Chapter 41

Chapter 41
With the important event of their marriage concluded, and no need to visit the city to check on shops or slaughter livestock, Huo Shu found himself with no urgent matters to attend to.
However, after ten years in the military camp, he had developed a habit of not being idle.
Even without fixed work, he sought out farm labor and filled his days completely.
The Ji family took on all the heavy and strenuous chores. Cutting firewood on the mountain, gathering grass in the frost, they were neither afraid of hard work nor the cold, and even the hired long-term laborers were not as capable.
Ji Yangzong and his wife were increasingly satisfied with their son-in-law.
Taking advantage of two days of clear weather, they went to the Zhao family’s house to help Yuan Huiru repair the roof.
The Zhao family’s house was not as well-maintained as the Ji family’s. It was a thatched, mud-brick house. After the winter, continuous rain for days caused the dilapidated roof to leak.
In the harsh winter, although there was little snow here, it rained daily. The house was already less warm due to the scarce human presence, and leaks would make it even colder.
If they didn’t repair it during good weather, they would have to endure the cold until after the New Year.
“There, it’s been repaired so snugly. It shouldn’t leak again for a while.”
Yuan Huiru looked at the newly thatched and tightly bound straw mats on the roof and said with a smile, “This roof hasn’t been attended to for two years.”
Since Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu got married, Huang Manjing and Yuan Huiru had interacted much more frequently. The villagers were also social climbers; seeing Yuan Huiru’s connection with the Ji family, they suddenly became warmer towards her, taking special care of the widow.
In their interactions with neighbors, Yuan Huiru was much livelier than before.
Huo Shu also often came over to help with chores. Life was no worse than before.
Taoyu heard the voices and quickly ran over. Seeing Huo Shu come down from the ladder, he asked, “How is it?”
“Almost done. It should be fine unless there’s a strong wind.”
Huo Shu put away the ladder and moved it under the eaves.
In front of and behind the eaves, inside and outside the house, there was dust and grass clippings that had fallen from the roof. The few of them cleaned it up together.
It wasn’t much work, but going back and forth, it was half the day again.
By evening, everything was tidied up, and Huo Shu and Taoyu finally returned.
“I didn’t do much work, but my arms ache and my legs are sore.”
Huo Shu looked at the young man in front of him rubbing his shoulder and muttering, but said nothing, and directly lifted him onto his back.
Taoyu hung limply on Huo Shu’s back, his chin tucked into his neck. “We’re only a few steps from home, you don’t need to carry me.”
Huo Shu ignored the young man’s disingenuous words on his back. He said he didn’t need carrying, but he clung to him tighter than anyone else.
He spoke to him about important matters: “The Zhao family’s house…
it will need to be rebuilt in two years. The beams and wood are already rotten.”
Taoyu said, “Should we rebuild it now? While there’s less farm work, it would be good to hire people.”
Now that they were married, Taoyu thought that besides his own affairs, he should also consider the elders’ retirement.
“It’s not urgent for now. Let’s wait two years for Zhao Pan to officially join the ancestral clan. Then we can see if he wants to stay in the city or return to the countryside.”
Taoyu nodded. “That’s good. Mother will always be with her children and grandchildren. When they settle down, whether in the city or the countryside, we should help with labor and finances as needed.”
“Mmm.”
Taoyu brushed some cobwebs off Huo Shu’s head and, thinking that this person hadn’t had a moment’s rest since they got married, said, “There’s a temple fair on the minor New Year soon. Shall we go together?”
“What are you praying for?”
Huo Shu pinched Taoyu’s slender ankle: “Praying for children?”
Taoyu narrowed his eyes and suddenly bit Huo Shu’s earlobe, saying without reservation, “Praying to the gods won’t help.”
Huo Shu’s earlobe felt warm and wet, and he couldn’t help but pause. “If you keep this up, don’t blame me if I drop you.”
“Will you abandon me if I bite you?”
“I won’t abandon you.”
Huo Shu said truthfully, “It’s just that when you’re like this, my legs go weak.”
Taoyu’s face instantly turned red when he heard Huo Shu say that.
He thought about how Huo Shu had climbed the high and slippery roof as if walking on flat ground without his legs trembling, but now, standing on solid ground, his legs felt weak.
He buried his head on Huo Shu’s body, not daring to cause any more trouble.
