Chapter 31 Hao Yu Returns 1

Chapter 31 Hao Yu Returns 1

Hao Yu went to find Jiang Yuan's biological parents, hoping they could take Jiang Yuan back instead of abandoning him in a remote place like Mingfu Village as before.

After Hao Yu had this idea, Jiang Yuan made it clear that he had long since given up hope on his biological parents. He hoped that Hao Yu could listen to his advice and not make a fool of herself in front of his biological parents, who were no longer the same as before.

However, Hao Yu disagreed. He had devoted half his life to Jiang Yuan and had never married or had children. He had long regarded Jiang Yuan, his nephew and apprentice, as the most important person in his life. Jiang Yuan could endure this injustice, but Hao Yu couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Ignoring Jiang Yuan's repeated dissuasion, he packed a small bundle and went to the capital alone.

The two had made an agreement before he left that, no matter what the outcome, Hao Yu would return to Mingfu Village before the end of May.

As the deadline approached, Jiang Yuan's worries about Hao Yu grew.

He hasn't even ventured into the more remote mountains lately. Instead, he'd rather forgo some income and just stay around the few low hills surrounding the village, just so he can make it home around noon every day.

He waited and waited, until Xiao Yang's medicine for treating her illness was changed to medicine for regulating her body. Xiao Yang started following Xie Wan Niang around like a little tail, running errands and doing chores for her every day. Then Xiao Yang even stopped taking the medicine for regulating her body. Xie Wan Niang settled all the expenses with Doctor Chen. Hao Yu finally returned home on the evening of May 29th, looking travel-worn.

Jiang Yuan, Xie Wanniang, and Xiao Yang had just finished eating when Hao Yu, carrying a small bundle on her back, pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in. As she looked around, she called out in a slightly hoarse voice, "A Yuan!"

Hearing that familiar voice he hadn't heard in so long, Jiang Yuan suddenly stood up, "Master!"

He put down his chopsticks and rushed out of the house. "You're finally back! Was the journey safe? Did you encounter any danger?"

Hao Yu smiled and patted Jiang Yuan on the shoulder, "Smoothly, no problems, are you relieved now?"

Jiang Yuan scanned him up and down, but didn't see any signs of inconvenience or weakness. He guessed that even if he had encountered some trouble, he had at least escaped unscathed, and his heart finally settled down.

Remembering that there were two more people in the house, he quickly introduced Xie Wanniang and Xiao Yang, who were holding hands as they walked out of the house, to Hao Yu.

"Wan Niang, Xiao Yang, this is my master Hao Yu. Master, this is Xie Wan Niang and Xie Chao Yang, they are temporarily staying at our house."

Xie Wanniang curtsied and said, "Wanniang greets Uncle Hao."

Xiao Yang followed suit and greeted him respectfully, saying, "Xiao Yang greets Uncle Hao."

Hao Yu had already heard from the gossipy villagers that Jiang Yuan had fished a young woman out of the river, and that the young woman had then bought a young girl from the village, so she was not surprised by the existence of Xie Wan Niang and Xiao Yang.

He nodded slightly to the two of them. "No need for formalities. Since A Yuan has invited you to stay here, make yourself at home and don't stand on ceremony."

Xie Wanniang curtsied again, "Thank you for taking me in, Uncle Hao."

She took Xiao Yang's hand, who was trying to imitate her, and said, "Come on, let's go make something for Uncle Hao."

Xiao Yang nodded vigorously, "I'll help my sister."

Jiang Yuanze said, "Then I'll go get you some water. Please wash your hands and face, and have some food first."

Hao Yu nodded, "I'll put the things back inside first."

He carried his small bundle into his room, and the forced smile he had been maintaining immediately crumbled once he was alone.

On his journey to Kyoto, the hardships and dangers he endured were secondary. What truly chilled him to the bone was what the person he was looking for showed him and the frustration he had to swallow.

Xie Wanniang, who was in the kitchen, scooped a bowl of flour into a wooden basin. "Xiaoyang, go help your sister pick two handfuls of spinach and a bunch of scallions, and then pick two cucumbers and two tomatoes."

"Okay!" Xiao Yang replied, picked up the basket, and strode straight to the vegetable garden. Xie Wan Niang then started boiling water, kneading dough, and taking out meat sauce, dried meat, dried fish, and eggs.

She planned to make spinach noodles with meat sauce for Hao Yu, then stir-fry some scallions and eggs, make a cucumber salad, and combine the dried meat and dried fish together as a meat dish.

While she and Xiaoyang were busy cooking, Jiang Yuan scooped out some of the hot water he had boiled in another pot, mixed it with some cold water he had drawn from the well, and sent it to Hao Yu's room.

When Hao Yu left, he only took some dry food, a water bag, and two changes of clothes. He bought everything else he needed on the way.

Because he was in a bad mood, he didn't buy any local specialties for Jiang Yuan. At this moment, his small, deflated bundle still only contained a water bag and two sets of clothes.

The water sac was flat and there wasn't much water left. He had also eaten all the dry food he bought on the way.

He drank the last bit of water, then took out the remaining coins from the inner pocket of his robe and the money bag hanging at his waist, and put them back into the money box to store them.

Jiang Yuan carried in a bucket of water. "I clean your room every two days. The basins, buckets, cloths, and bedding are all washed and sun-dried."

Hao Yu glanced at him, her expression complex and her eyes filled with sorrow.

Jiang Yuan poured him half a basin of water. "Try to think more positively. Don't always make things difficult for yourself over these trivial matters."

Hao Yu took a deep breath. "It won't happen again. You're right. Instead of hoping that others will consider family ties, we should just focus on making the most of our own lives."

While washing up, he whispered to Jiang Yuan about the outcome of the trip, "Neither of them agrees to your return to the capital as their eldest son."

Now surrounded by wives and concubines and with children, the Earl of Anping is worried that if word gets out that he has neglected his eldest son for more than ten years, his colleagues will gossip about him in private or even impeach him openly, and he will also be disliked by the emperor who values ​​etiquette and the eldest son.

Lady Han, the wife of the Earl of Anping, was worried that her eldest son would take away the position of heir from her second son. She was also worried that the appearance of her eldest son would put her at a disadvantage in the power struggles within the family, and that her disreputable eldest son would make her and the Earl of Anping's family lose face in the powerful circles of the capital.

The two gave Hao Yu two choices:

First, Hao Yu publicly claimed that Jiang Yuan was his son. They came to the capital as distant relatives of the Marquis of Anping. Then, the Marquis of Anping helped Jiang Yuan find a job and provided them, the "father and son," with a small courtyard and some land.

Secondly, Hao Yu returned to Mingfu Village with a large sum of money they gave him, and from then on, he and Jiang Yuan lived a life of wealth and leisure, far from the imperial court and the capital.

Hao Yu was so angry at the two that he felt like his lungs were about to explode, but he still had to use all his self-control to restrain himself and make himself only show just the right amount of disbelief, anger, and disappointment in front of them.

He feared that if he acted extremely or aggressively, the two of them would, in order to protect their own interests, cruelly deprive him and Jiang Yuan of the chance to speak forever.