Qu Qing knew that people with acne are often a bit sensitive, so noticing that the other person was no longer as nervous and scared as before, he decided not to worry too much. After all, he was overwhelmed with his own situation and had no time to worry about others.
He turned and walked into the house, looking at the small, dirty, and chaotic area, wondering where to start cleaning.
Although he hadn’t lived a life of luxury, he had been somewhat pampered since childhood. He definitely couldn’t endure a dirty and messy place.
Qu Qing was somewhat relieved that he had endured a few years of life hardships, which had trained him to think about how to improve the situation rather than giving up when faced with such conditions.
He figured he should start with the most important area. He looked around the room and his gaze settled on the dirty blanket on the wooden bed—after all, the bed was crucial since it was where he would be sleeping for about seven hours every day.
He walked over, almost holding his breath as he quickly removed the quilt cover. To his dismay, the cotton stuffing inside was also unbearable to look at. Glancing at the sunny weather outside, he hardened his heart and carried both the quilt and the cotton stuffing outside to wash. However, he realized he didn’t know where the water source was.
At this moment, Gou’er confirmed that neither he nor Mao’er had been chased away. He was surprised and flattered, he led Mao’er across the threshold but soon felt confused again. He stood awkwardly in the yard, unsure of what to do next, where to go, and even where to put his hands and feet.
After a while, he saw Qu Qing emerge from the house carrying the bedding. After standing at the door for a moment, Qu Qing suddenly threw the quilt onto the ground and left without indicating he wanted him to do anything.
Gou’er looked at Mao’er in confusion. After a while, Qu Qing returned and looked at Gou’er and said, “I want to wash the clothes and quilt.” He didn’t directly ask where the water source was, instead he just hinted at it. He’s reluctant to ask directly to avoid unnecessary suspicion and trouble, and he didn’t want to make any excuses.
His goal today was simple, which was to at least clean the doghouse well enough for people to stay in.
Hearing this, Gou’er mistakenly thought that he had finally been given a task. Feeling relieved, he thought that if he was needed, it meant he could at least establish a place for himself in this house. He eagerly went to pick up the bedding, saying, “I-I’ll go wash it.”
Qu Qing glanced at the little child who’s closely following the man. Seeing how eagerly the man was about to rush out the door, anyone who didn’t know might think he was about to pack up and run away. Qu Qing, wanting to know where the water source was, quickly called out to stop him, “Wait, there’s more to wash.”
He then rummaged through the house to find an old wooden basin. Then he went to the kitchen and gathered all the rags, picked up a few dirty clothes piled to the side, and grabbed a bucket of water. Carrying everything in his arms, he headed outside. Gou’er, seeing this, thought it was all for him to wash, hesitated with a troubled expression. He stammered, “There’s too much stuff… I… I can take it in two trips,” then, worried that Qu Qing might think he was being lazy, he quickly made a solemn promise, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s thoroughly clean!”
Qu Qing thought to himself that this kid is really honest but a bit naive, but right now he just wanted to find out where the water source was and didn’t bother with unnecessary words. “I’ll go too. Stop dawdling and hurry up. You know where to wash, right?”
Gou’er thought he was being tested, so like an anxious student worried about failing, he quickly replied, “I know.”
Qu Qing raised his chin and gestured toward the door, indicating the direction, and left it for Gou’er to understand.
Gou’er quickly led the way.
Qu Qing followed him out and walked left. After walking about 300 meters, they arrived at a small stream about half a meter wide, flowing down from the mountain, hidden by tall grass. Without saying a word, Qu Qing immediately went straight to the stream, putting down his things and began washing them himself. Gou’er, seeing this, also hurried to wash the bedding. He was quite surprised that Qu Qing was washing the clothes himself but didn’t say anything.
As Qu Qing washed, he frowned deeply. Then Gou’er who’s watching from the side thought that he was dissatisfied with his work, so he hastened his own efforts, fearing he might be criticized for doing a poor job.
In fact, Qu Qing didn’t even notice the actions of the person beside him. He was just troubled by the fact that the clothes were too dirty, with some oil stains. If only there were laundry detergent, it would have been much easier. But in this ancient time, there was probably no such thing as detergent.
After washing for a while, he saw the stubborn, filthy oil stains on the clothes and, in frustration, he threw them aside. He sat by the stream and thought about going home to look for some soapwort or similar items. This endless scrubbing wasn’t going to work.
“I’ll go back for a bit,” he said briefly and headed back to the thatched house with his long legs. Gou’er, who had been tense, finally relaxed a bit, and Mao’er, who was also nervous, seemed to breathe easier.
After a moment, Mao’er looked up at Gou’er cautiously and asked very softly, “Are we staying here?”
Gou’er wasn’t entirely sure but, seeing Mao’er’s frightened look, he nodded firmly, “Yes, we’re staying here from now on. Mao’er, you must behave well. I’ll do my best to serve him. As long as we don’t upset him, things will get better.”
The little cat with the painted face nodded heavily but soon became worried, with sadness and guilt in his eyes.
