Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 230: Sewing for him

The siblings sat down with Third Aunt and Ah Jian, looking over the soup in the pot as it boiled and bubbled.
The steam was warm and the wine and spices were very fragrant as they chatted and laughed, eating energetically.

After dinner, there was still a lot of time before dark.
The three children went out to pick up the unpopped firecrackers, their pockets full of melon seeds, pine nuts, dried fruit, and other snacks as they went out to play.
Lian Fang Zhou instructed them to be careful with the firecrackers and said that the red envelops would be ready when they came back.
The three children agreed, full of smiles.

Third Aunt and Lian Fang Zhou cleared the table.
Because they still had a late meal in the evening, the dishes were not put away.
They just moved the table against the wall and put a flat bamboo cover over the top.

After washing the dishes, Third Aunt looked at Lian Fang Zhou and smiled: “Fang Zhou, did you want to go out for a walk?”

Lian Fang Zhou didn’t have much interest in this so she shook her head: “I’m not going out, there’s nothing to see.
I would rather stay home by the fire!”

Third Aunt hurried to say: “If you don’t go, I will! I’ll be back soon after taking a walk around.”

“Okay, you go!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled.
On most days, Third Aunt liked to go out and drop by the neighbors.

Third Aunt left with a ‘bye’.

When the room went silent, Lian Fang Zhou suddenly realized that she and Ah Jian were the only ones left.

Thinking about Ah Jian, who had lived in her home for so long and was already part of her family.
The villagers had long stopped paying attention to this and even if they were alone, no one would gossip.

She laughed silently in her heart and pushed away the embarrassment, sitting with Ah Jian by the fire.

“If you want to go out and play, I heard that some people are playing cards tonight!” Lian Fang Zhou said, laughing.

Ah Jian shook his head with a smile: “I don’t want to go out to play.
I’d rather talk with you at home.”

Lian Fang Zhou smiled.
“It’s good! It’s good! Didn’t you say that the clothes you wore while hunting the tiger had some holes in them? Bring them to me to fix for you! These last two days, I had forgotten about them.”

“Okay!” Ah Jian’s eyes lit up and he got up.
He soon returned with the clothes.

Originally, Lian Fang Zhou didn’t know how to sew and repair things, but it wasn’t hard to learn.
She had already become very skilled in threading needles.

Under the light of the red charcoal fire and the brightly lit oil lamp on the side, Lian Fang Zhou lowered her head and mended carefully while talking with Ah Jian.
How was Lian Ze’s martial arts practice? Where the four of them doing well while learning to read and write? They should plant the orchard in the spring! Did he think that the workers would be obedient when they planted the cotton fields? She had many things hidden in her heart…

After a while, she dared not say anything else.
She wondered if Ah Jian was homesick.
As a person with amnesia, even if he was homesick, he didn’t know what for.
He was more pitiful than someone who was lost in a foreign land.

Who knew if Ah Jian had guessed her thoughts or not.
He smiled and chatted with her, his face brightened by the fire and his eyes were especially deep and dark, as if he had never thought of his home.

Lian Fang Zhou’s slender neck was bent, revealing her smooth and white skin and the soft line of her face.
Under the light, she looked especially soft and delicate.
Ah Jian accidently caught a glance of her and felt slightly dazed.

After a while, Lian Fang Zhou let out a sigh of relief and said: “Done!” She raised her head, rubbing the aching nape of her neck, and shook the shirt in her hand with a smile.
“You put it on, I want to see how it looks.”

Ah Jian took it and reached out hand to touch the neat stitches, a subtle sweetness and warmth in his heart.

“It’s sewn very well, much neater than when I first arrived.” Ah Jian raised his eyebrows and smiled at her, getting up and unfolding the shirt to put it on.

Lian Fang Zhou coughed with embarrassment before smiling smoothly: “I was just learning at the time, why wouldn’t it be?”

Ah Jian was startled, asking in surprise: “Just learning?” He couldn’t help but turn to look at her.

Lian Fang Zhou jumped, making a ‘ah’ sound.
A girl at the age to get married, who would believe she was just learning! What a joke!

She cleverly laughed and said softly: “I didn’t study seriously before.
It was only after everything that I started to take it seriously…”

Ah Jian was surprised and then his gaze became two points more gentle.
He let out a soft ‘hm’, seeming to hold back from saying what he wanted to say.
Finally, he said softly: “You are very smart to learn so quickly.
Although it’s harder without parents, there will be a good marriage in the future.”

Lian Fang Zhou wondered in her heart: Why was he saying this? Hadn’t she cheered up after saying that she was studying seriously? He must have thought that her parents had been coddling her before, so she hadn’t needed to be concerned about anything…

Lian Fang Zhou smiled: “It’s fate, I can’t force it.
It’s not worth worrying about!”

Fate? He didn’t know why he felt a little blocked and annoyed when he heard her say this, but his reply was sincere and open.

“There will be!” Ah Jian smiled: “It’s a rare blessing that you can think so!”

Lian Fang Zhou took a closer look at his shirt and clapped her hands, smiling.
“My craftmanship has really improved! I can’t even tell if I don’t look closely!”

Then she let out a frustrated ‘oh’ and said: “In fact, I’ve really wronged you, Ah Jian! I only have the ability to sew your clothes when they are torn.
Someone else would probably throw them away and make new ones.”

She thought for a while and then added: “When we make money in the coming year, I won’t sew them anymore.
If it gets torn, let’s just make new ones!”

Her childish remarks made Ah Jian laugh and he smiled disapprovingly: “Where am I wronged? I am very comfortable here, there is nothing wrong with sewing a few holes.”

He suddenly felt that even if he could never remember who he was for the rest of his life, even if he lived with the Lian family until he was old, it would be a good thing.

Poor Ah Jian never thought about getting married and taking a wife.

“Alright, I know that Ah Jian has the best temper! I’m not speaking generously for nothing!” Lian Fang Zhou clapped her hands and joked again.

Ah Jian made a helpless expression and the both of them laughed together.

“Sister! Brother Ah Jian, what are you laughing about, you’re so lively!” The door was suddenly pushed open and Lian Ze strode in from outside.

His stature had grown a lot and the lake-green, dark patterned robe was particularly tall and straight when he wore it.

Lian Fang Zhou’s heart jumped fiercely, missing two beats.
She was a little flustered for no reason.
Her hands twisted unconsciously as she reluctantly smiled.
“Why are you back? Where are Che’er and Qing’er?”

“They’re still playing.” Lian Ze said, curling his lip.
He glanced at Lian Fang Zhou and said “Sister is saying that she didn’t want me to come back! Sister, don’t worry, they are with Sister Ah Juan.
Sister Ah Juan said that she would help watch them.”