Chapter 218
"What did you say?" Shen Xuanqing thought he had misheard or misunderstood.
Lu Gu smiled and said, "At most, you'll be back in two and a half months. Buy a good horse and sell some furs. The money from the furs should cover the cost of the horse, and maybe there’ll even be some left over."
There were plenty of men who traveled far and wide, and he wasn’t ignorant of that. Just now, when Shen Xuanqing mentioned leaving for a few months, he had panicked and was reluctant. But after hearing Shen Xuanqing’s plans to take him and Lingjun to the northern grasslands and even Jiangnan (the Southern Rivers), his mind changed.
He had little knowledge or ambition, even admitting to himself that he was timid. To him, even Fenggu Town had once seemed distant, its people and affairs beyond his reach.
But now, he had come to the even farther Jixing Town.
Shen Xuanqing had drive and vision. If their Lingjun could visit many places in the future, his horizons would naturally broaden, and he would surely grow up more capable than his timid Amu.
"When you return, tell me about the sights along the way. Didn’t Biaozi mention something about milk over there? The dried meat he brought was delicious, remember to buy some when you come back. Bring milk curds (干乳子) too. By late autumn, the weather will be cooler, so it shouldn’t spoil on the road. Pick a good horse, a gentle one. Lingjun will definitely want to ride it."
Lu Gu continued, "In a few years, when Lingjun is older, I’ll go out and see the world too. Remember the places with the best scenery so you can take us there."
He was timid and unambitious, never having imagined stepping beyond his small corner of the world. But now, with Shen Xuanqing by his side, he wasn’t alone anymore. What was there to fear?
Shen Xuanqing had initially wanted to ask why he had suddenly agreed, but hearing these words, his heart swelled with an indescribable emotion. There was no need to ask anymore. He simply nodded and said, "Good. I’ll definitely take you both out. We’ll all go."
Traveling far from home was a big deal. With Shen Xuanqing gone, there would be one less pair of hands to work, so careful planning was necessary.
Their family’s fortunes had improved, and these were peaceful times. Wei Lanxiang didn’t want her son going north, thinking, why suffer the hardships of a long journey when they could live comfortably at home?
Unable to persuade him, she thought for a while and went to Lu Gu instead.
Shen Xuanqing had brought Lu Gu and the child back early that morning. The shop was set to reopen tomorrow, so they would leave in the afternoon.
Seeing her second son feeding the mule in the backyard while talking to his elder brother, she waved and said, "Guzi, come here. Mother wants to talk to you."
Lu Gu, who had been holding Lingjun nearby, was about to go over when the child reached out his arms to his uncle. He handed the child to Shen Yaoqing.
"Mother, what is it?" He sat down and poured two cups of tea, handing one to Wei Lanxiang first.
Wei Lanxiang wasn’t in the mood for tea. She glanced behind her to make sure her son couldn’t hear before speaking. "The second child wants to leave. Why aren’t you stopping him? We have food and drink at home, no shortage of money or grain. If he wants meat or wine, it’s all here. Why go looking for hardship?"
So it was about this.
Lu Gu was momentarily speechless. In the end, it had been him who convinced Shen Xuanqing to go. He struggled to find the right words to explain.
"If not for anyone else, think of Lingjun at home. How can he just leave the child and go?" Wei Lanxiang had slightly more worldly knowledge than other women, but the farthest she’d ever been was Yuqing Prefecture, which was already distant enough in her eyes.
Their area was safe, surrounded by familiar faces where things could be easily managed. Besides, the road north was dangerous - crawling with bandits and thieves. Of course she was worried.
People called these times peaceful, but only because they hadn't seen the chaos of her childhood
Seeing her disapproving frown, Lu Gu thought for a moment and smiled reassuringly. "Mother, going out isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Erqing says horses are cheaper in the north, he wants to bring one back for our family. He’s already spoken to the town carpenter about making a carriage. In the future, he’ll take you out in a big horse-drawn carriage."
Ji Qiuyue always knew how to cheer Mother up with the right words, and over time, he had learned some of this skill too. Though Mother had never been the overbearing type, she was still his elder. So rather than admitting he'd been the one to encourage Shen Xuanqing's trip, he carefully rephrased the truth - after all, everything he said was still completely honest.
Sure enough, Wei Lanxiang paused, considering.
Last winter, she'd ridden in the Gu family's carriage. The enclosed carriage was much better than an open cart. It blocked the wind completely, keeping her body protected from the cold
"Why go so far to buy a horse?" Her voice was noticeably weaker this time.
Just then, Shen Xuanqing came over from the backyard, carrying the child. Hearing their conversation, he guessed what they were talking about and smiled reassuringly.
"Mother, don’t worry," he said. "Biaozi has traveled this route many times. If we go with the horse caravan, we’ll be safe. The bandits along the northern road have already been paid off. Lao Qiu made sure of that. No one will trouble us as long as we’re with his group."
"I want to see more of the world too. Didn't Father always say, 'A real man should venture beyond his hometown'? Now your son wants to do just that. I'll only go this one time - to see new places, broaden my horizons, buy a good horse, and trade some furs. Next year I can make better money hunting foxes in our mountains, so I won't need to travel again."
Mentioning her late husband's words silenced Wei Lanxiang's objections. Though reluctant at first, when Shen Xuanqing put little Lingjun in her arms, the adorable child kept calling "Grandma!" and she couldn't help but smile. Soon she was playing with little Lingjun, completely forgetting about trying to stop her son's journey.
It was still early. They had only just informed the family of this matter. As for the rest, there was no hurry, they could discuss it slowly.
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