freenovelworld Chapter 8 Repaying kindness
Chapter 8 Repaying kindness
When the woman learned that Su Yuning had earned her first pot of gold but hadn't brought any gifts for the Zhou siblings, she frowned, looked very angry, and couldn't help but give her a stern lecture.
"Think about how the Zhou family treated us? The siblings took you hunting, delivered game and flour, and ran around doing everything for our family. But when you made money, you didn't give them a single penny. How could you be so heartless?"
Su Yuning lowered her head in shame and whispered, "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I was only thinking about paying the villagers, and I forgot about how good they were to me."
"Only those who are grateful can go further. A fence needs three posts, a hero needs three helpers, and having many friends makes the road easier. These are old sayings, you must know them, right?" the woman lectured sternly.
"Okay, Mother, I'll go prepare gifts for them right away!" Su Yuning replied, blushing.
"It's a long way from home to the city and back, I'll go with you!" the woman said worriedly.
"Okay." Su Yuning nodded obediently in agreement.
Afterwards, the woman used the limited amount of flour and eggs to make delicious egg pancakes. Su Yuning thought they were for the road, so she wanted to eat some first, but she was scolded again.
"Don't eat this! This is for your second brother! All you ever do is eat!"
Su Yuning, unable to lift her head after being criticized, had tears welling up in her deep, beautiful eyes, like sparkling pearls, swirling as if they might spill over at any moment. Her eyes were like a small lake, holding endless sorrow and grief, and these tears, like ripples on its surface, gently swayed yet never ceased. Each tear seemed to contain profound emotion and unspeakable pain; they rolled and lingered in her eyes, reluctant to fall, as if telling the story of Su Yuning's deepest grievances.
At this point, Old Su, who was recuperating, couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up for his daughter.
"Alright, alright, stop getting angry. Getting angry is bad for your health. Calm down. All your daughter wants is a piece of bread, let her have it! I'm hungry too, cut me a piece of bread as well."
The woman didn't say anything, but obediently did as she was told.
After that, the mother and daughter carried their bundles and headed into the city, one after the other.
At this very moment, the Zhou siblings are hunting deep in the mountains. They are both lucky and unlucky, because the two young children are facing a wild boar with tusks and a huge body!
"Sis, how about we hide in a tree for a bit?" Zhou Dong kindly suggested.
Zhou Xi was a renowned archer for miles around, and she wasn't afraid in the slightest of the ferocious, tusked, and enormous wild boar before her! Most people would have been terrified at the sight of such a ferocious beast, but she showed no fear. She stood firmly in place, her eyes resolute and sharp, as if telling the boar, "Come at me if you dare!" Her courage and boldness in the face of danger were truly admirable.
Afterwards, Zhou Xi drew her bow and fired arrows, launching an attack on the wild boar. However, her arrows only inflicted superficial wounds on the boar, failing to hit any vital organs. Moreover, after being wounded, the boar's eyes became even more terrifying, and it fiercely charged at Zhou Xi. Zhou Xi was exceptionally agile, dodging the boar's attacks with leaps and bounds. However, the boar did not give up and continued its attack on Zhou Xi.
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Dong threw a vine down from the tree, and Zhou Xi grabbed it and swung up the tree like a swing, successfully avoiding harm.
Afterwards, the wild boar circled the tree, trying to turn the hunters into its prey. Seeing that they were reluctant to come down from the tree, the angry wild boar started ramming the tree. By sheer coincidence, the wild boar rammed itself into the tree.
"I've searched high and low without finding it, but it's right here without any effort! Hahaha! This wild boar is truly excellent prey!" A hunter wearing a straw hat walked over from a distance, laughing as he tied the wild boar up tightly.
The Zhou siblings became anxious and climbed down from the tree. Then, they angrily accused each other.
"Hey! This was our prey! Why should we give it to you?"
The man took off his straw hat, looked up at the siblings, and asked, "What? Even if Father gets the game, it's not allowed?"
"Ah?! It's Daddy! Of course!" Zhou Xi replied happily.
The younger brother was overjoyed, exclaiming, "That's wonderful! That's wonderful! Our family is reunited!"
The group exchanged smiles and then headed home with their prey. The wild boar was too heavy, and the two children couldn't lift it any further, so they put it down and rested.
"Keep going, kids! We'll be home soon!" Hunter Zhou urged, but the children were too exhausted to pay any attention to him.
"I'll make you braised wild boar when we get home! And I'll also stew a pot of pork rib soup, okay?" Old Zhou asked with a smile. The children immediately felt motivated and nodded in agreement!
