Chapter 601 - 222: Catching Up
Chapter 601: Chapter 222: Catching Up
The Zhao Village had practically become the center of attention for everyone in Qingshui County. The villagers felt more than just a sense of honor.
However, alongside the glory came some headaches. There were always people who wanted to become the next Zhao Jing, hoping to touch the Holy Decree and receive enlightenment from Your Majesty. It got so bad that Mr. Zhao had to post guards in the ancestral hall around the clock, just in case the Holy Decree was smudged or stolen by some heartless scoundrel. This kept everyone in the entire village constantly on edge.
As they chatted, the food on the table vanished before their very eyes.
Chen Bai and Li’an were clearly starving. Traveling with the dart masters from the escort agency, they hadn’t dared to overspend, knowing how frugal the dart masters were. Because they were rushing, they rarely stopped during the day. When they got hungry, they just gnawed on dry rations while sitting on the carriage. Surviving on dry rations and cold water, the two had made it to Xinghuai Prefecture in just six days. They had lost so much weight that their pants were practically sliding down their hips.
By the time the two had eaten and drunk their fill, the plates on the table were practically licked clean.
By then, their bathwater was ready, the guest rooms were prepared, and even two sets of clean clothes and shoes had been laid out for each of them. Chen Wanqing urged them to go wash up and change first. The two looked at each other, as if suddenly noticing their own grime. Forgetting to decline out of politeness, they readily got up to wash.
No sooner had they left than Xu Su Ying returned.
"I heard Uncle Bai and Li’an arrived. Where are they? Why don’t I see them?"
"I sent Uncle Bai and Li’an to wash up. They were covered in the dust of the road. They hadn’t bathed in days, and their hair was all tangled in knots."
Xu Su Ying burst into laughter. "Uncle Bai has always been a careful man. If a penny can be saved, he’ll save it. I understand his frugality, but Li’an..." She shook her head as she spoke. "It seems he has matured quite a bit this past year."
"He’s a married man now, and soon to be a father. If he doesn’t grow up, his own child would laugh at him."
"A father?"
Chen Wanqing nodded and repeated everything Uncle Bai and Li’an had told her for her mother.
Hearing that Chunyue was six months pregnant and that the couple was living harmoniously, Xu Su Ying felt deeply gratified. When she learned that Li’an had rushed here so urgently just to deliver the profits from the Danshen and codonopsis, she couldn’t help but shake her head. "That child... he really is an honest boy."
Uncle Bai’s family had also found a husband for Yuzhu. Chen Wanqing didn’t know the exact details of the groom’s family, so she only shared what little she knew.
Xu Su Ying sighed upon hearing this. "If nothing else, Uncle Bai and your aunt are very sensible. This is all thanks to how well your aunt’s father raised her. The old man always used to say, ’Only eat as much rice as your skills can earn.’ Since Uncle Bai lived with that family for a decade or two, he definitely took that to heart."
After the mother and daughter chatted a bit more, they remembered they needed to send a message to Chen Song. Chen Wanqing also had someone deliver a message to Zhao Jing, inviting him to come over to Orchid Alley for dinner that evening.
Xu Su Ying said, "We might as well have De’an come back too, so he can see Uncle Bai and Li’an."
"Sure."
Once the arrangements were made, the mother and daughter started talking about matters back in their hometown.
"Did Uncle Bai and Li’an mention anything about the old estate?"
"No."
Xu Su Ying frowned, looking thoughtful.
"Are you worried, Mother, that Uncle Bai came all this way because they’re stirring up trouble at the old estate again?"
Xu Su Ying nodded. "Otherwise, Uncle Bai absolutely wouldn’t have made the trip here himself just for Yuzhu’s matter."
"I suspected as much too, but I didn’t ask earlier."
"There’s no rush. He’ll tell us sooner or later."
While the two were talking, Chen Bai and Li’an finished washing up. When they came out and greeted Xu Su Ying, she immediately shooed them back to rest, saying they could all catch up properly when everyone gathered that evening. Unable to decline, Chen Bai and Li’an had no choice but to return to the guest courtyard to rest.
They slept soundly until dusk. By the time they woke up, it was pitch dark outside.
Red lanterns hung along the corridors, and a servant stood guard outside the courtyard to prevent anyone from wandering in. In the small kitchen, maids and older female servants had hot water ready, rushing over to serve the honored guests the moment they heard them stirring.
When had Chen Bai and Li’an ever lived like this?
Looking embarrassed, the two shooed everyone out. They hurriedly washed their faces and, following a maid’s directions, made their way to the front courtyard’s drawing room. When they arrived, they saw the drawing room brilliantly illuminated. The family, dressed in fine silk clothes, was chatting amicably. Peals of joyous laughter drifted out from time to time. The sight made them hesitate.
A sudden sense of estrangement welled up within them, as if they were now worlds apart. The two stood frozen in place, suddenly unable to take another step.
It was Chen Song who noticed them first. He stood up and walked out to welcome them. "Are you getting full on the Northwest wind out there? Hurry up and come inside! Why are you standing there acting like potted plants?"
That familiar tone washed over them, and their momentary melancholy vanished in an instant. With smiles on their faces, Chen Bai and Li’an quickly walked inside.