Chapter 14 A Single Embroidered Bamboo

Chapter 14: A Stitch of Green Bamboo

Wu Qiu wasn't sure why he got choked up either. His nose prickled sharply, and he raised a hand to rub his eyes, but found no tears. He said in a muffled voice, "When I say this, I'm not questioning your sincerity. Please don't be upset."

Lei Ding patted his back gently with one hand. "How could I be? I'm glad you're willing to talk to me about this."

It showed that Wu Qiu had carefully considered the matter in private and genuinely thought about spending his life with him. Lei Ding naturally wouldn't be angry about that. Given their circumstances, it was perfectly normal for Wu Qiu to feel uneasy. What Lei Ding needed to do was prove himself worthy of Wu Qiu's trust, so he could set his mind at ease.

Lei Ding took one of Wu Qiu's hands in the darkness. Wu Qiu was both shy and nervous, and pulled away without much strength.

But Lei Ding held on tightly and didn't let go, so Wu Qiu let him be.

He let himself be led to touch the front of Lei Ding's robe. The mountain nights were already quite cold, with heavy dew, so neither had removed their outer garments for fear of catching a chill. Lei Ding released his hand, then hooked one of Wu Qiu's fingers and gently traced it down along the robe's opening.

When his fingertip touched a small, slightly raised line of thread, Lei Ding stopped and chuckled. "I've thought about this question too. I've also wondered why, after thirty years of never having such feelings, they suddenly came alive for you."

He rarely spoke like this, and now he deliberately leaned close to Wu Qiu's ear. The warm breath and deep voice sent a shiver through Wu Qiu. He couldn't help squirming in Lei Ding's embrace. Lei Ding slipped his other arm around Wu Qiu's waist to keep him still and continued, "If I had to pinpoint when these feelings began, was it that night at the Earth God Temple? Or after you returned to the clinic? Or... perhaps the first time I saw you at the clinic? I'm not sure myself. But thinking it over, I'd trace it back to this."

The silk thread on the robe's front was something Wu Qiu had embroidered. Back then, he had just recovered his health. Although he helped out at the front, sometimes everyone worried he might overexert himself and urged him to go rest. That day was one such instance. The family had just finished lunch when several patients arrived at the clinic. But Cui Nanshan insisted Wu Qiu return to his room to lie down for a while and come out later. Wu Qiu couldn't win against his insistence, so he complied. Yang Shu was helping Madam Liu tidy up the dishes in the kitchen, leaving Wu Qiu alone in the courtyard. He noticed a few items of laundry Madam Liu had washed and hung on the bamboo pole the previous day had been blown down by the wind. He hurriedly picked them all up, dusted off the dirt, and re-hung them on the pole.

There was a smoke-blue gown—Wu Qiu thought hard and seemed to remember Cui Nanshan wearing it just once—but when he picked it up and shook it out, he noticed a rather long mended seam on the inner lining of the front opening. The stitching was sturdy, and since it was inside the robe, the slightly crooked seam wasn't visible. Moreover, with an inner lining covering it, the wearer might not even notice it unless it happened to fall and flip open.

Once Wu Qiu saw it, he felt it would be awkward to leave it as it was. He knew Cui Nanshan wasn't overly particular about his attire, let alone such an inconspicuous tear. But Wu Qiu thought, although Cui Nanshan was no longer a young man, young masters like him still cared about appearances, so he hoped to make it neater.

Thus, Wu Qiu took the garment back to his room and embroidered a stalk of green bamboo over the mended area. The shape happened to fit perfectly, and the color wasn't out of place.

He hadn't intended to hide it. Later, when he came out to hang the clothes and ran into Madam Liu, he openly told her he had seen Master Cui's torn robe and helped mend it a bit. Madam Liu looked somewhat surprised, then smiled, but didn't say anything.

Only now did Wu Qiu understand why she had smiled back then—because that robe didn't belong to Cui Nanshan. That night, there was a breeze, and Lei Ding had casually taken it off to drape over his father.

The mountain night was too dark for Lei Ding to see Wu Qiu's face clearly, but the young man buried his face against Lei Ding's chest, neither speaking nor moving. It wasn't hard to imagine him blushing, biting his lip, perhaps even with reddened ear tips. Lei Ding's heart softened, and his voice grew even gentler as he murmured into Wu Qiu's ear, "When I later saw it by chance, I wondered who in the household had such skill. I asked Madam Liu, and she said you had mistaken it for my father's robe. And later... when I received your handkerchief, the embroidered border on it used the same stitches and thread..."

