Chapter 48
Tao Yu was stunned for a moment. Overwhelming joy surged through him, but just as it reached its peak, his reason slammed the door shut, blocking the happiness.
How could this possibly be true? He didn’t want to be happy for nothing.
“Don’t try to fool me.”
Tao Yu’s tone held a hint of complaint. “What’s the point of saying these things to make me happy for a moment? Won’t it just make me sadder later?”
“So, you still want to go with me.”
Huo Xu said, “Then I’m happy.”
Tao Yu widened his eyes, his vision misting slightly. “Is it fun to trick me into talking?”
“Since I’ve opened my mouth, I’m not playing with you. If you truly have this intention, I will take you.”
Huo Xu smoothed the soft hair by Tao Yu’s ear. He hadn’t been reluctant to part with anyone before, but clearly, that wouldn’t work with Tao Yu.
“You, you’re serious?”
“Mm.”
Tao Yu looked at the sincerity in Huo Xu’s eyes. He knew Huo Xu wasn’t someone who acted impulsively without considering the consequences. Since he was so certain, he had made up his mind.
He was surprised that Huo Xu was willing to take him on such a long journey, not minding that he might be a burden. However, he also knew that even if he agreed, there would still be many obstacles.
“But…”
“Going on a business trip is not like leading troops into battle. Even in battle, there are young men in the Northern Army camps. I am your husband, and taking you on a business trip is not against propriety or something to be ashamed of. There are no insurmountable obstacles to prevent this.”
Huo Xu said, “It’s inevitable that parents will object. If you can’t even face and overcome this obstacle, it means your desire to go is just a whim. If you don’t go, that’s fine too.”
Tao Yu felt that Huo Xu’s words made a lot of sense.
If he couldn’t overcome even a small difficulty, how could he possibly handle the endless problems that would arise on the journey if he did go?
He was silent for a moment, then said, “I’ll try.”
After speaking, he snuggled closer to Huo Xu. “Then you’ll always be on my side, right?”
“Naturally.”
Huo Xu squeezed Tao Yu’s hand. “If you want to go with me, the first thing you need to do is not convince my parents, but not to oversleep.”
“Ah!”
Tao Yu whimpered, “But my legs are so weak.”
Huo Xu got out of bed and pulled him up too. “Where on your body isn’t weak?”
After breakfast, Huo Xu and Ji Yangzong were going to look at livestock. Tao Yu woke up early, and the family was rarely gathered at the table in the morning.
Huang Manjing added a bowl of porridge to Tao Yu’s bowl. Seeing his sleepy eyes and the lingering redness, she would normally have asked what was wrong.
However, now that they were married, it would be inappropriate to pry further.
“I’ll boil an egg to roll over your eyes.”
Tao Yu shook his head. “I’ll use a handkerchief to apply it after I eat.”
Ji Yangzong let his wife and son fuss over Tao Yu and said to Huo Xu,
“I’ve spoken to a few families in the village who are selling livestock. We’ll go take a look at them later and see if they’re suitable. I can negotiate prices in the village based on relationships, but even if the price is right, we can’t decide rashly. After all, we’re going so far away, so the livestock must be strong and have good endurance.”
“If we don’t have enough, we’ll go to the livestock market. But spring is coming, and the livestock market people will hike up prices, so we’ll need to compare prices at a few places.”
Huo Xu acknowledged him.
Transporting goods out of town mainly depended on livestock for loading. It would be harder than reaching the heavens to buy horses for transport in Tongzhou.
He had heard from Ge Liang that a healthy young horse could cost twenty to thirty taels, and an adult horse could double that price. Good horses were even rarer than market demand.
Even if they had connections to buy horses, the price would be enough to buy a lot of cloth and tea.
During the war, horses were scarce, but in the south, they were even scarcer than in the north.
Huo Xu’s current horse was a reward from when he improved Baihu. It wasn’t a top-tier horse in the Northern region, but it was a good one. In the south, it was practically a rarity.
Therefore, the only livestock they could afford to buy were mules, donkeys, and cattle.
Mules were the offspring of female donkeys and male horses. In the south, where horses were few, mules were also not numerous, but their prices were reasonable. Because mules could almost never reproduce, many people felt they were less valuable than other livestock, so their prices didn’t get too high.
