Chapter 66

Chapter 66

As dusk approached, Lu Yuan, still lingering at the city gate, had no choice but to shoulder her basket and head home.

Aside from the congee she’d had before leaving home that morning, she’d only managed a few sips of water since. With no news of Qi Cheng, she truly had no appetite.

Her heart pounded with anxiety until after dark, when a knock finally sounded at the courtyard gate.

Hearing it, Lu Yuan sprang to her feet, rushing out anxiously without even grabbing a lantern, nearly tripping over the threshold in her haste. Reaching the gate, just as she was about to speak, Qi Cheng’s voice came through.

“Li Niang, it’s me. Open up.”

Her hands trembling, Lu Yuan fumbled with the bolt. As the gate opened and she caught sight of his figure, she lunged forward.

Before Qi Cheng could react, a shadowy form hurtled towards him. He instinctively opened his arms, and as she collided with him, he paused for a moment before embracing her.

Lu Yuan’s voice was choked with emotion: “Don’t be so reckless again. I’ve been terrified all day, my mind filled with wild thoughts—fearing you’d be brought back in pieces, not whole…”

She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to explain it to the old lady.

Afraid that in this unfamiliar era, she and the two children would be left utterly alone, with no one who understood her, no one who shared her values.

Most importantly, they had been together for almost two months now—she couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him.

Hearing her worried words, Qi Cheng detected the fear in her voice.

He gently patted her back, his voice low and steady: “I’m back in one piece, no missing limbs, safe and sound.”

At this, Lu Yuan’s anger surged. She released her hold on his waist, stepped back slightly, and punched him a few times: “That’s what you get for showing off!”

Qi Cheng nodded: “I was wrong, I was wrong. Don’t be angry.”

“You’re just brushing me off!” She lifted her face and glared at him, though in the darkness, she could only make out a shadowy outline.

Suddenly, a snort echoed in the dark. Lu Yuan froze, turned her head to the left, and vaguely made out a large figure. She gasped in shock, exclaiming: “What’s that?!”

Qi Cheng said: “It’s a horse.”

“Let’s go inside to talk,” he suggested.

Lu Yuan glanced at the large, dark shape, burning with questions, but she followed him into the courtyard anyway.

Qi Cheng led the horse inside, while she went into the house to fetch a lantern. Approaching the horse, she saw it was a black one.

She asked: “What’s with the horse?”

Qi Cheng replied: “It’s confiscated. The Deputy Magistrate allowed me to ride it back, but I have to return it to the public office tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuan waited for him to tie up the horse, then pulled him inside. Holding the lantern close, she inspected him from head to toe, front to back. Seeing no bloodstains, she sighed in relief and asked: “What happened after the ox-cart left?”

Qi Cheng explained: “I followed the sound and found three bandits had robbed a carriage. The driver and a couple in their fifties, well-dressed, were tied up and being taken away. I trailed them to a spot. After watching for a while, I confirmed it was a hideout with about seven or eight people.”

“I figured you would report it to the authorities, so I headed back to Guangkang City along the planned route. On the way, I ran into the Deputy Magistrate leading a team to take down the bandits, so I guided them to the hideout.”

The bandits at the hideout were few in number, so Qi Cheng didn’t strictly need to intervene. But he had his own motives—hoping to claim a bounty and make an impression on the Deputy Magistrate—so he jumped into the action.

He used to think he could rely on the mountains, hunting to support himself and his grandmother. But from now on, he wouldn’t be able to keep hunting in the mountains. If he wanted his grandmother, wife, and children to live well, he needed a long-term plan.

Making an impression on the Deputy Magistrate meant building a connection, however slight—beneficial and harmless.

Of course, he couldn’t tell her any of this, or she’d never stop lecturing him.

Hearing Qi Cheng’s account, Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: “Good thing you were smart and didn’t rush in recklessly.”

She then asked: “What about the driver and the couple?”

Qi Cheng said: “They probably wanted ransom, so no one was killed.”

“And during the suppression, did anyone die?”

Qi Cheng shook his head: “Some were injured, but no one died.”

Lu Yuan’s worried heart finally settled. Fortunately, no lives were lost.

Feeling a bit better, she found the mood to ask about the bounty.

“Since you contributed to suppressing the bandits, did you get any bounty?”

Qi Cheng, seeing her expectant expression, nodded: “I’m to return the horse tomorrow and pick up the reward then.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuan’s face lit up with joy: “If the bounty is substantial, can we bring the old lady and the children to the city early?”

Qi Cheng said: “Things are too risky right now. Better to wait a while longer until it’s safer before bringing them here.”

Lu Yuan’s excitement wilted at his words.

“Yeah, you have a point. Who knows when things will calm down.”

Qi Cheng said: “Once my vision gets a little better, I’ll go back to fetch them. Then we can both rest easy.”

Lu Yuan nodded, then said: “You must not have eaten, and neither have I. I’ll make some congee.”

Qi Cheng said: “You’ve been on edge all day and must be tired. I’ll make it; you rest.”

Lu Yuan shook her head: “I should do it.”

Qi Cheng smiled: “Let’s go together.”

They both squeezed into the small kitchen to cook congee and boil water.

Once the congee was ready and cooling, Lu Yuan grabbed the lantern and asked Qi Cheng to accompany her outside.

Qi Cheng asked: “Where to so late?”

It was an off-night, no night market, and everything was quiet.

Lu Yuan said: “Just come with me.”

Qi Cheng had to go along with her.

Stopping outside a certain courtyard, Lu Yuan whispered to him: “No one lives here.”

Qi Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her, surprised, then he heard her say, "There's a pomelo tree inside, and its leaves have grown over the wall. You're tall—jump up and grab a few leaves."

