Chapter 12: I’ll Take Care of You

Chapter 12: I'll Take Care of You

Before the sun set, Qiu Huanian, who had been busy all day in the town, finally boarded a mule cart to return to Du Village.

The sacrificial paper he painted sold even better than Wang Cheng had initially predicted. Wang Cheng was overjoyed and hurriedly found Qiu Huanian to place an additional order for three hundred sheets.

After considering his options, Qiu Huanian decided to leave the Sorghum Candy at the tofu shop for Meng Yuanling to sell on his behalf, while he stayed at the stationery shop to paint.

Tomorrow was Qingming, and after finishing the last two hundred sheets today, all the orders were finally completed.

Over these three days, Qiu Huanian had painted a total of six hundred sheets of sacrificial paper, earning four taels and eight qian of silver. Combined with the money from selling candy and the family's savings, a tall and sturdy mule with blue-and-white markings was now within reach.

He felt guilty about making Bao Ren and Meng Fuyue come to town so late to pick him up and wanted to pay for the ride, but the couple refused to accept any money. Qiu Huanian decided to buy a pound of pork instead, planning to cook a proper meal for them after Qingming.

As the mule cart bumped along, Qiu Huanian thought about the meal he would prepare, who to invite, and what to buy first with his earnings, when suddenly Meng Fuyue exclaimed beside him.

"What's wrong?"

"Look over there," Meng Fuyue pointed to a path they had just passed, some distance behind them. "Are those horses over there?"

Qiu Huanian squinted and indeed saw two sleek, glossy horses galloping along a rural path. The distance was too great to see the riders' faces clearly, but he could vaguely make out that they were two young men.

Bao Ren pulled the mule cart to the side of the road and stopped, also turning to look. "That path only leads to our village. No one in the village can afford horses. What are these two doing here?"

As the eldest son of the clan leader, Bao Ren had more knowledge than the average villager. After some thought, he decided to wait for the riders to get a sense of their intentions, just in case something unexpected happened.

Horses were much faster than mules, and soon the two horses were upon them.

The young man on the second horse called out to the one in front, "Yun Se, slow down! How is this borrowed horse faster than my fine steed?"

"The traffickers have been caught; nothing will go wrong. Are we almost at Du Village?"

Yun Se? Bao Ren narrowed his eyes and reached out to stop them. Seeing this, the two riders reined in their horses and dismounted one after the other.

"You are... Yun Se, the eldest son of Brother Baoyan's family?" Bao Ren was hesitant to recognize him. Du Yunse had left home at the age of ten and had only returned briefly for a little over a month when Du Baoyan passed away. Since then, no one in the village had seen him.

The young man before him was handsome, with jade-like features. Though standing in the fields dressed in simple cloth, he carried an air of noble elegance that made Bao Ren speak softly, as if in the presence of a distinguished gentleman.

The young man nodded slightly and bowed to him, "Junior Du Yunse greets Uncle and Aunt."

"It really is you! Good lad, you still remember me." After this gesture, Bao Ren finally regained his composure and smiled, patting Du Yunse on the arm. "You've finally returned! All these years, my father has been talking about you every day, hoping you would come back soon to pass the imperial exams and bring glory to our Du Village."

But Du Yunse had no time for small talk and asked with some urgency, "Uncle Bao Ren, where are my family members now?"

Bao Ren was puzzled. Jiu Jiu, Chun Sheng, and Brother Hua were all fine. Why was Yun Se so anxious to ask about them?

Wu Shen, who had been lagging half a step behind, laughed heartily and finally found a chance to interject, "Uncle, he's asking about his husband!"

"..."

Du Yunse wanted to rebuke Wu Shen, but then realized he truly wanted to know about his young husband. Arguing over words would only waste time, so he remained silent.

Bao Ren and Meng Fuyue exchanged glances and then looked toward their side.

Qiu Huanian, who had already gotten off the mule cart, twitched his lips. In this situation, he really didn't know whether to step forward or retreat.

Du Yunse followed Bao Ren and Meng Fuyue's gaze and saw a young man dressed in simple cloth with a wooden hairpin, fair and clean.

This young man had delicate, refined features, a straight nose, slightly upturned red lips, and eyes as lively as morning dewdrops on grass. Standing there, he looked like a scene from a painting.

Du Yunse was momentarily distracted, staring at the other person for a bit too long, until Wu Shen nudged him, bringing him back to his senses. Meng Fuyue, who had seen everything, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

She had initially worried that Brother Hua and her husband might not get along since they hadn't met before, but now it seemed her concerns were unfounded.

"You are..." Du Yunse was unusually flustered.

Qiu Huanian, who hadn't thought much of it before, now felt a bit embarrassed too, his eyes darting around as he said, "I'm Qiu Huanian."

Wu Shen, who loved to joke but wasn't disrespectful, stopped his banter upon hearing Qiu Huanian's name and politely greeted him as "brother-in-law," which only made Qiu Huanian more flustered, his ears burning with embarrassment.

Logically, he had mentally prepared himself to meet Du's eldest son, but he never expected Du Yunse to be so handsome. Not only were his features striking, but his demeanor was also exceptional, embodying the cold, noble gentleman type that Qiu Huanian admired most, like a gender-swapped version of a young dragon, making Qiu Huanian too shy to look at him directly.

Seeing the younger generation awkwardly standing still, Bao Ren took on the role of the elder and said, "Alright, alright, you two are meeting for the first time today. Save your conversations for tonight when you return."

"Yun Se, your friend has come a long way, and your house is too small. Why not come to my place? We can prepare a few dishes and have a good chat."

Wu Shen thanked him but declined, "Thank you, Uncle Bao Ren, but I have imperial orders to follow and must leave tonight. If it weren't for Yun Se's urgency, I wouldn't have accompanied him here."

