TIPS – Chapter 116

“Mm, thank you so much this time, really. If you hadn’t come, I don’t know how much longer I would’ve had to stay.” Song Jingwei said gratefully. Yuan Qingsui’s arrival was undoubtedly a timely help in a desperate situation—both prompt and effective.

“No need for such polite words,” Yuan Qingsui replied. “I went somewhere else earlier too, also for the recruitment matter.”

“How’s the situation now?” Song Jingwei asked curiously.

“Unclear. The higher-ups are still arguing fiercely. Let’s wait a bit longer.” Yuan Qingsui sighed, then added after thinking for a moment, “Training is tough. For the next few days, come serve under my tent as a personal guard—it’ll be a bit more relaxed.” He had noticed how his friend, once fair-skinned, had become quite tanned.

“Alright.” Song Jingwei nodded without refusing his friend’s kindness.

Back at home, Shen Dongming and his son Shen Junxi, along with the hired laborers, had started working on the pond. The past few days had been spent catching fish and netting shrimp. Because of the fish fry bought at the beginning of the year—which Song Jingwei had deliberately chosen to be larger—some of the fish had grown quite plump after about half a year of raising. They picked out the ones meant for sale to load onto the boat, while the smaller ones were thrown back into other ponds for further rearing.

As for the shrimp, they grew quickly and were now all ready to be sold—netted all at once for sale.

On August 10th, the fish, shrimp, and some lotus roots were loaded onto the boat.

Looking at the spread of fish, shrimp, and lotus roots, Yuan Guanlin asked, “Just this much?”

Shen Dongming chuckled and said, “We’re still catching more. We dig and catch section by section. In another ten days, we’ll come again.”

“Alright then.” Yuan Guanlin glanced around and, seeing only Shen Dongming and Shen Junxi present, asked, “Where’s that person from your family? Why isn’t he here?”

“You mean my daughter-in-law?” Shen Dongming scratched his head. “He hasn’t come back yet, but he should be back soon.”

“Oh? He’s not here?” Yuan Guanlin seemed curious and actually quite pleased that Song Jingwei wasn’t around. Smiling, he said, “Well, that’s great. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get you a good price for this stuff.” He was secretly happy he didn’t have to deal with Song Jingwei. But upon hearing he might return soon, he silently hoped that by the next settlement, Song Jingwei still wouldn’t be back.

“Ah, thank you, Second Master. We’ll head back then.” Shen Dongming said with a smile.

“Go on, go on.” Yuan Guanlin waved them off, then glanced toward the boat. Although he couldn’t see, he knew their Boss was still playing both dad and mom, feeding the kid. He probably didn’t even know this family had come—otherwise, he’d surely have come out to join the fun.

Heh heh. He chuckled smugly and clapped his hands loudly to call people over to work.

Meanwhile, Shen Dongming and his son Shen Junxi took the same path back, hurrying home for lunch. They had been busy all morning, and now it was past noon. Their stomachs were rumbling with hunger.

He still remembered the last time he came with that person—also on an empty stomach, also feeling like this. Shen Junxi recalled silently in his heart, but that person was no longer there.

Today was August 20th. Everyone had made up their minds by now—Song Jingwei was not coming back. They had been abandoned, promises broken.

No one dared bring up anything about Song Jingwei at home anymore. The conversations had also diminished. Because whenever they talked about him, silence would always follow. They’d all think of the same person. He’d been gone for so long, yet the house was still full of traces of him. They couldn’t forget him even if they wanted to.

Seeing his son, who hadn’t smiled in days, Shen Dongming walked silently beside him with his head lowered. He used to imagine, excitedly, what it would feel like when the lotus pond and tea garden were finally ready for harvest. But now, even with a good harvest, he couldn’t feel happy.

Not only had his son grown more silent, even little Benben wasn’t as cheerful and lively as before. It wasn’t that Benben knew he’d lost his “little dad,” but rather that the somber atmosphere at home was affecting him. If everyone was unhappy, how could the baby be happy?

Several times, he opened his mouth to comfort his son, but the words always stuck in his throat. In his heart, Shen Dongming thought, Let him grieve a little longer. Things will get better. If we don’t even allow him the time to be sad, wouldn’t that be even more tragic?

“Sigh, how much lotus root do you think we’ll harvest this time? How much money can we sell it for?” Shen Dongming tried to make conversation.

Shen Junxi shook his head and gestured, “It’s hard to say. We’ll have to wait until this batch is sold before we can estimate.” After all, they didn’t know the market price. They were relying entirely on trust in Yuan Guanlin. But since the old master had given the word, that man shouldn’t dare pull any tricks. They trusted the old master’s character.

“That’s true. Let’s just wait patiently then.” They were still digging more when they got back. So far, they’d only harvested from three plots. The yield was very high. They had tried cooking a few roots early on, and it had tasted amazing.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi responded, then fell silent again, walking just like before.

“Well, life still has to go on. At least we still have Benben, right?” Shen Dongming sighed, unable to resist offering some comfort.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi nodded too, though no one knew what he was really thinking inside.

