After Han Jianye knew that Yuxi had arrived, he didnât care about anything else as he just left the matter at hand and rushed out of the barracks. When he got home, he called out, âSi Mei, Si Meiâ¦â¦.â
Yuxi came out from the kitchen and said, âEr Ge, I am here!â Han Jianye did purchase this house, but the problem was that he did not live and cook here. So, if Yuxi wanted to eat, she had to clean out the kitchen first.
Han Jianye looked at Yuxi from head to toe. After checking on her twice, he breathed a long sigh of relief and said, âYuxi, itâs good that youâre okay.â During this period, he worried a lot about her, afraid that something had happened.
Yuxi responded with a smile, âWhat could have happened? By the way, Er Ge, how come you donât even have a servant in this house?â
Han Jianye said with a smile, âWhat do I need a servant for? I donât even live here that much.â He told Han Yi to stay in the house these days in case Yuxi came to the door and no one would recognise her. Otherwise, if it were not for the gatekeeper or Han Yi around, he would have simply locked it up and been done with it.
Yuxi helplessly smiled when she saw that Han Jianye had something else to ask her and said, âEr Ge, letâs talk inside.â
It just so happened that Han Jianye also had a belly full of things to ask Yuxi, so he swiftly walked into the house.
Yun Qing immediately knew about Yuxiâs arrival in Yu City. It was because he had put someone to be on guard outside Han Jianyeâs house.
When Yun Qing heard that Yuxi had finally arrived, he asked, âAre the few people who came with her not well?â The meaning of his question was whether the people with Yuxi were injured or something.
The person who inquired about the news shook his head and replied, âNo.â
Yun Qing waved his hand to let the person withdraw, and only when no one around him did his expression finally relax. It was good that Han Yuxi had arrived at Yu City safely, and he had to find a chance to meet her.
Huo Changqing knew that Yun Qing wanted to see Yuxi. However, looking at the long beard on Yun Qingâs face, he gave him a few words of advice, âBefore you meet Han Shi, itâs better to clean yourself up a bit.â
When Yun Qing heard this, his body stiffened.
Huo Changqing rarely teased Yun Qing as he said, âIf you donât want to be disliked by your wife, you should hurry and clean yourself up.â Although real men did not make a living by using their appearance, no girl would be happy to see a man full of beard in their first meeting. It was always good to leave a favourable impression on the other party when they first met.
Yun Qing let out a cry of realisation afterwards.
After Han Jianye listened to what Yuxi had to face while she was on the road, he slapped the table and vowed, âYuxi, you donât have to feel bad. I will lead my troop to destroy those group of b*stards in the Menghu Mountain in the future.â
Yuxi stared at Han Jianye. It had not yet been long for him to be in the barracks, and he had already learned to curse. âEr Ge, now is not the question of whether or not should I be sad, but the fact is, Iâve lost everything! In addition to my wedding dress, everything else is gone. How can I get married in this condition?â
Han Jianye comforted her, âDonât worry. If you need anything, Er Ge will have someone go to Ganzhou City to buy it.â Marriage was a lifetime event. It could not be too shabby.
Yuxi smiled and asked, âIs Er Ge that rich?â As far as Yuxi knew, Han Jianyeâs salary was not much, and he also didnât bring much money when he left the State Residence.
Han Jianyeâs face twitched. âEven if I donât have money, I will raise enough to buy a dowry for you.â
Yuxi laughed a little. âI was only joking with Er Ge. Although bandits have robbed the ones I brought, my stores and property in the capital are still there!â These assets were the big ones that she owned.
After the two siblings talked for a long time, Han Yi came in and reported, âSecond Master, Miss, General Yun is here, and he is waiting outside!â
Han Jianye slapped the back of his head and said, âLook at me, I forgot about such a big thing. Since Yun Qing is already here, then let him in!â
But Yuxi called out to Han Yi and stated, âLetâs forget it this time. Weâll do it next time!â She didnât want to see Yun Qing dressed in rough clothes and with a tired face on!
Han Jianye didnât think about her look that much. When he heard Yuxiâs words, he tried to reason with her, âYuxi, this place is unlike the capital. Both of you will marry each other anyway. There is no harm in seeing each other much earlier.â [T/C]
Yuxi, who knew Han Jianye very well, pointed directly at her clothes and hair as she asked, âHow can I meet a guest like this?â Not to mention meeting her fiancé for the first time, she still had to freshen herself up even when meeting an ordinary guest. Otherwise, how rude would she look?
Han Jianye let out a cry of understanding. âJust look at me. Iâve become silly because of joy. Alright, you two should meet next time. Iâll go out and tell him first.â
No matter how foolish Han Jianye was, he knew he could not tell the real reason to Yun Qing. He only informed him, âMy Si Mei is exhausted after making a long, arduous journey and is currently resting. Please meet her at another time.â
Yun Qing also grew up in the capital. How could he not know that the capital girls strictly followed the etiquettes? This time, he just came over to inquire after her, considering his fiancée had been on the road for three months. It would not be alright if he didnât pay a visit. Of course, his visit this time also had another layer of meaning, which was to tell the people of Yu City that his fiancée was still alive and well. âThen let her rest well! By the way, Iâve also brought something here.â Yun Qing was referring to the medicinal herbs that Yuxi brought along with her wedding dress and her favourite daily clothes.
Han Jianye smiled at this and said, âThatâs just right.â He did not know if the clothes he had purchased were satisfactory to Yuxi, but it would be good if Yuxi could wear the ones she used regularly.
Yun Qing asked Han Jianye, âSince Miss Han has arrived, I would like to go find someone to set the wedding date. What do you think?â Because it was a bestowed marriage, all other procedures had been omitted. Besides, since they could not estimate the actual time of Yuxiâs arrival, they could not settle on the wedding date.
