Chapter 58
After counting the money, tidying up the empty cart, and settling the rent, they returned to the village together.
Meng Qi was excited the whole way. He drove the cart, chattering incessantly: "Brother, let's go again, this can really make money!"
Zhou Yuan tapped his head: "I've already told you, it's not new anymore if you say too much."
Meng Qi held his head in his hands, not quite understanding all the twists and turns, but it didn't matter. He was obedient; he would do whatever Zhou Yuan told him to do.
At the village entrance, Zhou Yuan handed the remaining items to Meng Qi, along with some loose silver.
Meng Qi almost jumped up: "What...what is this all about!"
"It's just so you can try something new." Zhou Yuan put the things into his arms.
"Trying something new is fine, but why would I pay you?" Meng Qi said, holding the fruit. "I'm just helping you weigh it; it's not a big deal."
Zhou Yuan felt a bit pressured by Meng Qi's unconditional trust. He had originally planned to take them out to run errands, but because he had to go to Yunxi Town to treat his godmother's illness, he was delayed for so long.
"Oh, don't feel guilty. During the month you were gone, Shuanzi and I went out to earn money, and we were able to spend more time with my wife at home."
Zhou Yuan didn't continue talking to him, and tossed the things to him: "You and Shuanzi split it equally, we're going back first."
After saying that, she ignored him and took Chen Qing home.
After returning home, Zhou Yuan spread all the family's savings on the bed. He hadn't touched the two hundred taels of silver notes he had brought back from the capital. His daily expenses were covered by what he had earned before and what he had brought back from the military camp.
With the money they earned today, their family is now much better off.
Chen Qing had no concept of money. No matter how much money Zhou Yuan had, he just guarded his own little purse and depended entirely on Zhou Yuan.
They returned at just the right time, just in time for the autumn harvest. Although they had rented out their own land, Grandma Sun was still cultivating it. Zhou Yuan decided to help his mother harvest the corn and then go to Yunxi Town to pick up Li Xin and the others.
It was still the same piece of land on the mountain, but the number of workers had increased from two to three. Chen Qing still kept his arms and neck tightly wrapped up, and this year he could barely keep up with Granny Sun in terms of work.
Zhou Yuan helped them pick corn for a while, and after it was piled up, he started carrying it down the mountain.
Watching Zhou Yuan leave, Aunt Sun smiled and said, "Last year, I never imagined that life would turn out like this a year later."
Last year they were worried about how to transport all the corn back home, but now they are relaxed when they work.
Chen Qing and Aunt Sun were both very efficient workers. After harvesting all the corn, they started cutting the corn stalks, which could be dried and used as firewood.
The mountain gets plenty of sunshine, so the corn ripens a couple of days earlier than the corn in the fields below. After the corn on the mountain is harvested, the corn in the fields below has to wait a couple more days.
Chen Qing followed Aunt Sun at home to shred corn and prepare to dry it, while Zhou Yuan went out again because of something.
Grandma Sun looked at Chen Qing: "Where did Zhou Yuan go?"
Chen Qing shook his head: "I don't know, I just said I was going to the county town."
"I don't know, they said it was about his business." Someone came to his door yesterday, but Chen Qing didn't hear what they said. Zhou Yuan told him last night that he was going to the county town today.
When Zhou Yuan left, he also took with him the silver notes he had brought back from the capital and the money they had earned.
"You should at least care about him," Aunt Sun said helplessly. "Don't you ever ask your husband what he's doing?"
Chen Qing shook his head, his hands still moving: "I don't understand it anyway."
Fortunately, Zhou Yuan knew Chen Qing's personality; otherwise, who knows what problems might have arisen between the two of them if things had continued like this.
Chen Qing just kept grinning foolishly. In fact, after marrying Zhou Yuan, his personality became much more cheerful than before. At least now he would stop and nod when he met people in the village, instead of being so nervous that he could only run away as before.
"What are your plans for the future?" Aunt Sun asked.
Chen Qing looked up somewhat blankly. His future plans? Wasn't it just about living a good life with Zhou Yuan?
