A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Lights were already on in the Lu family courtyard. Zhao was busy making pancakes in the kitchen, the aroma of oil mixed with scallions filling the yard. Lu Tiezhu squatted on the threshold, smoking, the cigarette glowing faintly.

Lu Qingyan was packing his luggage inside the house. Actually, there wasn't much to pack; everything he needed to bring had been prepared yesterday. He changed into a neat dark blue short jacket, with a slightly worn padded jacket over it—wearing an official robe was inconvenient for riding a horse.

"Yan'er, the pancakes are ready." Madam Zhao brought in a bamboo sieve filled with golden-brown, crispy scallion pancakes, still steaming hot. She carefully wrapped them in oiled paper and stuffed them into her bag. "Eat them on the road, don't go hungry."

"Mother, that's enough." Lu Qingyan looked at the thick stack of pancakes, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Take more, just in case we can't find a restaurant on the road." Zhao stuffed two more boiled eggs into the bag.

As they were talking, Lu Dashan led a horse into the courtyard. It was a chestnut horse, not very tall, but it looked spirited. A saddlebag was slung over the saddle, bulging and full.

"Are you sure you don't want a carriage?" Lu Dashan asked, still worried. "Riding a horse is tiring and bumpy."

"Time is tight." Lu Qingyan fastened his bundle. "It would take about ten days by carriage, but seven or eight days on horseback. The wedding is on May 16th, so we can't delay any longer."

He went to town yesterday and bought a horse. It wasn't a very good horse, just a chestnut gelding, docile and of average speed, but it was cheap. It cost twenty taels of silver, almost emptying the rest of his cash.

The horse was tied up in the yard, grazing with its head down. Lu Xiaoshan squatted beside it, carefully inspecting the saddle, reins, and horseshoes.

"They're all sturdy." He stood up. "Third brother, be careful on the road. Although this horse is docile, it's still livestock; it might kick up its heels if you get impatient."

"I know." Lu Qingyan walked over and stroked the horse's neck. The horse raised its head and gently nuzzled his hand.

In his previous life, he had only ridden a horse while traveling, and even then, someone would lead him along at a slow pace. Now, he was truly unsure about traveling on horseback for seven or eight days. But time was of the essence, and he had to return to the capital as soon as possible.

As dawn broke, his family saw him off at the village entrance.

Zhao stuffed the prepared dry rations into the horse's saddlebag and then slipped a purse into her son's arms: "There are ten taels of silver in there for the journey. Be frugal on the road, even if you're poor."

"Mother, I have money..."

"Take it." Zhao's eyes reddened. "Be careful on the road. Rest when you're tired, and don't travel at night."

Lu Tiezhu only said three words: "Be careful."

Lu Dashan and Lu Xiaoshan helped tie up the bundle. Yunniang stood aside and whispered, "Third brother, have a safe journey."

"Thank you, sister-in-law."

Tao Hua and Shun Hua tugged at his sleeves: "Third Brother, come back soon."

Lu Qingyan patted his two younger sisters' heads: "Once your third brother has settled in the capital, I'll pick you up to go play."

He was a little clumsy as he mounted the horse. The horse seemed to sense this and twitched its hooves uneasily. Lu Qingyan tightened his grip on the reins, composed himself, and gently spurred the horse's flanks.

The horse started to trot. He swayed, then quickly ducked down and gripped the reins tightly.

Looking back, my family members were still standing at the village entrance, their figures growing smaller and smaller until they became blurry.

He turned back and looked straight ahead.

The official road was wide, and the morning mist had not yet dissipated. Horse hooves clattered on the dirt road.

The first hour went well. The horse wasn't running fast, and he gradually got used to the rhythm, even managing to straighten up slightly.

But soon, the discomfort began.

My inner thighs were chafed painfully by the saddle, and my lower back was starting to ache from being constantly tense. The area between my thumb and forefinger, gripping the reins, quickly turned red.

As the sun rose higher, he found a roadside tea stall to rest. When he dismounted, his legs went weak, and he almost fell. The stall owner, an old man, saw this and chuckled, "Young master, is this your first time riding a horse on such a long journey?"

Lu Qingyan smiled wryly: "I can't hide it from you, old man."

