Chapter 22
It was already Shenshi (around 3-5 PM) when they returned. Huo Shu leisurely followed the ox cart carrying people back to the village, leading his horse from a distance. He could see the young man sitting on the cart, hugging his knees, chatting with the people on the cart intermittently. He looked much more relaxed than he had in the morning. Seeing this, his brow relaxed, and his gaze drifted to the open fields beside the official road.
When Huo Shu went to the stables to get his horse today, he saw a spirited horse still stabled there. Judging by its appearance, it was likely a warhorse. When he asked the stablehand about the horse, he was told it belonged to a soldier returning from the front lines. Huo Shu asked where the soldier was returning from, but the stablehand couldn’t provide a clear answer. He didn’t dwell on it, reasoning that soldiers returning from the front might not necessarily be from the northern region, but could be from other border outposts. Moreover, even if they were from the northern region, with thousands of soldiers in the vast military camp, they might not be familiar faces. Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land was a pleasant surprise, but rare.
Huo Shu withdrew his gaze, thinking he should find something to do to settle down soon. Just as he was lost in thought, a commotion erupted ahead.
“Oh dear, I almost fell.”
“Master Zhang, what’s wrong with your ox? It’s walking straight into the ditch. The cartwheels are stuck in the ditch now. This is really inconvenient. We’re still a long way from the village, and we won’t pay.”
Tao Yu had been wandering around all morning. Riding on the ox cart, bumping and swaying, he felt a bit sleepy from the fatigue. Just as he was drowsily about to doze off, the ox cart suddenly lurched, and the cartwheels sank directly into the ditch. He happened to be sitting at the tail of the cart, and he immediately slid off. Fortunately, he didn’t fall into the ditch, but he landed on his knees on the muddy official road. He slumped onto the ground like a soft lump of dough. Although the distance from the cart was not high, it felt like a disaster to him. A sharp pain shot through his knees and the palms of his hands that he used to support himself.
Normally, they could only take the village ox cart in the morning when entering the city. There were many ox carts parked at the city gate when returning, but not all of them were from their village. As long as they were going in the same direction, anyone could ride, so people didn’t fuss too much about it. This cart was filled with people from other villages, who were only concerned with shouting about not paying and paid no attention to Tao Yu, who was kneeling on the ground. He struggled to get up, dragging his leg and his immobile hand, trying to move aside to find a stone to sit on.
Seeing that something had happened, Huo Shu immediately dismounted. Da Hei ran a few steps forward. He then saw that the ox cart, which had been fine moments ago, had overturned and its wheels were stuck in the ditch. The passengers had already gotten off the cart.
“My apologies, everyone. I won’t pay. I won’t pay.”
The cart driver stood with his hands on his hips, annoyed that the stubborn ox was acting up. Seeing that he had managed to pull a cart full of people, only to have to make a wasted trip without earning a single penny, he was angry. He was also surrounded by a group of women and their husbands, as if a thousand mouths were yelling at him from above, making a lot of noise.
Just as he was wondering what to do, his gaze suddenly fell on Tao Yu, who was hunched over and silent. Seeing that he was the youngest on the cart and was alone without any companions, he immediately frowned and said, “My ox is usually very gentle and never throws people off.”
“It must have been that young man who caused the wheels to get stuck in the ditch by moving around carelessly.”
Several people, not knowing what had happened, turned their heads to look at Tao Yu. Seeing that he wasn’t coming forward to demand justice, they assumed he was guilty and immediately began to question him, “Young man, how could you get the cartwheels stuck in the ditch? There are a whole cart of people, how dangerous!”
The cart driver immediately said, “Young man, you must compensate me for my losses. If the cart is damaged, how can I continue to pull it? I run a small business, and I rely on this for some extra income during the off-season.”
Someone else on the cart chimed in, “Yes, young man. We are all farmers, and life is not easy. It’s good that no one was seriously hurt, but this has also delayed everyone’s time.”
Tao Yu’s knees ached so much he couldn’t stand up straight. He hadn’t expected people to start scolding him, the injured party. He opened his scraped palm and said, “If I wasn’t moving around, why would I have fallen and gotten myself hurt?”
