Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Just half a month ago, Yu Linlang, the eldest daughter of the main branch of the Yu family who had married into the Duke's estate and followed her husband to the distant frontier, arrived with her retinue of guards all the way from Qingzhou Prefecture to Guangping County. From there, she purged the area of bandits, reaching Tongjiang Town where the Yu ancestral home was located.

It is said that the first thing Yu Linlang did upon returning to her hometown was to behead her stepmother's milk brother, who had been holed up guarding the old mansion.

The second thing was to send her subordinates to root out all the bandits hiding in Tongjiang Town. She then dispatched people to search the surrounding villages and towns for any bandits causing trouble, executing them summarily if found, and they would politely depart after a thorough search if none were discovered.

In just a few short days, Tongjiang Town was swept completely clean.

Now, the safest place in all of Guangping County is Tongjiang Town. All the refugees react to the name Yu Linlang as if she were the King of Hell himself, terrified at the very sound of her name. Two days ago, it was said that the magistrate's and prefect's men came to deliver visiting cards. However, not only were they not allowed to enter, but the hands holding the cards were sliced in two by the guards at the gate as soon as they were extended.

Now, throughout Qingzhou Prefecture, Yu Linlang has issued a warning: if any refugee dares to set foot in Tongjiang Town, they will be killed singly or in pairs. Those who don't believe it are welcome to try!

Once these words were spoken, regardless of what the outside world thought, Tongjiang Town was completely pacified.

At least on the surface.

This is why life in Tongjiang Town seemed to return overnight to the peaceful days before the refugees overran the area. The people lived and worked in peace, with taverns, shops, vendors, donkey carts, horse carriages, mule carts, men carrying loads on shoulder poles, women with baskets on their backs, carefree children, and a continuous stream of people coming and going... Walking along, Old Man Zhao, who had just experienced a life-and-death struggle, was struck by a jarring disconnect, as if one foot was in a chaotic world and the other in a prosperous era. For a moment, he couldn't quite tell what year it was.

He suppressed this feeling internally, ultimately sighing helplessly. This was the disadvantage of being remote—truly, you couldn't even get the first pick of anything. Look at the villages nearby; they even had guards helping to suppress bandits. Unlike them, who had to barricade themselves against a horde and rely entirely on risking their own lives to protect their meager possessions.

Ah, comparing yourself to others is enough to make you die of frustration.

However, with the General's Wife personally stationed here, it seemed her goal and the purpose of their journey were the same.

Just as when the He family was in trouble, Li Xuan, who protected He Jinyu and helped him escape, first thought of fleeing to the Yu family, their in-laws. Yu Linlang's recent actions were quite significant, making her known throughout Qingzhou Prefecture. It seemed she was deliberately doing this; finding a child in the vast Qingzhou Prefecture was too difficult, so she adopted the opposite tactic, spreading the news of her presence in the Yu family to let the child come to her.

But what she didn't expect was that the Evening Glow Village where He Jinyu was hiding was in a remote mountain hollow, so isolated that news of the emperor's death would take two years to reach them. If it weren't for the refugees entering the village and stimulating the child to take the risk and come to the Yu family, even if she turned Tongjiang Town upside down suppressing bandits and searching for people, it would have taken two or three months to reach their Evening Glow Village.

Who made their place so remote?

...

The Yu ancestral home was located in the west of the town, easy to find—the most imposing residence was the one.

For caution's sake, Old Man Zhao didn't let He Jinyu show himself, keeping him hidden in the carrying basket instead. He stood at a distance, secretly observing. He saw two guards standing at the main gate of the Yu residence, both over eight feet tall, standing as straight as pine trees, looking more like soldiers than the city guards they had seen in the prefectural city. The child's uncle was a great general. The commoners said the Yu family's young lady had personally led people to suppress the refugees. So it made sense that the general's formidable wife brought what seemed to be soldiers from the military camp to act as guards.

"Jin Yu, take a stealthy look. Do you recognize the two people standing at the gate?" Old Man Zhao tapped the basket. "Do they look like your uncle's people? Have you seen them before?"

