Lu Gu sat on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes, and said offhandedly, "You dress him, his clothes are by the bed. Remember to put his hat on when we go out. It’s cold after the rain."
After six months apart, Shen Xuanqing was more than happy to oblige. He sat up and first removed the little outer garment Lingjun had clumsily put on himself. "Alright, got it. After eating, I’ll go fetch the mule cart."
They were all returning to their hometown today, and one horse wouldn’t be enough. Yesterday, after dinner, they’d discussed borrowing a mule cart from Yang Xian.
The Yang family mostly stayed in Jixing Town, so their mule cart rarely traveled far. Yang Xian had sold the few acres of land back home and bought fifteen fertile fields near town, hiring laborers to farm them—similar to the Gu family, so they wouldn’t need to make trips back.
The large pot boiled water quickly. For washing faces, it didn’t need to be hot—just warm would do.
Since they were going out, they couldn’t appear unkempt. Lu Gu scooped water to wash his face first. By the time he and Shen Yan left, Shen Xuanqing was squatting in the yard with Lingjun, washing their faces.
A child’s cheeks were tender and soft. Shen Xuanqing didn’t dare use much force, afraid his rough hands might hurt him.
The yard was muddy. Guaizi yawned and got up from the sack he’d been lying on. Used to running in the mountains, he didn’t mind the mud. Unlike some country dogs that were particular about cleanliness, he picked his way along the stone path and nudged Shen Xuanqing’s leg with his head.
Lingjun, having played with big dogs since he was little, wasn’t afraid at all. He even gently pinched Guaizi’s ear—something he’d learned from Lu Gu.
Though it had rained last night, the streets were still bustling with vendors. To feed their families, they couldn’t afford laziness.
Since they were heading home today, Lu Gu followed the aromas and stopped at a wonton stall near the alley entrance, ordering three small bowls. The bun vendor wasn’t far either, so he bought four vegetable buns and six meat buns.
Being a regular customer from the neighborhood, when he said he’d take them home, the vendor simply packed them in two large bowls, to be returned later.
"Yan Yan, wait here. I’ll take these back and come right out," Lu Gu said, carrying a bowl in each hand. By the time he returned, the wontons were ready, and the two of them brought three bowls home.
Lingjun didn’t eat much. Lu Gu took his small wooden bowl, scooped a few wontons and some broth, and gave him a spoon to eat on his own.
Meat buns were expensive, but they’d bought six—enough for the three of them. With meat available, they naturally ate that first.
"Try this, meat buns. They’re delicious," Lu Gu said, breaking off half a bun for Lingjun before smiling up at Shen Xuanqing. "Eat as many as you want. I’ll be full after one vegetable bun."
Shen Yan ate one meat bun. Her appetite wasn’t big, and with a bowl of wontons, she couldn’t finish a whole vegetable bun, so she broke it in half. "I can’t eat the rest. Maybe save it for when we come back."
"We’ll be home for a few days. I’ll eat it now, it might go bad," Lu Gu said.
So the two of them split the vegetable bun. After everyone had eaten their fill, there were still two vegetable buns and one meat bun left. Guaizi whined, and Lu Gu, in high spirits, gave him the meat bun.
Guaizi ate quickly, devouring the bun in a few bites. Lu Gu then gave him a vegetable bun.
With only one bun left—and unsure when they’d return, Shen Xuanqing ate it to avoid waste.
Chewing as he walked out to fetch the mule cart, he said, "Biaozi should be back from the prefectural city today. Since we’re heading home now, leaving him alone, maybe we could ask a neighbor to pass on a message. If they see him, tell him to ride over."
Lu Gu nodded. "Alright. I’ll leave the door key with Aunt Liu. She’s always home watching her grandchildren, she can give it to Biaozi."
"Mm." Shen Xuanqing stuffed the last bite of bun into his mouth and left.
By the time he brought the mule cart to the alley entrance, Lu Gu and Shen Yan were ready. Though the rain ceased late last night, the roads remained difficult to travel quickly.
The Yang family's mule cart had a canopy. Lu Gu had Lingjun sit inside, drove the dog in after him, and sat near the entrance to talk with Shen Xuanqing.
He mentioned visiting their uncle’s and aunt’s families in a couple of days. Many relatives had been worried during the New Year, especially those on his mother’s side. Remembering yesterday’s unsettled accounts, he said, "I forgot to bring the ledger. Before you came back, I’d recorded everything, planning to settle it after returning. I forgot last night too."
Shen Xuanqing said, "No rush. We can do it later. It’s only the start of the month, taxes aren’t due for a while."
Knowing Lu Gu didn't recognize many written characters, he smiled and asked: "You can record accounts now?"
"Just for rabbits, chickens, and ducks—I can write those characters. If the sums are small, I can manage, but when business is good, I can’t use an abacus. Sometimes I ask Aunt Zhao’s daughter-in-law from the noodle shop, she knows how to calculate. Master sometimes drops by and helps me checks too. It hasn’t been too hard."
Lu Gu rambled about his daily life these past months, mainly selecting the better parts to describe.
Shen Xuanqing said: "I'll teach you to use the abacus when we have time."
He then said jokingly: "When you can record accounts and calculate sums, you'll count as a half-accountant."
Lu Gu smiled. Accountants could read words and calculate numbers - these were skills villagers looked up to and respected. Though he knew Shen Xuanqing was teasing him, he still felt happy in his heart.
Chatting and laughing along the way, even the wind felt less cold.
Halfway there, they indeed ran into Shen Yaoqing, hauling rabbits.
Before the carts drew close, Shen Yaoqing spotted the figure in the distance. He stared, heart pounding, wondering if it could really be his second brother—until the man called out, "Big Brother!"
His eyes instantly grew hot with tears.
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