Chapter 99
Chen Qing didn't want to think about what happened on the second day of his marriage. In short, he couldn't get out of bed and only got up on the third day to pay his respects to his grandmother.
Fortunately, his grandmother knew he was shy and didn't laugh at him; their relationship remained the same as always.
Chen Qing had been suffering from back pain for the past two days and couldn't do much else, so he started making clothes for his grandmother and Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan hasn't been going out these past few days. He seems to be still confused about what he should do. And because he just got married, he wants to be by Chen Qing's side every single hour.
Grandmother loved seeing them like this, and was always smiling. When Chen Qing did needlework, he would sit by his side and occasionally tease Chen Qing. Chen Qing had a good temper and never got angry no matter what Zhou Yuan did. He even gave Zhou Yuan a strand of thread to tie a knot for him to play with.
Chen Qing hoped his grandmother would enjoy good health and a long life, so he wanted to embroider cranes on her clothes.
Making clothes is not difficult; the time-consuming part is embroidery. Chen Qing spends several hours embroidering every day. It was only when Zhou Yuan noticed that he was looking down for too long that he took him out for a walk.
Chen Qing had never felt there were so many people in the village before. Now, wherever he and Zhou Yuan went, people would come up to greet them and chat. The young men and women they met would also secretly glance at Zhou Yuan.
Chen Qing: ...
Later, he stopped going to the village with Zhou Yuan, and Zhou Yuan complied. They spent more time in that large medicinal herb field. It was the season to start planting medicinal herbs, and they heard that they would still be recruiting workers in the village.
Chen Qing originally wanted to sign up, but he had a lot of clothes to make, and Zhou Yuan didn't want him to be so tired, so he didn't go after the recruitment period ended.
Time flew by from May to July, and the weather got hot. There wasn't enough time for Chen Qing to make summer clothes, so Zhou Yuan bought two sets of summer clothes for each of them.
My grandmother fell ill again in the middle of the time. After seeing the doctor, the doctor said the same thing: my grandmother was too old and we should always be prepared.
My grandmother is sixty-three years old this year. Most people in the village don't live long, so my grandmother is considered to be living a long life.
Chen Qing was still very sad and cried secretly for a long time that night. He turned his head to look at Zhou Yuan and saw that Zhou Yuan's expression was unchanged as he lay on his back looking at the roof.
"Aren't you sad?" Chen Qing's voice was thick with nasal tone; he still couldn't quite accept it.
Zhou Yuan pulled him over and let him lean on his shoulder: "I've seen too much. When I was in the army, some people might be talking to you in the morning, and by evening you might see their corpse. We don't have time to be sad, because it seems like no one has a tomorrow."
Hearing his words, Chen Qing cried even more bitterly. Zhou Yuan quickly hugged her and comforted her, saying many more things about wishing his grandmother a long and healthy life.
Grandmother could see Chen Qing's reluctance to part, so she was very strong and worked hard to accompany them through the hot summer and the cold winter.
Spring came and autumn went, cold came and heat went; this was the third year since Chen Qing and Zhou Yuan got married.
My grandmother ultimately did not live to be a hundred years old; she passed away at the age of sixty-six.
In accordance with their grandmother's last wishes, they did not bury her in the ground, but instead cremated her and put her ashes in a purse.
My grandmother said she didn't want to be ravaged by the sandstorms here anymore; she wanted to return to the Jiangnan region with its mountains and rivers.
Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing discussed it and decided to take their grandmother's ashes and move to a small town in the south.
Although they hadn't made much money in the past three years, Chen Qing was a frugal person. After they got married, he took control of Zhou Yuan's money and prevented him from spending it extravagantly. Fortunately, Zhou Yuan listened to him.
During these three years, Chen Qing continued to earn money by embroidering handkerchiefs, while Zhou Yuan also worked outside. He could do almost anything: carry bundles, repair houses, guard homes, and occasionally help out at the government office. The two of them earned enough to cover the family's expenses, so the money Zhou Yuan had when he returned is still untouched.
"Xiao Qing, are you all ready?" Zhou Yuan stood in the courtyard, holding a horse by the hand.
Chen Qing came out of the house carrying a bundle and nodded to him.