He Jinyu looked through the gaps in the basket toward the Yu family's main gate. Although his father was the prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture, and the Yu family's old residence would send gifts during festivals, maintaining surface-level interactions between the two families, due to the incident of his cousin's disappearance years ago, his family was actually only close to his aunt who was far away at the frontier. Their relationship with the Yu family was merely superficial, faultless but definitely not close.

When Big Brother Li Xuan brought him to Tongjiang Town, it was actually because they were forced into a corner with no way out. If not for that, he wouldn't have entrusted him to Uncle Dashan on his deathbed instead of asking Uncle Dashan to take him to the Yu family.

Clearly, he also understood that the chief steward left behind to guard the old residence in Tongjiang Town was the milk brother of the Yu family master's later wife, and was involved in his cousin's disappearance years ago.

But back then, they acted cautiously, leaving no evidence. Several maids involved died suddenly overnight, and the person who stole his cousin was the personal maid who had grown up with his aunt since childhood. Insiders colluding with outsiders made it impossible to guard against. With no witnesses or material evidence, his grandfather and uncle could do nothing about it. The Yu family's master doted on his second wife; with her pleading and crying, the matter was easily dismissed, and the person was merely sent far away to guard the gate at the rural ancestral home, as a "resolution" to the Chen family's suspicions.

With years of discord between the two families, coming here for help would not only fail to bring peace of mind but would even raise concerns about the other party causing trouble.

Therefore, even though it was close, He Jinyu had never once come to the Yu family and was very unfamiliar with the place. But while the place was unfamiliar, the people were familiar. He recognized at a glance that the two guards at the main gate were the ones who came from the distant frontier to his home every year to deliver New Year's gifts.

Chen Da and Chen Er, who grew up with his uncle and were given the family surname.

He Jinyu instinctively gripped the basket, a surge of excitement at seeing familiar, close people welling in his heart: "Grandpa, I know them. They are my uncle's personal guards, they're our people." Given Chen Da and Chen Er's status, there was no way they would be assigned to guard the gate. He didn't need to think to know this was his aunt's arrangement—the gatekeepers must be trusted confidants, meant to reassure him.

"Can they be trusted?" Old Man Zhao asked, still uneasy.

"Yes!"

"Alright." Old Man Zhao took a deep breath and was about to muster the courage to approach them when he realized the other party had also been secretly observing them for a while and spoke first: "Hey, that old man, yes, you. What are you looking at? You've been sneaking around."

Of course, he had been sneaking around. Old Man Zhao thought he was being discreet, but every move had been noticed by others.

"I... I caught something precious in the river. I wonder if your esteemed household would be interested in taking a look?" Old Man Zhao approached with his son. The rural old man's straw shoes were covered in mud, having walked for four hours on mountain paths. He looked disheveled, exuding an air of simple honesty.

Chen Da subtly looked him over from head to toe, finding nothing suspicious. It seemed unlikely that a swindler would dare to come to them. "What is so precious? Show it."

"A golden fish." Old Man Zhao's words were startling.

Chen Da paused, then his fierce eyes shot toward him.

Old Man Zhao broke out in a cold sweat under his gaze, feeling immense pressure. He became even more determined to stay away from people from wealthy families. A single guard gave off such strong oppressive energy; he even had the illusion that if he showed any sign of abnormality, his head would immediately be separated from his body.

Chen Da looked at the basket behind them, instinctively tightening his grip on the hilt of his knife.

Chen Er beside him did the same, staring intently at the father and son as if they would draw their knives and kill at the slightest suspicious move.

Old Man Zhao and Zhao Sandi shivered, so frightened they even lightened their breathing, afraid the other party might take a dislike to them and kill them without a word.

He Jinyu, who had been curled up in the summer quilt since entering the town, also sensed the tense atmosphere. He could no longer hold back and quickly spoke up: "Chen Da, Chen Er, it's me!" He threw off the quilt, but before his head could emerge, Old Man Zhao swiftly pressed him back down. Old Man Zhao cautiously glanced around. Fortunately, wealthy families weren't like the countryside, especially the Yu family. The residence was large, covering a wide area, with neighbors far apart. There wasn't even a bird in the trees. Only then did he relax heavily.

