Chapter 351 Returning Home in Winter

Chapter 351: Returning Home in Winter

As autumn harvest drew to a close, the lingering autumn warmth gradually gave way to frost-laden cold. By late October, the barren fields were cloaked in a crystalline layer of white frost, and the wind carried a biting chill.

A knock sounded at the door, and Zhao Xiping responded, "Coming."

"Is my mother awake?" the little boy asked through the door.

Zhao Xiping unlatched the door, and the child slipped inside, bringing a gust of cold air with him.

Sui Yu, still nestled under the blankets, looked at him and asked, "Did you kick off the covers last night?"

"Probably not. I didn’t wake up freezing," the boy replied, leaning against the bed and gently patting his rounded belly under the quilt.

"Time to go," Zhao Xiping said, tying up his hair and stepping outside, closing the door behind him.

"Mom, I’m off to practice martial arts first. You can sleep a little longer—it’s still dark outside." The little boy followed him out, carefully shutting the door.

With the busy farming season over and the harvested crops stored in the granaries, Zhao Xiping found himself with more free time. No longer needing to patrol the fields or mediate disputes among the farmers over manure or water, he now headed to the Agricultural Bureau only after daybreak. Freed from chores, he took the opportunity to train his son in martial arts. Every morning before dawn, he led the boy to an open space north of the inn for exercise.

Ding Quan and Er'hei, along with three young girls, were already waiting outside. As soon as the main courtyard gate opened, they began their warm-up.

Zhao Xiping and his son stretched their joints before joining the group, their breaths forming white puffs as they jogged laps around the inn.

Gradually, the side doors of the inn swung open as the guards, hearing the noise, emerged and rolled up their sleeves to join the run.

After three laps, Zhao Xiping led the little boy, A'shui, and the household servants to the open area for punch drills.

Huffing and puffing, the two boys from the Hua family joined in, mimicking Zhao Xiping’s movements from the back.

As dawn broke, Hu Ansui arrived, his hair half-covered in frost. Having run all the way from home without riding his donkey, he was already warmed up and seamlessly integrated into the training group.

"Kid, straighten your back," a shirtless guard called out as he passed by, sweat glistening. He grabbed Hu Ansui’s shoulder and pulled him back. "Your legs are behind you, but your shoulders are jutting out way too far. This isn’t praying mantis style. Keep your waist steady—power comes from your upper arms, not your shoulders."

Hu Ansui flushed but resisted the urge to flee. Holding his breath, he adjusted his stance, focusing the strength in his arms. When he threw a punch, he felt a newfound restraint, and retracting his fist felt effortless.

He grinned.

"Don’t get ahead of yourself," the guard said, slapping him lightly on the lower back. "If your waist lacks strength, you’ll struggle to walk in a couple of years, forget about finding a wife."

Zhao Xiping coughed. "Enough nonsense."

Only then did the guard remember the three young girls nearby. Swallowing his crude remarks, he teased, "Zhao Xiping, you’re a half-decent teacher. Your students might end up all show and no skill."

Zhao Xiping laughed it off. "I never had a proper martial arts master either. I taught myself, and by the time I started, I was already grown. My body just adapted some movements, so I never noticed anything off."

"Just keep practicing. Once the movements become second nature, you won’t need to watch your arms when punching or retracting—your posture will correct itself," Ding Quan chimed in, defending his master.

A'shui and Huaniu nodded eagerly.

The little boy lowered his eyes in thought. He wasn’t so sure. Like how people hold chopsticks, he’d noticed not everyone did it the same way—likely because of how they learned as children.

"Uncle Du, can we learn martial arts from you?" the boy asked.

"Oh? You remember my surname?" the guard said, surprised.

The boy nodded. "Yes. You came the year before last and gave me a piece of rice candy. It was delicious."

Zhao Xiping paused thoughtfully before asking, "Du the Escort, where are you from? Your accent sounds like someone from Longxi County."

"Right, Longxi County. I’m from the same hometown as Chief Qin Wenshan."

"Have you considered opening a martial arts school in Dunhuang? Or working for me? When I travel, you can act as my guard, and when I’m home, you can teach my children martial arts." Zhao Xiping was thinking ahead to next year when he’d need to travel east to the three counties for cotton planting—having an escort along would be useful, whether for warding off wolves or people.

Du the Escort neither agreed nor refused outright, saying, "I’ll think about it."

"Alright, give me your answer before the New Year," Zhao Xiping said. "If you work for me, the monthly pay is eighty coins, and I’ll provide room, board, and travel expenses. If you decide to open a martial arts school in Dunhuang, I’ll send all my children there."

"I’ll think about it," Du the Escort replied, torn with hesitation.

Zhao Xiping let him go and shifted from teaching the children fist techniques to staff techniques.

By the time the dawn light broke through the clouds, Sui Yu had woken up. Wearing a thin cotton-padded jacket, she walked out and saw the northern clearing alive with shouts—shirtless men, slick with sweat, trained fiercely in the cold air.

Inside the inn, merchants still lay asleep under their blankets, their snoring loud enough to carry past the walls.

A spotted cat scrambled over the wall, followed shortly by a tot who crawled out through a slightly ajar door. The cat had already vanished, leaving the child sitting bewildered at the entrance.

Sui Yu emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of hot soy milk and spotted the child sitting outside the fifth courtyard, munching on dirt. "Hey!" she called. "Don’t eat that—spit it out. Where’s your mother? How did you crawl out alone?"

