Chapter 31
As the weather grew cooler day by day, Chen Qing finished making two outfits for Zhou Yuan, one for autumn and one for winter. When he gave them to Zhou Yuan, Zhou Yuan tried them on and they fit perfectly, making him look even more handsome than before.
Chen Qing only glanced at it briefly before looking away.
With the field work almost finished, Chen Qing and Aunt Sun spent two days planting some green vegetables in the vegetable garden outside the house, hoping for a touch of green and a fresh fragrance in the winter.
During this time, Chen Qing also did some needlework and embroidered a few handkerchiefs, but the designs were not very novel. One handkerchief was embroidered with two little sparrows hidden among peach blossoms, and the other handkerchief was embroidered with two mandarin ducks intertwined in the middle of the lake.
There was also a purse embroidered with a cluster of orchids, inside which was a talisman.
Zhou Yuan came to our house more often, but only in the evening. He seemed very busy during the day, and only when he came to fetch water at night did he have time to sit at our house.
When he came in the evening, Aunt Sun would go back to her room, leaving the main room for the two of them to talk.
Recently, Chen Qing is no longer like before, blushing when talking to Zhou Yuan and speechless when teased by him.
"Where did you go today?" Chen Qing poured him a bowl of water and watched him drink it down.
"We were saying we'd go out with Meng Qi and the others, and everything's pretty much ready. It'll be tomorrow." Zhou Yuan put down his bowl, as if a bowl of water had already washed away all his fatigue.
Chen Qing's hand froze on the spot: "Leaving tomorrow? Meng Qi just got married, is his family really willing to let him go out?"
Zhou Yuan nodded, finding it amusing. Chen Qing wasn't familiar with Meng Qi, but now he was using someone else's name: "It's a wealthy family from the county town. They need to send some things to the capital. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be back for the New Year."
"So long..." Chen Qing murmured, "and we still don't know what dangers might be involved."
Zhou Yuan rubbed his head: "Don't worry, can it be more dangerous than the battlefield?"
Chen Qing was a little flustered. He sat down and then stood up again. Zhou Yuan simply grabbed his hand and pressed him down on the stool next to him: "I decided to do this a long time ago, which is why I wanted to rent out the land before."
“But doing this means being out all year round, and it’s very dangerous out there.” It was the first time Chen Qing had held his hand. His hands were large, but they had many scars, unlike his own. Zhou Yuan had a long scar on his hand, and just by looking at it, he could easily imagine how dangerous the battlefield was.
Zhou Yuan patted his hand: "Don't worry, I came back alive from the battlefield, let alone just going out for a trip."
Chen Qing lowered his head: "Okay."
"So our cattle will have to rely on you," Zhou Yuan said with a smile. "When it gets colder, there won't be any fresh wild grass left, and you'll have to take care of it."
"Okay." Chen Qing nodded. "I understand. I won't let it lose weight."
"Spend more time with my younger brother when you have free time, and have him take you out for walks."
Chen Qing still had some questions: "Your brother?"
Zhou Yuan laughed: "Li Xin."
Chen Qing then remembered that Zhou Yuan had recognized Li the blacksmith as his godfather, so Li Xin was indeed his younger brother.
He never expected things to turn out this way. He had assumed Li Xin, the woman he was going to marry Zhou Yuan, had become Zhou Yuan's younger brother, and he...
"I'm leaving tomorrow, and you're still lost in thought." Zhou Yuan was unhappy that he was right in front of him, yet his son was still daydreaming.
"Then what can I do to help you?" Chen Qing glanced at his hands.
“Meng Qi always has his wife to help him pack when he goes out, but I have to pack my own.”
Chen Qing immediately stood up: "Then bring it over, and I'll help you pack it up?"
Zhou Yuan just smiled without any real smile, but Chen Qing felt a chill run down his spine.
"Then, shall I go with you and help you tidy up?" Chen Qing glanced at Grandma Sun's tightly closed door and hesitated.
"Let's go." Zhou Yuan reached out and took his hand, but Chen Qing kept looking back.
