Chapter 112

Chapter 112

A dream?

The child mistook their reunion for a dream.

Xiao Yu's heart ached. He squatted down, cupped Minghe's sweaty face in his hands, and choked out, "Minghe, this isn't a dream, it's real. Uncle has come to find you. I'm sorry for taking so long to find you." His tears fell uncontrollably, dripping onto Minghe's small hands.

Warm.

Dreams are always cold, never warm.

This uncle is real.

He is real!

Minghe's eyes brightened instantly, and he clutched Xiao Yu's neck tightly. The fear, injustice, and longing he had bottled up for over a month finally found an outlet. He burst into tears, crying out, "Uncle, Uncle, it's really you!"

"Yes, it's me, Uncle is here," Xiao Yu held Minghe tightly, overwhelmed with relief at finally finding him. He apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, Minghe, I'm so sorry for letting you suffer so much."

Minghe clung even tighter as if afraid Uncle would vanish the next moment, sobbing, "Wuwuwu, Uncle, I missed you so much."

"Uncle missed you too."

Uncle and nephew were engulfed in a shared weeping embrace.

Pei Yanli stood nearby, his eyes reddening.

The diners nearby watched curiously.

The wonton stall owner, unaware of what had happened, habitually scolded Minghe: "Little beggar, what are you doing? What are you doing? I asked you to clean the tables, and what are you doing there? Do you want to die, you—"

Pei Yanli stepped forward, exuding an intimidating presence.

The stall owner instinctively stepped back and asked, "What do you want?"

Pei Yanli disdained to respond to him.

Xiao Yu temporarily composed himself, wiping away Minghe's tears and his own, then tightly holding Minghe's hand, he slowly stood up and turned to the stall owner, asking, "Is this how you usually address and scold my child?"

"Your child?" asked the stall owner.

Xiao Yu's gaze was cold as he looked at the stall owner, "Yes, he is my child. Now, apologize to him immediately!"

"Apologize? Why should I?"

"For hitting and scolding him!"

"You must be joking. Many people hit and scold him every day—"

Suddenly, a bowl of leftover soup was splashed onto the stall owner's face.

The stall owner cried out in shock, frantically wiping his face.

Xiao Yu slammed the bowl down, reining in his anger, "Right now, I only hear you scolding him. Let me make it clear to you: my child is your employee, not your slave. You have no right to order him around or insult him. Today, you must apologize to him, or I will smash your stall!" It was the first time he had been this angry.

The stall owner, used to having his way, couldn't take the insult. Wiping the wonton dough from his face, he disregarded Pei Yanli's presence and charged at Xiao Yu, "I'll apologize to your—"

Not giving him a chance to get close, Pei Yanli kicked the stall owner, sending him flying.

The stall owner landed heavily on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain, his face flushed red. Still defiant, he blurted out, "My last name is Xu, you dare hit me."

Last name Xu, huh!

The wealthiest merchant in Zhuyang County was a Xu, known as Xu Da. Well-off and somewhat educated, he made a fortune by trading medicinal herbs during an epidemic, becoming the county's richest man.

Having tasted the fruits of opportunism, he dabbled in various ventures like canal construction, mining, and salt trading. Soon, he became the most renowned merchant in the region, bribing officials, placing his relatives in various government offices, and driving out small traders to create a Xu-named conglomerate.

This meant the wonton stall owner had displaced other vendors to seize this spot. Xiao Yu felt no remorse as he flipped over the tables with one hand while holding Minghe with the other.

The diners hurriedly ran away.

Some bystanders whispered in satisfaction.

The stall owner, stunned that revealing his surname had only intensified the situation instead of invoking fear, was caught off guard when suddenly a frying spatula appeared.

Looking down at him, Xiao Yu commanded, "Bow to Young Master Ming and apologize!"

The stall owner, a bully only by virtue of his position, unable to fight, argue, or intimidate Xiao Yu and his group, quickly bowed in apology to avoid further trouble.

Minghe, looking up at Xiao Yu with awe, as if he were a celestial being, had tears shimmering in his reddened eyes.

Xiao Yu said, "Minghe, we're not beggars, we're not unwanted. Uncle treasures you and won't allow anyone to bully you!"

Minghe, not knowing why, just kept crying, tears streaming down his face.

Xiao Yu tossed aside the spatula and scooped Minghe into his arms, kissing his cheek, "Let's go."

"Where to?" Minghe asked through tears.

Xiao Yu suggested, "Let's find an inn to rest properly, and then head home, okay?"

"Home?" That was something Minghe had longed for even in his dreams.

Xiao Yu nodded, "Right."

"Okay," Minghe immediately responded.

Xiao Yu carried Minghe away.

Pei Yanli followed.

The wonton stall owner, feeling humiliated in front of the onlookers, shouted, "I will sue you! The magistrate and Master Xu won't let you get away with this!"

Pei Yanli paused, turned back, and said nonchalantly, "Please do."

The stall owner didn't understand the implication of his words.

