Lu Liu said, “You’ve completely bewitched me.”
Li Feng glanced at him, impressed by Lu Liu’s cleverness.
“Even with your eyes closed, you can still praise me?”
Lu Liu called it speaking from the heart.
After a while, someone came to relieve Li Feng, and Lu Liu went with him to rest.
Outside, there weren’t proper accommodations, so the children slept in the tent, with a few bamboo poles set up to hang the canopy and surround the bathtubs. The adults lay on the ground.
With so many people around, Lu Liu lay on a mat while Li Feng lay on the ground, leaving some space between them.
Lu Liu quietly reached out, but Li Feng grabbed his hand. Only then did he truly relax and fall asleep.
In summer, traveling meant starting early, like working the fields—moving before the sun rose high, while it was still cool.
Li Feng woke early, and when he stirred, Lu Liu also woke.
At dawn, the little ones were still asleep, so they were lifted onto the cart.
Lu Liu sat beside them, one hand resting on the bathtub and the other discreetly tugging at the hem of Li Feng’s clothes.
Li Feng, steering the cart, slipped a hand free to squeeze Lu Liu’s palm.
“Want to rest against me a little longer?”
Lu Liu shook his head. They were almost there.
When Li Feng released his hand, Lu Liu reached to touch his back.
In summer, with thin clothing, the outline of the chest protector showed through. Lu Liu’s fingertips tapped it lightly.
They hadn’t encountered any troublemakers along the way, making the chest protector feel unnecessary. On long daytime journeys, it got hot against the back. Li Feng wore no inner garment, just a robe; the chest protector pressed against his skin and became quite warm.
Previously, they hadn’t realized this. After wearing it throughout the trip, they understood enough to consider making a cloth or leather cover for it, insulating it without discomfort. He could wear it bare-chested without issue.
Their conversations along the road were fragmented; Li Feng mostly chatted to distract Lu Liu, never pressing him with questions.
The next morning, they arrived at the prefectural city. In the dim light of dawn, they joined the procession entering the city, forming a long line.
Lu Liu’s spirits lifted immediately. Observing the towering city gate was fascinating. He stared, absorbing the sights and the bustling noises around him.
In the county, he hadn’t heard so many different accents. What mattered was that people with different accents could still communicate.
He was outgoing enough to ask, “You all speak differently—how do you understand each other?”
They smiled and told him that after staying in the prefectural city a while, one could understand any dialect.
Settling in the city was expensive. Some people chose to settle in nearby villages.
Official registration wasn’t easy, so they rented private homes, agreed in advance for short stays, repeating a few times per year. This way, the villagers gradually mixed with merchants from outside.
No guarantor was needed because the group was small, not an official caravan.
Li Feng, as before, presented the lease for the waterfront shop, ensuring the group’s smooth entry.
Once in the city, Lu Liu noticed men running errands along the streets, delivering messages.
Months had passed; city regulations remained unchanged, the number of merchants increased, and those seeking quick earnings at the city gates grew.
From here on, the streets were crowded and noisy.
Lu Liu and Chen Guizhi each held a child, covering their ears.
The streets teemed with people, and stalls were packed side by side. From the cart, it felt cramped.
Upon first entering the city, Li Feng bought some breakfast so everyone could have something hot to eat.
He’d heard from Shun’er that the local stuffed buns were unappetizing, so he bought plain steamed buns instead. On the cart, they had salted duck eggs to accompany the buns. They couldn’t get porridge easily, so cold water from their pouches sufficed.
After entering the city, the group split. One team, led by Sihu, headed to the waterfront shop to unload goods and rest. Li Feng took his family to their new home.
The new home was near the prefectural school. Moving away from the main street, the bustle faded.
Lu Liu looked back; people were still numerous and loud, but less dense, giving a sense of calm. This quiet felt like the lively streets of the county in comparison.
He finally understood what “bustling prosperity” meant.
Previously, Li Feng had rented the house, setting a rough date for arrival. Shun’er had cleared out the room and stocked rice and firewood, so they could cook immediately upon arrival.
Turning into the alley, the street noise faded further. They heard a few dogs barking.
Lu Liu followed the sound, seeing only a few people and no dog owners. His heart raced.
“Da Feng, are we here? Is that Erhuang barking?”
Li Feng had sent the dogs and pony ahead, concerned about rough roads. Previously, even Erhuang hadn’t come along.
He nodded. “See the two houses with tall gates? The eastern one belongs to Lu Yang; ours is next to it.”
The alley held twelve households, six on each side, not a long stretch.
Upon arrival, Lu Liu called out, “Brother!”
Li Feng helped him down, then their mother.
On the other cart, Lu Erbao drove the mule cart, stopping to help Wang Fengnian down.
Lu Liu patted the door, called again, and then stepped back to his fathers, swaying slightly, eyes fixed on the door.
Li Feng asked, “Feeling energized now?”
Lu Liu yawned. He was truly tired.
Lu Yang was home. The house was a pseudo two-courtyard design, with bamboo wall decorations that didn’t block sound. Lu Liu’s calls were drowned out by barking, but Lu Yang heard faintly, opened the door, and saw his younger brother’s family. His face brightened, and upon seeing Li Feng and the others standing shyly to the side, his smile grew even gentler.
“You’re here! Come in and sit. I just finished breakfast. Xie Yan’s gone to the prefectural school. There’s extra rice porridge—have a warm bowl to soothe your stomach. Later, we can unpack.”
Lu Yang called for Shun’er, then helped the fathers and gestured to Lu Liu to take the child.
Chen Guizhi had already taken out Xiaomai; Li Feng lifted Zhuangzhuang. They met the three dogs and Shun’er. Seeing his mother, Shun’er began to cry.
Lu Liu fell a step behind, holding onto his father while his brother held theirs. The four of them entered together.
The house instantly became lively.
The rooms were large enough that they didn’t feel crowded. A single table sufficed for breakfast; each had a stool.
There were also leftover buns, warmed by Zhao Peilan.
On the road, Lu Liu had eaten lightly; now Li Feng took two buns to fill his stomach.
Lu Yang explained about the house. The neighboring room was ready, so Li Feng’s family could move in immediately.
Luggage placed in the guest room had been organized by Shun’er. The kangs (heated brick beds) had been inspected; come winter, they’d be ready. The well had been cleaned, extra firewood stocked. They could lay out bedding, boil water, and bathe upon arrival.
There was no need for formalities today. After a long journey, everyone could rest.
The rented room for the two fathers was small, on the street, separated by a few houses. It was closer in size to Lu’s old village house but larger. Lu Yang had prepared it; just laying out the kangs made it ready for sleep.
Lu Yang said, “You’re new to the prefectural city. Spend the first couple of days here. Once you’re used to things, you can move to your house.”
Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian opened their mouths but couldn’t refuse. They were genuinely nervous.
Shun’er, having eaten breakfast, clung to their mother. After Lu Yang’s arrangements, he said, “I’ll go boil water first. You all wash up and rest. We’ll deal with the rest tonight.”
He also mentioned he wanted to sleep with his mother that night.
Lu Yang looked at Lu Liu and reassured him: “The wet nurse is ready. There are many people in the city, and errands are easy to handle. You’ve seen on the road how crowded it can be. I’ve made arrangements—she’ll stay for lunch. The guest room is inconvenient; let her rest in the empty front room for a nap. It’s fine, no problem.”