"Judging from your posture, it seems like you are," the old man poured him a bowl of coarse tea. "When riding a horse, you can't sit for long. You have to stand up and move around from time to time, otherwise your legs won't be able to straighten by evening."

"Thank you for your guidance, sir."

After drinking tea and eating a pancake, Lu Qingyan remounted his horse. This time, he tried what the old man had said: to stand up and stretch his legs every now and then. It did make him feel better.

But soon, another problem arose—his butt hurt.

The saddle was hard, the road was uneven, and the jolting made his internal organs feel like they were about to shift. By the afternoon, he dared not sit upright anymore and could only squat, his legs getting even more tired.

In the evening, he lodged in a small town. The innkeeper led the horse to feed it, while he dragged his aching legs up to his room on the second floor.

He took off his pants and saw that the skin on his inner thigh was chafed raw and bleeding. He fetched hot water, cleaned the wound, and applied the ointment Zhao had given him. It burned with pain.

The second day was even worse. The wound had scabbed over, but it would break open again with any rubbing. My back felt like it was broken, and my arms were so sore I couldn't lift them.

But he didn't stop. He set off before dawn and didn't find lodging until after dark. He only rested for three or four hours each day, spending the rest of his time on the road.

On the third day, he began to adapt. He mastered the rhythm of riding, knowing when to relax and when to exert force. His wounds also slowly healed, forming thick calluses.

He encountered several groups of travelers on the road. There were peddlers driving carts, scholars on foot, and travelers on horseback like himself. He tried to avoid crowded places and just kept his head down and kept going.

On the fourth day, it started to rain. The spring rain was light and continuous, but it soaked his clothes. He put on a raincoat and braved the rain. The rain stung his face, feeling icy cold.

On the fifth day, the rain stopped, but the road became even muddier. The horse struggled to walk, and he lurched along with it. Several times he nearly slipped, but luckily he held on tightly to the reins.

On the sixth day, he realized he was lost. Trying to take a shortcut, he turned onto a side path, only to find it increasingly desolate. Just as it was getting dark, he met a woodcutter who pointed him in the right direction.

It was past midnight when he returned to the main road. He found a dilapidated temple to rest in and ate dry rations with cold water. The temple leaked, so he huddled in a corner, listening to the wind and rain outside.

I think of Yun Shuwei in the capital, the warm study in the Duke's mansion, and the quiet desk in the Hanlin Academy.

I also thought of my parents in Yongning County, the old house at home, and the jujube tree at the entrance of the village.

He suddenly felt like a taut string, one end connected to his hometown, the other to the capital. And at this moment, he was on that string, struggling forward.

On the seventh day, the sky cleared. He set off early, and the horse seemed to sense its master's urgency, running faster than usual.

In the afternoon, the city walls of the capital could be seen in the distance.

Lu Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief and reined in his horse. The horse was panting heavily, and he was also exhausted to the point of collapse.

But he smiled.

We made it.

May 12th, four days before the wedding.

He dismounted and led the horse slowly forward. His legs were stiff, and he walked with a limp.

The guard at the city gate glanced at him, then at his official robes, and let him pass without asking any further questions.

After entering the city, he first went to the Yun residence. The gatekeeper, seeing his appearance, was startled: "Young master, what happened to you...?"

"I was in a hurry on the way." Lu Qingyan waved his hand. "Just letting you know I'm back."

A short while later, Yun Chengzong emerged. Seeing his travel-worn and exhausted appearance, he frowned and asked, "What happened to you?"

"Let's ride horses and hurry."

Yun Chengzong nodded: "Go wash up and rest first. The wedding date is still as scheduled, don't worry."

Lu Qingyan bowed and took his leave. By the time he returned to the small courtyard he had rented near the Hanlin Academy, it was already dark.

Pushing open the door, the room was spotless, clearly having been cleaned. Hot tea and snacks were on the table, and next to it was a note in Yun Shuwei's handwriting: "You must be tired from your journey, take a good rest."

He picked up a pastry and took a bite. The sweet aroma melted in his mouth.

The fatigue seemed to have subsided a bit.

He fetched water to wash up and changed into clean clothes. The injuries on his legs, waist, and hands still hurt, but he felt relieved.

He made it back in time. He didn't miss the wedding. He lay in bed and closed his eyes.