Chapter 50
At Yinshi, the Ji family’s house was brightly lit.
The sounds of loading goods onto carts echoed through the pre-dawn morning, unusually ethereal and prolonged.
Taoyu, wrapped in a thick hemp-colored winter coat, pulled a fluffy rabbit fur collar around his neck amidst the light drizzle.
Huang Manqing, looking at Taoyu ready to depart, couldn’t help but feel her eyes redden.
She held Taoyu’s hand and said, “Write home to report your safety anytime, so your parents know your whereabouts.”
Taoyu nodded, “I know. I’ll send a letter home whenever we stop in a county town.”
Although Huang Manqing had tried her best to accept that her son was going on a long journey, convincing herself it was like a child getting married and only returning for festivals, her psychological preparations proved ineffective at this moment.
Her child had never been out of her sight for more than three days since he was little. Even staying at the medical clinic in town was only for a day or two at most. If the time were any longer, she would go to town to bring him back, or Ji Yangzong would go.
Thinking that this trip would last for half a year or more, Huang Manqing felt a large part of her heart suddenly empty.
She held Taoyu’s slightly cold hand, reluctant to let go, feeling as though there were many worries left unspoken, yet when she opened her mouth, the same words came out.
“Mother, don’t worry. I’ll definitely take care of myself.”
Seeing his mother like this, Taoyu also felt uncomfortable.
Huang Manqing watched the men busy loading goods and pulled Taoyu aside, saying in a low voice,
“When you go out, the journey will be bumpy. Stay away from Huo Shu too. If you get pregnant, it will be difficult to manage both.”
Taoyu’s eyes flickered, not understanding why his mother suddenly brought this up, but the warning was not unreasonable.
His health was not very robust to begin with. If he got pregnant on the road, he would surely not be able to endure the jolting and bumping. How could he travel with Huo Shu then?
However, he thought it was an unnecessary worry. When traveling for business, one’s mind would be focused on the goods, leaving no room for such “trouble.”
“I know. Nothing like that will happen.”
Huang Manqing felt even more uneasy when Taoyu agreed so quickly.
But whether she felt at ease or not, she could only instruct him verbally.
“The goods have been counted and loaded. It’s all done here!”
Upon hearing the voices, they stopped talking.
Huo Shu came over, took Taoyu’s hand, and said to Huang Manqing, “Then we’ll be going.”
Ji Yangzong also stepped forward, perhaps because he feared Huang Manqing would be too reluctant to let go of her child. He put his arm around his wife’s shoulder.
He said with a furrowed brow, “Go while it’s still early.”
Yuan Huiru also came to see them off, feeling quite reluctant.
“Sixth Uncle, Sixth Aunt, please don’t worry. I will take good care of Brother Taoyu on the road.”
Ji Wenliang had already bid farewell to his parents and siblings at home. To avoid his mother and his sixth aunt meeting and becoming distressed together, as both were soft-hearted people, he didn’t want them to come to see them off.
He simply didn’t want them to come and see them off again.
Young men always longed for the outside world more, so their sorrow was halved.
Huang Manqing suppressed the sting in her nose and nodded, “Go, all of you, go.”
Taoyu’s eyes also misted over. Fearing it would be too difficult to part if they spoke further, he turned around and hurried onto the carriage, not even daring to lift the curtain to glance back at his home.
The others also successively bid farewell to their doting mothers, taciturn fathers, and teary wives and children who had come to see them off, and then got into their carriages.
With Huo Shu’s command to depart, the group began to move forward with their livestock and carts.
In the courtyard, those who had come to see them off were shouting repeatedly to be careful and to send letters home.
It was a scene filled with the sorrow of parting.
Huo Shu, mounted on his horse, looked at the elders standing in the courtyard.
“I will definitely bring him back safely.”
With that, he flicked the reins and rode forward.
Watching them get onto the main village road, Huang Manqing finally couldn’t help but cover her face and cry.
“My little Taoyu.”
“With Huo Shu there, don’t worry, he will come back.”
