Chapter 70

Zhou Yuan first rode his horse to the escort agency. Zhou Yuan handed over the duties to the deputy in the agency and then heard that a team was going to the capital today, and Zhou Yuan and his team could go together.

After what happened before the New Year, they had blind trust in Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan consulted Chen Qing and decided to go with them through the most dangerous mountainous area. Then they would ride at full speed towards Xiaxi.

This was Chen Qing's first time traveling with a caravan, and he was a little lost, simply following Zhou Yuan like a little shadow.

When it was time to set off, Chen Qing and Zhou Yuan boarded a caravan. He sat next to Zhou Yuan, watching the city gate slowly shrink, feeling a little uneasy. He then embarked on his journey.

Zhou Yuan held his hand and placed it on his heart: "Don't be afraid, I'm with you."

They passed the place where they had been robbed last time. Chen Qing could clearly feel that everyone in the escort team had become tense, and Zhou Yuan was no exception. He was still shaken by his previous injury, not to mention that Chen Qing was by his side.

Fortunately, the journey was peaceful. After passing this mountain road, Zhou Yuan bid farewell to the caravan. They had already lost some time and needed to hurry to catch up.

"Do you want to go to the capital?" They didn't take the official road, but chose the mountain road instead, since the mountain road would be much shorter than the official road.

At night, the two found a cave and built a fire outside. Zhou Yuan was roasting a pheasant over the fire, and Chen Qing leaned on his shoulder.

Normally, roasted pheasant doesn't taste good, but they brought all-purpose seasoning, so Chen Qing was full of anticipation.

Hearing his words, Chen Qing turned to look at him: "Why do you want to go to the capital?"

"I want to take you to see it." Zhou Yuan had been thinking about taking Chen Qing to eat at Tian Ji. Since they were going through the capital, they might as well go to the capital for a trip. However, the journey there wasn't very convenient. They should be in a good mood on the way back, so it would be a good idea to go.

"Then let's go?" Chen Qing said. "I'll do whatever you say."

Before setting off, Chen Qing made some dry pancakes as usual, but they had already finished eating them while traveling with the caravan. Now, they were completely dependent on the weather for food on the road.

If you come across a small town, they will sell some food that can be stored for a long time, but it won't last very long. If you walk for several days without coming across a small town, you can only hunt in the mountains or pick some wild fruits.

Fortunately, the weather has warmed up now, and many small animals are still emerging, so they won't go hungry. As for the horses, there is plenty of moss in the mountains, enough for them to eat.

Zhou Yuan tore the chicken leg for Chen Qing and then gnawed on the chicken neck himself.

As darkness fell, they hid in a cave. Zhou Yuan held Chen Qing in his arms and leaned against a rock, closing his eyes slightly.

Chen Qing reached out and touched Zhou Yuan's back: "Does it feel uncomfortable?"

Zhou Yuan shook his head: "No."

"Will it get cold?" Chen Qing asked again.

"Won't."

Chen Qing couldn't sleep. It was too quiet all around; there wasn't even a sound of insects chirping or birds singing.

Zhou Yuan adjusted his position while holding Chen Qing, letting Chen Qing lie down, so the two of them were embracing face to face.

"I brought you out here and even let you sleep in a cave at night." Zhou Yuan kissed Chen Qing's cheek.

Chen Qing leaned on his shoulder: "This is already very good. In the past, when we were on the road, we would never look for caves. We would just sit on the spot, and if it rained, we would find two leaves to cover our heads."

Now, when Chen Qing talks about these things, he seems to take them lightly.

As Chen Qing was talking, he suddenly felt something was wrong with his lower body. His breath hitched, and he moved slightly. Zhou Yuan pressed down on his waist.

“Zhou Yuan…”

Zhou Yuan tilted his head back and kissed his lips, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Chen Qing immediately shook his head: "No, no."

He was shy and conservative. In Chen Qing's opinion, such things could only happen in a room at night. He already felt embarrassed during the day last time, so it was even more impossible now that they were in the wild.

Zhou Yuan knew he was shy, so he gently tugged at his hair and kissed him. Chen Qing was so dizzy from the kiss that he didn't realize what was happening. By the time he came to his senses, Zhou Yuan had already started touching and kissing him.

