went to the mountain to pick more mung beans.
Su Binglan also advised them to store some mung beans to plat when spring arrived. By then, they could continue earning money from the sprouted beans. The couple felt energized now that they had a goal to work toward.
A few days later, the prepared beans sprouted. Su Binglan cut some and said, “Let’s have these for lunch.’
The whole family was excited to eat the bean sprouts. They had eaten plenty of good food with Su Binglan and the rest these past few days. Each meal was different, and the food was delicious.
Madam Ma and Jiang Nainai even learned to cook many dishes. Madam Ma said, “Binglan, do you need help?”
She had grown accustomed to helping her niece. Su Binglan was generous and explained everything she did when she cooked. “Aunt Ma, you can help wash these bean sprouts. We’ll stir-fry them for lunch..”