Chapter 162
Xiao Zhuang took a few big steps over, squatted in front of Wu Shuang, and with one hand, lifted him onto his back.
Wu Shuang was startled for a moment, but seeing his determination, he held onto the lantern with one hand and supported Xiao Zhuang’s shoulder with the other, allowing himself to be carried on Xiao Zhuang’s back.
With Wu Shuang on his back, Xiao Zhuang felt delighted and walked with renewed vigor.
After walking for a while, he asked the person on his back, “Are you cold?”
This time, Wu Shuang understood that he needed to cooperate, so he replied, “Yes, I’m cold.”
Xiao Zhuang smiled and said, “Then put your hand inside my coat.”
Wu Shuang tucked his idle hand into Xiao Zhuang’s coat. Although he wasn’t cold, his hand was still chilly, causing Xiao Zhuang to shiver, but he was even happier and walked faster.
On Xiao Zhuang’s back, Wu Shuang felt that the person carrying him could run faster than his adoptive father’s horse.
The journey went smoothly until they reached the village, but accidentally stepped into a puddle of slops spilled out by a nearby household.
Wu Shuang wanted to get down and take a look, but Xiao Zhuang stopped him, saying it was dark and muddy, and he didn’t want Wu Shuang’s shoes to get dirty. So they continued on their way home.
Most people in the village were already asleep at this hour, and it was very quiet.
The cool air refreshed them, and finally, the moon, obscured by clouds all night, revealed itself. Wu Shuang looked up at the sky, and the full moon swayed with his movements while the warmth of Xiao Zhuang’s body pressed against him.
When they arrived at the doorstep, Xiao Zhuang set him down, feeling a bit reluctant to part with him, not wanting to go inside.
The house was quiet, and his parents and younger siblings should have returned from their stroll and gone to bed long ago.
The two tiptoed back to their room.
The oil lamp was lit, and they changed out of their outer robes, washing their hands and faces.
Wu Shuang squatted down to look at Xiao Zhuang’s shoes, which were wet with splashes. He picked them up with his hands, intending to clean them.
But Xiao Zhuang swiftly took the shoes from him and put them back in their place.
Looking at him, Wu Shuang said, “It’s late; we can clean them tomorrow.”
Wu Shuang remarked, “If we wait until tomorrow, they might not clean well.”
“In that case, I’ll clean them later tonight,” Xiao Zhuang said.
Wu Shuang raised an eyebrow and asked, “Then what are we going to do now?”
Xiao Zhuang didn’t answer, just looking at him.
Wu Shuang understood and stood up, heading to the bed.
Xiao Zhuang hurried to follow, and as soon as they got on the bed, they embraced each other.
Mumbling in between kisses, Xiao Zhuang said, “I’ve been thinking all night…”
Wu Shuang responded by wrapping his arms around Xiao Zhuang’s sturdy neck, his lips parting further…
—
Xiao Zhuang’s family had once been wealthy; it was said that a large portion of this area used to belong to their family, but over time, most of it was sold off, leaving them with just sixty or seventy mu of land, which was still more than most families.
The land was mainly farmed by his father and younger brother Xiao Hong. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, they were preparing for the autumn harvest, and besides the two of them, Xiao Zhuang’s mother and Xiao Ling also had to go help; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to manage.
When Xiao Zhuang had free time, he also had to go help out.
Now that Wu Shuang had married into the family, Xiao Zhuang’s mother worried about his frail physique and asked him to deliver meals to the fields every day, trying to keep him from doing farm work.
Wu Shuang cooked three meals a day meticulously, and when he had spare time, he went to the fields to scavenge, never willing to sit idle.
This summer, there was a bit more rain, resulting in slightly poorer harvests compared to previous years, but Xiao Zhuang’s family’s fields were on higher ground and were not significantly affected.
In some low-lying areas, however, the crops were inevitably flooded, reducing the harvest.