Chen Qing bit his lip. It was too quiet all around; he couldn't even hear the chirping of insects.

At this moment, his panting, breathing, and the sound of water were amplified infinitely in the darkness. He wanted to end this nonsense, but Zhou Yuan held him tightly by the waist.

"Waaah," Chen Qing burst into tears.

He simply buried his head and bit Zhou Yuan's clothes on his shoulder, trying not to make a sound, but Zhou Yuan was too wicked, and Chen Qing couldn't help himself.

It wasn't actually that intense, but because of the environment, Chen Qing felt even more tired than before, and fell asleep as soon as he lay down on Zhou Yuan.

As the first rays of dawn fell, Chen Qing heard birdsong he hadn't heard the night before. He opened his eyes and felt a slight ache in his back.

Zhou Yuan woke up as soon as he moved. He rubbed Chen Qing's waist and groin and said, "From now on, no matter how late it is, we have to find an inn to stay in."

Chen Qing bit him and didn't want to talk to him.

Zhou Yuan kept his word. In the days that followed, they did not stay in the wild again, but stayed in inns or post stations. When they went to sleep at night, they would reminisce about the romance of that night in the cave.

As we slowly headed north, the mountain roads thinned out considerably, replaced by wide official roads. There were no more mountain paths or forests, and the roadside vegetation was also sparse. Horses would gallop past, kicking up clouds of dust.

"We'll be in the capital in two more days, and it'll probably take another two weeks to get to Xiaxi Prefecture." They stopped to rest at a teahouse by the roadside, paid the stall owner to feed the horses, and Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing drank tea on the side.

There was no food at the teahouse, and the snacks were not particularly refined, consisting of just two shortbreads. However, for Chen Qing, who had been eating dry rations for several days, these were quite tasty.

Hearing Zhou Yuan say that it was only half a month away from his hometown, many childhood memories flooded Chen Qing's mind.

His father was the third child in his family, with two older brothers and two twin sisters. Children who were not born in the middle were not valued by their families, so his father had a difficult childhood.

My grandfather was stern and my grandmother was mean. After my grandparents arranged marriages for my two uncles, they skipped my father. It wasn't until my father was twenty-three that someone came to propose marriage for him.

But because his grandparents didn't want to give his father a dowry, no one came to act as a matchmaker for him anymore.

Later, when my father went out to work, he brought back a young migrant worker. My grandparents were overjoyed and gave them away almost nothing.

Fortunately, the father was hardworking and the younger father was also skilled. At first, they only had a dilapidated shed to live in. Several years after they got married, they used yellow mud to make bricks and built their house. Then Chen Qing was born.

After Chen Qing was born, his father and stepfather were very happy. Chen Qing's grandmother never came to see him, and there was no greeting gift from their generation. It was just that his grandparents didn't like his father.

Although Chen Qing's childhood was poor, it was indeed very happy, except for the times when he had to go to his grandmother's house for meals during festivals.

Both of Chen Qing's uncles had sons, and they were both spoiled by their grandparents. Their favorite thing to do was to bully Chen Qing.

Chen Qing resembles his father in both appearance and personality, and because he was bullied by his brothers when he was young, he developed his current personality.

Zhou Yuan had always wanted to change his personality, and although he had made some progress, his childhood experiences still made him cautious and timid.

"Where is Father buried?" Zhou Yuan poured him a cup of hot tea. "Was that matter never resolved?"

"That person paid the money, and that's it." Chen Qing took a sip of hot tea, feeling the heat penetrate to his very core.

Chen Qing looked up at Zhou Yuan: "I think I'm just like my father, very cowardly. Even if you were with me, I never thought of making that person pay for my father's life."

Zhou Yuan grasped his hand: "But there has to be a solution to everything, and he has to receive the punishment he deserves."

Chen Qing shook his head: "Their family is very powerful, they have connections with government officials, and they know people in government too."

"Let's take it one step at a time. Maybe that person is already dead." Chen Qing added, "You absolutely must not do anything. You can't get hurt, and you can't lay a hand on anyone."

