Chapter 23
Chen Qing was sitting in a recliner at home, which was slightly deformed after yesterday's fight, but Chen Qing was light and the chair was not broken.
Hearing Zhou Yuan speak, Chen Qing was startled. He used a bit of strength, and the chair shattered into pieces. Chen Qing sat down on the ground with a thud.
Zhou Yuan wanted to help him up, but Chen Qing stopped him, saying softly, "Don't come any closer."
Zhou Yuan then stood still.
Chen Qing sat on the ground, head down. Zhou Yuan was very tall, his shadow blocking all the sunlight in front of Chen Qing: "I don't understand."
Zhou Yuan was very patient: "What don't you understand?"
Chen Qing didn't know what to say; all his unspoken words boiled down to one sentence: "Why me?"
"Why does everything have to have a why?" Zhou Yuan didn't answer him, but instead asked another question.
Chen Qing lowered his head, mentally rehearsing what he wanted to say before speaking: "Are you doing this because you pity me and my mother? Actually, our lives aren't that difficult. We've been living like this for the past five years."
After a long silence from Zhou Yuan, Chen Qing slowly raised his head, only to find that Zhou Yuan had been watching him the whole time. The moment Chen Qing looked up, Zhou Yuan even smiled at him.
Chen Qing's ears turned red instantly. He quickly lowered his head, feeling unsure of what to do with his fingers, and hurriedly fiddled with his sash.
Zhou Yuan then said, "I can still help you with whatever I want to do, so why should I wrong myself like this?"
"But, but you clearly like, like Li Xin." Chen Qing's voice was very soft, so soft that Zhou Yuan could hardly hear it.
Fortunately, it was quiet all around.
"Where did you get that conclusion from?" Zhou Yuan spoke to him not like a conversation, but more like he was a captive being ordered around by him to decide his words and actions.
Chen Qing felt that sitting on the ground made him look very unimpressive in front of Zhou Yuan, so he used his hands to support himself on the ground and stood up on one leg. Although he was still much shorter than Zhou Yuan, at least he no longer looked like a general and a prisoner.
Feeling a bit more confident, Chen Qing said, "Well, many times."
He didn't want to go into the details, as that would seem like he was arguing with his good friend, but he had a lot on his mind.
“It’s all because of you.” Zhou Yuan took a step forward.
Chen Qing felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy. He hopped backward on his uninjured leg, while Zhou Yuan, fearing he might fall, didn't take as many steps forward.
"Stand still, don't come any closer!" Chen Qing held onto a round wooden pillar of his house, not daring to look at him, his finger pointing incessantly at the pillar.
Zhou Yuan stood still for a moment before saying, "Please consider me. I don't think I'm any worse than anyone else."
Chen Qing's face turned red, and he felt that this person was really bold, saying shameless things. He still kept his head down and didn't say anything, but the redness of his ears said it all.
Zhou Yuan was very satisfied with what he saw. Thinking that he had made great progress today, he decided not to press him anymore. Anyway, he already knew, and there was still a long time to go.
"You should rest properly. If you stand any longer, your foot will never heal." Zhou Yuan walked over to the recliner that was almost falling apart, found some tools in the yard, and quickly repaired the recliner with a few taps and bangs. He put down his tools, grabbed Chen Qing's arm, who was standing to the side peeking, and lifted him onto the chair like a chick before leaving the yard.
Before leaving, he said loudly, "Think it over carefully."
Chen Qing's face turned even redder than before, and he said again, "Don't be so loud!"
What if someone hears this?
Zhou Yuan walked forward and waved back at him.
The courtyard returned to silence. Chen Qing felt a burning sensation on his face and a restless, scratching feeling in his heart. Even his injured ankle was itching. Suddenly, he felt a surge of anticipation for tomorrow, but he didn't know what he was anticipating.
Grandma Sun came in with a smile. She glanced at the full water vat and asked, "Zhou Yuan came by?"
Chen Qing was like a mouse seeing a cat when he heard Zhou Yuan's name; he just nodded haphazardly.
Grandma Sun didn't notice Chen Qing's state and just said, "I just spoke with the matchmaker, and she said she'll keep an eye out for suitable candidates for you."
Chen Qing then looked up: "Mother, did you just go to see Aunt Hua? Why were you in such a hurry?"