“But… Mao’er’s eyes…”
Gou’er paused while washing clothes, saying, “It’s fine. Just keep the left eye closed so he doesn’t see it. Everything will be alright… definitely…”
On the other side, Qu Qing went back to search for soapwort. Fortunately, he found some. He then saw the straw used as a bed padding and quickly moved all of it to a clean area in the yard to dry, then took the soapwort and headed out. Feeling concerned that the bedding and cotton stuffing might not dry in time, he quickened his pace.
When he arrived at the stream, he saw the big and small figures, both dressed in dusty clothes and squatting side by side, washing clothes. The scene looked harmonious. He paused briefly before casually continuing on.
Hearing the noise behind him, Gou’er looked up and saw Qu Qing’s gaze fall on Mao’er’s small hands washing the clothes. Realizing that Mao’er shouldn’t touch his clothes, he hurriedly took the clothes from Mao’er’s hands, flustered, and explained, “He just wanted to help, not to cause trouble. Please don’t blame him.”
Seeing the small hands covered with many unhealed wounds, Qu Qing said, “Let him go play.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Mao’er, who had caused trouble, jumped up, ready to run away but stumbled and fell forward. It was a real fall that surely hurt. Qu Qing was startled and rushed to help, but the child got up silently and ran away again. Qu Qing didn’t even have time to take two steps.
Qu Qing watched the child’s retreating figure for a while. Seeing that he was okay, he turned and squatted down with the soapwort, starting to wash the dirty clothes and bedding with combined effort.
Following his actions, Gou’er also washed vigorously. Listening to the gentle sound of the stream and performing the repetitive, simple movement, he felt a bit tired, but as he saw each piece of clothing becoming clean, his previously anxious heart gradually found a strange peace.
Once everything was done and the clean clothes were hung out to dry on the grass, Qu Qing washed his face, limbs, and shoes thoroughly. He finally felt he could breathe a sigh of relief from the suffocating filth.
While waiting for the clothes to dry, he prepared to lie down on the grass to rest for a while. Nearby, Gou’er stood somewhat helplessly in the shadow, seemingly too afraid to move without his instruction. Qu Qing glanced at him and said, “Find a place to rest on your own.”
Upon hearing this, Gou’er moved away as instructed. Qu Qing thought to himself that Gou’er was quite obedient. He watched Gou’er’s direction and noticed that instead of resting, he had gone to gently pick up the child hiding behind a tree, affectionately stroking the child’s hair, and lowering his face, as if he were softly saying something to the child.
Seeing this, Qu Qing thought that his voice must be very gentle as well.
Having just arrived, and not even half a day had passed, Qu Qing already felt homesick. He turned his gaze away, resting his head against the glaring sky, with his eyes becoming slightly warm. He closed his eyes, mentally sorting through the events of the day.
Stained innocence… responsibility… child…
So, the child and this body are actually blood relatives—father and son? Does that mean… he is now the child’s father?
“Father? Ha…” Qu Qing murmured with a hint of sarcasm. He didn’t expect to be so quickly associated with the two words he despised most.
Recalling some unpleasant memories, Qu Qing clenched his fists, sat up straight, and looked at the two pieces of clothing he had washed earlier. Seeing they were dry, he decided to clean himself up thoroughly, unable to stand his own dirty appearance.
In fact, Gou’er had been paying attention to him and, seeing him move, he immediately stood up, instructed Mao’er to stay quietly, and followed him. However, he accidentally saw Qu Qing, who had removed half of his clothes behind the grass, realizing he was about to bathe. Gou’er’s face turned red instantly, and he hurriedly glanced at Qu Qing before turning away, flustered and ran away in a hurry.
Qu Qing noticed but didn’t think much of it. To him, they were just two grown men, there was nothing embarrassing about it.
He continued to wash himself with cold water without any pause.
After changing and cleaning himself thoroughly, Qu Qing finally felt he could breathe normally in this world. He then considered a very serious problem. The thatched house had no extra beds or quilts, so… the big and small would have no choice but to sleep with him. If that were the case…
Gou’er, who was holding Mao’er and talking quietly, saw Qu Qing come out clean and was stunned.
Qu Qing was very fair-skinned, completely different from the wheat-colored skin of the farmers in the village. His eyes were clear and bright, his nose was high and straight, and his half-dry black hair was spread out behind him. Under the sunlight, he seemed to emit a soft glow.
He’s… actually so good-looking?
Then, Gou’er noticed Qu Qing’s gaze fixed on him and Mao’er. He walked towards them step by step, with an aura that was completely different from worldly norms. His eyebrows were
furrowed with a solemn demeanor, making Gou’er feel as if Qu Qing were a divine being who had descended to the earth rather than a mere mortal.
Qu Qing’s brow was deeply furrowed as he looked at the two of them, finally focusing on the child’s hair.
“Cut the hair.” After a long pause, his calm tone concealed an emotion that was barely restrained from breaking down.
He had a renewed understanding of the poverty, backwardness, and filth of this ancient world. Got lice now. This thing seems to be contagious, right?
Damn!