After returning home, the Ji family was quiet. Ji Yangzong and his wife had been invited to have drinks in the city. They had asked Taoyu if he wanted to go along, but he had stayed with Huo Shu to fix the Zhao family’s roof.
The two of them still had to make their own dinner.
Taoyu looked at what food was left at home. The leftovers from the banquet had been eaten by now, and the remaining broth had gone bad.
He went into the kitchen and looked through the cupboards, only to discover that his mother had already dealt with all the dishes from the banquet. There was nothing at home that could be simply heated up and eaten.
“How about egg noodles?”
Taoyu took out two eggs laid by their own chickens from the rice jar and asked for Huo Shu’s opinion.
“Okay.”
Huo Shu started the fire, and Taoyu kneaded the dough.
One was busy at the stove, and the other was busy with the fire underneath.
Not knowing when Ji Yangzong and his wife would return, Huo Shu filled the water pot by the stove with water while cooking the noodles.
By the time dinner was ready, the water in the pot would be hot, and the couple could soak their feet in hot water when they returned from the cold wind.
Huo Shu served the water, and Taoyu also kept busy. While the dough was resting, he stir-fried vegetables in lard to make a rich egg and vegetable soup.
The lard melted, the eggs were scrambled, water was added, and then brought to a boil. Tender leafy vegetables were added, which cooked quickly in the boiling water. More salt was added to make the flavor stronger, which was perfect for the noodles.
After the two of them finished their dinner, it was completely dark. However, Ji Yangzong and his wife had not yet returned, so they left the door and the courtyard light on for them.
The young couple returned to their room.
The days were short in winter, and the nights were long. Even though it was already dark outside, it wasn’t very late.
Taoyu had been sleeping well these days after getting married, but he still wasn’t sleepy even though it was night.
He usually soaked his feet and lay in bed reading a bit of medical literature, waiting for Huo Shu to come to bed.
“Aren’t you going to wash your feet yet?”
Taoyu was reading “The Washing Away of Injustice,” a book on forensic medicine that Huo Shu had bought for him, at the table. When he was alone, he was a little afraid to read some chapters.
With Huo Shu around, he read with more courage.
He had already read two pages and saw that Huo Shu hadn’t come over yet, so he called out.
“You wash your feet, I’m going to take a bath.”
Taoyu heard the voice and turned his head. He saw Huo Shu wearing only a thin inner garment and carrying a bucket of water towards the washing room.
The weather was cold, so he didn’t need to bathe every day. However, he had worked for most of the day and was sweaty, so a shower was appropriate.
Thinking of this, Taoyu responded and put his feet into the basin.
Just as he was about to turn a few more pages, two words suddenly popped into his mind: bath~
Taoyu thought of Huo Shu’s tall and sturdy figure, and a slightly wicked smile appeared on his lips.
It had been almost half a month since they got married, but he hadn’t seen Huo Shu’s body under his clothes. This was too unfamiliar.
Thinking of this, Taoyu took a bath towel from the hanger and quietly slipped into the washing room.
The washing room was connected to his bedroom, so it wasn’t large. The furnishings inside were simple. Against one wall was a bathtub, and a screen in the middle divided the room into two.
Huo Shu, finding it wasteful of water and troublesome, never used a bathtub to wash. He would simply strip and rinse off.
Taoyu, peeking and peering, had just slipped into the room when he saw the shadow of Huo Shu’s discarded robes on the screen. His face immediately turned red, burning from his neck to his forehead.
Despite his blushing, his eyes never left the screen.
Huo Shu was not only tall and broad-shouldered, but his physique was also well-proportioned and fluid.
When he grabbed the water ladle with one hand, his arm muscles bulged clearly with exertion. Water poured onto his neck, wetting half of his shoulder-length black hair. The remaining water droplets flowed from his rising chest down to his firm abdomen.
Taoyu looked at his pillow, which he usually lay on so peacefully. It was firm yet resilient, and most importantly, it was warm.
Normally, with just a layer of cloth between him and the pillow, he couldn’t imagine how excited he would be to lie directly on his chest.
He silently swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his gaze following the water flow down his waist and abdomen, and then further down… to Huo Shu’s unremoved pants.
Taoyu’s mouth immediately drooped.
He half-crouched and slowly moved towards the screen. It was really improper; who washes while still wearing pants?
