Ties of Love, Ruan Wan

Zhu You remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, he raised his knife and lunged at Lou Qianyuan.

Lou Qianyuan naturally did not let his guard down and kept a close eye on his reactions, easily dodging Zhu You's attack.

At this moment, Liang Kun stood silently behind Zhu You, holding up his belt, ready to repeat his old trick.

Just as the belt was about to pass over his head, Zhu You spotted Liang Kun behind him and dodged it in a flash.

When Liang Kun saw that his plan had failed, he immediately kicked Zhu You's right heel. Zhu You lost his footing and fell to the ground.

Lou Qianyuan seized the opportunity and thrust his knife downwards. The Zhu You looked clumsy, but unexpectedly, he braced himself with one hand and jumped away.

He had a knife in his hand, and Liang Kun couldn't approach empty-handed. Lou Qianyuan only had a short dagger, so it was really difficult for him to break through his defense.

The two sides were deadlocked, and Zhu You kept retreating, while Lou Qianyuan and Liang Kun slowly followed.

As they retreated further and further away, suddenly Ruan Wan's voice came from afar: "He's trying to run away."

Sure enough, without realizing it, Zhu You retreated to the side of a tree, where a black horse was waiting. Zhu You mounted the horse and galloped into the night.

Ruan Wan kept looking out the window. She could not see clearly up close, but she could see two horse eyes shining from a distance.

Ruan Wan saw Zhu You leaning towards that direction and knew he was going to escape, but it was too late; in the darkness, all she could hear was the sound of galloping hooves.

Ruan Wan jumped off the carriage and walked towards the river. Their horse was dead, its throat had been cut, and blood was splattered everywhere.

Lou Qianyuan also ran over, saying, "We have to leave quickly. Now that we know who that person is, he definitely won't let us go."

If news of his ambush of the scions of the powerful families of Great Xia were to spread, it would certainly affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Xia and Chu states only formed an alliance through marriage at the beginning of this year, so such a thing certainly cannot be allowed to happen.

Ruan Wan looked thoughtfully at the horse's corpse on the ground. "Do you think Princess Linglong might have sent people to ambush us?"

This is the only reasonable reason: the two of them had no grudge against the State of Chu, and they did not possess any military or state secrets.

The only reason was that Linglong found out that Ruan Wan and Xia Changfeng had been engaged before she married Xia Changfeng, and Linglong felt that Ruan Wan would be a threat to her.

I never expected Princess Linglong to be so jealous and ruthless.

Lou Qianyuan didn't know what to say, after all, this concerned the diplomatic relations between the two countries, and secondly, they didn't have any concrete evidence.

It's all just speculation.

The three men packed their bags and set off immediately, hoping to buy a carriage in the next town.

Ruan An was about to speak when he realized that Lou Qianyuan's target was himself.

She heard what Zhu You said: as long as she didn't return to the capital, she wouldn't be in danger, and Lou Qianyuan and the others would be even less in danger.

But Ruan Wan thought about it and decided against it. No matter where she fled, danger would still find her. Ruan Wan didn't want to live such a passive life.

Instead of following the main road, Ruan Wan and his men ventured into the mountains and forests, knowing that if reinforcements came from behind, their two legs could not outrun those on horseback.

Fortunately, it was already mid-July, and the weather was no longer cold; in fact, it was quite warm. Ruan Wan and the others were able to move through the forest without much trouble.

Lou Qianyuan walked until dawn. Standing on the hillside, he looked down and saw a town at the foot of the mountain. Judging from the layout of the town, it should be Mangshan Town.

Lou Qianyuan smiled and looked at Liang Kun, "Uncle Liang, your hometown, Mangshan Town, is at the foot of the mountain."

Liang Kun stepped forward, squinted at it for a while, and said, "It really is Mangshan Town. Thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye. I guess my old house is no longer there."

Ruan Wan hurriedly asked, "Don't you know anyone in town?"

Liang Kun laughed and said, "I've been away for over thirty years, and the town has changed so much. If it weren't for the ancestral hall in the center of the town, I wouldn't have recognized it. When I left, only my uncle was left in the family. If he were still alive, he would be eighty-six this year."

It was truly rare for someone to live to this age in ancient times. As the saying goes, "Life expectancy of seventy is rare in ancient times." In an era lacking medical care and medicine, this saying was famous in every time and space.

However, Liang Kun still said, "We can still look around after we enter the town. Maybe some of my childhood playmates will recognize me."

Liang Kun led the way, with Ruan Wan and Lou Qianyuan following behind, as they entered the town.

I met a lot of people along the way. It was hot, and everyone was out doing farm work in the early morning when it was still cool and the sky was not yet bright.

Three strangers walked into the town early in the morning, attracting a lot of attention.

The main problem was their clothing. Although Ruan Wan and Liang Kun were dressed the same, to a discerning eye, Ruan Wan and Lou Qianyuan looked more like a good match standing together.

The structure of the rooms here is very different from that in Pingjiang Town. The roofs in Pingjiang Town have a steeper slope, while the rooms here receive more rainwater, making drainage easier.