The group paused for a moment. The cart driver said, “I just told you not to mess with the cartwheels. Look, you got hurt. Fortunately, it’s just a scratch. If you had been seriously injured, who would be responsible?”
The farmer’s wives and husbands chimed in, “Which village are you from, young man? Why are you so ignorant?”
Tao Yu was furious. These people were ganging up on him because he was from another village and had no one with him. His hands and legs hurt, and he still had to argue with them. In his anger, his eyes turned red, which made these people think he was even easier to bully.
Just as everyone was chattering on, a horse galloped over, kicking up a cloud of dust and mud.
“Pfft! You choked me with dust! Who is it? Can’t you see so many people? And you’re still running…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the black horse stopped beside them. Then, a strong and powerful man dismounted. The farmer who had just spat out dust looked up and saw the face of the newcomer, and immediately shut his mouth.
Huo Shu, with a cold expression, walked directly towards Tao Yu. “Are you badly hurt?”
Tao Yu saw Huo Shu’s furrowed brows and his much fiercer expression than usual. He said, “My hand can’t move much, it might be dislocated. My knee was bumped, it should just be an external injury.”
Huo Shu said nothing. He first helped Tao Yu to sit on a stone on the side. Then, he turned back. The farmers, who had been so imposing moments ago, suddenly deflated. They sheepishly retreated, trying to conceal their earlier behavior. Huo Shu didn’t argue with them. Instead, he suddenly lifted his leg, and with a “crack,” the cartwheel suddenly loosened, and the cart, which had been tilted in the ditch, was now completely stuck.
A timid woman couldn’t help but let out a surprised scream. The cart driver flinched, seeing that Huo Shu had no intention of stopping. If the cart took any more hits, it would likely be ruined. He immediately changed his tune and begged for mercy, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. My ox acted up today and threw the young man. I won’t charge for the cart. I’ll pay for the medical expenses, I’ll pay for everything!”
The surrounding farmers, who were good at sensing which way the wind was blowing, suddenly changed their tone and started showing concern for Tao Yu. “Are you alright, young man? Oh dear, I was only thinking of myself just now and didn’t have time to help you. Please don’t blame me.”
The cart driver immediately paid Tao Yu for his medical expenses. Only then did Huo Shu say anything more. He walked closer to Tao Yu, and the farmers quickly stepped aside, grumbling about their bad luck today, and slunk away while Huo Shu wasn’t paying attention, leaving only the cart driver to figure out how to get the stuck cart out of the ditch.
Huo Shu squatted down in front of Tao Yu and asked softly, “Can you move your hand?”
Tao Yu shook his head. “It hurts when I move it.”
Huo Shu saw the white palm stained with dirt and broken, although it was only the size of a little fingernail. Tao Yu’s skin, which would easily crack in the cold wind, was already red and swollen from this abrasion. His brows were tightly knit. “I’ll put it back in place. Bear with the pain.”
Tao Yu nodded and extended his hand, turning his head away at the same time. Seeing this, Huo Shu acted without delay. He held Tao Yu’s slender arm and touched the dislocated joint. Tao Yu gritted his teeth and didn’t cry out in pain, but his body trembled involuntarily. When he turned back, Huo Shu saw a pair of red, teary eyes that seemed to reflect his image.
Huo Shu pursed his lips, unsure what to do, and afraid he would cry again. “Does it hurt a lot?”
Tao Yu’s voice was hoarse. “It only hurt for a moment. It doesn’t hurt as much now.” He gently moved his wrist and looked at Huo Shu. “I can move it now.”
“That’s good.”
Huo Shu, seeing that the young man was injured and his brows were furrowed, thought he should be sent home quickly. He subconsciously reached out to pick up the small figure, but then paused and asked, “Can you still walk?”
Tao Yu looked at his knee. He didn’t know the extent of the injury, but the bone was definitely fine. It was just the injured skin and flesh that would hurt if they rubbed against his clothes and would worsen the injury. However, thinking they were outside, he endured it and said, “I’m fine.”
