Senior Sister Chapter 16
She has started to miss her
Sitting cushions in the room were still not warmed up, and Song Shuqing found an excuse to go outside. She immediately jumped onto the eaves and crouched at the edge of the roof, staring at the obviously leaky large hole in deep thought.
With a sigh, just as she was about to get up, she heard a shout from the ground.
“Hey! Sister who delivers cured meat! It’s dangerous up there!” With a furrowed brow, Xun’er called out with concern, “How did you get up there? I’ll go find a ladder for you… Hey!”
As the boy was about to turn around, he saw Song Shuqing casually jump off the roof, and then she spoke to him, “Do you know there are several big holes on your roof?”
“Uh…” Nodding, Xun’er scratched his head awkwardly, “Those holes are quite big, one of them is right above my and Sister Zhao’s bed. We have to use a basin to catch the rain every time it pours. Once, I accidentally kicked it while I was asleep and it splashed my sister all over.”
“It’s like this…” Unable to help but massage her temples, Song Shuqing stood with her hands behind her back and asked the boy, “Could you get me some hammers and rivets? And some planks?”
“Huh? You want to fix it!?” Surprised, Xun’er looked incredulous.
“Otherwise? Just leave those holes there? It’s not safe with the rainy season approaching, right?” Song Shuqing shrugged, looking at the boy who barely reached her chest with a dumbfounded expression.
“It’s just… it’s dangerous to go up there…” Xun’er’s voice trailed off, scratching his head. “Before, it was Brother Hong who did the repairs, but he hasn’t come back for a long time. Mom and sister can’t climb up, and neither can I…”
“Is that so?”
As the main culprit responsible for keeping Hong’er stranded in Youzhou, Song Shuqing sighed inwardly. She suddenly felt obliged to fix the roof herself. “…Don’t worry, hurry up and find me some tools. I’ll go up and give it a try.'”
Though hesitant, thinking of the woman’s agile skills just now, Xun’er turned and ran to the back door. Before long, he brought back a mishmash of tools.
Looking at the pile of things in front of her, Song Shuqing had a headache.
As a woman who always failed in art class, even though she had seen Cao Yun’s exquisite craftsmanship a thousand times, she still wasn’t confident in her woodworking skills.
…It’s just, stick some wood together and hammer it down…
Not difficult, right?
It shouldn’t be difficult, right?
Glancing at the boy beside her, Song Shuqing hesitated before sighing. “Hmm, no problem with more people.” Grabbing Xun’er’s collar, she effortlessly leaped onto the roof.
“Wow! It’s so high.” Though it was just a single-story house, Xun’er still clung tightly to the woman beside him, visibly afraid.
Watching the boy next to her whimpering, Song Shuqing, with an expression of learning something new, murmured, “So, Zi Yan being afraid of heights is a genetic trait in the family, how cute.”
“What, what, what did you say? I didn’t hear clearly.” Although frightened, Xun’er’s other hand still tightly gripped the tools.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” Dismissing the boy’s concern, Song Shuqing approached the largest hole in the roof, squatted down, and picked up a piece of wood, ready to nail it in place.
“Hey, hey, hey, you can’t fix it like that.” Despite being scared, Xun’er squinted and watched the woman’s actions. Seeing such a rough method, he couldn’t help but stop her. “If you do it like this, the rain will still leak. You need to remove the damaged part first and then cover it again properly.” He gestured with his hand.
Tilting her head, Song Shuqing looked at the boy, who was explaining with great detail.
“You do it.” Suddenly handing the hammer to him, the woman said, “I actually don’t know how to do it at all. I’ll be your assistant.”
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“Huh?”
“Hurry up, or the sun will set soon.” Propping her head on her hand, Song Shuqing urged, “Or don’t you know how?”
“I do. Sort of…” Taking the hammer, Xun’er also squatted down, focusing intently on the damaged wood.
Next to him, Song Shuqing obediently acted as his assistant, handing over tools as he instructed.
When they were fixing the last hole, watching Xun’er skillfully hammering away, Song Shuqing couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, you’re so young, how are you so good at this?”
“An uncle from the neighboring village taught me a few things in his spare time.” Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Xun’er proudly puffed out his chest. “He even praised me for having talent, saying I would become a great carpenter.”
“Wow, that’s really impressive, being able to fix and make anything.” Song Shuqing smiled at the boy in front of her.
“…But I can’t become a carpenter.” Suddenly drooping his shoulders, Xun’er shook his head. “I can never be a carpenter.”
“Oh? Why?” The woman was puzzled.
“Because only by studying and becoming an official can I make a lot of money.” His tone filled with frustration, the boy’s hammering force weakened. “Even though I’m not good at studying, unlike my sister… Sister Zhao, I just go to school for lunch. I always fall asleep in class and get scolded by the teacher, not like Sister Zhao who is so diligent.”
“Father is gone, and Brother Hong is not here either. I have to be the man of the house and support the family.”
Using his sleeve to roughly wipe his dirty face, the boy’s young voice carried a clarity born from life’s pressures. “And Sister Zhao is about to get married soon. Matchmaking and dowries all cost money… And now there’s Sister Yao too. Although Sister Yao is older and might not find someone, we still need to prepare for her.”
