Chapter 38 1/2

“You know him.”

Ge Liang scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Young people in these parts should know a bit. The eldest son of the Ji family is quite well-known.”

He didn’t dare mention that he himself hadn’t yet proposed marriage. Initially, when he heard that the Ji family had called off the engagement with the scholar’s family, he also considered it.

But after inquiring through intermediaries, he gave up. The eldest son of the Ji family was from a prominent family in Mingxun Village and would certainly not look kindly upon an ordinary family like theirs.

The Ge family’s financial situation was average, and he was not young anymore, so he had no advantages to speak of. Later, he heard that the Zhou family in their village also had similar intentions, which further dispelled his thoughts.

Ge Liang exclaimed, “Our village initially wanted to propose the Ji family to their second son. But then the incident with the scholar’s family happened. The Zhou family was angry and didn’t allow their second son to go to Mingxun Village anymore. Later, the truth came out. The second son of the Zhou family actually fancied this marriage. He regrets it day and night now and even wants to propose to the Ji family.”

“Oh, the one who was building the fish pond? I’ve seen him.”

Hearing Huo Shu’s indifferent and somewhat disdainful tone, Ge Liang grinned, finding the situation quite inexplicable.

The Zhou family was close to his family, and after he returned, he had some interaction with the Zhou family’s son. Originally, when he heard about his difficulties, he even advised him to try again. But now that he knew Huo Shu had already intervened, he completely sided with Huo Shu.

“After all, it’s still Huo Baihu. He came from another place and still managed to snatch the eldest son of the Ji family. It’s like directly belittling all the unmarried men in our area. I’ll go back and tell the second son of the Zhou family not to think about it anymore. The Ji family has already found the best son-in-law.”

Huo Shu absentmindedly remembered the incident a few days ago when Taoyu scolded him for being superficially attracted to someone. He didn’t blame him for being angry. There were indeed quite a few cases of being superficially attracted.

Fortunately, he didn’t say anything about being attracted to someone based on their appearance.

“That’s fine. You tell him to honestly take care of his own fish pond. In the future, he shouldn’t think about coming to the Ji family again.”

Ge Liang smiled even brighter, feeling that Huo Shu was much easier to get along with than he had imagined.

But just as he was thinking of chatting with him a bit more, Huo Shu said, “I have to go first.”

“It’s rare to meet. Let’s have a drink at the tavern!”

“There are still people waiting in the cloth shop.”

Ge Liang immediately understood, but he still felt unsatisfied after meeting Huo Shu. It was not easy to meet soldiers from the same border post in the same province, especially someone he had always admired as a benefactor.

He boldly said, “Since we’re both free, I have nothing to do either. I’ll go back the same way. Why don’t we go together?”

Huo Shu picked up his selected bow and arrows. “As you wish.”

Ge Liang happily followed behind Huo Shu, even insisting on paying for the bow and arrows for Huo Shu, only to relent when he found out they were a gift for someone else.

“Huo Baihu doesn’t really need to rush back like this. The girl hasn’t been in the cloth shop for even half an hour. She won’t come out anytime soon.”

“Don’t call me ‘Baihu’ anymore. I’m no longer a Baihu. Just call me by my name.”

“Then I’ll call you Brother Huo. Brother Huo, you joined the army a few years earlier than me, so you’re probably older than me. Is it okay if I call you that?”

Listening to the person besides him, Huo Shu felt like it was even harder to shut his mouth than to go to battle, just like Zhao Changsui.

“Do people from Jiangnan talk this much?”

Ge Liang was taken aback. “No, no, I’m just happy to see Brother Huo. My mouth just couldn’t stop for a moment. I’ll shut up now!”

There was silence for a moment.

“Hey, Brother Huo, what are you doing for a living now?”

“Brother Huo, how did you get to know the eldest son of the Ji family?”

When Huo Shu returned to the cloth shop amidst all the noise, he was worried that Taoyu and Wulan might get angry, but he found out they hadn’t even finished selecting the fabric.

He took a deep breath and looked at Ge Liang. “People from Jiangnan really understand girls and boys.”

“Well, it comes with familiarity.”

Ge Liang was actually surprised at how someone with such a reserved and tough personality as Huo Shu could get along with the eldest son of the Ji family. Though he was curious, he didn’t dare to ask.

“Brother Huo, come and measure the dimensions.”

Huo Shu nodded and went upstairs straight away.

Although Ge Liang had heard of this eldest son of the Ji family, it was his first time seeing him in person. However, with just a cursory glance, his eyes widened.

