Village Belle Chapter 140
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 140: Milksop, Something's Wrong With You
On the carriage back to the inn, Su Tao sensed that Xie Yuntang was a little angry. She thought he’d been bullied at the book club. "What's wrong? Who bullied you? Tell me, and I'll teach them a lesson!"
"Nothing."
Xie Yuntang looked at her, hesitant to speak. After a while, he said sullenly, "Sister Taozi, you can't stare at men. People will gossip."
Su Tao knew he was referring to Lin Jiasheng. "He's handsome. What gossip can they say when I just took a few looks at him? I look at you every day. But he's not as handsome as you."
Xie Yuntang's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah. I thought you didn't care about looks!"
Su Tao suddenly thought of something, leaned closer to Xie Yuntang, and said seriously, "Milksop, what do you think about me opening a school in the village, teaching women to read? I know the Thousand Character Classic by heart."
The fragrance emanating from Su Tao intensified. Xie Yuntang subconsciously moved aside a little, thought seriously for a moment, and said, "That's a good idea."
"I think so too."
Su Tao found a way to make money and couldn't wait to get started.
She wasn't worried about a lack of attendees. Wei Yan was a walking advertisement. She could ask Lin Sanzhu to go out and promote that girls with some education could marry well.
……
On the afternoon the book club ended, Xie Yuntang took Su Tao out to buy clothes.
With new clothes to wear, Su Tao, of course, didn't hold back and shamelessly picked out two pretty outfits.
"Sister Taozi, why don't you buy a few more? Those over there are pretty too." Xie Yuntang's gaze fell on the samples, seriously helping Su Tao choose.
"No, I only want these two. Do you want to buy any? You'll definitely look handsome in that one."
Su Tao shook her head, then pointed to the men's clothing. It was a dark blue inner garment over a white gauze robe.
Xie Yuntang nodded. "Okay, Sister Taozi. Pick out a couple of outfits for Auntie Su and Uncle Su."
Su Tao glanced at him, smiled, and sighed. "You're practically treating my parents as your own. No wonder my mother likes you so much."
Hearing this, Xie Yuntang's eyes crinkled with laughter, and he said sincerely, "Sister Taozi, your parents are my parents too."
He would take care of Sister Taozi's parents in the future.
She felt relieved knowing Xie Yuntang would be taking care of Lin Sanzhu and the others when she went home. Su Tao patted his shoulder. "You have to keep your word."
After buying clothes, they also bought a lot of food, and the next morning, the two hurried back to the village.
As the carriage entered the village, Xie Yuntang saw Su Tao sitting with her legs crossed. "Sister Taozi, do you want to come to my house for dinner?"
Su Tao had eaten too much on the way and wasn't hungry. She shook her head. "No, I’m too full to eat."
Xie Yuntang was a little disappointed, but quickly said to the outside, "Uncle Li, go straight to Sister Taozi's house."
They soon arrived at the Su family's gate. Su Tao immediately got off the carriage and started calling out, "Mom, Mom..."
"Wretched girl, what are you yelling for?"
Lin Sanzhu ran out of the house, looking Su Tao up and down before finally fixing her gaze on her face. "What happened to your face? Did someone hit you?" she asked anxiously.
"I bumped into something. It's nothing, I'll be fine soon." Su Tao didn't intend to tell the truth, knowing Lin Sanzhu would worry.
At this moment, Xie Yuntang got off the carriage and politely greeted Lin Sanzhu, "Auntie Su."
"Yuntang, what did you buy for her this time? Come in and sit down. Wretched girl, all you ever do is ask your Brother Yuntang to buy you things."
Lin Sanzhu glared at Su Tao instinctively when she saw what he was carrying.
After all, Xie Yuntang often bought her things.
Su Tao refused to take the blame. "It wasn't for me. It was clothes he bought for you all."
Lin Sanzhu was taken aback, and upon hearing that it was for them, she immediately felt embarrassed. "How could you let Yuntang buy them? Wretched girl, why didn't you stop him?"
"Yuntang, you didn't have to buy them for us. We already have clothes at home. Take them home for your parents."
"Auntie Su, don't blame Taozi. I wanted to buy them. My parents already have clothes."
Xie Yuntang, afraid that she would hit Su Tao, instinctively stood in front of her. Su Tao clung to his arm and said, "Mom, he hasn't eaten yet. Go and get him some food."
She had snacked on the way, but Xie Yuntang hadn't, so he was probably hungry.
Hearing that he hadn't eaten, Lin Sanzhu quickly nodded. "Yuntang, come in quickly. I'll cook you two dishes."
Su Tao entered the house but didn't see Su Dou. "Mom, where's Doudou?"
"He's sleeping in his room. Go wake him up. He's been thinking about you every day."
Lin Sanzhu wiped a stool for Xie Yuntang to sit on, then went to the kitchen.
Su Dou and Su Zhi shared a room. Su Tao went in and caught a foul odor, guessing that Su Dou and Su Zhi had used the chamber pot in their room.
She turned and nudged Xie Yuntang, pinching her nose. "Don't go in, it stinks, ugh!"
"Mom, didn't I say not to put the chamber pot in the room? Why is it there again?"
"It's all because of your rascal brother. He was lazy last night and didn't want to go out, so he sneaked it in yesterday. I forgot about it. Take it out and clear it," Lin Sanzhu replied from the kitchen.
Su Tao rolled her eyes. "I’m not going to do it. Let Su Zhi do it himself. It stinks."
"I'll do it." Xie Yuntang, who was standing next to her, rolled up his sleeves and prepared to go inside.
Su Tao was stunned, then quickly grabbed him. "Why are you offering to do it? It's filthy." She then pulled him into the main room.
She quickly glanced at him. "Milksop, something's wrong with you."
Xie Yuntang felt his heart skip a beat under her gaze. He was about to say something when Su Tao leaned closer and whispered, "Are you afraid I'll tell my mom about the attack? Don't worry, I won't tell her. Even if I did, my mom wouldn't blame you."
She patted his arm, winked, and added, "Don't worry."
Meeting her astute gaze, Xie Yuntang's heart pounded again, and a faint blush quickly rose to his cheeks.
……
Lin Sanzhu whipped up two simple dishes to fill their stomachs. Su Tao was too full to eat, so Xie Yuntang ate alone.
After glancing at Xie Yuntang a few times, Su Tao got down to business with Lin Sanzhu. "Mom, I'm planning to teach the girls in the village to read. What do you think?"
Lin Sanzhu was taken aback for a moment, then immediately retorted, "What kind of girl teaches? Don't mess around."
"How is it messing around? Yuntang said it's fine. We'll just build a courtyard next door. Boys' tuition is half a tael, and I'll just charge three hundred coins."
Su Tao rubbed her hands together secretly, finally finding a way to earn money.
She added, "I'll give all the money I earn to you and Dad."
She’d wanted to earn money so that Lin Sanzhu and the others could have a better life.
Lin Sanzhu wouldn't agree to her doing this. She wouldn't accept even a thousand taels, let alone a hundred.
She'd be grateful enough if her daughter could find a good husband.
"Who cares about your earnings? Stop causing trouble and find someone to marry."
At the mention of marriage again, Su Tao was rendered speechless. "..."
"Mom, Xie Yuntang is here. Ask him if he's willing to marry me?"
She then winked at Xie Yuntang, signaling him to cover for her.
