My Gentle and Pure Sect Leader Husband - Chapter 34

Yu Luocha left overnight.

When little dumpling Hua woke up, he could no longer find any trace of the other elder in the house.

But a group of workers had arrived in the courtyard.

Hearing the clanging sounds, little dumpling Hua stood close to Yan Hongyin and looked up to ask, “Aunt Yan, what are they doing?”

Yan Hongyin explained patiently. “The two trees in the courtyard are blocking some light, they need to be moved aside a bit to clear the way.”

These two trees sprawled across the courtyard taking up space, making almost all the windows facing this side dark with green shade. During Jinling city’s rainy season when there was already little sun, it would likely be even more depressing.

“But I hear branches breaking…?” Little dumpling Hua’s expression showed some concern.

“They’ve grown too lush, they can’t fit side by side, so they need to be trimmed.” Yan Hongyin looked at the two pear trees, now thinner and planted side by side at one edge of the courtyard, roughly estimated that the remaining space was enough for regular use, and nodded with satisfaction. “Do you like them?”

“Yes!” Little dumpling Hua nodded firmly.

“Then remember to water them every day.” Yan Hongyin rubbed the little dumpling’s head, which felt fluffy, “There will also be a vegetable garden and medicinal herb field in the back courtyard, remember to help Aunt Yan water those too.”

“Vegetable garden and medicinal herb field?” Little dumpling Hua hesitated for a moment, “Aunt Yan, how do I water the vegetable garden and medicinal herb field?”

The Hua Family Fortress only had gardens and trees, not things like vegetable gardens and medicinal fields.

Yan Hongyin patted his little head appreciatively for his intelligence and meticulousness, then bent down to pick him up. “It doesn’t matter, Aunt Yan will teach you.”

“Okay.” Little dumpling Hua nodded obediently, then curled up in Yan Hongyin’s arms letting her carry him. Suddenly, he asked in a small voice, “Aunt Yan, can Seventh Child learn medicine?”

Yan Hongyin’s footsteps paused imperceptibly. “Yes, starting with identifying medicinal herbs, okay?”

“Mmm!” Little dumpling Hua’s entire face lit up, and he clenched his little fist and nodded very seriously.

Yan Hongyin raised her hand to rub the little dumpling’s face, with some regret in her eyes.

Hua Manlou was indeed a child with great talent, with a keen sense of smell, quick wit and eagerness to learn, possessing self-discipline rare for his age, plus an affability that easily earned others’ trust. With such gifts, he could potentially master anything he set his mind to, but…

Hua Manlou could become a healer, but that was as far as it could go.

A physician needs looking, smelling, asking, and palpating—none of these four aspects can be missing. In this world of numerous difficult and complicated diseases, there are too many that require visual observation to verify and assist in diagnosis, and Hua Manlou’s eyes…

Yan Hongyin placed the little dumpling in front of the dressing table and somewhat clumsily combed his hair. Though her movements showed hesitation, they were careful and gentle. Finally, comparing several styles of hair ribbons that were delivered, she ultimately chose one embroidered with little rabbits and tied up his hair.

Yan Hongyin brought Hua Manlou, whose sleeves were also tied up, to plant medicinal herbs in the back courtyard’s field.

“This row is Banlangen, it needs loose soil. Before planting, the seeds need to be soaked in warm water to soften their shells… When watering, keep the soil moist but avoid waterlogging…”

“This is Cheqianzi, it survives easily. At the beginning, just sprinkle a little water…”

“These are Bai Zhi, they also survive easily and don’t need much water… Our daily tooth powder is made by grinding them, so we only have a few plants, just enough for use.”

“In this flowerpot are soaked Jegeng seeds, they need a warmer environment to sprout. Seventh Child, if you notice them sprouting, tell Aunt Yan immediately, and we’ll transplant them to the field together.”

