Chapter 37: CH 37

Mr. Tian stretched out his hand and helped Mo Ling into the carriage. After the two entered the chariot, it started moving again.

Lu Junming mounted his horse, sitting behind Mo Yan to protect her, and followed slowly behind the carriage. Mo Yan looked at the chariot in front and felt that there was something wrong. Mo Ling even took Mo Yan with her when she ran away from home, so why did she leave her alone now? Unless there was someone more important than her in that chariot.

Mo Yan had something on her mind, and didn’t say a word, so Lu Junming asked, “Why did you run away from home?”

“Just the usual. It’d be nice if we could split families.”

Lu Junming sighed, “Women have to follow the Confucian virtues. That’s a pipe dream!”

“Nothing’s impossible in this world!”

Mo Yan often said that phrase to herself. Whenever she encountered difficulties, this was how she motivated herself.

In fact, aside from her, Lu Junming was also in a predicament he couldn’t escape.

“Yan’er, remember, no matter what, don’t be a mistress in the future. You must become the official wife of the household.”

Mo Yan knew about his family. He had been thinking of his mother when he said this.

They arrived soon. Just as the chariot stopped in front of Mo’s house, Mrs. Liang and the governing official greeted them from inside. If even he was notified, it seemed that the whole village knew about them running away from home.

Cao Zhang and Mr. Tian got out first, and Mr. Tian turned around to help Mo Ling out. Then, Lu Junming also dismounted and helped Mo Yan down.

Mrs Liang was about to insult them again but changed her words after the governing official reminded her, “Where did you two go? It’s so dark, you worried me!”

He also tried to help,”Your mother was so worried that she didn’t eat anything, she was looking for you everywhere. She asked me to find people to look for you, it’s good you’re back! Everyone is still waiting for news at the threshing field! I’ll go talk to them.”

When he left, Mr. Tian came over and said to Mrs. Liang, “Mrs. Liang, Miss Ling is a girl, and she is the eldest child of the family, so you can’t hit her to often.”

Mrs. Liang still had some respect for Mr. Tian, ​​and said with an embarrassed smile: “Yes, yes, it’s my fault. I have a bad temper, and I’m not good at controlling my anger.”

Mo Yan took her sister’s hand and entered the courtyard. Mrs. Liang politely invited Mr. Tian and Cao Zhang to sit in, but they both refused. When they approached the door, Mo Ling turned to see Mr. Tian standing beside the chariot looking at her.

Mrs. Liang entered the courtyard, and said in a low voice, “There’s food in the pot.”

Mo Yan dragged her sister into the kitchen, and the aroma of tea reached her. She saw a plate of meat jelly and the usual bowl of sauce on the dinner table. A small pot next to it was covered with a lid, and the aroma of tea came from there.

She opened the lid to find it filled with tea eggs.

“Sister, here’s a tea egg, try one.” Mo Yan picked up a tea egg and handed it to her sister.

Mo Ling peeled off the tea egg’s shell and took a bite: “Sure enough, adding the tea leaves made a large difference. How much do you think one should cost?”

“At least four dollars!”

Mo Yan went to the stove, lifted the lid of the pot on it, and inside was green bean and millet porridge. Usually, they had green bean soup or millet porridge. Today, Mrs. Liang cooked the two together. This was a very luxurious porridge.

She got two bowls and brought them back to the table. Mo Yan also peeled a tea egg and ate it. The lamb soup and crackers at noon had very large portions, so they weren’t too hungry, but they were thirsty, so they mostly had the green bean and millet porridge.

“Sister, you need to learn how to make tea eggs, salted duck eggs, and mum’s sauce!” Mo Yan said while washing up.

“Isn’t this all just ordinary housework?” In Mo Ling’s eyes, all women from families like their knew these things, but Mo Yan knew Mrs. Liang’s sauce and salted eggs were unusual.

“No, even Mrs. Cao wants to buy mum’s salted eggs, and even the shopkeeper who sells pork said it was delicious. Do you think this is usual? No, it’s unusual, and a business opportunity.”

“Okay, I’ll learn these as soon as possible! But you’re so smart, why don’t you learn instead?”

“You need it more than me. Just listen to me and learn it. You’ll have to rely on these skills in the future, and embroidery is just a pastime.”

Mo Ling’s embroidery skills weren’t very good. She has been busy helping Mrs. Liang make money since she was a child, so she didn’t have much time to practise.

Back in their room, Mo Ling habitually picked up her girdle again, and Mo Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Sis, who is this for?” Mo Ling was stunned for a moment, and then calmed down, “It’s just for myself!”

“What kind of husband do you want to find in the future?”

Mo Ling rolled her eyes at her, “You’re just a child, why are you asking these questions?”

“As the saying goes, a woman is afraid of marrying the wrong man, and a man is afraid of choosing the wrong career.”

Mo Ling’s face showed a hint of coyness, “Of course, he has to be more refined and gentle!”

Sure enough, she’s fallen for that kind of person.

“Sister, scholars might look gentle and elegant, but most people only see their good points, and few know their shortcomings. They’re rigid and boring. They only talk about rules and philosophy, and they don’t know how to be flexible.”

“Nonsense, is it useless for people to ask such university questions?”

“Have you heard of the saying, ‘Are you really a scholar if you’re useless?’ If you can’t become an official, you can’t become a great philosopher, and you’ll just be a hinderance.”

“That’s illogical!”

“Sis, we’re ordinary people. Having enough to eat and living a stable life is good enough for us. When you marry, the most important thing is that your husband treats you well. It doesn’t matter whether he’s well-read or not!”

“I know!” Mo Ling answered very perfunctorily, and Mo Yan knew that she didn’t take her words to heart at all.

“Sis, can we buy some gifts in town tomorrow? I want to go to the Zhao family manor to see the storyteller who left because of me.”

“Why? He’s not a relative nor a friend.”

“He’s talked about books all his life, and he must know more stories than I do. I want to recognise a master, so I won’t be questioned in the future.”

Since ancient times, people have always paid attention to people who have a master. Mo Yan didn’t want to be asked about how she knew so many stories at such a young age.

“Ok!” It doesn’t cost much to buy two packs of regular dim sum anyway.

Mo Yan added, “Didn’t mum say that there was a medical centre there too? I’ll bring the medicinal herbs with me to see if we can sell them.”

Mo Ling was interested in this and promised to go with her tomorrow when she returned from town.

In the early morning, Mo Ling still got up early to make fried pancakes, and Mrs. Liang had already calmed down. The two hadn’t spoken since they came back last night.

When they were almost done, Mrs. Liang began to pack things on the cart, and Mo Ling handed over the money bag that was not handed in yesterday, “I used some money to buy meat, here’s the rest. You don’t have to go to town, just sort the medicinal herbs at home. Yan’er and I will go to the Zhao family manor in the afternoon to see if we can sell them.”

“Ok.” Mrs. Liang drew out that word, indicating her agreement was reluctant.

Post-edit notes: If it’s not abundantly clear by this point, Mo Ling absolutely has a crush on Mr. Tian and it’s incredibly obvious to Mo Yan.