Chapter 30

Yu Nian finished brewing the medicine for Tian Yao. The two people in the room hadn’t spoken again. The old physician left the remaining medicine for him and prepared to take his leave.

Tian Yao originally wanted to ask him to stay for a meal, but the moment he remembered he was bedridden and couldn’t cook, he could only watch him leave helplessly. In the end, it was Yu Nian who chased after him to see him out. Only then did Tian Yao remember they hadn’t paid the consultation fee. The physician said nothing, nor did he check how much Yu Nian had given him; he just placed it into his pouch. Only then did he turn to Yu Nian and say, “If you want to treat these legs of yours, the sooner the better. The longer you delay, the harder they will be to cure.”

Yu Nian nodded.

The old physician continued, “That male wife of yours is a good child. Don’t let him down.”

Yu Nian nodded heavily again: “I know his goodness.” It was exactly as he had thought: anyone who came into contact with Tian Yao would grow to like him.

When they arrived at the Village Chief’s home, the Village Chief had Tian Dazhuang drive the ox cart to take the physician back. The old physician did not refuse.

After seeing the physician off, the Village Chief spoke to Yu Nian. “That band of refugees who came last night traveled all the way from the disaster-stricken areas, burning, killing, and pillaging. They have many lives on their hands. You and Yao Ge’er caught these people, so the Yamen should provide some reward for this.”

Yu Nian’s face held no expression of joy. “It was the effort of the entire village. If the villagers hadn’t come so quickly, Yao Ge’er and I might not have survived either.”

The Village Chief waved his tobacco pipe. “If you hadn’t stopped them and sent Little Gray to raise the alarm, the village would have been in danger too. We’ll discuss it when the commendation from the Yamen actually arrives.”

Yu Nian nodded. “Yao Ge’er is still at home. I’ll head back first.”

Seeing that Yu Nian was still having some difficulty maneuvering his wheelchair on his own, the Village Chief called over a child playing in the village and asked him to help push Yu Nian.

The children of the village had long been intensely curious about Yu Nian’s wheelchair. Now that they had a chance to touch it, they were all extremely careful.

Normally, these children were a little afraid of Tian Yao. At home, they had heard the adults talk about Tian Yao’s great strength. When they were young, their parents would scare them, saying that if they were disobedient, they would call Tian Yao to come and beat them up.

Later, after Tian Yao married, Yu Nian’s temperament was so aloof. They were curious but didn’t dare to approach. Now, a whole gaggle of children followed along with Yu Nian, grandly parading from the Village Chief’s home back to Tian Yao’s house.

Seeing so many people, Little Gray, who had come to meet Yu Nian on his way home, was a bit at a loss. It licked Yu Nian’s hand.

Seeing Little Gray, the children became even more excited. They had all heard the story of Little Gray’s great battle with the bandits the night before. In their minds, Little Gray was now their peerless hero.

However, they didn’t dare to get close to Little Gray, fearing it might bite them. They just stood there, eyes sparkling with stars, constantly calling out “Little Gray!”

Little Gray walked up to Yu Nian and circled around his wheelchair. Yu Nian smiled and said to the children, “You can pet him. He doesn’t bite.”

As if understanding Yu Nian’s words, Little Gray stood still and let every child pet him once.

After the children left, Yu Nian noticed Little Gray’s paw. There was a long wound on its paw too. Yu Nian stroked its head. “Last night was too chaotic. We only applied medicine and didn’t bandage you up.”

Little Gray tilted its head.

Yu Nian brought it into the house and helped bandage its leg. Little Gray wasn’t quite used to it yet, walking a little awkwardly. Yu Nian smiled, then returned to the kitchen. He washed his hands first before ladling out the porridge he had cooked. His cooking skills weren’t particularly good. The porridge was already a bit dry, and because he had gone out for a while, it had congealed by now.

Yu Nian felt somewhat embarrassed to serve this porridge to Tian Yao. It didn’t even look good anymore, let alone taste good.

While he was hesitating, Tian Yao seemed to have woken up. Hearing his sounds, he called out. Yu Nian could only bring this bowl of something that wasn’t quite porridge and wasn’t quite rice into the room.

