Chapter 12

“I went to the river to wash clothes, why are you in such a hurry, Mom?” Peach Blossom asked.

“I’m just worried about you both leaving,” Mrs. Zhou sighed. “You weren’t home last night, and I felt so empty inside. I wasn’t used to it. Qin Feng is from out of town, and today when I saw your door locked, I thought you two had already left.”

While they were talking, they finished hanging the bedsheet to dry.

Peach Blossom thought for a moment, then shared what had happened by the river earlier that day.

Mrs. Zhou’s eyes reddened as she listened.

“My good girl, you’ve been through so much. I’ve always known you had to be strong from a young age, and I’ve also known how hard you’ve tried to make things work in the Chen family, even when it meant swallowing your pride. Now you have your own family, and you’ve cut ties with them. Your good days are ahead of you. But…”

Mrs. Zhou looked around the house, taking in its simplicity. “This house is so bare. There’s not even a fence in the yard. Forget about comfort, can you really be safe here at night? Have you asked Qin Feng about your situation and what else you have left?”

Peach Blossom shook her head and whispered, “Mom, yesterday was my first day of marriage. There’s been so much going on, and besides, he already took so many things to the Chen family. There’s hardly anything left.”

Mrs. Zhou sighed, “I know, my dear, I know.”

She then placed the basket she had brought in front of Peach Blossom. “There are more than ten eggs, some rice, and oil here. Take them and use them for now.”

Peach Blossom shook her head, “No, what if Chen Dashan finds out? I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Don’t worry. These eggs were saved up secretly, and he won’t notice the small amount of oil. Just accept it, it’s my little gesture for you both.”

Just then, a loud noise came from outside.

It sounded like quite a commotion.

Peach Blossom frowned immediately, “Could it be Chen Dashan has come?”

Mrs. Zhou shared her concern but stood in front of Peach Blossom, “I’ll go check.”

“I’ll go, Mom,” Peach Blossom said, standing tall. “This is the Qin family’s house, not the Chen family. He’s not welcome here. If he dares show up, I’ll chase him away with a broom!”

Peach Blossom said this with determination and stepped over the threshold.

However, as soon as she stepped outside, her demeanor softened completely when she saw the person outside.

“Qin Da Ge!” Upon seeing the man, Peach Blossom couldn’t help but smile. “Qin Da Ge, how did you come back so soon?”

Qin Feng was unloading bamboo from his shoulders.

When he heard Peach Blossom speak, he was about to respond. However, as he looked up, he saw Mrs. Zhou standing behind Peach Blossom.

He paused for a moment, then after thinking for a while, he called out, “Mother.”

Sighing, Mrs. Zhou quickly came out from the house. “My son-in-law’s back? I was just about to check on Peach Blossom; we were talking about you earlier. Peach Blossom said you went up the mountain to check the traps, and I didn’t expect you to return so quickly.”

As she spoke, Mrs. Zhou glanced at the three bamboo poles Qin Feng was carrying and asked, “What are you doing with these?”

Qin Feng, who had rolled up his sleeves for convenience and was showing off his strong arms, immediately lowered his sleeves upon seeing Mrs. Zhou. He explained in a calm tone, “Making a rack to dry clothes.”

When Peach Blossom heard this, she felt a warm sensation in her heart.

She had only mentioned it casually while drying the bedding yesterday, and now, on the very next day, he had already gotten it done.

Her words were taken seriously by him, and Peach Blossom felt so touched that her throat tightened.

She smiled even more brightly, almost unable to resist whispering proudly to Mrs. Zhou, “Mom, I just mentioned it to him yesterday, and he did it today. He must be thirsty; I’ll go get him a cup of water.”

“Alright, go ahead,” Mrs. Zhou replied, seeing how harmoniously her daughter and son-in-law were getting along, which made her feel happy. “You two keep at it. I need to go; your sister is still waiting for me by the river.”

Peach Blossom tried to keep her mother from leaving, but Mrs. Zhou was in a hurry and quickly left.

Qin Feng noticed that the little lady was looking at him in a different way.

Her eyes were sparkling, almost as though they were filled with two pools of water, clear and beautiful.

She called him “Qin Da Ge” over and over, each time more cheerful than the last.

But wasn’t she upset last night when he pushed her hand away? Did she come to terms with it already?

Qin Feng didn’t ask though. He figured he’d wait for a few days before addressing it.

As he chopped bamboo, Peach Blossom followed him, picking up the bamboo branches and staying close to him.

Then, he suddenly turned around, and before she could stop, she bumped her head right into his chest.

Seeing the little lady holding her nose and calling out in pain made Qin Feng chuckle.

“Stop, stop. Today I caught a mountain chicken. Go clean it up. We’ll have chicken tonight.”

Hearing this, Peach Blossom suddenly remembered, “Oh, right! Qin Da Ge, you said you’d only come back before dark. How come you’re back so early?”

Qin Feng answered blandly, “Didn’t find much, so I came back.”

What he didn’t say was that while he was on the mountain, he ran into a few villagers who were cutting firewood. They told him that Chen Dashan had spent the money he made from selling his daughter on buying liquor. Qin Feng was worried that Chen Dashan might get drunk and come cause trouble for Peach Blossom, so he rushed down the mountain.

But he didn’t forget the little lady’s request about the clothes rack, so he took the opportunity to chop three bamboo poles on his way down.