After Zhou Yuan helped Chen Qing onto the horse, he rode up himself. Before leaving, they looked around the small courtyard again. After Zhou Yuan returned, they did not renovate the courtyard, but simply built a new shed as a kitchen. Everything else was exactly the same as when Chen Qing came.
But in this courtyard, they would never again see their grandmother leaning on her cane, smiling as she watched them.
Chen Qing wiped his eyes and grabbed Zhou Yuan's hand that was clasped around his waist.
"Let's go." Zhou Yuan tightened the reins, and after the horse neighed, they left the house.
Grandmother said she wanted to return to Jiangnan. Since Zhou Yuan had no ties to this place, he decided to take Chen Qing south and see where it would be suitable to stop.
They had no destination; they seemed to stop wherever they wanted, perhaps wanting their grandmother to see more of the world. Starting from Yizhou Prefecture, their first destination was the capital.
That was a place Chen Qing never thought he could go to in his life. Zhou Yuan took him to see the general Zhou Yuan had once saved, and they stayed at an inn in the capital and ate at a restaurant in the capital. The money spent made Chen Qing's heart tremble.
They then set off from Beijing and continued south. As the Lunar New Year approached, they stopped in a place called Yunxi Town, rented a house for a short time, and experienced the New Year atmosphere in a different place.
Yunxi Town is great. It snowed on their first day here. With Zhou Yuan around for the past three years, Chen Qing no longer needs to wash clothes for others in the dead of winter, and the frostbite on his hands will not recur.
They spent the New Year in Yunxi Town, but felt that this was not the place for them to stay. However, they made new friends here. The owner of Tianji Restaurant was a very interesting person, and the food at Tianji Restaurant was delicious.
Not used to the southern winter, Chen Qing caught a cold. Zhou Yuan took him to see a doctor. Zhou Yuan also asked about Chen Qing's health, since they had been married for three years and Chen Qing still hadn't gotten pregnant.
The doctor simply said that Chen Qing was in good health and that they shouldn't rush things about having a child, as it might happen at any time.
Dr. Yu didn't prescribe much medicine for them; a common cold would pass on its own. As they were leaving, they saw the interesting Manager Tian come to deliver food. Unexpectedly, the doctor turned out to be Manager Tian's family member.
They left Yunxi Town in early March and continued south, switching from horses to carriages, which gave them more time to travel at a slower pace.
"Zhou Yuan, where are we going?" Chen Qing asked, sitting next to Zhou Yuan and looking at the still lush and green forest.
“I don’t know either,” Zhou Yuan said. “Sometimes I feel that it’s not so bad to keep going like this.”
Chen Qing leaned on his shoulder: "No matter where you go, I'll be with you."
They just didn't expect it to stop so quickly.
When they reached a valley, Zhou Yuan became cautious. Someone ahead of them had warned them that there were bandits in the mountains and it would be best to take a detour.
Zhou Yuan wasn't afraid of any bandits, but because Chen Qing was with them, they chose to take a detour. By nightfall, they still hadn't found a place to stay, so they had to stop by a river and make do in the carriage. Fortunately, the carriage was well-equipped, so they wouldn't go hungry or cold.
Zhou Yuan gathered firewood on the mountain, and they built a fire by the river. A small pot was placed on the fire, and some hot water was boiled. The doctor, Dr. Yu, said that drinking more hot water could help with a cold.
They had plenty of dry rations. Zhou Yuan roasted the flatbread over the fire and sprinkled some of the seasoning that Manager Tian had given them. The flatbread and hot water were enough to make do with a meal.
It was still a bit cold at night. The fire that had been lit had gone out. Zhou Yuan held Chen Qing in his arms as they rested in the carriage, the blankets wrapped tightly around them.
The night was very quiet, and even the slightest sound could be magnified infinitely.
Zhou Yuan opened his eyes in the darkness and reached for the knife placed in the carriage.
Chen Qing woke up when Zhou Yuan moved. He was still a little dazed and wanted to speak, but Zhou Yuan covered his mouth: "Don't talk. Stay in the carriage. I'll go out and take a look."
Chen Qing knew he shouldn't cause trouble for him at this time, so he nodded and shrank back a little further inside the carriage.
Zhou Yuan got off the carriage with his knife in hand. He had considerable influence at night, and he saw a man stumbling towards him from afar, followed by several other men, all carrying knives.
