Xu Ran was surprised when he saw Lin Hua and Zhao Chen since he had not expected them to appear. They hadn't seen one other in a long time. Lin Hua and Zhao Chen were taken aback when they saw Xu Ran. They had also visited Xu Village since the pandemic, but when they arrived, they discovered that Xu Ran and his family had left.
Lin Hua and Zhao Chen would thereafter visit here once a year. The timing was uncertain. And Zhuo Yun carried out all of their receptions. It had become a norm for them over the last five years, so they were surprised to see Xu run this time.
Lin Hua took the first step out and went to Xu Ran and patted him fiercely, "You brat, you finally came back."
Xu Ran smiled at him and said. "This is my home. Of course I'm coming back. But I didn't expect you to come here."
Lin Hua was dissatisfied when he heard this. "You don't want us here? I'm telling you, you went out without a word, and been away for so many years. . You didn't even say goodbye. I'm going to get even with you!"
Xu Ran smiled bitterly, "I couldn't tell you even if I wanted back then."
Lin Hua remembered that it was the time of the epidemic and that Xu Ran was telling the truth, so he stopped arguing about it and instead replied, "Even if it was urgent, you haven't written a letter to me in so many years; did you truly forget us?"
"No, no, how could I? If I truly forgot about you, how can I call your name when I see you today? Yanzhou is too far away from here. Zhuo Yun and I have only two letters to each other all these years. It took a whole year to receive a letter! It's really not that easy," Xu Ran hurriedly waved his hand.
Xu Ran's explanation reluctantly made Lin Hua less angry. Zhao Chen also came out to persuade him, "Come on, they're all back! Why do you care about this now? As long as they come back, we'll just come here more often."
Xu Ran looked at Zhao Chen, then at Lin Hua. Seeing that both of them looked good, he thought that they have had a good time over the years, so he was very happy for them.
The sun was shining outside and they did not speak long at the door before they entered the house. While no one was paying attention, Xu Ran quietly asked Lin Hua, "How's your relationship with Zhao Chen? Have you been affected by the plague?"
Lin Hua sighed and said helplessly, "It was a blessing in disguise! He became infected with the plague by accident while it was at its peak, and it was a close call. We did everything we could at the time to get him back. I had been with him and become infected as well. His father had noticed how much we cared for each other. When he saw that, he told us that if we could just get through this, he would let us be together. So we both made it out alive. Later on, his father did nothing to stop the two of us. We're doing great, and we now have a child."
Lin Hua's expression was not one of helplessness when he discussed the latter half. Instead, he smiled softly and gazed at Zhao Chen, who was walking in front of him. Xu Ran stroked his shoulder. "It was certainly a blessing in disguise! Congratulations to the two Jack shall have jill, all shall be well," Xu Ran said, raising his cupped fist.
Lin Hua didn't argue with him and raised his head complacently.
After Lin Hua finished talking about his own business, he shifted the topic to Xu Ran. "You said that you have been in Yanzhou all these years. I heard from Zhuo Yun that you went to find your husband's brother. How about it? Did you find him?"
Xu Ran nodded. "Yes, we found him. He was really Tong Tong's brother, and looked exactly like him."
"Oh! So are you here just for a visit, or are you planning to stay long?" "Lin Hua asked.
Xu Ran said, "We're going to stay here. The children missed their home and wished to return to see it. Tongtong has also met his brother. If we have time in the future, we will take the kids to see them. It's fine, despite the fact that it was a little cold over there."
Xu Ran avoided bringing up the subject of Yanzhou. It was a knot in his heart, as well as the hearts of his family. Yanzhou was extremely good, but he had lost two children in that region, so his feelings had faded no matter how much he liked it. Lin Hua could obviously see that Xu Ran was not in a good mood, so he stopped. After all, we all had stuff we didn't want to discuss.
When they entered the room, Zhuo Yun was busy making bamboo baskets. When he saw Xu Ran and Lin Hua, he also stopped his movements. "You're back! Lin Hua also came over. What a coincidence! Xu Ran and the others had only arriced yesterday."
Lin Hua and Zhao Chen would come to stay for a few days every year for the past several years. They were pretty comfortable with Zhuo Yun by this point, and Zhuo Yun didn't regard Lin Hua as an outsider in the least.
After hearing Zhuo Yun's words, Lin Hua smiled and said, "It's indeed a coincidence."
Then he pointed to the bamboo baskets in the house and asked Zhuo Yun, "What are you doing with so many bamboo baskets?"
Zhuo Yun explained, "The fruit trees in the orchards are ready to be picked. These bamboo baskets are for picking fruits. By the way, you can take some of them when you go back. The fruits are big and nice this year."
