Chapter 77 Three years later, he saw it again...
A month later, the caravan returned. Fang Mu arrived before he did, and his joyful shouts could be heard across the street.
Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Haoling blinked her dark eyes, stuck her bottom out of the folding chair, and wobbled to the door with her short legs, peeking out her round head.
Fang Mu rode his horse galloping over, eager to enter and see Huiyin. A small, chubby hand grabbed his hem. He looked down and saw Xiao Haoling with her arms outstretched, her eyes wide open. "Father, hug me."
Fang Mu was overjoyed. He squatted down, picked up Hao Ling, and teased her, "What did you call me?"
Hao Ling waved her hands and feet excitedly, giggling loudly, "Father!"
Song Jingchuan, who was a step behind, heard a loud noise as soon as he reached the door. He saw his beloved daughter being held in Fang Mu's arms, calling him "Father" again and again. His heart ached so much that he clenched his teeth. He rushed forward, took Haoling from Fang Mu's arms, glared at Fang Mu, and wanted to get close to his daughter and kiss her.
Hao Ling twisted her body in Song Jingchuan's arms, stubbornly refusing his kiss, her cheeks puffed out as if she was about to cry, waving to Fang Mu and calling out "Father."
Huiyin appeared just in time and took Haoling from Song Jingchuan. Seeing that the two looked travel-worn, she quickly told them to go and wash up first.
Fang Mu couldn't wait any longer. He stared intently at Huiyin and asked, "Young lady, do you know that the Xiongnu have been defeated?"
Huiyin nodded, reassuring him, "The things are all packed, just waiting for you to come back."
Fang Mu instantly beamed with joy, hugging Song Jingchuan, who was still feeling bittersweet about his daughter not recognizing him, and laughed, "Great! We can finally go back!"
Song Jingchuan pulled Fang Mu away blankly, dusting himself off. Fang Mu didn't seem to care, putting his hands behind his head and humming a little tune as he left.
After he left, Song Jingchuan approached hesitantly, looking conflicted. Huiyin thought he was still upset that Haoling didn't recognize him, so she patted Haoling's head and whispered, "Don't you recognize him?"
Hao Ling buried her head in Hui Yin's arms, her little head pressed against her chest. She secretly glanced at Song Jingchuan, then quickly hugged Hui Yin again, softly snuggling and rubbing her head against her, refusing to speak.
Huiyin was incredibly soft-hearted and said to Song Jingchuan, "Haoling hasn't seen you for a long time, so it's inevitable that we'll feel a little awkward. It will be much better in a couple of days."
Although Song Jingchuan was somewhat disappointed, he quickly recovered and brought up another matter, "Sister, I plan to go back with you."
Huiyin looked up at him upon hearing this, her face showing confusion.
Song Jingchuan continued, "After the Xiongnu retreat, the road between the Southern Dynasty and Dayuan will be open. I will go back with you first, and I will come back after you are settled."
Huiyin was a little tired from holding Haoling, so she lifted Haoling up slightly and asked, "And then?"
Song Jingchuan pursed his lips, reached out and touched Haoling's little head, his face gentle, "I usually live with them in Dayuan, and I return to the Southern Dynasty every Spring Festival to celebrate the New Year with you."
"Is that so?" Huiyin drawled, suppressing a laugh. "But your wife and daughter said they want to come with me and settle in the Southern Dynasty with me, so you'll live here alone from now on?"
At first, Song Jingchuan didn't understand what Huiyin was saying, but after he understood, he showed joy and asked, "Sister, is what you said true?"
Huiyin glanced into the room and said, "It's true. Go and see Heshi."
"Okay, okay." Song Jingchuan leaned in and kissed Hao Ling on the cheek before rushing into the house.
Huiyin looked at Haoling, who was staring blankly, took out a handkerchief to wipe her face clean, and held Haoling while waiting outside the door. Fang Mu and Jingchuan left their bearded men and ran back. She had to wait for the caravan to return; there were very important things inside.
Haoling couldn't stay in Huiyin's arms any longer. Her bright black eyes peered at her parents' bedroom door. "Auntie, I want to go find Mother."
