My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 58

Chapter 58: Returning Home

When the New Year arrived, Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou were no longer in a fluster. The first time was raw, the second time was familiar. They carried their bundles into the carriage. Song Changxu reached out and pulled Xu Zhizhou up.

Xu Zhizhou: “Let’s go, let’s go.”

Song Changxu lowered the curtain. The carriage rumbled on the road. They traveled all the way to Qishan Village. The two of them had enough things they had bought this year.

Stepping on the soft snow, Xu Zhizhou was a bit dazed from sitting in the carriage for so long. His legs were soft.

Song Changxu threw down the bundles and jumped down from the carriage, kicking up a cloud of snow.

Xu Zhizhou silently moved a little further away from him.

After paying the fare, Song Changxu had a bundle in his left hand, a bundle in his right, and another on his back.

Xu Zhizhou carried two small bundles with both hands and followed behind Song Changxu.

Hey, I can block the wind behind him.

Xu Zhizhou thought happily. He followed Song Changxu back home and knocked on the door.

Xu Cheng came to open the door. He had grown taller and now reached Song Changxu’s thigh.

“Uncle, Uncle-in-law, you’re back for the New Year,” Xu Cheng called out happily.

Xu Zhizhou still took out some fruit candy from his sleeve and stuffed it into Xu Cheng’s hands. “Have some candy. We came back early this year.”

Song Ye and Liang Su heard the noise and came to help carry the bundles.

Song Mingyan also smiled when he saw the two of them. He had them sit down to warm themselves by the fire and went to get some fruits and melon seeds.

Song Mingyan looked a little more cheerful. Xu Cheng ate the candy in his mouth and sat next to Song Changxu.

“We just built a new house this year. Cheng Ge’er is also older now and can’t always live with Mingyan, so we built a new tiled house next to the main house.”

Xu Cheng said happily, “I’ll take you to see my new room later, Uncle and Uncle-in-law.”

At first, when he had to sleep separately from his father, Xu Cheng was a bit unaccustomed to it and would often sneak into Song Mingyan’s room in the middle of the night.

Later, he got used to it and felt that it was very comfortable to have his own room. He put the beautiful stones he had picked up from the river under his bed, and the beautiful maple leaves in a drawer. He could sleep whenever he wanted.

But his father would still come to see if he was asleep at night before he left.

When you grow up, you should sleep separately from your father.

Xu Cheng stuffed a piece of the candy Xu Zhizhou had given him into Song Mingyan’s hand.

Song Mingyan’s heart warmed.

“Changxu, did you say in your letter that you were going to the capital?” Song Ye asked.

“Yes, the metropolitan examination is held in the capital. I have to go.”

Song Ye couldn’t help but be shocked. They had never been out of Shuibo Town in their entire lives. Now his son was going to the capital, not to mention that he was already a Juren.

A xiucai was already very impressive in their eyes. A Juren was even more so. They didn’t know how much more impressive, but they felt a little ashamed that they couldn’t help their son, and also proud of him.

Liang Su said, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself when you go for the exam. You’re already very good.”

Song Changxu felt at ease. “Don’t worry, Father, Mother. I know my limits. Don’t worry about me.”

After warming themselves by the fire for a while, Xu Cheng took Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou to see his room.

The room was about forty square meters. They had originally thought that thirty would be enough, but then they thought that Xu Cheng would be getting older and would have more and more things, so they had built it bigger. Anyway, it didn’t cost much.

The land was their own, so they could build whatever they wanted.

Xu Zhizhou glanced at it. It was very warmly decorated. The bedding was all blue with small flowers. Song Changxu saw that there was also a vase on the table, with three plum blossoms in it.

It looked very clean.

Xu Zhizhou praised him, “Cheng Ge’er, your room is very nice.”

Xu Cheng touched his head shyly.

The two of them had dinner at home. Song Changxu talked about some of the things in the county, and Xu Zhizhou also said a few things.

“So the expenses in the county are high.”

Xu Zhizhou bit his chopsticks and nodded. “I used to think the county was good, but now I feel that it’s just so-so. Have I changed?”

Song Changxu said, “You’re tired of it.”

In the past, before he had gone to the county town, Xu Zhizhou would often talk about the benefits of it in his ear. Now he didn’t, only about being the husband of an official.

Xu Zhizhou mumbled, “So I’m a person who likes the new and dislikes the old.”

He’s getting better and better. He’s using four-character idioms without any mistakes.

“Eat more. You’ve had a long journey. You two should go to bed early tonight,” Liang Su said.

Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou both agreed. After washing up, they went back to their room. Song Changxu spread a new bedsheet and quilt. In the winter, they had to have two layers to be warm.

Song Mingyan’s voice came from outside the door. “Zhizhou, you two should take a charcoal brazier in. It’s cold at night.”

Xu Zhizhou pushed open the door and brought the charcoal brazier in.

“Why does it feel colder in Qishan Village than in the county?” Xu Zhizhou said. He saw that Song Changxu’s hands were by his side. He secretly grabbed one. It was indeed warm.

His eyes lit up. He held his hand in his own to warm his cold hands and then let go.

Song Changxu: “…”

He’s cold, so I’m not? Xu Zhizhou couldn’t get any warmth. He sat on the edge of the bed and warmed himself by the charcoal fire.