Though the front courtyard of this residence wasn’t spacious, the back courtyard was quite open, with medicinal fields on one side and vegetable gardens on the other, full of vitality.

Yan Hongyin guided Hua Manlou’s hand to familiarize him with the locations of the medicinal field and vegetable garden, without any intention of having him sit aside due to his eye condition.

The little dumpling also studied earnestly, his face full of concentration.

The clanging sounds from the front courtyard finally stopped after more than two hours. Yan Hongyin went to check the newly paved courtyard, and after confirming there were no issues, paid the workers.

When she returned to the back courtyard, Yan Hongyin saw the little dumpling squatting by the field, looking somewhat sad.

Her qinggong was excellent, so her footsteps were naturally light. The little dumpling hadn’t realized she was nearby and was hanging his head, using his hands, which were slightly soiled with dirt, to rub his eyes.

“Your hands are dirty, don’t rub your eyes, it will hurt.”

Yan Hongyin used a semi-dry handkerchief to clean Hua Manlou’s little hands, without asking why he was huddling here looking glum.

Hearing Yan Hongyin’s sudden voice, Hua Manlou was visibly startled, almost shuddering, but quickly realized it was Yan Hongyin and lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly. “Aunt Yan…”

“Hmm?” Yan Hongyin balled up the dirty handkerchief in her hand, not minding the dirt by the medicinal field, and sat down next to the little dumpling.

“I…” the little dumpling hesitated for a good while, then said softly, “Can I really help treat people? My eyes…”

If this question had been asked of Yu Luocha, perhaps that fellow would have said many things to divert the little dumpling’s attention or comfort him, but sitting here was Yan Hongyin. Yu Luocha was probably galloping quickly on the road to Lanzhou at this moment; distant waters could not quench a nearby fire.

Yan Hongyin had hardly been so conflicted since becoming a Jinyiwei. She deliberated for quite a while, but still chose to tell the truth. She wanted to soften her tone to comfort the little dumpling, but due to nervousness, her words came out somewhat stiff. “You might encounter some difficulties. People lie, some even lie when at death’s door. If you rely only on pulse-taking and questioning, it’s easy to overlook some details floating on the surface…”

Yan Hongyin suddenly stopped halfway.

The one before her was just a seven-year-old child, not a Jinyiwei from the Dark Division, nor a doctor from the medical clinic who used to exchange medical knowledge. Talking like this…

Yan Hongyin opened her mouth, then closed it again with some frustration.

Little dumpling Hua’s body leaned toward Yan Hongyin, his cheek resting against her arm.

Yan Hongyin was even more at a loss for words to comfort the little dumpling, and could only try her best to relax her body to let him lean on her.

“Aunt Yan is so good.”

When the little dumpling’s somewhat milky voice reached her ears, Yan Hongyin was truly stunned.

“Aunt Yan never tries to fool Seventh Child. Seventh Child can trust everything Aunt Yan says, without having to guess if what Aunt Yan says is true or false.” The little dumpling said, then added with a mumble, “That’s so good.”

Yan Hongyin: “…”

She felt that interrogating dozens of criminals was easier than comforting such a little dumpling.

So what should she say at this moment?

So when would Yu Luocha come back?

Oh, no, if Yu Luocha came back…

There would be another child…

As her gaze wandered, Yan Hongyin heard the little dumpling say, “Aunt Yan, Seventh Child won’t learn medicine anymore, Seventh Child will just help Aunt Yan grow medicinal herbs.”

“Hmm?” Yan Hongyin looked down, somewhat puzzled.

The little dumpling looked up, his tone serious. “Seventh Child wanted to learn medicine to help others, to make Seventh Child useful, but if it’s for Seventh Child’s competitiveness and self-esteem, and causes patients not to receive the correct treatment, that would surely go against Aunt Yan’s original intention in teaching me medicine, right?”