Grandma Sun got up and ruffled his hair: "This is good. Our Aqing used to have a very hard life. Now he can have an easier time."
When Zhou Yuan returned, Chen Qing had already cooked the meal. Evening still brought a wave of heat with the wind. After helping Aunt Sun peel the corn husks, Chen Qing went home and sat on a recliner in the yard, fanning himself with a fan.
Zhou Yuan had a carpenter make this recliner after they got married, because he had noticed that Chen Qing always liked to sit in a recliner, so he wanted to get one for his own home.
When the chair was first brought back, it wasn't placed in the yard. Zhou Yuan moved it back into the room. For a while, Chen Qing didn't want to see the chair at all. Only after some memories faded did Chen Qing agree to lie down on the chair.
As darkness fell, Zhou Yuan still hadn't returned. After the sun set, a slight chill finally appeared, and Chen Qing's hand, which had been fanning himself, gradually stopped, and his breathing became calmer.
When Zhou Yuan got home, he first tied up the cow, then saw Chen Qing sleeping through the courtyard wall and quietly entered the yard.
Chen Qing leaned back in his recliner. Because of the heat, his shirt wasn't buttoned all the way up, revealing his delicate neck.
A palm-leaf fan was gently placed over his nose, barely concealing it.
He squatted by Chen Qing's recliner and stared at him for a long time. His direct and intense gaze made Chen Qing, who was still asleep, feel threatened. He slowly opened his eyes, and the moment he opened them, Zhou Yuan kissed him through the palm-leaf fan.
Chen Qing laughed: "You're back?"
Zhou Yuan helped him up: "Why did you fall asleep? Are you very tired?"
Chen Qing placed his hand on Zhou Yuan's arm and heard Zhou Yuan hiss. Chen Qing immediately became more alert. He opened his eyes and saw some bloodstains on the corner of Zhou Yuan's lips. Ignoring the fact that it was broad daylight, he took off Zhou Yuan's clothes and found that Zhou Yuan also had injuries.
As he got closer, Chen Qing could smell alcohol on him.
"Where have you been? How come you have so many injuries?" Chen Qing was very nervous and somewhat at a loss. He tried to get some medicine, but tripped over his own feet and almost fell to the ground.
Zhou Yuan reacted quickly and pulled him into his arms: "Listen to me, it's just superficial wounds, nothing serious."
The shadow of his father being killed by thieves had Chen Qing on edge, and his hands were trembling slightly: "What happened?"
“I didn’t want to go into the business of escorting goods, but it would be difficult to start my own escort agency. Just then, the Zhenwei Escort Agency in the county town wanted to sell itself, and the county magistrate mediated and said that I could accept that escort agency.”
Actually, it has been delayed for quite a long time. They should have taken over a month ago, but something suddenly happened here, so they haven't been able to give the magistrate a reply.
Chen Qing leaned against his chest, listening to him speak.
"Besides the two chief镖头 (chief镖头 is a term for head镖师, meaning head镖师) in Zhenwei镖局 (Zhenwei Escort Agency), there are five镖头 (head镖师). Because the two chief镖头 are going their separate ways, they are selling the agency. When I first arrived, although I had the county magistrate's influence, I still couldn't convince everyone."
Chen Qing looked up: "So?"
"When men settle disputes, fists speak louder than words." Zhou Yuan raised his hand. "That's why I sparred with five镖头 (bodyguards/escorts)."
Chen Qing looked miserable and somewhat angry: "Five of them against one of you?"
"Of course not, one at a time. Don't worry, they're more seriously injured than me." Zhou Yuan stroked his hair and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Zhou Yuan explained to him, noticing the smell of alcohol on his clothes, "I went out for dinner after the fight, so I came back a little late."
Chen Qing said, "Then drink some more porridge and take a shower. I'll apply the medicine for you in a bit."
Chen Qing ate some porridge with him. Chen Qing's appetite was already small in the summer. They left some cucumber for themselves. Chen Qing smashed it, added some vinegar, and ate his fill of cucumber.
