Chapter 61: I Came Here Especially for You
Su Tao was married, and to that fool Shitou!
The news spread through Lihua Village in an instant. The Old Su Family didn’t even hold a wedding banquet; they just sent Su Tao over, accepted the betrothal gift, and threw in a few sets of clothes to complete the deal. To the villagers, it was no different from selling their own granddaughter.
But considering the scene Su Tao and Shitou had caused before, no one thought to go and stand up for her. After all, the villagers had caught the two of them in the same bed, and so many people had seen it. Getting married was only natural. The only complaint was how rushed the whole affair was.
Still, it was the Old Su Family’s business, and outsiders had no right to comment.
Aunt Cuihua whispered in Su Qing’s ear as she dug up potatoes, "That grandmother of yours... I’ve figured her out. Her preference for boys over girls is something else. In her eyes, granddaughters are probably just tools for making money, or else they’re treated like slaves. Goodness, it’s a good thing you separated from them. Otherwise, she’d definitely be scheming about your marriage next. I’m sure of it. Your grandma must have gotten a hefty betrothal gift this time."
Su Qing had heard the whole story about Su Tao that morning. She just pursed her lips in a slight smile, casually dug up a potato, and tossed it into the basket beside her. "Yes, it’s a good thing I separated from them. My grandmother can’t control me now."
"Exactly. That’s the way it should be." Aunt Cuihua nodded. "From what I’ve seen, your grandmother and her lot don’t seem to dare bother you anymore."
Ever since Su Qing had pulled a knife, the Old Su Family had really quieted down. They hadn’t caused any trouble for her since, almost as if they were treating her as a complete stranger.
Su Qing smiled and stood up to stretch her back. She had to admit, farm work was exhausting. Even though she had absorbed so much of the green mist and her body had mostly recovered, her back was still aching after half a morning of labor.
She rolled her neck to loosen it up, and as she turned her head, she saw Tao Qingshan walking along the edge of the field, carrying two baskets of potatoes on a shoulder pole.
"Uncle Qingshan." Su Qing smiled and nodded at him. Tao Qingshan seemed surprised to run into her. His gaze grew flustered, and he gave a quick, haphazard nod back. After a brief "ah," he hurried past.
Watching Tao Qingshan’s retreating back, Su Qing couldn’t help but frown. She had seen that guilt in his eyes again.
’It definitely wasn’t my imagination.’
The last time at the Tao family’s home, Tao Qingshan’s gaze had held a hint of guilt. If that had been her imagination, what about this time? She couldn’t have been mistaken twice.
What on earth had happened to make Tao Qingshan feel so guilty toward her?
"Su Qing, what’s wrong?" Aunt Cuihua looked up and saw Su Qing staring blankly in a certain direction. She followed her gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just tired. I zoned out for a second," Su Qing replied quickly, snapping out of it.
"Ah, yes. We villagers toil in the fields from dawn till dusk. It’s not just a young girl like you; even an old hand like me gets tired." Aunt Cuihua sighed, standing up to pound her lower back. Then she smiled and added, "But it’s alright. Once we finish harvesting this batch of potatoes, we can start preparing to hole up for the winter. I’ll take you into the mountains to gather wild goods and firewood. You’re living on your own this year, so you have to stock up on firewood. Otherwise, you’ll really suffer if you don’t have enough for the winter."
"Okay, sounds good," Su Qing agreed with a grin.
She nonchalantly glanced toward Tao Qingshan in the distance and pursed her lips. ’Looks like I need to find out what’s going on.’
"Uncle Qingshan."
After finishing work in the afternoon, Tao Qingshan went up the mountain to get a bundle of firewood. He was preparing to head home, but before he even reached the foot of the mountain, he saw Su Qing walking up the path.
There was only one path down the mountain, so it was too late for Tao Qingshan to avoid her. Hearing Su Qing greet him, he quickly forced a smile. "Su Qing, are you heading up to gather firewood too?"
Su Qing smiled, her lips pursed. "Uncle Qingshan, I didn’t come up the mountain to gather firewood. I came specifically to find you."
Facing Tao Qingshan, Su Qing decided to be direct.
"Oh, to find... find me?" Hearing her words, Tao Qingshan was clearly flustered. He quickly forced a laugh. "Su Qing, what do you need me for? Why would you come all the way up the mountain just to find me?"
"There are fewer people here. There’s something I’d like to ask you in private, Uncle Qingshan," Su Qing said calmly.
"Wh-what is it?" Tao Qingshan instinctively took a step back. He was harboring a deep sense of guilt and didn’t really want to face Su Qing. Every time he saw her, his guilt grew stronger. That was why Tao Qingshan had avoided meeting her all these years.
And that was why, in the original owner’s memories, her impression of the Tao family was faint; at most, she only recognized their faces.
"Uncle Qingshan, let’s not beat around the bush. I hope you won’t hide anything from me regarding what I’m about to ask," Su Qing said softly, looking him straight in the eye.
Tao Qingshan was obviously unnerved. When he saw Su Qing staring at him, he instinctively lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. "Su Qing, you must be joking. What could I possibly have to hide from you? We barely interact, right?"
"If you have nothing to hide, then why do you look so guilty every time you see me?" Su Qing pursed her lips and continued, "Uncle Qingshan, I’m not a child anymore, and I’m not as indifferent to everything as I used to be. I can see the guilt you feel toward me. I want to live a good life now, but I don’t want to be kept in the dark about certain things. So, Uncle Qingshan, what is it that you know? Or rather, what happened that makes you feel so guilty? Is it because of my father, or my mother?"
Su Qing’s words made Tao Qingshan’s face flush red. He wanted to say he didn’t know anything, but when he looked up and met her gaze, he couldn’t get the words out. Finally, he sighed, dropped the bundle of firewood from his back, and squatted down, clutching his head in his hands.
Seeing this, Su Qing also walked over and squatted down beside him. "Uncle Qingshan, I think that since you feel so guilty toward me, it must be because you can’t clear your own conscience. A lot of things have already happened, and maybe they can’t be changed. But I hope you can tell me what it is. No matter what happened back then, I won’t blame you, Uncle Qingshan."
"Su Qing, I... I’ve let you down." Hearing her say this only deepened Tao Qingshan’s guilt. He pounded his own head with his fist and sighed.
"What is it, exactly?" Su Qing had a gut feeling. This had to be related to the original owner’s parents.