Yan Hongyin had indeed worried about this point, but this little dumpling Hua was really too…

Unable to resist, she raised her hand to pinch the little dumpling’s face, then used her fingertips to rub his slightly pink cheeks. Yan Hongyin said softly, “Learning medicine and practicing medicine are two different things, don’t think about not studying. Starting tomorrow, you not only have to learn medicine with me, but also the Four Books and Five Classics, and all six arts of a gentleman, understand?”

Little dumpling Hua slowly opened his mouth, “…So much…really?”

At Hua Family Fortress, Hua Manlou also had teachers, but they were limited to teaching reading and writing, the Book of Songs and biographical records. Not to mention the six arts of a gentleman, he hadn’t even touched any sharp-edged tools for a long time.

“We’ll learn gradually, Aunt Yan believes in you.”

“Mm-hmm!”

Yan Hongyin noticed the little dumpling immediately perking up from his previous low mood, feeling satisfied that she had comforted the child well, then brought up something she had thought about last night. “Seventh Child, in a few days your Uncle Yu will bring back a child to grow up and attend classes with you. He’ll be a bit more than three years older than you, a big brother.”

“Mm, Seventh Child knows.” For little dumpling Hua, the most familiar relatives besides his parents were basically a string of brothers. “Seventh Child will get along well with big brother.”

“That’s not the issue.” Yan Hongyin paused, thinking of the Ximen family massacre and the entanglements with the court and Yu Luocha behind it, and said, “Unless you have Aunt Yan’s permission, you cannot mention your parents and brothers in front of your big brother, nor can you say your name. Can you do that?”

“Aunt Yan hopes that during this time you spend together, you’re just simple brothers, not involving anything else, okay?”

The little dumpling lowered his head to understand, then nodded seriously and agreed. “Then what should Seventh Child call himself?”

Yan Hongyin got stuck for a moment.

Xiao Hua? No, that reminds her of that old fox Zhuge Zhengwo.

Xiao Man? Xiao Lou? Sounds strange…

Suddenly remembering Yu Luocha’s Ah Yu, and Hua Manlou’s words…

“…Ah Lou?” Yan Hongyin hesitantly spoke.

Seems fine?

The little dumpling Ah Lou had no objections at all and loudly said, “Good!”

****

Half a month later.

A dust-covered galloping horse stopped at the back door of the residence. The person on horseback wore a thick cloak, their face unclear.

With a long exhale, somewhat disheveled, Yu Luocha undid his cloak and peeled out the little dumpling Ximen from inside, standing by the horse and saying to the little dumpling Ximen, “We’ve arrived.”

The ten-year-old little dumpling Ximen, sitting on the horse, looked over the bamboo fence of the back door to see the medicinal field and vegetable garden in the courtyard, and also saw a little dumpling squatting nearby, muttering something.

Yu Luocha also turned to look, seeing little dumpling Hua watering the medicinal field with a small bucket, his gaze softening a bit.

“That’s your little brother.”

There was no change in expression on little dumpling Ximen’s delicate face, his eyes also a blank slate.

From the first moment Yu Luocha saw his nephew, he thought he looked incredibly similar to a certain Jinyiwei, and as they traveled together, he only felt the resemblance growing stronger.

However, little dumpling Ximen spoke even less than Ah Yin, as did his facial expressions.

Recalling the tragic deaths of his younger sister and brother-in-law, Yu Luocha learned from little dumpling Ximen why he had appeared thousands of miles away in Lanzhou.

—-Ximen Chuixue was trying to find his uncle Yu Luocha beyond the passes due to his parents’ dying instructions.

Yu Luocha tied the horse to one side, then lifted the cool and cold child from the horse’s back.

“When will you teach me martial arts?” Little dumpling Ximen finally opened his mouth.

Because the uncle in front of him, who shared five parts resemblance with himself, had previously said he would teach him martial arts once they reached Jinling.

TheXimen couple had once taught Ximen Chuixue martial arts enlightenment, but clearly, what Ximen Chuixue wanted to learn was not those.