Xun’er spoke with a seriousness that made Song Shuqing both want to laugh and cry. She rubbed her nose, thought for a moment, and then slowly said, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a carpenter.”
“Isn’t it better to do something you like and are talented at, rather than something you don’t like and aren’t good at?” She gently tapped the boy’s forehead with her finger, comforting him. “And you don’t need to worry about your sisters’ dowries. If your sister Zhao wants to get married, I will help her find a good family.”
“As for your sister Yao…”
With a smile, Song Shuqing stood up and dusted off her clothes. “I have already promised to take care of her for life, so you can leave that to me.”
“I won’t take any dowry.”
After sunset, Zi Yan’s mother also returned. The mother and daughter, who hadn’t seen each other for a long time, embraced and cried for a long time, while Song Shuqing and Xun’er just squatted outside.
The two of them said nothing, only quietly listening to the faint sounds of crying from inside the house.
That evening, after having dinner together, Song Shuqing took Ta Xue and prepared to return to the inn.
“Simple fare, thank you for staying with me.” Holding an oil lamp, Zi Yan looked at the hooded woman and softly expressed her gratitude, “And thank you for being willing to visit my mother and younger siblings.”
Zi Yan couldn’t find the words to express how she felt when she saw Song Shuqing squatting down, chatting casually with Xun’er like friends, patiently helping Zhaozhao with her studies, and seriously trying to communicate with her deaf mother through gestures.
I just feel soft and warm inside.
“What’s this about? Your mother cooks really well. I even had half a bowl of extra rice.” Patting her stomach, Song Shuqing looked relaxed. She paused, unwilling to let her beloved woman walk away into the night breeze. “Come on, let’s go inside. Your family must have a lot to say to you.”
Reluctant to let go, she could only slowly release her grip, one finger at a time. Zi Yan lowered her head. “…You, you’re also my family.”
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Stunned, Song Shuqing gently kissed the back of the woman’s hand. Zi Yan’s eyelashes trembled, then she tilted her head. “Of course.”
Her eyes were full of smiles.
“Go inside. I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow afternoon.” Releasing the warmth in her hands, the shadow guard watched the woman’s figure for a moment before taking a few steps back and then turning around gracefully to mount her horse.
“Hurry back inside!” Turning back, Song Shuqing admonished, then forcefully squeezed the horse’s belly. She dashed into the ink-like darkness of the night like an arrow in the snow.
The dark figures of the woman and the horse disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.
Watching Song Shuqing’s departure, Zi Yan stood alone for a long time until the lamp in her hand gradually dimmed. Only then did she turn and go back inside.
“Sister Yao.” Whispering with the bedding in her arms, Zhaozhao cautiously asked the woman, “Has Lord Song left?” She carefully made the bed for Zi Yan, while the others had already gone to sleep.
“Yes, she’ll come again tomorrow.” Removing the hairpin from her hair, Zi Yan came to her sister’s side to help.
The two lay down, facing each other, smiling happily in the dim light of the oil lamp.
“What’s wrong?” Zi Yan, with a clear expression, looked at her sister and asked softly.
“I just feel like… it’s like a dream.” Blinking, Zhaozhao sighed. “A few days ago, Brother Hong took all the money from home, saying he needed it as travel expenses to become an official in the capital. It was already difficult, and this just made things worse.”
“But then, unexpectedly, someone from a government office came and offered to hire Mother as a cook, with a good salary.” There was unmistakable surprise in her voice as Zhaozhao reached out from under the covers, gesturing.
“Even the school… Originally, it would have been difficult for even younger brother to attend, let alone someone like me, a woman of my age. But the official said a powerful person from the capital wrote a recommendation letter for us, allowing us to go to school.”
“We don’t even know any influential people from the capital… This is truly miraculous.”
“Now that Sister Yao is back too, it all feels like a miracle.”
Zi Yan looked at Zhaozhao’s sparkling eyes, listened to her excited words, and tightly gripped the blanket.
She knew.
Knew how that miracle happened.
It was that person who always seemed indifferent, even though she treats her better than anyone else.
Whispering softly, “Yes… it truly is a miracle,” Zi Yan lowered her gaze and murmured.
“It was a miracle that I obtained through desperate prayers to the heavens, after countless cycles of rebirth…”
It seemed like a redemption sent by the heavens, specifically to pull oneself out of the depths of despair and inject brilliance into the darkness.
It’s not an exaggeration.
After all, everything about that person is so wonderful.
She filled her heart, became her addiction, and she couldn’t extricate herself.
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One night suddenly seemed too long…
After all,
She had already started missing her.
The author has something to say:
Xun’er: Although Sister Yao is an old maiden, maybe no one will want her.
Senior Sister: …Why don’t you say that again? (removes the needle from her hair)
P.S. Who is it that gave so many nutrient solutions to a story that hasn’t even started yet!? I’m laughing so hard I’m crying (covers face). Even if you give 100 bottles of nutrient solution at once to “My Girl, Can’t Hear,” it will still be ranked behind “Senior Who Often Treats to Meals”! After all, the drafts I have stored up are all for “Senior” right now~
I promise I will delicately describe the feelings of both sides in each story. If you like my writing style, please be patient and look forward to it!
After all, I only have one pair of hands, and I am busy every day, and I type incredibly slowly… (Hmm, that really sounds so useless…)
LP: Re-translated on May 21, 2024