Chapter 34
“What, what did you say?”
Hearing Huo Shu’s words, Tao Yu was stunned. He wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly and instinctively asked again.
“I said I want to marry you.”
Huo Shu looked into Tao Yu’s eyes and repeated it patiently.
Now that he was sure he hadn’t misheard, Tao Yu’s mind went blank. He hadn’t expected Huo Shu to say something like this without any warning.
Tao Yu stood up in a daze, his face flushing from his neck to his ears. “You’ve already helped me a lot. You don’t have to sacrifice your entire life out of pity for me.”
“I want to marry you, not out of pity or sympathy.”
At this point, Huo Shu said directly, “Ever since I pulled you out of the water, I’ve wanted to get to know you. But I learned that you were already promised to someone, so I never mentioned anything for fear of troubling you.”
“You can refuse, but don’t think I’m saying this because I pity you.”
Huo Shu looked at Tao Yu. “I’ve been on the battlefield for ten years; I don’t pity anyone.”
Tao Yu clenched his hands. He knew Huo Shu’s personality and wouldn’t be frivolous about such a major matter.
But precisely because he knew Huo Shu was serious, he didn’t know how to respond. The matter was too sudden, and he felt flustered.
This person, this person is truly something. Instead of talking to his parents, he came directly to him.
What use was it if he just agreed? His parents had always doted on him and cared for him dearly. If they disagreed, even if he was willing, he couldn’t privately decide his fate and hurt their feelings.
He couldn’t be like his third sister Wu, being the only son in the family. If he caused his second parents more worry, he would truly be unfilial.
However, he didn’t resist Huo Shu either…
“Where, where does one propose by asking the person being proposed to if they are willing? Nowadays, it’s all parental orders and matchmakers’ words.”
Huo Shu said, “Even if your parents agree, it’s futile if you’re not willing. I want to marry you, not them.”
“I’m only asking you, are you willing?”
“I!”
Facing such a direct question, Tao Yu blushed, unable to speak.
“I, I need to think about it.”
With that, he ran off without saying another word.
Huo Shu stood up and took two steps to chase him, but seeing how eagerly he ran, he stopped.
He frowned and suddenly let out a frustrated sigh.
He had clearly intended to proceed gradually, but today his blood boiled, and he spoke too hastily. He was afraid he had scared Tao Yu.
Huo Shu was annoyed and stood there regretting it for a long time.
“You’re back? How did it go over there…”
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manqing rushed out of the kitchen upon hearing the commotion. Before they could finish their question, they saw Tao Yu with a flushed face, running into the room.
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manqing exchanged confused glances. “What happened?”
“He clearly looks unhappy.”
Huang Manqing slapped Ji Yangzong. “You’re the one causing trouble.”
Ji Yangzong couldn’t help but worry. He hurried into the room and, seeing Tao Yu’s closed door, glanced at his wife.
Huang Manqing pulled Ji Yangzong aside and said gently, “Little Tao, what’s wrong?”
Inside the room, Tao Yu was leaning against the door, his heart pounding, unable to calm down for a while.
“It’s nothing, I, I just fell.”
“Are you hurt? Let mother take a look.”
“I’m not hurt. I’ll change my clothes. I’m a bit dizzy; I’ll be fine after a nap.”
Tao Yu hastily dismissed them. “Don’t call me for lunch. I’ll eat when I wake up.”
Huang Manqing glared fiercely at Ji Yangzong upon hearing this.
“Then I’ll keep your food warm for you.”
With that, Huang Manqing pulled Ji Yangzong out. “Stop arranging things like that. Look at Little Tao, is that how a father should be?”
Ji Yangzong couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Tao Yu had seemed happy when he left, so why was he like this now?
The key was that he had made all the arrangements so meticulously; it shouldn’t have turned out this way.
“No, I need to go and ask that boy what he said. Look at what he’s done to Little Tao.”
Seeing her husband rush out like a gust of wind, Huang Manqing chased after him. “It’s the middle of the day, what are you going out for now!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Huang Manqing was angry but decided to let her stubborn old man go.
Tao Yu took a while to calm down in his room. Although his panting from running back had subsided, his face would immediately turn hot whenever he thought about what Huo Shu had said. Even drinking several cups of cold tea didn’t cool him down.
He rubbed his cheeks and his elbow accidentally touched the jade hairpin on his head.