Huiyin stuffed a piece of candy into her mouth to coax her, "Haoling, don't you miss your grandfather? He'll be back soon."
Having successfully diverted her attention, Haoling happily ate her milk candy, then moved a small stool over and sat down next to Huiyin, waiting with her for the bearded man to return.
Not long after, the bearded man returned with the caravan. Huiyin helped them sort the goods. The bearded man hugged Haoling tightly, pointing to the last cart and saying to Huiyin, "That's what you wanted."
Huiyin opened the wooden box, inside which was a box of green powder. She scooped up a little and sniffed it, confirming that it was indeed what she wanted.
She had the things moved to the backyard and put them together with what she had collected over the past three years, which would have filled about five carts.
This contains the products and customs of the countries of Dayuan, Wusun, Kangju, Dayuezhi, and Daxia that she has collected over the past three years, as well as a Ferghana horse that she paid a high price for.
When Huiyin first saw this horse at the market, she liked it very much. Its reddish-brown coat flowed with the horse's panting, like a flowing crimson sunset. Its eyes did not have the docility of ordinary horses; it was full of ambition and arrogance. The first time Huiyin saw it, she felt that it was very much like a person.
This horse was worth a fortune, which Huiyin couldn't afford. Therefore, she went to the Tangjie tribe and borrowed some gold and silver from Hachi. When Hachi lent her the gold, he said she didn't need to repay it with money, but with a favor.
Huiyin hesitated for a long time before agreeing to his request. She knew what Hachi was plotting. With the Xiongnu gone, the Jieluo people were no longer the only nomadic tribe on the southern steppe. The Southern Dynasty people were not nomadic and would not migrate to the steppe. However, they had a certain degree of control over the steppe. The Jieluo people wanted to use the Southern Dynasty's power to obtain high-quality and vast pastures.
Hachi had once saved Pei Yu's life, so Pei Yu would definitely favor him when it came to dividing the grasslands. However, the other people from the Southern Dynasty might not be so sure. Everyone had their own ulterior motives, so Hachi wanted to win her over as a precaution.
However, his wishful thinking was probably wrong.
Huiyin brought water to wash the horses. A month had passed since the war between the Khan and the Xiongnu. She calculated the distance and figured that even if Pei Yu was delayed by returning to the capital to report on his duties or other matters, he should be able to reach Dayuan by now.
But there was no movement whatsoever during that month.
She remembered that three years ago, when they parted, he said he would come to pick her up. But three years had passed, and Huiyin had no idea whether he had changed his mind.
He has now achieved remarkable feats and enjoys a prestigious reputation; he must have even more admirers than he did three years ago. Perhaps he has already forgotten her and is married with children.
Huiyin patted the horse's head, not caring whether it was listening or not, and said to herself, "If your master changes his mind, I will take you back to Jingzhou. If you are obedient, I will take good care of you. If you are disobedient, I will sell you for a good price."
The horse was truly intelligent; as if it understood, it came over and nuzzled her hand, raised its head and neighed, then obediently lowered its head again.
Huiyin patted the horse's back one last time, then turned and left.
Three days later, the group packed their bags and set off. Fearing that there might still be Xiongnu soldiers left on the grasslands or that they might be robbed by others, Huiyin found King Guishan and asked him to send an envoy to accompany her back to the Southern Dynasty. The purpose was twofold: firstly, to open up the route between the Southern Dynasty and Dayuan, and secondly, to establish friendly relations between the two countries.
King Guishan readily agreed and sent a hundred-man army and envoys to accompany Huiyin and the others back.
The journey was smooth until they reached a difficult mountain pass. Huiyin's cart, carrying local specialties, got stuck in the pass, and the wheels broke, requiring two days to repair.
Huiyin then told Fang Mu and Song Jingchuan to stay behind and wait for the caravan to be repaired, while she and Heshi, along with Xiao Haoling, set off ahead with the caravan of the Dayuan envoys.
The cold snap in February hadn't ended yet, and the biting wind on the grassland wrinkled people's faces. Huiyin and Heshi stayed in the carriage with Xiao Haoling the whole time.
The weather was fine that day. Dayuan Shichen had people stop at a water source to rest. Heshi's arm injury had not yet healed, so he could only rest in the carriage.