Taoyu thought that since he was still wearing pants, he might as well lean over and take a look at the scene behind the screen. After all, the person was his, so it wasn’t too much to ask.
He squatted at the corner of the screen, tilting his head slightly to the side. His bronzed skin caught his eye as he saw Huo Shu’s upper body, stripped naked.
Taoyu’s face did not turn hot; instead, his eyes widened, his chest tightened, and he froze in place.
Huo Shu heard the movement in front of the screen, and as he looked over, he saw the person standing呆呆ly by the screen. His brow furrowed: “Why did you come in?”
Taoyu snapped back to attention at the sound. Flustered, he handed the bath towel in his hand over: “I, I saw you forgot to bring a cloth to wipe yourself.”
Huo Shu frowned: “Just put it aside for now.”
“Ah, okay.”
Taoyu responded distractedly and quickly retreated.
Huo Shu watched the young man, who had run away barefoot, with an even tighter frown.
He withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to look at the hideous knife scars and bullet wounds on his chest and abdomen. There were more than ten visible to the naked eye, not to mention those in places he couldn’t see.
Huo Shu knew that his appearance would startle ordinary people, let alone a pampered young man.
When clothed, his face might seem intimidating, but when undressed, he looked even more like a wrathful king of hell, likely to cause nightmares.
Knowing this, he had always been careful not to reveal anything. However, living together day and night, how could he possibly hide these things?
His hand holding the water ladle was almost crushing it.
A quarter of an hour later, when Huo Shu finished dressing and came out, he saw Taoyu had already washed his feet and was crouching down to pour the water.
He walked over and took the water basin, and without a word, took it and the water bucket out together.
When he returned, he saw Taoyu still standing dazedly by the table.
Huo Shu gathered his breath: “Mom and Dad are back. Let’s go to bed.”
Taoyu looked at Huo Shu, who had already dressed and was no different from usual. However, the scene he had just witnessed still lingered in his mind.
He stepped forward somewhat helplessly. Sensing that his emotions were not right, he wondered if he had upset him and tried to explain: “I, I just wanted to see you.”
“Your wounds… I, I got you some excellent wound medicine.”
“They’re all from before, and they’ve long healed.”
Seeing the young man’s lost look, Huo Shu said, “If you’re scared, from now on… from now on, I’ll keep my clothes on.”
“I’m not scared!”
Taoyu quickly said, “I just never knew you had so many wounds. I was startled when I saw them all of a sudden.”
He looked up at Huo Shu and gently pleaded, “Let me see them.”
Seeing the concern in the young man’s eyes, Huo Shu, without even realizing it himself, felt a sense of relief. He reached out and untied his sash.
The post-bath Huo Shu had a faint scent of soap, which was very refreshing and pleasant. His upper body, having been washed with hot water, had a faint rosy glow from the heat.
However, Taoyu looked at the mottled wounds on his chest and back. His eyes could no longer focus on anything else, and he had no other amorous thoughts. He instantly felt a tightness in his chest.
On Huo Shu’s back, from his neck downwards, were crisscrossing scars, some long, some short, some deep, some shallow, including sword wounds, bullet wounds, and arrow wounds.
Taoyu had only learned about war from others or from books, and the lingering wounds on Huo Shu’s body gave him a glimpse of the true cruelty of war.
“Do you remember when you received these wounds?”
Taoyu gently stroked the wounds, which were wider than his fingertips, their flesh deformed, either protruding or indented. His heart ached so much that he could hardly breathe.
For an ordinary person, a single wound like these would have cost half their life.
He dared not imagine how Huo Shu had endured such serious injuries on the battlefield, surviving time and time again. Some wounds were truly shocking. There were seven or eight marks on his body that could predict almost fatal injuries.
The widespread scars left almost no intact area on his entire upper body.
“It’s all in the past.”
To say whether he remembered or not, at first, he did. A flesh and blood body, how could he not care about injuries? But as the number of battles increased, and he was injured in the same place again, he didn’t remember them much.
The battlefield was cruel; every time they went to war, they fought with their lives. In the midst of flying blood and flesh, it was almost impossible to distinguish between the enemy’s flesh and blood and his own.
Every time he returned alive, he was almost covered in bloody holes. As long as he could return alive, what did mere scars matter?
