Chapter 64 (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)
Chapter Sixty-Four
However, it was still the afternoon, around 1-3 PM.
Lin Rong glanced at the empty dog bowl and the grain trough filled with fresh hay, knowing that Yang Feng had been taking care of the household affairs for her these past few days, so that Sesame and Yellow wouldn't go hungry at home.
Regardless, Lin Rong had to pay a visit to express her gratitude.
Lin Rong was cooking inside the house, while Pei Jiashu was playing with the big yellow dog in the yard.
Children's perspectives are truly different from adults'. Outsiders might think that Sesame, though plump and strong, has a messy coat and is untamed, making it not a good horse. But in Pei Jiashu's eyes, Sesame can understand him and even rubs its head against him, showing such closeness to him. It is truly a horse that is one in a million!
Pei Jiashu was so excited that he was incoherent. He affectionately rubbed Sesame seeds and even took a handful of dry grass from the grain trough and fed it to Sesame seeds by hand.
Although Sesame would kneel down and beckon Pei Jiashu to climb onto its back to play, the colt was too tall, and Pei Jiashu dared not climb recklessly. He could only ride on the big yellow dog to have some fun.
A man, a horse, and a dog were playing together, while a falcon stood on the eaves, arrogantly surveying everything below.
When Lin Rong finished cooking the dried shrimp noodle soup and brought it to the courtyard, Pei Jiashu was already covered in dog hair, weeds, and horse hair, sitting dirty in the stable.
"Jade slave!"
Lin Rong called out to him loudly.
Pei Jiashu was startled.
He obediently crawled out of the stable and stood in front of his mother to listen to her scolding.
But Lin Rong didn't scold her son. She just helplessly took the child's hand, brought him hot water, and helped him wash his hands and wipe his face.
Lin Rong had planned to give Pei Jiashu another bath and change his clothes, but that would waste another half hour. She was worried that her son's stomach would be upset from being hungry all day, so she didn't dare to let him eat too late.
The child's eyes suddenly reddened, startling Lin Rong.
She crouched down and asked softly, "Did I hit her too hard and hurt Yu Nu?"
Pei Jiashu sniffed, shook his head, and didn't say anything. He just buried his face in Lin Rong's arms and said in a muffled voice, "Yu Nu really misses her mother so much."
Lin Rong's heart melted completely. She hugged her son and kissed him several times, then removed the weeds from his head and pulled him to the table to eat.
Lin Rong handed him chopsticks and moved plates of sweet pickled radishes and fragrant mutton fat cracklings in front of her son.
"Yu Nu, finish your noodles first, then take a bath and change your clothes. This afternoon, Mother is going to deliver gifts to the neighbors and buy some vegetables and meat for dinner. Should Yu Nu stay at home or go out with Mother?"
Pei Jiashu naturally followed his mother like a little tail, and he hurriedly said, "I'll go with you, Mother! I'm very strong, and I can help you carry meat and vegetables."
Lin Rong chuckled, recalling the comical scene of a child being unable to get up from under a piece of lamb rib. She said, "You don't need to carry it. Let's ride horses and let Sesame help carry the meat."
Upon hearing this, Pei Jiashu's bright black eyes lit up again, and his gaze toward Sesame was full of admiration.
Pei Jiashu: "Sesame has been a great help. Should we buy her some treats to thank her?"
Lin Rong thought for a moment: "I'll go buy some carrots later, Sesame loves them!"
When Sesame heard the word "carrot," it snorted and perked up its ears.
After finishing his noodles, Pei Jiashu helped Lin Rong clean up the dirty dishes and chopsticks. He then took out a newly tailored beaded robe and a pair of sheepskin boots from his trunk, waiting to change into them after taking a bath.
It was already winter, and the mountains and plains beyond the Great Wall had long been covered by heavy snow. However, the terrain of the Western Regions was complex, with both Gobi Desert and grassland oases. Therefore, the Kingdom of Kucha had not yet been swallowed up by the thick snow. It was just that the nights were cold and there was occasional light snowfall.
