Chapter 130 Farmer, how do you expect me to cherish you? ...
In the mountain valley near the camp, there were more than a dozen farmhouses scattered around. When the war broke out in the north, some of them moved south to avoid the disaster.
It was past midnight in the eleventh month, and the sun had softened the frozen, hardened mud a little.
Chen Liangyu knocked on the door of a farmer's house. The woman who opened the door was the wife of an old captain in the army. Chen Liangyu handed the woman two pieces of smoked bacon and several bags of rice and flour. The woman led them to a separate house in the corner of her backyard.
The icicles on the eaves of the low adobe houses were gradually melting, and water droplets dripped intermittently. The courtyard was small, and in the shadows of the walls where the sun did not reach, there were still a few piles of unmelted snow on the ground. The air was filled with a mixture of firewood ash, frozen earth, dry grass, and a faint smell of livestock from the barn.
Xie Wenjun carefully avoided the muddy, snow-melt-mixed depressions as she walked around the yard.
The woman stole a glance at Xie Wenjun. She was a stranger, but she recognized the expensive bright yellow cloak embroidered with gold thread and the exquisitely crafted deerskin boots, the kind of workmanship only found in the palace. Her own humble farmhouse clashed starkly with her opulent attire, like a pearl falling into a rough pottery jar.
Chen Liangyu didn't mention who the visitor was, and the woman dutifully didn't ask any further questions. She went to the kitchen, added some firewood to the stove, whispered a few words to Chen Liangyu, and then carefully closed the courtyard gate before leaving.
Xie Wenjun stood awkwardly at the entrance to the small kitchen.
It's too cramped here; the earthen stove, water tank, and chopping board are crammed together, leaving only enough space to turn around.
It was actually a separate kitchen connected to the main house. The door was open, and inside was an earthen stove with a roaring fire licking the bottoms of two large iron pots on the stove. Next to it was a large water vat covered with a thin layer of ice, and next to it were wooden buckets and gourd ladles.
Chen Liangyu walked straight to the water vat, picked up a gourd ladle, broke the thin ice, and scooped several scoops of cold water into a large iron pot on the stove. The cold water splashed onto the back of her hand, and she shook it off. She only put the wooden lid on the pot when it was almost full.
There wasn't much firewood left chopped by the stove, so Chen Liangyu turned and went out.
Xie Wenjun rarely showed a look of confusion on her face. She knew nothing about farm life and didn't know what to do. She just followed behind Chen Liangyu like a tail, watching her busy herself.
Wherever she went, she followed.
Beneath the woodshed against the wall stood a tall, neatly stacked pile of firewood, made of durable hardwood, the cut surfaces still fresh. Chen Liangyu walked familiarly to the woodpile, bent down, and easily lifted a large bundle of firewood. Her movement aggravated the wound under her ribs, causing her brow to furrow almost imperceptibly, but quickly relax.
"Your Highness."
Xie Wenjun looked over and saw Chen Liangyu placing firewood on the dry ground outside the woodshed with a dull "thud." She picked up a thick-backed wood axe leaning against the wall.
"There's no one here to help us with our washing and grooming, so we have to do it ourselves."
To avoid revealing their whereabouts, they only brought Rong Jun and a few of Chen Liangyu's trusted guards with them, who were all stationed outside the farmhouses. Yuan Rong was organizing the ledgers for the army's supplies, and Xie Wenjun simply didn't bring any maids with her.
Now it was just the two of them.
Xie Wenjun didn't seem to resist at all; on the contrary, she showed a hint of anticipation. "What do I need to do?"
Chen Liangyu picked out a hardwood stump about the thickness of a bowl and set it up firmly. Then, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her well-defined forearm.
She was truly stumped by Xie Wenjun's question. Such a precious person, who had lived in the palace since childhood with eunuchs and maids taking care of her every need, probably didn't even know how well the food was cooked. What could she possibly do?
"Your Highness, please stand further back."
Xie Wenjun did as she was told and took a few steps back.
