Living on a Mountain with my Husband

Chapter 13: Let's Go

"Delicious! It's so good. You're amazing dear." Zimo couldn't help but compliment the porridge LongWei had cooked with the sparse ingredients found in the kitchen.

LongWei looked at his own bowl of porridge and thought about its taste. It wasn't anything special, he had eaten food that had tasted many times better then this, yet such a bowl of porridge was praised as delicious.

LongWei didn't know how he felt at this time, he was happy Zimo liked it, but he was also a little sad thinking about the food Zimo must have been eating to think such a simple dish was delicious.

Zimo stood up ready to clean up the dishes, when LongWei stopped him.

"Sit down. I want to discuss with you about what to do now that I am awake."

Zimo looked at LongWei his eyes growing larger reflecting his fear and the uncertainty he felt in his heart.

"Did he change his mind? Maybe, what he said before Zi fell asleep was just my imagination. Is he going to ask me to leave."

LongWei continued, "It would be best to leave this place, and make a living somewhere else."

Hearing this Zimo felt his world crash around him. "Of course, why would he want to stay with me. I'm not very good at anything, I can't cook, and I'm... I'm a man."

Seeing Zimo's dejected expression and his eyes growing red as though they would burst into tears at any moment. LongWei raised his hand and rubbed his thumb over Zimo's cheek, just below the eye.

"Zimo, do you not like the idea of leaving this house?"

Zimo lowered his head, not knowing what to say. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay with LongWei. However, if he said anything, wouldn't LongWei hate him."

As Zimo hesitated to answer.

"Zimo, don't be scared. I will take care of you. I promise, even after we leave this house, you will be safe."

Zimo raised his head in shock.

"What did you say? Did... did you say we?"

Realizing Zimo had misunderstood him, LongWei's expression softened.

"Of course. I am your husband. We will always be. Together from today forward."

Zimo felt like crying once more, but he held back. He couldn't keep crying all the time. They needed to plan what to do next.

With a smile on his face revealing his cute little dimples, Zimo nodded and said, "as long as we are together. I will go anywhere with you. Husband."

" I was thinking about moving up the mountain. I have a cabin up there I would use when hunting.  It's a little small, but we should be able to fix it up and make it more comfortable. The problem is getting there. Right now my body has weakened and your so thin..." LongWei looked at Zimo's body, seeing it an intense anger began to rise in his chest once more.

"What should we do?" Zimo asked.

LongWei walked over to the corner of the room, he started to move the large box used to store his clothes and old quilts. Seeing this Zimo immediately got up to help. Together they moved the box. LongWei knew down and started feeling the wall behind the box. When suddenly a piece broke off and from inside LongWei pulled out a purse.

The purse wasn't large,  but Zimo could hear the sound of coins clinking together as it was pulled out.

"It's difficult for the two of us to go up the mountain alone, but if we buy a horse or mule. It's possible."

"Eh! Can we buy a horse?"

"A horse might be difficult, but there should be enough money for an mule, I know someone who lives in the next village over. He has an old mule and he owes me a favour. Let's go there and get it.
First we'll pack up some clothes and the quilt. There are some daily necessities already in the cabin, so we don't need to take much from here. Once we get to the next village, we can bargain with some villager to get enough food to last us until my health improves."

Zimo couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "Are we leaving today? What about your family, don't we need to tell them?"

"No." LongWei said fiercely. Since speaking with Zimo, LongWei had tried his best to speak calmly and softly, but thinking about his family and what they had done to his little birdy LongWei couldn't control his tone. Zimo flinched hearing LongWei's tone and lowered his head, giving off the expression of a puppy that had just been scolded.

Seeing this LongWei felt pained, he raised his hand once more and placed in over Zimo's head hoping to comfort him. The effect was the opposite, when Zimo noticed the hand moving towards himself he instinctively curled up and bracing himself.

"I'm sorry, don't be scared. Zimo I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at my family." LongWei's tone softened again as he gently rubbed the messy hair on Zimo's head.

Zimo began to relax under his gentle coaxing.

"I...I'm sorry, too... I'll listen to you." Zimo quietly mumbled.

"Um..." LongWei felt conflicted. He wished Zimo could be a little more willful with him. When he was in a coma, the little birdy would chirp all day with the sweet voice. However since waking up, he has barely spoken. He hoped Zimo could feel comfortable with him again soon. Sadly, he didn't know how to make things better quickly again, he could only rely on time for now.

"I don't know when every will come back. I'll pack up quickly." Zimo said as he left the room to get some bamboo baskets to use.