"The timing is about right. If you find a suitable one, you can settle down. That way, you'll have more to rely on in the future."
Remembering what Zhou Yuan had said, Chen Qing shook his head again: "Mother, I don't want to..."
"Don't talk nonsense." Aunt Sun walked to his side, glanced at his feet, and said, "Luckily, I went to the village chief earlier and wrote you a divorce agreement. You are no longer my husband, but my youngest son."
Chen Qing had only blushed at first, but now his eyes also turned red after hearing what Aunt Sun said. When he came to Luohe Village from his hometown, he had secretly lamented why his life was so bad, and had even thought about ending his own life on the way here, like his uncle.
But he didn't have the courage. He was still afraid when he saw the rushing water and returned to the group amidst the supervisor's mockery.
Until he came to Luohe Village and was bought by Granny Sun, he had a mother very different from his stepfather, a friend like Li Xin who was very different from him, and...
Chen Qing shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those inappropriate thoughts, and took Grandma Sun's hand: "Thank you, Mother."
Grandma Sun stroked his hair: "Why are you being so polite with your own mother?"
Chen Qing was moved, but his throat tightened. He didn't dare tell Granny Sun what Zhou Yuan had just told him. He stammered, "But given my situation..."
Grandma Sun didn't like his self-deprecating manner: "What's wrong with you? You're good-looking, capable, and well-behaved."
Chen Qing blinked, feeling a surge of joy upon hearing Aunt Sun's praise.
No one dislikes hearing praise. Perhaps he really does have some likable qualities?
"Aqing?"
Grandma Sun looked at him and said, "What are you thinking about? Your face is so red."
Chen Qing quickly shook his head and changed the subject: "When are we going to pay the taxes?"
"We don't have to pay ourselves this year, have you forgotten?" This news was revealed by the people at the county government office yesterday. The village chief and the yamen runners will collect the money from each household, so they no longer need to queue up early in the morning.
Chen Qing didn't remember anything about what happened yesterday. The only thing he remembered was Zhou Yuan's rough fingers on his cheek when he was most helpless.
"That's great," Chen Qing said. Putting aside all that, Chen Qing thought about what had happened yesterday and became a little worried that the Sun family would come knocking on his door.
"Mother, do you think the Sun family will come knocking on our door?" Chen Qing asked, looking towards the doorway.
"Let them come, are we afraid of them?" Grandma Sun patted his hand to comfort him, then went into the kitchen to cook.
Chen Qing couldn't calm down all day. He kept thinking about the random things Zhou Yuan had said that morning, which made his scalp tingle. He also kept thinking about the Sun family's affairs, which made him anxious.
Grandma Sun assumed he was still shaken and told him to rest early.
Chen Qing tossed and turned in bed all night, finally drifting off to sleep around midnight. But the person who had been disturbing his mind even appeared in his dreams.
It was still in their yard, and the conversation was the same, except that Zhou Yuan was much closer to him.
“I know you’ve been watching me.”
Chen Qing has always been tongue-tied, and in his dream he couldn't say anything at all, only stammering.
"You've been looking at me since the first time we met." The person in the dream was unreasonable, ignoring Chen Qing's rejections, and saying embarrassing things, "You thought I didn't notice?"
"I...I didn't..."
Zhou Yuan suddenly moved very close to him. Chen Qing couldn't dodge in time and was pulled into his arms. Even struggling in his sleep was difficult.
"Don't move."
Chen Qing dared not move again. His heart was pounding like a drum. He didn't know when day had turned into night. The impenetrable darkness made Zhou Yuan's voice sound even deeper.
Chen Qing didn't know why he started crying. Zhou Yuan wiped away his tears with his rough hands, just like before, but this time he spoke to him.
"Why are you crying?"
Chen Qing shook his head.
No one spoke again, and Chen Qing only felt Zhou Yuan moving closer to him.
Chen Qing suddenly woke up from his dream. At this moment, all around was silent except for the sound of Chen Qing's heartbeat, which grew louder with each beat.
Unable to sleep, Chen Qing moved to the middle of the bed after his heartbeat calmed down, opened the window a crack, and leaned against the window with his arm as a pillow. In the dim morning light, he saw the recliner in the yard.
A breeze blew by, and after a long time, Chen Qing slowly closed his eyes.