Tao Yu paused and took off the hairpin.
Recalling his father’s strange behavior earlier and Huo Shu waiting for him at the opportune moment, he suddenly understood.
Thinking of this, Tao Yu’s chest heaved. He slammed the hairpin onto the table.
From the way things were, his father had known all along, and his mother must have known too. In the end, he was the only one kept in the dark!
Tao Yu couldn’t quite articulate his feelings. He felt that Huo Shu wasn’t entirely foolish, having already secured his parents’ approval beforehand. But at the same time, he felt angry.
His parents had sided with outsiders, actually conspiring together to trick him.
Tao Yu’s mind was in a mess. He turned over and burrowed under the couch, pulling the quilt over his head.
—
“What’s going on!”
Ji Yangzong went to the Zhao family’s place, not caring about the mealtime and the impropriety. He urgently called Huo Shu out.
He couldn’t understand it. He had taught him hand-in-hand, even spoon-feeding him, so how could he have scared the person away?
Huo Shu looked at Ji Yangzong, who had come to question him, and cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Say something!”
“I just told him I want to marry him.”
Ji Yangzong exclaimed.
This boy could be very steady when he wasn’t in a hurry, but when he was, he was truly too hasty.
If it were a flirtatious remark, it would be one thing, but Huo Shu’s demeanor didn’t suggest he could say such things.
He could imagine how solemn and serious it must have been when he said it. How could the other person not be scared away?
Ji Yangzong lamented Huo Shu’s poor execution of a good opportunity, saying with frustration, “You, you…”
Huo Shu admitted his mistake. “I was too impatient. I shouldn’t have said those things to him.”
Ji Yangzong had intended to lecture him, but seeing Huo Shu’s tightly pursed lips and regretful expression, he seemed to feel unwell himself.
How could he still question or blame him? The words that came to his lips turned into, “These words would have to be said sooner or later. The sooner he knows, the better. It might not be a bad thing.”
“It’s just that bringing it up so suddenly was a bit abrupt. He might have thought you wanted him to elope with you. Just let him take his time, and he’ll understand.”
Huo Shu asked, “He won’t ignore me anymore, will he?”
“Probably not.”
Ji Yangzong said, “I’ll go back and talk to him again. Don’t blame yourself too much.”
After seeing Ji Yangzong off, Huo Shu was still somewhat uneasy. He skipped lunch and went out again.
Ji Yangzong hadn’t gotten much help from Huo Shu, so he had to approach his own son when he got home.
Unfortunately, Tao Yu stayed in his room for most of the day and didn’t come out. It wasn’t until dinner time that Huang Manqing called him for a meal, and he finally opened his door.
“Not even eating lunch, are you trying to achieve immortality?”
Huang Manqing chided Tao Yu a few words, not mentioning the matter from noon.
Ji Yangzong felt stifled and was about to speak, but his wife stopped him. Only after Tao Yu had eaten a bowl of rice and drunk some soup, and it was clear he was full, did he say,
“Did the plum blossoms at the foot of the mountain not bloom? You came back so angry.”
Tao Yu knew what his father was about to say. He glared at Ji Yangzong. “Dad, one should not talk while eating or sleep while talking. Don’t speak during meals.”
Ji Yangzong was taken aback. Seeing the fierce look, he picked up the spoon and scooped some soup for Tao Yu.
“Dad is just concerned about you. Alright, alright, I won’t say anything. Drink more soup to warm your stomach. What kind of habit is it to stop eating when you get angry?”
Tao Yu held the warm pig lung and radish soup and took a sip. He was indeed a bit hungry after not eating all day.
He ate two bowls of rice and drank a lot of soup, his belly round. He rarely ate so much at dinner.
Ji Yangzong tried to talk to him several times, but Tao Yu avoided him, preventing him from speaking.
After eating, he slipped out into the yard to digest his food.
“If he doesn’t want to talk about it, why are you chasing after him?”
Huang Manqing washed the bowls and watched her husband pace back and forth in the kitchen with his hands behind his back. “Let him take his time.”
“Ah, Huo Shu is not without options. If things aren’t settled soon, when Qiao Tuzi returns, who knows if there will still be an opportunity.”
Ji Yangzong sighed. “Ah, this is killing me.”