Han Jianye hurriedly responded, âThere is no hurry.â He would ask Yuxi after she had well-rested. Otherwise, if he agreed without asking for her permission, it would not be fun for him once that girl lost her temper.
Yun Qing did not say anything else. After all, Yuxi had just arrived. Meeting her two days later would also be acceptable. He and Han Jianye were talking when they saw someone come out of the house. That person was wearing a bluish-green short gown, with matching coloured pants.
Yun Qing didnât know if it was just his illusion, but he felt that personâs eyes were full of ill will. He looked at Han Jianye and asked, âWho is this?â
Han Jianye introduced the person with a smile, âThis is Zijin, my Si Meiâs personal maid. Well, donât underestimate her. This girl is actually very good at martial arts.â
Zijin greeted with an expressionless face, âGeneral Yun.â She already had a bad impression of Yun Qing, and when she finally laid her eyes at him, her perception of him got even worse.
Yun Qing was extraordinarily tall, and his back was straight. He looked very imposing when he wrapped himself in his official uniform embroidered with a leopard. But the problem was, one could not see his facial features with that long beard on his face. Since Zijin had seen all bandits with long beards on their way here, naturally, seeing this same kind of look on Yun Qing made her regard him with more disdain. If not for his air of righteousness, this person could pull out as a perfect bandit.
Noticing the unconcealed dislike on Zijinâs face, Yun Qing felt somewhat regretful. He knew he should have listened to Uncle Huoâs words and cleaned up himself a bit before coming over.
At this time, Yu Zhi came out from inside and looked at Yun Qing with an excited face and exclaimed, âAre you, General Yun Qing?â Just now, Yu Zhi was forced by Zijin to clean up the kitchen together. When he saw Zijin go out, he followed along from behind her.
Yun Qing looked at Yu Zhi, who had a naive face and nodded his head, âI am.â
Yu Zhi smiled and burst out, âGeneral Yun exactly as I have imagined.â He imagined General Yun to be so imposing and handsome. Well, if Zijin knew what he was thinking, she would have scolded him for having such lousy eyesight.
Yun Qing responded expressionlessly, âIâm flattered.â
Han Jianye urged with a smile, âYun Qing, I knew that there are many things you have to do in the military camp. You can go ahead and get your hands on them!â He knew how busy Yun Qing was, but it showed his sincerity towards his sister when he had quickly came over.
Zijin turned back inside and said to Yuxi, âMiss, that Yun Qing is looking like a bandit.â Not to mention Chen Ran, even if one picked any random young man of the capital, he could still beat Yun Qing at a distance of one hundred and eight thousand li in terms of appearance.
Yu Zhi didnât look happy when he heard these words from Zijin. âNonsense, where does General Yun look like a bandit? He had stood there, in all his righteousness. How can that be compared to bandits?â This girl had a terrible vision!
Yuxi laughed and asked, âDoes he look that scary?â She remembered that Yun Qing did not look bad and thought, had he ruined his appearance when he grew up? It should not be so. If he were indeed that ugly, there would be rumours about this outside.
After Han Jianye sent Yun Qing away, he was about to walk in and ask Yuxi where she put her things when he heard the word âscaryâ and asked, âWhatâs scary?â
Yuxi laughed and said, âZijin said that Yun Qing looked like a bandit and that he was scary. Er Ge, is Yun Qing that scary?â
8 Guardian Deities in Chinese Buddhism
Image Credit | The real image owner via Baike Sogou (å «å¤§éå)
Han Jianye glared at Zijin and asserted, âNonsense. Si Mei, donât listen to Zijinâs absurd idea. Yun Qing is quite good-looking, better than Er Ge!â This statement was not convincing as Han Jianye himself was like an angry guardian deity.
Zijin looked scornfully at Han Jianye. âDoes Second Master know Yun Qingâs real appearance?â Just by looking at Yun Qingâs beard, she knew it had grown at least for two to three years.
Han Jianye didnât know what a shaved Yun Qing would look like, but he wouldnât be baffled by Zijinâs question. âWhy does a man has to be so good-looking when he is already competent?â
Yuxi smiled and sent Zijin to continue her work, then she asked Han Jianye, âWhat is Yun Qing doing here?â He was so well-informed that he visited immediately after Er Ge returned.
Han Jianye answered, âYun Qing sent your things over. By the way, he also asked about the wedding date. Yuxi, when do you think the wedding date should be?â
When Yuxi heard this question, she turned speechless. âThe betrothed gifts have not yet been given. How can the wedding date be set?â She had never heard of anyone asking for a wedding date without following the previous proper procedure first. Yuxi was not angry with him, but it was not good that they didnât have any elders around for them to refer. If they didnât follow the marriage protocol, the actual wedding would become a mess. [+]
Han Jianye groaned and said with some embarrassment, âIâll talk to him about it later on.â Not to mention Yun Qing, even he, a married man, had forgotten about this.
Yuxi spat out helplessly, âBesides, I have not yet prepared anything beforehand. It will take at least two to three months for me to prepare everything again.â Other than that, it was always necessary to sew two new clothes for her future husband, and some other odds and ends had to be added.
Han Jianye had always avoided these kinds of chores whenever he could. âAlright, Iâll also talk to him about this later.â This situation was a sad reminder that they did not have any elders around. If his mother were here, he wouldnât need to worry about these kinds of things! Alas, Han Jianye truly missed his mother this time around.
Yuxi nodded her head and inquired, âBy the way, can you also ask him when he will be available? I want to talk to him.â Although this was a bestowed marriage, there was something they should discuss in advance.
Han Jianye did nothing other than nod his head.