As soon as they entered the town, many people carried hoes and headed towards the fields outside. Everyone turned to look at Ruan Wan and her group.

Liang Kun stopped a middle-aged man in his forties and asked with a smile, "Brother, excuse me, do you know if Liang Dashan's family still lives here in the north of the city?"

The man looked Liang Kun up and down and asked, "Who are you to Grandpa Liang? What do you want with him?"

Liang Kun said, "I am Liang Kun, Grandpa Liang's cousin. Is he still alive?"

The man looked Liang Kun up and down a few more times, seemingly seeing a reflection of his childhood self in the present-day Liang Kun. He chuckled and said, "You've been gone for thirty years, I almost didn't recognize you."

Liang Kun recognized the man in front of him and rushed forward to hug him tightly. "Liang Shuanzi, you've changed so much I almost didn't recognize you!"

Liang Shuanzi glanced at Ruan Wan and Lou Qianyuan behind Liang Kun and asked with a smile, "Is this your child?"

Liang Kun glanced back and said with a smile, "These are my daughter and son-in-law."

Liang Shuanzi couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "You can also give birth to such a beautiful daughter. By the way, where is your wife? Why didn't she come back with you?"

Liang Kun immediately pretended to wipe away tears with his sleeve, saying, "Her mother had a difficult childbirth and passed away."

Liang Shuanzi immediately comforted Liang Kun, saying, "You've had it tough too, raising your daughter all by yourself and finding such a handsome son-in-law."

Lou Qianyuan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Hello, Uncle Liang."

Ruan Wan immediately followed suit and performed a bow.

Liang Shuanzi put down his hoe and leaned against the wall. Liang Kun knew that his uncle was still alive and hadn't moved, so he planned to go by himself. Liang Shuanzi insisted on taking them there.

"The location hasn't changed, but the road has been repaired several times; you probably won't be able to find the original road anymore."

When passing by the shops, Liang Kun wanted to buy some gifts to take to Liang Dashan's home.

Liang Shuanzi then realized what was happening and asked, "You guys seem to have come from Zhangzhou. Did you travel all the way here?"

Lou Qianyuan stepped forward and replied, "Father-in-law originally planned to take my wife and me on a trip back to our hometown to visit relatives on the way to the capital. Who knew that we would encounter bandits as soon as we left Zhangzhou? We barely escaped with our lives, and they even stole our carriage."

Just then, Liang Shuanzi noticed the wound on Liang Kun's neck and clicked his tongue, saying, "That was really dangerous. We haven't heard of bandits out and about for years. We should report this to the county magistrate."

Liang Kun selected some fine, soft pastries and two batches of top-quality ingredients. That should be enough. He would also give a red envelope later.

As Liang Kun wandered through the alleys and lanes, his eyes couldn't take it all in. He kept exclaiming, "Everything has changed! If it weren't for the ancestral hall still being there, I wouldn't have recognized this as my hometown!"

Liang Shuanzi laughed and said, "The country has become rich, bridges and roads have been built, and all the mud houses have been torn down. Your old home has been abandoned for more than 30 years. Everyone thought you would never come back. The town tore down your house, and now it's the town's school."

Liang Kun laughed and said, "That's fine too. It's just sitting there unsightly and in the way."

After walking through another alley and passing through a two-story building, I saw an old man with white hair and beard sitting at the entrance of the alley.

The old man was huddled in the corner, his face dry like the bark of a hundred-year-old tree, all his teeth gone, and his mouth completely sunken.

Leaning on a locust wood cane, he nestled against the wall, basking in the morning sun.

Liang Shuanzi shouted loudly, "Grandpa Liang, your nephew has come back to see you!"

When Liang Kun saw Liang Dashan, his eyes were already filled with tears. He took two steps and slid down to kneel in front of Liang Dashan.

Liang Dashan supported Liang Kun with both hands, mumbling, "Whose child is this? What happened?"

Liang Shuanzi shouted loudly in Liang Dashan's ear, "Grandpa Liang, this is your nephew, Akun. He's come back to see you."

Liang Dashan cupped Liang Kun's face in his hands, looked at it again and again, and a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in his cloudy eyes.

Liang Dashan grabbed Liang Kun and burst into tears, while Liang Kun was also in tears.

Ruan Wan watched from the side, her eyes also filled with tears. If it weren't for the fact that she and Lou Qianyuan had been captured and sent to the Southern Frontier by a twist of fate, Liang Kun would never have returned.

At Liang Dashan's age, this could very well be the last time we see each other.

The two hugged and cried for a while before stopping. Liang Dashan held Liang Kun's hand and said, "I guarded your old house for decades, but I still couldn't protect it for you. A couple of years ago, the people in town tore it down and built a school instead. I'll keep the subsidy money from the town for you, so you can build a new house when you come back."

Liang Kun wiped his nose. "Uncle, I have a family in the capital. I've been fighting in the war all these years, and now that I'm older, the army released me so I have time to come back and see you."

Liang Kun beckoned Ruan Wan and Lou Qianyuan to come up and say hello; if they were going to put on an act, they would do it properly.

Ruan Wan stepped forward and greeted him respectfully, "Uncle, I am Liang Wan, your grandniece."