Yu Luocha was somewhat troubled.

“Those people are already dead,” Yu Luocha said countless times.

“They weren’t,” Ximen Chuixue stepped back, able to look at Yu Luocha’s face without raising his head. “They were just knives. My enemy is still alive.”

Yu Luocha certainly knew this, but the problem was, he had no way to discuss court politics, succession struggles, ethnicity, checks and balances, and biding time with his currently ten-year-old nephew.

Imperial princes and dragon grandsons were not unkillable, but one had to consider how to kill them.

A single strike might be satisfying, but that didn’t fit Yu Luocha’s vengeance.

Yu Luocha’s hand rested on the horse’s head, silent for a good while, then said, “You can’t learn my martial arts. If you want to practice martial arts, if you want revenge, you have to find a way to please your aunt.”

Little dumpling Ximen finally showed a change in expression, frowning in confusion.

“You can learn, why can’t I?”

“…” Yu Luocha felt that compared to Little Seven, his nephew was simply a brain-racking little demon!

But clearly, Ximen Chuixue was a very stubborn person. He stared straight at Yu Luocha, waiting for an answer.

Yu Luocha simply grabbed the child’s wrist and directed a trace of his internal energy into the child’s meridians.

Ximen Chuixue’s physique was only better than Hua Manlou’s, not worse, and his innate meridians were strong, making him good material for martial arts. But Yu Luocha’s internal energy was even more overbearing and domineering. As soon as it entered Ximen Chuixue’s meridians, it scalded the child, making him involuntarily twitch, with surprise mixed with pain appearing in his eyes.

“You really can’t learn it. Uncle won’t harm you.” Yu Luocha patiently said in a good tone, “Your aunt is very powerful, proficient in eighteen kinds of weapons, the type who can beat me up.”

Ximen Chuixue looked at Yu Luocha with half belief and half doubt.

“Uncle Yu?”

In the courtyard, Hua Manlou, hearing the noise, slowly felt his way toward the sound and poked his little head out by the back door.

“Seven–”

Just as Yu Luocha was about to speak, little dumpling Hua quickly raised his voice and said: “Uncle Yu, is this Ah Lou’s big brother?”

Hmm? Ah Lou?

Seeing the little dumpling making exaggerated facial expressions, Yu Luocha understood Yan Hongyin’s intention in a flash, changing his words very smoothly, “Yes, Ah Lou come here, this is your big brother…um, he’s called Ah Xue!”

Ximen Chuixue frowned silently.

Ah Xue… what is that?

Ximen Chuixue was precocious from childhood, even his parents had never called him such a soft and fluffy name.

Yu Luocha had already heard footsteps coming from inside the room, knowing that Yan Hongyin was about to come out. He quickly pulled Ximen Chuixue in front of him and very seriously adjusted his nephew’s attire.

White clothes.

Good, this aligns with Ah Yin’s clothing style and aesthetics!

A cool child with refined and handsome features.

Good, since Ah Yin likes his face, she will surely like Ah Xue’s face!

Yu Luocha circled his nephew once, then removed the hair tie binding Ximen Chuixue’s hair and tied a pretty bow around his nephew’s neck.

Perfect!

“Ah Yin~ Look! This is Ah Xue~”

Yan Hongyin stood at the back door, facing Ximen Chuixue, who was being held up by his armpits and presented by Yu Luocha.

One large and one small, their eyes met.

In both pairs of undisturbed eyes was written wordlessness.

Looking at the child whose appearance was five or six parts similar to Yu Luocha, nearly identical except for curly hair and eye color, as if cut from the same mold, she fell into silence.

Little dumpling Hua tugged at Yan Hongyin’s hand, looking at her with confusion, “Aunt Yan?”

Yu Luocha peeked out from behind little dumpling Ximen, his face puzzled, “Ah Yin?”

Ximen Chuixue, held in mid-air, feet not touching the ground: “…?”

