Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Just Right (End of Main Text)

Chapter 137 Just Perfect (End of Main Text)

In April and May, the weather was mild and pleasant, with bright spring scenery. The estate was nestled amid picturesque mountains and rivers, making it the perfect time for an outing.

Xiao Xun had been quite busy lately, and it was uncertain whether he could spare the time. If he could, a family outing would be a wonderful idea.

With the mountains and rivers as our backdrop, we could bring some food, marinate meat to grill by the river, and perhaps Xiao Xun could even take Tangyuan hunting. Since the entire estate was our own, there was no worry about getting lost—it was bound to be quite enjoyable.

That evening, Lin Qiuran discussed it with Xiao Xun, who readily agreed, “I still have my two days off this month. Let’s go at the end of the month. I’ll swap shifts with someone so I can take Tangyuan to the academy the next day.”

Lin Qiuran nodded. Since Tangyuan didn’t mind staying at the academy, she saw no point in letting him get used to being home for a month first. Sooner or later, he’d have to go, so it was better to start directly.

The next day, Tangyuan ran over to ask Lin Qiuran, “Mom, did Dad say he has time?”

His eyes sparkled with anticipation. After all, Xiao Xun always seemed busier. Like Tangyuan, he had two days off a month, but sometimes he returned late, had to go out, or was away for ten days to half a month.

On his days off, Tangyuan was usually in school, so they only saw each other during their evening martial arts practice. But since Tangyuan was used to not seeing his father for long periods, it didn’t bother him much.

Tangyuan added, “If Dad is too busy to go, it’s fine. I can go with you and Grandma.”

Tangyuan was very understanding about the pressures his elders faced. Going to work wasn’t the same as going out to play—a soldier had to obey his superiors. If he kept making demands, it would only make things harder for his father in the military.

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, “Your dad said we’d go at the end of the month. He’ll take you riding and hunting in the woods. Since you said it’s fine if he doesn’t go… should I talk to him again?”

Tangyuan quickly replied, “Mom, Dad already said he’d go. It wouldn’t be good to change his mind now. Let’s just take him with us. Don’t say anything more.”

Overjoyed, Tangyuan ran around the room, his face beaming with excitement.

Lin Qiuran chuckled, “Don’t worry. If your dad promised, he’ll keep his word.”

It was only the 21st, so there were still a few days left. Tangyuan could amuse himself—staying at the estate for a few days, going out with friends, or just relaxing. After half a year of hard work, it was time to unwind.

Tangyuan couldn’t help but cheer, “Great, great! We’re going on an outing! Mom, I’ll take you fishing. I’ve also met Little Yellow and Little Black—they look just like Yu’an’s puppy and are very obedient. They lick my palm. I’ll introduce them to you.”

He added regretfully, “If only I could take care of them myself, I’d definitely keep them.”

Lin Qiuran laughed, “Alright, alright, stop bothering me here now. Go do whatever it is you need to do.”

Tangyuan was responsible for being excited, while Lin Qiuran took charge of preparing the supplies for the outing. They needed marinated meat, easy-to-eat vegetables, and dishes that would taste great when reheated.

Lin Qiuran instructed the maids to start preparing everything. Time passed day by day. By the end of April, the weather had grown even warmer. People on the streets wore light, thin-sleeved garments, with flowers adorning their hair, looking utterly beautiful.

On the evening of April 29th, Xiao Xun returned from work, and they began loading the carriage with supplies for the journey to the estate. They decided to leave that evening to avoid rushing the next morning. The estate had accommodations where Sun Shi and Tangyuan often stayed. They would spend the night there and set out early the next day for the outing.

The night was deep, with stars filling the sky. Two carriages set out for the outskirts of the city, flanked by guards. Xiao Xun rode on horseback outside, while Lin Qiuran and Sun Shi sat inside with Tangyuan. The second carriage carried maids and luggage.

Tangyuan was excited throughout the journey, lifting the curtain to count the stars. He pointed out the Big Dipper to Lin Qiuran, “Mom, look, that’s the Big Dipper. It can show direction…”

Tangyuan chattered non-stop, and Lin Qiuran listened attentively. Xiao Xun also listened from outside the carriage.

