Qingqing pushed open the courtyard gate and called into the house.
“I’m back!”
She locked the gate from the inside, securing it with the wooden bar before walking into the house. The man was still lying on the bed. Night had already fallen, and there wasn’t even an oil lamp in the room.
Using the faint light that filtered in, she made her way to the bedside.
“I just got back from the village head’s house. Aunt Liu had just steamed some buns. Eat a little while they’re still warm. I’ll get you some water.”
She turned and went into the main room, picked up the kettle from the table, and poured some water into the cup she carried with her.
The man on the bed slowly opened his eyes. In the darkness, he could just make out the faint silhouette of someone walking toward him.
Lin Heng slowly sat up. The wound on his back burned with searing pain, and he couldn’t help letting out a muffled groan.
Qingqing hurried over to support him.
“Did you pull your wound? Does it hurt? We’ve only just settled here, and the house doesn’t have anything yet. Tomorrow I’ll go into town to buy a medicine stove so I can brew your herbs. You’ll have to bear with it for today. After you’ve eaten, I’ll wash your back and apply more medicine.”
Lin Heng opened his mouth, trying to say something, only to remember the cruel reality—he had become mute.
“You can’t speak, can you? It’s all right. Once we get the medicine and you take it for a while, you’ll recover. The doctor said the poison hadn’t gone too deeply into your body. Once it’s cleared, you’ll be able to talk again.”
“The courtyard I asked the village head to buy for us today is really nice, and it wasn’t expensive either—just twenty taels. I also gave him another five taels to help us register our household. You should’ve seen the look on his face when he saw the silver! Uncle Liu seems like a decent man, and Aunt Liu is kind and easygoing too.”
Listening to the woman happily chatter about everything she had seen and done that day, Lin Heng found his own mood inexplicably growing lighter.
After they finished eating, Qingqing drew a bucket of water from the well in the courtyard. The well water wasn’t especially cold. She soaked a cloth and carefully wiped down Lin Heng’s body before applying fresh medicine to his wounds and wrapping them again.
“Move over a little. We’ve only got one set of bedding, so we’ll have to make do for tonight. Tomorrow I’ll buy another set and clean out the east room for you. You can sleep there.”
With that, she took off her outer clothes and shoes and lay down beside him.
In the darkness, Lin Heng’s face flushed hot.
It was the first time he had faced her while fully awake.
The pounding of his heart echoed through the silent night, as though it were the only sound capable of breaking the stillness.
Lying on his side, he gazed at Qingqing through the faint moonlight.
Her breathing was soft and steady, like the gentlest melody carried on the night breeze, bringing an indescribable sense of peace.
His fingertips lightly brushed across her brows and eyes. The delicate sensation was beyond words, as though he could almost feel the serenity of her dreams.
Her eyelashes quivered slightly, casting delicate shadows that only made her features appear gentler and more beautiful.
When his finger paused over her rosy lips, his heartbeat suddenly skipped.
A feeling he had never experienced before surged through him.
It was panic.
It was a fluttering of the heart.
And it was an overwhelming reluctance to let her go.
He quickly withdrew his hand, afraid that even the slightest movement might disturb her sleep.
What’s wrong with me? Lin Heng silently asked himself.
He didn’t dare dwell on the answer. Instead, he lay there quietly, trying to calm the chaotic rhythm of his heart.
The night outside grew darker and darker.
His heart, however, only became more restless.
Before long, he drifted into a hazy, dream-filled sleep.
The next morning, Qingqing was awakened by the cheerful birds singing in the woods outside the window.
Only then did she realize she had somehow ended up nestled in Lin Heng’s arms.
Gently removing her arms from around his waist, she stretched lazily.
She got up and opened the door. The sky was already bright. Carrying a wooden basin, she drew some well water to wash her face, then filled another clean basin for Lin Heng before returning to the room.
“You’re awake? Sit up and wash your face. After breakfast, I’m going into town to buy some household supplies and vegetables. Your injuries are still serious, so stay home and get some rest.”
