It was not yet dawn, and outside the window it was still pitch-black. Ye Yun woke at the sound of Rong Zheng getting out of bed and reached for his outer robe.
Rong Zheng stopped him. "You don't need to get up so early. Sleep a little longer. I'll just get ready and head out."
Today was the day he went hunting in the mountains. He needed to set off early, as it was a long trek over the mountains.
Ye Yun had already sat up. He shook his head as he put on his outer robe. "I want to see you off."
Seeing that Ye Yun had already dressed and gotten out of bed, Rong Zheng said nothing more. He went into the courtyard to wash, then picked up his carrying basket. Ye Yun came out of the kitchen and handed him a cloth bag packed with dry provisions.
Rong Zheng took it, gathered his hunting gear, and shouldered the large carrying basket before heading for the gate. Turning back, he said, "I'm off. I'll be back in two or three days. Remember to shut the courtyard gate properly. It's still early, so go back and get some more sleep." With that, he strode away and soon disappeared into the darkness.
Beneath the dim gray sky, Ye Yun stood at the courtyard gate, gazing for a long time at Rong Zheng's retreating figure as a trace of loneliness arose in his heart. Only when Rong Zheng was out of sight did he shut the gate, but he no longer felt sleepy.
He had already begun to miss Rong Zheng. Scenes from the few days they had spent together since their wedding surfaced in his mind.
Rong Zheng happily explaining the plans for their new house and asking what they thought;
Rong Zheng openly handing over all the household silver and fondly calling him his little steward;
Rong Zheng saying earnestly that ge'ers could study and learn to write, and could learn medicine too...
No one had ever treated him with such tenderness. How could he not miss someone as good as Rong Zheng?
"Husband, you must come home safely!" Ye Yun sighed. To keep himself from dwelling on things, he began to busy himself with work.
After quickly washing up in the courtyard, he went to the kitchen to add firewood and heat water, then began making breakfast for himself and Xiao Chen.
Day gradually broke. Ye Yun busied himself wiping down the tables and chairs and putting the odds and ends in the drawers in order. He noticed that Rong Zheng was rather casual about where he kept things. Though everything was tidy, it was not sorted, so he organized it all to make things easier for Rong Zheng to find.
Ye Chen came out of his room yawning and rubbing his sleepy eyes. He had been sleeping so comfortably these past few days. Although Brother Rong made him get up early to practice his horse stance, it was not all that early compared with his hard life before.
"Brother Yun, you got up really early today," Ye Chen said when he saw that Ye Yun seemed to have been busy for a long time.
"Your Brother Rong set off for the mountains very early. I got up to see him off, so I was up early too. Oh, breakfast is keeping warm in the kitchen. You can eat once you've washed up. Remember to listen to your Brother Rong and practice your horse stance for an hour after you eat," Ye Yun reminded him.
"All right."
Ye Chen obediently agreed. He wanted to learn martial arts, because Brother Rong had said that once he learned, he would be able to protect himself and the people around him, and would not get beaten.
"Xiao Chen, I'm going to the river to wash the clothes. Keep a good eye on the house. I'll make you lunch when I get back."
After leaving those instructions, Ye Yun carried a wooden basin to the river in the village. Ming-ge'er was already washing clothes when he arrived. On seeing Ye Yun, he quickly waved him over.
Among the others washing clothes by the river, several greeted Ye Yun warmly when they saw him.
"Yun-ge'er, here to wash clothes?"
"Yun-ge'er is so hardworking."
"Yun-ge'er has always been a good one. He's been hardworking ever since he was little."
"How lucky he was in his marriage."
Ye Yun was still a little unused to it, but he responded to each of them. In the past, he had been quiet and shy, keeping his head down and thinking only of finishing his work quickly, afraid that Chen Guihua would find fault if he was too slow. He had never had the leisure to listen to gossip or chat with others.
Ever since Rong Zheng had invited the entire village to the wedding feast, everyone had discovered that he was generous and courteous. Each table had two meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, and everyone had eaten their fill. Some of the more outgoing villagers would therefore take the initiative to greet Rong Zheng and Ye Yun, hoping to be on good terms with them.