“Hungry? My cooking isn’t very good. Just make do.”

Tian Yao’s eyes were full of pleasant surprise, without a trace of disgust. “I didn’t expect you to know how to cook.”

Yu Nian was uncharacteristically embarrassed. “It’s not very good. I’ll try to improve in the future.”

“It’s fine. When I’m better, I’ll go back to doing the cooking.” Tian Yao took the spoon and ate with nothing else, perfectly happy. He looked at the bowl of porridge in front of him, his heart filled with a mixture of emotions. He truly hadn’t expected that a day would come when he could eat a meal cooked by Yu Nian.

This was porridge made by Yu Nian!

And now, Yu Nian was sitting right beside him, occasionally wiping his mouth.

This actually made Tian Yao feel rather embarrassed. His old face flushed red. “You suddenly acting like this… I’m not quite used to it.”

Yu Nian folded the handkerchief neatly and said nothing. He just leaned forward a little and, from under his pillow, retrieved an item. After Tian Yao finished eating and he had taken the bowl away, Yu Nian finally sat down solemnly in front of Tian Yao.

An ominous premonition rose in Tian Yao’s heart. Panic set in—a complete contrast to the good mood he’d been in when he first received the porridge. Could it be that Yu Nian was finally going to let the sword hanging over his heart fall?

Tian Yao swallowed hard as he watched Yu Nian take his hand with one of his own.

“When I arrived here, I had nothing. The wedding was arranged by you. Everything was managed by you. I’ve never once said thank you.”

The corners of Tian Yao’s mouth drooped nearly to the floor. What did Yu Nian mean by this? Was he finally going to voice the rejection he had never spoken aloud?

Tian Yao’s voice trembled, feeling the wound on his back start to hurt again at this moment. “Yu Nian, don’t say it. I…”

This was the first time Yu Nian had ever interrupted him: “Let me finish first.”

“Our marriage was very rushed. You’ve never complained to me about anything. However, I have always owed you a more grand and more formal wedding ceremony.”

Tian Yao felt a coolness in his palm. He looked at the object Yu Nian had given him and recognized it immediately—it was something Yu Nian had with him when he first arrived, something he always kept under his pillow.

“It’s my mother’s hairpin.” Yu Nian held his hand. “Everything I have on me is from you. This is the only item I have left that is truly mine.”

Tian Yao’s eyes instantly reddened. He had always remembered this hairpin. It must have been Yu Nian’s only comfort and solace during the darkest period of his life.

Yu Nian gently touched the corner of his eye. “Back then, I did indeed entertain some thoughts… either ending it all, or taking them down with me.”

“But Mother was a very clean person. She certainly wouldn’t have wanted her hairpin stained with anyone else’s blood, and she definitely wouldn’t have wanted it stained with mine.”

Tian Yao knew what an object left behind by a deceased loved one meant. The bitter ache in his heart when he had sold one of his father’s pelts was still etched in his memory.

“This is something your mother left for you…” Tian Yao looked at the silver hairpin in his palm, a hundred feelings surging through his heart.

Yu Nian grasped his hand, closing his palm. That point of silver light slowly disappeared within his hand, leaving only the red gem on the hairpin visible outside—a ruby set into the silver hairpin. “Under normal circumstances, this should have been given to you by my mother, and it should have been a more valuable gift. But she is no longer here, so I give it to you. I’m also very sorry that I can only give you this right now.”

Huge, bean-sized tears fell from Tian Yao’s eyes, one drop after another, onto their clasped hands. He couldn’t bear to move his hands away to wipe his tears. His voice was thick with nasal congestion as he asked, “Are you saying this to me because I took a blade for you? Out of gratitude?”

He didn’t know how Yu Nian had managed to keep his mother’s hairpin under such dire circumstances, but it must have involved much hardship. Thinking of this made Tian Yao’s heart ache with a dull, persistent pain.

Yu Nian smiled. “No. It’s because I like you.”