"Okay! When the time comes, I'll pack one basket, but I'm still here for the potatoes. I don't know why, but the ones I grow aren't as good as the ones here."
Zhuo Yun said, "There are potatoes, all of them are left for you. As for the problem of how the potatoes grow well, you probably have to ask Xu Ran. He planted all the fields that produced the best potatoes, and I don't know how he made it."
When they needed Xu Ran, these two people who were talking nonstop remembered him. that he was present. Unhappily, Xu Ran touched his nose.
However, Lin Hua couldn't care that much, so he asked Xu Ran directly, "Xu Ran, tell me, does it matter where the potatoes are grown?"
Xu Ran rolled his eyes and found a seat to sit down. Then he said to Lin Hua, "Of course, tell me what kind land you planted, when you planted it and how you planted it."
Zhao Chen and Zhuo Yun also sat down, intending to hear what Xu Ran said.
Liu Tong and the others, on the other hand, did not join in. They walked to the kitchen to finish their work after putting their belongings down. Lin Hua and the others were still guests, no matter how familiar they were. And when the guests arrive, they must be entertained. Liu Tong and Shao Yu were two people who used to be quite busy in the kitchen. Now that Shao Yu was gone, the person was known as Qin Shuwen.
Over the years, Qin Shuwen's cooking skills have been pretty good. He did all the cooking in their house by himself, and Chan-Shu would occasionally come and help.
They were both working in the kitchen. While working, Qin Shuwen asked Liu Tong some fascinating questions regarding Yanzhou and the route. Liu Tong, of course, would not keep these things a secret, so he told Qin Shuwen everything, which piqued Qin Shuwen's interest and made him want to go outside and have a look.
Liu Tong said, "We won't go to Yanzhou for a while. But you can come with us when we go next time, but we should probably be relatives by then."
Qin Shuwen smiled and said, "Okay! I'll go with you then and see what is going on outside. However, when it comes to the matter of relatives by marriage, our Qingshu was really like his father. He is an infatuated person, and has been missing Baozi with a deep heart."
Liu Tong also smiled, "Baozi is also the same. When we left, he claimed he'd go back and check for Qingshu on the way, but he got beaten up by his father on the way. You can tell how much he has changed now. His father warned him that if he ever wanted to marry Qingshu, he would have to learn to read and manners with his uncle, which he did for several years."
Qin Shuwen nodded, "Yes, Baozi's change is quite obvious. When he left, he resembled a baozi, only he was slimmer. He now appears to be a decent childe. If he is not a childe, he may have been attracted to a large number of childe."
Liu Tong took the words and said, "But the boys liked him just the way he was. However, Baozi only loves Qingshu, so he couldn't find a husband who satisfied me."
Qin Shuwen said, "What? Aren't you satisfied with Qingshu? I can tell you, Qingshu is so gorgeous that many boys like him."
Liu Tong said hurriedly, "There's no dissatisfaction. If I'm really dissatisfied with him, Ran and I wouldn't give my childe permission to marry a childe. The two childe seem like a good match even when they are so young. If they were older, who knows how many people would envy them."
"Haha, you're right." Qin Shuwen agreed.
In any case, they were both very pleased with the outcome. Xu Ran and the others had done conversing and were waiting for dinner by the time the two of them had finished their meal. The original plan for Xu Ran to visit Wu Mei's house tonight had to be rescheduled.
Xu Ran asked Lin Hua while eating, "How long are you staying this time?"
Lin Hua said, "Three days! We've been busy lately, but since you've just returned, I have to show respect for your feelings.
Hearing his words, Xu Ran laughed. "Thank you. Don't worry, I'll definitely treat you well and make up for our lost five years of friendship."
That didn't sound right, but Lin Hua didn't hear it.
Of course, in the next few days, Xu Ran did entertain Lin Hua well and he didin't lied.
Xu Ran and his family did not visit Wu Mei and others' homes because of Lin Hua and the others. They just invited them over for dinner and conversation, as if they had returned to the days before they had departed. There was a flat stone path at the entry, and the home was surrounded by a deep forest. An orchard land of fruits was placed next to it. It was as beautiful as always, as lovely as a painting.
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Guoguo found himself unfortunate, but grateful, the moment he plunged from the pit. It was preferable for him to die by falling than to be stabbed to death by these individuals. Tangtang would be devastated if he returned to his people and saw his body on the ground, as would Dad, Daddy, and Baozi.