"Brother Guards, please don't be angry." He looked at Chen Da with an awkward smile. "This old man is a fish finder, not a fish catcher."

Chen Da had already taken several quick steps forward as soon as He Jinyu spoke. He grabbed Zhao Sandi's basket and looked at He Jinyu, who was hidden under the quilt with only half his face showing. A look of great joy flashed across his face.

"Chen Er!"

Chen Er dashed into the residence.

Not long after, a series of hurried footsteps approached.

...

In the main hall of the Yu residence.

Old Man Zhao and Zhao Sandi sat on chairs carved with auspicious cloud patterns, clearly valuable, fidgeting uncomfortably.

On the table before them were two plates of exquisite pastries, with the faint aroma of tea lingering around them. The father and son, however, lacked the sophistication to appreciate them. When thirsty, they drank in one gulp, smacking their lips afterward, finding the taste much better than the mountain tea they picked in the hills.

Drinking tea and eating pastries, the father and son didn't hold back at all. The host told them not to stand on ceremony, and they couldn't be bothered to be polite. Since they wouldn't be interacting in the future anyway, there was no need for pretense.

Chen Da and Chen Er attended to them carefully nearby, having already refilled the tea three times. Yu Linlang, having regained her composure, finally arrived with He Jinyu, who had changed his clothes.

Both their eyes were red, clearly having cried heavily.

As soon as He Jinyu saw Old Man Zhao and Zhao Sandi, he walked forward and knelt down with a "thud."

Old Man Zhao was startled and quickly reached out to pull him up, urgently saying, "What are you doing? Get up quickly!"

"Old sir, the debt of a life saved is as vast as the heavens. Let the child kowtow to you a few times. You deserve it," Yu Linlang said with a smile, but her tone carried an undeniable authority. Old Man Zhao's family had been poor farmers for three generations; when had he ever spoken to such a noble person? He stiffened, forcibly accepting three loud kowtows from the child.

Yu Linlang gave Chen Da a meaningful look. Chen Da went outside briefly, and soon after, over a dozen guards carried dishes to the table in unison—all delicacies from land and sea, with plenty of fish and meat, filling the entire table.

"Please, both of you, take the seats of honor." Yu Linlang smiled and invited them to sit. "I heard from Jin Yu that you set out early in the morning without even eating breakfast, walking for several hours on mountain paths. That must have been very hard. Right now, time is too tight to prepare a proper meal. This midday meal is simple; please don't mind."

Old Man Zhao instinctively stood up, both cupping his hands and bowing, unsure of the etiquette among wealthy families, so he just improvised: "Not at all, not at all. The General's Wife is too kind."

Zhao Sandi hurriedly stood up as well, bowing and cupping his hands. In the process, his chair scraped loudly with a "creak." Yu Linlang, who was about to tell them not to stand on ceremony, paused mid-sentence.

The father and son turned red with shame, looking at the General's Wife seated at the head of the table. Even though she showed no signs of disdain or displeasure, they still felt awkward and uncomfortable. They couldn’t bring themselves to take a single bite; they’d rather go home and eat steamed buns at ease.

As if sensing their discomfort, Yu Linlang excused herself, claiming she had other matters to attend to, and asked He Jinyu to stay and keep them company for the meal.

Before leaving, she also dismissed Chen Da and the others, giving them complete privacy.

Only after everyone had left did Old Man Zhao finally relax. He felt rather inadequate and glanced at He Jinyu, who looked noticeably different now. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly about how clothes make the man. Just look—with a change of attire, who could tell this was the same Wang Jinyu who used to run all over the mountains with Xiao Wu and the others?

This was the difference that status made. Wearing the same clothes, Xiao Wu would look like an actor on stage—awkward and out of place.

But on Jin Yu, they looked just right—like a young master, as it should be.

“Jin Yu, take care of yourself from now on,” he said, a sense of distance having sprung up between them for no clear reason. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be close to the child anymore, but he felt he shouldn’t be.