Huo Shu was about to help him up when he saw Tao Yu subconsciously glance at the flustered cart driver who was struggling to pull the cart. He then withdrew his hand and extended his arm, letting Tao Yu support himself to stand up. Tao Yu looked at Huo Shu gratefully. He held onto Huo Shu’s arm with both hands. The moment he gripped his arm, his face couldn’t help but heat up. Although he knew Huo Shu was strong, he was still surprised by his physique when he actually touched him. His arm was as strong and powerful as a thick old vine, and it didn’t waver at all when Tao Yu grabbed it to climb up. He could imagine that Huo Shu’s arm under his sleeve must be bulging with veins, with strength beneath every inch of skin. It was the complete opposite of his own soft flesh, tight and somewhat stiff.
Tao Yu took two steps, and although he was a bit slow, he could move, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. However, Huo Shu couldn’t relax his brows when he saw him limping. “How about riding my horse?”
“No, no!” Tao Yu waved his hands quickly. He glanced at Da Hei, held his breath, and said, “I’m scared to ride.”
“It’s alright, it’s very gentle. I’ll hold the reins, and it won’t buck you.” Huo Shu said, “Come on.” He pulled on the black horse and squatted down in front of its belly, cupping his hands together for Tao Yu to step on.
Seeing this, Tao Yu, unable to refuse Huo Shu’s kindness any longer, gritted his teeth, grabbed the saddle, and stepped onto Huo Shu’s hands to climb onto the horse. Unfortunately, his legs were injured and lacked strength, and he couldn’t climb up after a few tries. He was also afraid the horse would suddenly move, and he anxiously lay on the horse’s belly, not knowing what to do.
“Brother Huo, please don’t let go.”
“I won’t let go.”
Huo Shu listened to the slightly tearful voice and felt helpless. He had no choice but to free one hand to circle the young man’s waist and lift him onto the horse’s back. Finally on the horse, Tao Yu sighed. A moment later, seeing that his feet were suddenly suspended so high, he panicked again and quickly grabbed the handles on the saddle. His eyes were fixed ahead, not daring to look left or right. Although the horse below didn’t move erratically, it made snorting sounds, which made him even more uneasy, fearing the horse would buck. He whispered, “Brother Huo, please don’t let go of the reins.”
Huo Shu tightened his grip on the reins. He saw Da Hei twist its head and stare at him with its large eyes, as if glaring at its owner. He said coldly, “Don’t be willful. If you buck someone, I’ll send you to the slaughterhouse.” After speaking, he patted the horse’s head. “Behave yourself.”
Da Hei then turned its head back and stopped snorting, stepping forward steadily. Huo Shu saw the pitifully frightened Tao Yu and said, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t let go of the reins.”
Tao Yu bit his lower lip, his body stiff, staring straight ahead, not even daring to move his neck. His hands tightly gripped the handles. For a moment, he completely forgot the pain of his broken skin. Fortunately, Da Hei, having been reprimanded by Huo Shu, did not act up and deliberately buck him. Normally, Huo Shu rarely held the reins tightly when riding the horse. Da Hei, being free and easy, would even twist its neck to nibble on the grass on the road. But now, with someone else on its back and its master holding the reins tightly, it understood the seriousness of the situation and walked straight ahead obediently.
Seeing that the ride was smooth and the bouncing of the horse’s back from walking was at a similar frequency, Tao Yu gradually relaxed. His body could relax a little. The evening breeze blew against his face, carrying the gentleness of the sunlight, lifting the hair from Tao Yu’s forehead, like warm water gently passing over his cheeks. It was the first time he had been at such a high position while traveling on the road, and his field of vision seemed to have opened up considerably, with mountains and rivers all in sight.
Tao Yu turned his head slightly to glance at Huo Shu, who was walking silently on the side, leading the horse. The tall man, whom he usually had to look up to speak to, could now be seen from the top of his head. He looked at Huo Shu’s dark hair, which seemed to be a bit coarser than that of ordinary people. He pursed his lips, hiding the smile on his lips. No wonder men from wealthy families in the city liked to ride horses. The feeling of everyone being below you when traveling through the streets was indeed quite peculiar.
Huo Shu saw that Tao Yu’s feet, which had been clamped tightly to the horse’s belly, suddenly relaxed a bit and even lifted slightly, as if he were a little elated. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Ji Tao Yu on the horse, finding that the young man was looking at his head. “Are you not afraid anymore?”