Ji Yangzong, who also felt unwell, felt even worse seeing his wife like this. He comforted her in a low voice, “The child is grown up. Where is the child who always stays by our side? If he married into another family, wouldn’t it be the same? The villagers are all here, don’t let them laugh at you.”
“We are all parents. What’s funny about missing our child?”
Huang Manqing wiped her eyes,
“They are going to the north, to the ends of the earth. What if they are kidnapped? Huo Shu is from the northern territories. What if he takes Taoyu and doesn’t come back?”
“You’re talking nonsense. Not to mention Wenliang is also going. Aren’t all those going with them people from our village and the neighboring village? How could they not come back?”
Yuan Huiru also went to persuade her. Those who went out were less reluctant about that particular matter, and turned their worries to other things, which made those who stayed behind even sadder.
The sound of dozens of cart wheels crushing the village road was considerable. The early risers in the village heard that Huo Shu’s merchant caravan was departing today and stood in their courtyards, craning their necks to watch.
They could clearly see several lit torches moving in the direction of the village entrance.
“Such a long journey, the road is bound to be chaotic. The Ji family can afford a son-in-law, why go through all this trouble. It’s better to enjoy life in the village. Why must they go out to suffer? If I were the Ji family’s son-in-law, I would never step half a foot out of Tongzhou.”
“Your lack of ambition is why you can’t become the Ji family’s son-in-law. Look at them, they have food, clothing, and the ambition to go out and do business. Only you would be too lazy to go out and work the fields at the first sign of rain.”
Conversations could be heard from the courtyards of the lit houses in the village, discussing this matter and speculating whether the business would succeed.
However, there were more who did not think it would succeed. The farmers in their area had seen more of the world than those in the county towns, and their horizons were wider. They often traveled to the prefectural capital, so they were exposed to more new things, and there were also those who ventured out to make a living.
There was never a shortage of people who wanted to venture out, but those who could truly achieve something were few and far between.
“He actually took Taoyu with him.”
In the You family’s courtyard, You Lingxiao stood in the rain, gazing blankly in the direction of the village exit.
Sun Yuanniang came forward and said, “The Ji family is crazy to let Taoyu go out with his frail health. He might perish on the road.”
“How much money can they earn from such a long and arduous journey? The Ji family is so calculating, yet they are only like this. If they had stayed with our family earlier, would the child need to go out and toil? Wouldn’t they just have silver delivered to their doorstep?”
Sun Yuanniang scoffed, “Even if he could earn a little with his ability, wouldn’t he still have to bow and scrape before the scholars?”
You Lingxiao just felt the rain was dreary, and his heart was as dim as the sky. He didn’t really listen to Sun Yuanniang’s words.
He had originally hoped that Huo Shu would go far away for business, and that he would still have a chance to meet Taoyu, but it turned out to be in vain.
Once the caravan got onto the official road, the going became much easier, but the rain showed no sign of stopping.
It was not convenient to travel in the rain when setting out, but no one complained. After all, there would be many more days of enduring wind and dew, and it was not necessarily a bad thing to get used to unfavorable weather early on.
Everyone took out their straw raincoats and hats and hurried on their way.
They were to pass through Tongzhou city today and reach a county town on the border of Tongzhou to rest.
Taoyu sat in the carriage and was not cold. The longing and reluctance for his home gradually faded with the approaching dawn.
The rain made the day dawn late. By the time it was fully light, the caravan had already left Tongzhou city.
Taoyu slightly lifted the carriage curtain and saw Dahei in the rain, wagging its tail, its tail hair already wet.
He raised his eyes and saw Huo Shu, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, looking ahead, advancing calmly in the rain, exuding a literary swordsman’s aura.
Taoyu cautiously looked in the opposite direction of home, not disturbing the “great hero” leading the way.
It was his first time leaving Tongzhou city. Although the scenery was no different from his home, his heart was still slightly excited.
The carriage swayed. After watching the scenery outside for a while, he closed the carriage curtain again, fearing he would catch a cold from the wind.
If he fell ill before even leaving Tongzhou city, it would be strange if he wasn’t sent back.
He cherished himself more than ever.
Taoyu didn’t know when he fell asleep. He just felt his eyes grow tired and close without him realizing it, his head nodding sharply a couple of times due to the swaying.
