Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Huo Jilin had been heading out early every day lately, and he usually didn't get back until late at night. Huo Yu would already be asleep, so he rarely got to see him. He really missed Huo Jilin.

Huo Jilin had raised him from a baby, and kids know what it's like to miss someone.

Chen Jue adjusted the little hat on his head and carried him toward the road. The two of them were heading to the village entrance to meet Huo Jilin.

It wasn't raining right now, but the sky was still gloomy—it'd probably pour again tonight.

Chen Jue stopped in front of the bridge at the east end of the village. The river had swelled to more than twice its normal level, with muddy yellow water churning under the bridge.

Chen Jue frowned at the endless water.

Dragon Boat Festival races are the time when all the waterways run full, but they sure didn't want this much nonstop rain.

Chen Jue stood at the village entrance for a good while but still didn't see Huo Jilin.

Huo Yu had started fussing, pointing at the bridge like he wanted to go down there. Chen Jue held him close and said quietly, "Don't worry, he'll be fine. Let's go home and wait for him."

Huo Yu reached out and wrapped his arms around his neck, and the two walked slowly back.

Huo Jilin had paved this road with smooth gravel so carts could haul herbs easily, and it didn't get slippery in the rain.

When they got home, Uncle Liu was already cooking. When he saw Chen Jue, he asked, "Dalin still hasn't come back? It's almost dark."

Huo Jilin still wasn't back by dinner. Chen Jue heated up some goat's milk for Huo Yu, and he drank most of it. Uncle Liu held him and waited by the door a bit longer. By the time Chen Jue finished eating, Huo Jilin still hadn't come back. Uncle Liu kept glancing at the door without even realizing it, his brow never easing up.

Chen Jue took Huo Yu and told Uncle Liu to head home first. Uncle Liu said, maybe to comfort Chen Jue or maybe himself: "Don't worry, Dalin'll be back soon. He's definitely coming back."

Chen Jue smiled at him. "I know. Don't you worry either—he'll be fine."

After Uncle Liu left, Chen Jue set Huo Yu on the kang, put up the guardrail, and laid out all his little toys for him to play with. He still had an hour until bedtime.

But Huo Yu was holding out way longer than usual this time. He was yawning and rubbing his chubby little eyes with his hands, snuggled against Chen Jue with teary eyes. Chen Jue heated up another half bowl of milk, hoping it'd knock him out. But just as he finished the milk, thunder rumbled.

Huo Yu jolted and perked right back up.

He was born in winter, so he wasn't used to thunder.

Chen Jue, afraid he'd get scared, pressed his head to his chest, but the kid squirmed free to look again, his big eyes darting around as he watched. After a moment, he seemed to figure out what was going on.

When another flash of lightning came, he pointed at the window and babbled for Chen Jue to look too.

Chen Jue let out a soft sigh. This kid was braver than Huo Jilin—who was scared of thunder.

Watching the flashes outside, Chen Jue's brow knitted slightly. He wasn't worried about Huo Jilin otherwise—his riding and survival skills had been professionally trained in his past life, so he'd be fine. But he was scared of lightning.

Chen Jue carried Huo Yu and sat by the door again.

Huo Yu really wasn't scared of thunder. He stared wide-eyed, ears perked, watching and listening, totally curious. After each thunderclap, he'd calm down, and Chen Jue would pat his back gently, trying to get him to sleep.

But this time, Huo Yu was clearly getting worked up, bouncing on his legs and fighting to get out of Chen Jue's arms. Chen Jue turned to look outside. At first he didn't see anything, but then he heard hoofbeats, and soon a horse appeared on the village path through the rain and mist.

It ran closer and closer, lightning flashing behind him, lighting up his silhouette.

Horse and straw rain cape—he looked like a martial arts hero straight out of a book.

A single straw cloak, facing wind and rain for a lifetime.

Huo Jilin was back.

As Huo Jilin got closer, Huo Yu was so excited he nearly jumped out of his arms—"jumping for joy" had become literal.

Chen Jue had to hold him tight to keep him from squirming away.