Chen Qing woke up early that morning to the sound of Aunt Sun and Zhou Yuan talking.
The day after tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Originally, the things for the Mid-Autumn Festival should have been bought at the market on that day, but because of Chen Qing's accident, they didn't buy anything. So, Aunt Sun decided to go to town to buy things.
But Chen Qing's foot was injured, and she didn't dare leave him alone at home any longer, so she asked Zhou Yuan if he could take them to town. Zhou Yuan's oxcart could take Chen Qing with him.
“Okay. I’m going to town too.” Zhou Yuan agreed readily. He glanced into the yard and saw a fluffy head by the open window.
So he wasn't the only one who tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep last night, was he?
Chen Qing slowly opened his eyes and met Zhou Yuan's gaze. Like a cat with its fur standing on end, he withdrew his numb arm, closed the window, and tried to back away. However, because he moved too much and used too much force, he lost his balance and fell onto the bed. His head hit the bed frame with a "thud".
He lay in bed, covering his face with the blanket.
So embarrassing...
Both Aunt Sun and Zhou Yuan heard the commotion inside the house, and Zhou Yuan couldn't help but chuckle.
After making arrangements with Zhou Yuan, Aunt Sun hurried into the house: "Aqing, did you fall under the bed?"
Zhou Yuan's laughter grew louder, and even Chen Qing, who was covered by the blanket in the room, could hear it. He was so angry that he punched the bed again.
How annoying! I hate it in my dreams, and I hate it even more in reality!
Grandma Sun got up early to prepare for going to town. Chen Qing loves corn pancakes, so she made several.
Chen Qing sat on the bed combing his hair. He had always worn his hair down since he came here, only tying it up when he was doing farm work. Luohe Village didn't have any requirements for whether a husband wore his hair up or down. Li Xin, on the other hand, always wore her hair up, looking very neat and tidy.
Chen Qing suddenly had a whim today and tied his hair up. Aunt Sun called him from outside the door, saying it was getting late and urging Chen Qing to hurry up and go out.
When Chen Qing said he was all better, Aunt Sun opened the door and immediately noticed the slightly different Chen Qing. She smiled and helped Chen Qing tidy up some stray hairs: "Why did you suddenly decide to tie your hair up today?"
Chen Qing lowered his head and said, "It's a bit hot."
Grandma Sun looked at his hair, which was tied up high with a headband. The headband was made by Chen Qing himself. It was made from scraps of fabric from making clothes. He embroidered some patterns on it and turned it into a headband.
"It would be great if there were a hairpin with a little bell on it, so it would ring when you walk."
Chen Qing smiled with narrowed eyes: "I'll carve one out of wood for winter, and I can ask Uncle Li to make a bell for me."
In winter, there is no farm work in Luohe Village, so Chen Qing can do some complicated and time-consuming things, such as embroidering handkerchiefs and carving hairpins.
"You can handle both embroidery needles and carving knives, huh?" Grandma Sun helped him up, but Chen Qing didn't let her support him; instead, he skipped out on his own.
Chen Qing's smile vanished, and he said to Granny Sun, "But I've been married for so long, how can I still wear such a hairpin?"
Grandma Sun disagreed: "You're still a child."
There was only one narrow path from Zhou Yuan's house to theirs, which was too narrow for an oxcart to pass through, so they had to walk the rest of the way. But Zhou Yuan was already waiting at their doorstep.
He looked at Chen Qing, who seemed different today, raised an eyebrow, and took Chen Qing from Aunt Sun's hands: "Auntie, let me do it."
Grandma Sun had completely come to regard Zhou Yuan as her own family, and she didn't feel that it was strange for Zhou Yuan to help her take care of Chen Qing.
Chen Qing was already somewhat resigned to his fate. He grabbed Zhou Yuan's clothes on his shoulder and slowed his breathing a little.
"Are you that afraid of me?" Zhou Yuan asked him, turning his head, his voice revealing an undisguised meaning.
However, before Chen Qing could answer, they were already on the oxcart. Zhou Yuan bent down and put Chen Qing on the oxcart, then went to help Granny Sun with her basket.
It was just the time when the people of Luohe Village were getting up. Zhou Yuan drove the cart, while Chen Qing and Aunt Sun sat to the side. Aunt Sun took out some pancakes she had made from her basket: "Qing, give Zhou Yuan two pancakes."