He had gotten up almost at midnight. Last night, he was too excited about leaving and filled with thoughts of the unknown to sleep, so it was natural to be sleepy now.
To avoid causing trouble for himself, he simply lay down and slept.
The carriage was specially modified. Although the space was smaller, the seating area was twice as wide as an ordinary carriage, precisely for the convenience of lying down and resting.
The men outside were guarding the goods and would not sit in the carriage. This carriage was custom-made for him.
Huang Manqing not only sewed a layer of palm fiber cushioning onto the carriage’s bench but also made a roll-up soft cushion from old bedding.
The weather in early spring was cold, so she put two layers, and when the weather warmed up in March or April, the soft cushion could be removed.
In short, she did her best to make the carriage as comfortable as possible.
Apart from having to bend his legs to lie down, there was nothing else wrong.
As Taoyu slept, the sound of the carriage wheels rolling was always in his ears. He didn’t know when, but he felt quiet for some time, as if he were sleeping soundly in his own bed.
Huo Shu lifted the carriage door curtain and saw the young man lying on his side inside the carriage, asleep and curled into a small ball.
His brows were furrowed, and his eyelashes twitched from time to time.
Seeing that he was not sleeping soundly, he gently tucked in the corner of his blanket without disturbing him, then quietly withdrew.
Ji Wenliang held a large white steamed bun and took off his water flask, looking at Huo Shu, “Brother Taoyu isn’t eating?”
“He’s sleeping.”
Huo Shu said, “He’ll eat when he wakes up.”
Ji Wenliang glanced at the carriage, seeing that the curtains were tightly closed, not letting in a sliver of wind.
Seeing his brother-in-law checking the carriage every ten minutes, he wondered how he could still care about the goods. He cared about the person more than the goods.
No wonder Brother Taoyu didn’t want to live a comfortable life at home and had to come out to suffer with his husband.
With such a husband, it was truly reassuring.
He remembered when Brother Taoyu broke up with that You family member, how many people in the village said Brother Taoyu would never find a good husband. And now, he had found an even better one.
It was truly a case of light at the end of the tunnel.
Ji Wenliang was a bit intimidated by Huo Shu at first, but seeing how good he was to Taoyu, he felt that Huo Shu, despite his fierce appearance, was actually very easy to talk to and get along with.
He nudged Huo Shu to come closer to him and Ge Liang, “Brother-in-law, you care so much about Brother Taoyu. If he and a whole box of tea fell into the water, would you save Brother Taoyu first or the goods?”
Ge Liang, who was eating a steamed bun, almost choked on it and quickly drank two sips of water to calm himself.
“Brother Huo, your brother-in-law is really interesting.”
Huo Shu looked at Ji Wenliang, who had a sincere expression, and said, “Your brother still wants to fall into the river a few more times? Doesn’t he think he fell in enough last time?”
Ji Wenliang’s eyes widened, “When did Brother Taoyu fall into the water?”
Huo Shu did not answer and said, “Eat something quickly and continue on your way.”
Unwittingly, it was already noon, and the rain had finally stopped.
However, the sky was still gloomy and showed no sign of brightening.
Rainwater had accumulated on the branches and leaves of the trees, and everyone dared not sit under the trees.
They had to squat on the side of the road and eat some dry food to lighten the load on the livestock.
“Everyone give the livestock some water and fodder. After eating the dry food, we’ll continue. There’s expected to be rain again tonight, so we must reach Shuixi County as soon as possible.”
When Taoyu woke up, he felt a bit dizzy.
Seeing that the carriage was still moving, he propped himself up and pulled open the curtain. He saw that the outside was still the same dim gray, the rain had not changed, and he couldn’t tell what time it was.
“You’re awake.”
Taoyu rubbed his eyes and looked at Huo Shu, who had slowed his horse and stopped in front of the carriage window, “What time is it? Where are we?”
“It’s afternoon. Eat something. We still have over two hours to reach Shuixi County.”
Taoyu was surprised that he had slept for so long.
He responded and went to get the dry food in the carriage to eat.
