Chapter 59: Showing Off

News of their move spread quickly through the village. Proper etiquette required that they visit the clan elder in person to inform him, lest it be seen as disrespect.

So, Qiu Yurou and Su Yunting went together to the elder’s house.

If it were only about giving a formal notice, Qiu Yurou wouldn’t have bothered to come. She had had more than her fill of polite pleasantries, and Su Yunting was perfectly capable of handling clan matters on his own.

The real reason she came was to see her close friend, Ni Yafeng.

Ni Yafeng was about to give birth and truly couldn’t leave the house. Whenever Qiu Yurou wasn’t in the county, she would stop by every few days to check on her.

Seeing Qiu Yurou arrive, Ni Yafeng tried to sit up.

Qiu Yurou quickly said, “Just stay lying down. Don’t move it looks exhausting.”

Ni Yafeng chuckled. “These past two days I really have been unbearably tired. I can’t wait to get this little one out and finally feel some relief.”

“When exactly is your due date?” Qiu Yurou asked.

“In the next couple of days,” Ni Yafeng replied.

Qiu Yurou blinked. “…That’s what you said last time.”

Catching her accusatory look, Ni Yafeng laughed. “No one knows the exact day a baby will come. As long as the month is right, being a few days early or late is perfectly normal.”

Qiu Yurou had never experienced childbirth herself, nor had she been around women so close to delivery, so she couldn’t say more.

Instead, she handed over a piece of silk she’d picked up cheaply in the county. “I found this for a bargain. You can put it aside and make a little New Year’s outfit for the baby.”

Normally Ni Yafeng wasn’t one to stand on ceremony, but today’s fabric was far nicer than the inexpensive bits she usually brought. She handed it back. “I’ve already prepared plenty of material. You keep this, you’ll need to use it in a couple of years.”

Qiu Yurou had bought it with Ni Yafeng’s child in mind, so she refused to take it back. With a smile, she said, “I’m not holding onto it that long. Besides, it’s not for you, it’s for the baby.”

The words had barely left her mouth when she saw Ni Yafeng’s belly push up in one spot.

Qiu Yurou, inexperienced as she was, could only stare wide-eyed, “!!!”

Ni Yafeng laughed again at her astonishment.

Qiu Yurou crouched down and gently placed her hand on the rounded belly. At first there was no movement, and she was about to pull back when something pressed against her palm.

A rush of emotion surged through her, an indescribable feeling that might have been insight into life itself, or perhaps simple reverence.

——

Since Su Yunting had to notify the Su clan elder about the move, Qiu Yurou also had to return to her natal family to do the same.

The next day, the two of them went back to Qianqiao Village. Her third uncle’s family was still living in the old house, while their newly built home had to be left to air out through the summer to clear the damp before anyone could move in.

Ever since Qiu Yurou had subtly turned Old Man Qiu against Old Lady Zhou last time, she’d been watching their relationship carefully.

Her third uncle’s new house had already strained things between the old couple, so this visit, if only to witness more discord between them, was something Qiu Yurou didn’t mind in the least.

She wasn’t only there to watch their quarrels but she also wanted to show off her own good fortune.

Just as their misery brought her satisfaction, letting them see her prosperous life would certainly sour their moods.

Their cart had only a simple canopy held up by poles at each corner, leaving the sides open to the summer air. As they neared Qianqiao Village and met familiar faces, Qiu Yurou greeted everyone warmly.

Since marrying, she rarely returned, and now she had come back at an odd time; neither festival nor holiday, so people naturally asked, “Why are you here now?”

Qiu Yurou smiled. “My husband has caught the eye of the county magistrate, who even helped us purchase a two-compound residence in the county so he can study more conveniently at the academy. The house is nearly ready, and in a few days we’ll be moving. I came back today to inform Grandfather and Third Uncle.”

Su Yunting made no move to stop her deliberate boasting; in fact, he fully cooperated.

Whenever Qiu Yurou told someone about their move, he would invite them to stop by the county and visit their new home.

An invitation from a xiucai was a mark of great respect. Whether they actually went or not, the villagers all felt honored.

After all, they were just humble farmers. The only reason a xiucai would extend them such courtesy was because his wife was from their village. Clearly, he cherished her and thus gave them face.

By the time they reached her family home, word had already spread through Qianqiao that Qiu Yurou had married well, lived well, and was treasured by her husband.

By the time word had spread through the whole village, Qiu Yurou and Su Yunting arrived at the Qiu family’s old house. The atmosphere there was starkly divided.

At Third Uncle’s place, the whole family was busy frying chunks of meat and tofu in preparation for tomorrow’s market in town. On every market day, Third Uncle set up a stall to sell huicai—a kind of mixed stew and today’s meat and tofu had to be fried in advance. Though they were hard at work, the family’s spirits were high, chatting and laughing as they bustled about.

Over at the old couple’s side, however, things were very different. Old Lady Zhou had just been scolded inside by Old Man Qiu, and when she came out she tried to vent her anger by berating her daughter-in-law. But this time her daughter-in-law talked back, so when Qiu Yurou entered the courtyard, she caught sight of her grandmother cursing at the eldest granddaughter instead.

A “helpful” neighbor happened to follow Qiu Yurou in. Hearing Old Lady Zhou still hurling abuse, he said with a chuckle, “Elder sister-in-law, stop scolding already. If you keep cursing day in and day out, even blessings will be too scared to cross your threshold!”

From inside the house, Old Man Qiu heard this and thought bitterly: so even outsiders could see that his wife was a bringer of misfortune.

He prided himself on being a man of reputation. At home he often called his wife a jinx, but that was behind closed doors. Now that someone else had said it out loud, it was like having his face slapped in public. He felt his cheeks burn with shame, fury simmering in his chest.

