Chapter 37: Going Home
Early in the morning, Shen Min returned home. When he entered the house, Old Mrs. Wang was busy cooking breakfast while loudly scolding Wang Heyao.
Wang Heyao was sitting like a lost dog on a low stool in the outer room, his shoulders more hunched than ever, his face pale, and his eyes bloodshot.
Old Mrs. Wang had always indulged her only son. Despite his vices such as gambling and debauchery, she still thought highly of him. She believed the fault lay with his bad friends and his husband who couldn’t give her grandchildren.
Shen Min had never heard her curse Wang Heyao like this before. He stood outside the door for a while before understanding why Old Mrs. Wang was so furious.
The night before, Lei Zi not only took back the four taels of silver he had given earlier but also demanded Wang Heyao compensate him ten taels for medical expenses.
Wang Heyao had no money to give, so Lei Zi had someone beat him up and threatened to return in a few days to beat him again if he didn’t pay up.
Unable to bear it, Wang Heyao stole a bunch of keys from his mother while she was sleeping and tried each one until he found the title deeds to their forty mu of land, which he then sold.
His reputation was so bad that no one wanted to buy his land without fearing trouble. He had to reduce the price significantly before finding a buyer. Land worth eighty taels of silver was sold for only fifty-five taels.
For anyone else, receiving this money would have been a source of regret, but Wang Heyao was overjoyed and nearly lost his senses. He immediately forgot that his family was struggling to make ends meet and also forgot about Lei Zi’s demand for compensation. After pocketing the money, he went to the gambling house that night and lost it all.
Despite gambling for so many years, Wang Heyao was still naive. He didn’t realize that others knew he had just sold his land and had set a trap for him.
Otherwise, how could he have lost all his money in one night?
Today, when Old Mrs. Wang discovered that the title deeds were missing, she was so angry she almost fainted. Finally unable to restrain herself, she started shouting at her beloved son.
When Shen Min opened the door, the mother and son turned to look at him. The room was dark, and when the door opened, the light flooded in, making them squint.
Once they saw who was at the door, Wang Heyao jumped up from the low stool in surprise and stuttered, “You… why have you come back?”
Shen Min smiled slightly at the two of them and said, “I’m a bit tired. I came in to lie down. I’ve already had breakfast, so there’s no need to serve me.”
Having said that, he didn’t wait for their reaction and went into the inner room, closing the door without making a sound.
Old Mrs. Wang and Wang Heyao looked at each other in astonishment. They could hardly recognize Shen Min when he first entered.
Before, he had been emaciated, with a sallow complexion and bruises from beatings. In just a few days, all the bruises had faded, his face had filled out, and he looked much younger, almost like he had aged five or six years backwards, reminiscent of when he had first married into the family.
Neither the mother nor the son had considered that they had mistreated Shen Min. He barely ate, rarely slept well, and was frequently beaten and scolded. It was no wonder he had been in poor condition.
During his stay at Qingyan’s house, Qingyan had done everything possible to feed him well, improve his mood by having people visit to chat, walk, or play cards with him. Moreover, he was still young, barely in his twenties, and could easily recover from physical setbacks.
Seeing Shen Min’s drastic change from his previous self, the mother and son felt as though they were seeing a spirit that had drained the vitality from a living person.
Wang Heyao lowered his trembling voice and asked, “Mother… did he… did he just smile again?”
Old Mrs. Wang swallowed hard.
“Shameless! What are you afraid of?”
She said sharply, then turned to shout loudly at the inner room door, “You’re back, come out and cook! Don’t think someone will support you forever. The Wang family doesn’t feed freeloaders. Come out and…”
She didn’t finish her sentence as Wang Heyao covered her mouth with his hand.
Wang Heyao covered his mother’s mouth and pulled her back, whispering urgently, “Mother, please don’t shout. Even if he really cooks, I dare not eat it. That night he smiled and swallowed that large piece of Lei Zi’s bloody meat. I had nightmares for several days afterward. In my dreams, he was cooking for me, stewing meat every meal, smiling as he lifted the lid to reveal the bloody human flesh!”
Old Mrs. Wang shivered, broke free from her son’s grip, and said, “Stop scaring yourself!”
Though she said this, she didn’t mention calling Shen Min out to cook again.
By midday, Old Mrs. Wang couldn’t hold back any longer. There was hardly any moldy sorghum left in the house, and to make it last longer, she had been going to the nearby riverbank and mountain to dig wild vegetables, mixing them with rice to make porridge.
In the past, these tasks had never been her responsibility. Her son’s husband had taken care of them. She was older now, and her legs weren’t as good as they used to be.
Climbing the mountain was bearable, but coming down was exhausting. She worked tirelessly every day, not only digging vegetables and cooking but also cleaning the house and yard, washing clothes for her son, boiling water, and cleaning up after he drank too much and vomited everywhere.