Qi Cheng thought she wanted him to play the thief.

He hadn't expected that she really intended for him to do it...

Qi Cheng looked up at the pomelo leaves extending beyond the wall. Though it was hard to see in the dark, he could still make out their outlines.

He steadied himself, reached up with a leap, and grabbed several leaves at once.

Lu Yuan quickly lowered her voice and whispered urgently, "Hurry, hurry, let's go back quickly."

She looked every bit the thief.

Back home, Lu Yuan washed the pomelo leaves and placed them in a pot, saying, "After such an unlucky day, we must wash with pomelo leaf water to wash away the bad luck."

Qi Cheng chuckled, "I thought you didn’t believe in gods or Buddha."

Lu Yuan said firmly, "No."

Then she added, "I didn’t believe in them before, but later I became convinced that gods, Buddhas, and spirits are real."

Qi Cheng looked at her in surprise, "Why?"

Lu Yuan lifted the lantern and walked back to the house with him, saying, "I’ve seen a ghost."

Once inside, Qi Cheng closed the door, blocking the cold wind from outside.

He asked her, "When did that happen?"

Lu Yuan sat down at the table, picked up her bowl of porridge, and took a small sip. It was just the right temperature.

She thought for a moment, then said, "It was probably when I nearly drowned."

Hearing this, he didn’t press further.

Some things, once understood, don't need to be questioned in detail.

After she finished the porridge, Lu Yuan asked, "What should we feed the horse in the yard?"

Qi Cheng replied, "There’s some straw at home for starting fires. I’ll pick some out to feed it later."

At the market, people often sold rice straw, which was excellent for kindling.

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but wonder, "An old horse knows the way. Do you think this horse might run back to its previous hideout?"

Qi Cheng answered, "These mountain bandits often steal their food and supplies. It’s possible this horse was stolen too, so it might not necessarily find its way back."

Lu Yuan asked, "Are horses expensive?"

Qi Cheng thought carefully and replied, "Expensive, yes. An ordinary horse costs at least ten guan."

Ten guan was equivalent to ten taels of silver.

Five taels could support a family of five for a year. Ten taels would take an ordinary family two years of scrimping and saving to afford.

A horse costing ten taels was like owning a luxury vehicle.

She murmured, "When will we ever have a horse of our own..."

Qi Cheng glanced at her, taking her words to heart.

The next morning, Qi Cheng fed the black horse some straw, and Lu Yuan also woke up.

She put on thick clothes, hunching her shoulders as she stepped out of the house, and yawned.

Qi Cheng told her, "There’s warm water in the pot for you to wash up."

Lu Yuan nodded and asked him, "When are you going to the public office?"

Qi Cheng turned to her and asked, "Do you want to come along?"

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "Yes."

Qi Cheng said, "Then we’ll go after you have breakfast."

After washing up and eating breakfast, Lu Yuan left with Qi Cheng, who was leading the horse.

They walked for about half an hour before reaching the public office.

Qi Cheng explained his purpose to the guard at the gate.

The guard said, "The Deputy Magistrate has instructed that if you come, you should go to the County Deputy’s office to see him. Follow me."

As he spoke, he took the reins from Qi Cheng.

Qi Cheng glanced at Lu Yuan beside him.

Lu Yuan said, "Go ahead. I’ll wait for you at the tea stall over there."

Qi Cheng nodded.

He followed the guard into the public office, heading east.

After walking for a short while, he heard the sound of rustling. Rounding the inner screen wall, he saw the tall Deputy Magistrate brandishing a large broadsword with powerful, forceful movements, each strike seeming to carry immense strength.

If he hadn’t seen the official uniform the day before, he might have mistaken him for another bandit.

Seeing someone arrive, the Deputy Magistrate stopped and placed the broadsword back on the rack. A guard nearby handed him a towel.

In winter, everyone else wore thick clothing, but the Deputy Magistrate was in a single layer of clothing, sweating profusely.

Qi Cheng followed the guard and bowed to the Deputy Magistrate.

"Commoner Qi Cheng pays his respects, sir."

The Deputy Magistrate picked up the towel and wiped his sweat.

He looked at Qi Cheng and said, "No need for formalities."

Qi Cheng straightened up but avoided direct eye contact with the Deputy Magistrate.

The Deputy Magistrate said, "You have rendered meritorious service in suppressing the bandits, not only helping us capture eight of them but also taking action yourself. After discussing with the County Magistrate, we have decided to reward you with eight guan of silver, a hu of grain, and a bolt of cloth."

Qi Cheng did not decline out of politeness but bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for the reward, sir."

The robust Deputy Magistrate looked him over and said, "Though you may not be heavily built, you seem capable. Would you be willing to serve in the public office?"

When Qi Cheng arrived, he had anticipated this very situation.

After all, with the Deputy Magistrate cracking down on bandits, the yamen was bound to be short-handed.

But given his family circumstances, he couldn’t afford to take such risks—nor could he outright refuse and leave a poor impression.

“Several months ago, this humble one went hunting in the mountains and, while fleeing a male tiger, met with misfortune. I suffered a head injury and lay unconscious for months. When I awoke, I was blind in both eyes. After a month of treatment from a physician at Xuanhu Clinic, I’ve only recovered about sixty percent of my vision. I fear I may not be up to the task, sir.”

Hearing this, the Deputy Magistrate raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Freshly recovered from a grave illness, with impaired vision,” he repeated, then suddenly laughed. “If that’s truly the case, yet you were still able to track the bandits to their hideout and engage them in combat without a scratch—it appears your capabilities are rather impressive.”

As he spoke, the Deputy Magistrate’s eyes grew noticeably more appreciative.