CH 21.1

Chapter 21: Zhao Dalang was Beaten (1) Original translation is from tenderflower's blog.

It was getting hotter and the sun was shining brightly on the water.

After running around all morning, big beans of sweat rolled down from his forehead. Xiao Shouwang wiped off the sweat, simply put the bamboo tube beside him, and quickly washed his face. The water in the river was cool. It seemed as if the whole body had been soaked in cold water, and he was completely alive.

“Ah Lang, come and wash your face!” Xiao Shouwang called back.

Xiao Lang sat with his back against the tree, looked sideways at the river, and shook his head.

Xiao Shouwang frowned. What happened to his son? After returning from the town, he looked unhappy. Although he usually didn’t like to smile, every time he went up the mountain, there was an intimidating light in his eyes. It seemed so sad now.

Maybe it was because Ah Lan wasn’t home?

Thinking that his son had grown up, Xiao Shouwang became more certain of his guess. He picked up the water, returned to Xiao Lang, and sat down next to him.

“Cough, Ah Lang, did you go to town yesterday to find Ah Lan?” Xiao Shouwang touched his son’s head and said as softly as possible. He was a big man and it was quite embarrassing to tell his child about this kind of thing.

Xiao Lang’s body froze. He was still not used to Xiao Shouwang’s intimate actions. He instinctively wanted to dodge, but when he saw Xiao Shouwang’s dark face, he held it back. He honestly didn’t move but didn’t answer his question.

(T/N: their father and son have dark skin color, it’s not that kind of darkening his face in a situation lol.)

Alas, how could one please girls with his son’s sullen temperament?

In order to cheer up his son, Xiao Shouwang felt the need to impart some experience to him.

“Ah Lang, if you like Ah Lan, you have to be nice to her, so as to make her happy. When she is happy, she will be willing to play with you. After playing for a long time, she will get used to find you and get used to seeing you every day. At that time, she will simply like you.”

Xiao Lang’s dull expression finally loosened. His look was a little strange as he looked into Xiao Shouwang’s eyes. Who liked that lazy girl? Be nice to her? He couldn’t wait to beat her and bully her every day!

Xiao Shouwang was a little speechless by the look in his son’s eyes, “Ah Lang, tell the truth to your father, do you like Ah Lan? If you like her, I’ll go and find out for you. Your uncle is good-natured and watches you grow up, he won’t despise our poor family.” Although it was too early to talk about marriage at the age of 10, with his son’s appearance, it was better to figure it out sooner. If the Shu family thought the two children were not suitable, they could let his son give up as soon as possible. Children were forgetful. After 2 or 3 years, he would not think about her.

Maybe Xiao Shouwang lost his mother when he was a child and his father didn’t care about him. His wife was also an orphan that he liked, therefore, he didn’t think much about his son’s marriage. He always thought as long as his son liked it. He didn’t think whether Ah Lan was suitable to be a daughter-in-law for the time being.

Xiao Lang’s heart skipped a beat. Did father mean to let him marry the lazy girl?

After marrying her back, she would have to move to his house, and would never be able to live in someone else’s house again!

It was a good idea. Xiao Lang was suddenly in a good mood. Even though he was indifferent in front of others, Xiao Shouwang still felt the change in his son’s mood and said with a smile, “Silly boy. Okay, I see that you don’t have the mind to hunt, go home first, or go to the town to find Ah Lan.”

The ambiguous smile on his face made Xiao Lang’s face inexplicably hot. In short, how did he know the grudge between him and the lazy girl?

“Father, then I’m going back, be careful, don’t go deep into the mountains.” Xiao Lang stood up and said uncomfortably.

“Go, go, father knows. Right, if you go to Ah Lan, remember to bring her something delicious!” Xiao Shouwang looked at his son’s disappearing figure and reminded him attentively.

Xiao Lang paused for a moment, then walked faster, and disappeared behind the bushes in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Shouwang smiled helplessly. Suddenly he thought of something and a trace of sadness appeared in his eyes. In the beginning, he was stupid, and he couldn’t say sweet words to coax his wife. When he saw her, he blushed and heartbeat. In the end, she was still angry and asked him while crying whether he wanted to marry her or not. Xiao Shouwang would always remember how Lan-shi had beaten him while crying with her hands on his hips.

In the blink of an eye, her son was so big, but unfortunately, she couldn’t see...

******

Back at home, Xiao Lang changed into a half-new gray cloth shirt. He thought about it and went to Shu’s house.

Qin-shi and Shu Wan were brushing the mats, preparing to spread them on the cotton pads on the heated-brick bed. When they saw Xiao Lang coming over, they were a little surprised, “Ah Lang, why did you come back from the mountain so soon today?”

Xiao Lang looked at Shu Wan and said to Qin-shi in embarrassment: “Aunt, it will be my father’s birthday in 5 days. I want to go to the town to buy something for him, but I’m afraid I don’t know what to pick, so I want to ask Sister Wan to help me look, is it convenient? If she can’t do it today, we can go tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Qin-shi’s eyes immediately became as soft as water. The more she looked at Xiao Lang, the more she liked it. What a filial good boy. If Ah Lan was half as sensible as him, she would be satisfied. “What’s inconvenient? Ah Wan, you can take Ah Lang to go now. Hmm, go to your grandmother’s house for lunch, and bring your younger sister back by the way, so as not to be embarrassed there and distract your brother!”

“Yes,” Shu Wan replied and said to Xiao Lang with a smile, “You wait here, I’ll change my clothes.”