Lin Rong was worried that Pei Jiashu would get cold, so she specially bathed the child in the kitchen where firewood was burning.
However, Pei Jiashu was very concerned about his reputation. He usually refused to let the eunuchs help him bathe in the palace. He didn't want Lin Rong to help him, and only allowed her to help scrub his back to wash away the slippery bath soap. He could do everything else himself, such as washing and changing clothes.
Pei Jiashu changed his shoes and socks, sat in front of the stove to dry his hair, and let Lin Rong take out a hairband to tie up the ends of his hair.
After changing his clothes, Pei Jiashu transformed into a clean-cut young man once again.
Before leaving home, Lin Rong took down the cured pork hanging from the beam, cut a few pieces and put them in a ceramic bowl. She added water and some spices to remove the fishy smell, then buried it in the half-extinguished ashes of the wood to let it simmer slowly until cooked. She would take it out at night to give the children a snack.
After closing the door, Lin Rong first lifted Pei Jiashu onto Sesame's horse, then stepped onto the horse herself, and hugged the child from behind.
Pei Jiashu rarely saw a woman riding a horse. Although his mother used powder to cover her beautiful face and did not wear gold and silver like the noble ladies of Liangzhou, he still thought his mother was heroic and uniquely beautiful.
Pei Jiashu was carried out of the house by his beautiful mother. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of pride. If he hadn't been unable to understand the foreign language, he would have wanted to introduce her to the passersby in Kucha: "Yes, she is my mother. My mother is the most beautiful person!"
Upon arriving at the market, Lin Rong dismounted to buy vegetables and instructed Pei Jiashu to hold the saddle steady so as not to fall off.
Seeing the endless snow-capped peaks outside the city in the distance, Lin Rong guessed that Yang Feng probably hadn't gone out to trade because of the cold weather.
In that case, she could host a family dinner that night, inviting Yang Feng, Aunt Zhang's family, and several Hu people from inns and taverns to her home for a meal.
Lin Rong bought a slaughtered lamb and more than ten freshly baked naan breads.
Carrots were in season and would be gone in a while, so Lin Rong bought the whole basket of carrots.
The load was too heavy, and with a child in tow, Lin Rong didn't want Sesame to get tired, so she didn't ride home on horseback.
Pei Jiashu fed the carrot to Sesame while chatting with Lin Rong.
"Mother, teach me a few words of foreign language!"
The child was talkative and very curious about life beyond the Great Wall. He not only learned some simple Hu language from Lin Rong, but also greeted people in Hu language whenever he met them.
Passersby, not understanding what was going on, couldn't help but smile when they saw how cute the child was, and even gave Pei Jiashu some small trinkets.
Pei Jiashu returned home laden with his purchases. He could keep the little toys, but Lin Rong forbade him from eating the food given to him by strangers.
Back home, Lin Rong moved all the meat, fruits, and vegetables to a corner of the yard.
After feeding Sesame, she took Pei Jiashu's hand and went out again.
Yang Feng lived next door to Lin Rong.
Yang Feng's house was large, a two-section earthen house, with a row of rear rooms used for storing goods.
Unfortunately, Yang Feng wasn't home today. Instead, the lame Hu servant he had hired greeted Lin Rong warmly, saying, "Miss Lin! Long time no see!"
Lin Rong responded and served several pomegranates and a roast chicken.
Hu Nu told Lin Rong that Yang Feng had gone out to settle the caravan and would not return for another hour.
Lin Rong understood. She gave the pomegranate to Hu Nu and left the roast chicken for Yang Feng, adding, "If Brother Yang goes home, please ask him to come to my house for dinner tonight."
Hu Nu agreed, and Lin Rong led Pei Jiashu away.
After inviting Yang Feng, we also need to invite other old friends from Yumen Village.
Lin Rong then took Pei Jiashu to Aunt Zhang's house again.
Seeing the chaos and turmoil in the Kingdom of Kucha, Aunt Zhang was thinking of returning to Liangzhou in Western Wei. She had just sold her cattle and sheep today and wanted to chat with Lin Rong, but before she could even go to Lin Rong's house, the young girl came over first.