Taoyu knew that he was unwilling to talk about the hardships of those ten years, so he didn’t press him further to recall those past events.
He examined them and found that some wounds were relatively shallow but still left scars to this day. It was likely due to the shortage of medicine and inadequate treatment at the front line that this happened.
“I’ll apply some scar-fading ointment to help with recovery. Although the wounds have scabbed over and healed, scars are widespread, and it can easily lead to complications in the long run.”
Huo Shu didn’t care much about these scars, but Taoyu’s voice had already started to tremble with tears. He turned and saw that Taoyu’s eyes were, as expected, red.
He stroked Taoyu’s eyelids with his fingertips: “Don’t cry, I’ll listen to you.”
Taoyu quickly took out his treasured ointment and patiently applied it to Huo Shu’s wounds one by one. After applying medicine all over him, half a bottle of ointment was used.
After the ointment dried, Huo Shu put on his clothes and exuded a faint herbal scent.
At night, Taoyu was still worried about Huo Shu’s wounds. He usually liked to nestle in his arms and sleep, but now he couldn’t.
Instead, Huo Shu pulled him into his arms: “Don’t overthink it, it’s fine.”
Taoyu nestled against Huo Shu: “I’m not scared at all. From now on, I’ll be your private doctor.”
Huo Shu’s eyes softened at this, and he held him even tighter.
After seeing Huo Shu’s wounds, Taoyu brought out the medicine furnace that had been put aside for some days. The room was filled with the smell of medicine smoke all day, as if he was fulfilling his promise to be Huo Shu’s private doctor.
A few days later, on the twenty-third of the lunar calendar, it was the minor New Year, and there was a temple fair on this day.
The temple fair on the minor New Year was always especially lively. With leisure time at the end of the year, after the autumn harvest, people’s finances were usually a bit looser. During the festive season, people were more willing to spend money than usual, so the incense offerings were much more abundant than at ordinary temple fairs.
Taoyu had been looking forward to the temple fair on the minor New Year for a long time, but his parents had been worried about him going out in the cold winter.
As the village head, Ji Yangzong had many social obligations. At the end of the year, he had to attend every event at someone’s house, often having to drink for several days in a row, leaving him with no free time to take Taoyu to the temple fair.
This year, with Huo Shu around, Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing were relieved wherever Taoyu wanted to go, so they didn’t inquire about their plans.
As the sky began to brighten, Huo Shu got up, and Taoyu, uncharacteristically, did not linger in bed but got up with Huo Shu.
When the two of them tidied up and went out, the sky had just become bright. As they rode out on Big Black, they discovered that it had snowed a little last night, and the green vegetables in the hollows were already covered with a layer of white snow.
Huo Shu looked at the grey sky, thinking that if it didn’t rain later, it might snow if the wind picked up.
He had prepared an oiled paper umbrella and tied it to himself in advance.
He had originally thought that not many people would go to the temple fair in this weather, but on the path leading to the temple, he found it filled with carriages, horses, and pilgrims. The closer they got to the temple, the more lively it became.
As they reached the open road paved with bluestone, the roadside was lined with many stalls. Incense, candles, and paper money for worship were basic items, but there were also sugar figures, grilled skewers, and flatbread stalls. All sorts of food, drinks, and entertainment were no less than in the city. There were also stalls selling medicinal herbs like reishi mushrooms, goji berries, and chrysanthemum. There were also noisy parrots and cats and rabbits, as well as rare birds and exotic beasts.
No wonder Taoyu had been longing to see the lively scene. It truly opened Huo Shu’s eyes.
Jinlong Temple was the largest temple outside Tongzhou City. It was said that the former Emperor had visited the temple to burn incense during his southern tour and had stayed for some days.
For this reason, Jinlong Temple had been renovated and expanded several times. Now, the roads were wide and smooth, and the many pilgrims attracted merchants to do business.
Taoyu couldn’t move when he saw these lively stalls. He slid off the horse and first drank a bowl of hot soup for two copper coins.
Then, he darted from one stall to another.
Huo Shu led the horse with one hand and held Taoyu tightly with the other.
He saw the throngs of people. Not only were those in carriages and on horseback dressed luxuriously, but even the women from the villages carrying baskets were brightly dressed.
