An Ping sat on the ox cart with his hands tucked in, huddled up and sulking. The snow had covered him in a layer, making him look like an old monk in deep meditation from afar.
Looking at him, An Hao felt sorry and walked over to pat the snow off him, "That’s enough, no more sulking! You were indeed in the wrong today. We’re rushing to get back, everyone’s working hard, how could you just run off alone?"
"An Hao, don’t touch me, don’t bother with me!" An Ping’s stubbornness flared up, he had just slacked off a bit, and now the two of them were ganging up on him.
"Me, not bother with you? Then who will? Stop being so stubborn, you really were in the wrong today, just admit your mistake," An Hao said, about to carefully bring out the bowl of meat from her bag.
But An Ping was still being defiant, "I did nothing wrong! It’s wrong for me to take a break because I’m tired? I’m not wrong!"
Upon hearing that, An Hao’s face darkened and she put the bowl back.
She climbed onto the cart and kicked An Ping off, "With that donkey-like stubbornness of yours, I’d rather not bother with you! Qin Jian, let’s go!"
Seeing his fiery little wife, Qin Jian felt the need to mediate, "An Ping, when you make a mistake, you have to be brave enough to admit it and correct it. If you’re tired, you can rest, but you have to tell us. On such a cold day, your sister waited for you in the snow for so long she nearly froze... "
"Brother-in-law, don’t say another word, you two are in cahoots now, both of you just want to pick on me!" An Ping had already realized his mistake internally, he was just too stubborn to admit it.
"Pick on you? Fine, if that’s how you want it, I won’t bother with you anymore," An Hao said as she sat back on the ox cart, "Qin Jian, let’s go home and have him run back on his own."
"An Hao, you wouldn’t dare!"
"You watch if I dare!" An Hao replied, snatching the whip from Qin Jian’s hand and gave the ox a fierce lash on the behind, sending it dashing off and leaving An Ping far behind.
"An Hao! You! You’re driving me mad!" An Ping exclaimed.
And so, An Hao and Qin Jian rode the ox cart, with An Ping running after them for ten li, exhausted to the point of near collapse before Qin Jian finally slowed down the cart.
An Ping was so tired that his head was drenched in sweat, and steam was rising from his damp head.
By the time they got home, it was already eight or nine in the evening.
An Shuchao had already eaten his dinner and was about to cook for them when he saw them arrive, but An Hao stopped him, "Dad, we’ve eaten already! We sold all the vegetables today, here’s the money! Please keep it safe."
An Shuchao counted out a third for An Hao, "This was agreed on beforehand. A third of the farm income goes to you."
"Alright," An Hao said, smiling and about to take the money when Qin Jian stopped her.
"You’ve given all the money to Dad. Isn’t my army allowance enough for you? It should be enough for your expenses." The Qin Family had given all their property to An Hao upon marriage.
"It’s part of our agreement. We do what we agreed upon! Follow the rules!" An Shuchao insisted, and An Hao accepted the money.
"It’s getting late, you both must be tired. Go wash up and go to sleep earlier," he said.
"Okay," An Hao responded, taking out the stir-fried pork with sharp peppers she had packed for An Ping, "Dad, An Ping didn’t eat tonight because he was sulking. This is what you made for him; let him come and eat later."
"That child. He must have been slacking off while selling the vegetables again, right? He really needs to be straightened out," An Shuchao said, waving them off, "Go on, go rest! Heat some water for Qin Jian to soak his feet."
They returned to their eastern room, where the kang was warm and cozy.
An Hao was so tired she felt like she was falling apart, throwing herself onto the kang, too lazy to move.
Seeing his wife exhausted , the corner of Qin Jian’s mouth curved up as he sat down beside her, "Wife, tired? Shall I give you a massage?"