The person running on the road seemed to have seen Zhou Yuan on the roadside. He seemed to be exhausted and was shouting for help to Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan didn't want to get involved, but when the man got closer, he realized that he was a scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken, and he didn't know how he had managed to escape from these people.
"Help! Help!"
Zhou Yuan drew his sword, and the scholar scrambled to his feet and ran behind Zhou Yuan. Unable to hold on any longer, he collapsed to the ground.
Zhou Yuan: ...
Even if he didn't intend to take action, he had no choice but to now. Xiao Qing was still in the carriage, and those people might not let them go.
Zhou Yuan drew his knife and stepped forward. There were four bandits who didn't take Zhou Yuan seriously at all. They also saw the carriage parked by the river. They originally only wanted to rob a poor scholar, but they had unexpected gains.
All four robbers drew their knives. Zhou Yuan struck first, severing one of their hands with a single blow. The screams of pain echoed through the night. Realizing he couldn't linger, Zhou Yuan swiftly and decisively brought his knife down, and soon all four were lying on the ground. This was the first time Zhou Yuan had used his knife to kill anyone since returning from the battlefield.
He didn't kill him. He intended to turn around and leave with Chen Qing and the scholar, but one of the bandits said directly, "Our men are coming soon. You can't escape!"
Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he finished off the four men with a single blow.
He then ignored the scholar lying on the ground, hitched up the carriage, and prepared to leave. The scholar eagerly followed him. Zhou Yuan didn't say anything, and the scholar climbed directly onto the carriage, sitting next to Zhou Yuan, still shaken.
Once they were out of that area, the scholar hurriedly thanked Zhou Yuan, saying, "Thank you so much for saving my life, great hero!"
Chen Qing climbed out of the carriage and looked Zhou Yuan up and down: "Are you alright?"
Zhou Yuan spoke to Chen Qing in a gentle voice: "I'm fine. You stay in the carriage and don't come out."
Chen Qing nodded and then retreated back into the carriage.
Driving a carriage at night requires concentration. After reassuring Chen Qing, Zhou Yuan immediately focused on his work. The carriage didn't travel fast at night, as it was near mountains and rivers, and there was always danger if one wasn't careful.
Fortunately, the journey was uneventful. After the sky began to lighten, it started to rain. Zhou Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. The heavy rain would wash away the tire tracks on the road, so even if those people caught up, they wouldn't be able to find them.
The scholar breathed a sigh of relief and began to introduce himself: "I am from Luohe Village. I just returned from the Yuancang Prefecture for the imperial examinations. I accidentally wandered into a mountain stronghold and it took me several days to escape. Thank you both for saving my life."
Zhou Yuan nodded.
"Where are you two headed? If it's not too much trouble, would you mind traveling together?"
Zhou Yuan looked at Chen Qing, who had poked his head out. Chen Qing's expression softened noticeably, and he guessed that Chen Qing wanted to agree.
Zhou Yuan nodded and asked him, "Can you ride a horse?"
Qi Shuning shook her head: "No, but I can learn."
Zhou Yuan hummed in agreement. Since they didn't have a specific destination, there was no harm in taking the scholar home.
After daybreak, they entered a small town. Zhou Yuan cleanly and efficiently sold the carriage at a depreciation rate, since the carriage was too conspicuous. Riding a horse would be faster and less likely to be spotted.
When they changed carriages, Zhou Yuan added an extra horse, which was just right now. It took him a while to teach Qi Shuning to ride a horse, but fortunately, scholars are quick-witted, and she learned to ride in just one morning.
For safety reasons, they did not stay in the town for long, and set off on horseback as soon as the rain stopped.
Qi Shuning stumbled and fell while riding the horse, and Chen Qing was worried that he would fall off, but he remained firmly on the horse's back.
They rode at breakneck speed and arrived at Qi Shuning's hometown, Luohe Village, five days later.
Zhou Yuan saw that he had delivered the person and did not want to keep him any longer. However, when he looked down at Chen Qing, Chen Qing's expression was somewhat dazed.
"Xiao Qing?"
Chen Qing turned around, and for the first time disobeyed Zhou Yuan's suggestion: "I want to stay here for a while."