With a blank expression, Chen Qing took the cake from Granny Sun's hand and handed it to Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan held the reins of the oxcart with one hand and took the cake with the other.
Because he had let Chen Qing know his feelings, he seemed to enjoy teasing Chen Qing even more. When he saw Chen Qing's outstretched hand, he ran his fingertip across Chen Qing's palm as he took the cake. Chen Qing immediately withdrew his hand, then felt that he had lost his composure and glared at him fiercely.
Zhou Yuan knew Chen Qing's personality. If he teased him any more, Chen Qing would pull his head back down again. Getting him to glare at him was already a big improvement for him.
After finishing his pancake, Zhou Yuan straightened his expression and then focused intently on driving the carriage.
After arriving in town, Zhou Yuan didn't separate from them. Grandma Sun supported Chen Qing while Zhou Yuan walked on the other side, lending a hand when Grandma Sun couldn't support Chen Qing anymore.
I came to town today to buy some things for the Mid-Autumn Festival. After all, it's a holiday, so we should eat some meat.
Grandma Sun bought a pound of pork belly and several pounds of pork bones from the butcher.
Zhou Yuan helped her carry the basket on her back. Looking at the bare bones they had bought, he was a little puzzled: "Auntie, why are you buying these bones without any meat?" He wondered if it was because the family was not well-off that they could not even afford a pound of fatty meat.
Chen Qing remained silent, and only then did Aunt Sun reply to him: "Qing didn't injure his foot. We're using these bones to make soup, to replenish what's in it."
Zhou Yuan asked, "Shouldn't we buy pig's trotters?" He was met with a glare from Chen Qing.
Zhou Yuan also bought a few pounds of pork belly. Chen Qing looked up at him and said, "I was just saying I needed to trouble you, Auntie. I'd like to invite a few brothers from the village who came back with me to have a meal together a couple of days after the Mid-Autumn Festival. But I don't know how to cook, so I'd like to trouble you for help."
“It’s nothing,” Aunt Sun agreed readily; it was just helping to cook a meal.
"Is there no one else in your family?" Aunt Sun asked him.
“There’s no one left. I used to have a grandmother, but she didn’t live to see me come back. Now I’m all alone.” Zhou Yuan subtly pulled Chen Qing aside to prevent him from being bumped into, and then went back to talking to Aunt Sun.
"Oh, they're all poor children." Grandma Sun suddenly had a bright idea. "Zhou Yuan, why don't you recognize me as your godmother? That way, we can become a family."
Zhou Yuan paused for a moment before saying, "I really want to be family with you. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, so there's no need to rush."
Chen Qing's heart was in his throat, afraid that he would say something to his mother.
When Aunt Sun heard what he said, she just smiled. Actually, she was just mentioning it casually. If Zhou Yuan really recognized her as his godmother, who knows what the villagers would say about him behind his back? Actually, it's fine as it is now.
After buying the meat, Aunt Sun wanted to buy some cloth to make two winter clothes for Chen Qing. Zhou Yuan said he also wanted to buy some. He had only brought a few summer clothes and didn't know what the winter was like in Luohe Village, so he hadn't prepared any winter clothes.
Upon arriving at the fabric shop, Chen Qing sat down while Aunt Sun went to pick out fabrics, and Chen Qing looked at the handkerchiefs for retail sale.
"Aqing, do you like this?" Aunt Sun held up a piece of cloth for Chen Qing to choose from. It was dark green. Chen Qing thought for a moment and nodded.
"Isn't the color a bit too dark?" Zhou Yuan said from the side.
Aunt Sun glanced at Chen Qing's current clothes, which were indigo blue. It seemed that ever since he came to the house, he had only worn dark clothes such as indigo and dark green. Although Chen Qing looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, he always looked mature.
Chen Qing frowned: "Mom, let's take this one, it's dirt-resistant."
Looking at the several brightly colored bolts of cloth in the shop, Aunt Sun immediately spotted the moon-white one, thinking that such a color would look very good on Chen Qing.
Chen Qing saw it too, and he quickly shook his head: "Mom, this color is too bright, it's not suitable."
Zhou Yuan spoke up again: "Do we have to wear new clothes to work in the fields? Aren't new clothes meant to be worn during free time?"
Chen Qing glared at Zhou Yuan again.