Meeting Huo Shu’s eyes, Tao Yu quickly straightened his head again. He looked at the road ahead and clamped his legs together. “I’m still afraid.”
Huo Shu’s lips moved slightly, and there was a hint of a smile in his eyes. He didn’t tease him further.
“Look, so many wild daisies are blooming ahead! No one has picked them yet!”
Huo Shu looked over and saw a patch of sprawling wild daisy vines on the embankment. White daisies dotted the scene, standing out in the bleak autumn landscape.
“Wait.”
Seeing Huo Shu about to leave, Tao Yu quickly hunched over and held onto the handles. “Don’t, don’t go!”
Huo Shu stopped and looked at Tao Yu, who was leaning on the horse’s back, then extended his arm and helped him down. Tao Yu’s legs were still a little shaky when he suddenly returned to the ground. He quickly moved to a stone pedestal and sat down. A length of reins was then handed to him.
“Hold this.” After speaking, Huo Shu turned and went towards the embankment. Tao Yu, holding the reins, was stunned. Following the reins, he saw Da Hei staring intently at him. Holding the reins, he tensed up again and stood up, stiffening his neck to look at Huo Shu, seeking help. “Brother Huo, I, I can’t hold it.”
“Just hold the rope, it won’t run away.”
Seeing Huo Shu walking further and further away, with no intention of returning immediately, the reins in his hand suddenly felt hot. He didn’t know whether to let go or grip them. His hand trembled as he held the rope and glanced at Da Hei again, a forced smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You, you won’t move around, right?”
Da Hei just opened its large eyes and stared directly at Tao Yu, but it remained still and didn’t move. Tao Yu relaxed a little and slowly tried to sit down. Unexpectedly, as soon as he leaned against the stone, Hei had started snorting again, and its eyes had become fierce. He was so scared that he quickly stood up straight again, holding the reins with both hands, and shouted in Huo Shu’s direction, “Huo, Brother Huo! The horse is going to kick me!”
Hei, hearing the tearful voice and seeing the weak person in front of him with red eyes and reporting him, immediately stopped snorting. Tao Yu’s brow twitched, and his eyes, which were about to cry, held back the tears. Seeing that the horse was no longer moving erratically, he sniffed and cautiously sat back down on the stone pedestal. It wasn’t until he was firmly seated that Hei stopped snorting and trying to scare him. Tao Yu was relieved. He sat with his knees together, and seeing that the horse was behaving itself and not moving, he tentatively released one hand to gently blow on his palm, which had been abraded by the rope.
One person and one horse waited quietly like that. After a while, Tao Yu shifted his position and plucked a handful of tender goosefoot grass and wild chrysanthemum from beside him. He tied the wild grass into a small bunch and tentatively offered it to the horse’s mouth. “Do, do you want to eat?”
Da Hei suddenly turned its head and glared at Tao Yu, scaring him into quickly retracting his hand. Seeing that Da Hei was stiffening its neck, looking fierce like its owner, but not intending to bite, Tao Yu was relieved. He cautiously offered the grass again. Da Hei suddenly opened its mouth and bit the grass, startling Tao Yu. Tao Yu retracted his hand and hugged himself. Seeing Da Hei munching on the grass without any intention of attacking or scaring him, it seemed to like the grass quite a lot. His eyes curved, and he smiled. “Is it tasty?”
Seeing that the horse had become docile, Tao Yu slowly reached out, imagining stroking its smooth, shiny head like Huo Shu. However, just as his hand was about to touch it, Da Hei suddenly turned its head and, with a rather proud air, tossed its head to the other side, refusing to be touched. Tao Yu snorted lightly at this.
A moment later, Huo Shu returned with a large bunch of mountain chrysanthemums, complete with stems and flowers. Da Hei’s eyes lit up when it saw the green plants in Huo Shu’s hand, and it craned its neck, waiting for its owner to feed it. However, a hand came over and turned its head away.
“Is this enough?” Tao Yu quickly took the mountain chrysanthemums, and a bitter fragrance filled his nostrils, very refreshing.
“Enough, enough. If we dry this much, we can store quite a bit.” It seemed they had just begun to bloom, and the small daisies were still perfect, not old or withered. He already had several ideas in mind for using the chrysanthemums, such as making pastries, tea, or medicine. Seeing that the young man was happy, Huo Shu said nothing, his tone visibly softened.
