Chapter 196
After Lu Gu finished packing, he wrapped Little Lingjun snugly in his swaddling cloth. By nightfall, when it was time to sleep, the swaddling could be unfolded into a small blanket, just enough to cover the child.
Holding Little Lingjun in his arms and carrying a bamboo basket in one hand, he walked to the main hall and placed the basket on a chair. Then he called toward the master bedroom, "Yan Yan, are you ready?"
"Almost, almost." Shen Yan tied a new red ribbon in her hair and pinned a small silk flower to it. Her clothes were clean and neat, and her almond-shaped eyes were bright with laughter. Now that she had grown taller, though she still carried a hint of childishness, it was clear that in a couple of years, she would blossom into a graceful young woman.
She was overjoyed. At fourteen, she loved flowers and cleanliness. The moment she heard they would take a mule cart to town, she hurried back to her room to fix her hair.
This was her first time going to Jixing Town. A country girl couldn’t compare to men who were used to the world, so she felt a little nervous. She asked, "Brother Guzi, does my outfit look alright?"
Lu Gu examined her carefully. Her clothes were clean and without patches—good ones. So he smiled and said, "Yes, it’s fine."
Shen Yan finally relaxed. She didn’t have much luggage either. They would only stay at an inn for one night, and according to Shen Yaoqing, the inn provided all the bedding, so there was no need to bring anything. Spotting the bamboo basket on the chair, she asked, "Is this what we’re taking?"
Lu Gu nodded. "Yes, it’s Lingjun’s diapers and clothes. There are milk fruits at the bottom of the basket."
"Alright, I’ll carry it. Let’s lock up." As she spoke, Shen Yan first closed all the windows and doors in each room, then picked up the bamboo basket and walked out. Lu Gu, holding Lingjun, followed a step behind.
On the road, they spotted Shen Yaoqing from a distance, hitching the mule cart in front of Lin Shouyi’s house. Wei Lanxiang and Ji Qiuyue were there too.
"Mother, the keys." Shen Yan handed the keys to the courtyard gate’s big lock to Wei Lanxiang.
"Did you pack everything?" Wei Lanxiang asked as she tucked the keys into her sleeve. With such a young child staying overnight in town, she worried they might have forgotten something.
"Yes, milk fruits, diapers, and clothes. We brought them all," Lu Gu replied, adjusting the child in his arms.
"Good." Wei Lanxiang nodded.
"Let’s get on." Shen Yaoqing, holding the mule steady at the front, smiled at the others behind him.
Shen Yan, nimble and quick, placed the large bamboo basket on the cart and climbed up effortlessly. She helped Wei Lanxiang up first, then took Zhao’er so Ji Qiuyue could board. Wei Lanxiang, in turn, took Little Lingjun so Lu Gu could climb onto the cart.
Once the four adults and two children were settled, Shen Yaoqing bid farewell to Lin Shouyi at the gate and led the mule cart forward.
The village roads weren’t as smooth as the official highways, bumpy and uneven in places. Since Lingjun was still so small, they would wait until they left the village before picking up speed.
The cart wheels rumbled forward, jostling its passengers with every bump.
Ji Qiuyue, who had also never been to Jixing Town, sat holding Zhao’er, her face full of excitement. "Second Brother went to Wangli Village first to fetch the pigs. If we go a bit slower and wait for him on the road, we’ll catch up."
"Mm." Lu Gu held Lingjun while Wei Lanxiang, worried he might drop the child from the jostling, had made sure he sat on the inner side of the cart, not at the back, and stayed close to him.
Country carts couldn’t compare to those in town, there wasn’t even a covered compartment, just open planks on all sides. Fortunately, the sun was strong today, and the wind from the moving cart wasn’t cold.
This was Lingjun’s first time riding on a cart. Because the sun was bright, Lu Gu held him upright to shield him from the light, sometimes using his hand for extra shade. He kept a close eye on the child, afraid the bumps might make him cry. Unexpectedly, the rocking motion of the cart seemed to soothe him, perhaps he was used to gentle swaying in his cradle. Little Lingjun showed no discomfort, his big, dark eyes fixed on Wei Lanxiang, who was playing with him.
At the entrance of Wangli Village, Shen Xuanqing waited for them further up the road. When they caught up, Lu Gu saw the large, fat pig on their family’s cart.
To prevent it from jumping off mid-journey, the pig’s legs were tied, its hefty body lying on the cart. Up close, its grunts were audible, its belly rising and falling with each breath.
"Let’s go." Shen Yaoqing said once they had caught up.
Shen Xuanqing at the front acknowledged with a shout and cracked his whip in the air, steering the mule cart onto the official road ahead.
Wei Lanxiang craned her neck to look at the pig. Once seated again, she smiled so widely the corners of her eyes crinkled. The family chatted about this and that, their topics nothing more than the small bits of knowledge they had picked up in life, yet they spoke with such enthusiasm that the lively journey brought them to Jixing Town in no time.
Lu Gu had been to Jixing Town before, so he wasn’t overly curious. Since Lingjun had fallen asleep - the smooth motion of the cart on the official road had lulled him into a yawn, and Lu Gu had patted him to sleep, he now held the child without much worry and looked around. In just two years, not much had changed.
Shen Yan, however, observed everything on the streets with wide-eyed wonder. But whenever men glanced her way, she instinctively hid behind Ji Qiuyue.
Unmarried girls and shuang’ers from wealthy or official families in town rarely showed their faces in public. If they traveled, they rode in sedan chairs or carriages with covered compartments.
Wei Lanxiang, as a mother, glared fiercely at any young man whose gaze lingered on Shen Yan, Lu Gu, or Ji Qiuyue, her brows furrowed in anger, nearly spitting in their faces.
Fortunately, decent and self-respecting men knew to avert their eyes politely when encountering women or shuang’ers. As for those uneducated and shameless ones, when Shen Yaoqing noticed something amiss, he turned around from leading the mule and saw a shady-looking man eyeing his family. He barked, "What are you looking at?"
His voice was strong and forceful. Though not as tall as Shen Xuanqing, he was still well-built. Unlike Shen Xuanqing, who had lost his father young, Shen Yaoqing had grown up without hardship, so his frame was naturally sturdy.
His shout made Shen Xuanqing, also leading a mule at the front, stop and frown. "What’s wrong?"
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