Zhou Yuan nodded and then asked Qi Shuning, "Could you stay at my house for a few days?"
Qi Shuning immediately beamed with joy: "Of course, of course you can."
He couldn't wait to take Zhou Yuan home. When they arrived at his door, Chen Qing gripped Zhou Yuan's hand tightly.
After Qi Shuning knocked on the door, a cheerful voice quickly came from behind it: "Why did it take you so long to come back?"
Li Xin opened the door and saw Qi Shuning looking disheveled, with two strangers standing behind her.
"What happened to you?" He immediately noticed the bruise on Qi Shuning's lip.
Qi Shuning told him what had happened these past few days, and then added, "These two are my benefactors. They will be staying at my home for the next two days."
Li Xin quickly and warmly welcomed the people into the house.
Chen Qing looked at Li Xin and felt a sense of closeness to her for some reason, even though it was the first time he had met her.
They stayed in Luohe Village for two days. Chen Qing had already become friends with Li Xin. Zhou Yuan was a little curious. Chen Qing had spent five or six years in Yizhou Prefecture without making a single friend, yet here he had become friends with someone he had only met once.
He could tell that Chen Qing liked it here.
This village is located south of the Luo River and backed by a large mountain. With its beautiful scenery, it seems to be the place they have been looking for where they can finally settle down.
"Xiao Qing."
Chen Qing was washing his hands by the Luo River when Zhou Yuan called out to him softly.
"What's wrong?"
"Are we going to stay here?" Zhou Yuan asked him.
Chen Qing stood up from the riverbank and walked to Zhou Yuan's side: "Is it okay?"
“Of course,” Zhou Yuan said. “We can stay as long as you’re willing.”
Chen Qing nodded. He really liked this place. He felt a sense of familiarity with everything here; it was an indescribable feeling.
Zhou Yuan ruffled his hair: "Then I'll go find the village chief."
The happiest person to know that Chen Qing was going to stay was Li Xin. He didn't know why he got along so well with Chen Qing, and since they were Qi Shuning's saviors, it would be perfect if they could stay here.
The village chief of Luohe Village is surnamed Jiang. He is an extremely farsighted village chief, and everyone in the village trusts him. Since Zhou Yuan and his group want to settle down here, they naturally need him to deal with the government.
Upon learning that Zhou Yuan had also returned from the Western Expeditionary Army, Village Chief Jiang, who had initially hesitated, immediately nodded.
The next day, he took Zhou Yuan to the government office to complete the deed and selected a plot of land for their home. Zhou Yuan also bought four acres of fertile land in the village, as land was naturally the most important thing if they decided to live there.
After all this was done, their household registration was moved from Yizhou Prefecture to Luohe Village, and from then on they became residents of Luohe Village.
The village chief Jiang chose a house site for them in the village, which was very quiet. Only one family lived there: a widowed woman and her son who had returned from the battlefield.
Construction on their house began, and the villagers all came to help, all of whom were paid. This was a way for Zhou Yuan and his group to get closer to the villagers.
When they started building the house, they also met their neighbors, Meng Tao and his mother.
Meng Tao was completely stunned when he saw Zhou Yuan. He never expected to see his benefactor again. During the Battle of Guping Pass, when the battle was dangerous, the general was attacked, and the battlefield was in chaos, he saw Zhou Yuan, wielding a knife that was worn and chipped, like a god of death, pull the general out of the encirclement. On the way back to camp, Zhou Yuan took the opportunity to block a fatal blow to his head, saving his life.
Although Zhou Yuan didn't remember him, he would always remember Zhou Yuan as his benefactor.
After he told his mother about it, Aunt Sun immediately went to help them repair their house and didn't ask for any payment.
Chen Qing felt a little embarrassed, but he could never bring himself to refuse his elders.
With the help of the villagers, Chen Qing's house was finally completed. At Li Xin's suggestion, they held a banquet in the courtyard to invite the families who had helped them a lot in the past few days.
During the meal, Aunt Sun drank a glass of wine heartily. She looked at Chen Qing and said, "I felt a sense of kinship with you the moment I saw you. In addition, your husband is Meng Tao's benefactor. If you need anything in the future, just come to me."
Chen Qing smiled and nodded: "I also feel very close to you."