Tangyuan’s voice was clear and pleasant to hear.

When they arrived at the estate, Tangyuan had fallen asleep on Lin Qiuran’s lap. The couple exchanged a smile.

Sun Shi, feeling the jostling of the carriage, couldn’t help but remark, “This child, he’s been chattering all the way, but he fell asleep just as we arrived. It’s nice to stay at the estate; it feels like we’re back in Xiao Village.”

Lin Qiuran had never stayed overnight at the estate before. She felt a sense of excitement. When people are poor, they dream of wealth and comfort. But when they achieve comfort, they often yearn for simplicity and a return to nature. “The estate will likely feel more freeing.”

Sun Shi smiled, “Yes, there are the sounds of insects and birds, roosters crowing and frogs croaking. Unlike the manor, where maids and servants catch every insect, leaving it silent and unnaturally quiet.”

The manor had few family members and little work. Everyone in the capital knew that the servants at the Count of Dingyuan’s estate had an easy time compared to other households where even after finishing their own work, they were often sent on errands. But not at the Count of Dingyuan’s estate.

After spending a long time away from the village, hearing these familiar sounds made Sun Shi feel nostalgic.

However, the countryside accommodations were naturally not as comfortable as those in the capital. There were no finished ceilings; when you looked up, you saw the dark rafters. Lighting was minimal—a single oil lamp or candle that only illuminated a small area. There was a musty smell from disuse, and the rooms were small with narrow beds. But for one night, it would do.

The maids brought water. Lin Qiuran washed and freshened up in the courtyard. The air was still yet not completely silent. Distant houses were asleep, but occasional barking and croaking could be heard.

The stars were abundant, filling the sky. It was a sight unseen in modern times. Lin Qiuran suddenly thought back to when she first arrived here—she was so preoccupied with various worries that she never had the leisure to appreciate the stars and moon at night.

She looked up at the sky. Xiao Xun had come to her side without her noticing. “It’s beautiful,” he said.

Lin Qiuran nodded. “Is Tangyuan asleep?”

Xiao Xun: “Yes, Grandma is with him. He opened his eyes for a moment when we arrived, but now he’s fast asleep. He must have played all day again.”

Lin Qiuran smiled. “He’s going to the academy the day after tomorrow. He won’t be back for a month. He’s determined to get his fill of fun.”

Otherwise, he would regret it later. Tangyuan was like that—when he studied, he studied hard; when he played, he played hard.

Lin Qiuran leaned closer to Xiao Xun. “Here, it seems like I can’t remember those trivial matters.”

As the wind blew gently, thoughts of business, profits, and social obligations… all slipped from Lin Qiuran's mind. Perhaps it was the gentle wind and the quiet night—the barking and insect chirping stirred her heart, leaving no room for other thoughts.

Xiao Xun wrapped his arm around Lin Qiuran’s shoulder and pulled her close. “It’s true,” he said.

Lin Qiuran: “When Tangyuan goes to school, we should come here often. No wonder he likes to come to the estate—it’s really nice.”

There were few people around, and it felt freeing to be under the open sky. But with Sun Shi and the child present, Lin Qiuran wouldn't dare do anything like that. They were staying in the next room, separated only by a thin wall, and every sound could be heard.

Xiao Xun’s eyes lit up. “Okay.”

Lin Qiuran felt a bit cold in the night air and leaned even closer to Xiao Xun. “Let’s go to bed early. We’ll get up early tomorrow.”

The next day, Lin Qiuran woke up before the sun had even risen.

She usually slept until she woke up naturally, but today she was awakened by the roosters crowing. She opened her eyes and saw that the sky was still dark, but she could hear the big roosters crowing loudly. Once one rooster started, all the roosters in the village started crowing, and then the dogs began barking. It was incredibly lively.

Lin Qiuran dozed for a while longer, then got herself ready for the day.

Tangyuan had gone to bed early the previous night, so he woke up early. He knew they couldn't go out to play while it was still pitch black; they had to at least wait for the sun to come up. So he went for a walk with Sun Shi along the fields.

The fields were neatly divided, and the wheat seedlings were a vibrant green, growing vigorously. Some farmers were working in the fields with their children, weeding and catching insects. Without modern pesticides, they had to rely on manual labor to protect their crops. Otherwise, poor harvests would mean lower commissions for them.