Huiyin carried Haoling out of the car to get some fresh air. Haoling was wrapped up like a round little ball, and Huiyin couldn't hold her any longer, so she had to hold her hand and sit by the stream.
Haoling was at an age where she was very active. After being cooped up in the carriage for several days, she couldn't stand it anymore. She grabbed a few wild grasses and ran around Huiyin, her laughter ringing out. This attracted the attention of the resting Dayuan soldiers, who also started to tease her.
Laughter and cheerful voices filled the desolate grassland, sweeping away the gloom of days spent traveling in silence. After playing for a while, Haoling, tired, nestled into Huiyin's arms, clutching a pile of snacks given to her by the Dayuan soldiers, and softly pleaded, "Auntie, eat!"
Huiyin held Haoling in her arms, reached out and touched her back, and found it was indeed damp with sweat. She took out a handkerchief and stuffed it behind Haoling's back, intending to carry her back to the car to change her clothes.
Just then, Haoling, perched on Huiyin's shoulder, looked back and whispered, "Auntie, there's someone over there."
Huiyin turned her head to look, and on the opposite bank of the stream stood a man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, leading a tall and mighty black horse. He was dressed in a black, tight-fitting robe, with a long sword at his waist. His face was not very clear from the distance.
An impossible name surfaced in Huiyin's mind. Her heart seemed to stop abruptly, and she could not hear the sounds around her. Her eyes and heart were filled with the image of the person slowly walking towards her from the other side of the stream.
He had lost weight, and a scar on his brow had broken its original proud shape. He was no longer as flamboyant as he had been three years ago; he now possessed a more composed air, and his eyes held a weathered look.
Huiyin looked at the man standing in front of her, her heart pounding. She could hardly find her voice, "You... what's wrong?"
Pei Yu gazed greedily at the person before him, unwilling to miss a single expression. They had been separated for three years, yet he could still vividly recall her appearance. Every moment she was gone, Pei Yu would see her in his midnight dreams.
"Huiyin." Three years later, he saw her again.
Huiyin lowered her head helplessly, her steps unconsciously taking a step back. She really couldn't stand the atmosphere, couldn't stand Pei Yu's burning gaze, and just wanted to escape from this place.
Just then, Haoling, who had been behaving obediently in her arms, suddenly tugged at her clothes and called out in a childish voice, "Mother, who is he?"
Huiyin: "..."
She looked down at Haoling, whose eyes were full of cunning and exceptionally lively, and who even winked at her mischievously.
Huiyin covered her large eyes with her hand and looked up at Pei Yu, only to see Pei Yu looking as if struck by lightning, his voice broken, asking incredulously, "You...you're married? This is your daughter?"
Looking at his expression, Huiyin, for some inexplicable reason, did not refute him.
Seeing that she remained silent, Pei Yu tacitly agreed to the matter, staring intently at Hao Ling in her arms. Although the little girl was young, her features were a spitting image of Hui Yin. He stood there stiffly, his eyes bloodshot. She had married someone else and had a daughter.
What about him? Doesn't Huiyin want him anymore? Didn't they agree that he would pick her up and take her home in three years?
"You... got married?" Pei Yu murmured, lost in thought.
Huiyin struggled to hold Haoling. She blinked and found Pei Yu's broken appearance particularly endearing. She looked down at Haoling and continued on, going along with the misunderstanding, "I'm not well-informed in Dayuan. I can't keep waiting forever."
Pei Yu was breathing heavily, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, his jaw clenched, as if he was enduring something. "I said I would come to you, I said I only needed three years..."
He looked at Huiyin and the well-behaved child in her arms, his voice abruptly stopped, and he could no longer speak.
Why should Huiyin wait for him? Why should she wait three years for a man who hurt her? She got married, that wasn't wrong. The one who was wrong was the man who seduced him. Pei Yu wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, feeling somewhat ashamed, and forced back the bitterness in his heart, asking, "Where is her father?"
Huiyin blinked, somewhat guilty, and said, "He stayed in Dayuan and didn't come."
Pei Yu frowned instantly, her dislike for the man growing even stronger. "Is this how he treated you, leaving you to travel alone with the child?"
