Misty Rain of the Old Times

Two teenagers, uneducated and illiterate, one of whom was mentally challenged, with almost no experience of traveling far from home, traversed thousands of miles to reach Yang County. The hardships and dangers they faced are unimaginable; a moment's carelessness could have meant their deaths.

The fact that the siblings traveled a long way just to wish me a Happy New Year is too heavy a sentiment for them.

I was genuinely happy, but I also felt a lingering fear for them.

With a slight lump in his throat, Chen Xuan asked with gentle concern, "Xiao Miao, were you alright on the journey?"

"It went very smoothly. I met a lot of kind people along the way. I was well-fed and warmly dressed, and I didn't suffer at all," Xiao Miao said excitedly. She was very happy to see Chen Xuan, and all the hardships along the way were worth it.

In the girl's simple mind, Chen Xuan was one of the few people who were genuinely good to her and her brother, like family, or even better than family. They hadn't seen each other for a year, so she couldn't help but miss them and wanted to visit. She knew that if they didn't visit each other for too long, they would become estranged and their relationship would fade. She didn't want this relationship to dissipate in her life, and the thought of it made her feel sad.

The little girl may not have been to school, but she's very clever. When she was only eight years old, she was already thinking about earning money through labor. Over the years, she had secretly known that the furniture store in Mo City was opened by Chen Xuan specifically for her, and that she and her younger brother were able to grow up properly because of it. She just felt that she owed him too much.

Chen Xuan didn't mention it, and she wouldn't bring it up either, but would quietly try to repay it as much as possible.

In fact, their journey was not smooth, and they suffered a lot. They lost their way several times and took countless detours. If they hadn't been forced to, they wouldn't have spent money on boats or carriages. They walked most of the way. They also encountered human traffickers twice, and there were even people with ill intentions watching them. In addition to being vigilant and on guard, Zhou Fugui was also quite strong. He could break a wooden stake as thick as his waist with one punch. With a bit of luck, they were able to arrive in Yang County safely.

But to avoid worrying Chen Xuan, she wouldn't mention these things and would try to say nice things, showing that she was a very sensible girl.

Following Chen Xuan and the others towards the county town, Xiao Miao took small steps, hiding her feet under her coarse cloth skirt to avoid Chen Xuan seeing her shoes with her toes showing. Along the way, the two siblings had worn out several pairs of shoes. They had good shoes and clothes in their luggage, planning to change into them after finding Chen Xuan's place. However, Chen Xuan appeared before they could, which made her hesitate and try her best to hide her disheveled appearance.

Chen Xuan noticed this little action. It was both funny and heartbreaking. He wouldn't expose the girl's thoughts, as that would embarrass her. So, looking at her face, he said in a joking tone, "You said things went smoothly, how come you're all covered in puddles now?"

"I deliberately smeared the ash on because I was worried about running into bad people. Before I came, I asked some people who had been out and about, and they said that keeping a low profile can avoid a lot of trouble. I can just wash it off. Brother Chen, do I look ugly like this?" Xiao Miao asked nervously.

The survival wisdom of the poor is not entirely useless; it's better than nothing. Those who specialize in swindling and cheating have such sharp eyes that they would never be fooled by such a small trick.

She's a grown woman now, it's not appropriate to pat her head like when she was little. Chen Xuan said earnestly, "Xiao Miao isn't ugly, she's very pretty, even with ash on her face, she's still pretty."

That's true. The seedlings have already sprouted. Life has been better these past few years, and they've been well-cared for. They're not the kind that are pale and thin; they're a real, delicate beauty. It's just that carpentry work often involves heavy physical labor, so their hands inevitably develop calluses.

"No, not at all," she said with an embarrassed smile, even though she was happy that Chen Xuan was lying to her.

After what seemed like ages of holding it in, Zhou Fugui finally stammered, "Brother Chen, I'm so happy to see you. If there are any bad guys, I'll fight them off. Sister, protect her, remember?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaomiao's expression changed slightly, and she immediately glared at him, saying, "Brother Chen, don't listen to him. He's just a dimwit. We were fine on the way here. Zhou Fugui, what did I tell you? How could you talk nonsense in front of Brother Chen?"

"Oh, I misspoke, I forgot, I'm sorry," Zhou Fugui immediately scratched his head and admitted his mistake.

Knowing full well what was going on, Chen Xuan naturally wouldn't expose him. Instead, he gave Zhou Fugui a thumbs up and said, "Fugui, not bad. You've become a real man now."

"Hehe," he said, scratching his head and grinning foolishly. He was very happy to receive praise from Chen Xuan.

Du Juan watched the conversation silently from the side, curious about who Xiao Miao and the others were. It was surprising that Chen Xuan, who seemed uninterested in anything, had caused such a strong emotional reaction. His seemingly casual words were actually a genuine act of condescension to take care of a few low-level thugs.