They carried large jars to collect insects, which they would feed to the chickens. It was a way to make use of everything.

Tangyuan even went into the fields to catch insects. Sun Shi praised him: “Good job! Good job! Only by understanding farming can you appreciate the value of food. Catch as many as you can.”

This was Sun Shi’s area of expertise, and she had plenty of wisdom to share with Tangyuan.

When Lin Qiuran woke up, she saw the grandmother and grandson—one tall, one short—walking along the field ridges, with Tangyuan catching insects and weeding.

She realized that Tangyuan had grown quickly. He used to only reach Sun Shi’s thigh, but now he was up to her waist.

Tangyuan saw that Lin Qiuran was awake and excitedly ran towards her, but then remembered he was holding insects and stopped. “Mom, don’t come over—there are insects!”

Last time, Tangyuan had scared Lin Qiuran with a frog, so he remembered not to show her such things. If he saw insects on the road, he would chase them away.

Lin Qiuran smiled and asked Xiao Xun to call them back for breakfast. Breakfast at the estate was simple, but that made the grilled meat and dishes for the midday picnic even more delicious.

Each person had a bowl of dough ball soup, with some egg pancakes on the side, and breakfast was finished—not nearly as lavish as their meals at home. Tang Yuan didn’t mind the simplicity and quickly finished his meal before running out again.

After the meal, Lin Qiuran had the maids tidy up and then headed deeper into the woods. A thin morning mist lingered, shrouding everything in a hazy veil. The father and son rode off on horses into the mountains to hunt. Before leaving, Tang Yuan urged, "Mom, just wait! I’ll definitely bring back plenty of game by noon. We’ll have more than enough to eat at lunch!"

Lin Qiuran was curious to see how much the two could hunt. Besides, even if they caught a lot, it wouldn’t taste as good as the meat she had marinated in advance.

Lin Qiuran had prepared some chicken legs, chicken wings, pork shoulder, two racks of lamb, and two lamb legs the previous afternoon. With four family members, plus maids, servants, and guards, there were quite a few mouths to feed.

In addition to the meat dishes, there were seasonings, pre-washed fruits, pastries, and all sorts of snacks—everything they could possibly need.

Lin Qiuran said, "Your father has experience from military campaigns, so his field cooking skills are surely better than mine. Go ahead and hunt, but don’t come back empty-handed."

There might be areas where Xiao Xun fell short compared to Lin Qiuran, but hunting was definitely not one of them.

Xiao Xun replied, "We'll show you."

Lin Qiuran watched the two ride away, but she wasn't about to just wait around. Since they had come to have fun, she led the others to a stony bank by the stream, set down their belongings, and helped pitch a tent.

They used canvas, which provided shade from the midday sun, making it a cool spot to sit inside.

Then she unpacked everything she had brought. This time, Lin Qiuran had only brought some charcoal and ingredients. She first directed the maids to clean and tidy the area, then gathered stones to build a simple stove. Sun Shi didn’t idle either and went to collect firewood.

Since this was a spring outing for a picnic, they wanted to experience the fun of doing everything from scratch—simply bringing ready-made food would be boring.

They gathered some flat stones to build a stove and a grill. Lin Qiuran even found a relatively flat stone slab, scrubbed it clean by the stream, and placed it over the stove to use as a griddle.

She boiled water to clean everything thoroughly. Once that was done, Sun Shi returned with plenty of firewood. With so many trees in the wilderness and dozens of households nearby, firewood was plentiful.

Sun Shi said, "Look at these small branches—so many of them, and dry ones are best for burning."

A tablecloth was spread on the ground, and the maids gradually relaxed, laughing and playing by the water.

They picked flowers, gathered wild vegetables, and Lin Qiuran even dug up some wild onions, making the most of them by using them to season the marinated meat.

As noon approached, Lin Qiuran started grilling the meat. Sun Shi went out again to gather more firewood—she seemed to have really taken to it. "I’ll go get some more, just in case we run short."

Lin Qiuran smiled and nodded, watching the older woman stride energetically. She grilled more meat, thinking that after all the exertion, everyone would surely have a big appetite at noon.