Grandma Sun couldn't hold back any longer and leaned against the window, saying, "Come back soon."
Fortunately, their two families lived in a relatively remote part of the village. If there were more people in the area, their suspicious behavior would have been noticed long ago.
This was the first time Chen Qing had ever stepped into Zhou Yuan's courtyard. Zhou Yuan lived alone, and the courtyard didn't have many things and wasn't cluttered.
There was a square table in the main room, and some sawdust and wood were piled up in the corner. Chen Qing looked at Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan said, "That's the hairpin you asked me to carve last time. I tried a few times, but my skills weren't good enough."
Chen Qing stood at the door of Zhou Yuan's bedroom, a long-lost feeling of shyness welling up in his heart.
They're not married or engaged yet, so isn't it a bit inappropriate for him to enter Zhou Yuan's room right now?
Zhou Yuan didn't notice his thoughts and reached out to pull Chen Qing inside.
This was Zhou Yuan's most private space, and he just barged in.
Zhou Yuan's room wasn't as messy as Chen Qing had imagined. Although the blankets on the bed weren't folded, they were neatly laid out.
There was a row of cabinets on the side, but the other three sides were empty, with only one side barely filled. The rest of the clothes were scattered around, but the two pieces of clothing that Chen Qing had made for him were neatly folded.
Chen Qing folded up his messy clothes and then remembered that he was heading to the capital. He had heard that the winters in the capital were much colder than in Luohe Village, so Chen Qing packed his thick clothes into his bundle.
He buried himself in tidying up, while Zhou Yuan watched him by the dim candlelight.
It wasn't that he didn't know how to pack; he had served in the military and packing was a piece of cake for him. But Chen Qing, who was helping him pack, was much more gentle and considerate.
My heart is itching a little.
A year is still too long. This time he went away for two months just to make time pass faster.
Chen Qing helped him pack his bags, but felt that these clothes might not be enough to keep out the chill of the capital: "You can buy warmer clothes when you get to the capital and it gets colder. It's too late to make them now."
After he finished speaking, Zhou Yuan did not answer him.
Chen Qing turned his head and saw that Zhou Yuan was just staring at him. Chen Qing felt a little embarrassed by his gaze.
Zhou Yuan removed the bundle that Chen Qing had packed from beside Chen Qing and carefully examined his eyebrows and eyes.
Chen Qing swallowed hard: "Don't look at me."
Zhou Yuan hummed in agreement, but his gaze remained fixed on him.
Chen Qing then remembered the peace charm he had obtained from Huaiyuan Temple. He hadn't had a chance to give it to Zhou Yuan since returning from the temple. Now that Zhou Yuan was going on a long trip, the peace charm should be able to ensure his safety.
Chen Qing always carried that purse with him, and if he didn't give it to him now, he wouldn't have another chance to do so.
Chen Qing took out a purse from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Yuan: "This is a peace charm I got from the temple last time."
Zhou Yuan looked at the purse in his hand. The fabric was probably leftover from making clothes for him before. Although it was a dark color, the cluster of orchids on it was very simple and elegant, which made the dark color seem much softer.
He knew about the peace charms at Huaiyuan Temple. Meng Qi said that his wife had fought with others to get one for him, and her hair was all messed up. Would Chen Qing, who usually avoids people, really fight with others for a peace charm?
He looked at the amulet and thought about how Chen Qing was being pushed around in the crowd. What was he thinking at that moment?
The more he thought about it, the more his heart felt like it was being filled with something. He pulled Chen Qing to his side and wrapped his arms around his waist.
He sat while Chen Qing stood, but the two seemed to be no different. He embraced Chen Qing and could still smell the soap on his clothes.
"I've packed everything, so I'm going back now..." Chen Qing was at a loss, trying to push him away, but his hand fell on his head and then let go.
Zhou Yuan freed one hand and took Chen Qing's hand, placing it on his head.
Chen Qing didn't move it away, but felt that Zhou Yuan's hair under his palm was a bit stiff and prickly.
After hugging for a while, Chen Qing asked, "Is there anything else?"