Huiyin silently apologized to Jingchuan in her heart, and made up a story, "His caravan is very busy, so he told us, mother and daughter, to go ahead and catch up in a few days."
Pei Yu fell silent. He listened to Huiyin's words, which implied a protective tone, and his heart felt like it was bubbling in acidic water.
After standing there for a while, the wind grew stronger. Huiyin was worried that Haoling would get sick from wearing wet clothes, so she carried her back.
Pei Yu thought she was angry and about to leave, so he quickly stepped forward to stop the two of them. Under Huiyin's questioning gaze, he said with difficulty, "Don't be angry, I... I won't say anything about him."
Huiyin felt a strange sense of comfort rising in her heart. She tried hard to suppress her feelings and avoided Pei Yu's arm. "I need to take Haoling back to change her clothes."
Pei Yu's gaze shifted to the little girl in Huiyin's arms. The child leaned on Huiyin's shoulder, staring at her without blinking, looking exactly like a miniature Huiyin. His heart suddenly ached, and he stepped aside, following behind Huiyin, and said hoarsely, "If I hadn't wronged you back then, would our child be the same age as her?"
Huiyin was startled by his words, tripped over her own feet, and fell forward unsteadily. Strangely, she didn't seem to feel any fear at all.
Pei Yu caught Huiyin's waist in time, took Haoling, who was a little too big to hold, from her arms, and placed her in his own arms.
He helped Huiyin to her feet, then weighed Haoling in his hands. The child was light for him, but somewhat heavy for Huiyin. He couldn't help but feel even more contempt for Huiyin's husband. What if something happened to them on the road, leaving them alone?
He looked down and saw that the little girl wasn't shy at all. She hadn't been frightened when she almost fell, and she wasn't afraid at all in the arms of a strange man. Instead, she stared at him curiously with her big eyes, her little hands even twitching.
Pei Yu looked into her watery eyes, then looked away expressionlessly and said to Huiyin, "Where's the carriage? I'll take you back."
Huiyin hesitated. She had followed the envoys from Dayuan. It was hard to explain why Pei Yu, a man from the Southern Dynasty, would suddenly appear here. Several Dayuan soldiers who were resting over there had noticed the commotion and went to find the leading envoy to check.
The envoy looked Pei Yu up and down a few times, his gaze landing on the sword at his waist. He looked wary and spoke with Huiyin.
Pei Yu listened to the two talking in Dayuan language, chattering away, not knowing what they were saying. He looked at Huiyin's fair and jade-like profile. Since they met, he hadn't had a chance to look at her much before he was thrown into disarray by a piece of news.
He watched as Huiyin conversed familiarly with the Dayuan man. Although he couldn't understand what they were saying, he could sense that the two had a good relationship, and the Dayuan man's eyes never left Huiyin.
What was her life like during the three years he was gone? Pei Yu stared at Huiyin and noticed that she was much thinner than he remembered. Her skin was still fair, and there were calluses on her palms, the kind that people who ride horses all year round would have.
Soon, he saw Huiyin say something to the Dayuan man, who glanced at him and left somewhat dejectedly.
Huiyin dismissed the Dayuan envoy and turned to Pei Yu, saying, "He wants you to stay. The carriage is over there; come with me."
Pei Yu couldn't help but ask, "What did you just say to that person? Did he agree to let me stay?"
Huiyin waved her hand, "Nothing?"
Pei Yu felt even more distressed. She barely spoke to him anymore; it seemed she had truly forgotten him. He tightened his arms around her, eliciting a dissatisfied hum from the little girl in his embrace.
Haoling leaned closer, her face full of mischief and her little face sparkling with intelligence. "I know what they're talking about. Do you want to hear it?"
Pei Yu glanced at the mischievous little girl, intending to give her a cold look to scare her, but when he saw Hao Ling's eyes, which were so similar to Hui Yin's, he couldn't bring himself to be ruthless.
Pei Yu initially wanted to coax her into speaking gently, but the thought that this adorable little girl was Huiyin's child with another man filled him with unbearable jealousy. He could only feign a cold expression and ask, "Will you tell me just because I want to?"