Chen Liangyu weighed the axe in his hand, his back lowered, and with a crisp, clean snap, the axe blade precisely cleaved the wood in the middle, splitting the wooden stump in two. Wood chips flew everywhere with the force of the split, a few landing on the snowdrift not far from Xie Wenjun's feet.
Chen Liangyu didn't stop moving. With a few precise chops, the stack of wooden blocks he had brought over was quickly turned into firewood.
Beads of sweat appeared on Chen Liangyu's forehead. Just as she was about to raise her hand to wipe them away, a plain white handkerchief was placed on her forehead.
Xie Wenjun's movements weren't gentle; instead, they carried an air of unquestionable authority. Chen Liangyu proactively offered the other half of her face, nodding slightly, "This side too."
In this cramped farmhouse filled with the warmth of everyday life, the clash of swords and the intrigue of the imperial court seem to have vanished, as if all the burdens they carried have temporarily disappeared.
At that moment, they were just an ordinary couple, chopping wood and making fires, rising at dawn and resting at dusk, staying together and never leaving each other.
"Fortunately, we met before I was married; regretfully, I was not born into a family of jujube and locust trees."
The golden sunlight danced in Xie Wenjun's dark pupils as she asked, "Ali, if you hadn't been born into a high-ranking family, what would you most like to do?"
Chen Liangyu put down his axe, stood on the pile of firewood, and thought for a long time. "Then I should lead the troops. But if I do that, I'm afraid it will be difficult to meet Your Highness again."
"No matter who you are, I will find you."
Chen Liangyu said, "Our statuses are vastly different. Even if Your Highness finds me, what will you do? Make me your captive, or your concubine?"
Xie Wenjun withdrew her hand, a dark sweat stain spreading across her handkerchief. "Fine."
"What's so good about it?"
It was truly frightening to hear him say this with such a serious expression.
“I am very expensive. Zhai Ji will offer me a royal title and ten thousand taels of gold to buy my head,” Chen Liangyu boasted, showing off her current status in the Beiyong army. “If you want me to be a caged bird or a pampered pet, you can’t give me a penny less in gold, jade, money, high position and generous salary.”
Xie Wenjun said, "I don't need you. I'll lock you up, so that you can belong to me alone forever."
"Even if I'm not locked up, I belong to Your Highness alone."
“It’s different,” Xie Wenjun said. “It’s different. That way, I can keep you by my side and see you every day, from dawn till dusk. I think, you are the person in my heart, you are the person beside me, and you are the first person I see when I wake up. Combing my hair in the morning and adding tea in the evening, no matter how long or short the years are, I just want to be with you every day. Just like today.”
Chen Liangyu did not speak immediately, but looked deeply at Xie Wenjun. His eyes, which were usually as deep as a hawk's, were slightly drooping at the corners, and he always looked at people with a hint of unconscious indulgence.
"Okay, I promise you."
“When the smoke of war clears in the north and the land is safe and sound, I will find a secluded place with a courtyard, not too big, just enough to chop wood and make a fire. You will comb your hair in the morning, and I will tie it up for you; you will add tea in the evening, and I will warm it for you. This daily companionship…” Chen Liangyu paused, then said clearly and firmly, “I will earn this for Your Highness and stay with you until we grow old. No matter how long or short the years may be, as long as we are together for one day, I will protect your safety and happiness for that day. Every day like this will be the best.”
The fire in the stove needs more firewood.
Chen Liangyu bent down, gathered the chopped firewood, and carried it to the stove.
She crouched down, picked up the fire tongs and poked at the ashes in the stove, then picked up a few freshly chopped pieces of firewood and carefully placed them inside.
Chen Liangyu was about to gather the chopped firewood to the base of the wall when she turned around and was surprised to see that Xie Wenjun had rolled up half of her wide sleeves. She wasn't wearing armbands, and her sleeves fell down again as she rolled them up.
Xie Wenjun said, "Move aside and let me have this."
Chen Liangyu was stunned, "Your Highness?!"
Startled, Chen Liangyu obediently stepped aside. She hadn't had the chance to witness Xie Wenjun and Mud smashing Zhao Xingli's sedan chair that day, but today she wanted to see how Xie Wenjun would handle things.
