Chapter 72

Hearing the story, Xu Ran also gave a sigh. He didn’t expect that this guy had such an infatuation. No wonder he could go to do business with such a cultured manner.

Zhuo Yun drank up the whole pot of wine. He was not in a good mood, so now he almost got drunk.

Thinking that he might bother Zhuo Yun in future, Xu Ran considered that he might find some way to ease the relationship between Zhuo Yun and Qin Shuwen.

He stood up and patted Zhuo Yun, “Mr. Zhuo, can you hear me? Actually it is easy to solve your problem. All the things happened because your spouse can’t let go what you did back then. Everything starts from you asked the poor guy to leave. You have known nothing about how he was after he left. I suggest you send someone to find him. Besides, I also suggest you use a trick of self-torturing. Isn’t there a saying that Ger’ers’ hearts are made of water? With the softest heart, your spouse may probably be moved by you then. ”

Xu Ran talked a lot to Zhuo Yun and was not sure if the latter had heard him. Getting out of the room and looking up in the sky, Xu Ran just realized it was already past noon.

“Shit! Have Wu Mei and others left?” Xu Ran muttered and turned back to the shopkeeper for a few words. He told the shopkeeper that Zhuo Yun was drunk and asked him to take good care of Zhuo Yun. After this, Xu Ran left.

When Xu Ran arrived at Wu Mei’s stall, no one was there already. Then Xu Ran rushed to the ox cart and just saw Wu Mei and others were chatting on the ox cart.

Liu Qing saw Xu Ran with sharp eyes, shouting, “Xu Ran, come here! You are finally back!”

Xu Ran smiled with some awkwardness, “Sorry to have kept you waiting. I visited a friend and he must invite me to have a meal with him. He talked a lot to me and I just found it was already past noon when I came out.”

“That’s all right, as long as you are back. Let’s get back and don’t get our families worried.”

Xu Ran put the pack basket on the ox cart, walking to the front of the cart, “Let me drive.”

Wu Mei said nothing. Xu Ran was a man and he wouldn’t let a Ge’er to drive. So Wu Mei left his place to Xu Ran.

When Xu Ran was back, Liu Tong had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him. There was only 20 mu of their land grown with wheat. For the other land, Xu Ran agreed Liu Tong was in full charge. Liu Tong had started to grow potatoes these days.

However, he did’t grow many, mainly because it was too cold now and Liu Tong was afraid the potatoes got frozen.

During the dinner, Xu Ran told Liu Tong about Zhuo Yun’s story and also his suggestion of the self-torturing trick, receiving a cold eye from Liu Tong.

“How can you do that? How sad the Ge’er would be if he knew this!” Liu Tong criticized Xu Ran seriously.

Tangtang and Guoguo kept focusing on their food, knowing nothing about what their dad and daddy were talking about.

Hearing Liu Tong’s words, Xu Ran just realized that his suggestion was bad for Qin Shuwen. Relating it to Liu Tong’s unusual behavior on that day when he was back, Xu Ran touched his nose in embarrassment, “Tongtong, I’m sorry. I won’t give any bad idea like that any more.”

Xu Ran’s helpless look made Liu Tong felt both angry and funny.

Lying on the bed at night, Xu Ran intended to have a deep talk with Liu Tong. He pulled Liu Tong who had just taken a bath, “Tongtong, shall we have another child?”

Speaking of the child thing, Liu Tong was a little shy, “Why do you mention this suddenly?”

Xu Ran didn’t beat around the bush, “You were not happy on that day we were back from the town because of Zhang Yue’s words, were you? You can be assured that I won’t marry any others. Do I look like the one without conscience? Let’s have another child, all right? A child as cute as Tangtang and Guoguo.”

Surely Liu Tong would not object, but he stared down at his belly, looking worried, “Ran, I have never got pregnant since I gave birth to Tangtang and Guoguo. Do you think I should go to see a doctor?”

If Liu Tong had got pregnant once, he must be able to get pregnant twice. Xu Ran didn’t think much, pulling Liu Tong to the bed, “It must be because I don’t work hard enough. Let’s work harder this winter and you will surely get pregnant next year.”

“Sure,” Ling Tong replied in a low voice.

Another amazing night.

Zhuo Yun went home soon after Xu Ran had left. With courage stirred by alcohol, Zhuo Yun hugged Qin Shuwen tightly. At first Qin Shuwen tried to struggle, but he knew that Zhuo Yun was drunk when he smelt the alcohol on Zhuo Yun.