Hao Ling's eyes never left Pei Yu's face. She leaned close to Pei Yu's ear, and even glanced at Hui Yin in front of him before whispering, "Let me touch you, and I'll tell you."
Pei Yu: "..."
What do you want to touch?
Hao Ling reached out and softly touched the scar on Pei Yu's severed eyebrow, her small body squirming excitedly. "You're so handsome, your eyebrows are different from all of ours."
Pei Yu could no longer maintain his cold expression. He sighed helplessly and lifted Hao Ling up slightly to make her more comfortable. He coaxed her softly, "Now you can tell me, right?"
“Aunt…” Hao Ling quickly covered her mouth with her hand, “Mother said that you are someone she can trust.”
Pei Yu felt a pang of loss upon hearing this, gazing at Huiyin's slender back with mixed emotions. These past three years, living in a foreign land, often had been difficult due to the language barrier.
Even with Fang Mu protecting her, a weak woman in that unfamiliar place needs a husband to truly protect her.
Hao Ling was lively and active. Noticing that Pei Yu's attitude towards her was becoming more and more lenient, she even boldly bent down and reached for the sword at Pei Yu's waist. The sound of the scabbard coming out of its sheath made Pei Yu look away in time.
He quickly scooped up Hao Ling's soft body, stuffed the bone whistle he always carried into her hands to play with, and coaxed her, "Have you ever seen your uncle with an uncle named Fang Mu?"
Hao Ling tilted her head and thought for a moment. This question stumped her. Uncle? She didn't have an uncle.
She said in a clear voice, "I don't have an uncle, but I have Uncle Fang Mu."
Pei Yu's steps faltered. Huiyin hadn't found her brother. Could Song Jingchuan already be...? No wonder only the mother and daughter were traveling alone, with no man in sight. His throat tightened; he dared not imagine how heartbroken Huiyin must be.
The two people behind her thought they were speaking very quietly, but Huiyin in front of them could hear them clearly. She didn't interfere, knowing that Pei Yu's thoughts had been led astray by Haoling. She found it inexplicably funny and wanted to see how Pei Yu would react after learning that she was married and had a daughter.
Huiyin stopped in front of their carriage, turned around to hug Haoling, and asked Pei Yu, who seemed a little flustered, "Where's your horse?"
Pei Yu pointed behind him. He had also come out on imperial orders to clear this main road, leading a group of people. He found the procession too slow and left with a full supply of provisions. After traveling for three days, he encountered a group from Dayuan. Upon seeing the woman he had been longing for by the stream, he abandoned his horse, Wuzhui, and came over.
Huiyin then said, "Go find the horse. There are only a limited number of horses in the team, and we don't have any extras for you."
Pei Yu clenched his fists and remained silent.
Huiyin couldn't help but look at him like this. She turned her face away and after a while said seriously, "If you come with me, you can only be my coachman."
"Okay." He agreed quickly, afraid that Huiyin would change her mind.
Huiyin shoved Haoling into the carriage. Since they were in a hurry and would be leaving at any moment, the footrests on the carriage were not lowered. She could only climb onto the carriage by supporting herself on her arms. Unexpectedly, she felt warmth on her waist. Two large hands gripped her waist tightly and easily lifted her onto the carriage.
Huiyin turned to look at Pei Yu and said, "Besides Haoling and me, there is another woman in the carriage. Be careful."
Pei Yu nodded, took a long stride and stepped into the carriage. Huiyin hadn't even entered yet when they were pressed extremely close together, their bodies pressed tightly together without leaving a single gap.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she lifted the carriage curtain to avoid Pei Yu. Even through the curtain, the heat on her back took a long time to dissipate. Huiyin, shameless, ignored He Shi's teasing gaze and cleared her throat, asking, "What about your horse?"
Pei Yu adjusted his posture, propped one leg up against the carriage, flicked his whip in his right hand, and whistled, "The black horse is intelligent and will find its way here on its own."
Huiyin didn't have time to pay attention to her. Inside the carriage, the two people, one big and one small, were staring at her with great interest, their eyes brimming with curiosity. She closed the carriage door and only turned around after making sure that no one outside could see inside.
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