Misty Rain of the Old Times

Yang County is actually quite large, with a total population of four to five hundred thousand. The permanent population of the urban area alone exceeds one hundred thousand and is close to two hundred thousand. Buildings in this era are generally not tall, and many families have small courtyards. For example, Chen Xuan's residence occupies more than ten acres of land. Therefore, the urban area of ​​Yang County is quite large.

Even within the entire Jing Kingdom, Yang County is considered a mid-to-high-class county; the top-tier counties are the three counties of the capital.

But no matter what, it's still just a county town, and can't compare to a state capital like Mocheng.

Chen Xuan originally thought that Xiao Miao, who grew up in a big city, would not be interested in such a small county town. However, she was very interested and asked questions in every place she visited. Chen Xuan patiently explained that since she grew up here, there was almost no place she did not know, and she could even name some hidden shops.

Xiao Gao's family was well-off. When he was a child, he was only good at playing and eating. He had plenty of money and would go wherever there was good food and fun. As a result, his footsteps covered almost every corner of Yang County. Chen Xuan used to keep Xiao Gao's money bag safe.

As the group toured Yang County, stopping and starting along the way, Chen Xuan gradually noticed that Xiao Miao was interested in what had happened to him in a certain place, while she didn't care much about things that had nothing to do with him.

She seemed to be tracing Chen Xuan's footsteps, trying to understand his past, because of her attachment to him.

After discovering this, Chen Xuan subtly changed his route, heading towards the route he remembered visiting most often. He knew the place like the back of his hand, and could talk about many places in great detail, as he had experienced them before. Xiao Miao listened with great interest, and even Su Roujia had an expression as if she thought, "So the master had such experiences when he was a child."

After walking through several long streets and turning many corners, Chen Xuan looked back and vaguely saw the laughter and joy of his childhood right before his eyes. However, those who accompanied him in his childhood had all gone their separate ways and were no longer young.

"What's wrong, sir?" The little maid noticed Chen Xuan's change in mood and asked with concern.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan pulled himself together and smiled, "It's nothing. The sun is setting, it's almost dark. Let's not go back to cook. Let's go to that restaurant. Did Roujia bring any money?"

"Yes, sir. I'll go arrange the seating right away," the maid nodded and strode off first.

Chen Xuan let her be; she was already quite adept at such trivial matters.

Riding on horseback, Zhou Xiaomiao hesitated, looking ahead, and said, "Brother Chen, that restaurant looks so lively! There's a long queue outside. It must be very expensive. Why don't we go back first? I'm not hungry."

"We've been out shopping for so long, it's lunchtime. Xiao Miao, you and Fu Gui are still growing, so don't worry about saving money for me. Brother Chen has plenty of money," Chen Xuan said with a smile, seeing right through her little scheme.

When they arrived at the restaurant entrance, Su Roujia greeted them with a strange expression, "Sir, everything has been arranged; it's a private room upstairs."

After handing the horse to the waiter, Chen Xuan helped Zhou Xiaomiao dismount and entered the restaurant. Amidst the bustling noise, he asked, "Roujia, you look puzzled. What happened?"

She shook her head and said, "Sir, nothing happened, it's just so strange. There were so many people queuing up, even though there were no empty seats. I was originally planning to queue up too, but when the restaurant staff saw me, they invited me over, saying there were private rooms available upstairs. It made me feel really embarrassed, and many diners were clearly looking at me with displeasure."

Thinking it was something serious, Chen Xuan explained, "Roujia, don't worry about it. This restaurant is backed by the Gao family. You may not have met the owner, but they know you. There's no reason why we shouldn't have seats. Don't worry about us getting priority. Even if we didn't come, several private rooms would still be empty."

"Oh, I see. That makes sense then," Su Roujia said, relieved.

They soon arrived at a private room, where a table was set out with the restaurant's signature dishes. Chen Xuan, with a hint of reminiscence in his eyes, said, "Speaking of which, I played a part in the success of this restaurant, though of course, I was just an afterthought."

"Why did you say that, Brother Chen?" Zhou Xiaomiao asked curiously, slightly reserved. She had been to such 'high-end' places before, but at most she had gone to do renovations for others.

Taking a sip of the tea poured by the young maid, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "This Dewei Restaurant, when I first went to the Gao family, the young master brought me here and introduced me to some of his childhood friends. Back then..."

After briefly describing what happened, Chen Xuan continued, "So, the owner of this shop was quite clever. After the young master became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he publicized this incident from over ten years ago extensively. It was all about the celebrity effect. Countless people came because of the young master and wanted to see the place he had experienced as a child, so the business here flourished, making a fortune every day. However, good business isn't always a good thing; you have to be able to handle it. So, the shop owner gave a portion of the profits to the Gao family. Perhaps the Gao family didn't care about this small amount of income, but that's why no one dared to cause trouble here."