Recently, it was said that some families’ fields hadn’t been harvested yet and were stolen overnight. Reporting to the authorities was of no use; they couldn’t find the thieves at all.
After a year of hard work, no one wanted to encounter such incidents, so in the past few days, many families set up sheds in the fields and slept there to keep watch.
Autumn nights in the north were quite cold, and watching the fields was a thankless task.
In Xiao Zhuang’s family, his father and younger brother Xiao Hong took turns watching the fields.
When Xiao Zhuang first went to watch the fields, Wu Shuang also wanted to go but was persuaded to stay home by Xiao Zhuang.
The night wasn’t a big deal, but Wu Shuang was weak, and Xiao Zhuang was afraid he would catch a cold.
After a few days, when Xiao Zhuang went to take over the shift again, Wu Shuang’s attitude became more determined, insisting on going.
Xiao Zhuang said, “There’s nothing fun there. In the middle of the night, you have to stay alert to any movement outside, and it’s very cold, so it’s hard to sleep well.”
Wu Shuang replied, “I can’t sleep well at home either.”
Xiao Zhuang was stunned for a moment before realizing that Wu Shuang meant he couldn’t sleep well when Xiao Zhuang wasn’t at home.
Somehow, even though it was just a simple sentence without any ambiguous meaning, Xiao Zhuang blushed.
He kicked a small stone under his foot awkwardly and said, “If you want to go, then go.”
But Xiao Zhuang was still afraid that Wu Shuang would catch a cold, so when they went, he brought an extra quilt.
His mother was also worried a bit, but since the two of them had decided, she didn’t say anything.
Before it was dark, the couple went to the fields one after the other.
The shed at Xiao Zhuang’s home was built quite well, with a frame made of branches and straw, and the outside was wrapped in fireproof oiled paper.
This way, it was not drafty, and it would be warmer.
When they arrived at the fields, Wu Shuang went into the shed and laid out the bedding.
Xiao Zhuang cleared the area near the shed, picked up some firewood, and started a fire. He put a pot on the fire to boil water for drinking.
In his bundle, he also had eggs and sweet potatoes his mother had stuffed in there, which could be boiled or roasted when hungry.
After Wu Shuang finished tidying up inside, he came out and sat beside him to roast by the fire.
It was very dark all around, and in the distance, one could faintly see the fields of other homes, with flickering fires.
Further up the mountain, there were some animals calling out, echoing each other. One here, another there; sometimes they called happily, other times suddenly fell silent for a long time.
Just when one thought they wouldn’t call again, a cry broke the silence at that moment.
As the night grew colder, both of them wore several layers of coats, with the shelter behind them blocking the wind. With a fire burning, it wasn’t uncomfortable at all, but rather quite cozy.
The water boiled, and Xiao Zhuang got up to fetch a large bowl, scooping out a bowlful for Wu Shuang to hold. He warmed his hands by the fire while slowly drinking.
He found a jar of liquor in the shelter, poured himself a bowl, tilted his head back and drank it down, feeling the fiery sensation from his mouth to his stomach.
Xiao Zhuang didn’t drink much, but he would drink a little. This liquor was left here by his father.
In cold weather, drinking warms the body.
Seeing this, Wu Shuang put the water bowl aside and said, “I want to try it too.”
Xiao Zhuang hesitated for a moment, then took his own used bowl and poured him a small bowlful.
Handing it over, he cautioned, “It’s very strong, just take a small sip.”
But Wu Shuang took the bowl, tilted it back, and drank all the liquor in one go, choking with tears streaming down his face.
Xiao Zhuang quickly patted his back and wiped his face with a cloth.
When Wu Shuang recovered, Xiao Zhuang intended to scold him, but was captivated instead by the blush on Wu Shuang’s face and the misty-eyed look in his large eyes.
He opened his mouth, but the reproachful words didn’t come out.
Instead, he awkwardly said, “You look really beautiful.”