Wu Qiu's voice grew even softer. "You... you always tease me. What skill do I have? I only know how to embroider a few flowers and plants. Compared to the skilled embroiderers in Yongning City, I probably don't even match their beginner techniques."

Lei Ding laughed. "I think it's excellent. What matters to me isn't whose robe it was or how skilled the embroidery is, but your thoughtfulness. Life should be lived like this. Even though it was just an old everyday robe, even though the inside of the front opening is a place I might not even see myself, and even though you were in such dire straits, you still chose to embroider a stalk of green bamboo."

At that moment, Lei Ding became certain: this was someone whose interests aligned with his own, someone he wanted to spend his life with.

He paused, not speaking immediately.

Wu Qiu seemed to grasp some of the meaning behind Lei Ding's words.

He gently held Lei Ding's fingertip. "You're not upset that I altered your robe without permission?"

His words were light and soft, like a feather brushing against one's ear. Lei Ding wanted to kiss him, but a sense of hesitation held him back, afraid of overstepping. So he patiently said to the person in his arms, "No, I'm not. I like you just the way you are."

Wu Qiu remained silent for a long while, so long that Lei Ding's heart began to beat faster and faster. After all, Wu Qiu was a widower, and Yang Shu was his late husband's mother. Given this status, even though Lei Ding knew Wu Qiu reciprocated his feelings, he was still afraid Wu Qiu might say "no" because of it.

Perhaps because they were so close, Wu Qiu suddenly let out a soft laugh and tapped Lei Ding's chest with his finger. "Sir, as a physician, you're accustomed to life and death. How can you still be like this?"

Lei Ding didn't speak, only placed his hand over Wu Qiu's, pressing it firmly against his own chest.

Wu Qiu's heart began to pound fiercely too. He pressed his lips together, striving to steady his mind. Only when he was sure his voice wouldn't tremble did he speak. "The question you asked me earlier... could you ask it again?"

Lei Ding nodded and said okay, then asked again solemnly, "Qiu Er, would you be willing to become my husband? From now on, I'll be like the stars and you the moon, accompanying each other day and night, staying together until our hair turns white. Is that alright?"

In truth, Wu Qiu couldn't hold back his tears again. They streamed uncontrollably from his eyes. He was too embarrassed to let Lei Ding notice, so he didn't wipe them away, letting the teardrops fall.

He had never been very brave. Although he had endured many hardships and never gave up, deep down he was always fearful and anxious. On one hand, he admired Lei Ding; on the other, he was still afraid—afraid Lei Ding's elders would despise him for being a widower, afraid that as days passed and life became mundane, even these feelings would fade. But now, held in Lei Ding's embrace, he suddenly felt no more fear. All the past sufferings and future uncertainties no longer seemed daunting.

Lei Ding knew he was crying and reached out to wipe his tears. "Don't be afraid. Since I said I want to marry you, naturally I can make this decision. If you truly don't want to..."

He feared pressing too hard might make things difficult for Wu Qiu. But Wu Qiu immediately raised his hand, pressing a fingertip to Lei Ding's lips to stop him. No longer caring that his voice betrayed his tears, he said tremulously, "I'm willing. I'm willing. I'll marry you."

It seemed... he was finally going to have a real home. A home filled with warmth, with gentle elders, noisy younger brothers, and a husband who cherished him. A home with the humble comforts of daily life, where someone would teach him music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, share his joys and sorrows, and accompany him for the rest of his life.

Buried in Lei Ding's embrace, Wu Qiu's heart swelled with joy, overflowing from his eyes as he trembled with tears.

Wu Qiu's face still rested against Lei Ding's chest. He nodded vigorously but couldn't speak yet.

Lei Ding tucked the blanket snugly around him, then lifted his own quilt and wrapped Wu Qiu inside, keeping him warm. "My fault. I shouldn't have made you cry so late at night. I will keep my promises, Qiu Er. Don't be afraid. This matter isn't urgent; I'm just glad to know you're willing. Rest well now. Tomorrow will be another tiring day."

Wu Qiu never looked up. He hadn't been sleepy, but after a long day and crying until his eyes ached, lulled by Lei Ding's soothing, he soon fell asleep. Hearing his breathing deepen, Lei Ding also relaxed. He carefully brushed aside the quilt corner covering Wu Qiu's cheek. Gazing in Wu Qiu's direction in the darkness, he finally leaned down cautiously and placed a gentle kiss on the stray hairs on Wu Qiu's forehead.

