Chapter 62
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Chapter 62: Moving In
Dinner naturally took place in Mr. Liu’s small courtyard. Although the utensils there were not complete, being close to Zhang’s home meant that everything was brought over in just a few steps.
Guo Sufei was busy in Mr. Liu’s kitchen, looking at the small and exquisite room with envy. He was indeed a scholar, seeing how well he arranged even his cooking space. In contrast, her own family’s stove was placed in the courtyard under a simple shelter for protection from the elements. Reflecting on this, she realized how rudimentary it seemed.
She decided to discuss it with her husband later, suggesting they let them and the children put some effort and money into building a similar kitchen in their own courtyard. This idea soon materialized, and within half a year, all the open-air stoves in Guo Village were converted into kitchens, which was a trend brought by Mr. Liu.
Guo Village had fewer people than Baligou, and they sold fewer things at the village entrance than Baligou. Therefore, even though Mr. Liu wanted to treat everyone to a good meal, he lacked the means to do so. Dinner that evening remained simple. However, there were many people eating, and Mr. Liu’s spacious hall couldn’t accommodate them all. Luckily, the weather had warmed up, so everyone simply moved tables and chairs outside.
In rural areas, eating together didn’t demand silence. As they ate, they chatted. Butcher Liu occasionally drank alcohol, while Mr. Liu, Zhang Cai, and Liu Kai drank sparingly. But they couldn’t resist Butcher Liu’s frequent toasts, and soon they all began to feel a bit tipsy. Mr. Liu squinted his eyes, watching the lively scene with a touch of emotion. He hadn’t participated in such joyous gatherings for a long time. Perhaps his daughter liked this environment.
Suddenly, a soft spot in his heart was touched, and he couldn’t help but think of his late wife. Looking at Liu Qian’s face, so similar to his deceased wife’s, a gentle smile appeared on his face. He hoped his daughter hadn’t made a mistake in her choice. He felt like he was being pulled onto their boat, and he also hoped he could change his way of life and peacefully spend the latter half of his life with them.
After dinner, as the night breeze cooled down, everyone returned to their houses.
Liu Qian boiled water in the kitchen and made tea for everyone.
Mr. Liu savored a sip of tea, sighed contentedly, and thought to himself, there’s no greater joy in life than this. To be able to drink this tea every day, I wouldn’t hesitate to be a resident of Guo Village forever.
Liu Kai took a sip of tea and glanced at Zhang Xiaolong sitting beside him, smiling as he asked: “Xiaolong, how are your injuries?”
Zhang Xiaolong quickly replied: “Thank you for your concern, Big Brother. My injuries healed long ago. Now I can work in the fields without any issues.”
Butcher Liu also chimed in, saying: “Xiaolong, what exactly happened on the day you married Qianqian? You never explained it clearly back then. Now, tell me your story, so I can hear about your adventures too.”
Zhang Xiaolong frowned slightly, but he proceeded to recount the events of that day as requested. He followed Lu Yueming’s suggestion and omitted his own name, the name of the Piaomiao Sect, and of course, he didn’t mention anything about Xue Qing’s token.
The process may sound simple when narrated, but the dangers of that day were evident to those who listened.
Upon hearing it, Butcher Liu fell silent involuntarily.
Mr. Liu observed the somewhat subdued atmosphere and interjected, saying: “I heard that the bandits from West Cui Mountain have already disbanded. Xiaolong, you can all rest assured. It’s unlikely they’ll come looking for trouble.”
Zhang Xiaolong replied: “Yes, at first I was busy with Grandmother’s funeral and put this matter aside. Later, when I had some free time, I started to worry. I was afraid those bandits might follow the trail from the wedding and come looking for us. It wasn’t until later that I heard they had disbanded, and then I felt relieved.”
Mr. Liu waved his hand and said: “The bandits from West Cui Mountain were just a ragtag bunch. Without a leader, they scattered like monkeys when the tree fell. They’re not a threat anymore, and no one would bother seeking revenge for their leader. Besides, you’re just ordinary farmers. They wouldn’t have any interest in coming after you.”
Liu Kai, however, said: “That’s not necessarily the case. The bandits of West Cui Mountain have been around for a long time, changing leaders countless times over the past decade. Even though they’ve scattered now, it won’t be long before someone raises the flag again.”
Butcher Liu exclaimed: “Let them raise their flag. Do you really think they would come after us to avenge their previous leader?”
Mr. Liu glanced at Zhang Xiaolong, knowing that the Zhang family possessed the Piaomiao Sect’s token. Their escape this time was likely connected to that token. In the Jianghu, it’s not uncommon for people to draw their swords to help the weak and stand up for justice, but more often, people look out for themselves and wouldn’t kill the leader of West Cui Mountain for someone unrelated and offend the forces behind West Cui Mountain for no reason.
Since Zhang Xiaolong hadn’t mentioned the token, Mr. Liu assumed he had his reasons and chose not to reveal it. He merely said: “It’s unlikely they’ll come after us. If they want revenge, they’ll target the ones who killed their leader. However, they might come to question us.”