“You’re still young, and life is long. First raise Benben well. In the future, if you meet someone suitable…” Shen Dongming trailed off mid-sentence. He just couldn’t continue. He couldn’t imagine anyone else being his second daughter-in-law. Could his son ever be that happy and affectionate with someone else again?

“…” Shen Junxi forced a smile, his lips twitching slightly. It would be best if his father stopped talking. Otherwise, to comfort the family, he would have to nod against his true feelings just to keep them from worrying.

Since it had already come to this, Shen Dongming said no more. He slightly regretted bringing up the topic. The father and son walked in silence all the way to their doorstep. As they approached, they saw Yang shi standing at the door, her face full of excitement, tightly clutching a letter in her hand.

Only those who had lived with Yang shi for years would know just how excited she truly was. Seeing her husband and son return, she nearly burst into tears. Eyes red, she exclaimed in a trembling voice, “Dear, there’s news from Jingwei!”

Both men were stunned, immediately turning their full attention to Yang shi. Their voices shook as they asked, “What news?” When they spotted the letter in her hands, they were shocked. “He-he-he, he wrote a letter?”

Yang shi replied, “It wasn’t written by the daughter-in-law, it came from the military camp.” She couldn’t read it and quickly handed it to her son. “Mother can’t make sense of it. Xi’er, you take a look. What does it say?”

With trembling fingers, Shen Junxi hurriedly opened the envelope, feeling a storm of emotions—joy and anxiety tangled together. What if it was a farewell letter? How would he ever accept it?

“What does it say?” The two elders asked anxiously, desperate to know the contents.

“…” Shen Junxi quickly scanned through the entire letter, eyes darting over the lines. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally landed. It was real. Solid.

“Eh?” Shen Dongming and Yang shi were the first to notice their son’s smile. Their hearts settled as well. Smiling along with him, they asked eagerly, “What does it say? What did Jingwei say?” Clearly, it had to be good news for him to smile like that.

“He’s currently at the military camp, with Young Master Yuan. He asked me to go bring him home.” Shen Junxi signed and gestured to his parents, his face unable to contain his beaming joy.

“Oh oh, so that’s how it is?” Shen Dongming and Yang shi both assumed that Song Jingwei had simply been visiting Yuan Qingsui and got delayed. Patting their chests in relief, they exclaimed, “That’s good, that’s really good! I knew Jingwei wouldn’t break his promise. He must’ve just been held up along the way.”

“Mm.” Shen Junxi carefully reread the letter, smiling as he gestured, “This letter was sent on August 9th.” In other words, it had been en route for over ten days—those ten days during which they’d fallen into despair, the letter had already been on its way.

“Sigh! These couriers are too slow! I figure it’s not even that far. Even if we went by ox-cart, it’d only take two or three days.” Shen Dongming loudly complained. If the letter had arrived earlier, they wouldn’t have had to worry needlessly for so long. Just earlier, he’d even let slip the idea of pushing his son to remarry—if Song Jingwei ever found out, that would be a nightmare.

“Exactly! Way too slow!” Yang shi, happy as she was, also couldn’t help but complain. She knew all too well what kind of days they’d lived through these past ten or so days.

“So what now?” Regaining composure, Shen Dongming quickly asked.

Shen Junxi gestured, “I’ll set off immediately and bring my wife home.”

Everyone nodded, “Good, good—go quickly, the sooner the better. It’s already been over ten days, your wife must be anxious. If you’re late, that wouldn’t be good.”

“Mm, mm.” Shen Junxi thought the same. He was worried that Song Jingwei might be upset from waiting so long.

“Alright! Mother will get things ready for you right away.” Yang shi rushed off to prepare dry rations and a water flask for her son to eat and drink on the road. Since he was in a hurry, it was best to have everything packed so he wouldn’t need to stop. She figured her son probably wished he could fly to his wife’s side overnight—even if he had to go hungry, he wouldn’t pause.

“I’ll go ready the ox-cart! Just wait!” Shen Dongming added, also rushing off to find something to do.

Shen Junxi stood there and took a deep breath, then went inside to pick up his child. He gave the baby a kiss, emotions surging within him. All the worry and suffering he had endured finally found an outlet. At this moment, he felt immense gratitude toward the child in his arms. Without his son Benben accompanying him these days, he would’ve fallen into deep depression long ago.

“Thank you,” he silently whispered, gently kissing his son’s forehead again, full of love and affection.

By the time his parents finished preparing, they realized it was already quite late and none of them had eaten lunch yet. So they hurriedly cooked and fed the baby some porridge. The household was filled with energy and joy.

“Xi’er, eat quickly!” Yang shi urged, “Fill your stomach and then set off. I reckon it’ll take about two nights and three days. You’ll be back with your wife by the next ten-day cycle!” Just thinking about it made them all grin from ear to ear.

It had been so long since the house felt this happy, and they all felt a bittersweet ache in their hearts.

“Yes, hurry up and eat, fill up and get going,” Shen Dongming said. “I just fed the ox, don’t worry. On the way, just let it graze on some grass—or better yet, take some with you so you can feed it anytime.”