Tao Yu sat under the awning in the yard, reclining in a rocking chair, looking at a few sparse stars in the sky.
He absentmindedly rocked the chair, recalling how he met Huo Shu.
Come to think of it, he was surprised to realize they had only known each other for two or three months.
It felt like a fleeting moment, yet it seemed like a long time had passed.
So many things had happened during this period, more significant events than in his previous ten-plus years of smooth sailing.
And it happened that Huo Shu appeared amidst these ups and downs, participating in the fluctuations of his life.
Huo Shu saved him, he helped Huo Shu find someone, and Huo Shu saved him again… In retrospect, he had received more help from him.
He had actually wondered if his many connections with Huo Shu, and how such a indifferent person would help him repeatedly, were deliberately arranged by heaven.
Today, he finally got his answer. Heaven had not arranged it; it was someone intentionally approaching him.
He fiddled with his fingers, thinking of Huo Shu’s affection for him. His heart, which had just calmed down, inexplicably fluttered again.
He couldn’t suppress the smile on his lips.
It wasn’t because of his family background or reputation, but the ability to receive such genuine affection made Tao Yu very happy.
But his happiness wasn’t just for these reasons; it was also because he happened to think the same way as that person.
It was a bit late when Tao Yu returned to his room.
As dusk settled, the room became dark. He entered the room and seemed to smell a faint scent of plum blossoms.
He wondered where the scent came from. Fumbling in the dark, he used a flint to light the oil lamp. A breeze entered through the window, causing the lamp to sway from side to side.
Tao Yu stepped forward to close the window. When he reached the windowsill, he found a bouquet of plum blossoms placed there.
He picked up the bouquet and couldn’t help but look out into the dark, silent window. However, all that responded to him was the sound of the cold winter wind.
Being able to deliver flowers so quietly, Tao Yu knew without a doubt who it was.
He just didn’t know when that person had arrived.
Tao Yu closed the window and took a shallow sniff of the cool plum blossom scent. He discovered a piece of paper tucked between the plum branches.
He quickly took out the paper and saw that it only had two words written on it: “Sorry.”
“He’s so brief even when writing letters,” Tao Yu muttered, pursing his lips.
However, holding the gift he had sent made him feel much better. He happily went to get a vase and clean water, trimmed the plum branches, and put them in the vase.
Before going to sleep, he placed the vase on the cabinet by his bedside.
The next day, Tao Yu woke up early.
He had slept soundly last night and felt energetic.
After washing his face, he was about to go for breakfast and, incidentally, talk to his parents about Huo Shu. Just as he reached the outside of the kitchen, he heard a conversation inside.
“It’s already the eleventh month. Everywhere is freezing cold. How can he leave this month? He should stay put and wait for the New Year. Where is he going? You must have misheard.”
“How could I have misheard? He said he can’t earn much money in the village and wants to go out and explore.”
“He’s not young anymore; why can’t he settle down?”
“Alas, he had originally decided to settle down and live a stable life. He proposed to someone, but they refused. Men have a lot of pride. He probably thinks they’re looking down on his lack of money, which is why he wants to leave.”
Huang Manqing said angrily, “He looks like a grown man, but why is his face so thin-skinned? This personality isn’t very good either; he still needs tempering. You don’t need to worry about him anymore.”
Ji Yangzong said, “I don’t want to interfere, but he’s leaving today with his belongings without me trying to persuade him! Alas!”
Tao Yu was suspicious, thinking his parents were trying to trick him again. But then he considered that he had run away yesterday without giving Huo Shu a clear answer, so perhaps Huo Shu genuinely felt that Tao Yu was looking down on his lack of money and property.
But hearing that he was leaving today made him anxious.
He didn’t enter the kitchen and turned to run towards the Zhao family’s direction.
The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle fell through the cold fog.
The rain didn’t soak him, but it was chilling.
Huo Shu, who was usually not afraid of the cold, also felt the chill after waking up early.
He took out the cloak he hadn’t used in a while and put it on, preparing to go to the city.
He needed to buy some things and would have to visit the Ji family again in the evening.
“A’Shu, since you’re going to the city, could you take this piece of cotton cloth I bought a while ago to exchange? The pattern isn’t suitable for sewing.”
“Okay.”
After breakfast, Huo Shu packed Yuan Huiru’s cotton cloth into a bundle and tied it to his back. He didn’t bother with an umbrella and instead put on a conical hat before riding out.
