Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Two mule-drawn carts creaked through the snow, their wheels crunching rhythmically against the frozen ground. Uncle Chen led the way in a covered carriage, while Dun Zi followed behind, driving the family’s other flatbed cart, both laden with New Year’s provisions. The Chen family owned only one mule; the other was rented.

Inside the carriage, Wang Ying reached for Chen Qingyan’s hand. Feeling its warmth, he was reassured that Chen Qingyan wasn’t cold. Originally, Wang Ying had planned to make the trip to the county seat with just Uncle Chen and Dun Zi, but Chen Qingyan had flatly refused to let him go alone, insisting on joining them.

“It’s freezing, and the journey is long. What if you fall ill again after just recovering?” Wang Ying had argued.

Chen Qingyan clasped his hand firmly and replied, “I won’t feel at ease if you go alone.”

Those words warmed Wang Ying’s heart. In his previous life, only his grandparents had ever shown him such care. Never had he expected that after crossing into this world, he would find someone so deeply attentive to his well-being.

Their fingers interlaced, and Wang Ying nudged him playfully with his shoulder. He noted, not for the first time, that since regaining his health, Chen Qingyan seemed to have grown taller. When they first married, Chen Qingyan had been only two inches taller; now, he stood at least a half-head above Wang Ying, and his once frail frame had filled out noticeably.

“By the way,” Wang Ying brought up, “a few days ago, when I was discussing New Year’s gifts with Mother, I mentioned your maternal family and asked if we should prepare something for them. But she didn’t seem willing to have any contact with them.”

“That’s a long story,” Chen Qingyan sighed. “It goes back to when Mother got married.

“Her family, the Li family of Tianyang County, were quite renowned locally—they had produced three *juren*. Originally, my maternal grandfather intended to arrange a marriage for Mother not with my father, but with my Fourth Uncle.”

“What?” Wang Ying was taken aback.

“My father married quite late. He had been betrothed early on, but when the time came for the wedding, the other family suddenly broke off the engagement. After that, his marriage prospects didn’t go smoothly—he considered four or five prospective matches, but none worked out. By the time he turned twenty-three, Grandmother passed away, and he observed a year of mourning, which completely delayed things.”

Wang Ying nodded in understanding. No wonder Chen Biao’s children were all older than Chen Qingyan.

“Around that time, Fourth Uncle passed the provincial exam. When Mother’s family learned of this, they sent someone to propose the match. Grandfather was naturally overjoyed at such an excellent match and took both Father and Fourth Uncle to visit the Li family. But as fate would have it, Father accidentally ran into Mother…”

She was sixteen, in the bloom of youth; he was mature and dependable. They fell for each other at first sight.

Li Shi begged her parents to let her marry Chen Qingyan’s father, but the Li family naturally refused. Not only did Father lack any scholarly rank, but there was also a significant age gap between them.

But Mother was determined. In her desperation to marry Father, she even attempted to elope with him.

Though they didn’t succeed, they were seen together, and her reputation was ruined. After that, marriage was the only option.

The Li family, being a family of scholars, couldn’t bear the shame. They hastily married her off and cut all ties with the Chens from then on.

“Later, after Mother gave birth to me, Father tried to take her back to her family to reconcile, but they were driven off without even being let through the front gate.”

Wang Ying couldn’t help but marvel at his mother-in-law’s daring youth. Though what she did was improper, after all these years, the Li family’s refusal to forgive struck him as particularly heartless.

Chen Qingyan said quietly, “Perhaps it’s better not to have contact. With the scandal during my county exam, if my maternal family were to find out, they’d likely be ashamed of us and cut ties all over again.”

“Oh? You can joke about it now?” Wang Ying teased.

“I can mention it myself, but if others were to bring it up, it would still hurt.”

“Honest, aren’t you? Are you dreading this trip to the county seat? After all, the county exam was held in Longquan County.”

“A little. But it’s been so long—probably no one remembers me now.”