That appearance must have been quite comical.
Xie Wenjun snatched the fire tongs from Chen Liangyu's hand, raised her chin slightly, and squatted down in a dignified manner, imitating Chen Liangyu's posture, her clothes disheveled on the dusty ground.
Chen Liangyu watched as she tried to stuff firewood into the fire with an air of dignified composure, as if she were calculating agricultural taxes. His eyelids twitched. "Your Highness, be careful of getting burned."
Xie Wenjun stared intently at the flames, but missed putting the firewood in the stove. The firewood fell with a "plop" onto the stove opening, sending up a small spark that almost burned the back of her hand.
Xie Wenjun abruptly withdrew her hand, gasping for breath.
"You have to use tongs to hold it and push it in," Chen Liangyu reminded him, leaning against the side.
"I know."
Xie Wenjun forced herself to remain calm, picked up the thick firewood with the fire tongs, aimed carefully, and forcefully pushed it in. As if it were burning her hand, she hurriedly threw the fire tongs aside.
...
The fire that had just been lit in the stove was instantly extinguished by the new firewood, the flames visibly dimmed, and thick smoke billowed out of the stove opening.
"Cough cough cough cough!"
Chen Liangyu tried to pull her away, saying, "Your Highness, there's too much firewood; the fire's going to suffocate. Let me do it."
She was worried that Xie Wenjun might set fire to someone else's backyard, since she was only borrowing the place.
Therefore, it seems that Xie Wenjun's life would have been quite perilous if she had been born into a family with a jujube and locust tree.
"Don't move, I know what I'm doing."
Xie Wenjun spoke with absolute certainty, then grabbed the fire tongs and haphazardly poked and stirred the fire in the stove, trying to extinguish it. The result was even more smoke.
"Push aside the firewood on top and let the air in."
Chen Liangyu couldn't stand it any longer. "Don't stick your head in! Stay away and work the bellows!"
Xie Wenjun held the fire tongs, his face covered in soot.
She really doesn't seem to be able to handle it.
"Please sit further away; it's a pity about this stove."
Xie Wenjun's brows were full of resentment. She gave a low "humph" and obediently got up to step aside, crossing her arms and watching Chen Liangyu skillfully stir the fire and add firewood, and the flames were rekindled.
"Why would you do these things?" Xie Wenjun asked.
Chen Liangyu came from a noble family with cooks and servants at home, and soldiers in the army also prepared meals. Logically speaking, she should not have been involved in the rough work of chopping wood and boiling water.
But she clearly did it with great ease.
Chen Liangyu said, "This is nothing. When my father and Uncle Yan threw me into the deep mountains and forests to fight, I had to do everything I could to survive. I ate whatever I could find, like tree bark, grass roots, and wild fruits. When I finally managed to hunt a live creature, I didn't even have a tinderbox, so I had to dig a hole in the ground and rub wood to make a fire. During wartime marches, we were not allowed to light open fires to avoid revealing our whereabouts. If we were unlucky enough to be separated from the enemy and ran out of rations, it was common for us to eat raw meat."
"Is the old Marquis of Xuanping really this harsh on you?"
“For soldiers, the first thing to do after joining the army is not how to arrange troops, but to learn as quickly as possible how to survive in extremely harsh situations. But my elder brother and I often sneak into farmers’ homes to borrow stoves. The people in the North recognize the Eagle Head Army’s armor and are willing to lend us their stoves so we can light a fire and cook a meal.”
Xie Wenjun's eyes appeared excessively scorching in the firelight and steam. "I thought you would be content to eat birds and beasts and drink blood."
With his back to her, Chen Liangyu felt the quiet gaze from behind. His face was illuminated by the firelight, and he remained calm and focused. "Then am I not too pitiful? Doesn't Your Highness feel any pity for me?"
"OK."
Chen Liangyu: "What?"
"How do you want me to cherish you?"
"..."
The steam grew thicker and thicker, and the edge of the wooden pot lid began to spew out white steam with a "poof" sound, accompanied by the sizzling of boiling water.
"Your Highness, the water is ready."
Author's note: Thank you for reading this far!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com