It was still early at this hour, and the weather was gloomy and bitterly cold. Not many people were willing to go out unless it was for something important.
On horseback, Huo Shu didn’t encounter anyone from the small path to the main road.
Thinking it was cold, he got on the main road and rode his horse, so he could go and return earlier.
However, as soon as he reached the village main road, he heard an urgent call from behind.
“Brother Huo!”
Huo Shu looked back and saw a figure rushing from the small path. His head was already covered in a layer of frost.
In such cold weather, seeing the young man not wearing a hat and not even wearing the cloak he wore in autumn, he couldn’t help but frown.
He reined in his horse and was about to dismount when the person running towards him suddenly fell to the ground.
Huo Shu’s heart tightened, and he quickly dismounted and rushed over.
Tao Yu lay on the wet, muddy ground, propping himself up, trying to get up, afraid that the person would leave if he was any later.
He had thought his parents were just scaring him, but he hadn’t expected Huo Shu to actually pack his bags and leave. He was anxious, and his steps were messy and hurried, causing him to fall.
As Tao Yu just managed to get up from the ground, a pair of hands grabbed his arms and gently pulled him up.
“Are you alright?”
The fall wasn’t very painful, but he got mud all over his hands and body. However, upon hearing the familiar voice, Tao Yu couldn’t help but feel a sting in his nose, and his eyes welled up.
“Are, are you leaving?”
Huo Shu looked at the person who was about to cry, his brows furrowing even tighter. “Where am I going? I’m just going to the city.”
He added, “To buy you some more sugar-roasted chestnuts.”
Tao Yu pursed his lips upon hearing this and looked at Huo Shu’s bundle. “Then you carry this.”
“Cotton cloth. My godmother asked me to take it to the cloth shop.”
The principle was a misunderstanding. Tao Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought, how could he possibly leave! His parents were just deliberately provoking him.
But seeing him with a bundle on his back had startled him greatly.
“Oh, then, then I’ll go back first.”
Huo Shu wouldn’t let him leave like this today. He held Tao Yu’s slender arm, letting him stay close to him.
“You thought I was leaving?”
“No, I, I was just, just picking vegetables, and I happened to see you.”
Tao Yu’s face was burning. “You should go to the city. Don’t, don’t delay.”
Huo Shu looked at Tao Yu. “What if I really were leaving?”
Tao Yu’s eyes widened upon hearing this and he suddenly looked into Huo Shu’s eyes. “You…”
“If you’re leaving, what about Madam Yuan?”
“She has grandchildren. I can bring Zhao Pan back.”
“Yes, Madam Yuan has grandchildren and a daughter-in-law, and people will still take care of her in her old age. If you leave, you can also make proper arrangements for her.”
Tao Yu’s brows furrowed, and his lips trembled slightly. “Then, what about me… Didn’t you say you wanted to marry me?”
Huo Shu’s voice carried a hint of regret. “But you’re not willing, are you?”
“I, I’m not…”
Tao Yu’s voice lowered, his face red. “I’m not unwilling.”
Huo Shu’s brows lifted, and he said again, “Then I want to marry you.”
Tao Yu, with a flushed face, replied, “Mm.”
“Then I’ll check the almanac and pick an auspicious day to propose at your home.”
“Mm.”
“Then I want to kiss you.”
“Mm… Mm?”
Tao Yu, in his shyness, suddenly realized what he had said, and his face turned even redder. He said angrily, “Huo Shu!”
For the first time, Huo Shu laughed without any pretense. He suddenly lowered himself and scooped up the complaining young man in his arms.
Tao Yu’s body was suddenly suspended in the air, and he instinctively clutched Huo Shu’s arms.
The strong, firm arms seemed to beat powerfully in his soft palm. He rarely had contact with men, let alone such intimate actions.
Although Huo Shu had held him before, he had been struggling for his life then and hadn’t had the leisure to think about other things.
But today, he was clearer than ever, and for this reason, he felt even more ashamed, his heart beating rapidly.
“You, what are you doing!”
“It’s cold outside, and you’re wearing so little. Be careful not to catch a cold. I’ll take you back first.”
Tao Yu said nervously, “Let me down. I can go back myself.”
