Chapter 51: Qin Liangchuan Returns Home
Seeing Qingyan’s distressed expression, Qiu Henian felt heartbroken.
He held him close, wanting to kiss him, but Qingyan covered his mouth and said, “I need to rinse my mouth.”
Qiu Henian helplessly pinched his chin, then got up, fetched water from under the bed, and held a basin for him to rinse.
After rinsing, Qiu Henian gently wiped Qingyan’s mouth with a cloth. At that moment, he looked at Qingyan and softly asked, “Can I kiss you now?”
Qingyan blinked his beautiful eyes and nodded. He laid back on the bed, and they kissed for a while. Then Qingyan softly pushed him away with weak hands.
Qiu Henian propped himself up and asked with a hoarse voice, “Don’t you want to anymore?”
Blushing, Qingyan turned his head and said, “Not anymore.”
Qiu Henian composed himself, got off the bed, tidied up the basin and cloth, blew out the oil lamp, and got ready to sleep.
He thought Qingyan had already fallen asleep when suddenly Qingyan turned over and whispered in the darkness, “Touch me, I feel so hot here.”
“What?”
Qiu Henian barely spoke before Qingyan took his hand and lightly guided it towards him. His palm touched something soft, warm, with gentle movements underneath. Qiu Henian quickly realized it was a sign of conception.
Qingyan’s voice grew even softer, “They say it’s easy to conceive at this time, but they didn’t say it would feel like this…”
He hesitated to say more and whispered into Qiu Henian’s ear. The warmth of his breath tickled Qiu Henian’s earlobe, and what Qingyan said caused Qiu Henian’s emotions to surge again, despite his efforts to calm down earlier.
After Qingyan finished speaking, feeling relieved, he adjusted into a comfortable position and soon fell asleep. However, Qiu Henian’s inner turmoil prevented him from sleeping, and his teeth started itching as if he wanted to bite someone.
…
The caravan returned shortly before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Before that, Qin Lan stayed at home for a few days and cleaned the house inside out with her mother. After recovering from illness, Aunt Li talked less, but her spirits gradually improved, her eyes regained their sparkle, and her face radiated brightness.
Qin Lan was happy to see her mother like this, and she became even more diligent in managing things.
The day Qin Liangchuan returned home, it was raining. The drizzle started early in the morning and continued until it was almost dark.
Qin Liangchuan arrived just as the last light of day faded, stepping into Aunt Li’s courtyard. Ren Xiao walked beside him, showing signs of fatigue but more eager anticipation at the thought of seeing his wife and child.
Qin Liangchuan’s expression was filled with complex emotions as he paused in the courtyard. He looked thin; his gray robe seemed oversized on him and was splashed with mud, yet he maintained an air of elegance. His face, adorned with a beard, had only a few wrinkles around the eyes, adding a touch of maturity and dignity.
Standing in the yard, he looked around at the courtyard and the house, a nostalgic expression gradually appearing in his eyes.
Slowly, he said, “I remember now, this is my home.”
The door creaked open, and Qin Lan and her mother walked out of the house.
Qin Liangchuan’s gaze fell upon them, his pupils trembling, and his eyes gradually reddened. He reached out his hands, hurried a few steps, and stood before the mother and daughter.
He looked left and right, tears streaming down his face, his lips trembling as he called out, “Xizhen, Lanzi, it’s you!”
He held the hands of the mother and daughter, choked with emotion as he said, “I remember everything now, everything!”
Aunt Li also scrutinized him, tears welling up in her eyes. She grasped Qin Liangchuan’s hands and said, “You’ve become thinner and older.”
Qin Liangchuan, tears still flowing, smiled and said, “You haven’t changed, just like before.”
He then turned to Qin Lan and said, “Lanzi, you’ve grown up. Back then, you were just a half-grown child. Now you’re a mother yourself.”
Qin Lan covered her face with her hand and cried.
Ren Xiao walked over, wrapping his arms around his wife’s shoulders, urging softly, “This is such a happy occasion, don’t cry.”
“Let’s go inside. It’s chilly after the rain. We can talk inside,” he suggested.
Qin Liangchuan also said, “Let’s go inside, let’s go inside.”
They all entered the house. Qin Lan calmed down and, as they entered, she said to her father, “Dad, have a look around the house. Mom knew you were coming back, so she tidied everything up inside and out. She even prepared a lot of delicious food…”
The door closed, and their voices faded away.
In the neighboring room, Qingyan and Qiu Henian sat by the window drinking tea. They could faintly hear some commotion from Aunt Li’s courtyard.
Qingyan wasn’t particularly cheerful, picking up his tea but setting it down after just a few sips. He stared at his teacup with drooping eyelids, lost in thought.
A piece of peeled sugar was handed over, touching his lips.
Qingyan looked up to see Qiu Henian gazing at him, and he murmured softly, “You say you don’t like sweets, but whenever you eat them, your eyes squint and you smile more.”
Upon hearing this, Qingyan opened his mouth and took the sugar into it. He was indeed comforted by Qiu Henian’s awkward attempt at reassurance.
He smiled faintly, then grabbed Qiu Henian’s hand, which hadn’t been withdrawn yet, and pressed his cheek against his palm like a small animal rubbing affectionately.
Qiu Henian’s serene eyes softened like lake water.
He said, “Don’t worry. Few women in the village can live alone and prosper. Aunt Li is strong-willed; she can handle this herself.”
In the evening, Qin Lan and her husband came to visit before returning to the county town.
Ren Xiao brought special products from the south, carrying several large and small packages.
Ren Xiao sat in the outer room talking with Qiu Henian, while Qin Lan went into the inner room with Qingyan to help him arrange these things.
Qin Lan glanced in the direction of the neighboring room, lowered her voice, and said, “When I left, I saw Mom moving the bedding prepared for Dad to the adjacent room. She looked down, her lips tight, as if reassuring herself, saying, ‘After all these years apart, it’s normal to feel a bit awkward at first.'”
Qingyan looked at her and finally couldn’t help but say what he had been holding back, “Lanzi, Auntie and Uncle Qin aren’t that old yet. They still have a long life ahead of them. Let them handle this matter themselves.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Lan’s expression changed several times. Eventually, she burst into tears, covering her face and saying, “You don’t understand. When I left, it was almost Chinese New Year. Everything in our house was prepared for the three of us, things we loved to eat. I was so happy, but then that happened. Every time I think of that blood-stained garment, my heart skips a beat. During the Spring Festival, while other families were celebrating joyously, my mother and I were in tears, with cold food and an empty hearth. I couldn’t eat a thing.”
“And during my wedding, I really wanted to bow to my father and let him watch me ride the bridal sedan chair.”
Finally, she said, “Qingyan, you’re not me. You don’t know the pain in my heart. It’s not just them living their lives; I’m living mine too. They’ve always had a good relationship. They just need some time.”
She said this without waiting for Qingyan to respond. She wiped her face with her sleeve and said, “It’s too late, we have to go. My mother said you and Henian are invited to have dinner together at our house tomorrow.”
The door to the inner room opened, and Qin Lan walked out, repeating the same to Qiu Henian.
After that, the couple bid farewell to them and, in the darkness of night, got on the carriage and left Liuxi Village!
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
“Qingyan, you don’t know, ever since his accident, a big stone has been weighing on my heart. Now, finally, it has been moved away.”
