He asked Lu Yang, “Do you want me to grow taller?”
Lu Yang didn’t really want that. “If you get too tall, I’ll have to look up at you. That’s uncomfortable.”
Xie Yan said, “Then I didn’t grow taller. Don’t worry.”
As if anyone could control their own height. Lu Yang called him silly.
The husband and husband went back out and headed to the kitchen to lend a hand.
Shun-ge’er was very diligent. Whenever there was work to do at home, he always rushed to it first. Lu Yang had scolded him a few times, but he still insisted on helping, so Lu Yang let him assist with chores.
Once the two of them reached the kitchen, they told Zhao Peilan and Shun-ge’er to fetch water and wash up first.
The kitchen and the well were both in the front courtyard, very convenient.
Shun-ge’er said there was no rush. Seeing the two of them come over, he didn’t want to sour his teeth watching them, so he went to the livestock shed to feed the horse instead.
Lu Yang led Xie Yan to scoop the big bone out of the pot and take it to feed Wei Meng.
According to Shun-ge’er, dogs had to eat “recognizing-their-father food”—eat from someone’s hand—so they would become close to that person later.
Xie Yan had often come to the prefectural city before and wasn’t close to Wei Meng. Since they had bought a big bone today, Lu Yang had Xie Yan be the one to feed it.
Xie Yan held the dog bowl. The bowl had been specially chosen by Lu Yang at the general store—a medium-sized shallow soup basin that could hold a lot of food and plenty of broth, convenient for both eating and drinking. It was washed clean every day.
Because Li Feng had said that puppies recognize their food bowls, when they moved to the prefectural city—such a long journey—they hadn’t brought their own bowls, but they had brought the dog’s bowl.
After putting the big bone into the bowl, Lu Yang also ladled out some broth and had Xie Yan carry it over.
Xie Yan said, “This doesn’t look like recognizing-their-father food. It looks like serving tea to the mother-in-law.”
Lu Yang didn’t like hearing that. “Then what am I? The dog’s son?”
Xie Yan leaned against him, smiling. “I didn’t mean that. I just meant I look like a young bride.”
Lu Yang said, “You and I are together. When you talk about yourself, think about me too. Say nice things.”
Xie Yan liked hearing that, but the soup basin was too big—otherwise, he would have hugged Lu Yang.
Wei Meng’s doghouse was opposite the livestock shed, both in the front courtyard. When they built the shed, they had also put together a small doghouse. Since Wei Meng was familiar with the smell of the bamboo basket, once Lu Yang finished unpacking, he brought the basket over and placed it inside the doghouse.
Wei Meng had been waiting impatiently. While the family was eating, it had sat by the table drooling. After they finished, there was still no share for it, leaving it so aggrieved that it lay in its nest whining softly.
As soon as it smelled the meat, it got back up and wagged its tail.
Lu Yang had Xie Yan set the dog bowl down, and the two of them squatted together in front of it.
Lu Yang told Wei Meng to call Xie Yan “father.” Who knew whether it really did or not—anyway, it barked once, and Lu Yang took that as calling him, so he allowed it to eat.
The meal left it utterly intoxicated with flavor, eating with low gurgling sounds in its throat.
Watching this, Xie Yan felt emotional. “Our family really is living well now. We can even feed meat and big bones to a dog.”
Lu Yang reached out and patted the dog’s head. He was about to say something when Xie Yan leaned his head over, interrupting his thoughts. Lu Yang laughed and pushed Xie Yan’s head away. “What are you competing with a dog for?”
Wei Meng was no longer really a puppy. When it stood up, it was about half a person’s height. Its build was similar to San Liang’s, maybe a bit more solid, but it had more meat on its bones. Structurally it was that size, but overall it wasn’t as lean and agile as San Liang. It really needed a place to run around and burn off energy.
Listening to Lu Yang mutter about the dog’s build and physique, Xie Yan couldn’t help but touch his own stomach.
Lately he got hungry quickly, ate a lot, had heavy coursework, and some exercise. Overall, though, it was still not as intense as manual labor. Would he end up becoming fat too?
Sturdy and fat were two different things. He wanted to look good—to captivate Lu Yang.
Lu Yang glanced sideways. “What’s wrong? Are you hungry?”
Xie Yan wasn’t hungry. He wanted to take a walk.
Their new home was a pseudo two-courtyard layout, perfect for strolling. They could walk from the front courtyard to the back courtyard, into the bedroom, then out through the door to the study, and from the study back outside.
After feeding the horse, Shun-ge’er saw the two of them holding hands and walking back and forth. He paused for a moment, then, without lingering, quickly fetched water to wash up and went back to his room early to rest.