She hadn't known Chen Xuan for long and didn't know much about Zhou Xiaomiao and the others.

To avoid worrying Chen Xuan about her experiences on the road, Zhou Xiaomiao changed the subject, glancing cautiously at Du Juan and asking curiously, "Brother Chen, who is this older sister?"

She actually felt somewhat inferior in front of Du Juan, inferior in every way, like an ugly duckling. But she wasn't surprised at all that Chen Xuan had such a beautiful woman by his side. She felt that it was only natural. Brother Chen was the best person in the world, and even the most beautiful girl deserved him.

Understanding her little scheme, and not mentioning the journey, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "I was so happy to see you all that I forgot to introduce you. This is Sister Du Juan, who now lives with me like family. There's also Su Roujia, who's about the same age as you, Xiao Miao. You'll meet her soon; you'll definitely become friends. And Sister Juan, these are Zhou Xiao Miao and Zhou Fugui, siblings. I met them a few years ago when Xiao Gao and I were studying in Mochen, and we've kept in touch ever since."

"Greetings, Sister Dujuan," Zhou Xiaomiao quickly bowed, thinking to herself that since Brother Chen called her Sister Juan, she must be a very important person, but judging from her tone, she didn't seem to be one of Brother Chen's wives or concubines.

She was very sensible and took the initiative to greet him, but Zhou Fugui was not so quick-witted and didn't say anything at all.

Du Juan naturally dared not put on airs. She could tell that Zhou Xiaomiao and the others held more importance in Chen Xuan's heart than she did. Although she was usually stern and unsmiling in front of outsiders, she tried her best to speak gently and said with a smile, "So it's Little Miao. You are so beautiful. Master is too kind to flatter me. I am just a maidservant. It's just that Master doesn't usually treat us like servants."

"Brother Chen is a very good person. It would be a great blessing to be able to follow him," Xiao Miao said sincerely, not without envy. If she could follow Chen Xuan, she would also give up her current life without hesitation. However, she was self-conscious and dared not push her luck. A greedy person would be disliked.

Nodding in deep agreement, Dujuan said, "Yes, being able to follow Master is a blessing earned through countless lifetimes..."

They chatted and laughed all the way, and soon returned to the county town. Xiao Miao and the others looked around curiously. This was the place where Brother Chen had lived since he was a child.

He took them straight home. Occasionally, Chen Xuan would greet the neighbors; after all, he'd grown up there and knew them well. However, in recent years, Chen Xuan had become completely retired and rarely went out, so they'd become somewhat estranged. Just as they were about to reach the entrance of 'Peach Blossom Residence,' Xiao Miao stopped outside the grove, looking around anxiously. "Brother Chen," she said nervously, "is this the Gao family's residence? Would it be inappropriate for us to go like this? Perhaps I should find an inn to change first; otherwise, it would be too impolite."

She had always known that Chen Xuan was Gao Jingming's pageboy. She couldn't help but hesitate in front of such a prestigious family, and she didn't even dare to enter the door, worried that it would cause trouble for Chen Xuan, since he was also living under someone else's roof.

She knew Gao Jingming, but they had only met a few times. In previous years, Gao Jingming had focused on his studies and hadn't paid much attention to anything else.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "I forgot to tell Xiao Miao that I've moved out of the Gao family's house. I'm no longer working as a page; someone has taken my place. I'm now living independently, and this is my home. Come in with me; don't be shy."

"Brother Chen, you've been redeemed? That's wonderful!" Zhou Xiaomiao exclaimed with delight, then realized she had probably said the wrong thing and quickly said uneasily, "I'm sorry, Brother Chen, I didn't mean to bring up those unhappy things."

In her mind, pageboys were servants of other families, people who had no choice in their own lives, and even their descendants were destined to be servants. In her perception, their status was even lower than that of poor people. Of course, she was happy for Chen Xuan to establish his own household, but such an experience was an indelible stain that could not be brought up in public.

Chen Xuan didn't care about this at all, and said, "It's alright, it's all in the past. I'll have Roujia get you some hot water to wash up later, and then I'll cook a nice meal. You've had a long journey, so please rest well today. Later, I'll show you around. Now that you're here, don't rush back. Don't worry about anything while you're here; I'll take care of everything."

"Yes, yes, we'll all listen to Brother Chen. We can't just sit around and play. We can work, let's see if we can help in any way," Xiao Miao said with a smile. Of course, she would try her best to help with chores, since she didn't have that kind of luck.

Actually, she wasn't in a hurry to go back. It was a rare opportunity to come here, and the next time was uncertain. There was a good chance she wouldn't be able to travel this far again, so naturally she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, even though she was worried about the work at the shop.

She also brought a gift, but it's not appropriate to take it out now.

