Chapter 228
The house was filled with the sound of crying. Wei Lanxiang wept while hitting Shen Xuanqing’s arm, asking where he had run off to all these days and why the damned boy hadn’t come home.
Lu Gu stood nearby trying to console her, but his own eyes reddened with unshed tears.
Even the villagers, upon hearing of Shen Xuanqing’s return, came to see him. The third uncle’s family was no exception—Zhou Xiangjun wiped his tears for a long while. With so many relatives in the village, everyone who came to check on him did so out of kindness. Lu Gu and Ji Qiuyue had to serve tea several times to the steady stream of visitors.
A few of the village’s young men who were close to Shen Xuanqing, like Da Chen, also came. Though they didn’t cry, they all said, "It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back." Only after sighing in relief did they start scolding him with a laugh, asking why he had been delayed outside for so long.
Even Chen Dongdong came along with He Zhi to see him.
After crying her fill, Wei Lanxiang wiped her face and smiled through reddened eyes. Though only in her fifties, years of backbreaking labor had aged her beyond her years, and the constant worry of these past six months had deepened her wrinkles. But now that her second son had returned, her eyes shone again. She busied herself preparing a feast, calling Ji Qiuyue and Shen Yan to help, determined to make a proper meal.
Even when Zhou Yunzhi and Shen Shunde came by, she smilingly insisted they stay for dinner. Since Shen Xuanqing had been missing during the New Year, today’s meal would serve as their reunion feast.
The skies had cleared, and the sun was out.
Everything in his hometown was familiar—the rolling mountains, the great river behind the village, the contented lowing of cattle, and the dogs swarming around him, wagging their tails in excitement. Dahui even stood on his hind legs, front paws resting on Shen Xuanqing as if embracing him. Standing on the earthen floor of his home, Shen Xuanqing felt truly anchored, the solid ground beneath him mirroring the steadiness returning to his soul.
Li Laiqing and Ge Chunsheng were both working at the new house. With spring plowing still some time away, there wasn’t much to do in the fields—just pulling weeds from the wheat fields. Nothing more.
The father and son-in-law worked diligently at their family’s property, earning wages as well as rice and flour, making their lives far better than before. Seeing him return, the two dark-skinned men grinned with genuine happiness.
As noon approached, the sound of hooves clattered outside. Lu Gu was at the old house washing Shen Xuanqing’s clothes—the dirty ones he had taken off the night before.
Looking up, he saw Luo Biao approaching with Shen Xuanqing, leading a horse. It went without saying—Luo Biao must have gone to the new house first.
"Sister-in-law," Luo Biao called out when he saw him.
Wei Lanxiang, busy in the kitchen, hurried out at the noise, and Luo Biao greeted her with a respectful "Aunt Wei."
He wasn't here for any pressing matter—the whole household was just overjoyed at Shen Xuanqing's return.
"You came back just in time. Wait a bit, and we’ll eat soon," Wei Lanxiang said with a smile before returning to the kitchen.
Luo Biao led the horse to the backyard to feed it. The stone trough there made it easy for the animal to graze.
The chestnut horse had been bought in Yuncheng. Thanks to Cui Rongwei’s connections and the friendships Shen Xuanqing had formed with a few men from the military camp, someone had helped negotiate a cheaper price when purchasing it.
But unlike Shen Xuanqing, Luo Biao didn’t have much use for a horse.
Lu Gu poured tea for both of them. With no wind today, Shen Xuanqing moved a table and chairs into the yard, enjoying the sun as they drank.
Luo Biao set down a bundle he had untied from the horse’s back. After exchanging a few casual words, he sighed and said, "Qiu Laoda and his brother went back home. I traveled with them and distributed the silver to the families of the brothers who didn’t make it."
Lu Gu, washing clothes nearby, instinctively glanced at Shen Xuanqing. He could guess that the "brothers" referred to the men from the horse caravan.
"I’ve already kept my share. This is yours." Luo Biao pulled out a small, heavy pouch from the bundle.
Shen Xuanqing took it and looked inside before explaining to Lu Gu, who looked puzzled, "This is the silver from Lord Cui. The massacre of the horse caravan happened because of him, and too many brothers died. He felt guilty, so before we left Yuncheng, he gave a hundred taels to each of us—including the dead. It was too much to carry on the road, so we took silver notes. Biaozi and Qiu Laoda only exchanged them at the bank in the prefecture city today."
So that was how it was.
"A hundred taels..."
Lu Gu murmured the amount. It wasn’t that he coveted the sum—having seen six or seven hundred taels before, he wasn’t easily shocked. But it suddenly struck him that this hundred taels, if not for Shen Xuanqing’s sheer luck, might have been paid for with his life, just like the others.
Shen Xuanqing added, "When I left, Lord Cui mentioned that after the rebels were executed, their homes were confiscated. This money—even if it came from the rebels’ pockets, it's meant to give the horse caravan some closure."
The rebel in question was a high-ranking official in the capital. Two thousand taels was nothing compared to the silver seized from his estate—enough to compensate several times over.
But these were not matters to be spoken of carelessly. Even far from the turmoil, it was best to remain cautious.
Luo Biao took a sip of tea, set down the bowl, and sighed. "I told Qiu Laoda and Qiu Laosan that I won’t be joining them in the horse trade anymore. The roads are long, and my luck isn’t great. I’m practically a walking jinx. Better to stay in town, run a small business, and slowly save up."
"Have you decided what to do?" Shen Xuanqing asked.
"Not yet. But with this hundred taels, I can at least buy a house to settle in first." Luo Biao smiled wryly.
He really had been unlucky—yet this time, misfortune had turned to fortune. Not only had he survived, but he now had the means to buy property and start a small business. His heart was a mix of emotions, bitterness outweighing joy.
For an ordinary commoner, a hundred taels was an enormous sum.
After another sigh, he added, "I shouldn’t delay buying land either. A few acres of good fields—who knows, maybe I’ll end up farming outside town. Even just growing enough grain for myself would be enough to live on."
Shen Xuanqing nodded and said, "That's very good. If you farm the land diligently for a few years, you'll be able to save up money and grain. When you have free time, you can gather firewood or catch fish to earn a few extra copper coins."
"That's exactly what I was thinking. With a house and land, we can always get by," Luo Biao replied with a smile.
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