Lu Yang tilted his head toward Xie Yan. “See that? That’s a kid.”
Xie Yan didn’t dawdle either and went to wash up as well.
He had homework to write that night. Lu Yang soaked the red beans in advance, proofed the dough, then went back to the room and sat across from him, holding a book to read.
Whether he understood it or not, he insisted on reading—cultivating a sense of language. Xie Yan would explain some allusions to him, and when Lu Yang occasionally read something related, he would feel pleasantly surprised. That was one of his motivations for reading.
When Xie Yan put down his brush and packed up his books, Lu Yang also closed his book, feeling no attachment whatsoever to what came after.
Xie Yan asked him, “Why don’t you finish a passage before stopping?”
Lu Yang answered frankly, “I don’t understand it, and I can’t remember it. Next time I read it, it’s all new again anyway. It doesn’t matter where I stop.”
Xie Yan had never had that experience and found it hard to grasp.
He thought about it a bit. That feeling was probably like when Lu Yang talked to him about social connections—he felt like he was listening to heavenly script.
They went to bed late and didn’t fool around at night.
Nothing further that night. Early the next morning.
Today Lu Yang steamed buns. After opening a shop, his bun-making skills had grown ever more refined. Just the appearance of these two baskets of braised-meat buns was enough to make mouths water.
He also made a pot of noodle-dough soup for Xie Yan to take along to the prefectural academy.
He planned to bring Xie Yan lunch at noon and told him not to buy food outside.
Xie Yan didn’t want him to work too hard. Cooking in the kitchen, choosing dishes was simple enough, but once you actually got down to it, it was exhausting—washing vegetables, prepping ingredients, cooking, then washing dishes and wiping down the stove afterward.
Making one meal was tiring enough. Doing it three times a day—Lu Yang wouldn’t have time for anything else, not even rest.
Lu Yang said, “It’s just for this period. When Li Feng comes to the prefectural city again, I’ll go check out the docks. Then I’ll only make you a pastry now and then, or bring you a meal occasionally. I won’t be this diligent.”
Xie Yan said, “I know you. You’re trying to help me maintain my connections. Actually, there’s no need. Once the provincial examination is over, who knows how many of these classmates will still be my classmates.”
Lu Yang was surprised. “You’ve become domineering.”
After saying that, Lu Yang packed up the food box and went with him to the prefectural academy.
“You can’t look at it that way. I’ve listened to the debate topics you discuss—this isn’t something all classmates get to participate in. Letting you audit a few times already shows kindness. They may have chased you off before, and you didn’t quite catch the meaning. Now that they’re willing to include you in discussions, it means they see you as a friend. Regardless of how much interest is involved, if they treat you as a friend, we should show some gesture in return. It’s just food and drink, not daily offerings. It’s no big deal.”
Hearing the word “friend,” Xie Yan felt unfamiliar with the emotion. He didn’t have many friends—Wu Pingzhi counted as one. As for the others, he had thought they were simply classmates.
Lu Yang told him not to overthink it. “If you’re comfortable getting along with people, you don’t need to calculate everything.”
Xie Yan agreed. He wondered when Li Feng would come to the prefectural city.
Lu Yang said, “Probably after Qingming, around mid–third month.”
By the time they arrived, Wu Pingzhi should also be setting out from the county seat to come to the prefectural city to prepare for the exams.
Xie Yan felt dazed. “Time really passes so fast.”
Wu Pingzhi would come in the fourth month, and Lu Yang’s birthday was also in the fourth month.
He would be another year older. The marks that time left on him had settled deep into bone and flesh, tempering his temperament, making him more composed and generous, less sharp.
Compared to last year’s gentle firmness, this year’s Lu Yang had an air of mature charm.
Xie Yan glanced sideways at him and nearly bumped into a passerby.
Lu Yang pulled him back. “What are you thinking about?”
Xie Yan said, “Your birthday is coming.”
Lu Yang nodded. “I’ve already decided what gift I want. This year, you’ll go to the docks with me and buy me a stone. I change every year—I won’t always be a rough stone. Maybe many years from now, you’ll have to buy me jade.”
Xie Yan already wanted to buy him jade, but Lu Yang wouldn’t allow it.
“I’m not jade yet. Don’t rush. I’m not in a hurry either. I still have a long road ahead. We’ll carve it together.”
Xie Yan almost cried hearing this. His Jingzhi was very good—he was a precious piece of jade.
The two places weren’t far apart. At the academy gate, Lu Yang didn’t go in, nor did he let Xie Yan come out. He had the book attendant bring the food box out instead.
Xie Yan felt deeply moved. Eating a meat bun in the morning, tears fell one by one.
The few classmates sharing buns with him all froze and asked what was wrong with him.
