LHBP | Chapter 5

After they talked it through, the two of them walked back together. The Yu family’s home was not far from the Gu family’s, so it was a convenient route for both of them. Having someone walk with him, Gu Yun finally felt less like a target for all those stares. Gu Yun looked around as they walked. Peach Blossom Village was a village of many surnames, with only around thirty households. Most of the houses were earth cottages like the Gu family’s, while the slightly better-off homes were brick-and-tile houses. As they passed a blue-brick tiled house, Gu Yun’s gaze lingered a little longer. This courtyard was really beautiful. It was a large square courtyard, with earthen walls standing around it. The courtyard gate was open. A peach tree grew by the wall, with a stone table and stone stools beneath it. Along the east wall was a vegetable patch and a well, and a gravel path ran through the entire courtyard. The main house had a main hall connected to two bedrooms, with two side rooms on each of the left and right wings. Yu Qiu was walking ahead when they suddenly noticed the person beside them had stopped. They turned back and asked, “Gu Yun, why did you stop?” Gu Yun looked at the house a couple more times and said, “Nothing. I just think this house was built really well.” Someday, once he earned money, he would build a house of his own. Yu Qiu glanced at it and said, “Of course. This is the He family. How could it not look good?” “Excuse me, please let me through.” Gu Yun was still chatting with Yu Qiu when he heard a voice from behind. The newcomer’s voice was cool and gentle, like a mountain stream. Gu Yun felt a tingle in his ears. When he turned around, his eyes lit up even more. The man was tall and slender, with clear, refined features and a handsome face. Even simple clothes could not hide the grace and noble bearing around him, like some elegant young master from a distinguished family. Gu Yun had lived two lifetimes and had never seen anyone this good-looking. As someone who was a total looks-obsessed gay guy, he really could not handle this level of visual impact. For a moment, he just stared blankly. Yu Qiu had met He Jing a few times and naturally recognized him. Looking around, they only then realized that the two of them had ended up standing right at someone’s gate. Seeing Gu Yun looking dazed, they hurriedly tugged at his sleeve. Only then did Gu Yun come back to himself. “Ah, hi, hello, my name is Gu Yun.” As he spoke, he even held out his right hand toward He Jing. The two people beside him were both bewildered by this action. He Jing did not know what his outstretched right hand meant, but he did hear his words clearly. He naturally recognized him, after all, he had only rescued him from the river yesterday. “I am He Jing.” After saying that, he nodded to the two of them and stepped sideways into the courtyard. Gu Yun looked at his own outstretched right hand and wanted to cry without tears. He really must have been flooded so badly his brain got stupid. This was not the twenty-first century. Why was he trying to shake hands? Yu Qiu pulled Gu Yun along as they continued forward. Seeing his conflicted expression, they teased him, “Gu Yun, could it be that you have taken a liking to He Jing?” At that, Gu Yun honestly nodded and asked, “Do you know if He Jing is engaged? Does he have someone he likes? I haven’t seen him in the village before.” Gu Yun tried hard to search through the original host’s memories, but found no trace of this person. Yu Qiu had only meant it as a joke and had not expected Gu Yun to admit it directly. Seeing how open and serious he looked, not the least bit joking, they shook their head. “He’s still in mourning, so he probably isn’t engaged. As for whether he likes anyone, their family spends most of their time living in the county town, so I’m not really sure about that.” Seeing how interested Gu Yun was, they told him everything they knew. He Jing’s father was called He Daqing. There were three brothers in the family, and He Daqing was the second. His mother was called Wei Jinyu. Back then, she had fled here from the south together with Yu Qiu’s parents. Wei Jinyu was beautiful and alone, so once she arrived in Peach Blossom Village, plenty of people came to propose marriage. There had even been a landlord who wanted to take her as a concubine. In the end, Wei Jinyu turned them all down and chose the honest but ordinary He Daqing instead. At the time, everyone thought Wei Jinyu had lost her mind. But after they married, they were very loving and harmonious. Whatever money He Daqing earned, he gave to Wei Jinyu and kept none for himself. Even the household affairs were managed by Wei Jinyu. He Daqing learned the butcher’s trade. He bought and slaughtered pigs himself, rented a shop in Zhuyuan Town to sell meat, and because the meat was always fresh and the scale was always generous, never shorting customers, business was fairly good. Their life grew better and better, and in just a few years they had built a blue-brick tiled house in the village. The couple had a son and a daughter. Their son was He Jing, now eighteen. They also had a younger daughter named He Yao, now twelve. He Jing had been clever since childhood, and Wei Jinyu was someone with strong opinions. Seeing that the child loved studying and the family’s conditions had improved a little, she sent He Jing to a private school in town when he was eight. He Jing was also ambitious. After studying for a few years, at eleven he came first in the county-level examination. Everyone in Kanghe County knew that Peach Blossom Village had produced a prodigy, a boy only eleven years old who came first in the county-level examination. Later, for the sake of convenience in He Jing’s schooling, the whole family moved to Kanghe County and rented a courtyard in the county town to live in. He Daqing rented a shop in the county town and continued selling meat there. He Jing studied at the county school for three years. Just as he was preparing to sit for the county-level examination, Old Master He suddenly passed away. In Jing Kingdom, there was a rule that when an elder passed away, the family had to observe mourning for three years, and no imperial examinations could be taken during that time. He Jing had been delayed for three years because of this, and this year happened to be the final year. According to rural custom, on the third anniversary of an elder’s death, the younger generations in the family had to go pay respects and also hold a feast. “He Jing’s family has always lived in Kanghe County, and they only come back for a few days during the New Year. This time they only came back a couple of days ago, so it’s normal that you haven’t seen him.” Yu Qiu’s mother, Meng Xiaoshuang, had a good relationship with Wei Jinyu. Back when they were fleeing, Wei Jinyu had been on her own, and it was thanks to Meng Xiaoshuang and her husband taking care of her. Later, the two families ended up in the same village, so they often visited each other. “Gu Yun, were you stirred up by what Cui Guizhi said?” Gu Yun was baffled. “What does Cui Guizhi have to do with this?” “Oh, right. When you fell into the water, it was He Jing who pulled you out. He even said in front of everyone that it was Gu Zhenxing who pushed you. Cui Guizhi was furious at the time and insisted that He Jing had seen your body and had to marry you. She was taught a lesson by the village chief for it.” The Yu family ran a tofu workshop, and Peach Blossom Village was only so big. Whenever someone went to buy tofu, they would chat about the village’s little scandals, so even though Yu Qiu had not been there in person, they knew the whole situation clearly. Gu Yun had not expected Cui Guizhi to be so shameless, saying anything at all. Still, thinking about it that way, the person he had fallen for at first sight was also his lifesaver. That counted as some sort of fate. After thinking it over, Gu Yun said, “Qiu-ge'er, when are Uncle Yu and Auntie free? I have something I want to discuss with them.” “Everyone’s busy with spring plowing these days, and not many people are buying tofu. My family makes less too, so you can come by anytime.” Although they did not know what Gu Yun wanted, Yu Qiu still told him honestly and did not ask further. Gu Yun said, “All right, then tell Uncle Yu and Auntie that I’ll come by tomorrow morning.” Yu Qiu nodded. By the time he got back to the Gu family, it was already dark. When he went to the kitchen to look, the pots were cold and the stove was cold too. Gu Yun did not mind. After all, he had eaten a rabbit that afternoon, so he was not hungry now. He simmered the medicine, drank it, and then went to sleep.