Chapter 199
Shen Xuanqing's return brought joy to the whole family. Who could have imagined back then that their family would now own a shop in Jixing Town?
At night, Lu Gu first coaxed little Lingjun to sleep. After days apart, even without Shen Xuanqing saying anything, he placed the child on the inner side of the bed instead of the middle.
Once the candle was blown out and they both lay down, the familiar presence beside him filled Lu Gu with contentment and happiness. Though no words were spoken, the faint smile hidden in the darkness was unmistakable.
Shen Xuanqing turned onto his side, facing his fulang, and said quietly, "I’ll leave after lunch tomorrow."
"Mm." Lu Gu, also lying on his side, rested one hand on the pillow beside his face. The night was deep, and the dim light from the window only revealed vague outlines. Even so, his smile never faded as he whispered, "What would you like to eat tomorrow? I’ll make it for you. How about braised cured meat with tofu? There’s still half a jar of the pickled radishes Mother made in winter, we can stir-fry them with dried fish."
Spring was approaching, but they were still relying on winter preserves and dried goods. Fresh vegetables wouldn’t be available until the green shoots sprouted later.
"Anything’s fine." Shen Xuanqing heard Lingjun whimper softly, signaling restless sleep. Lu Gu turned over to pat the child, so he didn’t continue speaking. They waited quietly until Lingjun was sound asleep before he spoke again: "I sold all the meat in town, and I didn’t bring any back. I’m craving meatball soup."
Lu Gu replied, "I haven’t heard if Meng Dayue slaughtered any pigs today. Should we check Wangli Village?"
Shen Xuanqing chuckled. "No need. Two meat dishes tomorrow will do. Next time I come back, I’ll bring a few catties of meat, we can have it then."
"Alright." Lu Gu didn’t argue further, not wanting to wake the child. A meal with cured meat and dried fish was something they’d only have during New Year’s in the past.
Unlike hunting in the mountains, the shop had just opened and couldn’t be closed for days at a time. Shen Xuanqing knew that, at least for the next year or so, the butcher shop had to stay open regularly.
Groping in the dark, he took Lu Gu’s hand and said, "After spring arrives, I’ll go hunting in the mountains and have Eldest Brother mind the shop for a few days. Before spring plowing starts, the fields won’t be too busy."
Hunting brought quick money, though it wasn’t as steady as running the shop. Still, he wasn’t willing to give it up. Even if he only earned ten or eight taels a month from game, little by little, it would add up. The fifty-odd taels spent on buying the shop and furnishings would eventually be recouped.
"Mm." Lu Gu always listened to him attentively.
The night deepened, and the entire village grew quiet. No one was out, let alone stirring up trouble. Even the dogs curled up on sacks, fast asleep.
The two chatted for a while until there was nothing left to say. Having gone so long without intimacy with his fulang, Shen Xuanqing couldn’t resist bringing Lu Gu’s much smoother, softer hand to his lips for a kiss.
In the privacy of their room at night, Lu Gu felt a hint of shyness—but then again, it wasn’t as if they’d never kissed before. Perhaps the darkness emboldened him, and he even returned the kiss with a little more initiative. After a deep kiss, Shen Xuanqing pressed his lips to the corner of Lu Gu’s mouth. In turn, Lu Gu cautiously mirrored the gesture, barely lingering before pulling away.
He told himself to be unashamed, this was his own husband, their own home. Yet his heart still raced wildly in his chest.
Lu Gu rarely responded to kisses, and even more rarely initiated them. Though they’d already had a child, the number of times Lu Gu had kissed him could be counted on one hand. Shen Xuanqing’s handsome face broke into a bright grin, too bad the room was too dark to see it clearly.
The next day, after lunch, the whole family went to the main house to help load rabbit cages. This time, they took twenty-two rabbits at once, enough to last about six or seven days. If business was slow on any given day, they’d stretch it further.
Still, this was already quite good for them. Even if the butcher shop only sold twenty rabbits a month, at twenty-five copper coins per skinned rabbit, that was at least five hundred copper coins, far better than working as a hired hand.
Once the mule cart was ready, Shen Xuanqing took little Lingjun into his arms for a playful moment before handing him back to Lu Gu.
"Alright, everyone head back. I’ll return in a few days," he said, then led the mule forward. Only once the cart was moving steadily did he climb aboard.
The wheels turned, rocking the cart and its passenger as it gradually disappeared into the distance. Lu Gu watched for a moment before carrying little Lingjun back inside. At his age, Lingjun wasn’t like Zhao’er, who would lean forward in Ji Qiuyue’s arms, clamoring for a ride whenever he saw the cart leave.
The trip to Jixing Town wasn’t too far by mule cart, and Shen Xuanqing would be back in a few days anyway. Lu Gu reminded himself that in the past, they’d walked all the way to Jixing Town, now that was a long journey. With that thought, the parting didn’t feel so hard.
Though their time together was scarce, their family had several mouths to feed, and Lu Gu had a child to care for. With no worries about food, clothing, or money, his troubles were fewer. Only when the weather turned bad would he occasionally wonder how Shen Xuanqing was faring—until his return brought joy once more.
Life went on like this, the seasons cycling unchangingly, people coming and going in turn.
Once the shop’s business stabilized, Shen Xuanqing didn’t forget about securing Lu Gu’s household registration. He spent money to restore Lu Gu’s status as a commoner. Unlike the unofficial marriage contract once written with Lu Wen, he had a new wedding certificate drafted, stamped with an official seal - a legally recognized union. Finally, he added Lu Gu to their family register. The entire process required only some monetary greasing before it was settled.
The household registry was kept at the government office, but when Shen Xuanqing returned with the wooden token proving Lu Gu’s commoner status, Lu Gu was so delighted he touched it over and over.
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