“Maybe we were family in our past lives,” Grandma Sun said with a smile as she downed her drink.
After finishing their business here, Zhou Yuan and Chen Qing went up the mountain. They chose a location for their grandmother's grave, which offered a good view of the Luo River.
Chen Qing and Zhou Yuan knelt before their grandmother's grave, telling her how wonderful this place was.
“Grandma, we’ve settled down here. There are mountains and rivers here, you’ll like it.”
"Grandmother, I will be fine with Zhou Yuan. If you have time, could you come into my dreams to see me?"
Right after they finished paying respects to their grandmother, Chen Qing started vomiting severely when they returned home. After seeing a doctor, she was told that she was pregnant.
Zhou Yuan touched Chen Qing's belly and said that the child was very clever and couldn't wait to come, knowing that they had settled down.
After May, Luohe Village began planting rice. Chen Qing and Zhou Yuan worked frantically, but finally managed to grow some. This was their first time farming.
Eating the food they grew themselves, Chen Qing and Zhou Yuan felt more fulfilled than ever before.
They worked from sunrise to sunset, living on a few acres of fertile land. The two of them kept each other company and would occasionally have small gatherings with Li Xin's family. Aunt Sun from Meng Tao's family would also often come over for a chat. A year later, Zhuangzhuang was born, and the family was even more complete.
Chen Qing would occasionally look up at the place where his grandmother was buried on the mountain, and he would tell his grandmother about her recent situation.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the door. Chen Qing picked up Zhuangzhuang and stood at the door to welcome Zhou Yuan home.
The setting sun cast long shadows on them.
Then the years passed, and the rest of my life was filled with joy.
A note from the author:
The story is finally finished! Exactly ninety-nine chapters. I hope Aqing and Zhou Yuan's love lasts a long, long time. Thank you all for your support over the past three months, hahaha! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Happy National Day, Happy New Year, and Happy Birthday in advance! Anyway, I'm the happiest person right now, finally able to give my eyes a good rest! I'll be giving out red envelopes to celebrate the completion!
Book Title: The Little Widow [Farming] [Growth & Comeback Entry]
Author of this book: Seelight
Book Summary: I saw some people asking if I have children, so here's the answer: yes, I do. But as is my usual practice, I'll introduce the child near the end. I hope you don't fall into any traps.
Pre-order "The Vicious Husband Rules the Whole Family" synopsis at the bottom:
Chen Qing had a hard life, wandering from place to place. He was bought by someone for three taels of silver to be a husband, but on the very day he was bought, his husband was forcibly conscripted into the army. Before he could even see his wife, Chen Qing ended up marrying her while holding a chicken.
Five years later, the war was over, but Chen Qing received news that her husband had died in battle, and she became a widow.
His mother gave him half of the compensation money and asked him to remarry, but Chen Qing refused.
The taciturn and extremely socially anxious Chen Qing held a funeral for her husband and held her family together on the verge of collapse.
They work at sunrise and rest at sunset, living on two or three acres of fertile land and a small courtyard.
But the neighbor next door, who had returned from the battlefield, looked at him with an increasingly deep gaze.
Zhou Yuan survived the battlefield and received three acres of land from the imperial court, where he settled down in the village.
He was tall and strong, and everyone in the village considered him a good son-in-law, but his eyes were only on Chen Qing, the widow next door.
Springtime wild animals, summer raincoats, autumn wild fruits, winter silver charcoal.
And a sincere heart.
Even the slow-witted Chen Qing understood what he meant, and he looked at his mother at home.
But my mother said, "A person who has worked hard for half their life has the right to pursue their own happiness."
From then on, the family of three lived peaceful and prosperous lives.
Highlight:
1. The bottom is an i person, really i, even wants to walk through the sewer when going out.
2.195*170, don't ask, it's just that the author likes it.
3. Those who are politically conscious should not read this. I hope everyone can find a story they like.
4. It's probably just everyday family stuff.
5. The entire story is fictional, very fictional; the author decides what vegetables and fruits appear.
Content Tags: Devoted Love, Farming, Urban Life, Growth, Love Develops Over Time
From the protagonist's perspective, Chen Qing interacts with Zhou Yuan
A brief summary: The Pure-Hearted Widow
Theme: Keep your feet on the ground, but look up at the stars.
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