“Don’t worry. It wasn’t your fault to begin with. If anyone dares to mock you over it, I’ll slap them silly.”

Chen Qingyan laughed and gently bumped his forehead against Wang Ying’s.

“Ow!” Wang Ying rubbed his forehead, hissing in pain. “So this is the power of knowledge—even headbutts hurt more when you’re educated.”

“Hahaha…”

Outside, Uncle Chen overheard the young master’s bright laughter and couldn’t help but smile. It was a good thing they had married Wang Ying.

The distance from the town to the county seat was over 130 *li*. Under normal conditions, the journey would take about two and a half days, but traveling at night was unsafe, and the winter roads were slippery, forcing them to move slowly. Thus, the trip would take three full days.

As dusk began to settle, the group stopped at a post station to rest.

This was Wang Ying’s first time visiting such a place since arriving in ancient times, and it was far different from what he’d seen in historical dramas. The station was much simpler and more rustic than he had imagined.

Rows of low, earthen houses stood before them, their entrance marked by a faded yellowish-gray sign that faintly read “Courier Station.”

Uncle Chen and Dun Zi headed to the backyard to stable and feed the animals, while Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan entered the station.

The interior was dimly lit and filled with the mingled scents of alcohol and food. An attendant approached and asked, “What’ll it be, guests? A meal or a room?”

Wang Ying grinned inwardly. Now that line sounded familiar.

“We’d like to stay the night and leave first thing tomorrow.”

“Right away. How many rooms?”

“Two, please.”

The attendant fetched keys and led them to their rooms at the back—another row of low, thatched huts that looked ancient, their walls uneven from years of rain erosion.

“These two eastern rooms are clean and ready. Would you like to take a look?”

As soon as the door opened, Wang Ying recoiled at the pungent odor of foot sweat. Good heavens, the stench was overwhelming!

The attendant, accustomed to such reactions, lit an oil lamp inside and said, “There’s a stove in the room. If you’re cold, you can fetch firewood to light it. The room rate is sixty cash per night. Return the keys before noon tomorrow—late returns incur an extra day’s charge.”

The price wasn’t too steep. Wang Ying counted out 120 cash from his purse and handed them over.

“There’s hot water available in the kitchen, free of charge. Meals can be ordered up front. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as the attendant left, Wang Ying hurried into the courtyard for fresh air. The room was unbearably foul—likely last occupied by someone with exceptionally sweaty feet. The smell was strong enough to make one’s eyes water.

Chen Qingyan checked the adjacent room with his key. It was no better—equipped with a bed and bedding, but the quilts looked well-worn, as if they hadn’t been changed in months.

Wang Ying wasn’t overly fastidious, but the filth disgusted him. He found himself longing for the convenience of modern budget hotels.

Soon, Uncle Chen and Dun Zi joined them, intending to move all the goods from the flatbed cart into their rooms. With the station crowded and thieves possibly lurking, it was better not to take chances.

Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan helped them carry everything inside. By the time they finished, night had fully fallen.

After locking the doors, the four went to the front hall to order food. While lodging at the station was affordable, the meals were outrageously expensive—reminiscent of highway service areas in Wang Ying’s previous life.

A simple bowl of plain noodles cost ten cash, while the meat version went for twenty. Vegetables were even pricier—a single plate of stewed meat cost over seventy cash, enough to buy two *jin* of quality meat elsewhere.

Since they were traveling, Wang Ying didn’t mind splurging. He spent eighty cash on four bowls of meat noodle soup.

The soup noodles were what would later be called noodles, except the dough was cut wide and thick, topped with a minced meat sauce. It tasted average, just enough to fill the stomach.

After dinner, they ordered a pot of hot water and all four returned to their rooms early to rest.

The foul smell in the room was still strong. Wang Ying simply tied a handkerchief over his nose, and Chen Qingyan followed suit. They glanced at each other and laughed at their comical appearance.

Wang Ying: “Still laughing? By tomorrow, we’ll be reeking of this stench. When we arrive at Third Aunt’s house, the smell alone will knock the old lady over as soon as we step in.”

