Chapter 245: Fragment
The next morning, Zhang Zhaodi carried a basket out the door, preparing to procure some pastries, but saw a person lingering at the doorway.
“Our shop doesn’t open this early. You coming so early, do you want to buy things?” Zhang Zhaodi said, standing in front of that person.
Su Rende saw Zhang Zhaodi and recalled the events from last night. This woman had dared to meddle in trivial matters in the imperial palace, saving him, and had shown him a kindness like giving him a new life.
“I’m here to thank you.” Su Rende said, waving his hand toward the people behind him.
Behind him stood over a dozen servants, each holding a box in their hands.
“I know your family’s business is doing well, you don’t lack silver or anything, you can buy whatever you want, but this is my thank-you gift, please accept it graciously.”
“The thank-you gift you’re giving me, of course I’ll accept it graciously.” Zhang Zhaodi said, “When the door opens later, you can send it in! I still need to go buy things.”
Su Rende saw her about to leave, instructed his attendants, had them send in the thank-you gift, and turned to chase after Zhang Zhaodi ahead.
“Yesterday you stabbed yourself several times, don’t you need to stay home to recover?” Zhang Zhaodi saw him following, looked at him puzzled, “What are you following me for?”
“A few days ago I found my old belongings.” Su Rende pulled a handkerchief from his bosom.
No, it should be a torn piece of fabric from a piece of clothing.
“I want you to take a look, does this thing seem familiar to you?”
Zhang Zhaodi stopped, took the torn fabric from his hand, felt it and said: “This is ordinary clothes, nine out of ten poor people wear clothes made of this fabric. Plus it’s been too long, you can’t even tell its original color. What do you want me to see?”
“I just want to know… could I possibly be the husband you sent off to the army?” Su Rende directly stated his purpose.
Zhang Zhaodi burst out laughing: “You’re General Su, if you want women, just say the word, plenty of people will send women to you, don’t tease me.”
“No, I’m serious.”
“Mm, you’re serious, I believe you’re serious, don’t block my way.” Zhang Zhaodi stood in front of the stall, picking out pastries that Su Yaoguang liked to eat.
Su Rende pulled out silver and paid.
Zhang Zhaodi: “……Is this also a thank-you gift?”
“Yes.”
“Fine then!” Zhang Zhaodi stopped, looked at Su Rende and said, “I always like to take advantage, even if you follow me every day and pay for me every day, I won’t blush or be out of breath. General Su, if I were you, I’d stay as far away as possible.”
“I want to get to the bottom of this matter, don’t you want to get to the bottom of it?”
“You’ve lost your memory, all these years haven’t you wanted to get to the bottom of it?” Zhang Zhaodi looked at him.
“I… in the early years I was still at the border, I haven’t been back in the capital city for long. At the border, foreign enemies were always harassing the peace there, I was fighting them day and night, no time to think about other things. After returning to the capital city, I also sought imperial physicians to treat my head ailment, but no matter what I couldn’t remember.”
“Perhaps the things you can’t remember are unimportant things, no need to force yourself to recall them. Sometimes we have to look forward in life.”
“I’ve heard about your situation.” Su Rende said, “You single-handedly raised your daughter to adulthood, making a living by midwifery for others. You orphan and widow suffered bullying from family, bullying from people in the village, and because there was no male heir, even the house and farmland were schemed away. Later your daughter bought a little husband, and your lives got a bit better.”
Zhang Zhaodi did not respond to his words.
What he said was too distant for her. If not for seeing Zhou Wangshu having made something of himself a few days ago, she wouldn’t have recalled those upsetting matters from before.
“You don’t want to figure out if I’m the husband who disappeared over a dozen years ago, you’re afraid of knowing the answer isn’t what you want to see, you’re avoiding it.”
Zhang Zhaodi raised a smile.
Su Rende had a bad premonition.
Zhang Zhaodi grabbed the nearby feather duster and swung it at him, cursing at Su Rende: “Avoiding what avoiding, old lady and daughter live carefree and happy, don’t mention how comfortable it is, you come babbling nonsense to me. Even if you’re not, so what if you are? A man who dares forget his wife and daughter completely shows he doesn’t have us in his heart, you think I’d line up to welcome you back?”
Zhang Zhaodi swung the feather duster while speaking.
“Chattering like a sparrow in my ear first thing in the morning, giving me a headache. You a great general have nothing better to do? Nothing to do? Circling a woman first thing in the morning, if you’re in heat at least look at the place, look at the person. Get lost get lost, old lady too lazy to serve benefactors like you, don’t come near.”
Su Rende dodged to the side.
Zhang Zhaodi carried her basket and walked far away.
Su Rende looked at her back, wanted to follow, but thought of her words, suddenly felt frustrated.
He had thought she’d be happy to hear his hypothesis, that it meant she wasn’t a widow, her husband had become a great general, she had become the general’s wife. But after hearing his hypothesis, she got even angrier, he even suspected if he could really prove he was Su Yaoguang’s father her husband, she’d swing a knife at him.
“Surname Su, go die…” From the crowd, someone rushed over and stabbed a knife toward Su Rende.
Su Rende was unprepared and was stabbed squarely.
Su Rende saw that person rushing over, fragments appeared in his mind.
“Come people, there’s an assassin, someone is assassinating the great general…” Zhang Zhaodi waved the basket in her hand, smashing toward the assassin opposite.
The assassin swung his knife to stab, Su Rende pushed Zhang Zhaodi, blocking in front of her.
Pfft! The blade went in clean and came out bloody.
Su Rende fell down.
“Come people… come people…” Zhang Zhaodi shouted loudly, “There’s an assassin here…”
From the crowd, several strong men stepped in and subdued that assassin.
Zhang Zhaodi supported Su Rende, shouted loudly: “I’ll pay one tael of silver, trouble which good man to help me carry him to Peach Blossom Workshop?”
“I’ll do it. No need for silver, I’m willing to help.” A strong man said.
Peach Blossom Workshop was piled with many precious gifts at that moment. After the servants delivered the gifts, they said it was instructions from the general, sent to Zhang Zhaodi.
Everyone at Peach Blossom Workshop knew this was General Su repaying a kindness with thank-you gifts, but ordinary people didn’t know. Seeing the spectacle, the people were guessing if it was a betrothal to someone.
“Su Dongjia is already married, definitely not her. Those two young ladies are too young, impossible, so only two women left. Could it be General Su doesn’t like unmarried girls, likes women?” Someone in the crowd said.
“Don’t talk nonsense. General Su has won so many victories, even been enfeoffed as the Great General Who Protects the Nation, what kind of woman can’t he have, how could he take a liking to a woman?”
