The fourth day after their wedding, Zhao Liangcai returned to Yanhu.
He did not take Qin Junyao with him. Yanhu was very cold in winter and there were no servants to attend to them, so Zhao Liangcai did not want Qin Junyao to suffer.
Qin Junyao suddenly found herself with nothing to do at home.
Before getting married, she had chores every day: cleaning, sweeping, gathering firewood, and cooking.
After marrying, she didn't have to do any of these tasks, and she was a little unaccustomed to it.
She had asked Liu Rong what the female masters she used to serve usually did at home, and the answer was gathering for tea, chatting, and doing needlework and embroidery.
She was neither skilled at nor fond of these things.
So she had the servants clear out two storerooms. With Liu Yu, and her dowry servant Dawan driving the cart, she began preparing for the New Year's goods.
Preparing for the New Year's goods was Qin Junyao's excuse; in reality, she was taking things out of her spatial dimension.
Various grains, dried vegetables, dried fruits, she took not only to the Zhao family but also to the Qin family.
The villagers all said that the Qin family raised their daughters well, knowing to bring things from their husband's home to their maiden home.
Granny Ma and Mr. Zheng thought that the General's wife was quite capable.
She hauled cartloads of rice, which was difficult to buy, back home. She bought uncommon dried dates, goji berries, and raisins from the market and ate them as snacks.
Qin Junyao could even buy dried apples and dried apricots that were not sold in the market. Although very sour, they had a unique flavor when steeped in honey water.
.
“Sister-in-law, when is my brother coming back? Tomorrow is Laba,” Fuzi sat on a chair, crossing his legs, eating dried dates and drinking fruit tea.
Qin Junyao was taking apart the first outer garment she had made. One of the sleeves was sewn too narrowly, and she couldn’t get it into a padded jacket.
“Your brother said he’ll be back before the New Year.”
“Alas, Sister-in-law, he’s so close to Yanhu but he doesn’t come back to visit. He deserves a beating.”
Qin Junyao couldn’t help but be amused watching Fuzi drink tea and eat dates like a young dandy. “Then you beat him when he gets back.”
“I will definitely beat him when he gets back. Sister-in-law, let’s beat him together, then…”
Before Fuzi could finish, Zhao Liangcai’s voice echoed from outside, “Who wants to beat me?”
“Brother, Brother, you’re back! Eat some dates, Sister-in-law bought these, they’re delicious. Try them quickly.”
Fuzi, who had just threatened to beat Zhao Liangcai, immediately turned into a sycophant.
Zhao Liangcai looked down at his brother holding out a date, reached out to pick him up, placed his head on his shoulder, and then strode over to Qin Junyao.
Before Qin Junyao could react, he kissed her forehead. Even so, Liu Yu and Liu Rong in the room were so embarrassed that they left.
Zhao Liangcai gently stroked Qin Junyao’s face and said in a low voice, “My wife, I’m back.”
“Brother, Brother, I’m going to fall! Brother,” Fuzi grabbed Zhao Liangcai’s clothes with one hand and his hair with the other.
Qin Junyao was sitting in a chair, and Zhao Liangcai had to bend over to kiss her, causing Fuzi, whom he was holding, to lean back until he was almost parallel to the ground.
“Pfft.”
Qin Junyao’s heart had been racing, but now she couldn’t help but laugh. Fuzi gripping Zhao Liangcai’s hair was too funny.
Zhao Liangcai straightened up and patted Fuzi’s little backside. “Fall? Can you fall while I’m holding you?”
“Brother, I was wrong. Put me down.”
As soon as Fuzi’s feet touched the ground, he ran behind Qin Junyao and pointed at Zhao Liangcai. “You still know how to come back? Why don’t you live outside?”
“Yanhu is so close, and you don’t even come back to visit. You might as well not come back.”
“If you like Yanhu so much, go with Yanhu. We don’t need you for household affairs.”
At this point, Fuzi suddenly stopped. What else was there?
