Chapter 46: Celebrate
“Hahaha…”
Zhang Zhaodi slapped her leg, laughing nonstop.
“Did you see their expressions? What was that saying? All that effort for nothing. Their expressions were like they had eaten shit. Haha…”
Su Yaoguang brought water, letting Zhang Zhaodi drink some to calm down.
“Mom, we just cried and made a fuss earlier, and now we’re laughing loudly. If others hear it, they’ll think our mother-daughter pair has gone mad.”
Zhang Zhaodi took a sip of water and slowly stopped laughing.
“Mad is fine, there’s nothing bad about being mad. If they dare bully our mother and daughter again, see how I tear them apart.” Zhang Zhaodi said, looking at Zhou Wangshu, liking him more and more the more she saw him. “Now the whole village knows you’re our family’s son-in-law who lives with the wife’s family. Wangshu, you and Yaoguang live well together from now on, support each other, got it?”
Zhou Wangshu smiled and said, “Mom, don’t worry.”
“Mom, I’ll go make something delicious, let’s celebrate properly.” Su Yaoguang said, “From now on, we’ve gotten rid of that bloodsucking mosquito family, completely free and quiet.”
Zhang Zhaodi rolled up her sleeves: “I’ll go dig out your dad’s treasured wine, today we’ll have a little drink.”
Su Yaoguang took Zhou Wangshu to the kitchen to get busy.
Zhou Wangshu didn’t know how to tend the fire, but he could learn. He didn’t know how to cook, but he could learn to assist her. In Su Yaoguang’s eyes, he was obedient and compliant, like a gentle little puppy.
With Zhang Zhaodi absent, Su Yaoguang lowered her voice and said, “Thanks for today’s matter. Don’t worry, my previous promise to you won’t change. You and I are just fake, just to get rid of those difficult bad relatives. Whenever you want to leave, we can divorce anytime.”
“Don’t say these words again, be careful Mom hears. You saved me, whether using me as a shield or me taking advantage, it’s me who benefited.” Zhou Wangshu pursed his lips, “I know my origins are unclear, I’ve been sold by a human trafficker, my identity is lowly, only fit to be a slave. How dare I hope Yaoguang truly takes a liking to me?”
Su Yaoguang: “…”
She was thinking for him, not wanting to force him, but how did it turn into her despising him in his mouth?
Look at this pitiful appearance, it made a bit of guilt bubble up from the depths of her heart.
Tsk tsk, no wonder he was targeted by the madam, this little look and expression was indeed quite alluring.
After the meal was served, Zhang Zhaodi poured the wine.
Zhang Zhaodi smiled at the two: “Today is the first day of your wedding, let’s treat it as drinking your wedding wine. When Wangshu is a bit older, we’ll invite guests and set up a few tables.”
“This is Dad’s treasured wine, Mom has always been reluctant to drink it, this is the first time opening the jar.” Su Yaoguang said to Zhou Wangshu.
“My daughter is getting married, this wine should be opened.” Zhang Zhaodi raised it up and said loudly: “His dad, this cup is for you to taste, this is my daughter’s wedding wine.”
Zhang Zhaodi drank too much.
Su Yaoguang carried Zhang Zhaodi back to the room.
When she came out, Zhou Wangshu was cleaning up the remnants on the table.
Su Yaoguang stood at the door, looking at Zhou Wangshu’s slender and thin figure.
In this life, she finally wasn’t the only one paying out.
Zhou Wangshu turned back and saw her looking at him dazedly, asking, “Are you drunk too?”
Just now her gaze was scattered, clearly looking at him, yet as if looking through him at someone else.
“I’m a bit drunk, but I can still hold on. You go rest, I’ll clean up here.” Su Yaoguang walked over, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to work.
“Let me do it!” Zhou Wangshu said, “You’ve drunk too much, go sleep.”
“You’re a man, you probably don’t do kitchen work.”
“Men can’t wash dishes? In your eyes, are all men this stupid?” Zhou Wangshu frowned, “Or are the men in your village particularly stupid?”
“Don’t scholars emphasize gentlemen stay away from the kitchen?” Su Yaoguang said, “I thought men in the world all dislike those household chores in the kitchen.”
“Those are just excuses for their laziness. If kitchen matters are trivial, then they shouldn’t eat or drink. If they are mortal bodies that need to eat and drink, they have to do it themselves. Even if the family is well-off with girls and servants to serve, they have to pay wages. If not, they have to do the work themselves.”
Su Yaoguang no longer argued with Zhou Wangshu over the work. She stood by the side, watching Zhou Wangshu clumsily wash the dishes.
It was clear he hadn’t done this before either.
“Wangshu, do you have any family left?” Su Yaoguang leaned against the wall and asked casually.
Zhou Wangshu’s dishwashing slowed down, his tone low: “My mom is gone, my dad married a stepwife and doesn’t want me.”
“Then how did you end up in the human trafficker’s hands?” Su Yaoguang looked at him with heartache.
“I was chased out of the house, had to find a way to live, I went looking for work, was drugged, and woke up as goods in the human trafficker’s hands.”
“From now on, my mom and I are your family, you’re my younger brother.” Su Yaoguang patted his shoulder to comfort him.
“Mm.”
Su Yaoguang scooped a basin of clear water and rinsed the dishes Zhou Wangshu had washed once more.
“We’ll do it together, finish early and rest early. Today was my first time drinking, this wine has a strong aftereffect, I’m starting to feel dizzy.”
The next day, Su Yaoguang, her mother, and Zhou Wangshu continued going up the mountain to gather materials, just to make more cosmetics.
“Yaoguang, look…” Zhou Wangshu dangled a bamboo rat in front of her.
Su Yaoguang gave a thumbs up: “Nice. We have meat to eat today.”
Zhang Zhaodi looked at Zhou Wangshu’s figure and said, “Daughter, Wangshu following us around all day isn’t a solution, how about we send him to study too!”
Su Yaoguang was stunned for a moment, looking up at Zhou Wangshu.
Study again?
In the previous life, she raised an ungrateful person, exhausted herself to death, and ended up like that.
However, Zhou Wangshu wasn’t Xiao Yanci. She couldn’t hold onto Zhou Wangshu tightly just because she suffered a loss from Xiao Yanci, not giving him the opportunity to soar.
What’s more, she had no romantic feelings for Zhou Wangshu. She treated him as a younger brother, and from the start made the relationship clear, so Zhou Wangshu had no resentment toward her, naturally wouldn’t be ungrateful like Xiao Yanci.
Perhaps the young man she raised this time could become a real man.
“Wangshu…” Su Yaoguang walked over with a shovel, “How about you go study?”
Zhou Wangshu was surprised: “Why?”
“I see you speak elegantly, you must have studied before. Our family’s little business, my mom and I can handle it alone, you should have your own life.” Su Yaoguang said, “If you think it’s good, tomorrow we’ll go to the academy to talk to the teacher about tuition fees.”
Zhou Wangshu lowered his eyes, slowly digging up the flower in front of him.
This flower was growing well, he planned to transplant it to the courtyard, so he could cultivate more flowers.
Su Yaoguang’s words brought up many dark memories in his mind.
He bore a great grudge and needed power. Since he was staying here, perhaps the imperial examination was a shortcut to power.
Anyway, he had already changed his name and registered in the Su family household registration, so he could openly enter the academy and take the path of the imperial examinations.
