Chapter 68 Traveling

Chapter 68: The Journey

The next day, the couple visited Lingming Temple. Halfway up the mountain, they paused at a pavilion to brew tea, enjoy snacks, and admire the scenery. Other travelers, also on their way to the temple for prayers, stopped to rest. Jian Ru invited them to join, and they all sat together, chatting idly about various topics, thoroughly enjoying the impromptu gathering.

After offering incense at the temple, they had a vegetarian lunch. Following the meal, they helped with some cleaning tasks and listened to the monks chant scriptures before descending the mountain.

The following day, at the first hint of dawn, Li Jinfeng, accompanied by two assistants from his clinic, set off for the prefectural city.

They traveled with a merchant caravan from their town, all bound for purchasing goods. Having journeyed together before, they were familiar with each other and could offer mutual support. Moreover, the presence of skilled bodyguards meant there was little cause for concern.

However, Li Qinglan had only returned home a few days prior, and the couple naturally found it difficult to part.

Jin Feng also worried that Qing Lan, left alone, might revert to her old habit of overthinking. Yet, his fears proved unfounded. Qing Lan was now diligently learning household management from Madam Li, keeping her so busy that she barely had time to dwell on her absent husband.

As soon as Jin Feng departed, Madam Li arranged for Jin He’s room to be thoroughly cleaned and its old furniture replaced. She also instructed old lady Wang to pre-order several ducks from market vendors to prepare Jin He’s favorite old duck soup.

Recently, everything in the Li household had been smooth sailing. Each morning, during the greetings, the main hall resonated with laughter and joy.

But this happiness was short-lived, as trouble soon arose in the prefectural city.

The round trip was initially estimated to take just over ten days. After more than ten days, the merchant caravan returned, and the two assistants safely brought back the medicinal herbs purchased in the prefectural city. However, the eldest son, Li Jinfeng, was not among them.

The assistants explained that the eldest son had been delayed by unforeseen matters and would return in three to five days. They also delivered a letter from Jin Feng to the matriarch.

At that moment, as they were receiving and inventorying the herbs, the second sister Jin Rong, the second son, and Jian Ru were all present.

Madam Li opened the letter and quickly scanned its contents. Her expression grew increasingly grim, and by the time she finished, her eyes were red with anger.

Jian Ru anxiously asked, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Madam Li handed him the letter, which he, along with the second son and Jin Rong, quickly read.

Jian Ru’s expression also turned serious. He said, “Mother, the sun is strong now. Let’s go inside first and deal with these herbs later.”

This was no place for such a discussion, lest they become a laughingstock. Madam Li nodded, suppressing her distress. Jian Ru and Jin Rong helped her into a room in the back hall. As soon as the door closed, Madam Li burst into tears, clutching her chest and lamenting, “My poor Jin He! How did she end up with such in-laws!”

It turned out that when Jin Feng arrived in the prefectural city to fetch Jin He, her in-laws, fully aware of her elder brother’s visit, deliberately refused to open their doors, leaving Jin Feng to wait outside.

Jin He, feeling deeply indebted to her elder brother, cried repeatedly but still stoically refused to speak of her troubles.

Later, Jin Feng, growing suspicious, discreetly bribed one of their servants for information. He discovered that, just as he was setting out, the family had erupted in a major confrontation.

The elderly couple, having fallen for some malicious gossip, vehemently claimed that Jin He’s return home, ostensibly to honor her father, was merely a pretext for remarriage, asserting that the Li family had already arranged a new match for her.

They further alleged that when their son died, Jin He had immediately sought to return home and remarry, and that her years of devoted care were merely a pretense to secure their family assets, preventing her from leaving sooner. They argued that if she truly had no such intentions, why would she willingly waste her youth in hopeless widowhood, caring for their son and two elderly people?

Now, seeing that the elderly couple were still robust and unlikely to pass away soon, she had decided to leave.

Before Jin Feng’s arrival, the old man and woman had pointed fingers at Jin He, listing her “crimes” and dismissing her heartfelt care as nothing more than a calculated act for personal gain. They berated her mercilessly, even in front of the servants, treating her worse than an enemy.

Jin He, gentle and kind by nature, tried to explain herself to her in-laws, but even after her voice grew hoarse, her efforts were futile.

Upon learning this, Jin Feng was naturally furious. He pressed Jin He for answers and discovered that this was not the first such incident, though it had never been so severe.

In the past, whenever Jin He wished to visit her family, her in-laws would often feign illness to prevent her departure. These, it turned out, were mere excuses, stemming from their suspicion of Jin He and the Li family, and their reluctance for her to return home.

In his letter, Jin Feng stated that he needed to resolve the matter thoroughly before bringing Jin He back, anticipating an additional stay of three to five days.