Donkeys and cattle were the most common.
They were acceptable to use, but their speed was slower.
Huo Xu thought that if he brought his own, the speed would be just right.
“We’re going all the way north, so we must prepare everything as thoroughly as possible and think carefully.”
Tao Yu, while stuffing pickles into his mouth, listened quietly to his father and Huo Xu’s conversation. The food in his mouth was tasteless. Hearing this, he interjected, “The journey is long, and there will be many barren lands. We might not encounter a single village or town for three to five days. It won’t be good if we catch a cold or get sick on the way.”
Ji Yangzong agreed, “That’s right, we need to prepare more medicine. You and Xiao Taozi can get some common ones from A’zu.”
“How would they know how to use each medicine? Don’t make a mistake and have the opposite effect.”
Tao Yu shifted his gaze to the dish of pickles and said casually, “If I go with them, there won’t be any need to worry about these things.”
There was a brief silence at the table. Then Huang Manjing placed a chopstickful of pickles into Tao Yu’s bowl. “Eat. What nonsense are you talking about? They aren’t fools; surely they know how to take medicine if the prescription is written down.”
Ji Yangzong clearly didn’t take Tao Yu’s words seriously and was about to say more to Huo Xu.
However, Tao Yu added, “I’m serious.”
“Serious about what? You know there are barren lands on the way, three to five days without a village or shop. Don’t you know your own health? Are you going to make Huo Xu watch the goods and you at the same time?”
“You’re so insensible. You’re married and a grown person, yet you’re still throwing tantrums. Do you think this is like going to the market in town? Begging Dad to take you there, and it’s the same?”
Huang Manjing also said, “Mom knows you don’t want Huo Xu to go far away after just getting married, but you can’t be willful and drag Huo Xu down.”
Tao Yu insisted, “It’s not just that I don’t want him to go so far for so long. I also want to go out and see the world. I’ve lived this long and have never even left Tongzhou.”
Ji Yangzong saw that his son was being stubborn and couldn’t be reasoned with. Since he was already married, he, as a father, should relax a little.
He said that his words were no longer effective, and his husband’s words would surely be more useful. So, he turned to Huo Xu and said, “You persuade your husband to go. He just knows how to make trouble.”
Huo Xu said calmly, “If he wants to go, let him go.”
Ji Yangzong’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What did you say?”
Huo Xu was patient. It was normal for an elderly father-in-law to have hearing problems. “If he wants to go, let him go.”
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing originally thought that only Tao Yu was being unreasonable, but it turned out both of them were not thinking clearly!
The couple couldn’t help but stare at each other. This wasn’t one-sided affection; it was clearly a mutual discussion.
“You’ve always been steady. How can you indulge Xiao Taozi’s recklessness!”
Ji Yangzong slammed his chopsticks down, feeling a sense of regret that his son was not living up to his expectations. Truly, even the hardest man couldn’t resist flattery.
Huang Manjing didn’t feel that the young couple had been acting out yesterday. She guessed that Tao Yu had cried and pulled at Huo Xu last night, which was why his eyes were so swollen today.
He must have cried pitifully, asking Huo Xu to take him out. Huo Xu was his husband, and even the coldest heart would be softened by his husband’s tears.
It was like this every time he cried as a child and asked his father to take him to town.
“Don’t even think about it. Let’s not mention this again!”
Ji Yangzong didn’t try to persuade them further. Huo Xu was not someone who didn’t understand reason. If he helped Xiao Taozi, how could he be reasoned with?
He simply cut off their hopes.
With that, Ji Yangzong huffed and puffed and walked away with his hands behind his back.
“You child, look how angry you made your father.”
Huang Manjing frowned and reprimanded Tao Yu. “Don’t ever do this again.”
Seeing them leave, Tao Yu also put down his chopsticks and slumped onto the table.
“Deflated?”
Huo Xu looked at the dejected person.
Tao Yu said, “I had already expected this reaction from them.”
It was disappointing to see their prediction come true.
However, he immediately sat up straight again, his gaze firm, and said to Huo Xu, “I have plenty of ways! As long as you don’t change your mind after they persuade you.”
Tao Yu added a little worriedly, “Did you hear me?”