Lin Heng’s expression remained calm as he gave a slight nod.
Taking that as agreement, Qingqing soaked the washcloth and handed it to him.
“Since you’re awake, you can wash up yourself. I’ll bring over the pastries we bought earlier, and we’ll make do with those for breakfast. At noon, once I’ve bought a cooking pot, I’ll make us a proper meal.”
“The town isn’t far. I’ll take the carriage—it should only take about half an hour.”
Qingqing kept talking to herself while Lin Heng remained silent.
After all, he was mute now. Other than making a few inarticulate sounds, there wasn’t much he could say.
After packing everything, Qingqing separated the banknotes from the silver, checked once more to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, and drove the carriage toward Datong Town.
Lin Heng slowly sat up. Enduring the sharp pain in his back, he carefully climbed out of bed and walked outside.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, its appearance came into view.
It was a spacious, square courtyard enclosed by tall stone-and-earth walls.
A thick peach tree stood in the middle, its branches covered with small green peaches.
Slowly, he made his way toward the outhouse behind the house, every step sending stabbing pain through the wound on his back.
Lin Heng couldn’t help feeling fortunate that he had met this woman.
Had she not taken pity on him and saved his life, he would already be dead.
Thinking back on all those years, from childhood onward, enduring the inhuman training of the shadow camp… he had finally escaped that hellish existence.
Yet because he had failed in his duty to protect his master, he had been sentenced to death.
For a servant, such a fate was almost impossible to escape.
Now fate had suddenly given him another chance to begin anew.
He wanted to hold on to it with all his strength.
As for that gentle, tranquil woman…
He was willing to try accepting her.
The memory of the night he had briefly regained consciousness suddenly resurfaced—the heart-consuming sensation he had felt then.
Lin Heng’s face reddened slightly.
That woman… she’s really bold.
…
Datong Town
Qingqing first visited the blacksmith and bought two large iron cooking pots, along with several farming tools: a small iron shovel, a sickle, an axe, and a few knives.
Next, she went to the general store and purchased grain, a clay casserole, earthen jars, storage pots, bowls, chopsticks, and various other necessities. Everything was loaded onto the carriage.
She then stopped by the cloth shop and bought several bolts of cotton fabric, dozens of jin of raw cotton, two sets of bedding, pillows, bed sheets, and quilt covers.
Once she had finished buying everything she needed, she went to the bank, deposited the banknotes for safekeeping, collected the deposit receipt, and finally headed to the market to buy vegetables and pork before leisurely making her way home.
Peach Blossom Village lay nestled against an endless range of mountains.
Viewed from afar, the rolling peaks resembled a magnificent ink-wash landscape painting.
As Qingqing admired the breathtaking scenery of this peaceful age, she hummed a cheerful tune while driving the carriage.
She had never even dreamed that she could live a life like this.
Now that her wish had finally come true, her heart overflowed with happiness.
If only we could have a son and a daughter as well…
The thought made her unconsciously rest a hand on her stomach.
“I wonder… if that one time was enough for me to get pregnant.”
Thinking of the injured man waiting at home, she urged the horse onward.
“Hyah… Hyah…”
She lightly flicked the whip against the horse’s flank.
By the time she arrived home, it was already noon.
She opened the courtyard gate and tied the horse inside the shed. The cleared space she had tidied up the previous day already had a shelter built over it—it had most likely belonged to the previous owner as a cowshed.
Looking through the window, she saw the man sitting on the edge of the bed.
Smiling brightly, she called to him.
“I’m back! You must be hungry. I bought some vegetables and roasted flatbread in town. Let me wash my hands first, then I’ll bring it over.”
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Lin Heng turned his head toward the teacup beside the bed, not daring to look at the woman standing in the courtyard.
Qingqing looked at the expressionless man but wasn’t the least bit upset.
After all, the reason he had ended up like this was, in large part, inseparable from her.