Chapter 39

Xie Tingzhou handed over the basket in his hand, and Shen Yu lifted the cloth covering it, revealing a burst of meaty fragrance.

She was drooling. The last time she had roast chicken was several months ago when she was in Shengjing.

Just as she picked up a chicken leg to nibble on, she saw Xie Tingzhou staring at her intently.

“Do you want to eat too?” Shen Yu offered him the chicken, “Then have some first.”

Xie Tingzhou didn’t take it, saying lightly, “You dare to eat anything. What about your vigilance as a guard?”

Shen Yu recoiled. These days had been unusually relaxing, but she always kept in mind that there would be a tough battle to fight after returning to the capital. Such leisurely days would be rare, and people naturally relaxed along with them.

“So, can’t I eat?”

“If you’re not afraid she might have poisoned it, then go ahead and eat.”

“What poison?” Shen Yu asked, but seeing Xie Tingzhou’s expression, she suddenly understood.

As a widow, what kind of poison could she use? Naturally…

Shen Yu thought better of it. What if she ate it and then couldn’t control herself from throwing Xie Tingzhou down at night?

With his current weak physique, he would surely be overpowered.

If she forcefully seduced Xie Tingzhou and ended up sleeping with him, would he send dozens or even hundreds of guards to kill her?

Thinking too much, Shen Yu snapped back to reality, but she dared not eat the chicken anymore.

“So, just throw it away?”

Xie Tingzhou pointed his chin, “Give it to him.”

Shen Yu blurted out, “You have a wicked heart. What about Dahuang if he eats it?”

This person’s courage was getting bigger and bigger, actually daring to say he was wicked.

Xie Tingzhou turned and left, walking a few steps before turning back, “His mate is at the village entrance.”

Shen Yu was surprised, “How do you know?”

“The father-in-law told me.” Xie Tingzhou walked away without looking back, seeming a bit annoyed.

Shen Yu rolled her eyes, looking at the uneaten chicken, feeling so hungry it made her mouth water.

She looked down at Dahuang wagging his tail eagerly and said, “Fine, you’re quite the player with a mate, so you can have it.”

Xie Tingzhou didn’t speak to Shen Yu for the whole night.

Early the next morning, during breakfast, Dahuang came back wagging his tail happily, looking very content.

It seemed that the chicken meat did have a problem. Fortunately, they hadn’t eaten it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be Xie Tingzhou whose chastity was at risk today, but hers.

In the afternoon, the father-in-law went out for a stroll and returned with a solemn expression.

After dinner, as the sky darkened, the father-in-law went out again, canceling their plans for the tea gathering, and returned to sit silently under the eaves, puffing on several rolls of tobacco before entering the house.

Before dawn, Xie Tingzhou was awakened by a knock on the door.

Opening the door, he saw the father-in-law standing there, holding a coarse cloth bundle.

The father-in-law entered without waiting for an invitation and woke up Shiyu, who was sleeping soundly in bed, saying, “I’ll see you off. Ask anything on the way.”

Shen Yu suddenly woke up. They hadn’t brought any luggage, but they quickly packed their things.

Outside the courtyard was an ox cart. The father-in-law sat in the cart, and once the two of them were seated, he urged the oxen forward.

The wind was strong at night, but fortunately, the moonlight illuminated the road, allowing them to see it barely.

The father-in-law sighed and said, “Yesterday, when I went to visit the village, I heard from someone returning from town that the county magistrate of Huaitang has been looking for people in the town. It’s no longer safe here.”

Xie Tingzhou and Shen Yu were both startled.

“Grandpa,” Shen Yu exclaimed, “How did you know they were looking for us?”

The father-in-law squinted and smiled, patting the space beside him, “Shiyu, come over here.”

The two sitting together really looked like grandfather and grandson.

The father-in-law spoke slowly, “You two are extraordinary, not like ordinary people. Besides, who wears such fabric normally, and carries a knife?”

Shen Yu choked up, “You knew? Aren’t you afraid we’re bad people?”

“I know,” the father-in-law laughed, “I noticed when I widened the bed for you that day. Don’t think this old man’s eyesight is bad. Both of you are good kids, especially you,”

The father-in-law patted Shen Yu’s shoulder, “You’ve won my father-in-law’s favor. I’ve accepted you as my grandson.”

Perhaps because of the impending farewell, Shen Yu felt a bit upset.

The father-in-law said, “Follow this road all the way, and you’ll reach the ferry crossing. After crossing the river, it’s just a ten-mile walk to reach the official road.”

“In the back of that bundle, I’ve packed a few cakes for you to eat on the way. I don’t have much money, so this is all I can give you.”

Xie Tingzhou felt the bundle and found it still warm. It must have been the cakes the father-in-law made overnight.

He opened it and saw something wrapped underneath the cakes.

Xie Tingzhou patted Shen Yu in front of him, and when she turned around, he handed her the bundle.

At the sight of what was inside, Shen Yu couldn’t help but shed tears. Beneath the cakes was a chicken wrapped in vegetable leaves, already cooked and steaming with fragrance.

It must have been the day she expressed her desire for chicken, and the grandfather saw it.

“Where did you get this chicken?” Shen Yu asked through her tears.

“Borrowed,” the father-in-law said cheerfully. “Come next spring, I’ll raise a brood of chicks. When they grow up, you can have one, and I’ll keep the rest for you.”

Shen Yu’s eyes were shallow, and tears fell uncontrollably. She quickly turned her face away.

This farewell, she didn’t know when they would be able to meet again.

The wheels of the cart creaked in the snowy ground.

As if afraid he wouldn’t have time to finish speaking, the father-in-law continued, “I used to think, with just myself left at home, whenever I died, I died. The villagers could bury me next to my wife and son. But now it’s different.”

The father-in-law’s voice was light and cheerful. “I have a grandson now, so I have something to look forward to.”

As the sky gradually brightened, the ox cart stopped at the ferry crossing.

With a shout, the father-in-law called over the boatman from the other side.

Shen Yu’s eyes were red. She wanted to take the grandfather with them, but the road ahead was dangerous. They might encounter assassins, and she couldn’t let the grandfather take such risks.

“You must take care of yourself. After I go back, I’ll send someone to pick you up. I’ll definitely take good care of you.”

The father-in-law patted her head. “Good child, they’re all buried here. I have to stay here with them.”

“Then I’ll bring you letters,” Shen Yu said.

The father-in-law nodded. “Go ahead.”

As the boatman approached the shore, Shen Yu and Xie Tingzhou walked towards the boat.

Just as they were about to board, they saw the father-in-law waving his hand and shouting, “Wait, boatman!”

The father-in-law held a package in his hand, the chicken that Shen Yu had secretly left in the cart.

The father-in-law hurried over, panting, and stuffed the chicken into Shen Yu’s hands. “This is from Grandpa. Keep it for your journey.”

The ferry rocked away from the shore, and as the sun rose, a hawk circled overhead.

The father-in-law didn’t say anything, just smiled and waved. The morning sun fell on his wrinkled face as he watched them depart.