My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 32 Part 1

Chapter 32  

The winter days dawned late, and in the gray, frost-laden wind, oil lamps flickered one by one.  

Early in the morning, the village was already bustling with loading grain onto carts to be sent to the main village road. By the time the sky showed the faintest light, seven or eight grain carts were already lined up on the road.  

This year, the village had to deliver over a hundred dan of grain. By the time all the required grain was loaded, the men of the village were already sweating.  

[1 dan ≈ 60–70 kg of grain]

In previous years, four or five people would escort ten carts of grain to the city, but this year, the number of escorts had more than doubled.  

Every family knew the rumors outside. If the grain were lost, not only would the village head be held responsible, but the farming families would also suffer the consequences.  

At Ji Yangzong’s call, the able-bodied men voluntarily gathered to escort the grain.  

The main road was packed with people - those delivering grain and coming to help chattering away in the bitter winter morning, making it unusually lively despite the cold.  

"Almost ready, let’s hit the road!"  

After checking the grain on the carts and making sure they were correct, Ji Yangzong gave a shout, then circled from the rear of the convoy to the front and boarded the lead cart to guide the way.  

Following Ji Yangzong’s orders, the village men climbed onto the carts one after another, and the convoy began to inch forward. Huo Shu mounted his horse.  

He took position at the very end of the procession, guarding the rear.  

The elderly, weak, women, and children of the village braved the winter chill to stand by the roadside, watching the grain carts depart.  

Nearly half a year’s worth of backbreaking labor was loaded onto those carts, they couldn’t afford even the slightest mishap.  

By the time Ji Taoyu hurried against the wind, he was a step too late. The convoy had already moved far ahead, leaving only the sight of a steadfast figure guarding the procession from behind.  

The black horse's tail swished, cutting an arc through the morning mist. Though the bandit unrest outside stirred unease, having Huo Shu escort them this year inexplicably brought a sense of reassurance.  

Ji Taoyu watched the receding figure, rubbing his stiff, cold hands, and let out a soft sigh that instantly turned into white mist.  

He stared wistfully as the convoy disappeared from view. He had gritted his teeth and dragged himself out of bed before dawn today—only to miss them.  

It was all because he’d slept late last night, kept awake by the howling wind and barking dogs, leaving him restless and irritable.  

Once the grain carts left the village, the road returned to its usual noisy bustle.  

"This year’s grain tax is late. Look how cold it is, better gather firewood today while it’s not raining. You can’t go without fire in the depths of winter."  

The women chatted idly, hands tucked into their sleeves for warmth.  

"Hey, what’s the news on that You family fellow?"  

"Who knows? He’s hardly ever seen these days. But that shrew mother of his still refuses to believe it and keeps dragging physicians in to see him, all of them just shake their heads and leave."  

"Why not ask Physician Huang to take a look? Maybe there’s still hope."  

"After all the evil that family’s done, they’ve got the nerve to ask Physician Huang for help?"  

"Well, he’s still a juren, so his life’s still comfortable. Let's not talk about their family, bad luck to talk about such things on a good day."  

Ji Taoyu overheard the villagers gossiping about the You family but didn’t pay much attention. It was the same old talk about You Lingxiao being crippled, nothing new.  

Besides, he didn’t care to know about their affairs anyway.  

It was bitterly cold today. A thin layer of frost coated the cabbages in the hollow, and right now, he felt like a frost-bitten eggplant himself.  

Listless, he turned to head back, thinking he might as well return home and catch some more sleep.  

"Now that the taxes are paid, this year’s harvest is truly done. With the New Year approaching, I wonder if we’ll see a few weddings soon."  

"Bound to be some. There’s plenty of marriage-age folks in and around the village, surely a few will tie the knot."  

"Speaking of which, I ran into Yuan niangzi at the Yue Lao Temple in Jinlong Temple the other day."  

[Yue Lao Temple (月老庙 Yuè Lǎo Miào) is a temple dedicated to Yue Lao, the Chinese deity of love and marriage who binds destined couples with invisible red strings, where worshippers pray for romantic matches or marital harmony]

"Praying for a match for her foster son, eh?"  

Hearing this, Ji Taoyu’s steps unconsciously slowed.  

He hunched deeper into his cloak’s hood, keeping his head down as he trailed behind the chatting villagers.  

"Huo Shu’s not young anymore. Those years at the border delayed things, he should’ve married long ago. No wonder Yuan Huiru’s anxious enough to visit the temple."  

"True, Huo Shu’s a man of few words and looks fierce, but he’s reliable. The other day, my elder sister’s family slaughtered livestock and called for Butcher Qiao, he brought Huo Shu along, and Huo Shu did the slaughtering. Just as quick as Butcher Qiao."  

"Your sister has four daughters and gers, right? The fourth ger’s just the right age, why not propose it? Huo Shu might not seem like he has much, but with his skills, he’ll do fine."  

"My sister has asked about Huo Shu several times, but it's hard to gauge whether the ger is truly interested."  

"That's just the ger's shyness showing. If the family's inquiring, the ger must be willing. But of course, the ger's side can't broach the matter directly, can they?"

"I’ve been busy at home these days, but I’ll drop by the Zhao family when I have time."