Xie Yuancheng paced back and forth outside for a moment before galloping off towards a safe spot.
"Yuancheng, what was that thick smoke just now?" I had a feeling it wasn't a good thing. Could it be that the Crown Prince or that idiot prince's men found out and wiped out the town?
"The people of the Western Regions have always been warlike. This is something they brought upon themselves. I told you not to go around getting involved, but you insisted. Luckily, I was smart enough to throw away my pride and save you."
"Did you do this on purpose?" I turned to look at him. Xie Yuancheng looked at me with a serious expression and gave me a proud look before focusing on his journey.
The dry rations sold in Xiyu Town were all meat-based. Xie Yuancheng only bought a few mild-smelling ones, but the smell still seemed strong to me.
But these are special times, so I don't care. In the wild, as long as I can eat, that's enough.
After riding for a while, we arrived at a small village. I originally thought we were just passing through, but unexpectedly Xie Yuancheng dismounted and led me into the village.
The houses in this village are very low, and some even live in caves. They put some cloth and bamboo in front of them to make them look like doors.
I held Xie Yuancheng's hand the whole way; the people here have such deep eyes, they look like they're not to be messed with.
We walked to the very back of the village and saw a man who looked like he was draped in a bed sheet. He greeted Xie Yuancheng first and then invited us into the house.
The food in the Western Regions was really dry; the flatbreads were made of coarse flour, and it was difficult to chew them. I only ate some, and gave the rest to Xie Yuancheng, saying he needed to replenish his strength.
I couldn't understand what they were saying; it was all gibberish, even harder to understand than those strange phrases from 2020.
They talked for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and only after the uncle left did Xie Yuancheng explain to me.
"Ying'er, let's rest here for the night and leave tomorrow morning."
"Where is this place? You look like a pretty boy, and you even know how to speak a Western Regions language."
"What pretty boy? I'm the one who raised you, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to raise you all this way!"
"Hmph~ Fine, don't tell me then. I'll find a way to deal with it later."
"Ying'er~ You're still the same as before, I like you so much."
Xie Yuancheng always has this expression when he's about to do something naughty. I poured him some tea and gave him a few bites of coarse grains. He actually started eating; it made my teeth ache just watching him.
"Yuancheng, is your stomach alright?"
“Very good, it’s always been like this, but Ying’er didn’t know. I’ll take you out more often in the future, so that Ying’er will know how hard your man has worked and won’t think about other people.”
"Sigh, you became mentally unstable as soon as you left the hospital. I feel sorry for you."
I sat next to him shaking my head. We were guests here, so Xie Yuancheng was very reserved. It was noon now, but the sun wasn't too strong outside, and the Mid-Autumn Festival was almost here.
"Is it cold here in winter?" I couldn't help but ask. If it's too cold, I'll start to feel sad.
"It's not cold, Ying'er, don't worry. We'll be able to go back around December. But you'll have to spend the New Year with me outside, so we won't be able to make it to the capital."
"So fast?"
"What do you mean fast? We came at the end of spring, it's been more than four months already, and we still have more than three months before we can go back."
"It's been so long, I've wasted my youthful years of eighteen until I'm twenty-one."
Xie Yuancheng leaned closer: "Madam, you're only twenty-one, what more do you want!"
"Getting older every day is terrifying!"
“I’m two years older than you, but I’m not worried at all. Ying’er, it’s a wonderful thing that we can grow old together.”
I'm starting to feel sad. I don't want to get old. When you get old, you won't look good, and you'll have a lot of illnesses.
"With me taking care of you, why worry that Ying'er doesn't like me anymore?" Xie Yuancheng started acting pitiful again. I was worried that he would attract people over, so I quickly covered his mouth.
"Okay, I like you. So what if we grow old? I'll be with you anyway."
I was still unhappy, but Xie Yuancheng was overjoyed. I knew that he had been living a life of constant wandering since childhood, and having someone to grow old with was a luxury he longed for.
Someone came in from outside. Xie Yuancheng got up to talk to them, but I sat back on the cushion. I couldn't understand them anyway, so I just ignored it.
After Xie Yuancheng saw them out, he also took me outside. I looked at the things on the table and said, "Shouldn't we accept them? They're just being kind."
"Ying'er, when did you become such a virtuous wife, knowing to clean up a messy table? Don't worry, someone will come, don't fret."
I patted him on the shoulder before following him out. Everyone outside had mounted their horses, and Xie Yuancheng led me on horseback as we went out with them.
I was initially very happy, but seeing that they were all riding alone made me feel uneasy.
"Yuancheng, give me a horse. They all have their own horse, even the girls."
“We are husband and wife, everyone knows that. You are delicate and need my care, so I should take you riding with me.”
I covered my face, "So domineering~" Luckily, no one knew me, or I would have been laughed at.
"It's good that Ying'er knows. Anyway, I will never agree to let you ride a horse alone in the borderlands."
Xie Yuancheng spurred his horse and pulled me along. They must be going on an autumn outing, because they were all laughing loudly and chatting.
After walking for a while, we came to a very beautiful rocky area. Although there were rocks everywhere, they were reddish-brown in color, and it was especially beautiful to ride a horse on them.
"These are mountains in the Western Regions, different from ours. There are rocks everywhere, but they are very pleasing to the eye."
Xie Yuancheng was talking behind my back. I didn't want to pay attention to him at first, but when I saw his injured hand reaching out, I just replied with some casual words. They were either praising him or flattering him, which is exactly what little men like to hear.
We ran through a whole area that looked like this. It was beautiful at first glance, but after seeing it for a while, it started to scare me.
"Ying'er, do you want to sit backwards and lean against me?" Xie Yuancheng whispered in my ear. Of course I would, but there were people all around us.
"No, no, I'll just close my eyes and not look." I was panicking, and my palms were sweaty.
"We need to find something. Once we find it, I'll bring you back first."
I nodded. For some reason, looking at these bright red rocks, I actually thought they looked like people. Maybe I was just dizzy from looking at them, which is why they seemed like people.
Xie Yuancheng rode up to ask one of the Western Region people. After listening to their conversation for a few minutes, the man pointed Xie Yuancheng in a direction, and Xie Yuancheng rode off from them.
"How did they get to another place? Is it safe for us to go this way?" I was sweating profusely, but I was still worried.
“Ying’er, this is your first time here, and you’re a young lady, so it’s understandable that you’re afraid of this mountain. We can take a slightly longer route, which will take an extra half hour, and we’ll still reach their Tianzhu.”
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