The child grinned at her, mouth full of damp yellow soil, snot running down their nose.

Sui Yu pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe the child’s face, then pushed open the door, calling out, "Li, the caravan leader? Is anyone from the Li merchant group awake? Your child wandered out."

No one answered. After a few moments, a woman with ruddy cheeks, wrapped in a wrinkled jacket, emerged. Without meeting Sui Yu’s eyes, she hurried out, scooped up the child, and retreated inside.

Sui Yu frowned but could do little else. She closed the door and walked away.

As the sun rose and daylight brightened, vendors from the city arrived with their carts and baskets—selling vegetables, grains, and street food.

The escorts dispersed from their training, piling into the kitchen yard. Soon, those too impatient to queue strode out and headed straight for the food stalls.

"Merchant Jade, buy a few pounds of donkey meat today—make a stew—we’ll take a whole pot. My brothers and I are craving it," one escort said.

Sui Yu nodded. "Fine, I’ll send someone into town to buy some this morning."

Nearby, a duck vendor overheard and approached. "Merchant Jade, a family in my village slaughtered a donkey. They’ll bring the meat to town soon—how much do you want? I can have them deliver it."

"Bring thirty pounds," Sui Yu said. "And if the hide hasn’t been sold yet, tell them to clean it and bring that too."

The vendor agreed, then added, "Merchant Jade, take a look at my ducks—each weighs five or six pounds, fat and juicy. Buy a few!"

All six ducks were drakes, healthy, with glossy feathers. The vendor’s claim wasn’t exaggerated, so Sui Yu bought them.

"Wait here—someone will come to weigh them and pay you," she told the vendor.

Zhao Xiping led a camel over and called from a short distance, "Off to my post."

Sui Yu waved in acknowledgment.

Little Boss hurried over, spotting smoked rabbits for sale. "Mother, buy a few smoked rabbits. I want steamed rabbit meat."

Sui Yu jotted it down on her ledger. "Anything else you’d like?"

"Young boss, want some crispy date pastries?" a woman frying snacks called out.

The boy approached, and she handed him one. He took a bite.

Sui Yu walked over and said, "Weigh me two pounds."

"Right away!"

A’shui, after finishing her meal, came over with a balance scale and three maidservants. She took the sheepskin scroll from Sui Yu and began weighing the vegetables and grains to be purchased for the day.

The little boy pinched a fried date pastry and offered it to his mother, but Sui Yu refused. He then gave it to A’shui before going to find Huaniu and Aqiang.

After half a shichen, the vendors selling vegetables, grains, and meat received their payment and left with their shoulder poles, while the food vendors remained at their stalls.

"Kid, want a fried date pastry? Go get your parents to buy you some—they're sweet and delicious!"

As Sui Yu emerged from the main courtyard, she spotted the child who had eaten dirt earlier crawling out again. People were bustling in and out of the guesthouse, seemingly oblivious to the little girl. If they happened to step on her, they merely frowned, adjusted their step, and walked away.

"Mom, I'm ready. Let's go," the little boy said, walking out with a pouch slung over his shoulder. He immediately noticed the child longingly staring at the fried date pastry stall.

"Go shout inside the guesthouse and call for Li, the caravan leader. Tell him his daughter has slipped out again like a little dog and seems to be hungry, eyeing other people's food," Sui Yu instructed her son.

Understanding, the boy ran over, picked up the dirty child, and carried her to the room where he remembered Li staying. He knocked on the door.

When it opened, the boy handed the child over and said, "Uncle Li, I’ve brought your daughter back. She crawled out by herself and sat at the door like a little dog, longingly staring at the fried date pastry stall. Are you not feeding her?"

Li, the caravan leader, glanced at the filthy child and quickly averted his gaze, turning to the boy instead. "This isn’t my child. I’ll remind her mother to feed her properly. Thanks for bringing her back."

The boy gave a quick wave and dashed off.

Sui Yu was waiting nearby. When he emerged, she glanced into the guesthouse and clearly heard Li calling for someone.

"Mom, let’s go."

"Alright."

Mother and son walked into town. Sui Liang had sent a message via merchant caravan that he would likely return on the 28th of October and asked his sister and nephew to meet him at the city gate.

Sui Liang had left Dunhuang on the 11th of July and hadn’t returned since, staying in Wuwei County to run the food stall. With fewer merchant caravans traveling recently, he closed the shop and returned to Dunhuang with Song Congzu and their servants.

Passing through Jiuquan, Sui Liang encountered Old Zhao and his wife along with Zhao Dalang’s siblings traveling with a merchant caravan. He invited the seven of them—grandparents and grandchildren—to join him on the journey.

With two elderly folks slowing the pace, they didn’t arrive in Dunhuang until the 3rd of November.

"Your uncle’s back," Sui Yu nudged the boy, who was sprawled on the table playing with grass stalks. "Go outside—he’s looking for you."

Sui Liang stood beside his camel, searching the area—by the city walls, at the gate, on the streets, near the oil tea stall...

"Uncle—!" The little boy ran out. "I’m here!"

Sui Liang’s stern expression immediately softened.

Sui Yu also emerged, holding her belly.

"Merchant Jade, did you find your brother?" asked the woman preparing fried noodles.

"Yes, thank you for hosting us these past few days," Sui Yu replied with a smile. "We’ll be on our way now."