He didn’t expect to sleep for over an hour, but even while sleeping, he wasn’t fully asleep, his sleep was very light.
He had many dreams, sometimes of his parents, sometimes of the journey, and his dreams were all a jumbled mess.
Sitting in the carriage for a long time, the confined space finally became stuffy. As they traveled further, Taoyu felt the discomfort of a long journey more and more.
However, he knew that compared to everyone outside wearing bamboo hats in the rain and watching the goods while driving the carts, his conditions inside the carriage were much better.
Despite the discomfort, he stayed quietly in the carriage without a word of complaint.
The caravan entered Shuixi County as dusk was falling.
In fact, it was only Youshi, not very late, but the rain made it dark earlier.
Whether it was due to the rain or the scarcity of people in the small county town, the streets were already sparsely populated at this hour. As the caravan entered the city, the occasional people entering or leaving the city looked on with curiosity.
Let alone the sparse pedestrians, only the shops along the main street had lit lanterns and were open. The shops on the side streets had already closed one after another.
The group consisted of people from the vicinity of Tongzhou. When they were in the prefectural capital, they only heard outsiders say that Tongzhou was prosperous and lively, and they hadn’t felt anything special. But upon arriving in a local county town, they finally had a profound comparison.
Taoyu was curious about what other places looked like. Seeing the desolation under the dreary rain, it was not as fun as Tongzhou.
“Are you guests looking for accommodation? If many people stay, our inn will offer a discount today.”
Since they needed to find lodging, Ge Liang asked, “What’s the price?”
The innkeeper heard the commotion outside and poked his head out, hands clasped. Seeing it was a caravan, he hurried out despite the cold rain.
He greeted them, “It depends on which room you want. We can negotiate the price.”
There wasn’t much business recently, so the innkeeper was enthusiastic. “How about we serve a few small dishes to the guests outside?”
Ge Liang looked at Huo Shu.
Huo Shu said, “We’ll stay here.”
Taoyu’s hands and feet felt weak as he followed Huo Shu into the inn. He looked around the inn. Everything he saw was unfamiliar.
The inn seemed to have been open for some years. The furnishings were a bit old, and to save expenses, fewer candles and lanterns were lit, making the room dim on this rainy day.
The waiter, with his neck shrunk and hands rubbing together, waited for travelers to check in before busying himself.
On such a cold and rainy night, his family would surely be cooking a hot soup dish. If it were prepared in advance, it might even be pig lung and radish soup.
The family would gather around the table, with a charcoal basin under their feet and hot dishes on the table. His father would probably pour a bowl of wine, sip it, and chat with his mother about the trivial matters of the village.
Huo Shu, being taciturn, would surely serve him food.
The warmth of home was in stark contrast to the coldness of the inn.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the sudden feeling of discomfort.
Inn rooms were generally divided into heaven-grade, earth-grade, human-grade, dormitory, woodshed, and horse stable rooms.
For a traveling merchant like them, not a large caravan, everything was to be kept economical.
However, Huo Shu and Ge Liang were conscientious leaders. No matter how much they saved, they didn’t intend to let everyone sleep in the horse stable, lying with the livestock. One could imagine the experience.
After such a long journey, if they didn’t rest well, the road ahead would become increasingly difficult.
Considering the woodshed wasn’t cold, they could make do for a night.
The innkeeper was also understanding. Hearing that they were businessmen from Tongzhou, he wanted to gain more patronage.
The dormitory rooms, which were twenty wen per person per night, were offered at eighteen wen per night. Everyone hesitated, as sleeping in the woodshed only cost twelve wen per person.
Upon hearing this, the two burly men became a bit tempted.
Taoyu saw this and asked, “Do you provide hot water?”
“We are a small business. How much does it cost to stay one night? We can’t afford to provide hot water.”
Huo Shu and Ge Liang both frowned upon hearing this.
Taoyu saw this and whispered a few words to Huo Shu.
Receiving the same opinion, Taoyu then said, “How about this? We’ll stay in the dormitory rooms. If the innkeeper can be accommodating and let everyone take a hot shower, then fine. If not, we’ll just have to stay in the woodshed.”