Huo Jilin got off his horse at the front of the yard and called out to Chen Jue, who was about to step out: "Don't come out—there's thunder. Don't scare him."

Chen Jue glanced at the bouncing Huo Yu and smiled. "He's not scared."

Huo Jilin tied the horse up in the stable and took off its rain cover. The horse had been out in the open with him every day for the past two days, so Huo Jilin had been putting a rain cape on it too.

After wiping the horse down, Huo Jilin finally turned and headed for the house.

By now Huo Yu was crying out impatiently.

His little hands reached out desperately toward him. Huo Jilin hung his straw cape on the wall and said, "Let me change first—I'm all wet. I'll hold you in a minute."

He grinned at Chen Jue. "Why's he so excited today? Still awake at this hour?"

Chen Jue said, "He hasn't seen you in days. He missed you."

Huo Jilin turned to ask him, "And did you miss me?"

Chen Jue paused, coughed, and changed the subject. "I see you every day."

Which meant he didn't miss him since he saw him every day. Huo Jilin snorted lightly. "Guess I need to go on a long business trip then."

Chen Jue didn't answer, just handed him his clothes. "There's hot water warming by the stove—go wash up."

Even though it was summer, after being out in the rain all day, a hot shower was still the way to go.

Huo Jilin wiped his face with a towel first, then pressed his cheek against the anxious Huo Yu's. "Let me go change first, then I'll hold you, okay?"

Huo Yu left a big smear of drool on his face. Huo Jilin wiped it off, looking a little helpless. "I'll be quick. Just wait for me a sec."

He was way too dirty to hold him.

In summer, with just one layer of clothes, he was soaked through. Plus, he'd gone to the flood outlet to direct the Commander in clearing the waterway, so he was covered in mud.

Being a Regional Commander wasn't an easy gig. On the front lines of flood relief, it's always the people's soldiers—same in ancient times.

Chen Jue pulled Huo Yu back and let him go wash up.

Watching Huo Jilin head to the bathhouse, Huo Yu still tugged at Chen Jue, wanting to go in after him. Chen Jue paced outside with him.

They probably shouldn't follow him in and watch, right?

That'd be weird.

Fortunately, Huo Jilin finished washing up quickly. He came back with his hair wrapped in a dry towel, not bothering to wait for it to dry. The look was pretty distinctive—Huo Yu had never seen it before and was stunned for a second. He was at that age where he recognized people, and if someone looked too different, he wouldn't let them hold him.

Seeing Huo Jilin like that, Huo Yu opened his mouth like he was about to cry, probably wondering where Huo Jilin had gone.

Chen Jue stifled his laughter. It wasn't just Huo Yu who didn't recognize Huo Jilin like this—even Chen Jue couldn't help sneaking a few looks at him. Huo Jilin usually let his hair dry halfway and wore it loose; he rarely had it like this.

Huo Jilin glared at him. Was it really that funny? If he weren't so eager to hold the kid, he wouldn't have come out looking like this!

Huo Jilin approached Huo Yu and said softly, just as he was about to cry, "It's me, your papa."

Huo Yu still stared at him, his big round eyes full of tears.

Huo Jilin made a salute gesture for him again. This time, Huo Yu finally recognized it, and his tears finally spilled over. He opened his arms and finally reached for Huo Jilin to hold him.

Huo Jilin took him over, and he buried his face in his shoulder. It was a moment before he looked up—he was bashful.

Huo Jilin carried him to the kang, where Chen Jue was spreading out the bedding. He asked, "How'd it go today? Have all the villagers over there been evacuated?"

"A third have been moved out so far, and half of Chen Family Village. Your brother and sister-in-law are moving tomorrow, and your folks are coming to stay with us for a few days. I've already arranged it with them."

Huo Jilin held Huo Yu's waist with one hand and supported his arm with the other, letting him bounce on his knee.

Otherwise, he'd start grabbing at the towel on his head.