In general, falling was preferable. No one would know where he was if he fell. They'd just assume he'd vanished, and he'd live on in their hearts forever. Guoguo thought to himself as he fell. It didn't occur to him, though, that those barbarians would likewise fall after he did. The barbarians, unlike Guoguo, did not fall willingly.
This pit was not what Guoguo had expected because it had taken him a long time to land. Besides, he had imagined that when he eventually landed, he would land heavily on the ground, bleeding, but that was not the case. Instead, he fell into the creek and drifted down it. Later, he lost consciousness and had no recollection of what had happened.
When he woke up again, Guoguo didn't know what time it was. He only felt that the sun above him was so bright that he couldn't open his eyes.
"You're awake. Do you want some water? You've been sleeping for a long time."
Guoguo's ears were suddenly filled by a pleasant voice. Guoguo forced himself to open his eyes, and there in front of him was a stunning Ge'er.
Guoguo stared at him blankly for a while before saying, "Where am I?"
Guoguo was astonished when he heard his own voice because it sounded harsh, like if a duck was quacking, which was uncomfortable to hear.
That Ge'er passed his canteen over to Guoguo immediately. "Drink some water before you speak. You've slept too long."
Guoguo desired to seize control of the canteen and drink the water himself. However, as he raised his hand, he discovered that both of his hands were wrapped in white fabric.
His right hand had been cut by those barbarians, and his left hand had possibly hit the stone in the river. Guoguo wasn't sure if it was because the pain was so intense that he went numb, and neither of his hands could feel anything.
That Ge'er explained with a smile, "Your hands were injured, and I applied medicine to them. Since you can't move now, let me feed you!"
Guoguo glanced at him and wanted to thank him, but then he remembered his harsh voice and merely smiled and nodded. Guoguo then drank some water while holding Ge'er's hand. Guoguo felt better after moistening his throat.
The Ge'er put the canteen away and said to Guoguo, "This is Shanwai Clan territory. My name is Shanwai Muya, but you can call me Muya if you prefer. I discovered you in the ocean. You've slept for three days straight. You were seriously hurt, and I almost didn't get you back. Fortunately, you're awake now."
Badly Injured? Guoguo examined his own hands. Because such wounds were not fatal, he couldn't have been really harmed! Guoguo felt an ache in his chest as he pondered this. The next thing he knew, he was coughing. The more he coughed, the worse the pain became. His intestines ached. He had most certainly struck his chest against something in the water.
While Guoguo was coughing, Shanwai Muya was patting him on his back very gently, looking worried.
Guoguo had coughed for a while before he stopped. Just as he was about to say something, Shanwai Muya interrupted him, "Don't talk for now. I could guess what you are going to say anyway, but wait until you get better. Even if you want to go back, now is not the right time."
Guoguo fell silent as he heard Shanwai Muya. Even though he knew Shanwai Muya was telling the truth, he was still upset. He didn't know how his father and mother were doing, or how they felt when they found out he was missing, or how his brother felt.
Shanwai Muya remained silent while Guoguo kept his head down. "Let me take you back to my home first! I've been out for a few days, and it's time for me to go back," Shanwai Muya stated after a while, as the sun began to set in the west.
Guoguo raised his head and took a glance around. He was in a forest, surrounded by trees. He was leaning against a tree in a cave not far from them. Sunlight flashed through the tree branches at him. Guoguo didn't like being out in the sun because it was so bright. He had no idea why he was being confined under the tree when there was a cave nearby.
"I don't know how long you had been in the river. It's gloomy and cold in the cave, so I carried you out to do some sunbathing. I carried you back into the cave at night," Shanwai Muya recounted.
When Guoguo heard Shanwai Muya's explanation, he felt a little uncomfortable. He, a man, should have been carried by a Ge'er on numerous occasions. What a disgrace! Fortunately, he was unconscious at the time and knew nothing. Guoguo didn't respond because he felt embarrassed, whereas Shanwai Muya effortlessly lifted him up when he was awake.
Guoguo, "..." He couldn't be more embarrassed.
"Muya, put me down! I can walk by myself. It's just that my hands got hurt, but my legs are fine. You'll get tired from carrying me."
Shanwai Muya did not respond. He only used one hand to pull up Guoguo's trousers, revealing the white fabric wrapped around his leg.
Guoguo, "..."
After seeing it, Guoguo closed his eyes silently. He hadn't felt the pain before, so he hadn't expected that his legs would also be injured at all. Now he realized that he couldn't even move.
Shanwai Muya chuckled, "You have difficulty in moving now, so don't think too much. Besides, you look younger than me, and no one will laugh at you even if I'm carrying you."
Guoguo remained quiet.