After eating, Zhou Yuan went to wash the dishes and boil water, while Chen Qing went to the room to find medicine for his injuries. After rinsing himself off, Zhou Yuan returned to the room shirtless, sat upright on the edge of the bed, and waited for Chen Qing to apply the medicine to him.
As Chen Qing applied the medicine, he sighed, "Mother asked me today about our plans for the future."
Zhou Yuan looked down at him.
Chen Qing continued, "I don't know what my plans are for the future." As he spoke, Chen Qing blew on his wounds again.
“Actually, I think our life is pretty good right now. We raise some chickens and ducks, raise a pig, and cultivate our land.” Chen Qing sighed and looked into Zhou Yuan’s eyes. “But I know you have your own ambitions.”
Chen Qing knew that Zhou Yuan not only had the burden of their own family on his shoulders, but also admired Meng Qi, who led him. He couldn't selfishly ask Zhou Yuan to stay at home with him to farm and raise chickens. Zhou Yuan deserved a wider world.
Chen Qing leaned closer to him and said, "I just hope that you won't get hurt while you're pursuing your ambitions, and that you can come home safely."
Zhou Yuan's heart softened like a pool of water, and he pulled Chen Qing into his arms without a second thought, holding him tightly.
How could I not like Chen Qing?
Zhou Yuan couldn't find the words to describe Chen Qing. When they first met, he was the most resilient vine in this village nestled against the mountains and by the water. When they met again, he was like a red-eyed rabbit hiding in his own world, not daring to lift his head.
Now, Chen Qing, with red eyes, told him that she only hoped he would be safe.
Suppressing the restlessness in his heart, all he wanted to do at that moment was to quietly hold Chen Qing in his arms.
During the recent corn harvest, they slept all night to conserve their energy during the day. Chen Qing had kept a little distance, but now he was starting to blush: "Look at you, all that medicine you applied was for nothing."
After saying that, she applied the medicine to him again, and inevitably saw other wounds on his body that had already grown into scars.
Chen Qing was usually shy and wouldn't dare to open his eyes to look at Zhou Yuan even when they were both naked. Now, looking at his body without any impure thoughts, he felt so heartbroken that he just wanted to cry.
Zhou Yuan dared not let him see again, afraid that he would cry again out of heartache, so he hurriedly put on his clothes, hugged him, and lay down on the bed.
He was afraid that Chen Qing would be unhappy, so he racked his brains to coax him. He talked about his days in the army, but the soldiers were all rough men who talked a lot of dirty jokes, so there was nothing to talk about.
After falling asleep, Chen Qing always liked to curl up and shrink into a small ball. Zhou Yuan didn't notice his problem with sleeping in unfamiliar beds during the first two days after their marriage because Chen Qing was too tired to feel anything at that time.
It was because he was a light sleeper that he noticed Chen Qing would always tiptoe out of his arms on nights when they hadn't done "that." At first, he thought it was because he was holding her too tightly, but later he realized that Chen Qing couldn't sleep.
He had been wandering for too long and felt that nowhere was his final destination. Finally, he met Granny Sun, and for five years, he made Meng Tao's room his home.
So Chen Qing, who longed for stability, told him today that he simply wanted him to return to his side unharmed.
Listening to Chen Qing's soft breathing and looking at his peaceful sleeping face, Zhou Yuan thought that Chen Qing's home was now his home; wherever he was, Chen Qing's home was.
He wasn't such a person who was always so anxious about gains and losses. It was only when he held Chen Qing at night that he would think about what he would be like if Meng Tao came back safe and sound.
Chen Qing is Meng Tao's husband, and everything he owns now belongs to Meng Tao. But why? In terms of time, it was his grandmother who arranged Chen Qing's marriage first. If his grandmother hadn't passed away, Chen Qing would have stayed in their courtyard, waiting for him to return.
Zhou Yuan's thoughts drifted a little far, but were finally brought back by Chen Qing's hand on his chest. Why think so much? Anyway, Chen Qing is mine now.
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