Zhuo Yun got drunk several times every month and had sex with Qin Shuwen every time when he got drunk. Qin Shuwen didn’t refuse. This might be the only thing he cooperated with Zhuo Yun after he married him.

But today it was a little different. Zhuo Yun hugged Qin Shuwen for quite a while and didn’t go to bed; instead, he put his chin on Qin Shuwen’s shoulder and talked to him, “Shuwen, could you please give me a child? Only one is enough. Then I will set you free.”

There was even a hint of pleading in his voice. Qin Shuwen’s body quivered. ‘Did he say that he would set him free? Having expected for five years, Zhuo Yun finally said that he could free him. He should be happy, but didn’t know why he suddenly felt empty in his heart.

“Shuwen, could you give me a child?” Zhuo Yun kept repeating this words in Qin Shuwen’s ear. Qin Shuwen felt a rush of annoyance, but couldn’t tell why.

Finally, Qin Shuwen struggled out of Zhuo Yun’s embrace, looking coldly at the man. The corner of Zhuo Yun’s eyes had been put on some red color because of being drunk.

“Did you say that you will give me freedom as long as I give birth to a child?”

Zhuo Yun looked at Qin Shuwen sadly and after a long time he nodded, “Yes, at least I have a child as a comfort after you leave.”

When speaking of this, Zhuo Yun seemed very sober, making Qing Shuwen a little distracted. Afterwards, somehow they fell into bed. While Zhuo Yun was still muttering the child thing, Qin Shuwen’s mind went blank and he looked bewildered.

‘I should definitely be happy, shouldn’t I? I will be free soon and leave this place where I have been living for five years, the place I hate most. What’s more, I won’t have to see Zhuo Yun any more.’

From sunset to late night, Qin Shuwen was so tired that he even fainted finally. Zhuo Yun cupped his face tenderly and murmured softly, “Shuwen, why do you always ignore me? I’ve been trying hard for such a long time…”

In the following days, Zhuo Yun hardly went out of home. He had been sticking with Qin Shuwen all the time, and developing all kinds of new dishes for him. The chestnuts given by Xu Ran was also made into chestnut rice for Qin Shuwen. It was the rare food that Qin Shuwen liked but he was not happy. As for the reason, he couldn’t figure it out himself.

…

Speaking of Mr. Chen, his business was even more prosperous since the restaurant launched new dishes and cakes made with chestnuts. The business was booming. However, the new dishes and cakes were limited to sell since Xu Ran could only provide limited amount of chestnuts.

The customers who didn’t eat enough all went to Wu Mei’s stall for fried chestnuts. The previous thought was that the craze for fried chestnuts would cool down with time. Out of expectation, the business was getting better and better.

However, it would not be sold for long, because Xu Ran had almost bought all the chestnuts around the villages nearby. Chestnuts were seasonal and only available for a certain period of time during the year.

But in Xu Ran’s mind, they could just rest in winter time after the chestnuts were sold out. It was much colder here than it was in the 21st century. Winter could not be harder to live through without gas, fire, heating pads and down coat.

When Xu Ran got up in the morning, he found all of the yard was covered with white frost. Xu Ran felt that his feet were almost frozen. He wondered if he should go to find several pairs of socks to put on.

And shoes too. It was better to put some fluffy stuff inside before he could go out in the winter.

Xu Ran also noticed that some poor people were still wearing straw sandals in days like this. Xu Ran couldn’t help admiring them more.

Although Xu Ran’s bamboo cottage had been put on brown paper outside, it wasn’t warm still. After all, there was no heating equipment inside and there were leaks on the cottage.

Fortunately, Liu Tong had prepared the winter quilts long ago. Xu Ran could only feel himself when he was sleeping in bed. With teeth chattering, Xu Ran was pretty sure that this was his coldest winter. He had never experienced such a cold winter before.

Tangtang and Guoguo didn’t feel cold at all, though. They ran outside around all the day with the four puppies.

Now the four dogs had grown up a little, so they no longer had to drink soup. Following Xu Ran’s suggestion, Tangtang and Guoguo trained the puppies to pee and poo in a certain place and time. They were good dogs.

It seemed that they were living a decent life.

Of course, some people were happy, while some people were not.