When Aunt Sun thought about how long Chen Qing had been living at her house, she realized that he hadn't owned a single brightly colored garment. So she didn't dare buy a whole bolt of cloth, but only asked for enough to make clothes. Chen Qing felt a pang of heartache as he watched Aunt Sun pay him. He knew that buying other colors of cloth to make clothes would only cost four or five hundred coins, but this cloth cost eight hundred coins, twice as expensive.
Chen Qing looked at Aunt Sun and said, "But Mother, I can't wear bright-colored clothes yet."
He is still observing mourning for Meng Tao and cannot wear brightly colored clothes.
Grandma Sun said, "It's true that you shouldn't wear red or green, but this moon white is bright but plain, so it doesn't matter."
Chen Qing wanted to argue, but Granny Sun wouldn't listen.
Seeing that Chen Qing was sitting there, she said she was going to buy some seasonings and some fine flour to make mooncakes, leaving Chen Qing at the fabric shop.
After Aunt Sun left, while Chen Qing was sitting there looking at his cloth, Zhou Yuan went and bought two bolts of cloth, one black and one indigo.
When Chen Qing came to his senses, Zhou Yuan had already paid, and the two bolts of cloth were placed beside him. Chen Qing was startled: "Why did you buy cloth?"
"Making clothes."
"Why don't you buy ready-made clothes?" Chen Qing asked, looking at the two bolts of fabric. "You don't know how to make clothes."
Chen Qing thought about how Zhou Yuan held the embroidery needle and found it somewhat amusing.
"I have my own methods," Zhou Yuan said mysteriously.
Before Chen Qing could say anything more, Aunt Sun returned.
"Zhou Yuan, why didn't you buy ready-made clothes?" She was somewhat surprised when she saw the fabric Zhou Yuan had bought.
"Can't you sew clothes, Auntie?" Zhou Yuan asked, but his eyes were on Chen Qing.
“I’m old and my eyesight isn’t good anymore. Aqing is still the best at making clothes,” said Grandma Sun.
Zhou Yuan then looked at Chen Qing openly and asked, "Can you make me some clothes?"
Chen Qing immediately shook his head: "It's inconvenient." He cursed inwardly, "Is this his method?"
Zhou Yuan didn't say much. On the way back, he discussed the autumn planting with Aunt Sun. In Luohe Village, winter wheat is planted and will ripen in May of the following year. Aunt Sun's family originally had six mu of land. After Meng Tao was conscripted into the army, Aunt Sun planned to sell two mu. Now, they only have three mu of good land and one mu of scrap land pieced together.
Normally, it would take Aunt Sun and Chen Qing five or six days to plant these things, but this year Chen Qing injured his foot, and it's hard to say what will happen.
"I also have five mu of land, but I still don't know how to cultivate it," Zhou Yuan said, scratching his head. "Should I hire someone from the village?"
“Where can we find anyone to help in the village at this time?” Grandma Sun shook her head. “Everyone is busy with their own work.”
Zhou Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Auntie, after I finish helping you with the work, you can teach me how to farm, right? It's always faster for two people than for one person to do it alone, isn't it?"
After thinking about it, Aunt Sun realized that it made sense.
Chen Qing tugged at Aunt Sun's sleeve: "Mom, I can work. My foot is much better now."
“The doctor said you can’t get out of bed and exert yourself for at least a month, so don’t do anything too strenuous.” Grandma Sun still remembered what the doctor said. “Just let Zhou Yuan help me with the work.”
Chen Qing was a little panicked. It was the busy farming season, but he could only sit at home and couldn't do anything.
Grandma Sun sat leaning against her basket and saw the two bolts of cloth Zhou Yuan had bought: "Aqing, don't you feel restless at home? Why don't you make clothes for Zhou Yuan?"
Chen Qing looked up at Granny Sun and found that Zhou Yuan was also looking at him.
"But... wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate..."
"If there's anything inappropriate, I'll pay you." Knowing that Chen Qing took this matter very seriously, even paying for a ride in his oxcart, although she thought Chen Qing was a blockhead, she still had to go along with him.
However, his words were rather blunt, and Chen Qing's face turned bright red. He was not good at speaking, and Zhou Yuan's tone had been a bit harsh, leaving Chen Qing somewhat at a loss.