Wu Shuang smiled briefly and turned to look at the burning fire.
His small, slender hands reached towards the fire, the fingers around them glowing red.
Xiao Zhuang’s gaze shifted from his face to those two hands.
Wu Shuang said, “When I was young, I used to roast by the fire like this.”
Xiao Zhuang was taken aback and looked at his face, asking, “With your parents?”
Wu Shuang nodded, “And my younger brother.”
Xiao Zhuang was astonished, hearing Wu Shuang softly say, “My family lived on the northern border, about twenty or thirty miles from Fengyu Pass.”
“That far?” Xiao Zhuang said.
Wu Shuang murmured, “Hmm,” continuing, “The border was never quiet before. Before the war, my parents were planning to pack up and move to Fengyu Pass, but unfortunately, they were a step too late.”
Wu Shuang’s tone was calm and light, but Xiao Zhuang felt a chill.
“When the wolves came, it was in the middle of the night. We didn’t react in time, didn’t even manage to put on our outer clothes, just fled for our lives.”
“My parents protected me and my brother as we ran, but as we fled, they disappeared. When my brother and I looked back, we saw them lying in a pool of blood, motionless, eyes wide open, staring in our direction.”
“My brother cried and went back to find them. I couldn’t stop him, helplessly watching as he was shot by someone’s arrow.”
“I saw the person who did it, he saw me too. He took another arrow and aimed at me. I thought I was done for, but then a horn sounded, and then he looked back. I took the opportunity to hide among the dead.”
“After the Wild Wolves retreated, I joined the other survivors and headed south. They said Fengyu Pass was already under attack, but the south was still peaceful and had food.”
“I was still very young then and couldn’t keep up with those people. Gradually, I fell behind until I was alone, begging my way to this area, where my foster father found me and took me in.”
“After that, you know the rest.”
Wu Shuang blinked and said, “The last time I ate mooncakes, I was still very young. This Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s the first time I’ve had mooncakes since I grew up.”
He turned to look at Xiao Zhuang beside him and found his eyes were already red, his expression filled with sorrow and pity.
Wu Shuang reached up and touched his face, saying, “I won’t run away with your money. Even if you’re not good to me, I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.”
Xiao Zhuang suddenly hugged him, rubbing his cheek against Wu Shuang’s forehead. His voice was hoarse as he said, “Little Shuang, I keep my promises.”
Wu Shuang didn’t say anything, but Xiao Zhuang saw the reliance in his eyes as he looked at him, and Xiao Zhuang felt content.
After late into the night, the fire died down, and the two returned to the shelter, closing the door securely.
Wu Shuang sat on the blanket while Xiao Zhuang pulled the blanket over himself to lie down.
Wu Shuang asked, “Aren’t you coming?”
At these words, Xiao Zhuang paused. Although he had thought about this before coming, even when they were sitting by the fire earlier, he had considered it.
But now, he hadn’t thought about it. After hearing Wu Shuang’s heavy past, he couldn’t think about it anymore, it was too heartless.
But Wu Shuang brought it up, and something stirred in his heart. The bowl of wine he had just drunk seemed to ignite a fire inside him.
After hesitating for a while, Xiao Zhuang swallowed and finally said, “I’m coming.”
Though the shelter blocked the wind, it was still cold inside.
Neither of them removed the layers of coats they wore.
The oil lamp was still burning in the corner of the shelter.
Xiao Zhuang liked seeing it, so Wu Shuang didn’t blow it out. They both knelt on the thick blanket, and their bodies softly sank down.
Xiao Zhuang had some skills with his mouth, fumbling for a while before getting serious.
After they were done, when they went outside for convenience, they saw the oil lamp still burning, and behind the thin layer of paper-pasted door, the shadow of the person inside was visible.
They didn’t know if people in nearby shelter homes could see them.
Xiao Zhuang blushed a little, but it didn’t diminish the joy and contentment in his heart.!