Zhou Yuan remained silent.
The room was quiet. It was autumnal, and the chirping of insects in the mountains had disappeared. Chen Qing could only hear the pounding of his own heart.
He tried to make conversation: "Shall I make you some more dry rations?"
Zhou Yuan then released his arms from around his waist and reached out to touch his face: "Okay."
So the two went to the kitchen. Chen Qing looked at the grain piled up next to him, barely touching it. He asked Zhou Yuan to start a fire, and he began to knead the dough.
Zhou Yuan said, "I'll send the rest back to you in a bit. It'll get damp if you leave it for two months."
Chen Qing initially wanted to refuse, but what he said seemed to make sense. As he kneaded the dough, he thought to himself that this dough would cost quite a bit of money.
Zhou Yuan could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his darting eyes: "If you're going to give me money, then don't bother going back tonight."
Chen Qing paused in kneading the dough, then his face turned red: "I didn't intend to pay."
Zhou Yuan started a fire, and Chen Qing made pancakes for him by the stove, saying as he did so, "They need to be a little dry so they can last longer."
He wandered here from his hometown, and suffered hunger and cold along the way. If he does more, Zhou Yuan won't go hungry on the road.
"Where is your hometown?" Zhou Yuan asked him while tending the fire.
"In Xiaxi Prefecture, Jieshi Town, Linhuang Village." Chen Qing's hometown seemed very, very far away, so far that it took him a while to realize it.
“Xiaxi.” Zhou Yuan thought for a moment. “My hometown is Yizhou, which is not far from Xiaxi.”
Chen Qing nodded: "I can tell that you sound a bit like me."
"How did you get all this way here?" they chatted, the fire crackling softly.
Chen Qing's hands were busy, and one pancake after another was made in the blink of an eye: "I've been to Yizhou, and I almost stayed there."
"Um?"
Chen Qing recalled something that happened a few years ago: "But I don't remember what that place was called. There was a little accident, so I just kept walking until I met my mother."
Zhou Yuan was eager to know about his past, but he also knew that there wasn't enough time to talk about it all in one night. So he wanted to wait until they were married, with Chen Qing nestled in his arms, so that they would have plenty of time to talk about their past and plan for their future.
After Chen Qing finished making the pancakes for him, it was already late. Zhou Yuan took the remaining food from his home and escorted him to his doorstep.
"I'm leaving early tomorrow morning, no need to get up to see me off." Zhou Yuan stopped at his door, not in a hurry for him to go back.
Chen Qing glanced around and saw that the candles in Aunt Sun's room had been extinguished.
"Then be careful on your journey." Chen Qing took the sack of grain from his hand. "Shall I head back now?"
Zhou Yuan, however, did not give up. This time, he would be gone for two months, and he needed to obtain something to sustain his journey.
The lantern's flame was almost gone, and Chen Qing looked at Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan was also staring at him.
He gritted his teeth, stood on tiptoe, and tried to kiss Zhou Yuan on the cheek.
But Zhou Yuan was much taller than him. Even though Chen Qing tried his best to stand on tiptoe, he could only lightly touch Zhou Yuan's chin.
Zhou Yuan's chin, like him, was hard, with some stubble that hadn't been properly groomed, which pricked Chen Qing.
But Chen Qing's courage stopped there. He was afraid that Zhou Yuan would tease him, and he was also very shy. At that moment, he was also extremely strong.
He took the sack of grain from Zhou Yuan and ran into the house in a panic.
Zhou Yuan was only stunned for a moment before Chen Qing had already disappeared. Zhou Yuan touched his chin, looked down and smiled.
It was already quite an achievement. Chen Qing was like the most difficult quail to catch in the mountains. He finally poked his head out, but Chen Qing could only stand still and watch him approach step by step.
Zhou Yuan climbed over the wall to go in, locked the door for him, and then climbed over the wall to come out again.
Looking at the swaying shadows by the window, Zhou Yuan felt all the fatigue of the day vanish in an instant, and thought that tomorrow should also be a good day.
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