The innkeeper looked embarrassed and hesitated. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Young master, you’re really driving down the price. Alright, as you wish.”
Huo Shu also booked a private room for Taoyu, a human-grade room.
The group had traveled all day and were all a bit tired. Some went to take hot showers, some fed the livestock, and some sat in the lobby drinking tea.
Taoyu, holding the room key, returned to the room first.
Huo Shu settled the bill, then asked the waiter for hot water and tea before going to his room.
The human-grade room, which cost several dozen wen a night, was not very spacious, far from being as large as the rooms in the Ji family’s house.
The items were also old, but the room was clean, which was not unpleasant.
Huo Shu entered the room and didn’t see Taoyu slumped on a chair or bed. To his surprise, he was sitting at the table with a pen, writing something.
He originally thought he was writing a letter home, but when he went closer, he saw that the booklet recorded that in the 51st year of the Great Yuan Dynasty, passing through Shuixi County, staying overnight at Xiangyue Inn, booking thirteen dormitory rooms at eighteen wen each, and one human-grade room at forty wen…
“Keeping accounts?”
Taoyu responded, “When going out, every cent should be accounted for clearly. Firstly, so that expenses can be calculated later and for the money earned from the business for everyone. Secondly, if there is any dispute, it will serve as proof.”
Huo Shu said, “It seems you’ve also brought an accountant.”
“It’s difficult for you to hold so many positions. I’ll have to give you more money later.”
Taoyu smiled and carefully finished writing before putting down his pen to let the ink dry.
He looked at Huo Shu, who was packing his belongings, and got up to walk over. He suddenly threw himself onto Huo Shu, leaning against his back like a boneless fish.
Huo Shu’s brows twitched, and he turned his head to look at the young man hugging his waist, clinging to him stickily.
“What’s wrong?”
Taoyu shook his head.
Perhaps it was the first time he had stayed overnight in a strange place, feeling unfamiliar, or perhaps he was tired from the bumpy journey.
Even though he hadn’t gotten out of the carriage all day, being confined in the carriage wasn’t much more comfortable, and his legs felt swollen from being bent.
He clung to Huo Shu and said, “My legs are just a bit sore.”
Huo Shu didn’t say anything. He turned and picked Taoyu up, placing him on the bedside.
He held Taoyu’s slender ankle and gently massaged his calf.
“Rest for a while. I’ll order some dishes for you. Eat and then go to bed early. Traveling is no less tiring than working.”
The hardships of travel were for good reason.
“Don’t order dishes, it won’t be good for others to see.”
Taoyu leaned against Huo Shu and said, “We’ll just eat some dry food.”
“Spending money is spending our own money. After leaving Shuixi County, we’ll enter Lianping Prefecture, and there will be a long stretch where we won’t see any county towns. Even if you want to eat, you won’t be able to.”
Taoyu said, “Then order a little less. I don’t have much appetite anyway.”
Soon, the waiter brought hot water, and Huo Shu ordered the meal.
Taoyu, with his drowsy body, washed up and soaked his feet in hot water, which made him feel a bit more comfortable.
At night, he ate a bowl of rice and went to bed early.
Huo Shu didn’t bother with anything else and lay down with him first.
The blanket outside was naturally cold, and Huo Shu’s body quickly warmed up after lying down for a while.
As usual, as long as he was in a warm bed next to Huo Shu, he would fall asleep shortly after.
Today, although his body was clearly tired, he couldn’t fall asleep.
He lay on the bed and still felt as if he were swaying, as if he were still in the carriage.
He closed his eyes, trying his best to fall asleep quickly.
Huo Shu hugged the person in his arms. The young man, who was usually chatty before bed, was so quiet today that it made him feel unaccustomed.
He looked down by the dim candlelight and saw that Taoyu’s eyes were slightly red, and tears had already slid down his face.
His brows furrowed. Although he didn’t say much, he knew that Taoyu missed home.
Huo Shu didn’t offer any words of comfort, but simply held him tighter.
Although he felt sorry for him, if he hadn’t brought him out today, he would surely be crying like this at home due to missing him.
Both would have to cry.
He really was a reincarnation of a crybaby.