Grandma Sun stepped in to smooth things over: "No need to pay me. You help me with the farm work, and Aqing will make you clothes. That's perfect, Aqing, right?"
Chen Qing nodded quickly, his voice softening slightly: "No wages are fine too."
Back home, Aunt Sun washed the bones she had bought and planned to make bone broth today. She would use the broth to cook some hand-pulled noodles for dinner, and add two bright green leafy vegetables—that would be a rare delicacy.
Zhou Yuan escorted them home, leaving behind his two bolts of cloth before departing. Chen Qing frowned as he looked at the clothes. As the saying goes, tailoring clothes requires measuring the body, and only with Zhou Yuan's measurements could the clothes be made. He could only wait until tomorrow to have his mother measure him; there was no way he would measure Zhou Yuan's measurements himself.
It's impossible!
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Qing was arranged by Aunt Sun to make mooncakes in the yard. They bought some sugar cubes and glutinous rice flour the day before, roasted peanuts and crushed them into peanut crumbs, and chopped some sugar cubes and mixed them with peanut crumbs and glutinous rice flour to make mooncake filling.
Next, mix flour with water and a little lard to make dough. Let it rest for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, take out the risen dough, divide it into small pieces, roll each piece out, and wrap the prepared filling inside. The wrapped dough is a mooncake, but a mooncake without any patterns or designs looks like a cornbread. Grandma Sun found a mold in the kitchen, a very simple flower-shaped one.
Chen Qing was making mooncakes using molds when Aunt Sun found the old oven from her family's past mooncake-making days. Mooncakes need to be baked. When Chen Qing first came to her family's house, he helped Aunt Sun make mooncakes and steamed them all. So the two of them ate steamed sugar cakes together. Later, Chen Qing learned that mooncakes were baked. That was also the first time he made mooncakes.
Grandma Sun found the oven and lit the charcoal. Chen Qing sat next to her, watching the fire and calculating how many mooncakes he would make this year.
In previous years, there were five in their family, five in Li Xin's family, five in the village chief's family, and two in Aunt Liu's family.
We should make a few for Zhou Yuan this year, after all, he has helped so much. I don't even remember when it started, but Zhou Yuan has been carrying all the water for our family.
When Chen Qing was making the last batch of mooncakes, he added extra filling when wrapping them.
In one afternoon, Chen Qing finished making all the mooncakes. He separated the ones to give to others and waited for Aunt Sun to finish her work before delivering them.
While Aunt Sun was delivering the mooncakes, Chen Qing skipped off to the kitchen to cook.
The best pork belly, with the skin on, is briefly scalded in a red-hot pot to burn off any remaining hairs. It is then washed with water, boiled until cooked, and cut into thumb-sized pieces. The meat is then rendered out over high heat, with the excess oil collected in a jar. After rendering, seasonings and various spices are added, along with the bone broth from the previous night. The meat is then simmered over low heat, and finally reduced over high heat.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of meat, and every piece of meat in the pot was coated with sauce. Chen Qing's stomach rumbled twice.
Tonight's dinner is a big bowl of braised pork, eggplant and potatoes stewed until tender with lard, a dish of pickled vegetables, and rice mixed with brown rice that I don't usually steam.
As the sun set, the moon eagerly peeked out.
When Aunt Sun returned after delivering the mooncakes, she saw that Chen Qing had already prepared the meal on the stove. She scolded him a little, "Your foot is still injured, and you still can't stop."
They moved the table into the yard, and set out three dishes and a soup, along with a few mooncakes. It was simple, but at least it felt like home.
As Grandma Sun was about to close the courtyard gate, she saw Zhou Yuan from next door leading a cow into the cowshed, with a mooncake she had just delivered in his mouth.
On this day of family reunion, she and Chen Qing were mother and son, while Zhou Yuan was even more pitiful, only able to face a cow.
"Aqing, I'll go and call Zhou Yuan to come eat with us." Aunt Sun felt a pang of pity.
Chen Qing kept his head down, naturally having no objections.
After Aunt Sun left, Zhou Yuan arrived quickly, carrying a wine jar. Chen Qing glanced at the dishes on the table; he had cooked more than usual today, so it should be enough for everyone.
They sat in the courtyard; today, no lamps were needed, for the moonlight illuminated the ground as bright as day.