Fuzi got so excited that he forgot the words he had heard. He tilted his head to look at Qin Junyao, hoping his sister-in-law would give him a hint.
“Hahaha,” Qin Junyao could no longer hold back her laughter. These words should have been hers.
Zhao Liangcai took off his sheepskin coat and told the people outside to prepare hot water.
“Where did he learn that?”
Qin Junyao stopped laughing, pulled Fuzi in front of her, and ruffled his face. She looked at Zhao Liangcai and said, “He’s been running around the village with Xiao Yuhou and the others recently. He probably heard it from someone’s family. This is the first time I’ve heard him say it.”
“Brother Jixiang is back, this is exactly what Sister-in-law Jixiang says, isn’t it, Sister-in-law?” Fuzi puffed out his chin, seeking praise.
Zhao Liangcai walked over, grabbed Fuzi, and pushed him towards the door. “What do you mean, ‘isn’t it’? Go out and play. Your sister-in-law needs to accompany me.”
“It’s cold outside, I’m not going out. I’ve finished my calligraphy practice, and I’ve memorized my books…”
When Zhao Liangcai returned, the bathwater was ready.
“Where did you send Fuzi?” Qin Junyao asked Zhao Liangcai.
“To Mr. Zheng’s place. Yaoyao, I missed you so much,” Zhao Liangcai leaned down and rubbed Qin Junyao’s face. Seeing that no one else was in the room, he kissed her lips again.
Seeing Qin Junyao blush, Zhao Liangcai happily went to take a bath.
Zhao Liangcai came out after his bath, wearing only his inner garment. Qin Junyao was about to tell him to put on his clothes when she saw an unhealed wound on his rib.
“How did you get injured?” Qin Junyao stood up to get medicine.
“It’s the military rats. There are too many people from other factions; we can’t catch them all.”
Qin Junyao got the medicine and saw that the skin around Zhao Liangcai’s wound had turned pale from being soaked in water. She then went to the door to ask someone to bring some strong liquor.
“You got injured and you still got it wet? The flesh around the wound is no good; it’ll have to be cut off.” Qin Junyao took out a dagger and placed it aside. She then found some cotton cloth to wipe Zhao Liangcai’s hair while waiting for the liquor.
“It’s not a serious injury.”
Qin Junyao stood behind Zhao Liangcai, wiping his hair, and asked him, “You said you took over Yanhu, so how are there still spies?”
“My Yanhu is all about salt. Anyone with an opportunity wants a piece of it. The surrounding trees are getting fewer and fewer, and the salt production is also decreasing. The less there is, the more people will covet it.”
Qin Junyao didn’t understand. “Isn’t there a lot of salt in Yanhu? Why is it decreasing? And what does it have to do with trees?”
Zhao Liangcai tilted his head back. “I’m talking about refined salt. The salt extracted from Yanhu needs to be boiled with water to get refined salt. The trees nearby are almost all burned up.”
“You’ve always wanted to plant trees in the desert, but I have to cut them down.”
Refined salt obtained by boiling in water.
Qin Junyao remembered that her second uncle had mentioned when he was mining salt at Yanhu that some salt was further processed at the stone houses of Yanhu, where the soldiers stayed.
There were many tree roots in the Gobi Desert. Qin Junyao later learned that the soldiers at Yanhu cut them down. She thought it was for building houses or other purposes; she never imagined it was to dry them for firewood to boil salt.
Liu Yu brought in the strong liquor. She knew medicine and instructed Qin Junyao on how to better treat the wound.
Qin Junyao remained silent until Zhao Liangcai’s wound was bandaged.
“Yaoyao, are you angry?” Zhao Liangcai waved Liu Yu away, put on his clothes, and asked Qin Junyao, who was frowning.
“Cutting down trees is unavoidable, it’s firewood for the desert.”
Qin Junyao interrupted Zhao Liangcai. “Have you tried sun-drying the salt?”