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“I want to find him. I think as long as I earn enough silver, I won’t have to obey my father’s control and marry someone I don’t want to marry. With money, I can search for that person.”
Liang Fu spoke earnestly, gripping Su Zhi’s hand and looking into her eyes.
“Sister Zhao, originally I thought doing business would just earn me some silver, maybe hire someone to help me find him, but it wouldn’t be easy. But since I met you, this desire in my heart has grown stronger! I saw the dolls you made and thought about selling them throughout Liang Dynasty! That way, I can surely earn more silver! I can open more shops! Then I can search for him all over Liang Dynasty, and I’m sure I can find him!”
Su Zhi looked at Liang Fu’s sparkling eyes and wondered if this was the same dignified Liang Fu she usually saw. Was this not a lady who could be moved to passionate action for her beloved? Indeed, love could transform a lady into someone willing to defy all odds. However, Su Zhi admired Liang Fu greatly as well. In an era where women were often suppressed by their families, Liang Fu dared to pursue her heart’s desire and fight for love. She was truly exceptional as a noble lady.
Su Zhi felt Liang Fu was even stronger than the women from her previous life. At this moment, her appreciation for Liang Fu deepened, feeling a closer kinship with her.
In such ancient times, finding someone with a similar temperament was truly rare and precious.
“Little Sister Liang, have you thought this through? Even if you earn all the silver in the world, you might still not find that person. Or perhaps you find him, but he may not be as wonderful as you imagine, or worse, he might already have a family. What will you do then?”
Su Zhi regarded Liang Fu as a friend now and naturally didn’t want her to be hurt. While love at first sight was beautiful, its outcomes were not always so.
Liang Fu paused for a moment, then replied earnestly, “Even if I never meet him, I’ll search for him my whole life. And if he already has a wife and children, I still want to meet him once. As for whether he’s as good as I imagine, I’ll have to see him before I can say. But overall, I don’t want to give up on finding him. Sister Zhao, I believe if you were to meet him, you would also believe he’s a good person. He’s exactly as wonderful as I saw him.”
Su Zhi thought to herself, Well, this is a girl who’s completely captivated by love. But she also acknowledged that Liang Fu wasn’t foolish; she had good judgment. It seemed that regardless of whether that person was already married, at least he was a good man.
“As long as you’ve made up your mind, then I support you.”
“Really?! Then if you ever come up with any more ways to make money in the future, you have to include me! I’ll help you sell them throughout the entire Liang Dynasty! No, I’ll sell them even in other countries!”
Liang Fu’s eyes brightened even more at Su Zhi’s words. She knew well just how clever Su Zhi was. Not only could she cook such delicious dishes, but she also came up with such dolls. She was truly a genius. With someone like her, a little brainstorming could turn into piles of silver. Liang Fu thought that if she could contribute, she too could stack up mountains of wealth.
Su Zhi thought Liang Fu was quite good at seizing opportunities. However, she had no intention of entrusting all her business to one person. It was like the wisdom of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
Su Zhi did not respond to Liang Fu.
Seeing Su Zhi ignore her, Liang Fu immediately said, “Sister Zhao, please don’t disagree. We can consider ourselves destined. Fifth Brother Shen saved me and my mother in the past, and now we meet again like old friends. Both of us are women. If we join forces in business, it could become a great story. If you team up with an old man for business, that certainly wouldn’t make a good tale.”
Su Zhi was completely at a loss. Did Liang Fu’s heart race abnormally whenever she thought of her beloved? How could she say such things out loud? It seemed like she was being a bit shameless.
“Sister Zhao, do you still have doubts about me?”
Seeing Su Zhi remain silent, Liang Fu sat up straight and said, “Is it because when we first met, I spoke with a sharp tongue that you hold a grudge against me? I didn’t mean to. I was just a little envious and jealous of you being with Brother Shen. I didn’t have any ill intentions.”
Su Zhi raised an eyebrow. Did Liang Fu really have feelings for Shen Zi’an? She had thought she misunderstood her, but apparently not. She was curious to hear what Liang Fu would say next.
