Chapter 78: Sunset at the Pass
“My beloved wife, reading your words feels like meeting you in person.
Today, I arrived at Fengyu Pass as planned and met with the doctor. My accommodation has been arranged properly.
As you expected, the weather here is bitterly cold. I imagine you must be in light clothing at home now, while I am still wearing the cotton jacket you washed and dried for me.
The journey so far has been smooth. I passed through Muling County, Qixian, Chongyu County… heading northwest all the way. Muling is indeed vast, with villages and towns stretching for tens of miles around.
Due to the season, I didn’t hear the frogs of Qixian, but while resting by the river, I saw large tadpoles swimming in the water grass near the riverbank. Each one was robust and dark, with agile tails. They must all transform into frogs in the summer and gather for a reunion after people have gone to sleep.
The wine of Chongyu County is measured by jin. On a cold night, a sip warms the body. The braised pig’s trotters here are also quite famous, though I haven’t tried them.
When I first glanced through ‘Shanheji,’ as you mentioned, you expressed a desire to visit the places mentioned in the book. Chongyu County isn’t too far, so when time permits, perhaps we can explore Chongyu together and taste the ‘Chongyu’s Braised Pig’s Trotters.'”
…
Below, Qiu Henian continued to write at length about everything he had seen and heard along the way. Qingyan read carefully, feeling as if he had walked through this journey with him.
At the end of the letter, Qiu Henian mentioned that enclosed in the envelope was the first fallen leaf from last winter that he found after entering the pass.
“Let this object stand in for me temporarily returning home.”
Qingyan wiped his eyes, turned the envelope upside down, and shook it gently. A dry yellow birch leaf fell out. It had survived the entire winter with only some minor damage at the edges.
Qingyan lifted the leaf, examining it under the sunlight. Unable to resist, he imagined that when the recipient found this fallen leaf, they must have also scrutinized it similarly. He couldn’t help but press the leaf against his cheek, missing the person far away.
In his reply, Qingyan rambled on about various trivial matters at home, including a few amusing anecdotes about how Ah Miao and Erxi got along.
At the end of the letter, Qingyan wrote: “I am well. Please don’t worry. Enclosed with this letter is a strand of hair, serving as my proxy to accompany you.”
Originally, he wanted to write “Looking forward to your early return,” but after hesitating, he decided against it.
He feared that his longing and anticipation might only deepen the homesickness of the person far away.
That day, Qingyan went to Liu Fa’s house to catch a ride to the town’s post station to send the letter.
After entering June, each day grew hotter than the last.
Liu Fa’s daughter-in-law happened to be taking their cart to town to buy watermelons, so they went together.
On the way, Liu Fa’s daughter-in-law occasionally drifted off, looking somewhat gloomy. Qingyan asked her what was wrong, and she whispered to him, “I’ll tell you after we get off.”
When they arrived, the cart was sent away by the assistant to deliver tofu, and only then did she pull Qingyan aside to a corner, lowering her voice.
“My right eyelid has been twitching these past few days. I’m afraid something bad might happen.”
Qingyan looked at her and guessed, “Is it about your relative?”
Sure enough, Liu Fa’s daughter-in-law sighed deeply and said, “It’s Liu Xiang from Liu Youfu’s house. I don’t know what he’s up to, but he’s gotten involved with that distant relative of the village head.”
Qingyan was taken aback.
“Are you talking about Yang Huai?”
Liu Fa’s daughter-in-law nodded affirmatively. “Yes, him.”
Qingyan felt something wasn’t right, “Calculating the days…Liu Xiang’s child in his belly has been five months, should be showing signs by now.”
Liu Fa’s daughter-in-law’s face wrinkled, “The other day, Liu Fa and I went to the county to make purchases, only to see him there. He doesn’t show signs of pregnancy like other expectant fathers. If he wears his clothes to cover it, it’s not obvious.”
“And Zhang Juxi even came up with a bad idea. Now that it’s hot, he can’t wear thick clothes anymore, so she went to the cloth shop and cut some coarse cloth strips to bind his belly, saying that this way, the belly won’t grow so fast.”
“My goodness!”
Qingyan dared not think about the condition of the child in that belly.
Liu Fa’s daughter-in-law said, “Liu Xiang is expected to deliver in mid-November. Zhang Juxi said she found a doctor who prescribed medicine to slow the growth and delay childbirth until mid-December. At that time, she can tell that young master Yang that the child was born premature by two months.”