Huo Xu couldn’t help but smile at his appearance and replied, “Mm.”
“Then go with Dad to look at the livestock.”
After Huo Xu left, Tao Yu returned to his room. As soon as he entered, his mother knocked on the door.
She was here to talk to him and persuade him.
He had already prepared his response. “Mom, I want to sleep for a while.”
“You’re already up, what are you sleeping for? Open the door for Mom.”
Tao Yu said to the door, “Thinking about Huo Xu being away for a year or two and not coming back makes me toss and turn all night. I didn’t sleep half the night, so I’m very tired.”
“Mom and Dad don’t agree to let me go with him, so I’ll probably be unable to sleep again tonight. If I don’t sleep now, when will I sleep?”
Tao Yu heard his mother knock on the door a few times, but it wasn’t opened. She muttered, “This child…”
He quickly went to the door and pressed his ear against it. Hearing her footsteps recede, he opened the door a crack.
He peeked out to see her leaving, seemingly heading to the Zhao family’s house. Only then did he feel relieved and returned to his room.
Tao Yu quickly went back to his room and tidied up a bit, then secretly slipped out.
“Is Brother Tao going out?”
As soon as Tao Yu reached the yard, he bumped into Da Niu, startling him.
He quickly said, “You absolutely must not tell Mom and Dad that I’m going out. Just pretend you didn’t see me.”
Da Niu opened his mouth, about to say something, when Tao Yu quickly added, “Otherwise, I won’t let the son-in-law chop wood and carry water for you anymore.”
Da Niu immediately shut his mouth and turned away with the broom, as if he were blind.
Tao Yu quickly slipped away.
“I say, it’s good that you dote on your husband, but don’t spoil Xiao Taozi too much. You agree to everything he says without considering the consequences. How will you discipline him if you have children in the future?”
On the way out, Ji Yangzong tried to educate Huo Xu with his hands behind his back.
“If you indulge him in everything, he’ll go to heaven. Going out is for business, not for sightseeing. If he were healthier, it might be understandable, but his constitution…”
Ji Yangzong chattered on, but realized Huo Xu hadn’t responded at all. “Are you listening, or not? Say something.”
“Mm, I’m listening.”
“Then have you taken it to heart!”
“I will take good care of him on the road.”
Ji Yangzong raised his finger in anger, looking at Huo Xu’s expressionless face, and felt a sense of futility, like playing a lute to a cow.
“Wasting my breath.”
Ji Yangzong sighed. “He’s been married for less than a day, and he’s still causing trouble! Don’t even think about it!”
Huo Xu didn’t argue. He spent the afternoon with Ji Yangzong running around the village and arranged for four donkeys and two cattle.
They arranged for two mules from another village. Huo Xu and Ge Liang each had a horse, and all the goods could be loaded.
After all, they were all light items, with only the cloth being heavy. One donkey could carry the tea.
However, the journey was long and the road conditions were complex, so they couldn’t plan solely based on the weight the livestock could pull.
The carrying capacity of an adult donkey was only about two hundred catties. When pulling a cart, it could carry twice its own weight. However, this was only on flat roads like official roads.
If they encountered muddy roads or slopes, they could only carry a quarter of their body weight.
This meant they had to prepare based on the lowest carrying capacity of all livestock, so they could transport the goods regardless of the road conditions.
Although the goods they purchased this time were not many and not heavy, the food and clothing for more than ten people, cooking utensils, and camping gear for the outdoors, even with a light load, added up to quite a bit.
They would need at least two livestock to transport them.
Now that most of the necessary items had been decided, the remaining task was to build the carts for the goods.
There was no shortage of carpenters in the surrounding villages, so it was easy to purchase them.
On the way back, Ji Yangzong was thinking that after making Tao Yu sulk for most of the day, he probably wouldn’t cause trouble anymore when they got back.
On the small path behind the house, he smelled the aroma of cooking from afar.
Ji Yangzong said smugly to Huo Xu, “Xiao Taozi’s fickle nature is partly due to his A’zu spoiling him. See? The more you indulge him, the more willful he becomes. Today, if you ignore him, he still obediently cooks all the meals.”
Huo Xu glanced at the smoke rising from the Ji family’s house and said nothing.