Huo Shu, holding the soft and light young man in his arms, was unwilling to let him go. “What are you afraid of? If anyone sees, we’ll invite them to the feast. It’ll save us from notifying them a second time.”
“How can you be like this!”
Huo Shu looked at the person in his arms, who was about to cry, and tugged at his cloak. “Alright, no one can see us now.”
Seeing this, Tao Yu shrank into Huo Shu’s embrace. Although it was all hard bumps, at least it didn’t feel weak or scary of falling halfway, and he didn’t have to get rained on. His body was surprisingly warm.
Although he thought this, he still kept a stern little face.
Huo Shu patted the horse, signaling it to return by itself. He then lowered his head and looked at the person with a pout. “What’s wrong?”
“You weren’t like this before.”
“Not like what?”
“You, you wouldn’t be so rude before, nor would you ask for my opinion on everything.”
Huo Shu’s brow twitched slightly. “Then, can I hug you?”
“Whether you can or not, you already have…”
Tao Yu bit his lip. As soon as he agreed to marry him, he became so bold. If it were a few more days, wouldn’t he be able to do as he pleased?
Huo Shu thought of his father-in-law’s teachings and coaxed him, “It’s my fault. From now on, I will ask for your opinion on everything.”
Tao Yu felt much better when Huo Shu spoke softly. However, before they could say a few more words, they saw his own house in the distance.
He grabbed Huo Shu’s sleeve, reluctant for him to leave.
“Are you taking me through the front door?”
“Just to the doorstep. You can get down and walk a bit.”
Tao Yu remained silent upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Huo Shu negotiated, “Then shall I escort you inside?”
“Or else… or else let’s go in through the way you usually climb the wall.”
Tao Yu quickly added, “I don’t even know how you get in there.”
“Okay.”
Huo Shu carried Tao Yu around to the back of the Ji family’s house. It was too difficult to climb the wall with him in his arms, so he put Tao Yu on his back and climbed over the wall with his bare hands.
When they landed, looking at his own room’s window, he still couldn’t quite believe it. Huo Shu had actually carried him over the tall wall.
Huo Shu placed him on a chair, familiarly picked up the kettle by the charcoal fire, poured a cup of hot water, and said, “Drink some water to warm yourself up and change your clothes. Don’t catch a cold.”
Tao Yu looked at Huo Shu in his room and felt very disoriented. Although he had dreamed of him in his room many times, having the actual person appear here still felt somewhat incredible.
Belatedly, he realized his palms and knees hurt a little.
Huo Shu said, “Then I’ll leave now.”
Tao Yu gently rubbed his palms and called out to him, “Don’t go!”
“My, my knee hurts. Can you put some medicine on it for me?”
Huo Shu looked at the young man and walked back. “Shouldn’t you change your clothes first?”
Tao Yu’s face turned red. “How can I change with you in the room?”
“Then I’ll go out.”
Tao Yu grabbed Huo Shu’s hem again. “Forget it, it’s quite cold outside. You, you stay here. I’ll change in the back, and you mustn’t…”
Huo Shu said, “I’ll look after we’re married.”
Tao Yu, with a flushed face, fled behind the bed curtains and fumbled to change into a new set of clothes before coming out.
He poked his head out from behind the bed curtains and saw Huo Shu sitting at the table with his back to this side, behaving quite honestly.
Only then did he pick up the medicine and sit down beside him. He bent down and rolled up his trouser leg, revealing his fair calf.
This was the first time Huo Shu had seen the skin hidden beneath Tao Yu’s clothes and trousers. His heart moved, but no lewd thoughts arose.
The bruise on his knee, a patch of purple and blue, was enough to capture his attention.
Huo Shu rubbed the medicinal wine in his palm to warm it up before gently applying it.
He had always known this young man was delicate and frail, but he hadn’t expected him to be injured like this from falling on the mud and grass.
He would have to take better care of him from now on.
“Walk slower from now on.”
Tao Yu took a breath. “Mm. It actually doesn’t hurt that much, it’s okay.”
“Even so, you must protect your health.”
Tao Yu blinked his eyes. “Are you that concerned about me?”
Huo Shu paused his actions and looked at Tao Yu.
His acceptance was quite fast. Just a moment ago, he was blushing and stammering, and now he could say such things.
Just as Huo Shu was about to speak, a knock came from the door. “Little Tao, are you not up yet? Mother is coming in.”