If he had known earlier that he looked like this, he would have… Before he could finish his thought, he saw Huo Shu ahead, and immediately, his heart calmed down, and he dared not have any thoughts.

Taoyu looked at the sudden appearance of the man following Huo Shu and looked at him in confusion. “Who is this?”

Before Huo Shu could reply, Ge Liang quickly flattered, “Hello, sister-in-law. My name is Ge Liang, from the neighbouring Hongli Village. I used to be a comrade-in-arms with Brother Huo. Today, we happened to meet on the street, and we had a great conversation, so I invited him to come back with me. I hope you don’t mind me tagging along.”

Taoyu unexpectedly glanced at Ge Liang and smiled politely at him.

She didn’t expect Huo Shu to still encounter comrades-in-arms in such close proximity.

Wulan’s eyes flashed with a hint of emotion upon hearing Ge Liang’s words.

Taoyu noticed Wulan’s emotions and quickly changed the subject, saying, “Brother Huo, hurry up and take the measurements. Sister Wu has something to do later.”

Huo Shu nodded and approached the two of them, handing the bow and arrows to Taoyu.

Taoyu held the bow and arrows, feeling that they were unusually heavy. She squeezed the bow and pulled the string, feeling its resilience.

Surprised: How does he still have money?

“This is a good bow. Brother Huo’s archery skills are top-notch, and the arrows he chose are also excellent.”

Taoyu looked at Ge Liang, who was familiar with the surroundings, and blinked. “Is that so? I don’t understand anything about bows and arrows. This bow and arrow set seems very good. It must be expensive, right?”

Ge Liang paused at her words and thought for a moment before giving a reliable smile.

“Bows and arrows aren’t necessarily good just because they’re expensive, and expensive doesn’t always mean good. This bow and arrow set uses ordinary materials, so it’s not expensive, just moderately priced.”

Taoyu pursed her lips. This person is quite shrewd.

“Brother Ge is Brother Huo’s comrade-in-arms, and now he’s also a neighbour. We should interact more in the future.”

Ge Liang quickly agreed, “Of course. When Brother Huo gets married, I’ll definitely come to have a drink at the wedding.”

After Huo Shu finished taking the measurements, seeing the two of them chatting happily, he came over and stood between them. He took the bow and arrows from Taoyu’s hand and grabbed her hand.

“Give this arrow to the child.”

Wulan smiled and took the bow. “Since Brother Huo taught him last time, he has been practicing every day and has made great progress. Receiving your bow and arrow will surely make him happy.”

“I’ll visit him when I have time.”

“Alright.”

When they left the cloth shop, the fog had not dissipated, and it seemed even darker than when they arrived.

Huo Shu was somewhat worried about the possibility of rain, but he still asked Taoyu, “Do you want to stroll around some more?”

Taoyu thought that she should inform her grandmother about the marriage and maybe get a meal at her place as well. However, with an outsider present, it wouldn’t be convenient to linger there. It would be better to return home earlier, and she didn’t want to catch a cold and start coughing when getting married.

“Let’s go back.”

Seeing this, Ge Liang quickly said, “I’ll go to the stable and bring the horses out. Just wait a moment.”

While they were waiting, Huo Shu bought some candied chestnuts, jerky, and dried fruits from a street vendor and gave them to Taoyu to take home.

Seeing a butcher selling mutton nearby, he asked, “Shall we bring some back to stew?”

“Do you want to join us for a meal?”

“Since you invited me, I’ll come.”

Taoyu pursed her lips and smiled, “Then let’s bring some meat.”

With Ge Liang in tow, the two people who had come empty-handed before were now carrying numerous packages.

Huo Shu glanced at the chestnut horse that Ge Liang was leading and found it somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it when he tied his horse to the stable earlier, but he didn’t expect it to belong to Ge Liang.

The three of them walked out of the city together and mounted their horses at the city gate.

As usual, Huo Shu lifted Taoyu onto the horse and then mounted himself.

When they had arrived, there were few people around, but now there was a steady stream of people coming and going at the city gate, and there was also an outsider present. Taoyu’s face turned slightly red, and she covered herself with her cloak even more tightly.

As soon as Ge Liang mounted his horse, he saw Huo Shu encircling the beautiful and gentle Taoyu and driving the horse forward slowly. His eyes dried up, and his mouth felt bitter.

Riding on horseback, the wind was no longer as carefree and majestic as it was on the official road. He had never felt so lonely and desolate before.

He didn’t dare to imagine how cheerful and spirited he would feel if he had a delicate wife in his arms while riding back home together on horseback.

Taoyu hid in Huo Shu’s embrace, and the wind on the way back was noticeably stronger than before, perhaps indicating that it was about to rain. Huo Shu urged the horse faster than before.

