Chapter 512 Thank you for coming
Song Chunxue drove her horse-drawn carriage alone to Jincheng.
After quickly tidying up, she went to her room, closed the door, and took a nap.
Exhausted from the journey, I suddenly felt empty inside.
In a couple of days, she will return to Zhuanglang County to celebrate the New Year with Sanwa and the others.
...
The fourth and second brothers returned home one after the other, neither of them noticing that Song Chunxue had come back.
It wasn't until the fourth brother went to the backyard to chop firewood that he discovered the carriage parked under the thatched shed.
He quickly dropped the axe and ran to the stable to take a look.
"Mother is back!"
The fourth brother jumped up and down twice, then ran along shouting, his armpits clenched, "Second brother, Mother is back!"
The second child came out of the kitchen and ran quickly to his mother's room.
The two brothers pushed open the door and found Song Chunxue sleeping soundly.
The fourth brother looked at the second brother and asked, "Mother came back alone. Where is the Taoist priest?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" the second brother said in a low voice. "Don't make a fuss. I'll go get some more noodles. Go outside and buy some meat to make a stir-fried pork with scallions."
The fourth son kept turning back to look at his mother, saying, "But I want to talk to my mother."
The second brother glanced at him and said, "Ask him again when we eat."
Hearing the door close, Song Chunxue opened her eyes.
Actually, she woke up when the two of them were speaking in hushed tones.
It seems that the second and fourth brothers get along quite well. They have a clear division of labor: one chops wood and the other cooks. It's quite good.
She changed her clothes, intending to take her soiled thick clothes back to Zhuanglang County to wash them, where she could do whatever she wanted.
The food was served, and the mother and her two children sat around the table.
The fourth son shifted his stool and asked impatiently, "Mother, wasn't the Taoist priest supposed to bring you back? Where did he go? Why is he in such a hurry to go up the mountain?"
Song Chunxue paused for a moment, then said, "Oh right, Senior Brother left in such a hurry, didn't he take care of things on the mountain?"
Perhaps he will go up the mountain to give instructions before leaving.
"The Taoist priest had things to do, so we parted ways after entering the city. He was going on a long trip, and we probably won't see him for several years."
The fourth brother looked utterly disappointed. "Huh? You just left without saying goodbye? You've come all the way to Jincheng, aren't you going to say goodbye before you leave?"
"I guess he has other concerns. What if Tang Yuxiu is too clingy and he doesn't want to disturb anyone? He might come and go quietly."
"Alright, since the Taoist priest isn't here, shouldn't Mother return to Zhuanglang County soon?"
"Um."
The fourth son put down his chopsticks, sighed, and slumped onto the table. "Ah, it's really true. But Mother will definitely be more comfortable staying in the county. She must come to see us when it gets warmer next year."
Song Chunxue agreed, "Yes, I'll come next year."
The next day, Song Chunxue killed two chickens on the street and went home to make two large pieces of chicken blood noodles, each piece enough for two people to eat for three meals.
She left one piece for her second and fourth sons, and dried the other piece, cut it into long, thin noodles, and sent it to Master Xie's house.
The housekeeper asked in surprise, "When did Sister Song return?"
"Sir, you've been busy with cases these past few days, leaving early and returning late. I'll send someone to tell you that you might return earlier tonight if you know I'm here."
Song Chunxue waved her hand, "No need, no need to inform the master. I have to rush back at noon. I'm not used to staying in Jincheng."
"Are you in such a hurry to leave?" The butler tried to stop him. "Can't you leave tomorrow? The master has been thinking about your return and wanted to invite you for a drink."
Song Chunxue smiled slightly, "I appreciate the thought, but I won't drink. I'll treat him to a drink next time."
All she wants now is to go home; she misses the warm kang (heated brick bed) in the fort and the high walls on all sides.
If we don't leave today, it's going to snow tonight, and we definitely won't be able to go out for more than ten days.
The butler followed behind her with a soft sigh, "Alas, the master will surely be disappointed when he returns; he's been grumbling at me several times. Oh, by the way, where's the Taoist priest?"
"The Taoist priest has left."
The butler was taken aback, his expression a mix of surprise and delight, or disappointment on behalf of Lord Xie.
Before he could say anything, Song Chunxue had already entered the gate of her own courtyard.
Eager to get home, nothing seems right; even the gloomy sky makes one feel sad.
Song Chunxue quickly tidied up for a while, leaving enough money for the two brothers.
In the past, when there was no money, the children all went out to earn money.
Now that she has money, she can't let them go hungry.
However, she used to long to reunite with her children, but now she longs to go home and stay in a place where she feels comfortable.
She locked the gate and set off again in her carriage.
The carriage moved slowly down the street, and the aroma of food wafting from the roadside made her unable to resist getting out of the carriage and eating a bowl of steaming hot shredded chicken noodles.
Afraid of getting hungry on the way, she bought a pig's trotter and a pot of apricot blossom wine, and when she passed a barbecue stall, she also ordered a skewer of red willow barbecue.
Feeling much better, she contentedly climbed into the carriage, no longer worried that the horse would go astray.
When she was questioned by the soldiers at the city gate, she took out her household registration certificate. Just as the soldiers were about to let her pass, they heard someone shouting something behind her.
"Song Chunxue?" The soldier guarding the city recalled the name on the official document. "It sounds like they're calling you."
Song Chunxue leaned out of the carriage and looked back, only to see someone riding a horse galloping towards them.
On the bustling street, a white horse galloped swiftly, its robes fluttering in the wind. The person on the horse in front was Xie Zheng.
The black official boots with gilded embroidery and the pure white cross-collar collar were still so eye-catching in the hazy winter.
Song Chunxue smiled, a joy rising in her heart.
After going out, she no longer had the inexplicable feelings she had towards Lord Xie; those anxieties and feelings of inferiority seemed to have been blown away by the north wind.
Even though she was so cold and unapproachable, Xie Zheng still came to see her. This kind of affection is beyond words.
Song Chunxue got off the carriage, and Xie Zheng just dismounted from his horse.
He wore an official hat and a dark red official robe. His steps were steady, and his calm and wise eyes made Song Chunxue, who was originally somewhat apologetic, feel an invisible sense of forgiveness.
They led their horses out of the city gate, looked at the winding road outside the city that led into the mountains, and remained silent for a long time.
Song Chunxue stopped and spoke first.
"I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye in person. I didn't expect you to be so forgiving and come all the way to see me off." She smiled and readily admitted her mistake, "I was a bit petty."
Xie Zheng laughed, "It would be strange if you came all this way to thank me, then you wouldn't be yourself. It's the same if I came to see you."
The north wind was biting and dry, the sky was overcast and gray, and the dust underfoot was swirled up and shaped like the wind.
"I still prefer staying in Zhuanglang County. I've been away for so long, and I really want to go back. The New Year is in two months, so I wish you a happy new year in advance." She didn't know what to say to Lord Xie for a moment.
Xie Zheng took out something wrapped in cloth from his pocket. "I don't know if you've ever eaten this before. It's sweet, much sweeter than potatoes, and it's still warm. Try it."
Suddenly, Song Chunxue felt a warm feeling in her heart, a feeling she couldn't describe.
She accepted it with both hands and sincerely thanked him, "Thank you so much, Xie Zheng, thank you for coming. I'm very happy."
Xie Zheng smiled, his eyes gentle yet carefree.
"Get in the car quickly. You'll definitely be staying in Dingxi City tonight. I'll send two people to accompany you. Although you're quite skilled, I'll feel more at ease having them watch over you as you settle in."
P.S.: I'm not satisfied with the later plot; I'm having writer's block. Let me think about it.
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