The group walked along the path to the courtyard. They were delayed for a while because they went out to pick up Zhou Xiaomiao and her brother, but then everyone who was supposed to come arrived.

In the living room, Su Roujia, who had already been served tea, looked around curiously, glancing at this and that. After all, it was her own home, and guests were guests, so she didn't feel uneasy.

He Hongyi and Guo Qingxue sat facing each other without exchanging a word. Both were exceptionally beautiful, but their occasional eye contact was filled with a subtle hostility. It was unclear where this emotion came from; girls can be so unpredictable at times.

He Hongyi was still wearing a bright red dress, as hot and dazzling as a raging fire. As one of the ten most beautiful women in the martial arts world of Yuhua Kingdom, she was outstanding in both appearance and figure. In particular, her superior cultivation level made her very strong. The key was that she also had a pair of heterochromatic red eyes, which added to her unique charm.

Guo Qingxue was no less impressive. Dressed in white, she possessed stunning beauty, like an ice orchid on a snowy mountain, youthful and radiant. However, her cultivation level was somewhat lacking, having only just opened up her eight extraordinary meridians. As the beloved disciple of the Cold Mountain Sword Sect, without any extraordinary encounters, she might find it difficult to shoulder great responsibilities in the future.

Seeing this, Du Juan, who had followed her back, quickly looked them over, then glanced at Chen Xuan, thinking to herself, "So they've come to see the master? They're all so beautiful, each with their own unique charm. I don't even have an advantage in terms of looks or figure compared to them. Where did the master get involved? Could it be that some old philandering debts have come knocking on his door?"

Zhou Xiaomiao, who had been beaming with joy, froze for a moment. She felt ashamed and even more inferior. She lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone. She thought to herself, "Why are all the women around Brother Chen so beautiful? I'm afraid I came at the wrong time."

Su Roujia, with her sharp eyes, saw Chen Xuan and the others return and immediately said, "Master is back! Did you go to pick them up? Master said earlier that guests were coming, and they arrived just as Master left. As I introduced them earlier, one is He Jie from Yuhua Kingdom, and the other is Guo Jie from Hanshan Sword Sect."

Nodding, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Yes, Roujia, these are Zhou Xiaomiao and her brother. They've come from afar and must be tired. Take them to change and settle in first. I remember there are a few empty rooms. Then prepare a meal. When guests arrive, we should naturally show them hospitality."

"Yes, sir," the little maid hurried over, curiously looking at Zhou Xiaomiao and her brother. She had heard about them from Chen Xuan, but she never expected to meet them now, especially since they had come all this way on their own initiative.

Chen Xuan turned to Zhou Xiaomiao and the others and said, "Xiaomiao, this is Su Roujia, whom I just told you about. She's had a tough life since she was little, but she's a very nice person. Get to know her, change your clothes, and we'll eat later."

"Okay, I'll listen to Brother Chen," Xiao Miao nodded obediently, going along with the host's wishes and trying not to cause any trouble.

Du Juan also volunteered, "I'll go help too; Xiao Miao and the others are new here and don't know the area well."

Actually, she wanted to avoid suspicion and felt it was better to leave such occasions.

"Alright," Chen Xuan nodded in agreement. It wasn't that he wanted to send them away; there was nothing he couldn't show his face. It was just that Zhou Xiaomiao and her brother were new here and he really needed some guidance, as the little girl couldn't handle everything by herself.

After making a few simple arrangements, Chen Xuan looked at He Hongyi and Guo Qingxue, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "Miss He, Miss Guo, it's been a long time. It's truly an honor to have you two grace my humble abode with your presence."

Since we can't avoid it, we have to face it eventually. We need to have an opening, right? Are we going to just ask, "What do you want from me?"
Having already seen Chen Xuan return, the two women stood up, their eyes filled with surprise and delight. They only spoke after he had made the arrangements.

He Hongyi made no attempt to conceal her purpose, looking directly at Chen Xuan with a burning gaze, and said frankly, "Young Master Chen, it's been many days since we last met. I've been longing to see you since we parted, and I've come to fulfill my promise."

"You, Chen Xuan! No, Brother Yang, oh dear, Brother Chen, you've tricked me so badly!" Guo Qingxue exclaimed excitedly, her face full of resentment, as she rushed towards Chen Xuan like a butterfly flitting among flowers.

The two spoke almost simultaneously, and after finishing, they subconsciously looked at each other, as if sparks were flying.

Looks like you two have a grudge?
Puzzled, Chen Xuan raised his hand in surprise and said, "Wait a minute, Miss He, we've only met a few times, haven't we? Excuse me, I don't remember making any promises with you. And Miss Guo, when have I ever lied to you? You can't just say things like that. Hey, hey, let's get this straight first. Why are you trying to take advantage of me, a young lady like you?" (End of Chapter)