Chapter 34

Xie Tingzhou stopped looking at her and paused when he picked up the clothes. The tears in the clothes were all twisted and the threads were not of the same color, like a centipede crawling on the clothes.

No wonder Shen Yu seemed a bit embarrassed when she mentioned it earlier. Xie Tingzhou, accustomed to finer things, couldn’t decide whether to wear it or not for a moment.

After a while, he sighed and put on the clothes.

As he stepped out, he saw him chatting and laughing with the old man, who was cooking behind the stove.

He didn’t know what was on his face before, all blackened, but now it was washed clean. His features were still the same, and his fair complexion complemented his handsome face, exuding a bit of elegance.

There were a total of seven or eight households in the village, with this one on the edge, next to a big tree.

Xie Tingzhou stood at the door.

An eagle flew across the sky, with the sunset in full bloom. Strands of smoke and the sunset merged together, and at this moment, Xie Tingzhou tasted a rare tranquility.

Born into a high position, he was destined not to live an ordinary life like others.

“Dinner’s ready,” the old man smiled and waved to him.

Xie Tingzhou nodded and walked over. He hadn’t eaten anything for a day and night, and his empty stomach felt sour and uncomfortable.

In the snowy winter, vegetables were scarce. On the dinner table were pickled vegetables, potatoes, two red eggs, and a bowl of steaming wild duck soup, which was considered quite sumptuous.

Shen Yu was very grateful. They met by chance, yet the old man treated them with all he had, but she was currently penniless.

She thought that the old man must be reluctant to leave home at his age. When she returned, she would send someone to repair his thatched house and give him some money, so he could spend his later years worry-free without having to go hunting in the mountains with his aging body.

Xie Tingzhou’s demeanor was noble, obviously not from an ordinary family. The old man didn’t dare to speak to him, but he chatted quite well with Shen Yu.

“The family at the end of the village just had a chubby little boy. I caught a wild chicken and brought it over, and these red eggs are from them.”

The old man pushed the red eggs in front of the two of them. He didn’t mention that he had guests when he went to deliver the gifts, so they only gave him two.

Shen Yu declined with a smile, “I don’t like eggs. Grandpa, you have them.”

The old man placed both eggs in front of Xie Tingzhou and said carefully, “You have them. They’re good for your health.”

Xie Tingzhou looked at the eggs without saying a word. The red eggs brought back some unpleasant memories for him.

Suddenly, his arm was pulled, and the chopsticks picked out a lump of rice from his bowl.

He turned to Shen Yu next to him, questioning her with his eyes.

Shen Yu gestured to him.

Seeing that he didn’t understand, she whispered, “Be more accommodating.”

Xie Tingzhou pursed his lips. It was the first time he had heard such a request. He turned his head and saw the old man holding a bowl, pityingly scooping the rice he had just picked out into his own bowl.

Touched, Xie Tingzhou glanced at the rice left untouched in his bowl and scooped some into the old man’s bowl. The old man wanted to refuse, but seeing his expression, he didn’t dare to object and hurriedly used chopsticks, saying it was enough.

“How many people are in your family?” halfway through the meal, Xie Tingzhou spoke up.

The old man said, “Originally, there were several people, with my wife and two sons.”

“Where are they now?” Shen Yu asked, then realized Xie Tingzhou was giving her a glance.

“Now there’s only me left,” the old man said, looking at the table. “Both sons joined the army and never returned from the frontlines. My daughter-in-law ran away, leaving behind a half-grown grandson who fell ill and couldn’t be raised. My wife was heartbroken and followed soon after. Now it’s just me and Dahuang.”

Shen Yu understood what Xie Tingzhou’s glance meant. Suddenly, she felt very sad.

Wasn’t he and the old man the same? All their loved ones were dead on the battlefield, leaving only themselves.

She was better off. At least she still had her grandmother in Hezhou, who cared for her deeply, and her sister Shen Yan, though not close, was still family by blood. But the old man was truly alone now.

Xie Tingzhou saw his eyes turning red again.

Shen Yu noticed his gaze and suddenly smiled, “Grandpa, if you don’t mind, I’ll be your grandson from now on. I’ll come to see you when I’m free.”

The old man quickly waved his hand, “No, no, you’re obviously nobles. How can you recognize an old man like me as your grandpa? It’ll be a joke if word gets out. Absolutely not.”

“I’ve never met my grandpa,” Shen Yu said, “So when I see you, I’ll treat you as one. I’ve called you grandpa so many times already. You can’t refuse.”

Shen Yu’s grandfather also died on the battlefield. At that time, Shen Zhong’an hadn’t even married yet, and he went to the battlefield with a knife.

How could a noble family bear to marry their daughter to a general who guarded the border all year round? Moreover, at that time, Shen Zhong’an hadn’t made a name for himself yet.

But on one occasion while returning to the capital for a mission, he coincidentally met the legitimate daughter of the Lu family in Hezhou. The two of them traveled to the capital together, and that’s how Shen Zhao and Shen Yu came to be.

After dinner, it was already pitch black outside.

The old man had retired early, and Xie Tingzhou and Shen Yu had both slept for the entire day, so now they weren’t feeling sleepy at all.

It was very cold at night, and walking around in the moonlight was something neither of them wanted to do, so they had to stay inside the house.

There wasn’t much furniture in the house, just a wooden bed and a small table.

Shen Yu lay on the table and said, “It’s quite far from the county town here. I heard from Grandpa that there’s a clinic in the nearby town. Tomorrow, I’ll go get some medicine for the injuries and inquire about the news. Your Highness, just rest here for now.”

Although Xie Tingzhou’s wound on his back had been roughly bandaged and treated with some herbs made by the old man, the effect was not good.

He was actually in a lot of pain from the wound, but there was no sign of discomfort on his face.

“Now you’re calling me ‘Your Highness’? Didn’t you just call me by my name before?”

Shen Yu glanced at him, “In extraordinary times, what you call me isn’t really important… right?”

The more she spoke, the more uncertain she became. Sometimes Xie Tingzhou seemed magnanimous, but other times he was vengeful, all depending on his mood.

Xie Tingzhou fiddled with the tea bowl, “Do you have money to go to the town?”

Shen Yu looked at the jade pendant around his waist and then at the signet ring on his hand, as if considering which to mention first.

“If you don’t want to die too soon, you better not have any ideas about these things,” Xie Tingzhou reminded her.

Shen Yu buried her head in her arms and sighed softly, “Stingy.”

Xie Tingzhou heard her clearly. He didn’t want to explain initially, but he changed his mind, “If these things are discovered, someone could trace them back to you. How can you be sure that whoever comes looking is a friend and not an assassin?”

“Oh.” Shen Yu thought about it and realized he was right. Xie Tingzhou’s belongings were extraordinary, and taking them out would attract too much attention. But she didn’t have anything valuable on her either; she had lost her previous package long ago.

She thought for a moment, “Then I have another way.”