The answer Tian Yao had been waiting for—Yu Nian finally gave it to him today. It felt like a sudden, immense fortune had fallen onto his head for no reason. He couldn’t quite believe it. He stared wide-eyed at Yu Nian, a teardrop still hanging pitifully from the tip of his nose.

“Say that again?” Tian Yao held his hand, staring into his eyes. But his vision was blurred by tears; he couldn’t see clearly.

Yu Nian knew that his previous actions had indeed caused him sadness and insecurity. So now, as long as Tian Yao asked, Yu Nian would answer.

“Because I like you. I want to live our days ahead well with you.”

To live the kind of days Tian Yao had imagined: raising a few chickens, planting some vegetables outside the courtyard, teaching Tian Yao to write in their free time, teaching him archery, and occasionally accompanying him into the mountains.

Leisurely and peaceful.

“Yu Nian, once words are spoken, they’re like water spilled—you can’t take them back, okay?” Tian Yao sniffled. “Anyway, I’m taking it seriously.”

Yu Nian used the handkerchief to wipe his nose again. As Tian Yao lifted his head, just like on that New Year’s Eve, Yu Nian gently pecked his lips.

Tian Yao’s eyes flew wide open. Before he could react, Yu Nian had already pulled back. “On New Year’s Eve, when you kissed me… I was awake at that time.”

Tian Yao’s face instantly turned bright red. Having just cried, his eyes and nose were red now, making him look extraordinarily pitiful.

Yu Nian said, “At that time, I had far too many concerns, just like those things I told you about before.”

“Then why did you suddenly think it through?” Tian Yao looked at him, that earlier thought resurfacing. “Is it because I saved you?”

“No.” Yu Nian refuted him quickly. “It’s not because you saved me and I want to pledge myself to you in gratitude. When I said I like you, it’s purely because I like you.”

“My previous thinking was shortsighted; I was always borrowing trouble from tomorrow. After what happened last night, I realized that the world is unpredictable. If I missed this chance, it would truly be a lifelong regret. Everyone knows how well you treat me. If I were to still not appreciate it, my parents beneath the earth would scold me too.”

Tian Yao didn’t know how to describe his feelings at this moment. He was like someone walking through an endless, parched land who suddenly welcomed a sky full of sweet rain. At first, it was disbelief, and after processing it, came wild joy.

He seemed to forget the wound on his back, straightening his upper body to hug Yu Nian. The wound on his back split open, the pain making him hiss. Yu Nian was startled and quickly pulled him into his arms before checking the injury on his back. A small tear had opened, a trace of blood seeping through the gauze.

“Don’t move around recklessly anymore. If it tears open again, it’ll take a very long time to heal.”

Somewhat dejectedly, Tian Yao retreated back to his position. Then he felt a bit uncomfortable and started fidgeting on the bed. Yu Nian noticed and asked him, “What’s wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?”

Tian Yao’s face flushed again. He said, somewhat shyly and bashfully, “Something’s pressing down… it’s a little uncomfortable.”

Yu Nian thought it was another issue with his wound and hurriedly went to check his back. Tian Yao pressed down on his hand: “Not my back. In the front.”

Seeing Yu Nian still seemed confused, he finally said, his face red, “It’s pressing on my… you know.”

Only then did Yu Nian react. A ger’s body was similar to a man’s, just more delicate in every aspect. He looked at Tian Yao with some disbelief, wondering how the topic had shifted so quickly from ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ to such an impure subject.

Yu Nian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. After a long pause, he said, “Your injury isn’t healed yet. We’ll talk about it after you’re better. Just endure it for now.”

Tian Yao felt he had no good impression left in front of Yu Nian anyway, so he threw caution to the wind. “I wasn’t thinking of that.”

Yu Nian knew he was uncharacteristically shy and changed the subject. “The Village Chief said the Yamen might give some kind of reward. I deflected, saying it was the entire village’s effort.”

Tian Yao was still distracted by other thoughts. Hearing Yu Nian’s words, he just nodded hastily, then said, “It’s not that I don’t want that either… it’s just… wait until I’m better. Don’t you try to weasel out of it.”