Recently, Old Mrs. Wang had become so tired that her back was starting to bend, and by the end of the day, her legs dragged when she walked.
She was already full of resentment, and now that Shen Min had returned, she couldn’t stand it anymore.
By midday, even though Wang Heyao tried to stop her, she disregarded him and banged on the inner room door, shouting, “You jinx, who do you think you’re scaring? Do you think you’re a young mistress? Do you have that good of a life? Since marrying into the Wang family, your father-in-law died shortly afterward, your mother-in-law died two years later, and two years after that, your husband also died, leaving you with a useless son who only knows eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring around. Now it looks like our family line will end with you! Aren’t you a real jinx?”
Wang Heyao’s face turned pale. At first, he tried to stop her, but after thinking about how respectful Shen Min had been to him in the past and seeing his indifference this morning, he felt angry too.
He clenched his fists, wanting to punch someone.
Even if he was dealing with a mountain spirit, he would have to listen after a good beating. He gritted his teeth and thought.
He didn’t stop her anymore, and Old Mrs. Wang’s scolding became even harsher, and the door banged louder.
Just as Wang Heyao lost his patience and was about to kick open the thin door panel, the door creaked open with a squeak from the inside.
When the door opened, Wang Heyao, who had been so angry just now, took two steps back and swallowed hard.
Shen Min’s fair face appeared at the door. He looked calmly at the mother and son and said softly, “Mother, who are you scolding?”
Old Mrs. Wang’s stern face tightened. “I’m scolding you, you jinx!”
Shen Min said, “If you don’t make it clear, I might think you’re scolding yourself. After all, since you married into the Wang family, your father-in-law died soon after, your mother-in-law died two years later, and your husband also died two years after that, leaving behind a son who only knows eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring around. It looks like our family line will end with him. Aren’t you the real jinx?”
Old Mrs. Wang had never been talked back to by her son’s husband. For a moment, she was so angry that her face turned white, and she gasped for several breaths without catching her breath.
Wang Heyao stood beside her with wide eyes, his fists clenched, looking for an opportunity to rush forward and hit someone.
Shen Min wasn’t afraid at all. Instead of retreating, he walked out of the room, carrying a bundle, clearly intending to go out.
Wang Heyao was taken aback and asked, “Where are you going?”
Shen Min looked at him and sighed softly.
“I’m going to the county town.”
“What are you going to do in the county town?” Wang Heyao asked.
Shen Min said, “I’m going to the county yamen. I have something to report.”
“Confess? Confess to what?”
Wang Heyao sensed something amiss, his tightly clenched fists gradually loosening.
Shen Min replied, “A few nights ago, you brought Qian Lei to our house. We were alone together late at night. According to the laws of this dynasty, Qian Lei and I committed adultery together. I intend to confess.”
Wang Heyao’s face grew paler as he listened, his hands trembling in fear.
He hastily said, “You can’t do that, you mustn’t!”
Adultery carries a punishment of two years’ exile. Qian Lei’s family holds sway in the town, and he was their only son. This is why Wang Heyao dared not oppose him.
“If Qian Lei is exiled, or something happens to him during exile, his father will surely blame me,” Wang Heyao worried.
Shen Min shook his head and said firmly, “I have already decided.”
Wang Heyao grabbed Shen Min’s sleeve, his voice changing, “You… you dare to go! Even if you confess, you need evidence. You have no evidence at all. Accusing someone falsely can lead to punishment!”
Shen Min smirked, revealing his white teeth, “Who says I have no evidence?”
Wang Heyao looked at his smile and suddenly realized something, his eyes widening in realization.
Shen Min said, “Qian Lei has a large piece of flesh missing from his shoulder. That’s not something you can bite casually. Considering the days, the bite mark hasn’t healed yet, right?”
Wang Heyao’s eyes darted around, his lips trembling.
“You… you’ll also be exiled. The journey is dangerous. You might encounter bandits or even die on the road.”
Shen Min nodded, saying, “You’re right.”
But before Wang Heyao could relax, he continued, “I’ve faced death before. I’ve even jumped into wells. If I die on the way to exile, so be it.”
Wang Heyao almost collapsed at this point. Just as he was about to argue further, Aunt Li entered through the unlatched courtyard door.
Seeing her, Wang Heyao quickly took the package from Shen Min, whispering, “I beg you, don’t go to the county office, and don’t tell anyone else about this. Can’t you just listen to me from now on?”
Shen Min didn’t say a word but made no move to reclaim the package.
Wang Heyao breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly took the package back into the house. He then nervously cooked, his face still pale. He crouched at the stove, unusually starting a fire, all the while eavesdropping on Shen Min and Aunt Li’s conversation until Aunt Li left. Only then did he relax.