As she said this, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the basket in her hand, her face full of worry.
“Young Master Yang seems to be a shrewd person. His parents aren’t easy to get along with either. If Zhang Juxi and Liu Xiang are discovered, not only will they be in trouble, but we might also be implicated.”
Qingyan asked, “Does Brother Liu know about this?”
Liu Fa’s daughter-in-law nodded, “Liu Fa discussed it with me. He plans to give that family a sum of money to move back to their hometown. Although I feel sorry for them, I’m willing to get them out as soon as possible. However, Zhang Juxi is determined. She’s set on taking advantage of that wealthy family. I’m afraid she won’t be swayed by our small sum of money.”
Yang Huai was a villain capable of burying the original owner alive. The original owner wronged Qiu Henian and had him imprisoned and executed, and Yang Huai’s hand is also evident here.
He appeared on the surface to be just a playboy, but in reality, he was extremely sinister and cunning. Liu Xiang and Zhang Ju were definitely no match for him. If this child can still be born in the future, I’m afraid that on the day of its birth, that family will be in big trouble.
The Liu family may not necessarily be greatly implicated, but this matter is truly shocking and filthy. When rumors spread, their reputation will certainly suffer.
Qingyan couldn’t think of any good solutions for a while, so he could only console the other person with comforting words.
Just two days after returning from town, Qingyan encountered his own trouble.
The peddler he had previously arranged came to the village looking for him, saying that Yu Fengtang had been arguing fiercely with the mother and son for the past two days. Last night, he drank too much, climbed onto his own roof, and said he wanted to set fire to their house.
Zhou Yanliang was shouting at him in the courtyard, and Yu Qingxi also climbed onto the roof. The two of them started fighting up there, and somehow, Yu Fengtang fell from the roof into the courtyard, breaking his leg.
The peddler said, “Yu Qingxi had a physician come for him, but he’s old, and the physician said he might never get out of bed again.”
“Just this morning, I went to his house to take a look. Yu Fengtang is still clear-headed. He asked me to find you and said you must come back to see him.”
Qingyan looked up at him.
The peddler slowly continued, “He said he has something left by your mother in his hands, which he hasn’t given to you yet.”
Having heard the peddler’s previous words, Qingyan hesitated a bit. Among the Yu family members, he had only seen Yu Fengtang.
The obsession of the original owner was mainly focused on this father. At his age, a harsh fall like this might mean he won’t last much longer. It would be good to see him once, as a way to settle the original owner’s concerns.
It’s said that a dying person’s words are often sincere, but Yu Fengtang showed no remorse at all until now. He was still using means to blackmail his eldest son, who felt guilty.
Qingyan’s gaze gradually turned cold as he said, “Please tell him that after he passes away, I will return to burn paper and show filial piety to him.”
…
Two days later, Qiu Henian’s second letter arrived.
Qingyan calculated the timing; this letter should have been written before his own reply arrived, which he hadn’t seen yet.
Qingyan’s heart trembled. If it came this urgently, something bad might have happened.
After arriving at Fengyu Pass, Qiu Henian had settled down a bit, feeling safer than on the road. However, he was also worried that detoxifying might not be as easy as the old physician had said.
The toxins were numerous and complex; each one had to be tested one by one. During the three days of testing before, Qingyan had seen how difficult it was for Qiu Henian.
If anything went wrong, with the vast distance and limited means, Qingyan would be helpless.
As he opened the envelope, his hands were trembling.
The letter paper was carefully unfolded, and the first line caught his eye. It wasn’t the usual “My dear wife, receiving your letter is like meeting you,” but rather a simple and plain handwriting: “I miss you very much.”
Qingyan’s eyes welled up with tears as he continued reading, “This place at the gate is extremely desolate, but the heavens and earth are vast. I often sit on the city wall at sunset, looking south into the distance. It seems like I can see the top of the distant Muling Mountains, but in the blink of an eye, it disappears like a mirage.”
“Qingyan, it’s only been a few days since I arrived here, but I want to go home.”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Yet Qingyan couldn’t help but tear up as he looked at the papers spread on the bed. Unable to leave the room, Qiu Henian could only lie on the kang day after day, looking out at the crabapple tree.