Chen's dad had been putting in a lot of effort lately helping with the herb purchases. Now that Chen Jue was the head of Chen's Pharmaceutical and a doctor at Wanchun Hall, his dad didn't dare say much to him anymore.

So Chen Jue didn't mind his parents coming to stay—they'd be at the medicine workshop anyway.

If his mom came to the house, she could help watch Huo Yu, and he could go help Huo Jilin.

When the flood came, all the soldiers would have to fight it—it was really dangerous.

He hoped the rain would let up soon. If it kept up like this, it wouldn't just be flooding. After the flood, there'd be a surge of sickness.

But the rain wouldn't stop just because he wanted it to. Uncle Liu had predicted more rain earlier today.

Chen Jue sighed at the thought: "It's probably gonna pour again tonight."

No sooner had Chen Jue spoken than lightning flashed. Then the thunder rolled, and the rain came pouring down.

Huo Yu pointed at the window and cried out, then buried his head in Huo Jilin's chest—copying how Chen Jue had covered his forehead earlier. The little guy had started picking up things recently.

Anything he thought was fun, he had to copy.

His copying was pretty funny. With his head buried in Huo Jilin's arms, his eyes still darting around, he looked like he was putting on a show.

Huo Jilin wanted to laugh at his little act, so he played along and asked, "Scared?"

Huo Yu sat on his lap, poked his head out, and grinned at him, giggling happily. He already had four little teeth. When he grinned with his mouth open, he looked all chubby and cute.

He was just a baby—no matter how bad the storm outside, as long as his parents were with him, he felt safe and happy.

Huo Yu's little antics lightened the two adults' worries.

Huo Jilin said to him, "You don't need to worry too much. Tomorrow, once Chen Family Village and Wang Family Village are fully evacuated, we'll start releasing the floodwater and try to keep it under control."

The reservoir up in the back mountains was already full. Releasing the flood was a must—if they waited for the dam to break, it'd be way worse, not only wrecking the already weak embankments but also easily triggering mudslides.

Today, Huo Jilin had wanted to use forceful measures, to forcibly evacuate the villagers, but they couldn't bear to leave their homes, picking up one thing and then another, dragging their feet very slowly.

Huo Jilin understood their reluctance, but when it came to life and death, even a child knew which mattered more.

So before returning tonight, he had soldiers notify every household that all villagers must complete their evacuation by tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow afternoon at shen shi san ke (around 4:15 PM), the flood release would begin. The original plan remained unchanged. Posters had been put up at the yamen, and announcements had been shouted through megaphones in every village and town all afternoon.

Chen Jue hummed in acknowledgment: "Good. I've also prepared the herbs. The medicines for cold prevention and insect repellent can be boiled directly in the big cauldrons at the temple. Drink plenty of ginger soup, and make sure all the people don't drink raw water."

Huo Jilin nodded: "Good. I'll have the soldiers boil the herbal decoctions. You don't need to worry too much—we made it through the flood of '08, this is nothing."

Huo Jilin pointed at the rain outside. In their later lives, they had both experienced that massive flood. Although Huo Jilin hadn't been in that particular flood relief effort, he had faced flood disasters afterward, and he would draw on those experiences.

"Alright, then get some sleep early. Come, Xiaoyu, come to me—it's time for bed." Chen Jue opened his arms toward Huo Yu. Huo Yu reached for him too—he was already sleepy. He had really stayed up late today. Having seen Huo Jilin, he felt a sense of security like a little grown-up, so he nestled into the blanket between the two of them and fell asleep before long.

This time, Huo Jilin didn't move him to the side. He hadn't realized before that such a tiny child would feel insecure without him nearby, would miss him.

Huo Jilin stretched out his long arm, wrapping it around Huo Yu and also around Chen Jue. He took Chen Jue's hand that rested on his waist and laced their fingers together. Chen Jue paused for a moment but didn't pull away, letting him hold it.

The two of them fell asleep without knowing when.

In his dream, Chen Jue thought—he was worried about Huo Jilin too. The human heart is made of flesh. If even a tiny child like Huo Yu knew to worry about Huo Jilin, how could he not?