Pei Yanli, without looking back, continued to follow Xiao Yu and Minghe.

Xiao Yu carried Minghe to the largest inn in Zhuyang County, the Zhuyang Inn, and chose the best room, then went upstairs.

"Uncle, you've been holding me for a long time. You must be tired," said Minghe.

Xiao Yu shook his head, "Not tired at all." The child had really lost a lot of weight, almost back to how he was when Xiao Yu first arrived in this world.

"Alright then." Minghe wrapped his arms around Xiao Yu's neck, enjoying being held by his uncle.

Upon reaching the room, the attendant had already prepared hot water.

The secret guards brought new clothes and shoes for the child.

Pei Yanli took them and hung them on the screen.

Xiao Yu, holding Minghe, entered, "I'll give Minghe a bath."

Pei Yanli said, "I'll wait outside."

Xiao Yu nodded.

Pei Yanli stepped out.

Xiao Yu crouched down in front of Minghe, gently saying, "Let's take off your clothes and get you cleaned up."

Minghe reached into his clothing, saying, "I need to take out my money first."

"What money?" Xiao Yu asked.

"The money I got for washing dishes." Minghe pulled out ten copper coins.

Xiao Yu, surprised, asked, "Why only ten?"

"The boss said he'd give me five copper coins each day and pay me the rest at the end of the month."

Xiao Yu, astonished, asked, "You spend only five copper coins a day?"

Minghe explained, "I spend four copper coins each day, buying two buns to eat for the day. Then I can save one copper coin. Once I save thirty, I can take a mule cart to Chuanyang Town's dock, then save up for a boat fare to return to the capital city to find you and my brother. I had saved more than twenty, but some bad kids stole more than ten, so now I only have ten left." These ten were what he had managed to protect.

Xiao Yu felt like crying upon hearing this but didn't want to weep in front of Minghe again, so he held back his tears and nodded, "Alright, let's undress and bathe." But as he undressed Minghe, he couldn't help but cry.

"Uncle, why are you crying again?" Minghe asked worriedly.

Xiao Yu, unable to speak through his tears, asked, "Minghe, how did you get so many bruises?" His thin little body was marked with bruises, both fresh and old.

Minghe looked down and said, "Some are from falls, and some are from being hit by others."

Xiao Yu clenched his fists, wishing he could immediately kill the Zheng family's three brothers and all those who had bullied Minghe.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Uncle. These don't hurt; they're almost healed." To prove his point, Minghe pressed a bruise on his waist, but it was painful, and he couldn't help but hiss in pain.

Xiao Yu's tears flowed even more fiercely.

Minghe reached out to wipe Xiao Yu's tears, saying, "Uncle, please don't cry. When you cry, it makes me really sad, and I want to cry too."

Xiao Yu quickly sniffed and said, "Okay, I won't cry. Let's get you bathed."

"Alright."

However, after bathing Minghe, Xiao Yu's eyes were even more swollen.

Pei Yanli, who had been outside, heard everything and said, "As long as we found the child, everything else is a minor issue. The future is long; take good care of him, and Minghe will get better and better."

Xiao Yu nodded, "You're right." The most important thing now was to take good care of Minghe.

"Let's eat first. Minghe probably hasn't had a good meal these past days, so I had them prepare something light," said Pei Yanli.

"Good, let's sit down and eat together," Xiao Yu said.

The three of them sat together at the table.

Although the meal was simple with plain meat porridge, sautéed greens, and fried tofu, it was a luxurious feast for Minghe, who had been eating just buns every day. He immediately started eating heartily.

Xiao Yu gently said, "Slow down, take it slow."

Pei Yanli added, "Xiao Yu, you should eat too."

With Minghe there, Xiao Yu indeed ate quite a bit.

Pei Yanli also breathed a sigh of relief and called for a doctor to examine Minghe.

Once it was confirmed that all injuries were superficial, Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli felt reassured, and by then, it had also gotten dark.

Xiao Yu lay down to sleep with Minghe in his arms.

Minghe recounted his experiences along the way.

Tears silently streamed down Xiao Yu's face.

After finishing his story, Minghe asked, "Uncle, do you like me?"

Xiao Yu kissed Minghe's cheek, "I like you, like you, I like you the most."

"Do you like me or Uncle Pei more?" Minghe inquired, influenced by what the burly man had said.

Xiao Yu gently asked, "Who do you like more, me or your brother?"

Minghe thought for a moment and said, "I like both."

Xiao Yu asked, "You don't rank us first or second, do you?"

"No ranking," Minghe replied.

"Uncle feels the same. I like you and Uncle Pei equally, without any ranking," Xiao Yu said.

After thinking it over, Minghe asked, "So, Uncle, you won’t let go of me?"

"Uncle will never, ever let go of you, and I won't give up on you for anyone," Xiao Yu said tenderly, looking at Minghe. "Uncle loves you, and you must always believe that, okay?"

"Okay," Minghe replied happily, "That day, it was me who let go."