After reading the letter, Madam Li was so incensed that she gnashed her teeth, wishing she could rush to the prefectural city and silence the elderly couple.

But even sending a letter would likely be too late, leaving her no choice but to wait anxiously at home.

Her children, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law all tried their best to comfort her and lift her spirits. But as a mother, how could she bear to see her daughter suffer such injustice? Whenever she thought of it, she would weep, feeling heartbroken for her youngest daughter.

She even went to the main hall and railed at Old Dr. Li’s memorial tablet, accusing him of being blind years ago when he insisted that the family’s son was kind and virtuous, and would surely treat Jin He well, thus marrying her off so far away.

Unexpectedly, while the young man himself was indeed good, he was short-lived, and his parents proved utterly heartless.

Madam Li wept, “If you have any spirit in heaven, please bless those two heartless old people to die soon and ensure Jin He lives smoothly from now on, never suffering such hardship again.”

As she spoke, she wailed, “My daughter, your mother’s heart aches for you!”

Everyone helped the elderly lady, who had collapsed to the floor, back to her room to lie down.

The second son prescribed medicine to calm her and ease her anger. They managed to endure until Jin Feng returned five days later.

But he returned alone.

Madam Li had been eagerly awaiting their return, but when she saw Jin He was not with him, her grief and anger intensified.

Jin Feng explained that Jin He refused to leave with him, saying that doing so would only validate her in-laws’ accusations.

Although Jin He had a gentle temperament, she possessed the Li family’s inherent stubbornness.

Madam Li was furious, frustrated by her youngest daughter’s inflexibility, but she also felt a measure of relief. Jin He’s refusal to leave indicated that she had not been crushed by the situation and still held her own convictions.

However, Madam Li could not stand by and watch her daughter suffer. After two days of deliberation at home, she decided to send Jin Feng and the eldest son of the second uncle’s family back to the prefectural city.

This time, even if it meant a complete rupture, they were determined to bring Jin He back, ensuring that from then on, they would go their separate ways, with no further ties.

Everything was settled with the eldest son of the second uncle’s family, and they were preparing to depart soon. But just before leaving, another unexpected event occurred.

That morning, everyone was in the main hall discussing Jin Feng’s upcoming trip to the prefectural city the next day when the eldest daughter-in-law, Li Qinglan, suddenly gagged. Unable to suppress it, she vomited.

Jin Feng quickly rose to support his wife, while Jian Ru swiftly brought over a cup of warm water.

Several maids quickly and efficiently cleaned up the mess on the floor.

Madam Li was extremely worried and exclaimed, “Oh dear, what’s wrong? Quick, help her sit down.”

Jin Feng, his face pale, helped Qing Lan to a chair. After she rinsed her mouth and wiped her face, he took her pulse.

After examining her pulse for a long time, Jin Feng’s expression grew increasingly peculiar. Qing Lan, anxious, asked, “What’s wrong with me?”

Jin Feng remained silent, but a look of joy spread across his face as he gazed at her.

Madam Li, growing impatient, pushed her eldest son aside. Jin Hui, taking her sister-in-law’s wrist, felt her pulse. After a moment, her eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at her mother, exclaiming, “Qing Lan is pregnant!”

Upon hearing this, the entire family was both shocked and delighted.

Jin Hui calculated the timing and realized the child had been conceived before Qing Lan returned home. She couldn’t resist playfully tapping Jin Feng’s forehead.

Jin Feng, as the eldest son, had always maintained a dignified and solemn demeanor in front of his siblings. At this moment, however, he felt somewhat embarrassed but was also overjoyed, resulting in a peculiar expression.

Qing Lan laughed and patted his arm, prompting him to compose himself.

This unexpected news significantly lifted Madam Li’s spirits.

However, the plans for the next day’s trip became complicated.

Jin Feng absolutely couldn't leave home now—the memory of Qing Lan's previous miscarriage was still vivid in his mind. He wanted to stay by her side constantly; how could he bear to leave his pregnant wife alone at home?

They also couldn’t let the eldest son of Second Uncle’s family go to the prefectural city alone. After all, he was only there to help; they couldn’t just push the entire responsibility onto him. Besides, once they arrived in the prefectural city, who knew what tricks that couple might pull? Only a member of the Li family could speak with authority.

Just as everyone was sitting together, feeling both happy and anxious, the second son stood up and said, "Let me make the trip."

Madam Li’s first reaction was firm opposition.

Jin Hui tried to persuade her, "Actually, I’ve been thinking for a while that Second Brother is more suitable for this than Jin Feng. Jin Feng is too rigid—he wouldn’t be able to outmaneuver those two old foxes. If he'd been better at handling them last time, the matter would have been resolved, and Jin He would already be home by now."