Imperial orders? Bao Ren was startled and took a closer look at this imposing young man.

Du Yunse explained, "His name is Wu Shen, from the capital. The Emperor has appointed him as a commander in the border army, requiring him to report within fifteen days. He really can't delay."

Deeper details Du Yunse didn't mention, as the people of Du Village wouldn't understand, and knowing too much might bring trouble.

A commander? That's a seventh-rank military officer! It seems Yun Se has made quite a few connections over the years, Bao Ren thought, now holding Du Yunse in even higher regard.

"Even so, you must have a meal. You can't travel on an empty stomach. Let's hurry back; the stove is still warm, and preparing a meal won't take much time."

Meng Fuyue didn't know how significant a commander was, but since it was an appointment by the Emperor, it must be important. She was happy for Brother Hua, thinking that with Yun Se's connections, Brother Hua would also benefit.

"That's right, at least have a meal before you go, or else people will criticize our hospitality."

Wu Shen hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you."

Before leaving, his father had specifically instructed him not to cut ties with Du Yunse. Although Wu Shen didn't understand why, he wasn't opposed to it. He was curious about the family that had raised someone as exceptional as Du Yunse.

Bao Ren guided the mule cart back to the center of the road, and Qiu Huanian wanted to ride in the cart, but Meng Fuyue pushed him towards Du Yunse.

Their eyes met briefly before they both looked away. Du Yunse mounted his horse and reached out to Qiu Huanian, his long arm effortlessly pulling the slender young man onto his horse.

After a moment of tension, Qiu Huanian sat steadily in the young man's arms, the sudden elevation giving him a new perspective and a bit of excitement, his eyes lighting up unconsciously.

"Don't be naughty, sit still," Du Yunse's cool voice sounded in his ear, his warm breath brushing against Qiu Huanian's skin, causing a slight tickle.

Qiu Huanian gripped the saddle, feeling the strong, lean body behind him, and began to ponder.

He had thought Du Yunse was a frail scholar, but not only could he ride a horse, he was also quite strong, effortlessly pulling someone onto the horse with one hand. He must have a good physique...

Qiu Huanian shuddered, immediately focusing on his breathing and calming his thoughts.

Thinking such things while sitting in someone's arms was too shameless. How could he tarnish the image of the young dragon!

The two fine horses entering Du Village quickly caught everyone's attention, and soon the news of Du Yunse's return spread throughout the village.

The group parted ways at the village entrance, with Bao Ren and his wife heading home to prepare the meal, while Du Yunse, Qiu Huanian, and Wu Shen went to Du Yunse's house.

Looking at the thatched cottage that looked almost the same as it did six years ago, Du Yunse sighed imperceptibly and walked to the door.

Wu Shen wanted to say something but, after touching his nose, chose to remain silent. He truly hadn't expected Du Yunse's home to be so poor—not even a brick house, just three thatched rooms.

Before the General's mansion was confiscated, even the lowest servants lived in better houses than this!

Qiu Huanian fished out the key, unlocked the courtyard gate, and ushered them in. Wu Shen tied the horses to a tree outside the yard and followed them into the courtyard, finding the situation inside slightly better than he had imagined.

The thatched house was old and worn, but the windows were freshly pasted with bright white paper, adorned with ink paintings of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, lending it a unique charm.

Though the courtyard was small, it was spotless. The large pear tree in the southeast corner was already in bloom, its snow-like blossoms shimmering brilliantly in the sunset. The small vegetable garden beneath the tree had neatly plowed furrows, with two rows of vibrant green leeks and scallions thriving.

On the shelves by the wall were several large round bamboo trays drying tofu and chili peppers. The hens in the chicken coop occasionally clucked, and a basket of uneaten wild vegetables sat on the stove.

Qiu Huanian proudly let them admire the fruits of his labor in the courtyard, then unlatched the main house, inviting them in to sit, completely at ease.

"I thought you wouldn't be back for a few more days, so the main house isn't fully set up yet. Please bear with it for now."

As he spoke, Qiu Huanian found two mismatched teacups and poured them plain boiled water, as there was no tea to offer.

Wu Shen took the water and finally caught on.

This "sister-in-law" was way more beautiful and extraordinary than he had imagined, but she didn't seem particularly close to Du Yunse. Their relationship felt more like ordinary friends than a married couple.

Could it be because Du Yunse hadn't sent any money home over the years? After all, the family's situation was truly...

Wu Shen pondered for a moment, convinced he had found the reason, and felt it necessary to speak up for his friend. "Sister-in-law, Du Yunse's mentor, Master Wen, was a very upright official with little wealth. Du Yunse lived a very frugal life with him, even reluctant to use a folding fan. To buy a book, he had to earn money by copying texts for others. Once—"

Wu Shen was about to continue when a cold glare from Du Yunse stopped him.

Qiu Huanian, watching this scene, couldn't help but chuckle.

"I..." Du Yunse wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin. It was true that he had provided nothing for his family over the years.

Qiu Huanian waved his hand dismissively. "Don't overthink it. You were so young back then. Being able to support yourself without asking for money from home was already more than enough."

Traveling and living away from home required spending on even the smallest things, and scholars had even more expenses. Since Du Yunse left home at the age of ten to follow his teacher, he had never asked for money from his family, which was already quite remarkable. Li the Widow had never blamed him for it.

In modern times, how many college students still can't support themselves and rely on their families for monthly allowances?

Du Yunse hadn't expected Qiu Huanian to say this and was momentarily stunned. A bittersweet feeling surged in his heart, and he found the young man before him even more radiant and enchanting.

In a moment of impulsiveness, he blurted out something he never thought he would say in his lifetime, "From now on, I'll take care of you and this family."