“Let’s go, let’s go back.” Huo Shu’s footwork was fast, and Tao Yu, riding the horse, quickly reached the village entrance. It was fine on the official road, as they might not know the pedestrians they encountered, but once they entered the village, they would see familiar faces at every turn. Tao Yu didn’t intend to hide anything and passed through the village road openly.
Villagers working in the fields saw this and dared not speak to Huo Shu. However, they greeted Tao Yu, “Brother Tao, have you learned to ride a horse?”
“No.” Tao Yu shook his head and said to the villagers in the fields, “I went to the city today, and on the way back, the cart I was on got stuck in a ditch, and I injured my hands and feet. Brother Huo Shu passed by and gave me a ride back.”
“Oh, are you alright?” The villagers asked with a hint of doubt, “Who was driving the cart? How could they be so careless!”
Tao Yu replied as instructed, “It was a cart driver from another village. He wasn’t very tall, a bit dark, and had a rather large face. I heard people on the cart call him Master Zhang.”
The villagers listened to Tao Yu’s detailed account, which didn’t seem like a fabrication. His eyes were a little red, as if he had been crying. At that moment, a villager returning to the village came up and, hearing Tao Yu on the horse talking to the villagers, quickly chimed in, “He’s from Yanmiao Village, isn’t he? I saw him still trying to pull the cart out of the ditch when I came back. I don’t know if they’ve gotten it out yet. Brother Tao, your luck is really bad, to have to ride on his cart.”
“I’ve ridden on that man’s cart before. I only did it once and never again. I’d rather walk back from outside the city gate than ride with him.”
The villagers recognized who it was and cursed, “That surnamed Zhang is a bit dishonest in his business. He charges less for people from our own village, and more for people from other villages, regardless of whether they are further or closer. He charges even more for those who are further away.”
The villagers who were merely looking on were suddenly ignited. They instantly forgot what they were originally greeting Ji Tao Yu for and started talking about the bad practices of the cart driver surnamed Zhang. “Brother Tao, be careful in the future. Absolutely do not ride on his cart again.”
Then they turned to Huo Shu, “Young man Huo from Madam Yuan’s family looks quite aloof, but I didn’t expect him to be so warm-hearted.” The villagers chatted together and even praised Huo Shu a few times. Huo Shu didn’t engage with them. His usual stern expression softened slightly as he nodded in acknowledgement to the villagers.
“Brother Tao, hurry home. Get your injuries checked properly. If there are any hidden injuries, you should ask the village head to go to Yanmiao Village to find him.”
Tao Yu obediently said, “Then I’ll go home first.”
Watching the person and the horse ride away, the farmers in the fields said, “Huo Shu is cold and taciturn. He usually acts like he doesn’t see anyone, but unexpectedly, he can be so warm-hearted and willing to let people ride his horse. I heard Madam Yuan say that he cherishes his horse very much, that it went to war with him before, and he rarely lets anyone touch it.”
“If you fell into a ditch, would he be so warm-hearted and willing to help you, and even let you ride his horse?” The farmer’s wife joked, “You’re not looking at who fell. It’s Brother Tao, who is so delicate. Which man wouldn’t feel pity for him? I heard Huo Shu is not married yet. Perhaps he’s even hoping to become a son-in-law to them.”
“Ah, that’s true. We old wives don’t have such good fortune.”
“But speaking of which, the marriage between the Ji family and the You family, which lasted so many years, why did it fall apart just like that, without any warning?”
“It’s hard to say. With so many people talking, I wouldn’t dare to speak carelessly.”
“Even though the marriage is off, aren’t the two families still in contact? Look at the young man from the village head’s family in the neighboring village this morning, he rushed to bring something to our village head and helped the village head run errands. He hasn’t gone back yet.”
“The news travels fast. He came right away. Speaking of which, Brother Tao has such good luck. It’s only been a few days since his engagement was broken off, and people are lining up to show him favor.”
You Lingxiao, who was passing by on the village road, watched the two receding figures. Hearing the villagers’ gossip, his face turned ashen. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists tightly.