"That day wasn't your fault," Xiao Yu said as he caressed Minghe's cheek. "Blame the bad people!"

"Right, blame the bad people who took me away!"

"Exactly, Uncle was terrified at that time. These past days, I haven't been eating or drinking well, thinking about you every day." Having gone through so much, Xiao Yu wanted to ensure Minghe felt secure again by openly sharing his feelings, letting him know how much he was cared for and valued by everyone.

Hearing this, Minghe touched his chest and called out, "Uncle."

"Yes?" Xiao Yu responded.

"It feels warm and full here," Minghe said, patting his chest.

Knowing Minghe felt loved, Xiao Yu was very happy and playfully teased him, "Full and warm, is it like rice porridge cooking? Let me check." He then tickled Minghe.

Minghe, who was very ticklish, burst into laughter.

Xiao Yu also laughed out loud.

Pei Yanli, standing outside the door, hearing their laughter, sighed deeply and then smiled, pushing the door open to enter.

Xiao Yu and Minghe both turned to look.

"Uncle Pei, what are you doing?" asked Minghe.

Pei Yanli joined two tables together and ordered someone to bring bedding from next door, spreading it on the tables, "For safety, Uncle Pei will sleep here."

"Sorry for the inconvenience," Xiao Yu said.

"It's nothing," Pei Yanli said.

Seeing Minghe's shocked expression, Xiao Yu told him about their encounter with a thief at midnight while searching for him.

Upon hearing this, Minghe immediately agreed, "Then we'll sleep together, so we won't be afraid of thieves."

Xiao Yu then hugged Minghe and asked him about his experiences while wandering.

Minghe remembered something important, "Uncle, I encountered a termite!"

"What termite?" Xiao Yu asked.

"Constable Xu!" Minghe spoke of his attempts to seek help from Constable Xu, hoping to be sent back to the capital city, only to find that the constable ignored him and even took money from others.

"Another Xu," Pei Yanli remarked.

Xiao Yu just hummed in response.

Minghe said, "Uncle, let's eradicate him! Otherwise, the Emperor, my brother, and the common people will be troubled! And also—"

"And also what?" Xiao Yu inquired.

Minghe continued, "And also, I said, 'When I return to the capital, I'll tell Uncle and my brother to eradicate you termites!' If we don't, it would be so embarrassing for me!"

Xiao Yu burst into laughter.

Pei Yanli looked at Xiao Yu, noting that with Minghe's return, Xiao Yu's spirit had also come back. Under the light, he appeared exceptionally lively and gentle. Pei Yanli himself felt revived and then said, "Alright, we'll eradicate them tomorrow."

"Really?" Minghe asked excitedly.

"Really," Pei Yanli confirmed.

"Good, let's eradicate the termites and relieve the Emperor of his worries."

After enduring a month of hardships, the child's spirit remained uncorrupted, still loyal and patriotic. Xiao Yu suddenly felt less negative, thinking, "What does 'The Emperor's Dream' matter?" He resolved to live well with his loved ones. However, he was concerned about the Xu family's influence, so he said, "Yanli, the Xu family is quite powerful."

Pei Yanli smirked, "No matter how powerful a merchant is, their standing relies on support from someone in the court."

Xiao Yu became alert, "Who?"

Pei Yanli paused, then said, "It might be related to the Zheng brothers. We'll meet them tomorrow."

Xiao Yu pondered, "Are we... too few in number?"

"After finding Minghe, I've already sent a signal. Our secret guards will gradually return to their posts."

Xiao Yu felt reassured.

The three talked for a while longer.

Soon, Minghe fell asleep tightly hugging Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu also held Minghe firmly.

The next day, Xiao Yu opened his eyes to a beautiful smiling face.

"Uncle, I'm so happy to see you as soon as I woke up," said Minghe.

Xiao Yu kissed Minghe's face and replied, "Uncle is also very happy to see Minghe when he wakes up."

"Ahem," Pei Yanli, feeling a bit jealous, interjected, "After breakfast, we'll go to the government office."

Uncle and nephew got up to wash and get ready.

Xiao Yu watched as Minghe slowly finished his breakfast.

Minghe, patting his little stomach, said, "I'm full, so happy."

Xiao Yu smiled, and while Minghe was washing his face, he gave Pei Yanli a kiss on the cheek.

Pei Yanli felt much more at ease now.

The three of them left Zhuyang Inn together and arrived at the entrance of the government office.

"A county office without even a gatekeeper constable, it's just as bad as the one in Yuyang County," Xiao Yu remarked.

"Utterly negligent," Pei Yanli said angrily.

"Termites!" Minghe exclaimed.

The trio walked in boldly.

A group of constables, yawning and gathering at the second gate, casually asked when they saw Xiao Yu and the others approach, "What do you want here?"

Minghe didn't see Constable Xu but spotted the man who had bribed Xu, now dressed in constable's attire. Anger flared up in him as he shouted, "You mongrel! I’m here to eradicate you!"