Chapter 219
Truth be told, joining the horse caravan heading north wasn’t particularly difficult. Luo Biao boasted that while he lacked any real skills, he had some means when it came to negotiating and handling arrangements. He was on good terms with Qiu Laosan, and the leader of the horse caravan happened to be Qiu Laosan’s eldest brother, Qiu Laoda.
After resting for a few days, the two of them drove a mule cart to Fenggu Town, where they treated Qiu Laosan to food and drinks, and just like that, the matter was settled. Autumn this year, they would set off north together.
Since Shen Xuanqing was borrowing the horse caravan to trade furs on his own (unlike Luo Biao), it naturally required some payment, essentially hiring a cart from the caravan to haul a load of furs back from the north.
Traveling alone was risky, as the roads to the northern frontier were far from peaceful. As for whether he’d recoup his costs after buying horses and selling the furs upon his return, he wasn’t overly concerned. After all, this was also a chance to broaden his horizons.
Unlike others, he was a hunter, skilled in archery and hunting. His stature was larger and more imposing than the other men escorting the caravan, and he even knew a bit of martial arts. Far from being a burden, he could even add some prestige to the caravan.
Qiu Laosan was actually just a cousin of Qiu Laoda, with no particularly remarkable skills. Being able to join the caravan and earn money was already a privilege granted by family connections. Before meeting Shen Xuanqing, when Luo Biao mentioned adding someone to the caravan, Qiu Laosan had been reluctant, fearing they’d bring in an incompetent person, which would force him to grovel with apologies to his elder cousin later.
Fortunately, Luo Biao had introduced a tall, sturdy man. Judging by his build and skills, he was no ordinary fellow.
When a horse caravan traveled, aside from bandits and outlaws who had already been negotiated with, sometimes it was sheer numbers that deterred highway robbers. Having a few more bold and skilled men around meant that when he reported back to Qiu Laoda, not only would he avoid scolding, but he might even earn a few words of praise. Naturally, he became willing.
A few days later, Luo Biao drove the mule cart back to Qingxi Village to fetch rabbits, stopping by Qiu Laosan’s home in Fenggu Town along the way. When he returned, he was in high spirits. The matter had already been settled with Qiu Laoda, and everything was set.
There was still some time before the journey, but now that it was decided, Lu Gu’s heart felt a mix of emotions, something between melancholy and the relief of resolution. He spent some time alone in the room thinking. Since he was the one who had encouraged Shen Xuanqing to go, and since a man’s ambitions lay beyond the hometown, becoming a man of experience was a good thing. He ought to be happy.
But in this immediate moment after the decision was made, he couldn’t help feeling a little reluctant.
Late at night, the main door was left ajar, and the wind caused the door panels and windows to creak faintly. Guaizi had recently taken to sleeping in the yard, it was spacious and cool. Occasionally, the barks of nearby dogs could be heard, but they soon quieted down.
Most children often tossed and turned in their sleep. Lingjun lay sprawled on the bed, his little face flushed, occasionally tossing and kicking. Lu Gu had dressed him in a red bellyband, so even if he kicked off the blankets, his stomach wouldn’t get cold.
Because Shen Xuanqing was tall and broad, the bed was made larger than usual. He and Lu Gu slept on the outer side to block the child and prevent him from rolling off.
“Finally settled,” Lu Gu murmured with a soft sigh, tucking the thin blanket over Lingjun’s stomach by the moonlight.
Their little Shuang’er was growing more and more beautiful and delicate. However, Lingjun wasn’t particularly quiet or well-behaved by nature. Sometimes he loved to laugh and play, his giggles making him look like a soft, snow-white dumpling. Aside from the exhaustion of managing a child, Lu Gu found nothing else to complain about.
Hearing this, Shen Xuanqing chuckled and said, “Once he grows a little older and understands things better, it’ll be fine.”
In town, it was just him and Lu Gu, and sometimes he helped look after the child. Naturally, he knew how rambunctious Lingjun could be.
“Mm.” Lu Gu responded, then turned to face outward and said, “Now that it’s settled, we should go home in a few days and tell Mother and the others.”
“Of course.” Shen Xuanqing replied. Then, thinking about how he would be leaving and wouldn’t see Lu Gu or the child for two or three months, he reached out and pulled the person beside him into his arms.
The night breeze drifted in through the window, gradually cooling the room.
Nestled in the familiar warmth of Shen Xuanqing’s embrace, Lu Gu felt a wave of comfort. Though reluctant, he was happy that Shen Xuanqing had ambition. He himself had no particular skills, how could he stand in the way of someone else broadening their horizons and improving themselves?
Familiar kisses landed on his brow and cheeks - light, ticklish. He couldn’t help but curve his lips into a faint smile.
Ever since Lingjun was born and they opened the butcher shop, life at home had been too busy. He and Shen Xuanqing rarely had moments of intimacy, only occasionally stealing hugs and kisses when the child was sound asleep at night.
The kisses deepened, lingering at his lips.
In the darkness, their figures shifted. Lu Gu felt a weight press against him. He enjoyed the kisses, |but with the window open and the child sleeping beside them, it was truly embarrassing. He whispered a plea into Shen Xuanqing’s ear, and the summer’s restlessness gradually settled in their deep, intimate kiss.
Even so, the next morning, Shen Xuanqing who had risen early, still carried traces of last night’s amusement in his eyes.
He wasn’t a man overly driven by lust or greed. In his early twenties, when he’d taken Lu Gu hunting in the mountains, his youthful energy had been unstoppable, and he’d often pestered him. But now, with a child and Lu Gu by his side every day, his heart was at peace, and he wasn’t as impatient.
The sky brightened, and the glaring sun signaled another sweltering day.
Lingjun woke up still half-asleep, sitting up and rubbing his big, dark eyes as he called for “Amu.” Lu Gu lifted him off the bed and let him go to the yard to relieve himself.
“Come, wash your face.”
Lu Gu scooped water and called for Lingjun, but the child, who was playing with Guaizi, seemed not to hear, his little hands rubbing the dog’s head and pinching his ears.
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