Who could have imagined that the ge'er who had once been tormented and abused every day by his eldest uncle's family, who could often be seen covered in bruises from beatings, and who had nearly been married off to an old widower by his heartless eldest uncle half a month ago, would now be married to the village's only scholar? The man was also a skilled hunter and exceptionally handsome. Most importantly, he had held such a grand wedding, making it clear that he was a man who valued his husband.
A man that good was hard to find even with a lantern. The village women all regretted not acting sooner to marry their daughters or ge'ers to Rong Zheng.
"Yun-ge'er, did you know? The way you and Rong Zheng invited the whole village to your wedding feast caused quite a stir. Everyone praised Rong Zheng for treating you well and giving you so much face. The girls and ge'ers who are looking for matches are so envious of you." Ming-ge'er had heard plenty of what people were saying, and spoke as he wrung out a garment.
Ye Yun smiled shyly, the smile reaching his eyes.
Ming-ge'er was dazzled by Ye Yun's smile. In the past, Ye Yun had rarely smiled, and even when he did, a shadow had hung over it. Now his eyes curved with his smile, making him look full of life and radiant.
"Yun-ge'er, I'm truly happy to see you married to someone good."
"Ming-ge'er, you'll find someone who suits you too."
"I'm almost seventeen, and my mother hasn't even started looking for a match for me. They want to keep me at home to work." Ming-ge'er's voice was bitter. His mother only worried about his elder brother and younger sister. She thought of him only when there was work to be done; good things never came his way.
He was only a few months younger than Ye Yun. Ye Yun was already someone's husband, while marriage discussions had not even begun for him. It would have been a lie to say he was not disappointed.
In this era, girls and ge'ers who were over eighteen and still had no marriage negotiations underway were considered old maids and old ge'ers. Once they were past the right age, finding a good family to marry into became difficult.
Seeing Ming-ge'er's spirits visibly sink, Ye Yun naturally understood his situation at home and felt sad for him too. He reached out and patted Ming-ge's hand, changing the subject. "Don't be sad. Things will get better. By the way, do you have time to come over for a meal today? I'll make you something good."
In the past, the two of them had hardly ever visited each other's homes. Neither had been in a good position at home: one lived under someone else's roof, while the other had a father who ignored him and a mother who did not love him. How could they invite anyone over? Now that Ye Yun had a new home, he was very happy to invite Ming-ge'er, his best friend in the village.
"I don't have to work in the fields today. If I finish the housework quickly, I'll have time." Remembering that Ye Yun was now married, he hesitated. "Would it be inconvenient if I came? Your husband..." He trailed off, worried about putting Ye Yun in a difficult position.
"Not at all. Rong Zheng is a very good person. Besides, he's gone hunting in the mountains for the next few days, so it's just me and Xiao Chen at home. Do come."
"All right. I'll come over after I finish making their lunch."
"I'll make you stir-fried pork with chilies." Afraid that Ye Yun would begrudge himself meat, Rong Zheng had bought two jin of it to leave at home, saying that it would spoil if it was not eaten, and what a waste that would be. Today, Ye Yun could use it to treat Ming-ge'er.
Hearing that there would be a meat dish, Ming-ge'er looked forward to it even more.
"I've taken on some needlework. I'll bring it over to your place too. Would you like to do some with me?"
Ye Yun knew how to sew. In the past, he had stitched every patch on his and his younger brother's clothes himself, but his work was only average, mainly because he had no time for it. Farmwork and going up the mountains to dig for medicinal herbs and gather wild vegetables had kept him busy enough.
Ming-ge'er, however, was very good at it. Ge'ers in the village who took on work from town would give him a share, letting him earn some spending money. His parents might have been biased, but as long as he finished his chores, they left him alone.
"All right, I'll join you." Ye Yun wanted to embroider a handkerchief for Rong Zheng.
The two chatted and laughed for quite a while.