The next day, Wu Qiu woke very early, just as dawn was breaking with the chilly dew of morning. The spot beside him was empty; Lei Ding had already gone out. Wu Qiu felt a bit embarrassed, as if he had been too lazy. He hurriedly sat up, only to sneeze twice. He quickly wrapped the blanket around himself again, then reached for the cloak placed nearby.

Hearing the noise, Lei Ding came in. As Wu Qiu was only half-draped in the cloak, Lei Ding crouched down to tie the ribbon at the collar for him. "Even though it's summer, mornings in the mountains are chilly. Don't catch a cold."

Wu Qiu smiled. "No wonder you're a physician. You're always either worried I'm cold or that I haven't eaten or slept well."

Lei Ding stood up and reached out to support Wu Qiu's arm. "Precisely because I'm a physician and see so much illness, I don't want to see you get sick."

In truth, from the moment Lei Ding entered, last night's events and every word they had exchanged kept churning in Wu Qiu's heart. He knew Lei Ding wouldn't deceive him about this, but he still couldn't help feeling uneasy. He wanted to ask, but didn't know where to start. Lei Ding seemed to read his thoughts. He stared into Wu Qiu's eyes for a long moment, then smoothed back Wu Qiu's disheveled hair. "If my husband were to fall ill, of course I'd be distressed. So, Qiu Er, be good."

Wu Qiu, blushing, nestled into Lei Ding's embrace. "I've been very obedient."

Lei Ding had already sorted and prepared all the medicinal herbs they gathered the previous day. The Yunhu Herb required for this medicine was used sparingly, so although they hadn't collected much, it would likely sustain Yongning City's people for a few days. He estimated that gathering more this morning would be enough, and they could return today. Pressed for time, they quickly ate something, packed their belongings, and headed back up the mountain.

Although they had just confessed their feelings the night before, they were too busy searching for herbs to find time for closeness. It wasn't until around noon that they stopped to eat some dry rations as a simple meal. They needed to return home before dark, so after lunch, they began their descent. Nowadays, some refugees with remaining strength would come up the mountain looking for food. The closer they got to the foothills, the more likely they were to encounter people. At the mountain's base, some trees had even been stripped of their bark. Animals like rabbits had fled deeper into the mountains. As for robbing travelers and seizing valuables, such incidents were countless. The previous day, they had entered the mountain early in the morning when few people were around, so they hadn't needed to worry much. But today, they were right in the middle of the afternoon when more people were about. Lei Ding also feared running into displaced people and causing trouble, so he led Wu Qiu along small paths the whole way.

The small paths were remote and difficult to traverse. Wu Qiu walked until sweat beaded on his temples and the hollows of his nose. Seeing this, and after carefully checking that no one was around, Lei Ding stopped near some rocks. "This path isn't easy. Let's rest a bit before continuing."

Wu Qiu tugged his sleeve. "I can keep going."

Lei Ding smiled, casually taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Wu Qiu's face. "I know. But look carefully—this is a fork in the path. Wait here and sit for a while. I'll scout ahead to see which route is better. Stay right here and don't wander off. I'll be back soon. Are you afraid to wait alone? Or we can go together later."

Wu Qiu thought that would only take more time. Besides, it was broad daylight, they were already out of the deep mountains, and there were no wild beasts. It should be fine. He quickly shook his head and handed his water pouch to Lei Ding. "In that case, have a drink before you go. In broad daylight, there's nothing to fear. But you be careful and come back soon."

Lei Ding patted his head. "Don't worry. I won't go far, just take a quick look. I'll be back in half the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Whatever you do, don't leave this spot. The mountain vegetation is dense; sometimes you can lose sight of someone just a few steps away."

Although everything seemed settled, after taking only a couple of steps, Lei Ding suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease. He wasn't quite reassured and turned back to look at Wu Qiu, carefully surveying the surroundings.

Birds chirped incessantly. A fresh mountain breeze rustled through the forest leaves.

Nothing seemed amiss.

Seeing Lei Ding hesitate, Wu Qiu knew he was worried and feared delaying matters. He quickly smiled and waved at him. "Just go ahead. I'll be fine. I'll take this chance to rest my feet. It won't delay our return."

Lei Ding agreed, thinking he'd go quickly and return soon, so he stopped overthinking and set off on the western path. Wu Qiu watched his figure vanish from sight, then came back to himself and relaxed onto a rock, wiping the sweat from his face.

He was still thinking about last night, about his and Lei Ding's future, so much so that he was momentarily lost in thought. It wasn't until he heard a rustling sound behind him that he sharply turned around.

Author's Note:

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So, late nights really do make people emotional, huh?