Seeing that Ge Liang, who was riding alongside them, had lost his previous liveliness, Huo Shu couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Ge, what are you up to these days?”

“I can’t say I’m up to much. I’m not afraid of Brother Huo and sister-in-law laughing at me. Nowadays, I’m not doing anything serious. I just make some bows and arrows to sell in Ju’anfang. After spending many years in the army, my archery skills are average, but I’ve learned to repair bows and arrows. Fortunately, the boss of Ju’anfang appreciates it, so I can earn some extra money.”

Huo Shu responded, “You’ve been in the northern region for five or six years. When you return home, you should be able to find a position in the local government office. Why haven’t you done that?”

At this, Ge Liang sighed. “When I returned, I went to the government office to submit my documents. I originally intended to find a position in the government office or the judicial office. The people in the household office initially told me there wouldn’t be any problems, and I was all set to go. But then they suddenly told me it couldn’t be done.”

“After inquiring further, I found out that the position had been taken by the nephew of the chief of the rites office. As common folk like us, even if we’ve been buried in the military camp for five or eight years, we’re still not as well-connected as others.”

Taoyu frowned tightly, feeling indignant for Ge Liang.

Huo Shu, on the other hand, was already accustomed to such injustices. Such occurrences were commonplace in the military camp. He had once been full of enthusiasm, but after witnessing countless injustices, he understood the corruption of the court.

If not for this, he wouldn’t have remained a hundred households officer on the border for ten years, nor would he have resigned from the army and headed south without a second thought after the end of the war.

Huo Shu said, “So you plan to continue like this?”

“In the army, I managed to save some money. I could use it to buy some land and live a simple life farming. But seeing the continuously rising taxes and the unrest caused by bandits, I feel that farming may not be a viable option. I’m still reluctant to accept this fate, so I’m thinking of going out and trying my luck elsewhere.”

Ge Liang sighed. “Even with such hesitation, I still haven’t made a decision.”

“And what about you, Huo Shu? What do you do now?”

“I work as a butcher,” Huo Shu replied.

Ge Liang fell silent for a moment.

“A butcher isn’t bad; it’s a decent trade,” he finally said.

Ge Liang felt somewhat relieved again. Even though Huo Shu had spent ten years in the military camp, coming out to work as a butcher wasn’t as embarrassing as he had initially thought. Ge Liang himself had spent five or six years away and returned to make bows and arrows for a living.

As they talked, they reached the fork in the road leading to Mingxun Village. They bid farewell and went their separate ways.

On the way back, they heard the news that the bandits had been subdued and the village was bustling with activity. Feeling a bit embarrassed to ride back so boldly with Huo Shu, Taoyu decided to take the back roads instead of the main road.

Passing by the Yu family’s yard, they saw Yu Lingxiao, who hadn’t left the house since his injury, packing up as if preparing to go out. He looked even thinner than before. Taoyu quickly averted her gaze upon noticing Huo Shu’s expression.

Yu Lingxiao had hoped to identify the person who had harmed him and reclaim his lost silver at the government office. However, he couldn’t find the culprit, and his lost silver was never recovered. Feeling aggrieved, he vented his frustrations at the officials in the judicial office, which resulted in him being driven out.

Feeling humiliated, Yu Lingxiao tried to regain his dignity by writing with his left hand and attempting to produce literary works.

Seeing her son become more responsive, Sun Yuan Niang was pleased. With the banditry subsiding and people busy with matchmaking affairs, she also wanted to find someone to take care of Yu Lingxiao. However, the matchmakers in the area refused to arrange marriages for him due to his bad reputation. Only a poor family was willing to consider it.

Sun Yuan Niang, being proud, looked down on the idea of her son, who was once a scholar, marrying into such a lowly family.

After much effort, Sun Yuan Niang was frustrated that no suitable match could be found. Feeling annoyed, she remembered Xia He, her sister’s daughter, and decided to propose marriage.

“Big sister, have a conscience. You looked down on the Ji family when Lingxiao was doing well, and you even instigated our naive cousin, He, to oppose the Ji family. You never treated him as a nephew of our own. Considering our sisterly relationship, I didn’t want to say these words, but it seems that you only care about your own interests and don’t regard our family members as human beings.”

“When Lingxiao was prosperous, I didn’t take advantage of his success, and now that he’s fallen on hard times, I don’t need to sacrifice my son’s future to support him.”

Sun Er Niang coldly replied, “For the sake of a little benefit, you’re willing to marry off a sick person. I can’t bear to have my son marry a useless man!”