56: Chapter 56: Repairing the House
56 -56: Repairing the House
Gu Youyou was stunned for a moment before realizing how seriously people in ancient times took filial piety, with the saying “Among all virtues, filial duty comes first.” No wonder Jin Zijin wore that expression.
It seemed that her behavior of being happy after upsetting her grandmother was indeed inappropriate.
But upon thinking of what kind of person her grandmother was, she felt relieved and responded, “The saying goes that with a loving father comes a filial son, so shouldn’t filial piety follow paternal affection?
You have no idea what my grandmother is like.
As soon as she returned, she kept thinking about the things my grandfather decided to give me; on the very first day she came back, she made a fuss at home, demanding to take away the sweet potatoes my grandfather gave me and even inciting me to move several chests of my dowry back to the Gu Family so as not to ‘benefit this…
Gu Youyou looked at Jin Zijin proudly, eager to see his reaction to her words.
Jin Zijin never cared about the little possessions Gu Youyou had; how could her trinkets ever catch his eye?
Hearing what she said, he couldn’t help but turn his gaze toward the few empty chests against the wall.
He was slightly startled and asked, “Did your grandmother take everything?”
He was merely surprised, but to Gu Youyou it seemed as if he was distressed, so she said, “No, no, I just had Shunzi help me sell them all, in exchange for medicine!”
Of course, there was also some silver that she planned to save for when the family really couldn’t make ends meet anymore.
“Oh!” Jin Zijin nodded and said, “Well, if it’s sold, then let it be.”
A moment later, he added, “So your grandmother didn’t get it, and that’s why she was angry?”
Gu Youyou laughed and said, “Yes, my grandmother came here just for those things; once they were gone, there was nothing left for her to pine for, so naturally, she was so angry that she wouldn’t come again!”
See, you misunderstood me, right?
Jin Zijin didn’t say anything more but instead packed up the large chests and took an ax up the mountain.
Gu Youyou had grown accustomed to his behavior and didn’t ask further.
Before long, Jin Zijin returned, carrying two bamboo poles in his hands.
She took a stool to the doorway to sit and watch him tidy up the two bamboo poles in the yard, curious about what he would make with them.
It had to be said that Jin Zijin was very industrious, kind to his wife, and in a village , marrying a husband like him was undoubtedly lucky.
If she didn’t know he harbored some secrets, if he were truly just an ordinary village fellow, Gu Youyou felt she might have been willing to accept her fate and live peacefully with him in this simple little mountain village.
Gu Youyou was so engrossed in watching him that she didn’t realize how he skillfully used the ax to strip the bamboo of branches and leaves, sawing them into sections, splitting them open, removing the scabs on the yellow bamboo, leaving only the green.
He made a few frames, using them to clamp the thatched grass on the roof and mixed some mud.
Now Gu Youyou understood, the house was too run-down and didn’t even keep out the wind.
He was planning to use these materials to repair the house.
By the time Jin Zijin had patched up the larger holes in the house, it was already dark.
He had been busy all day and still had to cook.
Gu Youyou saw him pull up a winter cabbage from the garden in the yard and she took the initiative to approach him, saying, “Take a rest for a while, I’ll do it.”
She might not be skilled at heavy tasks, but how hard could this simple chore be?
It was just washing a cabbage after all.
Jin Zijin was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Gu Youyou to offer to wash the cabbage herself.
Without waiting for his response, Gu Youyou reached out to take the cabbage.
The moment she touched the cabbage, Gu Youyou shivered from the cold.
She hadn’t expected the cabbage to be so chilling, almost like touching a block of ice.