LW chapter 99: Extra 15

Chen Qing didn’t want to think about the events of the second day after the wedding anymore. To put it simply, he couldn’t get out of bed. It wasn’t until the third day that he managed to crawl up and greet Grandmother.

Fortunately, Grandmother knew he was thin-skinned and didn’t laugh at him. Their interactions were the same as always.

For the past two days, Chen Qing’s waist and back had been sore, so he couldn’t do much. Instead, he started making clothes for Grandmother and Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan also didn’t go out these days. He seemed unsure about what to do, and since they had just gotten married, he wished he could be with Chen Qing all day, every day.

Grandmother liked seeing them like this, smiling every day. While Chen Qing did needlework, Zhou Yuan sat beside him and occasionally acted naughty to tease him. Chen Qing had a good temper. No matter how Zhou Yuan acted, Chen Qing never got angry. In fact, he would even pull out an extra thread for Zhou Yuan to tie knots with.

Chen Qing hoped Grandmother would live a long and healthy life, so he wanted to embroider cranes on the clothes he was making for her.

Making the clothes itself wasn’t hard. What took time was the embroidery. Chen Qing spent several hours on it every day, and only when Zhou Yuan noticed that he had kept his head down for too long would he drag him out for a walk.

In the past, Chen Qing had never noticed so many people passing through the village. Now, wherever he walked with Zhou Yuan, people came over to greet and chat with them. The ge’ers and young women they met would also secretly glance at Zhou Yuan.

Chen Qing: …

After that, he stopped walking around the village with Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan respected his wishes. They spent more time going to the big medicinal field. It was the season to start planting herbs, and there were rumors that the village would start hiring.

Chen Qing had wanted to sign up, too, but he still had a lot of clothes to make. Zhou Yuan didn’t want him to work so hard, so he missed the hiring period and didn’t go.

Time went from May to July very quickly. The weather grew hot, and since Chen Qing couldn’t finish the summer clothes in time, Zhou Yuan bought two sets of summer wear for each of them.

During this time, Grandmother fell ill again. After visiting the doctor, he said the same thing: Grandmother was just too old, and they had to be prepared at any time.

She was already sixty-three this year. People in the village generally didn’t live long, so she had already lived to a ripe old age.

Chen Qing was still very sad. At night, he cried silently for a long time. He turned to look at Zhou Yuan, who was lying on his back, expressionless, staring at the ceiling.

“You’re not sad?” Chen Qing’s voice was thick with emotion. He still couldn’t accept it.

Zhou Yuan pulled him over and let him lean on his shoulder. “I’ve seen too much. When I was in the army, someone might talk to you in the morning, and by evening, you could see his corpse. We didn’t have extra time to be sad because it felt like no one ever had a tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Chen Qing cried even harder. Zhou Yuan quickly hugged him to comfort him and wished Grandmother a long life.

Grandmother could see Chen Qing’s reluctance, so she stayed strong and tried her best. She accompanied them through the summer heat and then through the winter cold.

Spring passed, and autumn arrived; cold left, and heat returned. This was the third year since Chen Qing and Zhou Yuan were married.

In the end, Grandmother didn’t live to be a hundred. She passed away at sixty-six.

According to her last wishes, they didn’t bury her, but rather cremated her and placed her ashes in a pouch.

Grandmother said that she didn’t want to be worn away by the wind and sand anymore. She wanted to return to Jiangnan, a place with mountains and water.

Zhou Yuan discussed this with Chen Qing, and they decided to scatter Grandmother’s ashes and live in a small southern city.

Although they hadn’t earned much in the past three years, Chen Qing was frugal. After the wedding, he managed Zhou Yuan’s finances, preventing him from spending freely. Fortunately, Zhou Yuan listened.

During those three years, Chen Qing earned money by embroidering handkerchiefs, and Zhou Yuan worked outside doing labor. He could do almost anything: carrying loads, fixing houses, guarding homes, and sometimes helping out at the yamen. The money they earned was enough for household expenses, so Zhou Yuan’s initial savings remained untouched.

“Xiao Qing, are you done packing?” Zhou Yuan stood in the yard, holding a horse by the reins.

Chen Qing came out with a bundle and nodded.

After Zhou Yuan lifted Chen Qing onto the horse, he also mounted. Before leaving, they looked around the small courtyard one last time. When Zhou Yuan returned, they didn’t renovate the courtyard; they only built a new shed to serve as a kitchen. Everything else was just as it had been when Chen Qing first arrived.