Chen Qingyan laughed until his stomach hurt. “Brother, stop teasing me.”

“Come on, let’s head to the experimental field first. Doing some work will tire us out and help us sleep better.”

“Alright.”

After locking the door, Wang Ying held Chen Qingyan’s hand and mentally recited to open the experimental field. A flash of white light later, the two stood steadily on the ground.

With experience from previous visits, Chen Qingyan wasn’t as startled this time. He followed Wang Ying’s lead and began weeding the field.

After half an hour of weeding, they felt tired and sat at the edge of the field to rest.

Wang Ying picked two tomatoes and handed them to him. “Next time we travel, I’ll bring some cooking tools. If we get hungry, we can gather ingredients here and make something delicious.”

“That’d be great.”

The transplanted peach trees had already blossomed. A gentle breeze scattered tiny petals, and the two leaned against each other, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

“Brother.”

“Hmm?”

Chen Qingyan nudged him with his arm. Wang Ying glanced at him and knew exactly what he wanted. He leaned in and kissed him, and Chen Qingyan gently held the back of his head, kissing him back.

Their mouths tasted sweet from the tomatoes, making the kiss taste sweet. Wang Ying playfully sucked on his tongue, refusing to let go, and Chen Qingyan pinched his waist in mock protest.

The person in his arms instantly melted, letting out a soft, needy whimper.

Ugh, this body is too sensitive! Wang Ying cursed himself inwardly while wrapping his arms around Chen Qingyan’s neck, practically clinging to him.

Just as the two were about to take things further, the scene went black—time was up. They were back in the inn.

Chen Qingyan wanted to continue, but Wang Ying was too put off by the stench to continue.

“Dammit,” Chen Qingyan cursed, punching the bed in frustration.

Hearing him swear was rare, and Wang Ying burst out laughing. “Let’s just sleep. If I have to smell this any longer, I’ll throw up.”

Early the next morning, as soon as it was light, Wang Ying handed over the keys and quickly left the inn to continue their journey.

After three days of travel, they finally arrived at Longquan County.

Longquan County belongs to Jizhou Prefecture. It has seventeen towns under its jurisdiction and a population of over forty thousand, making it a relatively large county. Located in the Central Plains with flat terrain and convenient land routes, it is a hub for commerce.

Today was the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, coinciding with the county’s big market day. Many people from nearby villages and towns had come for the market, resulting in a long queue at the city entrance.

By the time it was their turn, it was almost noon. Uncle Chen took out the prepared travel pass and handed it to the clerk. This pass, issued in their town, was only valid within the county. Leaving Longquan County would require additional procedures, making travel quite cumbersome.

The clerk took the pass, glanced at it, and registered it in the ledger. “What’s loaded on the cart?”

“Sir, it’s just some common grains, dried vegetables, and game from the mountains. We’re visiting relatives in the city to deliver New Year gifts.”

Upon hearing this, the clerk looked up, walked to the back of the cart, and forcibly seized two pheasants.

“This…” Chen Qingyan grew anxious. “Why are they taking our things for no reason?”

Wang Ying stopped him, saying, “They’re just two pheasants. We mustn’t pick a fight with them. As the saying goes, ‘It’s easier to deal with the king of hell than his little devils.’ If they block us from entering, we’ll be in real trouble.”

The clerk waved them through after taking the items, and Uncle Chen and Dun Zi quickly guided the mule cart into the city.

As soon as they entered the city, Wang Ying was instantly captivated by the calls of the vendors.

“Get your steamed buns! Steamed buns! Thin skin, generous filling, meat buns here~”

“Tanghulu! Sweet and sour~”

“Scissors sharpening, knife polishing! Ten coins each, fast and good!”

Food stalls billowing with steam, peddlers hawking their wares from carrying poles, beggars kneeling on the ground, and porters squatting by the roadside waiting for customers—now this was more like the ancient times I imagined!