Ji Taoyu hadn't seen his cousin in a long time. They used to exchange letters frequently when they were in Tongzhou, but after Tongzhou fell into chaos, communication became extremely difficult. He had been deeply concerned about him as well.
He wanted to go meet them as well. Huo Shu, hearing the news, specifically came back from the training ground.
"Let's go, we can meet them at the village entrance."
Huo Shu knew he was anxious.
The two of them walked slowly at the rear, allowing the family elders and older siblings to go ahead and greet the arriving party.
"In the blink of an eye, more than a year has passed. Cousin's family's Xiao, Fu must be a year old already."
Ji Taoyu muttered. In less than half an hour, they saw a group of people dragging their luggage down from the mountain. From far away, they heard a familiar shout: "Xiao Taozi!"
Ji Xingshe waved his arms, smiling with the joy of reunion after a long separation, like escaping the tiger's jaws.
In a moment, the two of them were hugging each other tightly.
"Tongzhou is so chaotic. It scared me so much I thought I'd never see you all again. Luckily, we got the letter."
Ji Xingshe was both crying and laughing: "Fortunately, we're all together again now."
Ji Taoyu patted Ji Xingshe's back: "It's alright, it's alright. Everything is safe now."
"Alright, don't squeeze Tao ger too hard. He's pregnant!"
Ji Yangcheng and his wife, seeing their child return safely, also couldn't hold back their reddened eyes and choked voices.
"Oh. Right!"
Ji Xingshe quickly let go.
"Xing ger's family has come a long way and must be tired from the journey. Don't talk on the road, let's go back first."
"Yes, yes, yes." The group of more than ten people first went to the Ji family compound.
The two sides introduced themselves one by one. This time, the entire Deng family, young and old, had come together.
The two elderly Deng parents, accompanying their daughter-in-law to her natal home, felt somewhat embarrassed. However, seeing that the place was evidently a proper village set their minds somewhat at ease.
The Deng family could be considered a decent household, but now the entire family looked somewhat disheveled, clearly much more aged compared to when the two families were discussing the marriage proposal for the two children. It was evident that life had been truly difficult after the turmoil in Tongzhou.
Everyone chatted in the courtyard for a while, asking about the situation in Tongzhou, though most of it had already been covered in letters.
They also talked about how the entire family had managed to bribe people to escape via small paths, and with the help of A-Liang and others, led everyone away through difficult journeys.
As they spoke, tears flowed again, and everyone offered comfort.
"From now on, settle down here with peace of mind. We have plenty of people here, building a house won't take much time. As long as we're still alive, we can always start over
Ji Yangzong and Ji Yangcheng first settled the Deng family in the main courtyard. After the long journey filled with fear and anxiety, they now needed a good rest.
Whether out of sentiment or reason, the Ji family had to prepare a proper meal to host the Deng family.
The Ji brothers were actually harmonious and united. Each household contributed some items, planning to gather for a meal in the evening.
The main courtyard became lively once again.
Ji Taoyu looked at Deng Xiaofu, Ji Xinzhe's child. The little one took after Ji Xinzhe's appearance, fair and clean. Fortunately, he didn't resemble his charcoal-black father—otherwise, a little ger might have cried when he grew up.
The milky, adorable little one was incredibly cute. Now just over a year old, he could already say simple words like little father, father, grandfather, little grandfather, etc.
Ji Xinzhe held the child and taught him to call out to Ji Taoyu, saying "Little Uncle." After teaching him a few times, the child really learned to call out "Little Uncle," which made Ji Taoyu extremely happy.
It was just a pity that after not teasing him for long, the child got tired and sleepy, snuggling in Ji Xingshe's arms and falling asleep.
"I'll take him to sleep for a while first. If he wakes up before he's had enough sleep, he'll probably cry and fuss."
Although Ji Taoyu hadn't had enough playtime, he quickly said, "Go, go. You must be tired from the journey too. Have a good sleep with the child. I'll make your favorite dishes tonight."
Ji Xinzhe squeezed Ji Taoyu's hand before going inside.
Turning around, Ji Taoyu saw Ji Wenliang and quickly called him over: "How did things go?"
Ji Wenliang scratched the back of his head: "Second Brother said due to the new policies, to protect the family, that family has already promised the girl to the County Magistrate as a concubine."
Ji Taoyu opened his mouth, but the words that came out were only a sigh: "The times are chaotic, there's no helping it. It's just a pity for that girl."
"But since the matter is already settled now..."
Before Ji Taoyu could finish, Ji Wenliang looked around to make sure no one was there, then pulled out a simple jade hairpin from his robe: "I... I don't know if he'll like it."
"The style isn't important; what matters is the meaning behind it. United in heart as hair is bound, it carries a very good sentiment." [结发同心: jié fà tóng xīn: lit. to bind hair and share the same heart; fig. a symbol of marital unity and devotion, often representing a couple's pledge to stay together for life]
Ji Wenliang blushed at Ji Taoyu's approval.
Seeing him like this, Ji Taoyu coughed dryly with a somewhat guilty conscience: "Well, since you're back, don't hesitate or be shy anymore. Speed up your actions."
Ji Wenliang didn't understand the reason, but he still listened modestly to the advice from someone more experienced.
Ji Taoyu approvingly patted Ji Wenliang's shoulder: "I think that's completely fine!"
Ji Wenliang, happy as a fool, ran off to Caochang Village. He rehearsed a reason for inviting Jin Kelu over from twenty li away along the road, but when he finally saw him, he stammered and didn't know how to bring it up.
Jin Kelu, however, was as warm and enthusiastic as ever upon seeing him. Before Ji Wenliang could speak, Jin Kelu said first: "Perfect, your third aunt sent me a message asking me to come to the main courtyard for dinner tonight too. Let's go together later."
"Ah?"
Thank you for the update!!!
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