Just then, while he was still trying to swallow his anger, he heard a clear voice from outside, “Grandfather, I’m back.”

It was his granddaughter, the one married to a xiucai. He didn’t care much for her personally, but he did value his scholar grandson-in-law. Forgetting his irritation, he hurried out of the house to see if the young man had come too.

Su Yunting caught sight of him rushing out and greeted with polite reserve, “Grandfather.”

A smile immediately spread across Old Man Qiu’s face, and he invited him into the main hall.

Since her marriage, Qiu Yurou had never stepped into the hall where her grandparents lived, and a husband wouldn’t go where she hadn’t. Naturally, Su Yunting also declined. Instead, he simply asked after the old man’s health.

Lately, because of his wife’s behavior, Old Man Qiu had been perpetually stifled with anger. He would only mutter scoldings to her in private, unable to vent properly, and it left his chest tight and throat clogged. If it had been an ordinary illness, he might have said so. But to admit to his scholar grandson-in-law that he was being driven to sickness by his wife’s tongue? That was impossible.

So he simply said, “I’m fine.”

They exchanged a few polite words, and by then Third Uncle and his wife had put down their work to come greet them as well.

Qiu Yurou, as usual, first presented a couple of gifts to Old Lady Zhou, which the old woman accepted without hesitation.

That “helpful” neighbor seized the chance to say, “Elder sister-in-law, back when Yurou wasn’t married, you used to scold her terribly every single day. It’s rare enough that she doesn’t hold it against you and every time she visits, she brings you nice things! You should count yourself lucky to have such a granddaughter.”

Old Lady Zhou, still seething from his earlier jab, snapped back, “Who doesn’t scold their children? Even if I scolded her, I never let her go hungry or poorly clothed, I raised her properly. If she didn’t honor me then that would mean her conscience was rotten!”

The neighbor let out a pointed “heh.” He knew full well what was going on between the old couple as he lived just behind their house, and could hear Old Man Qiu cursing his wife day after day.

He was about to press his point when Qiu Yurou handed him a bundle of steamed cakes. “Granduncle Liu, please don’t be angry. My grandmother has always been like this. For the sake of my grandfather, don’t take her words to heart.”

The neighbor accepted the cakes with a broad smile. “Yurou, life’s hardships are finite. Before you married, you endured all the suffering meant for a lifetime. From here on, it’ll be nothing but good days for you.”

Whether he said it to needle Old Lady Zhou or to curry favor with herself, Qiu Yurou truly enjoyed hearing it.

She then handed him two pieces of fruit. “My grandmother’s teeth aren’t good. She used to scold me, saying the food I made was too hard and she couldn’t chew it. But your wife has strong teeth so take this home and let her try them.”

The neighbor laughed, accepted the fruit with delight, and left.

In truth, Old Lady Zhou’s teeth were fine. She had simply used the excuse of “too hard to chew” to find fault with Qiu Yurou’s cooking in the past.

Meanwhile, Su Yunting had gone cold. From the moment Old Lady Zhou claimed that if Qiu Yurou didn’t honor her, she would be heartless, he stopped making polite conversation with Old Man Qiu. All his attention turned to his wife, his expression one of readiness, as though if she showed even the slightest displeasure, he would immediately explode.

Once the neighbor left, Old Lady Zhou’s resentment boiled over again. She was angry at him, even angrier at Qiu Yurou. But now she no longer dared to scOld Man Qiu Yurou openly. All she could do was glare at her, and then prepare to retreat into the house.

Seeing this, Su Yunting gave a loud, disdainful “hmph.”

Then he said to Old Man Qiu, “Grandfather, I once asked Yurou why she wasn’t close to Grandmother. All she told me was that Grandmother had a difficult temper. She never said that Grandmother cursed her every single day. If not for the neighbor mentioning it just now, I would never have known that Yurou grew up in a household where she was scolded daily!”

His words were partly for show, to support his wife, but also born of real anger at seeing how Old Lady Zhou treated her.

In his past life, he had served as a close minister to an emperor for over a decade. Usually he kept his authority carefully restrained. But when he released it, like now, the effect was overwhelming.

Not just Old Lady Zhou, even Third Uncle’s family, who thought they had treated Qiu Yurou fairly well, felt a sudden urge to kneel and beg forgiveness under the weight of his presence.

Faced with Su Yunting’s rebuke, Old Man Qiu broke into a sweat. His legs trembled as if they might give out beneath him.

Everyone else was stunned by the force of Su Yunting’s aura. Even Qiu Yurou, who had never seen him like this before, felt her heart pounding.

But her heartbeat wasn’t from fear; it was from being moved.

Still, moved or not, she couldn’t let things break down completely. She hurried to steady Old Man Qiu and chided her husband, “What are you doing? Grandfather never scolded me, why are you taking out your temper on him?”

At her words, Su Yunting cast Old Man Qiu a final look and said nothing more.

Third Uncle shot his wife a glance, signaling her to quickly escort Old Lady Zhou inside. Then he braced himself, gathered his courage, and invited Su Yunting to sit in the hall and talk.

Since this was one of the few relatives of his wife he was willing to acknowledge, Su Yunting gave him face and followed him inside.

—-

After having lunch at the Qiu household, Qiu Yurou and Su Yunting waited until the afternoon heat began to fade before boarding their hired mule cart.

They set off in high spirits, returning to Sujia village.

But before they had even gotten home, they were met with urgent news. At the food stall, Aunt Shuncai rushed up to Qiu Yurou, blurting out, “Yurou, Ni Yafeng is having a difficult labor, she’s not going to make it!”