But now, they would no longer see Grandmother leaning on her cane and smiling at them in this courtyard.

Chen Qing wiped his eyes and grabbed the hand Zhou Yuan had placed around his waist.

“Let’s go.” Zhou Yuan tightened the reins. The horse neighed, and they left their home.

Grandmother had said she wanted to return to Jiangnan. Since Zhou Yuan had no attachment to this place, he decided to take Chen Qing south and settle wherever they found a suitable place.

They had no destination. They would stay wherever they wanted. Perhaps they also wanted Grandmother to see more places. They left Yizhou Prefecture and headed to the capital.

It was a place that Chen Qing had never imagined he could visit. Zhou Yuan took him to meet the general he had saved and showed him the capital city, where they stayed in an inn and ate at a restaurant. The amount of money they spent made Chen Qing’s heart tremble.

After leaving the capital, they continued south. As the New Year approached, they stopped in a place called Yunxi Town and rented a room for a short stay to experience a different New Year’s atmosphere.

Yunxi Town was very nice. On their first day there, it snowed. With Zhou Yuan around these past three years, Chen Qing no longer had to wash clothes for others in the freezing winter, and the chilblains on his hands had disappeared.

They spent the Lunar New Year in Yunxi Town but decided it wasn’t the place for them. However, they made new friends there. The owner of Tian’s Restaurant was an interesting person, and the food was delicious.

Unaccustomed to the southern winters, Chen Qing caught a cold. Zhou Yuan took him to the clinic. Zhou Yuan also asked about Chen Qing’s health, since after three years of marriage, Chen Qing’s belly still showed no signs of movement.

The doctor said Chen Qing was healthy and that having children couldn’t be rushed. Maybe it would just happen one day.

Doctor Yu didn’t prescribe much medicine because a normal cold would pass on its own. As they were leaving, they saw the interesting shopkeeper from Tian’s bringing food. It turned out that the doctor was his relative.

They left Yunxi Town at the beginning of March and continued south. They switched to a carriage, which gave them more time to travel slowly.

“Zhou Yuan, where are we going?” Chen Qing asked, sitting beside Zhou Yuan and looking at the lush, green forest around them.

“I don’t know either,” said Zhou Yuan. “Sometimes I feel like just keeping on walking like this seems pretty good.”

Chen Qing leaned on his shoulder. “No matter where we go, I’ll stay with you.”

It was just that they didn’t expect they would stop this soon.

When they reached a valley, Zhou Yuan was cautious. Someone ahead of them warned them that there were bandits in the mountains and that it would be best to take a detour.

Zhou Yuan wasn’t afraid of bandits, but since Chen Qing was with him, they chose to go around anyway. By nightfall, they still hadn’t found a place to rest, so they stopped by a river and slept in the carriage. Fortunately, the carriage had everything they needed, so they wouldn’t go hungry or be cold.

Zhou Yuan gathered firewood in the mountains. They lit a fire by the river, placed a small pot on it, and heated water. Doctor Yu said drinking hot water would help with the cold.

They had plenty of dry food. Zhou Yuan roasted flatbread over the fire and sprinkled seasoning Shopkeeper Tian had given them on top. Dry flatbread and hot water barely counted as a meal.

The night was cold. The fire had already gone out. Zhou Yuan held Chen Qing in his arms as they rested in the carriage, wrapped tightly in blankets.

It was very quiet in the dead of night. Even the slightest sound seemed magnified.

In the darkness, Zhou Yuan opened his eyes and reached for the knife inside the carriage.

Chen Qing woke up when Zhou Yuan moved. He was still a little dazed. He tried to speak, but Zhou Yuan covered his mouth. “Don’t talk. Stay in the carriage. I’ll go check.”

Knowing he couldn’t cause trouble at a time like this, Chen Qing nodded and curled deeper into the carriage.

Zhou Yuan stepped out with his knife. His night vision was good, and he saw someone stumbling toward them from afar with a group of people behind him, all holding knives.

The runner seemed to see Zhou Yuan by the side of the road. Exhausted, he shouted for help.

Zhou Yuan wasn’t planning to get involved, but when the man got closer, Zhou Yuan realized that he was a weak scholar who couldn’t even tie up a chicken. Who knew how he had escaped those people?

“Help, help!”

Zhou Yuan drew his knife. The scholar crawled behind him and collapsed on the ground, unable to move anymore.

