Exile

45

In spring, at dusk, there were two people fishing by the river outside the small mountain village.

"Where are you from?" Su Lingchuan stared at the water and asked Jiang Mao.

"My permanent residence is in Cangzhou, and I often go to the capital city to stay." Jiang Mao answered as he casted his fishing net.

Cangzhou, the feudal fiefdom of Yue Wang, was also a border with neighboring countries.

"Who's in the family?"

"There's only one mother in the family."

It's a rare harmony for the two people, where one asked and one answered.

However, Su Lingchuan did not ask him what he was doing to make a living. He thought that he needn't ask as he had tasted Jiang Mao's craftsmanship.

"Eh―"Jiang Mao noticed that there was movement in the water and pulled up abruptly. He saw that it was a big fish.

The fish was so big that Su Lingchuan came up to help.

It's getting dark, and they couldn't stay out for too long. Jiang Mao took a fish and tied it up with a straw rope and handed it to Su Lingchuan. "Spring warm fleshy fish, uncle should have a taste of it."

Su Lingchuan still wanted to refuse, but Jiang Mao hastily said, "It is a very small regard, not worth much."

Su Lingchuan sighed. Such a person was hard to refuse. He could understand that his normally incompetent son would rather be beaten than let go of this man.

The next morning, Su Family put the fish on the table.

Madam Su had planned to prepare it, but Su Qingbai could not trust his mother's craftsmanship, so he simply robbed her work.

"I can prepare the fish, Jiang... I've seen it several times while he's doing it." Su Qingbai looked at his family and laughed.

Upon hearing that he hardly shied away from mentioning that cook over and over again, Su Lingchuan sat there fuming, so annoyed.

"It's done, give it a taste."

Four people sat around the table. Su Qingbai sat down and ladled each of their bowls. Finally, he served himself.

Su Lingchuan knocked on his hand. "Go call Su Huai."

...

It's still a spring day, but the willow leaves in the small mountain village had elongated and the green had become darker, not the same as the soft buds before.

On the main road of the village in a small mountain village, under a row of willows, a youth walked forward, at times slowly and then quickly.

It was unknown how long it took for the youth to lose patience as he watched a grandpa with a big yellow dog surpassed them. He suddenly turned to the person who followed him. "Shall we hurry up a bit?"

The person who followed him stunned. He with a height of a little stool merely stopped and poked there, somewhat blank, apparently not quite understanding what the youth meant.

The youth, Su Qingbai looked helplessly at the other's muddleheaded appearance after he finished saying. Without any other option, he gently bent down. "Otherwise, Dad carries you away, alright? Grandpa is still waiting for us."

The little person opposite, Su Caicai stamped his feet on the ground, disagreed. He wanted to walk by himself.

Su Qingbai was impatient and asked him no more. He carried the person and walked away. "So stubborn, wasn't it just wearing a pair of embroidered little flowers shoes? Your Dad, I used to wear it so much."

Madam Su couldn't make clothes, but who knew how many time she spent doing embroidery. Some days ago, she asked her new friends to make shoes for her grandson. Madam Su also had some leisure in those days and easily added a few flowers on top.

Su Qingbai didn't quite understand his mother's aesthetics; white soles, green upper, embroidered with several red flowers. Still, Su Caicai liked it so much that he stamped his feet whenever he walked.

Carrying Su Caicai under his armpit, Su Qingbai came to the field.

A few days ago, the Sun family wrote that they would come to the border town to see them. Who knew if they had to wait for a month, but they waited for spring ploughing instead of waiting for the Sun family.

Actually, it was normal. After all, it took several months for their family to move to the border town. Jiang Mao also spent a month on the fastest horse's speed. It's estimated that it would take a while for the Sun family to come.

This morning, Su Lingchuan prepared the seeds early and pulled them into the field on the cart. Su Qingbai had to take care of Su Caicai, so he came a little late. Unfortunately, the boy had too many things to do and he had insisted to walk by himself or else he would whine.

As the sun rose, no matter how he whined, Su Qingbai picked him up and went away.

At the end of this row of willows was where Jiang Mao lived. Jiang Mao sat under the tree and handled his business. When he saw two people hurrying by, he hurried to call them.

Su Qingbai had long ago got tired of Su Caicai, and thought he had much to do.

"Here you are." Su Qingbai threw Su Caicai to him. "Look after him today. I have to go busy with spring sowing."

Arranging Su Caicai's hair, Jiang Mao asked him, "Spring sowing?"

Jiang Mao grew corn with his old parents in his previous life, but not this early. He remembered that he always planted corn after the wheat harvest, when it was almost summer.

But when he thought that Su Qingbai's family didn't seem to grow wheat and the climate here was different from his previous home, he simply understood.

"So..." Jiang Mao thought for a moment and said, "You look after Caicai, I'll go do it."

"No!" Su Qingbai quickly refused, "Coaxing your son is much more tiresome than spring sowing."

Jiang Mao dropped a smile.

Su Qingbai couldn't understand where was the smiling point of his remark, looked at him inexplicably.

Jiang Mao approached him and kissed him gently. "It's the first time I heard you say Caicai is my son." After that, Jiang Mao kissed the little fatty in his arms again.

That's right, it's a little fatty. Originally, he was just a little fatter than the children near the mountain village, but since Jiang Mao, this other Dad came, Su Caicai had succeeded in becoming a real fatty.

Su Qingbai blushed and gave him an untimely cold glare. "Careful not to be seen, pay attention next time."

"En en!" Jiang Mao nodded without thinking, as if he were obedient to Su Qingbai's words.

Su Qingbai was even angrier when he saw him like this. They had been together for almost a year, had he not understood Jiang Mao?

Every time he said something, Jiang Mao agreed, but what's the reality? He said one thing and did another thing behind.

Looking very teacher-like, with a gentle and noble character, but actually his words were utter nonsense.

However, Su Qingbai could not do anything about him, knowing that should the man tell a lie, he would not change it.

"I'm leaving."

"Oh!" Jiang Mao thought for a moment and asked, "By the way, what would you like for lunch today?"

Su Qingbai stopped to think and said, "Something light, sour, Hmm... Anyway, don't make it too greasy."