The father-in-law and son-in-law entered the courtyard together. Ji Yangzong’s smile hadn’t faded when he saw the person in the courtyard and immediately became cautious.
“Father-in-law, why are you here!”
“Can’t I come?”
Huang Yinsheng said, then turned to Huo Xu behind Ji Yangzong. “You’re back.”
Huo Xu glanced at Tao Yu, who was smiling and holding Huang Yinsheng’s arm, then followed Tao Yu’s lead and greeted him.
“Father-in-law, you shouldn’t say that. You should have sent a message in advance so I could have Manjing prepare some dishes.”
“We’re all family, no need for such formalities.”
As they spoke and entered the house, Tao Yu hopped excitedly. “A’zu, I’ll go make you some tea.”
Ji Yangzong watched the cheerful young man and felt something was amiss.
Huang Yinsheng sat down at the table in the main hall.
“I heard earlier that Huo Xu was going out on business. The clinic was busy, and I didn’t have time to inquire about you young people’s affairs. What’s the progress now?”
“Although it’s tedious, it’s going smoothly. We’ve already arranged the goods, and most of the necessary items are ready.”
Huang Yinsheng nodded. “It’s good that it’s going smoothly. We rarely have relatives in business in our family, so it’s not easy for you to figure everything out on your own. Every beginning is difficult, but keep working at it.”
“Yes.”
Ji Yangzong listened to Huang Yinsheng and Huo Xu talk for a while without interjecting.
When Tao Yu came in with the tea, Huang Yinsheng stopped talking and took a sip of tea.
“By the way, Yangzong, I heard that Xiao Taozi is also going with Huo Xu?”
Ji Yangzong, about to drink his tea, faltered. “Father-in-law, what are you talking about! Is this a joke? With Xiao Taozi’s constitution, how far can he travel?”
“There’s no such thing. Huo Xu has already assembled a team with his former comrades.”
“That’s enough, you don’t need to be like this.”
Huang Yinsheng said, “I came to the village with Xiao Taozi today.”
He knew it!
Ji Yangzong’s eyes widened. “You child!”
Now that he was here, Huang Yinsheng’s intentions were clear.
“Father-in-law, you can’t let Xiao Taozi go! Usually, he catches a cold from the changing seasons or a slight draft at home. Huo Xu is going to the Northern region, which is at least four or five prefectures away. It’s not like going to the county town. How can Xiao Taozi endure it!”
Huang Manjing also came from the kitchen. “This child just acts on impulse. Father, how can you indulge his recklessness?”
“I know your concerns as a couple. I’ve been taking care of Xiao Taozi’s health since he was young, so I know his condition.”
Huang Yinsheng said, “He does have some weaknesses, but according to my instructions back then, letting him run and jump like ordinary children would increase his stamina.”
“But you two are too reluctant to let the child get hurt. As soon as he has a slight injury or illness, you get anxious, watching him like a precious gem. How can his body not be weak?”
Huang Yinsheng, with his extensive knowledge, had seen many noble young ladies and gentlemen who were also frail, often because they were spoiled.
“Now that there’s an opportunity, let him go through some hardship and broaden his horizons, and strengthen his body. With Huo Xu watching over him, what are you two worried about?”
His words made the agitated couple fall silent.
Huang Yinsheng had indeed repeatedly told them when Xiao Taozi was young to raise him like an ordinary child, but every time he saw the child get hurt or cry, he felt heartbroken.
Both of them loved their child and couldn’t bear to see him cry or fuss. The more they spoiled him, the weaker he became, leading to his current state.
“Father, but the Northern region is too far.”
Huang Manjing still said reluctantly.
“Tongzhou is still stable now, and there are still choices. If you were born in a chaotic time, how would you watch Xiao Taozi?”
“But this is just a hypothetical situation. Is Tongzhou actually stable?”
Huang Yinsheng sighed. “This world is no longer what it used to be.”
He had old friends in the medicine business in various places and could get some outside news. Last year, not only Tongzhou had bandit unrest, but other prefectures were also not entirely peaceful.
However, the global situation was hard to predict, and saying too much would only make the family anxious, so he stopped at that.