Just before midday, father and son finally returned, both sweating slightly. Xiao Xun carried two pheasants, while Tang Yuan held a gray rabbit in his arms. "Mom! Mom! Dad caught a rabbit for me. Can we please not eat it? I want to keep it as a pet."

Lin Qiuran bent down and asked, "How will you care for it while you're away at school?"

Tang Yuan replied, "The servants can help look after it, and you and Grandmother can too. Mom, please?"

Lin Qiuran relented. Since he studied hard for his exams, a small wish like this could be granted. "Alright, you can keep it. Let your father handle the grilling. Are you hungry?"

Seeing the rabbit’s lively eyes, Lin Qiuran couldn’t bear the thought of eating it either. They had brought so much food—there was no need to eat the rabbit.

Tang Yuan cheered and handed the rabbit to a servant to watch, then went with Xiao Xun to grill the meat.

Father and son put their skills to the test, but the results were rather disappointing. The pheasant meat was tough and stringy compared to Lin Qiuran’s tender, juicy, sizzling lamb legs and racks. Xiao Xun’s grilled pheasant was dry and barely seasoned, making it hard to eat. Tang Yuan had to work hard to chew a piece, but said with determination, "Mom, ours is pretty tasty too."

Even so, he couldn't help but drool. The open wilderness and the breeze carried the aroma of Lin Qiuran’s cooking toward them.

Meanwhile, Lin Qiuran took the thin pancakes she had brought from home, sliced lamb leg meat, placed it inside with some wild onions, rolled it up, and took a bite—it was incredibly delicious.

The meat, seasoned and sizzling with juices, smelled wonderful.

Father and son had been working on the pheasant legs, and Tang Yuan found it quite a challenge. Fortunately, Lin Qiuran handed him a pancake roll.

She also gave one to Xiao Xun. "Stop eating the pheasant for now. Let’s take it back and see if we can make soup with it."

Xiao Xun smiled and accepted the pancake roll from Lin Qiuran. He had to admit, his culinary skills were no match for hers—Lin Qiuran’s cooking was truly better.

The meat, marinated in advance, was tender and flavorful, with the added aroma of charcoal grilling.

The grilled chicken legs were firm, the wings dry and fragrant, and there were large cuts of beef and pork. Xiao Xun had also caught a few fish, though they were small. Lin Qiuran pan-fried them until crispy and tasty.

She had also brought eggs from the estate and made scrambled eggs with wild onions, which could also be wrapped in pancakes.

The gurgling stream, the mingled scents of grilled meat, fruits, and pastries—it was an incredibly comfortable and enjoyable setting. After the meal, the family lay on the grass, with canvas and sheets spread beneath them, the scent of fresh grass filling the air.

The warm sun shone on them, and the sound of flowing water echoed in their ears. Tang Yuan was rolling around on the ground and asked, "Mom, can we come again on my next vacation?"

Even before leaving, Tang Yuan was already looking forward to the next trip. He loved it here.

Lin Qiuran said, "Of course."

Tang Yuan added, "It’s more fun than before. The pancake rolls and grilled meat you made are so delicious. I want to have grilled food at home too."

Lin Qiuran replied, "Alright."

Tang Yuan said, "Mom, you’re the best! Dad too!" After a moment’s thought, he added, "And Grandmother too!"

Listening to the sounds around her, Lin Qiuran felt an immense sense of peace. Her mind drifted to the scenic mountains, lush and dotted with wildflowers, while the sound of the stream filled her ears. With her family around her, Tang Yuan chattered endlessly, like a puppy. Xiao Xun didn’t say much, but he held Lin Qiuran’s hand, and just knowing he was by her side made her feel secure.

Sun Shi, who had developed a fondness for gathering firewood, went out again to collect more. After years of not doing it, she was really enjoying herself today.

Lin Qiuran felt the sunlight, warm and gentle on her head. The breeze, carrying a hint of warmth, wrapped around her like a warm hug.

Everything was just perfect.

Tang Yuan also felt that everything was just perfect. If only he didn’t have to go to the academy tomorrow, it would be even better. But he understood that from here on out, he would have to make his own way.

—End of Main Text—

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