Aunt Zhang said happily, "Rong'er, I was just about to look for you. This is a leg of lamb that I cured. It's hard to buy food in this cold weather, so you should keep it for the winter..."
Before Aunt Zhang could finish speaking, she lowered her head and met the eyes of a delicate, chubby little baby: "Oh, whose baby is this?"
Pei Jiashu's hands and feet weren't actually fat; it was just that his face was plump.
Pei Jiashu has big eyes, a high nose bridge, red lips, and full cheeks, making him look just like a little fairy boy under Guanyin's seat. The more you look at him, the more pleasing he becomes.
Aunt Zhang couldn't resist reaching out and pinching the little baby's cheek.
Pei Jiashu rarely saw a Wei person, and said with a smile, "I... uh, I'm from my mother's family!"
Aunt Zhang was confused: "Who is your mother?"
It was obvious, but Aunt Zhang didn't know! Pei Jiashu was a little unhappy. He pouted and hugged Lin Rong's hand: "Mother..."
Lin Rong introduced helplessly: "This is my son, Yu Nu. Come and call for someone. This is Granny Zhang."
Lin Rong's aunt, to the child, is naturally an elderly grandmother.
Pei Jiashu was quite generous; he smiled and said, "Grandma Zhang!"
"Oh! Our boy is so good! Grandma will give you some candy!" Aunt Zhang was overjoyed, then asked, "Rong'er, your child is so big already? I've never heard you mention him. Where is his father?"
Before Lin Rong could speak, Pei Jiashu said, "My father has gone to the battlefield."
Lin Rong smiled but didn't say anything more.
Seeing Lin Rong's mysterious demeanor, Aunt Zhang understood perfectly well what was going on. It must be that during the war, the child's father had died on the battlefield and couldn't return home, which explained why he had left the child in Lin Rong's care.
Aunt Zhang didn't dare to rub salt in the wound, so upon hearing this, she sighed softly and tactfully changed the subject.
After chatting for a while, Aunt Zhang volunteered to go to Lin Rong's house to help with cooking. Her daughter, Miaomiao, was also at home and could lend a hand.
At night, Lin Rong's courtyard was bustling with activity, filled with old friends and relatives she had invited as guests.
People don't come empty-handed when they visit; you bring some roast pork, I bring some meatball soup. Lin Rong doesn't need to cook too many dishes; the table is already full of all kinds of food.
Yang Feng arrived late, bringing with him some candles for nighttime lighting.
Candles are expensive, and Lin Rong usually uses smoky oil lamps. Yang Feng was worried that her eyes would hurt when she was tanning leather and making clothes at night, so he would always bring her some candles. He was afraid that Lin Rong would not accept them, so he made up a story that they were leftover scraps from unsold goods.
Lin Rong accepted Yang Feng's kindness, and in order to repay him, she would occasionally visit his home to bring him some food.
Lin Rong graciously accepted the gift and invited Yang Feng inside to eat a whole roasted lamb.
Yang Feng noticed a little boy with rosy lips and white teeth following Lin Rong and glanced at him a couple more times: "Who is he?"
Pei Jiashu looked up, pitifully saying, "Mother..."
Lin Rong smiled and patted the child's head: "He's my son, Yu Nu."
Yang Feng's smile froze instantly. He lowered his head and, by the light of the campfire, glanced at the child a few more times.
Pei Jiashu had a pair of bright phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and thick eyebrows... one glance was enough to tell whose child he was.
He suddenly felt short of breath and a slight pain in his chest.
Yang Feng smiled wryly: "Is it Young Master Pei's child?"
Lin Rong did not hide anything and nodded in agreement.
Lin Rong was not the kind of person who would drag things out, and she never reciprocated Yang Feng's affections. In fact, she would reject Yang Feng's advances cleanly. If she couldn't refuse, she would settle things with him by giving him a gift.