In fact, ever since Huo Shu came south, he had noticed that in Tongzhou, whether it was at banquets or large gatherings, people were always dressed neatly and presentably. People in Tongzhou liked to be beautiful.
It was no wonder Taoyu was disdainful of his own attire.
He pinched Taoyu’s hand: “What is the woman in front wearing?”
Taoyu heard Huo Shu utter the word “woman” and quickly leaned over. He saw that the woman he was looking at was only over thirty years old and dressed ordinarily without anything particularly eye-catching. He couldn’t help but ask, “It’s just made of ordinary satin, with a pattern that’s decades old.”
“What’s the price?”
Taoyu was surprised that Huo Shu was asking about these things, but since he asked, he patiently told him, “Satin like the one that lady is wearing is only mid-to-low grade in fabric stores. If you buy the fabric yourself, a bolt should be less than one tael of silver, maybe around seven to eight hundred wen if you bargain.”
“If you buy ready-made clothes directly from the fabric store, a set would cost about five to six hundred wen, which isn’t very cost-effective. You can make two sets from one bolt of fabric.”
Speaking of which, the satin Huo Shu had bought from Ten Mile Fabric Store earlier had been added to the betrothal gifts and delivered together. He hadn’t had time to tailor it into clothes yet.
“What’s wrong? Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?”
Huo Shu frowned at this.
He vaguely remembered that when he was young, a cousin from his father’s side was getting married. Everything had been arranged. A new style of satin was released in the city’s fabric stores, and the young man wanted a bolt of it, so he mentioned it to his cousin.
That day, his cousin went with him to the fabric store to inquire about the price of the fabric, and after they came out, the marriage fell through.
“That satin is exactly like this one.”
Taoyu’s eyes widened. “Was the family very poor before? Buying a bolt for the betrothal gifts only cost a few hundred wen.”
Huo Shu said, “The shopkeeper asked for eight taels of silver per bolt. My cousin tried to bargain, and a sheep merchant bought it in one go.”
“Eight, eight taels?!”
Taoyu incredulously asked again, “Even if that floral satin was newer and the price was a bit higher at that time, it definitely wouldn’t have exceeded one tael of silver. But eight taels is too much. Are you sure you remember correctly?”
Huo Shu shook his head. Although he didn’t know much about fabrics, the fact that a marriage had fallen through because of it was a deeply ingrained memory.
Seeing it again now, things had changed. He said leisurely, “However, the shopkeeper wasn’t trying to trick anyone. The fabric is truly from the south.”
“The Northern regions are lacking in resources. Clothing and satin are mostly animal hides, with only a few types. It’s not as varied as the fabric stores in the south. A bolt of satin like this could sell for that price in the North, and there would still be plenty of people scrambling for it.”
Taoyu’s eyes widened. “Are people in the North that rich?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice cut in: “Is this horse a strong warrior’s? Would you be willing to sell it?”
Huo Shu and Taoyu heard the sound and saw a portly man looking at Big Black with shining eyes, his fondness for it evident.
Perhaps it was because the temple fair was full of merchants, or perhaps it was because Taoyu was standing beside him, making Huo Shu seem more approachable, that the man dared to step forward and inquire.
“The horse is not for sale.”
Taoyu said, “We’re just here for the temple fair.”
The man said directly, “I can offer a hundred taels. Please consider it.”
Taoyu shook his head.
Seeing the two about to leave, the man quickly added, “How about this, you name the price, we can negotiate.”
Huo Shu saw the man’s persistence and looked at him with a deep frown: “If it’s not for sale, it’s not for sale.”
Seeing Huo Shu’s unfriendly expression, the man knew he was not someone to be trifled with and quickly apologized with a smile, “Sorry to have bothered you. It’s just that this horse is truly excellent. If you have another source of such good horses, please let me know.”
“I am Chen Pu from Jiayang Porcelain Workshop in the city.”
Huo Shu nodded slightly to show his agreement.
The two walked to a quieter area, but Huo Shu suddenly fell into thought.
Silk and brocade from the north could be sold, and horses from the south were valuable but scarce. The two regions, however, produced what the other lacked. If they traded between north and south, it would be a highly profitable business.
Now, he was in Tongzhou, and with the help of his local acquaintances, he could select suitable goods. The northern region was where he grew up, so he was familiar with the land.
With a simple calculation, doing business seemed entirely feasible.