Chapter 15 — The Husband and Little Uncle Fake the Disaster, My Sister and I Clean Up the Marquis' Palace

That's why, even Tieu Ngoc Xu, who always looks at men with half an eye, rarely speaks ill of him. One afternoon in early spring, I was checking the books in the store when Ta Can Ngon arrived. He wore a dark blue robe and held a long wooden box in his hand. I thought he brought a new contract. Unexpectedly, he put the box on the table and said: "I'm not here today for business." I'm a bit stunned.

“So what for?”

He looked at me. His eyes were very calm. Calm enough to make others feel no pressure.

“I came to pray.”

The store suddenly became quiet. Even the sound of the abacus at the front counter seemed much quieter. I looked at him for a moment. Look again at the wooden box on the table. I don't know why, but I suddenly remembered a lot of old things. Remember your past life. Remember the spiritual path. Remember three years of waiting. I remember the day I coughed up blood and lay in bed, unable to wait for someone to return. Seeing that I did not speak up, Ta Can Ngon did not urge me. He just opened the wooden box. Inside is a very simple jade brooch. Not expensive. No exaggeration. It's even more unlike the items used to please the ladies of noble families.

“I know she was once married.”

“I also know you don't want others to talk about it.”

“So I never asked.”

I lowered my eyes. Don't know how to answer. He continued: "I also know that you may not like me."

"It can even be said that she has never thought about remarrying."

“But I still want to come and try it once.”

His voice was very light. It's like talking about something very normal.

“I don't need you to forget the past.”

"There's no need for her to immediately like me."

"I just hope that in the future, when something happens to you, when the weather gets cold, when you get sick or when you get old, you won't be alone by your side."

My hand holding the books tightened slightly. I realized I didn't know how to refuse. Not because of vibration. It's because from beginning to end, he never said a single word that made others feel pressured. He didn't say he would protect me. Don't say you'll save me. Not saying it will give us a better life. He just said. From now on, she won't be alone anymore. That's the most normal saying. But it's also the sentence that softens people's hearts the easiest. I suddenly remembered Tieu Thua Duc. That year he married me. It's because of predetermined parents. After we got married, he never asked me what I wanted. The people in the Tieu family have never asked. They just assume what we should do. What should be sacrificed? What to expect? Ta Can Ngon is different. He never wanted to make decisions for me. Never wanted to save me from any life. He just always respects my choices. Still the same until today. At that moment, Tieu Ngoc Xu's laughter came from outside the door. She is traveling with a young man. The other person is a teacher in town. In recent months, I often go to the store to buy paper and pens. The two of them walked and argued about something. The man was blocked by her until his face turned red, while Tieu Ngoc Xu smiled very proudly. I looked at that scene and suddenly burst out laughing. Tieu Ngoc Xu walked into the store, saw the wooden box on the table and immediately understood. She looked at me. I also looked at her. There was no pressure in her eyes. There was only a very faint glimmer of anticipation. Alike as if asking me. Do you want to try living for yourself? The store was quiet for a long time. Ta Can Ngon is still sitting there. Wait patiently. No urging. Finally, I looked at the jade brooch in the wooden box. Look at the person opposite again. Then nodded slightly. The smile on Ta Can Ngon's face slowly appeared. No exaggeration. No agitation. But very sincere. It was like he had been waiting for this answer for a long time. But this time. I don't feel scared. The date of marriage is set for late autumn. When the news spread, everyone in town came to congratulate him. In recent years, the story between me and Tieu Ngoc Xu is no longer a secret. Everyone knows that the two women from the capital came here with nothing to build a business, and also know that the fabric store and pharmacy are now doing better and better. So when they heard that we were about to get married, everyone we knew was truly happy. Even the lady who owned the bakery at the beginning of the street brought a box of freshly made red bean cakes, saying that when I first arrived in Jiangnan that year, my whole body was so thin that it seemed like a strong wind could blow it away. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the day to wear the uniform would come. I just laughed when I heard that. Because even we ourselves did not expect this day to come. Early in the morning of the wedding day, the sky was very beautiful.