And so, the father and his two sons worked together and finally brought the wild boar home after sunset.
Meanwhile, the mother and son, now in town, were each busy with their own things. The woman went to the teahouse and brought her son some soft and delicious egg pancakes. The second son of the Su family was overjoyed and quickly prepared fragrant tea and snacks for his mother. As for Su Yuning, she went to buy gifts for the Zhou siblings.
As dusk settled and the streetlights came on, she walked alone down the street, glancing left and right, unsure of what to choose. Just then, a handsome and dashing young man in black approached her and greeted her.
"Miss Su, it's been a long time!"
Su Yuning has a bit of face blindness, so she mistook him for the restaurant owner's son and responded with a smile.
"Young Master Zhao, how are you!"
The man opposite him immediately frowned, his expression darkening. He corrected him in an unpleasant tone.
"My surname is Ye, and my given name is Beichen. I am not the Zhao Gongzi you know."
Su Yuning gave an awkward smile and apologized, "Sorry, it's getting late, I mistook you for someone else. If there's nothing else, let's say goodbye!" Then she turned and left, afraid of running into him again.
However, the young man in black caught up with her, grabbed her wrist, and, gazing at her tenderly, confessed his love.
"I've fallen in love with you, and you can't escape my grasp."
Su Yuning was extremely embarrassed. "We've only met once, sir. Please have some self-respect. Men and women shouldn't touch each other!" Hearing Su Yuning's words, the young master realized that he had been impolite and quickly let go of her hand.
"By the way, I'm going to pick out gifts for two of my friends. If you're free, you could help me with some advice," Su Yuning said in a friendly manner.
“Okay, let’s go together.” The young man in black nodded in agreement.
“I have two friends, one a girl and the other a boy. They are siblings and also my good friends. They helped my family a lot in the past, and now that I’m making money, I should repay them,” Su Yuning muttered to herself.
"How about this?" the handsome young man asked, picking up a pretty purse from a street stall.
Su Yuning nodded, "You have good taste. I think it's perfect for Sister Zhou."
And so, the young master insisted on paying, and Su Yuning had no choice but to give him her own coins, saying with a serious expression, "You only need to help with the advice, you don't need to pay. If you pay for me again, I'll ignore you."
The young man in black nodded obediently, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
"Candied hawthorns are sweet and sour, and suitable for all ages. I think it would be more appropriate for you to buy a few skewers for your younger brother," the young man in black suggested.
"Okay, boss, give me three skewers of candied hawthorn!" Su Yuning happily bought the candied hawthorn.
"It's getting late, you should go home now. We'll meet again!" After finishing her shopping, Su Yuning waved goodbye to Ye Beichen.
"Hey! I don't even know where you live, how can we meet again?" Ye Beichen asked, somewhat annoyed.
“My home… is in a mountain village, and transportation there is inconvenient. Let’s meet in the city instead.” Su Yuning didn’t want to tell him her home address.
“Alright, let’s meet at the Ni Chang Pavilion in the city on the first day of each month,” the young master suggested.
"Why?" Su Yuning asked, puzzled.
The young master smiled slightly, stroked her hair, and replied, "I'll have some beautiful clothes made for you."
Su Yuning waved her hand and declined, "I can't accept something for nothing. I appreciate your kindness, but I don't need the clothes. Goodbye!"
"Alright!" the young master nodded in agreement.
Afterwards, Su Yuning went to the teahouse to find her mother. The two of them originally planned to walk back, but Su's second son, who was worried about them, hired a carriage to take them home.
It was already very late when Su Yuning knocked on the Zhou family's door. When Old Zhou opened the door and saw that it was Su Yuning, he asked curiously, "The children are all asleep. Is there something you need so late?"
Su Yuning handed the purse and candied hawthorns to Old Zhou, "Uncle Zhou, these are gifts I bought for Sister Zhou and my younger brother. Please give them to them."
"Okay, it's too late, you should go home and rest early!" Old Zhou replied warmly as he accepted the gift.
"Okay, goodbye Uncle Zhou!" Su Yuning waved goodbye to the hunter and then went home with her lantern.
The night was deep, not a single star could pierce the endless darkness. Yet, within this inky blackness, a bright moon hung high in the sky, like a dazzling pearl radiating a bright yet soft light. It hung silently in the night sky, its moonlight pouring down like water, making the previously indistinct scenery crystal clear. Trees, houses, and mountains were all covered in this silvery glow, presenting a mysterious and serene beauty.
Under such moonlight, everything seemed so quiet and peaceful. Su Yuning slept especially soundly that night, after all, she had already done her duty to repay kindness.