"Okay, I promise."

Although Zhou Yuan verbally agreed, he was actually still thinking about how to avenge his father, whom he had never met. Chen Qing didn't want him to get his hands dirty, so he decided to use someone else to do the dirty work.

As they approached the capital, they did not head there, but instead rode at full speed straight to Xiaxi Prefecture.

Xiaxi Prefecture is located further north than Luohe Village, but its climate is hotter. The scorching sun shines on the barren land, making it difficult for Chen Qing to breathe.

The wind from riding a horse was also hot. Chen Qing, who originally had his hair down, tied it up with a hairband. He looked at Zhou Yuan, who was also hot, with large beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Chen Qing took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat.

"Are we almost there?" Zhou Yuan asked for directions; they had already entered the territory of Xiaxi Prefecture.

Chen Qing couldn't actually remember the way home anymore. He had been away from here for too long. He left when he was under fourteen years old, wandered for three years, and arrived at Luohe Village. He lived in Luohe Village for six years, and this year Chen Qing is twenty-three years old.

Zhou Yuan raised his hand and touched his hair: "Then let's rest in the city today, get some good sleep for a couple of days, and then we'll go back."

Chen Qing nodded. He was exhausted from traveling these past few days. He rarely complained of being tired, but now he felt like his hands and feet didn't belong to him anymore.

They arrived in Xiaxi Prefecture, found an inn, asked for a superior room, and had the waiter boil hot water so they could take a good shower.

The hot water from the two bathtubs washed away their fatigue. Zhou Yuan carefully checked Chen Qing's body and found that his groin was a little red. He told Chen Qing to sleep and went to the waiter to get some medicine for his wounds. After applying the medicine to Chen Qing, he held Chen Qing and rested.

Because it was too hot, after they both fell asleep, Chen Qing rolled out of Zhou Yuan's arms. This time, Zhou Yuan didn't follow, and the two of them slept peacefully.

Chen Qing slept straight through until the next morning. He was woken up by hunger. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he and Zhou Yuan were far apart. Chen Qing sat up, and Zhou Yuan also woke up. He was still a little dazed. Looking at his empty arms, he hugged Chen Qing again.

Chen Qing patted his head: "I'm so hungry."

Zhou Yuan nuzzled against his shoulder and slowly came to his senses. After they washed up, they didn't have breakfast at the inn. Instead, Zhou Yuan asked Chen Qing to take him to eat some local specialties of Xiaxi.

As Zhou Yuan stepped outside, he noticed that everyone passing by was wearing headscarves of various styles and colors, which piqued his curiosity.

This put Chen Qing in a dilemma. He had never been to the prefectural city when he was a child, so he naturally didn't know what good food the prefectural city had.

He remembered that back home, his family's breakfast consisted of a bowl of porridge made from mixed grains, which they would simply drink. He had never eaten anything better.

The fields in Xiaxi Prefecture are only suitable for growing cold-resistant and drought-resistant wheat. In the spring, it's alright, with the wheat swaying in the wind and creating a beautiful sight. But now the wheat has all been harvested, and the new ones have just been planted. Right now, everything is bare, and the wind blows yellow sand everywhere.

Therefore, people in Xiaxi Prefecture always wear headscarves. Seeing Zhou Yuan still staring at the headscarf, Chen Qing quickly stopped him: "Don't stare at people, it's impolite."

Zhou Yuan then looked away. They hadn't gone far when they saw another breakfast stall with a large pot on the table. It was a pot of noodle soup, and the noodles looked like little white fish. There were also some vegetables in it, but it was hard to tell what they were.

Zhou Yuan asked the price; it was three coins a bowl. They would sprinkle some powder on it when it was taken out of the pot, and it smelled pungent.

Chen Qing remembered that this was called noodle fish soup. One bowl contained soup, vegetables, and noodles. It was delicious and easy to make.

Zhou Yuan drank a bowl and thought it tasted alright, but Chen Qing started crying as he ate.

He remembered that when he was little, his uncle's youngest son said he had eaten fish noodle soup. So Chen Qing went home and asked his father for some, and his father promised to take him out to eat it sometime.

This wait lasted for many, many years.