Song Changxu: “After you’re done, go to bed and put on your hand warmer.”

Xu Zhizhou held up his hands innocently. “How can I read a storybook with a hand warmer on?”

Song Changxu: “…”

It was a rare New Year, and Song Changxu had no intention of reviewing his books, but Xu Zhizhou did.

He excitedly took out a storybook from Song Changxu’s bundle under his stunned gaze.

“…Wait, when did that get into my bundle…” Song Changxu said in disbelief.

“I just saw a bundle on the table and stuffed it in,” Xu Zhizhou said, holding the storybook and happily rolling into the quilt.

“Husband, I think this is one of the great pleasures of a scholar,” Xu Zhizhou said, suddenly pointing at the storybook in his hand with a serious expression.

Song Changxu: “…”

“What proper person reads storybooks? We all read the books of the sages,” Song Changxu said noncommittally, with an air of righteousness.

Xu Zhizhou quickly went to his bundle, took out a copy of Mencius, and threw it at Song Changxu. “Go and read your book of sages.”

He continued to read the storybook. In the end, when Song Changxu was about to go to sleep, he was still reading, not tired at all, and looking very energetic.

Song Changxu was sleepy. He patted Xu Zhizhou’s head. “I’m blowing out the candle and going to sleep.”

Xu Zhizhou: “You can go to sleep if you want. I’ll sleep after I’ve read a little more.”

Song Changxu fell asleep. Xu Zhizhou read a few dozen pages, blew out the candle, and went to sleep.

In the morning, the two of them didn’t get up until the sun was high in the sky. Song Changxu rubbed his eyes. He felt as if a large cat was pressing on his chest.

In the past, Xu Zhizhou would only press half of his body on him. Now, his whole body was on him, and it was a bit numb.

Song Changxu didn’t see Xu Zhizhou’s head on the pillow. He lifted the quilt and saw him nestled in it, sleeping soundly.

He wasn’t afraid of not being able to breathe. His whole face was flushed white and red from sleep, his lips slightly parted.

Song Changxu looked for a while, then leaned over and kissed his forehead.

He looked the same as before.

When Xu Zhizhou woke up, Song Changxu said, “There are some snacks on the table. You can have some to fill your stomach first.”

Xu Zhizhou saw that it was broad daylight and felt a little guilty. If it were just him and Song Changxu at their own home, it would be fine if he slept until the evening. At the Song family’s, with the elders around, it was not good for him to get up at this hour.

He washed up and ate some pastries. No one in the family said anything to him.

Xu Zhizhou helped Song Mingyan to pick vegetables.

“Elder Brother, what was my husband like when he was a child?” Xu Zhizhou asked secretly.

“Changxu went to study when he was seven or eight. My memory of him is a bit hazy. He didn’t like to talk much when he was a child.”

“Think again, Elder Brother,” Xu Zhizhou said coquettishly.

Song Mingyan recalled his childhood memories and saw a corner of a green robe in the kitchen.

“Zhizhou, instead of asking me, why don’t you ask Changxu himself? He remembers his own affairs more clearly,” Song Mingyan said with a smile.

“I’ll tell you tonight,” Song Changxu’s voice came from behind, startling Xu Zhizhou.

“Why do you walk without making a sound?” Xu Zhizhou blamed him.

“It’s because someone was so focused on listening to other people’s little secrets that they didn’t hear the footsteps.”

Xu Zhizhou said righteously, “Then you could have made your footsteps heavier so people could hear.”

Anyway, he was not wrong. It was all Song Changxu’s fault.

Xu Zhizhou suddenly realized that his elder brother was still here. He immediately became pitiful. “You almost scared me to death. What if I had fallen?”

Song Changxu: “…”

If you fell, I’d pull you up.

After lunch, Xu Zhizhou wanted to go to the Xu family’s again.

“Go on. I heard your brother-in-law is also back. He fought a victorious battle with General Xiao and is now some kind of Xiaowei. What kind of official is that?” Liang Su was also not sure.

But the Xu family’s eldest son had married so well. They would also benefit from it.

Xu Zhizhou looked at Song Changxu fiercely.

Song Changxu: “A Xiaowei is a junior sixth-rank military officer, higher than a county magistrate.”

Song Ye: “Higher than a county magistrate? How high of an official is that?”

“That Xie family boy is so promising, even higher than a county magistrate. Those Xie family uncles must be regretting it,” Liang Su said, taking a sharp breath.

Xu Zhizhou’s legs were a little weak.

His official position is even higher than a county magistrate. If he really gets angry, wouldn’t it be one slash, one death, with no place to be buried?

He had better tuck his tail between his legs.

“Then is he at the Xu family’s or the Xie family’s?” Xu Zhizhou asked tentatively.

“He’s at the Xu family’s for the New Year. Anyway, there’s no one left in the Xie family. It’s just right that he’s at the Xu family’s,” Liang Su was also shocked and had not yet come back to her senses.

Song Changxu carried the gifts. “It’s not snowing now. It’s a good time. Let’s go to my in-laws’ house.”

Xu Zhizhou pulled on Song Changxu’s sleeve and followed him.

Now he wished his husband had three heads and six arms, so he could hold him in his arms and feel safe.

***

Author’s Note:

Little Song: Let’s go. [Sprinkles flowers]

Little Xu: Protect me. [Pity]