Zhang Xiaolong smiled and said: “These are just our speculations. We can’t run away just because of this. Even if we moved, they might still find us. It’s better to stay put and live our lives as usual.”
Liu Kai clapped his hands and said: “Well said, Xiaolong. That’s insightful. By the way, I wanted to ask you, how did you come up with that poem, ‘I am a banished immortal’, last time in Baligou? It didn’t seem like something you could create, right?”
Zhang Xiaolong blushed slightly, but no one could see it under the dim oil lamp. He replied sheepishly: “Well, I don’t really know myself. I’ve never composed a poem before. That day, I was desperate, and it just popped into my head. Maybe it was a gift from the heavens.”
Seeing Zhang Xiaolong’s reaction, Liu Kai didn’t press further. At this moment, Zhang Xiaohu, sitting next to Zhang Xiaolong, spoke up. He asked: “Mr. Liu, do you know where Pingyang City is?”
Mr. Liu smiled and said: “Of course I know. Pingyang City is a big city near Lu Town, about six hundred miles northeast of Lu Town. Why do you suddenly bring up Pingyang City?”
Zhang Xiaohu glanced at Zhang Cai, who was sitting in a chair, sipping tea to sober up.
He then said something that surprised everyone.
“I want to go to Pingyang City.”
Everyone was taken aback, and even Zhang Cai, who had been squinting, opened his eyes.
Zhang Xiaohu looked at Zhang Cai again and continued: “I want to go to Pingyang City to have a look. I have grown so big and I’ve never traveled farther than Lu Town, and I’ve only heard about Pingyang City from others.”
Zhang Cai seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but Mr. Liu then asked: “Are you just going to have a look around? In a while, Liu Kai will probably have to go out for something. You could go together.”
Zhang Xiaohu bit his lip and resolutely said: “No, I don’t just want to have a look. I want to get out of this village. I want to change my current way of life.”
“Eh~ Xiaohu wants to leave the village?” Guo Sufei and Liu Qian had just finished tidying up the kitchen and walked in, and Guo Sufei happened to hear Zhang Xiaohu’s words, finding it quite strange.
Seeing his mother enter, Zhang Xiaohu quickly stood up and offered his seat.
Guo Sufei sat on the chair Zhang Xiaohu had been sitting on and looked at him curiously: “Xiaohu, why did you suddenly think of leaving?”
Facing everyone’s surprised looks, Zhang Xiaohu gathered his thoughts and said: “Father, Mother, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I feel that if I live like you, I’ll spend my life facing the earth with my back to the sky, living off our small piece of land. Day after day, I’ll go from home to the fields and back again. Maybe in a few years, when I’m older, Mother will find me a wife who also works the fields. We’ll tend this land together, have children, and teach them how to farm. When I get old, I’ll be buried in the village’s land just like Grandma. Wouldn’t that be a very dull life? Such a monotonous and boring life is not what I want. I want a life that is colorful, interesting, and filled with many people and experiences. Only then, when I am old, will I not have any regrets.”
Everyone fell silent, except for Zhang Xiaohua, who was sitting in the corner with a gleam in his eyes.
Mr. Liu coughed, glanced at Zhang Cai, and said: “I understand my nephew’s feelings. When I was young, I had the same dream and tried to realize it. But when I went out, I found that the world wasn’t as I imagined. I encountered many setbacks and discovered that some lifestyles weren’t what I wanted. So, I returned to Baligou. However, it wasn’t all for nothing. I met Qianqian’s mother on my journey.”
Liu Kai chimed in: “Father is right, but how can you know what the outside world is like without going out and seeing it? How can you know if it suits you? A few years ago, I had the same thoughts as Xiaohu. I think Xiaohu should go out, see the world, and maybe after experiencing its harshness, he’ll come back.”
Butcher Liu shouted: “What’s so great about Pingyang City? It’s just a bigger Lu Town, where even finding a toilet is difficult. Why go there? I don’t think Xiaohu should go.”
Liu Qian, hearing this, understood Zhang Xiaohu’s reasons for wanting to go to Pingyang City. However, as a member of the Zhang family now, she first looked at Zhang Cai and Guo Sufei, seeing that they seemed reluctant and frowning. After some thought, she spoke: “Pingyang City is indeed large and far away, but that’s precisely why there are many people there. If Xiaohu goes, he’s bound to meet a lot of people and maybe even find a suitable girl to bring back. It’s better than our remote place, where you can count the girls from the nearby villages with your eyes closed. Finding a suitable match is very difficult.”
Zhang Xiaohu, seeing that Liu Qian had expressed his thoughts, grinned without explaining further.
At this moment, Zhang Cai and Guo Sufei’s frowns eased. So that’s what their son was thinking. Considering how far Pingyang City was and that Zhang Xiaohu hadn’t traveled much before, it seemed impractical for him to go so far. However, thinking back to how difficult it was to find a wife for Zhang Xiaolong, and if it weren’t for Liu Qian, it would have been a real problem. Now, Zhang Xiaohu was of marrying age, and finding a wife was a major concern. If Zhang Xiaohu went out and could bring back a wife, wouldn’t that be a great thing?
Just as Zhang Cai was about to agree, another voice was heard.