Zhou Yuan: …

Even if he didn’t want to get involved, he had to now. Chen Qing was still in the carriage, and those people definitely wouldn’t spare them.

Zhou Yuan advanced with his knife. There were four bandits. They didn’t take him seriously, but they did notice the carriage by the river. They had originally planned to rob a poor scholar, but now they had something extra to gain.

All four of them revealed their knives. Zhou Yuan struck first, cutting off one man’s arm with a single slash. The scream echoed through the night. Knowing he couldn’t drag things out, Zhou Yuan quickly attacked, and soon all four men were lying on the ground. It was the first time Zhou Yuan had used this knife on someone since leaving the battlefield.

He hadn’t intended to kill them; he planned to take Chen Qing and the scholar and leave. However, one bandit said, “Our people will be here soon. You won’t escape!”

Zhou Yuan’s eyes hardened. He immediately finished off all four.

Ignoring the scholar on the ground, he hitched the carriage and prepared to leave. The scholar scrambled after them. Zhou Yuan said nothing. The scholar climbed into the carriage, trembling, and sat beside Zhou Yuan.

Once they left the area, the scholar thanked him. “Thank you, hero, for saving my life!”

Chen Qing crawled out of the carriage and examined Zhou Yuan. “You’re not hurt, right?”

Zhou Yuan’s voice was gentle. “I’m fine. Stay in the carriage, don’t come out.”

Chen Qing nodded and went back inside.

Driving a carriage at night required complete focus. After calming Chen Qing, Zhou Yuan focused immediately. The carriage moved slowly in the dark. Near mountains and rivers, one careless moment could be dangerous.

Fortunately, the road was peaceful. As dawn approached, it started to rain. Zhou Yuan exhaled; heavy rain would wash away the wheel tracks, making it harder for pursuers to find them.

The scholar relaxed and introduced himself. “I’m from Luohe Village. I just returned from taking the exam in Yuancang Prefecture, but I wandered into a bandit stronghold. It took me days to escape. Thank you for saving me.”

Zhou Yuan nodded.

“I don’t know where the two of you are heading. If it’s not too much trouble, may I travel with you?”

Zhou Yuan glanced at Chen Qing, who was peeking out from the carriage. Chen Qing softened, seemingly wanting to agree.

Zhou Yuan nodded and asked, “Can you ride a horse?”

Qi Shuning shook his head. “No, but I can learn.”

Zhou Yuan hummed. They didn’t have a set destination anyway. Sending the scholar home was fine.

After dawn, they entered a small town. Zhou Yuan quickly sold the carriage. A carriage would be too big of a target, and horses would be faster and harder to track.

Fortunately, he had bought an extra horse earlier. Teaching Qi Shuning took some time, but he was a quick learner. He learned to ride in one morning.

For safety reasons, they didn’t stay in the town long. When the rain stopped, they set out immediately.

Qi Shuning rode unsteadily. Chen Qing worried he would fall off, but he always managed to cling tightly to the horse somehow.

They hurried on and reached Qi Shuning’s hometown, Luohe Village, five days later.

Zhou Yuan didn’t intend to stay once they delivered him. However, when he looked down at Chen Qing, he saw that he was a bit dazed.

“Xiao Qing?”

For the first time, Chen Qing didn’t follow Zhou Yuan’s lead and turned back. “I want to stay here for a while.”

Zhou Yuan nodded and asked Qi Shuning, “Can we stay at your house for a few days?”

Qi Shuning immediately beamed. “Of course! You can stay as long as you like.”

He eagerly led them home. When they reached the door, Chen Qing tightened his grip on Zhou Yuan’s hand.

After Qi Shuning knocked, a cheerful voice came from behind the door. “Why did you take so long to come back?”

Li Xin opened the door and saw Chi Shuning in a poor state with two strangers behind him.

“What happened to you?” Li Xin immediately spotted a bruise on Qi Shuning’s lip.

Qi Shuning explained everything that had happened in the past few days. Then he added, “These two are my benefactors. They’ll be staying here for a few days.”

Li Xin quickly and warmly welcomed them into the house.

Chen Qing looked at Li Xin and couldn’t explain why he felt a sense of closeness the moment he saw him, even though it was their first meeting.

They stayed in Luohe Village for two days, and by the end of that time, Chen Qing and Li Xin had become friends. This surprised Zhou Yuan a little. Chen Qing had lived in Yizhou Prefecture for five or six years without making a single friend, yet here, he immediately bonded with someone he had just met.

