Chapter 84: Everyday Matters
Qiu Henian slept deeply and peacefully.
When he woke up, it was already bright outside, with the sounds of hens clucking after laying eggs. Qingyan was speaking softly to someone, but Qiu Henian, having trained in martial arts for years, had sharper hearing than most.
He faintly heard Qingyan asking the other person something, and after a long conversation, Qingyan thanked them and sent them away.
Footsteps echoed in the courtyard, and the outer door creaked open as Qingyan entered the room.
Qiu Henian lay there with his eyes closed, thinking he should oil the hinges of the doors at home. The footsteps stopped outside the inner room door, which was then opened slightly. There was silence afterward.
Qiu Henian’s lips curved slightly, and he opened his eyes to glance sideways. He saw Qingyan’s fair and lovely face peeking in through the crack in the door, looking towards the bed.
Seeing that he was awake, Qingyan broke into a joyful smile.
Qiu Henian waved at him, and Qingyan immediately pushed the door wide open, walking in with light steps. He came to the bedside, sat down on the edge of the bed, one side leaning against the mattress, and looked down at Qiu Henian with a smile.
“Don’t want to get up?”
Qiu Henian looked back at him and chuckled softly, “Hmm.”
Qingyan said, “It’s okay. I talked to Xiao Zhuang. You can go in the afternoon. Let him take care of the shop first.”
Qiu Henian asked him, “Who was outside just now?”
Qingyan replied, “It was Xiao Zhuang and his mother. His mother heard you were back, so she came to see you. I told her you were too tired from the journey and resting. Xiao Zhuang’s mother suggested giving you a gua sha treatment to relieve fatigue, so I asked her in detail about how to do it.”
After finishing, his eyes shimmered brightly.
“Do you want to try?”
Qiu Henian lifted his hand to pinch Qingyan’s chin and said, “Okay.”
Qingyan said, “But we have to wait until after eating. Skipping meals will make you dizzy.”
Qiu Henian propped himself up on his elbow and sat up. Last night, he had simply draped his clothes over him while sleeping, and now they were loose and about to fall off, barely covering anything.
Qingyan’s eyes involuntarily wandered over him.
Qiu Henian, while looking for his robe, noticed his lingering gaze and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Qingyan snapped out of it, retracted his gaze, and coughed lightly. “I was just looking to see where the gua sha board will be placed later.”
Qiu Henian asked, “Did you see it clearly?”
Qingyan hugged his arms and said, “More or less.”
Qiu Henian teased, “If you didn’t see it clearly, take another look.”
Unable to resist the temptation, Qingyan put down his arms and glanced over again.
“It’s not that I can’t.”
At his words, Qiu Henian burst into laughter.
Qingyan blushed on his cheeks and said, “Why are you laughing? You’re my husband. What can’t I see from head to toe? I’ll look as much as I want!”
With that, he brushed off the quilt covering him, intending to take a good look.
Qiu Henian didn’t cover up or avoid it, but the smile on his lips gradually faded as he watched the deep and dark undercurrents in Qingyan’s eyes.
Regretting his impulsiveness in revealing himself when Qiu Henian had just woken up, Qingyan recalled the teasing from last night and felt his scalp tingle, wanting to leave immediately.
Seeing this, the man in bed spoke in a low voice, “Qingyan, come here.”
Qingyan hesitated for a moment, then obediently returned to the bedside, much like a kitten that had been caught and released from a distance.
Qiu Henian gestured to him, “Give me a kiss.”
Qingyan hesitated slightly, his face showing a conflicted expression. After a brief struggle, he obediently lowered his head and kissed him on the forehead.
When he lifted his head again, his cheeks were flushed red. He met Qiu Henian’s surprised expression and quickly realized his mistake. Not only had he misinterpreted, but he hadn’t refused at all and had gone straight to…
Qingyan covered his face with his hand, making a humming sound. He was so embarrassed.
However, Qiu Henian, who only wanted him to kiss his cheek, after his initial surprise, pulled him over with a smile.
His big hand caressed Qingyan’s neck behind him, softening like water, his throat hoarse as he praised, “Good boy, my Qingyan.”
…
Breakfast was a golden-yellow millet porridge that Qingyan had cooked, with a layer of rice oil on the surface, which tasted very fragrant.
The eggs were fried with sesame oil, seasoned only with chopped scallions and salt. Qingyan paid close attention to the heat, frying them until they were tender.
Now that autumn vegetables were in season, Shen Min had planted oil beans in the field. It was time to harvest them, so every other day she sent over a basket, and they were tender as well.
Qingyan stewed the beans with pork belly and potatoes, creating a dish that was oily and tender, cooking through quickly once it boiled.
Their staple was freshly steamed large mantou, hot and steaming, with dough kneaded to just the right consistency—soft and chewy.
The two sat at the table eating, the sun shining through the window frames, making the room warm and cozy.
After they finished eating together and cleaned up, they went to sweep the yard and feed the chickens, which helped with digestion.
Qingyan carried a basin of hot water into the house, where Qiu Henian was already lying down under the canopy.
He washed the cloth in the somewhat hot water, wrung it out, and while it was still warm, he directly applied it to Qiu Henian’s back.
“Will it be too hot?” Qingyan asked, tilting his head.
Qiu Henian said, “It’s just right.”
Qingyan then relaxed, took out a porcelain spoon to use as a gua sha board, first testing it on his own arm a few times. When he felt the pressure was right and the warmth had nearly subsided, he removed the cloth, applied ointment, and began scraping.
Qingyan hadn’t dared to exert too much force, but welts soon appeared on Qiu Henian’s back. After Qingyan finished, his entire back was frighteningly red.
Qingyan furrowed his brow, wanting to ask if Qiu Henian was in pain, but saw that he had already nestled his head on his own arm, turned to the side, and fallen asleep again.
He moved the basin aside, wiped off the excess ointment from his back with a dry cloth, and then carefully pulled the quilt over him, covering him up.
These past few days, Qingyan hadn’t gone to the shop in town, and Qiu Henian only went to the blacksmith’s shop in the afternoons.
During the months the shop was closed, villagers had to go to town for any ironware they needed. Now that Qiu Henian was back, many people still didn’t know and there wasn’t much work yet.
But Qiu Henian’s shop had always used solid materials and had a good reputation, so business would gradually return.
Taking advantage of the current lull in work, they could also take the opportunity to rest well.
Although Qiu Henian didn’t show it on his face, Qingyan could tell that this return trip had not only made him thinner but also noticeably less energetic than before. Fortunately, with a good foundation of his youth, a period of rest would solve everything.
Qingyan was determined to help Qiu Henian regain his health, even going to the neighboring village’s old doctor to get some medicinal herbs to add to chicken soup and bone broth, which they stewed together.
The old doctor was very cautious in selecting the herbs. After finishing, he picked up the list and looked at it, then shook his head, crossed out one of the ingredients, and handed it back to Qingyan.
“This Thunder Vine is good for health, but unfortunately, it depletes essence. It’s better not to use it.”
Qingyan didn’t quite understand for a moment and exclaimed, “Ah?”
The old doctor smiled and said, “Take good care of your health. By this time next year, you might have a chubby baby to hold!”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
He gazed into Qingyan’s trembling eyelashes and asked gently, “We’ve done everything already. Why are you still so shy?”