…
After finishing lunch and tidying up, Qingyan was still worried about Shen Min. Qiu Henian accompanied him under the pretext of delivering walnuts and visited Wang Lao’s house.
As Aunt Li had said, Shen Min came out cheerfully to talk with them. Wang Heyao and his mother behaved like quails, obedient and submissive, which reassured Qiu Henian enough to return home at ease.
On the way back, Qingyan sighed, “I always feel that Shen Min is different now.”
Qiu Henian glanced back towards Wang Lao’s house and said, “He’s been through a near-death experience. Such things change people.”
After a pause, he pondered, “Wang Heyao looks timid, but he’s not that easy to handle. Who knows if something else might happen in the future? From now on, don’t go alone to visit Sister-in-law.”
Qingyan nodded and said, “Okay.”
Back home, Qingyan noticed that Qiu Henian showed no intention of leaving but instead fetched woodworking tools and prepared to work at home.
Qingyan asked, “Is there no work at the shop today?”
Qiu Henian was clearing wood shavings off a plane, and at Qingyan’s words, he looked up and glanced at him, saying softly, “There is, but I don’t feel like going.”
Qingyan was momentarily stunned. Qiu Henian’s gaze made him quickly understand the implication behind his words, and his cheeks flushed red.
Though no explicit words were spoken, Qingyan felt too embarrassed to meet his eyes and hurriedly said he would fetch water, then turned and practically fled into the house.
Qiu Henian spent the rest of the afternoon busy constructing a two-level structure above the chicken coop, similar to a bookshelf but with each level serving as nests made of dry grass. This was meant for the chickens to lay eggs.
Once completed, they together lifted the structure and placed it above the chicken coop. Qiu Henian used a few nails to secure the edges and corners of the nests to the coop, ensuring that the chickens could sleep inside the coop at night and lay eggs during the day, potentially even hatching chicks in the nests.
Qingyan found this setup quite amusing, as it was like the chickens were living in a two-story house. He curiously tiptoed to peer at the uppermost level, just barely unable to see the top. A large hand reached around his waist and lifted him up.
Qingyan exclaimed softly and quickly turned to hug the man’s neck.
“Can you see it clearly?”
Qiu Henian looked up at him, his voice low and deep.
With lowered eyelids, Qingyan embarrassedly murmured, “Mm.”
Then, he was gently set down, their robes brushing against each other. Qingyan could feel the firm chest and muscular arms underneath, causing his face to flush even redder.
Rarely were they both at home this afternoon. For dinner, Qingyan prepared two dishes: a stewed fish with sweet potato noodles and tofu, using half of the leftover pork head meat, and a stir-fried dish of garlic chives and eggs. It was quite a sumptuous meal.
After dinner and cleaning up, Qiu Henian brought in more firewood. He filled a large pot with water, preparing for bathing.
Having been caught in the rain earlier that day while climbing the mountain, their hair and robes were somewhat damp.
Qingyan indeed felt the need for a bath.
After taking turns washing up and drying their hair, they sat together as usual by the bedside to read. They had just started reading a book when Qiu Henian suddenly stopped.
Qingyan asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
The book was placed upside down on the side, and Qiu Henian pulled down the bed curtains.
Sitting inside the curtains, the two looked at each other for a while. Qingyan lowered his head and adjusted his underclothes, accidentally loosening the tie on his garment, and he didn’t intend to fasten it again.
A large hand reached over and fixed his garment, intending to tie the string back up.
Qingyan lowered his eyelids, pursed his lips, feeling a bit unhappy.
He had been teased all afternoon, and he had even deliberately boiled water for a bath in the evening, thinking…
Qiu Henian chuckled softly. Qingyan immediately looked up and saw the faint smile still lingering on Qiu Henian’s lips in the dim light.
He stared blankly at that smile, not noticing the hand in front of him had let go of the string and instead held the edges of his underclothes, slowly slipping them down his thin shoulders.
Feeling the cool air, Qingyan shivered slightly. His eyelashes fluttered, hesitated for a moment, and then knelt up to kiss Qiu Henian.
It had been many days since their last stolen kiss, and after the intoxicating pleasure of the last time, Qingyan felt his body craving for more.
Qingyan felt like a piece of sugar, slowly melting from head to toe.
He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.
Qiu Henian’s lips, moist, lifted up, asking if Qingyan wanted to continue from last time.
Qingyan thought to get up to find ointment but was stopped.
Qiu Henian’s warm hand reached down, showing Qingyan his palm, but Qingyan glanced at it and turned his face away, suddenly surprised and embarrassed.
Even though they hadn’t done anything yet, his palm was already damp, reflecting the light of the oil lamp with a shimmer.
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Qiu Henian’s voice became husky, sighing softly, “Qingyan, tie me up.”
