Blissful Days After Widowhood

After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned home, Gu Yin asked Mrs. Wang to go to the theatre.

Mrs. Wang refused, saying that she would stay with her at home, and said, “I didn’t look after you at all, and you were almost bullied. I dare not let you out of my sight again.”

She said she didn’t want to go, but her eyes kept looking out, obviously a heart that wanted to listen to the play had already flown out of the house.

There was no other way, so Gu Yin could only go with Mrs. Wang.

The stage was right next to the largest teahouse in the town. Dozens of benches were placed in front of the stage, and for three cents, one could sit down and drink a bowl of tea. Two people could generally sit on that bench. There were even benches close to the stage which cost five silver. If a person was short of money, then they could spend one silver to stand and listen.

As soon as the stage was set up, Mrs. Xu hurried to call Mrs. Wang. Therefore, the two took the lead, and each took a bench in the front and connected them together.

At that time, the stage was already surrounded by people. Fortunately, Mrs. Wang had the strength to let Gu Yin hide behind her. 

Mrs. Xu was helping her reserve the bench, and when she saw her coming, she immediately got up and sat back in her seat.

“What are they going to perform?!” Mrs. Wang sat down and asked Mrs. Xu.

Mrs. Xu said, “Singing about that evil mother-in-law forcing her daughter-in-law to remarry and become a concubine in the palace!”

Mrs. Wang patted her thigh and said, “Isn’t the daughter-in-law still doing needlework to support the family? Why did she suddenly jump to force her to remarry? Where did the Emperor come from?”

Mrs. Xu kept her eyes from the stage and spat out the peel of the melon seeds, “It was the embroidery made by that daughter-in-law that the Emperor took a fancy to, and then he took a fancy to her.”

On the stage, they sang. The two of them gathered together to listen and chat. Gu Yin didn’t understand the script very well, so she started looking for Xiao Wu’an.

She was looking around when Xiao Wu’an stuck his head out from behind Mrs. Xu, “Is my sister-in-law looking for me?”

It turned out that the little guy was sitting on Mrs. Xu’s side.

Gu Yin smiled, and Xiao Wu’an handed the melon seeds in his hand to her, but his hand was too short, and it was still a short distance away.

When Mrs. Xu saw it out of the corner of her eye, she simply stood up and waved at Gu Yin. The two changed seats. She and Mrs. Wang sat on a bench, while Gu Yin sat next to Xiao Wu’an.

Only after Gu Yin changed her seat, did she find that Xu Qingchuan was actually there, and in such a place he carried his books.

Gu Yin guessed that he probably didn’t like watching opera, and was forced to come over by Mrs. Xu, so she couldn’t help smiling.

Xu Qingchuan felt her gaze, raised his head, and the two nodded across Xiao Wu’an as a greeting.

“Sister-in-law, eat quickly. Brother Qingchuan gave it to me, it’s delicious!”

Without waiting for Gu Yin to refuse, Xiao Wu’an stuffed the melon seeds into her hand.

Gu Yin had to catch it, and then thank Xu Qingchuan.

Xu Qingchuan opened his purse, which was full of melon seeds.

He put the pouch on Wu’an’s hand, and smiled with his lips curved, “Don’t be so polite, it’s fried in my house. It’s a waste to leave it if one can’t finish it.”

The melon seeds were fragrant and crunchy in the mouth, and she could still taste a tea aroma.

Gu Yin sincerely praised, “Aunt Mrs. Xu’s craftsmanship is really good! No melon seeds sold on the street are as delicious as this fried one!”

Hearing that, Xu Qingchuan turned his eyes away in a panic, and a faint pink appeared on his fair cheeks.

“It’s not aunt who fried, it’s…”

Xiao Wu’an was halfway through speaking, when Xu Qingchuan covered his mouth, “Don’t you want to listen to me recite ‘Three Character Classic’?”

Wu’an nodded hurriedly, turned around obediently, and snuggled gently beside him.

Xu Qingchuan stretched out his arms and embraced him. His thin lips slightly parted, and his words were clear, “In the beginning of humanity, their nature was good. Their nature was similar, but their habits were far apart.”

His voice was as clear as a symphony of jewels, and his tone was gentle and soft.

Gu Yin listened to the opera that she didn’t understand in one ear, and listened to his reading in the other ear. Her eyelids fell straight down, and she fell asleep unconsciously on the other side of Mrs. Wang.

When Xu Qingchuan raised his eyes again, she was already asleep, and he couldn’t help smiling.

When she opened her eyes again, the sound of gongs, drums, and the people around pointing at the stage and yelling came.

As soon as she woke up, Mrs. Wang helped her sit up and moved forward.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Yin rubbed her eyes, her voice still laced with drowsiness.

Xiao Wu’an shook his head and said, “I don’t know, they sang it well just now. I don’t know why an old grandpa came, and started to quarrel.”