But Madam Li still disagreed. "Jin He isn’t back yet, and the journey is lacking in medical supplies. What if Second Brother falls ill or something happens to him on the road?"

Jin Rong added, "He can handle it."

As the most skilled in medicine in the family, Jin Rong’s word was final.

Madam Li hesitated, then finally said, "I wash my hands of this." She turned to Jian Ru, "Xiao Ru, you decide. Tell me, are you okay with him going?"

Jian Ru stood up and glanced at the second son, who smiled back at him.

The second son had never traveled so far before, and of course Jian Ru was worried. But now that Madam Li was finally giving him more freedom, Jian Ru didn’t want to become a second shackle in the second son’s life.

Besides, the eldest brother and his wife had just reconciled, and the family’s burdens shouldn’t always fall on the eldest brother. As the second son’s health continued to improve, he would inevitably have to take on more responsibilities, both at home and at the clinic.

So, Jian Ru said firmly, "Mother, I agree."

With that, Madam Li had nothing more to say and could only consent.

Jin Hui added, "The eldest son from Second Uncle’s family is reliable, and Xiao Ning is familiar with Second Brother’s habits. Let him go along to take care of him—you can rest assured."

...

That evening, back in their room, Jian Ru hurriedly helped the second son pack.

The departure was sudden, leaving little time for preparation.

Since they might not find lodging every night on the road, and even if they did, the conditions might not be ideal, Jian Ru had Xiao Ning heat water so everyone could get properly cleaned up at home.

Jian Ru himself busied himself in the small courtyard’s kitchen, making flatbread and stewing shrimp paste.

Travelers needed to carry their own food.

The flatbread Jian Ru made stayed soft even when cold and didn’t spoil easily. In such hot weather, it could last two or three days. Toasted over a fire and paired with shrimp paste, it was savory, fresh, and endlessly satisfying.

Perhaps it was the greasy smell of the lard used for frying, or maybe he’d been affected by his sister-in-law’s earlier nausea, but while making the flatbread, Jian Ru felt queasy and uncomfortable.

Normally, he could easily eat a whole flatbread by himself while cooking, but this time, he had no appetite at all.

Still, after a few bouts of nausea, he felt better and didn’t think much of it.

Once the second son had finished bathing and Jian Ru had completed his tasks, he took a hot bath himself, washing away the greasy grime.

Late at night, the couple lay facing each other in bed, reluctant to sleep, whispering intimate words to each other.

Jian Ru held the second son’s hair ends and said, "If you feel unwell on the road, tell the eldest son from Second Uncle’s family. Don’t push yourself. Third Sister knows what she's doing, so there’s no need to rush."

The second son murmured in agreement.

Jian Ru added, "Food and supplies are in the carriage. Xiao Ning knows where everything is. I packed two thick robes and a raincoat—remember to have him take it out for you if it rains."

The second son replied, "Okay."

Jian Ru remembered something else. "Your commonly used herbs and the small medicine pot are also in the carriage. You’re a doctor yourself—if you feel unwell, have Xiao Ning brew medicine for you right away."

The second son nodded. "Alright, anything else?"

Jian Ru thought for a moment. "Keep your veil on during the journey. Don’t take it off casually."

The second son asked curiously, "Why?"

Jian Ru reached out and gently touched his cheek, speaking seriously, "You’re too good-looking. What if someone takes a fancy to you and causes trouble?"

The second son was taken aback, then couldn’t help but laugh. He pressed his forehead against his husband’s tense one, so close their lips almost touched, and said with a smile, "Are you worried I’ll be kidnapped by female or male bandits?"

Jian Ru huffed, and the second son leaned in to kiss him. Between kisses, he murmured, "Don’t worry. Even if I were kidnapped, it wouldn’t take long for them to see my true nature and chase me out with a broom."

"Only you treasure me and can put up with me."

Jian Ru’s face flushed, and he retorted indignantly, "Nonsense! You’re perfect in every way."

The second son couldn’t help but laugh, feeling deeply content. He pulled Jian Ru into his arms and kissed him again.

They kissed every day and had long since mastered the art of pleasing each other. The moment the second son leaned in, Jian Ru parted his lips slightly, both knowing exactly how to make the other feel good.

As their tongues intertwined, the second son grew excited. But mindful of the early start the next day and the fact that Jian Ru had already worked hard all evening, he restrained himself.

When Jian Ru reached down, he initially tried to stop him, but once he was touched, he couldn’t resist. In the end, they resolved things half-resisting, half-yielding.

Afterward, he slept soundly.

The next morning, when the second son woke up, his husband had already prepared everything for his departure. All that was left was for him to get dressed, eat breakfast, and set off.