Chapter 32: The Return of Hao Yu (II)

If Hao Yu were alone in this world, it might not matter, but he had Jiang Yuan waiting for him back in Mingfu Village.

He could not implicate Jiang Yuan, especially since Jiang Yuan had long ago given up on his biological parents, while he had stubbornly insisted on traveling to the capital to demand an explanation from them.

"No wonder A-Yuan wouldn't let me go to the capital. No wonder he preferred to spend his whole life tucked away in Mingfu Village."

"I have proven less insightful than a mere child."

"Rest assured, the two of us will never again come here to make fools of ourselves!"

After throwing out those words, a devastated Hao Yu left, only to realize shortly after that he was being followed.

As a man who had once served as a military officer, it would have been easy for Hao Yu to shake off the shadows trailing him, but he did not do so immediately. He could roughly guess the intentions of the Count and Countess of Anping, so he quickly found a merchant caravan heading his way and joined them on their departure from the capital.

For the first two days out of the city, the tails blended in with other travelers, keeping their distance, but by noon on the third day, the feeling of being watched vanished entirely.

With the surveillance lifted, Hao Yu felt no relief; ever since he had seen that couple, a fire had been burning in his chest. He had made his stance clear when the three of them parted on such sour terms, and the couple had even sent men to watch him afterward, yet they hadn't bothered to send him so much as a single token of goodwill.

That was their eldest son! In the past, they had been unwilling to send for him or even pay him a single visit, and now, they didn't even deign to offer such a simple gesture of appeasement. It forced Hao Yu to accept a harsh truth: although Jiang Yuan was alive, his own father and mother likely wished he had died out there, so he would never resurface to cause them trouble again.

He could not bring himself to tell these things to Jiang Yuan, even though Jiang Yuan had been more rational and clear-headed than him from the very beginning. He only told him the two choices the couple had offered, then added, "I refused. From now on, we have absolutely nothing to do with them."

Jiang Yuan had anticipated this result. He softened his voice and said, "You are only thirty-two; it is not too late to marry and have children. You have saved some money over the years; why don't I ask my eldest sister to..."

"Stop, stop, stop." Hao Yu raised a hand to interrupt Jiang Yuan’s rare nagging. "Don't concern yourself with the private matters of your elders."

Jiang Yuan felt helpless. Every time he brought it up, Hao Yu responded with this same attitude, making him suspect that Hao Yu intended to remain a bachelor for the rest of his life.

He knew that in the past, he was young and the world was chaotic, but now that times were peaceful and he had grown up, he felt Hao Yu should finally live a life of his own choosing. He could not let Hao Yu sacrifice everything for his sake. Since words were ineffective, he decided to work from the shadows, arranging for suitable young women to cross paths with Hao Yu.

Having made up his mind, Jiang Yuan said no more. He soaked Hao Yu’s dirty clothes in a bucket and was about to carry them out to wash when Hao Yu suddenly asked, "What is the true background of that Miss Xie?"

Jiang Yuan paused, set down the bucket, and looked back at Hao Yu. "I didn't ask."

Hao Yu frowned. "I heard from the villagers that you pulled her out of the Tang River?"

Jiang Yuan nodded.

Hao Yu’s brow furrowed deeper. "If I am not mistaken, she didn't just accidentally fall into the water; she was harmed by someone, wasn't she?"

Jiang Yuan pursed his lips. "She has already shaken off those bad people; otherwise, no one would have come looking for her in the village all this time."

Hao Yu struck at the heart of the matter. "But her troubles are not yet resolved. If they were, she wouldn't be hiding here, afraid to even return to her own home."

Jiang Yuan was speechless.

Hao Yu sighed. "You, really."

As one of Jiang Yuan’s mentors, he knew well that Jiang Yuan was not as cold as he appeared. He was kind, filial, grateful, and an exceptionally good person.

Jiang Yuan knew this was a concession, so he took the opportunity to ask, "By the way, Master, she wants to learn some self-defense from me. May I teach her?"

Hao Yu nodded. "Teach her whatever you like."

His own martial arts had been learned from his late father. Now that he was the only remaining branch of his family line, anything Jiang Yuan learned from him could be passed on, provided he gave his consent. Jiang Yuan had long guessed this would be the outcome, but he had patiently waited for Hao Yu’s return to seek his permission before beginning to teach Xie Wanniang.

After a brief exchange, Hao Yu finished washing up and took back his clothes to clean them himself. Jiang Yuan could not outdo him, so he went off to wash the dishes the three of them had used. By the time they were done, Xie Wanniang had already prepared hand-pulled noodles made from pure white flour.

She had prepared the portion based on Jiang Yuan’s appetite. After Hao Yu finished two large bowls, he waved off the remaining portion, saying he couldn't eat any more. Xie Wanniang thought for a moment, then took out three more bowls and divided the remaining noodles equally among Xiao Yang, Jiang Yuan, and herself.

Although the three of them ate better than most in the village, pure white flour was a rarity. Topped with meat sauce, it was enough to make Xiao Yang’s mouth water.

After they finished the last of the noodles, Jiang Yuan efficiently began cleaning the pots and bowls, while Xie Wanniang carried a bucket of water and took Xiao Yang into the room to wash up. Jiang Yuan had just told her that he would begin teaching her martial arts starting tomorrow, and Xie Wanniang was filled with anticipation.

They had agreed that, weather permitting, they would rise half an hour earlier each morning and meet at the unused threshing floor at the edge of the village for one-on-one lessons.

The day after Hao Yu returned, Jiang Yuan began heading toward the more distant mountains again, accompanied by Xie Wanniang and Xiao Yang.

Xiao Yang climbed the mountain with more agility than Xie Wanniang, which was something Xie Wanniang had not expected. She had initially planned to take a break or two to look after the child, who had pitifully begged to come along, but the child’s short legs moved rapidly, keeping pace with her perfectly.

Halfway there, seeing the disbelief on her face, Jiang Yuan explained, "She goes into the mountains often."

Xie Wanniang’s eyes widened. "She is only five."

Jiang Yuan’s tone was flat, devoid of any particular emotion. "Most children in the village grow up this way. The older ones look after the younger ones, cutting pig fodder, digging wild herbs, gathering firewood, and catching grasshoppers and earthworms to feed the chickens."

Xie Wanniang fell silent for a moment. "Were you the same?"

Jiang Yuan nodded. "My sister and brother-in-law loved taking me with them into the mountains; that was back before they were married."

Xie Wanniang couldn't help but laugh out loud; it turned out he had been playing the role of a little third wheel. Hearing her laughter, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth upward as well.