Yan Hongyin slowly said, “Ah Yu, after being married for so long, are you trying to tell me… that you have a son being raised outside?”

Yu Luocha: “!!!”

He hurriedly pulled back his hands to hold Ximen Chuixue and looked at him twice, suddenly feeling heart-blocked.

“Aunt Yan?” Little dumpling Hua was being led inside, occasionally turning his head to “look” behind.

“Come, let’s go back to the room to help Aunt Yan grind ink.”

“Grind ink for what?”

“To write a divorce letter.”

Yu Luocha was immediately thunderstruck, swallowed, and with Ximen Chuixue in his arms, chased after them, running and wailing, “No, wait—Ah Yin, let me explain!!!”

Ximen Chuixue, held in Yu Luocha’s arms, was confused for quite a while, then watching the three people in front of him making a chaotic scene, couldn’t quite react.

“Ah Yin~”

“Darling~”

“It’s really nephew resembling uncle! Let me explain! Ah Xue is already ten years old, ten years ago I was still making a living beyond the passes!”

….

Hua Manlou sighed, stepped back, and happened to bump into Ximen Chuixue standing by the door. So he groped and held Ximen Chuixue’s hand, speaking like a little adult with a tone as if he had seen through everything. “Uncle Yu will definitely be punished to sleep on the floor.”

“Have they… always been like this?”

Ximen Chuixue could hardly believe his eyes, and in his shock, forgot to reject the little dumpling’s closeness.

In his parents’ description, his uncle was the uncrowned king of power beyond the passes, a legend in the martial arts world. On this journey, he had also witnessed this man’s decisive and cold demeanor. How did he change into another appearance as soon as he entered this residence?

“Actually, I just arrived at Aunt Yan and Uncle Yu’s side not long ago, but aren’t all couples like this?” Little dumpling Hua said with full experience, “Just, quarreling and bickering, anyway, they’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

“But when adults sulk, they’re very hard to coax, and that’s when we children need to mediate and comfort them.”

“Every family is like this.”

Amidst Yu Luocha’s babbling voice as he circled around the ignoring Yan Hongyin, and the herbal scent emanating from the little dumpling beside him, Ximen Chuixue, who had been keeping himself tense, suddenly relaxed, his vision darkened, and he collapsed.

“Aunt Yan! Uncle Yu!”

Yan Hongyin, who had been keeping an eye on this side with her peripheral vision, caught the falling Ximen child in the first instance, lifted the boy’s arm to check his pulse, sighed with relief, and said to Yu Luocha with his burning gaze. “It’s alright, just exhaustion and nervous tension. No need for medicine, the scent of calming incense will help him recover.”

“Mm.” Yu Luocha also put his mind at ease, picking up the anxious-looking little dumpling Hua and taking a healing breath, worrying, “This child is too strong-willed, on the journey, the time he actually slept was shorter than mine.”

Carrying the Ximen child to the bedroom, Yan Hongyin pressed a few acupoints to make him fall into a deeper sleep, then said to little dumpling Hua leaning on the bed, “Ah Lou, watch over your big brother, if anything happens, call us loudly, understand?”

“Mm, okay!”

…..

Yu Luocha retrieved the package from the horse’s back at the back door, containing a few well-wrapped soft pears.

“These pears spoil easily after processing, so I brought them back to freeze ourselves with some ice.”

Yan Hongyin took one in her hand, not mentioning that these soft pears were just an excuse for stubbornness, but thought for a moment and said, “Let’s just use internal energy to freeze them, Jinling isn’t that cold right now, and ice isn’t cheap.”

“Will it work?”

“I don’t know, let’s try.”

“Alright, listening to you.”

“Mm.”

“Ah, these two trees look quite nice moved to one side… mm, this distance is just right for hanging a swing….this time it needs to be made more solid and bigger, in case Ah Xue and Ah Lou want to play together…”