Seeing him not touch his chopsticks, He Jinyu felt a pang in his heart. Even the simplest things in the Yu family were luxuries they could never hope to touch in the eyes of the Zhao family. If a feast like this had been on their table at home, Xiao Wu and the others would have been overjoyed.

But here in the Yu residence, Grandpa and Third Uncle didn’t even dare to pick up their chopsticks.

“Grandpa, Third Uncle, please eat a little,” He Jinyu said, sensing his grandfather's distance. His eyes were as red as a rabbit's, not wanting to grow apart from them.

Old Man Zhao's heart felt heavy. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat without tasting the food.

Their family didn't follow the rule of no talking during meals, so over the course of the meal, He Jinyu talked a lot.

He said they would set off for the border the next day. The capital was not an option for him—it wasn’t a safe place but rather a place where he could get himself killed. His maternal grandfather was currently in a dangerous situation, and his aunt’s high-profile trip to Qingzhou Prefecture to find him was also a risky move. The journey back to the border might not be peaceful, but fortunately, his uncle and grandfather had arrangements in place, and there would be people to receive them along the way.

He also shared a piece of news with Old Man Zhao, something his aunt had just told him: the court intended to conscript militia from Qingzhou Prefecture, and an edict would be issued soon, likely after the autumn harvest. This conscription would be extremely strict, with no option to pay for substitutes. In other words, except for scholars with official titles, all commoners—whether from wealthy families, artisans, or poor farmers—would be required to serve, with no household able to avoid it.

After saying this, he looked at Old Man Zhao with hopeful eyes and asked cautiously, “Grandpa, would you be willing to come with us to the border?” Before Old Man Zhao could refuse, he quickly added, “This is my aunt’s idea.”

He lowered his head, not daring to look at him. “My aunt said this is the Emperor’s decree, and even she doesn’t dare to interfere lightly now. And if the people behind this follow the trail back to you, it could bring a calamity down on your household.”

When Old Man Zhao heard about the conscription, he once again marveled at how his Little Treasure Fairy was truly a celestial being descended to earth. Just look—look at this ability to foresee the future! His family had already known about it!

After his private excitement faded, he quickly calmed down. This was hardly something to celebrate.

After some thought, he said, “Jin Yu, thank your aunt for me, but our family won’t go along and cause trouble.” It wasn’t that he wasn’t tempted at all, but he certainly wasn’t eager to go.

What kind of place was the border? A burial ground where people fought foreigners to the death! Not to mention, from what Jin Yu said, the journey to the border might not be peaceful. Even if there were people to receive them along the way, the guards would be sure to focus on protecting the General’s Wife and Jin Yu. In a life-or-death situation, what would happen to his family, with all its young and old members?

Call him petty if you will, but aside from his own family, he didn’t trust outsiders.

Admittedly, going with them to the border would allow them to avoid conscription, but what about afterward? Even if the journey was peaceful, they would be strangers in a strange land at the border. They were generals; his family were peasants. Important people were busy—how could they possibly pay attention to every little thing? How would his family live then? Would they be given land to farm? Would there be land to build houses on? Would the new village be safe? Could there be foreigners, even more terrifying than refugees, who might come to the village to burn, kill, and loot?

Avoiding the conscription pitfall might lead to countless other pitfalls. Old Man Zhao felt this was not something he could agree to.

Nor was it that simple.

Besides, Jin Yu had said his grandfather was in a dangerous situation. How could his uncle, far away at the border, be any better off? And his aunt—as a married woman returning to her ancestral home, the first thing she did was execute her stepmother’s milk brother. This showed that the relationship between the Yu and Chen families was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.

Moreover, his family had a huge secret. He didn’t think they had the brains to deceive clever people.

So it was better for everyone to return to their rightful places and avoid contact in the future.

Their connection was with He Jinyu, not the Yu family, and certainly not the Chen family. Even if clinging to these two big trees could offer a chance to change their social status, Old Man Zhao remained clear-headed and wasn’t blinded by the potential benefits.