Shanwai Muya was unconcerned. He proceeded on along the route, carrying Guoguo. They didn't say anything on the way. Guoguo was too shy to speak up. Furthermore, he was completely unfamiliar with the location and had no idea what to say. In the meantime, he was in poor physical shape. He could sense that he was hurt both on the inside and on the outer. He also didn't know when he'd be able to recover.
They'd been walking for a time, and some bamboo dwellings could be seen in the distance. "That is the place of residence of Shanwai Clan. There are only thousands of us and we are a little clan in the north of Yanzhou. Usually, few people visit our place, and the people from our clan rarely go out either. We mainly move around within our own territory. You were so lucky that you fell into the territory of Shanwai Clan. Otherwise, I would have missed you," Shanwai Muya said to Guoguo.
Guoguo sighed and rolled his eyes. While falling, he had no idea where he would land. Shanwai Muya spoke softly to Guoguo about the Shanwai Clan, including its customs, language, culture, etiquette, and food. He told Guoguo everything, whether he remembered it or not.
When he finished speaking, Shanwai Muya stopped in front of a two-storey bamboo house. He said, "This is my house. There's only one in my household, and no one visits me, so it's fine even if I'm out for two or three days."
Guoguo nodded his head, the only thing that was still intact all over his body. "Well I see. I was wondering why no one was looking for you while you had been out for days."
Shanwai Muya smiled faintly, "Otherwise, do you think that my Dad and Daddy won't be anxious when I, a Ge'er, have been out for days? Furthermore, I've brought back a son of unknown background with me."
Guoguo puckered his lips. Although Shanwai Muya's words made sense, Guoguo still didn't want to identify with him.
Shanwai Muya opened the door, put Guoguo on the bed and said to him, "Lie down and have a rest for a while. I'll go cooking. Let's talk when we're full."
Guoguo nodded, expressing his agreement with him, and lay on the bed peacefully.
However, he was still thinking while lying on the bed.
He realized that with his current physical condition, he wouldn't be able to return for quite some time. The ideal answer was for someone to send the message on his behalf. That would be enough as long as Dad and everyone else knew he was still alive. He planned to return home after he recovered.
But Guoguo wondered whether Shanwai Muya was willing to send the message out for him?
Guoguo could tell that obviously, Shanwai Muya hadn't told him everything while introducing Shanwai Clan to him.
Guoguo was now 15 years old and eligible to marry. However, Shanwai Muya, a Ge'er, dared to stay with him alone, carry him, and bring him home, which perplexed Guoguo. Guoguo had never seen these problems previously. These doubts had simply surfaced now as he was lying alone. He knew nothing about the Shanwai Clan, so he was anxious, but he hadn't been worried for long when Shanwai Muya came in with supper.
"This time, I went out to find food at first, but I didn't expect to bump into you. Not only haven't I found any food, but I've also consumed all the food I brought with me. There's no food left at home. I just cooked a little rice paste. Make do with it! Later I'll go out to look for something else to eat," Shanwai Muya said as he walked into the house from outside.
Shanwai Muya sat at the bedside as he spoke. He took a spoonful of rice paste and sent it to Guoguo's mouth.
Guoguo was ready to say that he could eat it all by himself. Then he noticed the white fabric wrapped around his hands and silently opened his mouth. Shanwai Muya appeared to be amused by Guoguo. Shanwai Muya was feeding him with a smile on his face. He was attractive for a Ge'er to begin with. He appeared even more attractive now that he was smiling.
Shanwai Muya notified him and left after serving Guoguo the rice paste. It had been a long time since he had returned. Guoguo could see through the dense bamboo forest that it was already dark outside. When Shanwai Muya returned, Guoguo heard something baaing. He could tell Shanwai Muya had returned with a sheep and a few other items. Guoguo heard his footsteps and imagined Shanwai Muya had come and gone countless times.
When Shanwai Muya had finally done the chores, he went in to see Guoguo in a sweat, while Guoguo was lying on the bed, smiling at him.
Shanwai Muya walked out again, stating he would do some cooking if Guoguo was okay. Guoguo felt that the rice paste he had eaten earlier in the day was insufficient. He hadn't eaten in days, after all. Furthermore, he was intrigued by Shanwai Muya's cooking skills.
11.07.21
Uhh... so I've been gone for many days..... Am I sorry?.. yes... pls forgive me (┬┬﹏┬┬)
I do have a reason though.... I haven't paid attention to this since I've been preoccupied with my personal life, deadlines, stress, and burnout, so I apologize HUHU.... I will try to finish the side stories this week if possible. :D