Liang Fu noticed Su Zhi watching her closely and blushed slightly. “Brother Shen saved me and my mother, and I’m grateful to him for that. Seeing him also reminds me of someone I like. When I see him, I think of that person. When I see you with him, I feel you’re very lucky. At that time, I had just argued with my father and was feeling down, thinking I might never find that person in my life, so I projected some of my emotions onto Brother Shen. It was my mistake, Sister Zhao. I swear, I have no feelings for Brother Shen; my heart belongs only to that person.”
“Have you never considered using my husband as a substitute?” Su Zhi asked, scrutinizing her, emphasizing the crucial question.
“A substitute?” Liang Fu paused, then smiled wryly. “Sister Zhao, do you think Brother Shen could ever be a substitute? I wouldn’t dare to see him that way. Besides, I don’t want a substitute. Even if he looked exactly like that person, it wouldn’t work. And truly, Brother Shen is nothing like that person.”
Su Zhi looked at her, finding Liang Fu’s reasoning quite peculiar. How could she not think of her beloved when seeing someone who didn’t resemble him? She had to clarify this matter; she wasn’t going to let it slide.
Liang Fu explained, “It’s just that he and Brother Shen have similar strength and wear coarse clothes. Most importantly, their expressions are the same—serious and rarely smiling. At first, I thought Brother Shen resembled him in these ways. But then I noticed Brother Shen Five is always gentle with you, and he doesn’t always wear coarse clothes now. Plus, his walk isn’t like his either. The more I saw him, the less resemblance I found, until there was none at all.”
Su Zhi felt like rolling her eyes. She said somewhat impatiently, “Strong, wears coarse clothes, doesn’t smile—why don’t you go find those laborers? You’d surely find plenty like that!”
“I did mention before that I was just feeling a bit envious of your happiness at the time, which made me act that way towards you. But later, have I not treated you well? Rest assured, I truly have no feelings for Brother Shen. Even if I like someone and am willing to spend a lifetime searching for that person, even willing to leave home and parents for them, I would never disturb their life. If I wouldn’t do that for that person, how could I for you two?”
“I believe you.”
Su Zhi genuinely believed Liang Fu. In fact, she had already trusted that Liang Fu wouldn’t do anything harmful to their marriage. Liang Fu carried herself with a dignified air, and if she were a man, she would surely be a gentleman. As a woman, she was pure-hearted and carried a sense of pride. She would never stoop to underhanded actions. Su Zhi’s persistent questioning today was simply to clear the air completely.
With everything laid out between them, they had been acquaintances before, but now they truly became friends.
Su Zhi prepared another batch of mung bean soup, let it cool, and then carried it with Liang Fu to the pavilion where they shared it with Qian Guang.
“Fourth Sister-in-law’s mung bean soup is really excellent. It’s much tastier than what our household cooks. Truly, everyone’s hands create different flavors,” Qian Guang praised after sipping a bowl of mung bean soup.
It was mid-afternoon, typically the hottest time of day, but sitting in the pavilion by the pond and enjoying another bowl of mung bean soup made it feel pleasantly cool.
Smiling, Su Zhi replied, “You flatter me. If you like it, have another bowl.”
Sure enough, Qian Guang promptly had another bowl, and the large pot of mung bean soup was quickly shared among them all.
“The water in this pond is truly remarkable. Almost all the other ponds have seen their water levels drop, but yours hasn’t budged a bit. It’s quite unique. If this continues, it might become the life-saving water of the village,” remarked Qian Guang. He envied the fact that the water level in Shen Zi’an’s pond had remained unaffected. He thought Shen Zi’an’s family was incredibly fortunate to have tapped into such a vigorous water source—clear, plentiful, and immune to drought. Could it be that this was the blessing brought by the Sacred Beast? No, he felt the presence of the Sacred Beast in their home was itself a kind of blessing. He preferred to believe that this blessing came from the people, particularly Su Zhi.
Meanwhile, Su Zhi and Liang Fu were taking a stroll by the pond. Su Zhi had planted many willow trees along its banks, and they had grown quite large. Transplanting them ordinarily might not have kept them alive, but Su Zhi used her spiritual spring, ensuring they thrived naturally. Of course, she intentionally let a few die to avoid raising suspicion; nevertheless, others praised them for their exceptional care, marveling at how lush and green the trees had grown.
Along the lake, a path paved with stones wound through grassy patches adorned with clusters of small yellow flowers.