“Jin Yu, you’re a very smart child. Grandpa understands what you mean, but you know what our family is like,” Old Man Zhao said, putting down his chopsticks and looking at him. “Our family has no great abilities, no ambition, no aspirations. We just want to live a good life, have enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and a roof over our heads to shelter us from the wind and rain. Your brothers are all brawn and no brains; having them by your side would only cause trouble and be of no help to you. If you want to lift them up, they need to have the capability.”

“Your three uncles are the same. Don’t think that just because they can kill refugees, they’re capable. They rely on brute force. In the countryside, they might be considered tough, but if you put them out in the world, just look at the two guards earlier—they could take them down with one hand.” He deliberately spoke in a light tone, trying to ease the atmosphere so the boy wouldn't be so downcast. “Grandpa just hopes you’ll be well. If you have the chance in the future, after you’ve grown up and avenged your family, and if you still remember us, come back to Sunset Village to visit. If I’m still alive by then, I’ll personally host a pig-slaughtering feast for you. Haha, your aunt said she wanted to stew pig trotters. Well, you won’t get to eat them this time.”

His laughter gradually faded, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally reached out with his large, calloused hand and gently placed it on He Jinyu’s head. “Jin Yu, learn your skills well. As long as you don’t mind, our door will always be open for you. You are He Jinyu, but you are also Wang Jinyu.”

He patted the child’s head gently and wiped the tears from his face. “Always.”

The midday meal lasted over two hours, and no one disturbed them. By the time the food had gone cold and it was getting late, Old Man Zhao and Zhao Sandi had to take their leave.

He Jinyu’s eyes were red. Following behind his aunt, he personally escorted Grandpa and Third Uncle out of the house.

They had entered through the main gate but left through a side door, as Old Man Zhao had requested. The main gate was too conspicuous, and he just wanted to leave quietly without drawing attention. Even though Yu Linlang assured him there was no need to worry—she would cover their tracks so no one could find them or disrupt their lives—Old Man Zhao still wasn’t convinced.

He was just a cautious person who didn’t trust outsiders.

Once outside the Yu residence, Old Man Zhao and Zhao Sandi didn’t look back even once. Everything that needed to be said had already been said. Besides, they were the real family; what were he and his son? Even as he comforted himself with these thoughts, Old Man Zhao still felt uneasy, as if he had left his own child to be raised in someone else’s home.

He had truly grown attached and couldn’t bear to part.

He also truly didn’t dare to look back. He was afraid he might soften and, in a moment of impulsiveness, do something like snatch the child back. If that happened, those two guards would probably draw their swords and stab them through the heart.

They hurried away from the Yu residence, left the west side of the town, and departed from Tongjiang Town.

They didn’t stop along the way until they had walked for two hours on the mountain path and were completely safe. Only then did the father and son find a place to sit and rest, taking the opportunity to check their back baskets.

Their baskets had been stuffed with many things. The General’s Wife hadn’t said anything openly, but she had subtly hinted at her willingness to take their family to the border. After he refused, she had people fill their baskets with gifts of gratitude.

First was a bag of silver, heavy to lift. Old Man Zhao untied the string and saw about twenty small, round ingots—silver, of course.

Roughly a hundred taels of silver.

The rest included pastries, tea, colored silk thread, dried mountain delicacies, precious medicinal herbs, and medicine bottles with labels... Old Man Zhao couldn’t read, so he opened them to look. Inside were pills and powders, all packed into a box—about a dozen bottles in total.

He carefully put them back, deciding to take them home for Little Treasure to examine. The boys were lazy learners, only able to recite but not write. In contrast, Little Treasure was clever; she could learn a character after seeing it twice. Even though she practiced writing on the ground in scribbles only she could understand, she was still the only one in the family who could read.

Opening the last box, he found it filled with gold leaf, gold gourds, gold melon seeds...

Old Man Zhao and Zhao Sandi gasped. The General’s Wife was truly generous!

However, before they could finish that thought, Old Man Zhao picked up a piece of gold leaf and a gold gourd, examining them from all angles. At first glance, the patterns and styles seemed oddly familiar.

When he realized where he had seen them before, he nearly choked on his breath.

“This... this stuff...” His hands trembled as he held the box. “How is it exactly the same as the gold we dug up before??”