Zhou Yuan could tell that Chen Qing liked this place.

The village lay south of the Luo River and was backed by a tall mountain. With both mountains and water, it seemed like the peaceful place they had been searching for.

“Xiao Qing.”

Chen Qing was washing his hands by the river when Zhou Yuan softly called his name.

“What is it?”

“Should we stay here?” Zhou Yuan asked.

Chen Qing stood up from the riverbank and walked to his side. “Can we?”

“Of course,” Zhou Yuan replied. “If you want to stay, then we’ll stay.”

Chen Qing nodded. He truly liked this place. Everything about it felt warm and familiar, though he couldn’t explain why.

Zhou Yuan gently ruffled his hair. “Then I’ll go find the village chief.”

Li Xin was the happiest to hear that Chen Qing wanted to stay. He wasn’t sure why, but he and Chen Qing got along extremely well. Since they had saved Qi Shuning, it couldn’t be better for them to settle here.

The village chief of Luohe Village was named Jiang. He was known for his foresight, and the villagers trusted him deeply. Since Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing wanted to settle there, the village chief would need to help them with the paperwork at the local government office.

When the village chief learned that Zhou Yuan had also returned from the Western Army, he immediately agreed, despite having been slightly hesitant.

The next day, he escorted Zhou Yuan to the government office to finalize the purchase and select a plot of land for their home. Zhou Yuan also purchased four mu of fertile farmland in the village. If they were going to live there, owning land was essential.

Once everything was finalized, their household registration was officially transferred from the Yizhou Prefecture to Luohe Village. From then on, they were Luohe villagers.

The plot chosen for them was in a quiet part of the village. Only one other household lived nearby: a widowed woman and her son who had recently returned from the battlefield.

When construction on their house began, the villagers all came to help. They were, of course, paid, but it was still a good way for Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing to build connections in the village.

During construction, they met their neighbors, Meng Tao and his mother.

Meng Tao froze when he saw Zhou Yuan. He never imagined he would meet his benefactor again. During a particularly dangerous battle at Guping Pass, when the enemy attacked their general and chaos erupted on the battlefield, Meng Tao saw Zhou Yuan—wielding a nearly blunt blade—break into the siege like a death god and rescue the general. Later, on their way back to camp, Zhou Yuan casually blocked a fatal blow meant for Meng Tao, saving his life.

Zhou Yuan didn’t remember him, but Meng Tao would never forget the man who saved him.

After Meng Tao told his mother what had happened, Madam Sun immediately went to help with the construction and refused to accept payment.

Chen Qing felt embarrassed, but he was never good at turning down elders.

With the villagers’ help, the house was soon completed. Following Li Xin’s suggestion, they set up tables in their courtyard and invited the families who had helped them.

During the meal, Aunt Sun raised her wine glass and smiled at Chen Qing. “I felt close to you the moment I saw you. Since your husband saved my son, you can come to me for anything you need.”

Chen Qing smiled and nodded. “I feel close to you as well.”

“Maybe we were family in a past life,” she laughed, finishing her drink.

After settling everything, Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing went up the mountain to choose a burial spot for grandmother. From there, they could see the Luo River clearly.

They knelt before her grave and told her about the good things there.

“Grandmother, we’ve settled down here. There’s water and mountains—you’ll like it.”

“Grandmother, I’ll live well with Zhou Yuan. If you have time, visit me in my dreams, all right?”

After finishing the rites, they returned home. Suddenly, Chen Qing began vomiting badly. The doctor said he was pregnant.

Zhou Yuan touched Chen Qing’s stomach and joked that the child must be clever, waiting until they had finally settled down to arrive.

After May, the villagers began planting rice. Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing fumbled their way through it but eventually managed. It was their first time farming.

Eating the crops they grew themselves made their days feel fuller than ever.

They worked from sunrise to sunset, tending to their small plot of fertile land. Occasionally, they would gather with Li Xin’s family and Aunt Sun from Meng Tao’s family would often come over for a chat. A year later, Zhuangzhuang was born, making the family even happier.

Sometimes, Chen Qing would look toward the mountain where his grandmother was buried and talk to her about their recent days.

One afternoon, the sound of hoofbeats came from outside. Chen Qing picked up Zhuangzhuang, stood at the doorway, and waited for Zhou Yuan to return home.

The sunset stretched their shadows long across the ground.

And so the years passed gently, and the rest of their lives were filled with joy.

~End~

Acargoreng: And that’s the end of the story 💕

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