Huang Yinsheng didn’t mention the world situation anymore. He suddenly looked at Tao Yu and said, “You two go out first. I have something to tell your parents.”
Tao Yu raised his eyebrows, surprised that there was anything they couldn’t hear. Knowing that his words didn’t carry much weight now, he pulled Huo Xu and left as his A’zu suggested.
Ji Yangzong watched them go and opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
With his father-in-law present, he couldn’t yell.
Seeing the two of them walk away, Huang Yinsheng paused for a moment before saying, “I agreed to let him go, not because he asked me. Today, there are some things I need to inform you both about.”
“I don’t often mention Manjing’s younger father. Xiao Taozi’s health is like this partly because he inherited some of his younger A’zu’s illness.”
“Given his current physical condition, if he were to have children, he would likely suffer greatly.”
Huang Manjing’s face turned pale when she heard this. “Father, do you mean that Xiao Taozi will have children like his younger father?”
Ji Yangzong also couldn’t sit still and looked at Huang Yinsheng anxiously.
“If his body doesn’t strengthen, he won’t be able to endure that hardship. How can he safely give birth?”
Huang Yinsheng sighed. “Of course, nothing is absolute, but there is this possibility. If he takes good care of his health, he will be no different from an ordinary person.”
“Before, I was always worried about saying these things and upsetting Manjing. But now that Xiao Taozi is married, these words must be said.”
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing were stunned by this news, as if struck by lightning. They had been looking forward to holding their grandchild. If there was such a risk, how could they dare to anticipate it so readily?
“Whether he goes or not, you are his parents, and the decision is yours.”
Huang Yinsheng said this and left after having dinner at the Ji family’s house.
During dinner, Ji Yangzong and his wife did not mention the business trip at all. Tao Yu felt the atmosphere was a bit heavy and wondered what was going on.
After sending Huang Yinsheng off at the village road with Huo Xu, he finally dared to ask, “A’zu, did Mom and Dad agree?”
“A’zu has said what he needed to say. Whether they agree depends on your parents. You’ve never been on a long journey before, and your parents dote on you, so give them some time to consider carefully.”
Tao Yu looked at the ambiguous answer and sighed slightly, then obediently replied, “I understand.”
Huang Yinsheng then looked at Huo Xu, who was following beside Tao Yu. “Ah Xu, if your father-in-law and mother-in-law agree to let Xiao Taozi go on the business trip, you must take good care of him.”
“You are his husband, and he will rely on you for the rest of his life.”
Huo Xu replied solemnly, “Since I want him to go with me, I will take care of him with all my might.”
“In that case, I can rest assured.”
“A’zu, be careful on the road.”
Tao Yu shouted into the darkening night as Huang Yinsheng’s carriage drove away.
The night breeze was gentle. Although the sun had been warm during the day, a wind had risen at night, reminding everyone that spring had not yet arrived.
Huo Xu reached out and put his arm around Tao Yu’s shoulders, pulling him closer.
“Dad always listens to A’zu the most. If even his persuasion is useless, then Mom and Dad have truly made up their minds.”
Tao Yu snuggled into Huo Xu’s embrace, his face half-hidden in his collar, feeling a sense of uncertainty.
“If they still don’t allow it, then I’ll just sneak you away when they’re not paying attention.”
Tao Yu chuckled at this. “I’m not a baby in swaddling clothes. How will you sneak me away?”
“A baby in swaddling clothes doesn’t understand words, so no matter how nicely you speak, it’s useless. You’re no better than a baby, you don’t need much persuasion, you’ll follow me willingly.”
Tao Yu pouted.
“If it weren’t for the fact that we’ve consummated our marriage, I wouldn’t be going with you. I’m telling you, until Mom and Dad agree, you’re not allowed to be handsy at night. If they see me looking tired and weak again, they might change their minds from agreeing to not agreeing.”
Huo Xu was silent for a moment. “What if they agree?”
“If they agree…”
Tao Yu immediately said, “If they agree, then it’s even more impossible! We need to prepare for a long journey. How can we still do that? I’m already a burden, and if my legs are sore and weak, how can I walk? Besides, that kind of thing corrupts one’s will, and you can’t lose your will.”
Huo Xu was silent for a long time. “It seems I didn’t satisfy you last night.”