Liang Dashan nodded repeatedly, "Good, good, Ah Kun has a successor."

Liang Kun then looked at Lou Qianyuan and said, "This is your grand-nephew-in-law, Xiao Lou."

Lou Qianyuan also stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Uncle."

Liang Dashan tried to get up by leaning against the wall, and Liang Kun and Lou Qianyuan immediately stepped forward to help him up.

Liang Dashan straightened his bent back and shouted loudly into the house, "Huaihua, your cousin is home! Huaihua!"

An elderly woman in her fifties came out of the inner room. "Dad, are you hungry again? You just finished breakfast."

Huaihua stared at the group of people standing at the door, frozen in place, looking at them again and again.

Liang Kun said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, Kun's back."

Looking at Liang Kun's face, Huaihua finally recognized him, her eyes immediately reddened, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Huaihua stepped forward and hugged Liang Kun tightly, bursting into tears. "Why did you only come back now? When your cousin left two years ago, he kept saying, 'Why hasn't A-Kun come back yet?' He was afraid that if he left, we, a widow and her children, wouldn't be able to protect your house."

Liang Kun had just stopped crying, but now he cried along with Huaihua for a while.

Finally, the crying stopped. Huaihua took Ruan Wan's hand and said, "My niece is so beautiful, just like the person in the painting. She must look like her mother."

Liang Kun laughed and said, "Of course she looks like her mother. If she looked like me, that would be troublesome."

Everyone burst into laughter.

After chatting for a while, Liang Dashan said to Huaihua, "Huaihua, hurry up and go to town to sell meat and kill a chicken. Also, go to town and call Feng'er back. We have important guests at home; have him ask his master for leave."

Liang Dashan then said to Liang Kun, "Feng'er is your cousin's youngest son. He's twenty-four this year and works as an apprentice at the town's pharmacy."

Liang Kun asked, "You're twenty-four now, Feng'er should be married by now, right?"

Liang Dashan sighed, "I told him about a family a while ago, but your older brother passed away, and Feng'er had to observe a three-year mourning period, so it was delayed. Now he doesn't have a decent job, so what girl would want to be with him?"

Ruan Wan smiled and said, "My cousin is an apprentice at the pharmacy. After he opens his own clinic, he won't have to worry about finding a good family to marry into."

Huaihua was very pleased to hear this, and Ruan Wan took the opportunity to link arms with Huaihua, saying, "I'm going to buy groceries with my aunt."

"That won't do. How can you let a customer buy groceries along like that?"

Ruan Wan said coquettishly, "Auntie, you're taking Wan'er with you. Wan'er also wants to see what the town where Father grew up is like."

Lou Qianyuan wanted to follow, but Ruan Wan said, "What are you doing following me? Aren't you going to keep your uncle company?"

The town market is in the south of the town, while Liang Dashan's house is in the north. To buy things, you have to cross the entire town, but fortunately, the town isn't particularly big.

Along the way, many people greeted Huaihua and asked who Ruan Wan was. Many even asked directly if she was Liang Feng's daughter-in-law.

Huaihua introduced herself with a smile, saying that Ruan Wan was her niece and Liang Kun's daughter.

Finally arriving at the butcher shop, Huaihua looked at the half-pig in front of her, gritted her teeth, and said, "Cut two pounds of meat, the fattier kind."

The butcher chuckled and said, "Aunt Huaihua, it's been a while since I sold meat. Why are you being so generous today?"

Huaihua cursed, "Bullshit! We just bought this meat last month!"

Ruan Wan knew that Liang Dashan's family was struggling financially. The houses around them were all made of red bricks, but Liang Dashan's house was made of blue bricks, and the furnishings inside were all very old.

Ruan Wan tossed a string of coins to the butcher and said, "Cut five catties of meat. Cut wherever my aunt points."

Huaihua wanted to take the money back, but Ruan Wan stopped her, saying in a low voice, "We definitely have to invite Uncle Shuanzi to stay for dinner later; we can't neglect him."

Huaihua then stopped and watched the butcher cut off her head.

Carrying five pounds of meat, Huaihua looked at it again and again, feeling both happy and embarrassed. "I'm so sorry to have made you laugh, my niece. We're just poor relatives, struggling to make ends meet. We can't even afford to prepare a decent meal for our guests."

Seeing that Huaihua was about to burst into tears again, Ruan Wan immediately said, "Auntie, what are you saying? We are all family, we are all relatives, why should we distinguish between each other? Aren't we going to pick up our cousin?"

Huaihua slapped her thigh. "Look at my memory! I almost forgot about that!"

Huaihua led Ruan Wan eastward, to the clinic where Liang Feng was an apprentice, which was located on the east side of the town.

However, it wasn't far from the butcher shop; it took less than half an incense stick's time to walk there.

Huaihua pointed to the sign in front of her and said, "Your cousin is an apprentice at that Feng's Medical Clinic. He's been there for five years now."

Ruan Wan looked at the front of the clinic, where a large crowd of people, mostly women and elderly people, were gathered.

Huaihua frowned. "They're causing trouble again."