"So there are such twists and turns in it," the little girl said in astonishment, her face practically screaming how complicated the adult world is.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Actually, I haven't specifically looked into it. It's just that my senses are different from ordinary people. I occasionally pay attention to my surroundings, and with all sorts of information coming together, I know about it."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "A poor family with a beautiful wife, low virtue but high position, little wisdom but great ambition—these are all taboos in life, easily inviting disaster. When one's own abilities are insufficient, it's best to yield and find a powerful backer; otherwise, it will do more harm than good. One must be strong oneself to succeed. When you are capable enough, fame and fortune are easily attainable. Even if you sit at home, people will line up to offer themselves to you. Um, I've said a bit too much. You're still young; you wouldn't understand anyway."

Returning to the old place, and having grown accustomed to lofty discussions with Xiao Gao, a literary figure from previous years, Chen Xuan said something inappropriate.

Upon learning that this place held special significance for Chen Xuan during his childhood, even though everything had changed, Su Roujia and Zhou Xiaomiao seemed to feel a sense of familiarity upon seeing it.

The food was served quickly, and the group ate and chatted. Even though it was a signature dish, it just didn't taste the same as it used to. The business was booming, but the taste was bad, and it was more expensive than before. Who could they complain to?

After eating and drinking their fill, the group paid the bill and left, strolling around to their home to digest their food.

Back at their lodgings, Chen Xuan arranged for Xiao Miao and the others to rest. He looked at the clear night sky, then washed up and went to sleep late at night. Although nothing major had happened that day, it had been quite an eventful one.

'Judging by the time, it's almost mid-February, and there's still more than a month until I marry the little princess. However, I remember that it hasn't rained since the New Year, and there have been very few cloudy days.' Before falling asleep, Chen Xuan thought of the clear night sky, and this thought couldn't help but flash through his mind. It's the planting season, yet it's not raining...

The next day, Chen Xuan got up early as usual, but Zhou Xiaomiao and her brother got up even earlier. While the little girl brought him toiletries to clean up, Chen Xuan looked out the window at Zhou Xiaomiao in the yard and greeted her, "Good morning, Xiaomiao. Did you sleep well last night? What are you looking at?"

A thin mist rose in the morning. Zhou Xiaomiao, who was in the courtyard, looked around his residence and replied, "Brother Chen, you're here early too. I'm just taking a look at your house. If there's anything that needs repair, I've completed my carpentry training over the years and might be able to help. Then you won't need to hire any extra craftsmen." "Do you think there's anything that needs repair?" Chen Xuan asked with a smile. After washing up, he went downstairs and began his usual meditation exercise. The little girl followed him to practice, and Zhou Fugui joined in as well. This exercise was already ingrained in his bones.

Watching the three of them practice in unison, Zhou Xiaomiao sat on the steps, resting her chin on her hands, and said dejectedly, "I can't see where it needs repair. It seems I can't use my skills."

"Haha, it was just renovated last year, it won't break down so easily. I'll come to you for repairs in the future, Xiao Miao, and I won't be polite," Chen Xuan said happily. He didn't mention that his house was built by an apprentice of a master craftsman from the Ministry of Works, so as not to discourage Xiao Miao, since her master was just a folk craftsman.

After the activities, Chen Xuan went to the pavilion to drink tea and take a nap, while the little girl went to cook, with Xiao Miao helping out.

Du Juan returned during dinner, and Chen Xuan greeted her, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Juan. You're back just in time. Breakfast has just been served. Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

With no outsiders around, Du Juan was as casual as ever. Even if she had been away all night, she would serve Chen Xuansheng a meal before sitting down to eat.

In Chen Xuan's household, there was no custom of not speaking while eating or sleeping. Seeing the little maid's curious expression as to what Sister Juan had been doing all night, Du Juan proactively said, "Master, Miss Guo has calmed down after a night's rest, but she's still upset. It seems this has been a big blow to her. The young lady is very clever, but when it comes to matters concerning herself, she hasn't been able to process it, and it's questionable whether she can even truly understand it."

"That's good. Sister Juan, you've worked hard. Anyway, there's nothing much going on at home. You haven't slept all night, so go and get some rest," Chen Xuan nodded.

After yesterday's commotion, Guo Qingxue shouldn't be coming to see me anytime soon, which is a happy relief.

As the saying goes, those involved are often blinded by their own interests. It's understandable that Guo Qingxue couldn't understand it. She cared so much about Chen Xuan, even going so far as to give herself to him. How could he treat her like that?

He hadn't really done anything to her, he'd just scared her away, so Chen Xuan didn't feel guilty.