"Auntie, thank you so much, otherwise I would really be all alone tonight." Zhou Yuan glanced at Chen Qing, then poured himself a glass of wine.
Chen Qing lowered his eyes, feeling a tightness in his chest. He pushed the braised pork in front of him toward Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan picked up his wine glass, covering the smile on his lips with his hand.
Chen Qing didn't say much; most of the time, Zhou Yuan and Aunt Sun did the talking. To Chen Qing's surprise, Zhou Yuan didn't talk to Aunt Sun about Meng Tao in the military camp anymore, and Aunt Sun didn't ask either. They talked about everyday things in the village. But unexpectedly, Zhou Yuan could respond to whatever Aunt Sun said.
"Zhou Yuan, when I consulted the matchmaker last time, she said you're also planning to get married?" Aunt Sun drank some with Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan glanced at Chen Qing, then nodded to Aunt Sun: "We do have this plan, but I don't know if they're willing."
Grandma Sun clasped her hands together and said, "With such good conditions, who could refuse you? Anyone who doesn't would be blind."
Zhou Yuan laughed and asked Chen Qing, "Is what Auntie said right?"
Chen Qing kept his head down and didn't say anything, cursing him in his heart for being shameless.
The meal lasted until the moon was high in the sky. Grandma Sun was quite drunk, and looking at the full moon, she felt a pang of longing for Meng Tao and her deceased husband. She could cry in front of Chen Qing, but Zhou Yuan was a different story. She wiped her face and told Chen Qing that she had drunk too much and needed to go back to her room to rest. Chen Qing temporarily forgot that his foot was still injured and got up to help her. The moment he landed, his ankle hurt. Zhou Yuan reacted quickly and caught him by the waist, so he didn't fall to the ground and ruin the unfinished food.
After seeing that Chen Qing was alright, Aunt Sun returned to her room.
Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing looked at each other in the courtyard. Chen Qing cleared his throat, trying to appear more capable and assertive: "It's getting late."
Zhou Yuan stood up: "Then I'll go back."
Chen Qing breathed a sigh of relief, but not completely. Zhou Yuan sat down again, looking at the leftover food on the table: "I'll clean it up for you."
Chen Qing quickly shook his head: "I can handle this myself, you should leave now!"
Zhou Yuan ignored him and, taking advantage of Chen Qing's inconvenient leg movement, quickly tidied up the table. However, when washing the dishes, he used half a bucket of water, which made Chen Qing grit his teeth in distress.
Noticing Chen Qing's gaze, Zhou Yuan looked at the water tank and realized that there wasn't much water left. He felt that he might have done something wrong, but then he asked Chen Qing, "How about I go and fetch two buckets of water for you right now?"
Chen Qing wanted to avoid seeing him and turned away.
The moonlight poured down from above. Chen Qing was a little sleepy, but Zhou Yuan was still in his yard. Fearing that Zhou Yuan might say something shameless, Chen Qing had to be on his guard.
"Alright." Zhou Yuan stood up. "Now it's really time to go."
Chen Qing still didn't dare to relax too quickly. He only let out a long sigh after watching Zhou Yuan walk out of the yard. As a result, Zhou Yuan stood outside the yard wall, waiting for Chen Qing to jump out and lock the gate, and said, "By the way, the mooncakes you made are delicious. It's the first time I've ever eaten such delicious mooncakes."
Chen Qing gripped the door panel of his house. Some of the rough edges pricked his palm, not painful, but a little itchy. He was thinking about Zhou Yuan's past, the information he had heard from him. Zhou Yuan grew up with his grandmother and went to the army when he was twelve or thirteen. During the most intense years of the war, his life must have consisted only of war and killing. In a place like the army camp, there should have been no mooncakes.
"There are some left at home, but my mother and I don't really like them. I'll give them to you." Chen Qing wanted to skip back to get him the mooncakes.
Zhou Yuan walked up to him again, but this time he said something else: "Have you thought it through? If you have, I'll ask Aunt Hua to come and propose marriage."
Chen Qing: !!!
"Don't speak!" Chen Qing was furious. He shouldn't have been soft-hearted earlier. He lowered his voice, "What if my mother hears this!"
Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow: "But your aunt needs to know, she'll be sitting in her ancestral home someday."
Chen Qing: Aaaaaah! Are you crazy?!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