Outsiders thought that Lin Rong and Yang Feng's exchange of gifts was a sign of their close relationship, but Yang Feng knew perfectly well that it was a way for Lin Rong to distance herself from him at all times.
Today, when Yang Feng saw Lin Rong treating Pei Jiashu kindly and greeting him with a smile, he finally belatedly realized what had happened...
He never had any chance of getting close to Lin Rong.
Lin Rong and Pei Zan have a long history of love and hate, with countless entanglements. No matter how bitter or painful it is, it is their business, and no one else can interfere.
Yang Feng could only be an observer from beginning to end.
He could only ever be an outsider.
"Uncle Yang?" Pei Jiashu looked up, curiously gazing at his mother's friend.
Yang Feng suppressed the bitterness that welled up in his chest, smiled, squatted down and picked up Pei Jiashu, "Come on, Yunu, Uncle Yang will take you to eat roast pork!"
...
Today's military banquet was grand, with fine wine and delicacies, lively music and singing, and dancers to entertain the guests. The soldiers ate to their hearts' content, and King Monti was pleased with the hospitality. For a time, both host and guests were happy and harmonious.
Pei Zan left the banquet early, rode his horse out of the camp, and returned to the city.
It was common for the king to leave his seat early, for only in this way would his soldiers dare to drink and make merry without being punished by their superiors.
The Western Wei army was stationed in a lush oasis outside Kucha. After selecting a location, Pei Zan issued a military order to set up camp and build fortifications. He also dispatched a group of soldiers to form ranks and guard against enemy attacks.
The king gave the order, and the commanders of each unit helped to implement these military strategies. They also arranged for scouts to be on night duty and soldiers to guard the barracks in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
In case of urgent matters, Zheng Zhiming would also light the beacon towers to warn of danger, or use a carrier falcon to send a message to Pei Zan. The Western Wei army camp was only a few miles away from the main city of Kucha, a journey of only a quarter of an hour by horseback. Even if Pei Zan was not at the camp, it would not delay the war situation.
Having settled everything, Pei Zan was finally able to relax and spurred his horse toward Lin Rong's house.
Mo Yu spread its four hooves and shot out like an arrow released from a bow.
The fierce warhorses trampled the ground, splashing up countless specks of snow and mud.
Black mud splattered everywhere, nearly soiling the bags of food Pei Zan was carrying.
Pei Zan frowned slightly, reined in his horse, and stopped it from galloping.
Before leaving his seat, Pei Zan specially ordered someone to prepare some food. He gave Lin Rong some roasted venison and Pei Jiashu some sugar-coated sesame cakes, which she liked.
Pei Zan, fearing the food would cool down from the jolting on horseback, carefully gathered the oil paper packages and protected them all in his bosom.
Lin Rong's house was right in front of him. Pei Zan saw wisps of smoke rising from the chimney and heard laughter and chatter. He assumed Lin Rong had gone to sleep early, but to his surprise, her courtyard was bustling with carriages and guests.
Pei Zan remained indifferent as he dismounted and walked away slowly.
Through the smoky bonfire in the courtyard, Pei Zan finally saw clearly... Yang Feng was holding Pei Jiashu, smiling as he fed his son, while his wife watched with a smile, occasionally lending a helping hand. The three chatted and laughed, the atmosphere harmonious, like a close-knit family.
In that instant, Pei Zan's phoenix eyes darkened, his face turned ashen, and he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart. His hands gripping the reins tightened, the veins on the back of his hands bulged, his old wounds seemed about to burst open and bleed, and his heart ached faintly.
Pei Zan stood silently for a long time with a cold face. The lamplight did not reach him, leaving only a lonely silhouette.
Pei Zan stood with his thin lips pressed tightly together, soaked in the snow. As the wind and snow intensified and his clothes became covered in frost, he forcibly suppressed the cold and murderous intent that was rising within him and stepped into the courtyard.
Author's note: This is Thursday's update. See you on Friday! =3= (Don't worry too much, Pei Zan is smarter than before and won't commit a murder that Rong'er can't forgive.)
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