“Mm.” Shen Junxi nodded. He usually ate slowly and carefully, but this time, there was no time for that—speed was the only thing that mattered.

Once everything was prepared, he set off with his bundle and dry rations. His next stop was a small nearby town, where he would rest for the night. Before dawn, he continued on his journey. He didn’t rest at all along the way—when hungry, he ate dry rations; when tired, he pushed through. He hadn’t even had time to shave the stubble on his chin.

Shen Junxi had considered this. He hoped that when he saw his wife again, he wouldn’t look like a disheveled beggar. But on the road, some things simply couldn’t be helped. By the time he reached the military camp, he hadn’t bathed in two days, hadn’t shaved in three, and his lack of sleep showed in the dark circles under his eyes.

Civilians weren’t allowed to enter the military camp freely. As soon as Shen Junxi arrived, the soldiers at the gate stopped him.

“Who are you? What business do you have in the camp?”

Shen Junxi took out the letter he carried in his chest pocket and handed it to the soldier.

At that time, Song Jingwei was still in Yuan Qingsui’s tent. They had just finished lunch and were sipping tea, chatting casually. Suddenly, a soldier outside reported, “General Yuan, there’s a man outside asking for you. He has a handwritten letter from you, and he’s mute.”

The two inside immediately knew Shen Junxi had arrived.

Yuan Qingsui smiled, “Go on, he’s here to find you.”

Song Jingwei nodded and quickly stood up to follow the soldier outside.

“Bring him in and take him to register with the camp’s record keeper,” Yuan Qingsui called after them.

“Alright. Once I’ve taken care of things, I’ll come back to say goodbye,” Song Jingwei replied. Now that Shen Junxi was here, he would definitely leave with him.

“Okay.” Yuan Qingsui stood up and watched him go.

The closer Song Jingwei got to the gate, the clearer the young man standing quietly in the distance became. He was momentarily dazed—it felt like a long time since they had last seen each other. The sudden reunion brought a sense of nostalgia and familiarity.

He wasn’t sure if what he felt was joy or something else, but one thing was certain—he was happy to see Shen Junxi.

With that thought, Song Jingwei quickened his pace, even overtaking the soldier leading the way.

Shen Junxi had already been craning his neck to look, his eyes longing for the familiar figure. Finally, he saw his wife approaching from afar—just as familiar as ever, just as heartachingly out of reach.

As Song Jingwei came closer, Shen Junxi saw the faint smile on his face.

“You’re here?” Song Jingwei said.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi pressed his lips tightly together and nodded hard. His eyes hadn’t left Song Jingwei for a moment—his gaze never wavered.

“Come in. I’ll take you to see Qingsui first…” Song Jingwei started to say he would take him to register, but seeing how exhausted the young man looked, he changed his mind.

“Mm…” Shen Junxi responded and stepped forward toward him.

He was still holding the letter from Yuan Qingsui. As he reached Song Jingwei, he couldn’t help but stretch out his arms and hug him.

“Was the journey hard?” Song Jingwei patted the young man’s back, noticing how Shen Junxi rested his chin on his shoulder, clearly out of energy.

Shen Junxi nodded slightly and silently thought: Yes, it was hard.

The tension he had carried for days finally eased. Alongside the joy, he now felt a wave of exhaustion.

When you’re suffering the most, you don’t even think to pity yourself. Only when it’s over and someone shows they care, do you finally have the right to say, “It was hard.” Otherwise, all that hardship is just a joke—meaningless effort.

“Come on, I’ll take you to rest,” Song Jingwei said, holding his hand and leading him back to Yuan Qingsui’s tent.

Shen Junxi took a deep breath and looked at their joined hands. A tired smile spread across his face, and he gripped tighter, stepping lightly as he followed his wife.

When they entered the tent, Song Jingwei said to Yuan Qingsui, “We didn’t go to the record keeper—I wanted him to rest first.”

Yuan Qingsui looked at the worn-out young man in surprise and sighed, “Young Master Shen does look like he needs rest. Go lie down quickly.”

Shen Junxi nodded politely to Song Jingwei’s friend, his smile unwavering. He let Song Jingwei lead him to a simple bed.

“This is where I usually sleep. Get some rest,” Song Jingwei said, pulling back the thin blanket for him.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Shen Junxi smiled warmly. He stroked the bedding where Song Jingwei usually slept, feeling relaxed. He signed, “When are we going back?”

“You still want to leave immediately in that state?” Song Jingwei had noticed how anxious he looked. He said, “At least rest for a night. Have you eaten? I’ll go see if I can get you something.”

Shen Junxi hadn’t eaten well during his journey. Embarrassed, he signed, “Sorry to trouble you.”

“You’re being polite with me?” Song Jingwei smiled, then turned to find food for him.

Shen Junxi stayed quietly for a while and decided to remain seated—he’d rest after his wife brought food back.

Inside the tent, it was just him and Yuan Qingsui. Though Yuan Qingsui wanted to chat, communication was difficult, so they both stayed silent.

At that moment in the camp’s kitchen, there was no food left. Song Jingwei paid out of pocket to have the cook prepare a simple fried rice dish, with added diced meat.