However, Chen Xuan also knew that one day she would come to her senses. How long it would take was up to her. At that time, she should have grown up and understood her true feelings, rather than just the momentary impulse of a young girl.

Du Juan shook her head and said, "Master, I'm not sleepy. Let alone not sleeping all night, I could go for days and nights without closing my eyes and still be full of energy. But aren't you worried that she might become even more reckless after she figures things out?"

"Whatever you want. Who can say what will happen in the future?" Chen Xuan said nonchalantly. Anyway, things are peaceful now. He never worries about the future now. It's not like we need to eliminate enemies immediately. We'll deal with it when the time comes.

Those weren't issues Du Juan should be concerned with. She changed the subject, saying, "By the way, Master, she's already left. She's left Yang County. I personally saw her meet up with the people from the Cold Mountain Sword Sect who had been searching for her, and they boarded a large ship heading north. Only then did I feel relieved enough to return and report. Among them was a master of the Innate Realm, who is her aunt. I'm certain she's from the Cold Mountain Sword Sect. Otherwise, given her state of mind, and considering her deep affection for you, Master, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting her leave alone."

"Well, what's past is past. After this ordeal, I doubt the Cold Mountain Sword Sect will let her go out alone so easily," Chen Xuan nodded. He hoped the little girl would be a bit more grown up by the next time they met.

After listening to their conversation, the little maid asked curiously, "Master, what are you talking about? What happened to Miss Guo? I didn't even know when they left yesterday."

"It's nothing, the little girl was just being silly and got scared off by me. Go eat your food," Chen Xuan said, brushing it off.

The little girl said "oh" without getting upset, thinking to herself, "If even Lady Guo is a little girl, then what am I?"
After dinner, Chen Xuan didn't go back to sleep. Instead, he took Zhou Xiaomiao and the others to tour Yang County. They visited almost the entire county in one day.

The next day, instead of taking them for a stroll in Yang County, they went out to Qingliang Mountain for a spring outing. Chen Xuan had left his footprints there many times before. The group had a picnic, flew kites, picked wildflowers, and incidentally made up for their childhood regrets.

Afterwards, Chen Xuan took Zhou Xiaomiao to Yushan Academy in the neighboring Lanfeng County, so that they could see the place where they had studied and Chen Xuan could also take the opportunity to revisit it.

Today, Yushan Academy is not what it used to be. It has expanded nearly tenfold, with thousands of students full of vigor. Various flowers are planted all over the mountain, blooming beautifully in the spring.

The reason it was so large was because Yushan Academy produced a top scholar in the imperial examination. Families with the means would send their children there for their early education, hoping to absorb some of the scholar's talent.

When Chen Xuan and his group arrived, they did not see Mr. Yushan. The old man had already gone to Gao Jingming's office in Zhoushan County to serve as an advisor. It seems that Xiao Gao had taken Chen Xuan's words to heart and invited his master to come and offer advice. The master and disciple worked together to realize their ideals, but this path would be very difficult, and it was still unknown how far they could go.

Regardless, their ideas may seem like castles in the air, but there always have to be pioneers to try them, right?

Furthermore, the old campus of Yushan Academy has become a 'scenic spot,' the very place where Chen Xuan and his classmates studied back then. Classes are no longer held there, but instead it has become a place for scholars and poets to visit. In particular, the table where Gao Jingming sat, tsk tsk, now you have to pay to sit there and experience it. I don't know which genius came up with the idea that you even have to queue up. Yushan Academy earns a lot of money from this alone.

What left Chen Xuan speechless was that the graffiti that Gao Jingming and Deng Lingfeng had done on the school walls back then had been stamped and marked everywhere. Good heavens, the walls were covered in red. He didn't know what people were after. Did you have to make such a fuss over children's graffiti?
In short, Chen Xuan has been taking Zhou Xiaomiao and the others around to play these past few days, which is a way for him to relax. But then again, Chen Xuan is so idle all day long, I don't know what he's relaxing about.

However, while he was idly wandering around, he began to play with stones in his hands, playing with them wherever he went. The stones he was playing with were geomagnetic essences he had brought back from Wanku Mountain.

In reality, he had just started researching concealment formations, but these were very difficult, far more difficult than mist formations. He wasn't aiming to achieve great things overnight; he would take it slowly, since he had plenty of time.

They went out that day and didn't return until evening. They had a great time and were all reluctant to leave.

However, Chen Xuan keenly noticed that Zhou Xiaomiao wasn't in high spirits. Although she hid it well, he still noticed. Recalling that she had been looking northwards repeatedly in the past two days, Chen Xuan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Xiaomiao, are you homesick?"

...(End of chapter)