My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 38 Part 2

Ji Taoyu looked at the unfamiliar man following Huo Shu and asked, puzzled, "This is…?"  

Before Huo Shu could answer, Ge Liang jumped in with flattery: "Sister-in-law, hello! I’m Ge Liang, from Hongli Village next door. Brother Huo and I served together back in the day. We ran into each other on the street today, hit it off, and decided to head back together. I hope you don’t mind me tagging along."  

Ji Taoyu gave Ge Liang a surprised look and smiled politely.  

He hadn’t expected Huo Shu to run into a comrade so close by.  

Wu Lianhe’s gaze flickered slightly at the words.  

Noticing her reaction, Ji Taoyu quickly changed the subject: "Brother Huo, hurry and get measured. Sister Wu still has things to do later."  

Huo Shu acknowledged and handed the bow and arrows to Ji Taoyu first.  

Ji Taoyu hugged the bow, finding it oddly heavy. He pinched the bow and plucked the string, it was surprisingly resilient.  

How does he still have money for this?  

"That’s a fine bow. Brother Huo’s archery is top-notch, and the arrows he picks are the best."  

Ji Taoyu glanced at the overly familiar Ge Liang and blinked. "Really? I don’t know anything about bows. This one seems so good, it must be expensive, right?"  

Ge Liang froze for a moment, then quickly put on a reliable smile.  

"Bows aren’t necessarily expensive just because they’re good, nor good just because they’re expensive. This one’s made of common materials, not pricey, just decent quality."  

Ji Taoyu pressed his lips together. This guy’s sharp.  

"Brother Ge, since you’re Brother Huo’s comrade and now a neighbor, we should keep in touch."  

Ge Liang eagerly agreed. "Of course! I’ll definitely come for a drink at Brother Huo’s wedding."  

Huo Shu, returning after getting measured, saw the two chatting amiably and stepped directly between them. He took the bow back from Ji Taoyu and, in the same motion, grabbed his hand.  

"Give this bow to the kid."  

Wu Lianhe accepted it with a smile. "Ever since you taught him last time, he’s been practicing every day, he’s improved a lot. He’ll be thrilled to get this."  

"I’ll visit him when I’m free."  

"Good."  

Coming out of Shili Cloth Shop, the mist had not yet dispersed—in fact, it had grown even thicker and gloomier than before.  

Huo Shu was slightly worried it might rain, but he still asked Ji Taoyu, "Do you want to stroll around a bit more?"  

Ji Taoyu thought he ought to inform his grandfather about the wedding and could even stay for a meal there. But now, with an outsider present, it wouldn’t be convenient to linger.  

Given the weather, it was better to return early. He didn’t want to catch a chill and end up coughing during the wedding.  

"Let’s go back."  

Seeing this, Ge Liang quickly said, "I’ll go fetch the horses from the stable. Just a moment."  

While waiting, Huo Shu bought some sugar-roasted chestnuts, dried meat, and preserved fruits from a street vendor to bring back for Ji Taoyu.  

Noticing a meat stall selling mutton nearby, he asked, "Should we buy some to take home for stew?"  

"Will you come over to eat with us?"  

"If you invite me, of course."  

Ji Taoyu pursed his lips into a smile. "Then let’s buy meat."  

By the time Ge Liang returned, the two who had been empty-handed just moments ago were now laden with packages.  

Huo Shu glanced at the brown horse Ge Liang was leading, it looked familiar, as if he had seen it tied in the stable earlier. He hadn’t expected it to be Ge Liang’s.  

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

As usual, Huo Shu lifted Ji Taoyu onto the horse before swinging up himself.  

When they had arrived earlier, there had been few people around, but now the city gate was bustling with people comings and goings, and with an outsider present, Ji Taoyu’s face flushed slightly. He pulled his cloak tighter to hide himself further.  

Once mounted, Ge Liang watched as Huo Shu cradled the beautiful and gentle Ji Taoyu, guiding the horse forward at a leisurely pace. His eyes dried from staring, and his mouth grew bitter.  

Suddenly, the reins felt unusually stiff in his hands, and the saddle seemed particularly uncomfortable.  

Riding on the official road, the wind whipping past him no longer felt dashing or imposing. He had never felt so alone.  

He didn’t dare imagine how cheerful and triumphant he’d feel if he had a delicate wife in his arms right now, riding home together.  

Ji Taoyu nestled in Huo Shu’s embrace. The wind on the return trip was noticeably stronger than before, perhaps rain was coming. Huo Shu urged the horse faster than when they had arrived.  

Noticing Ge Liang, riding alongside them, had lost his earlier liveliness, Ji Taoyu couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Ge, what do you do for a living now?"  

"Nothing respectable, I’m afraid. Don’t laugh, Brother Huo, Sister-in-law. Right now, I don’t have a proper trade, just make some bows and sell them to Ju’an Workshop. I spent many years in the army, and though my archery is mediocre, I got good at repairing bows. Luckily, the shopkeeper at Ju’an Workshop thinks well of my work, so I earn a little here and there."  

Huo Shu asked, "You spent five or six years in the northern frontier. When you returned, you could’ve sought a clerk’s position at the government office. Why didn’t you?"  

At this, Ge Liang sighed. "I submitted my documents to the authorities as soon as I got back. I did intend to get a clerk’s job, something in the personnel or judicial offices would’ve been fine. The people in the household registry office initially told me there’d be no issue, and I was all set to start. But then they suddenly said it wasn’t possible."  

"Later, I found out the position had been taken by the nephew of the rites office’s clerk. For common folk like us, even after five or eight years of conscript labor, we still can’t compete with those who have connections."