Chapter 44: Chapter 44 A Night with a Dark Moon and High Winds, Perfect for Murder
After instructing Xiao Hu to spread rumors, Chen Jie visited Doctor Bai’s ho.
“Morning, Jiu Si.”
Upon entering, Chen Jie saw Wu Zhong.
Wu Zhong looked completely different today than he did yesterday—the man was glowing with vitality, his eyes shone bright, giving off the impression of a man recapturing the folly of his youth.
He seed to have returned to the peak of his thirties.
When he saw Chen Jie, he was quite affectionate.
“Uncle Zhong, you look radiant.”
Chen Jie complinted him, and Wu Zhong laughed and said, “Right? I also feel that I’m in good spirits, haha…”
After exchanging a few words, Doctor Bai ca out and arranged Chen Jie’s lessons for the day, but also left him ample ti to practice his boxing.
Yesterday, Wu Hong told Doctor Bai that Chen Jie had decent talent and was a promising seedling for martial arts.
Doctor Bai once served as the resident doctor at the Fishing Guild and knew well that a martial artist’s status was far above that of a doctor, and a doctor skilled in martial arts was even more respected.
When he was young, he would have learned martial arts himself if not for his weak constitution.
Therefore, he was very supportive of Chen Jie learning martial arts.
And so, the day passed in an orderly fashion.
In the evening, after dinner, Chen Jie went ho, and Doctor Bai told him he used Chen Jie’s one hundred and twenty silver taels to buy many precious herbs. Upon their arrival, they could be mixed into a dicinal bath to help him with his training.
And the dicine would arrive within the next couple of days.
Chen Jie hurriedly expressed his thanks.
After a hearty al, Chen Jie, as usual, brought so leftovers ho.
Today’s food was great, with braised at and pure white wheat buns.
Wu Zhong had ‘regained his youth,’ and the Bai Family celebrated it as a happy occasion, hence the braised at.
And the half bowl of leftover braised at was brought back, to Daisy’s benefit.
“Brother-in-law, it’s delicious!”
Watching Daisy with her mouth dripping with grease, Chen Jie couldn’t help but pat her head.
Su Yunjin was also eating happily. Ma Liu’s debt problem was resolved, and the Bai Family did not make things difficult for Chen Jie in his apprenticeship. Weren’t things looking up day by day?
In another two years, once Chen Jie completed his training, he could start practicing dicine independently, aning he could then earn money.
By then, with an inco in the household, it would no longer be like a rudderless boat but could steadily carry on.
Wasn’t such a simple and plain life also quite nice?
He would practice dicine, she would cook for him, and in their leisure ti, they could enjoy reading a book or two of poetry—isn’t that wonderful?
She had already begun to envision her own bucolic life.
Chen Jie looked at the two satisfied won with a loving gaze. They were indeed two easily contented won—had they never aspired for great wealth?
The truth is, everyone desires wealth and splendor, but after enduring sufficient hardship, they realized that a simple and unadorned life is actually what’s real.
Aren’t the current days a hundred tis better than when Chen Jie was a notorious gambler?
They knew how to be content, but Chen Jie was aware that the world was a cannibalistic place. To live well, one had to adapt to the laws of the jungle.
Just like now—they were content with their current situation, but they didn’t know that Yu Sanliu and Ma Liu, two demons, had already set their sights on them.
They sought simplicity and truth in life, yet demons lurked around them, and only by strengthening oneself could one protect their family.
Having lived two lives, Chen Jie understood one principle.
You gain what you consu; consuming suffering only leads to more suffering. To be truly human, one must be willing to consu others!
“Are you full? If you’re full, go to sleep.”
Chen Jie looked at the two won, satisfied from their al. Daisy patted her little belly and said, “I’m full, the braised at was so delicious. I wish I could eat it every day.”
Su Yunjin gave Daisy a tap, “Dream on, if you ate it every day, you’d get fat and die.”
Daisy retorted, “Hehe, if I could eat braised at every day, I wouldn’t mind dying fat, hehe…”
As the won talked, Chen Jie said, “Mhm, if Ruirui wants to eat braised at, she should be a good girl. Ti for big sis to tuck you into bed.”
“Mm.”
Daisy nodded, “Ruirui is the most obedient.”
But Su Yunjin looked at Chen Jie in surprise, today he was very off!
Usually, after dinner, he always liked to take advantage of her, afraid that she and Ruirui would go to sleep too early, so he couldn’t tease her.
But today, why was he rushing her to sleep so much?
Was he hiding sothing from her?
Su Yunjin looked up at Chen Jie and said, “Husband, are you hiding sothing from ?”
“I, what could I possibly hide from you, don’t overthink it.”
Su Yunjin said, “Sothing’s not right, you’re acting out of character today.”
“I, am I? Ruirui, do you think your brother-in-law is acting strange today?”
Chen Jie asked Daisy.
“Mm, what does ‘acting strange’ an?”
Ruirui thought for a mont and asked a sharp question.
“It ans acting differently from normal, right?”
After thinking it over, Ruirui said, “Brother-in-law didn’t pester sister today…”
Ah, is it that obvious?
Chen Jie frowned, and Su Yunjin looked at him and said, “You’re hiding sothing from , aren’t you?”
“Can I not tell?”
Chen Jie countered.
Su Yunjin fell silent, then nodded and said, “You can’t bear to coerce , so how can I bear to coerce you? Whatever you’re going to do, I won’t ask, but you have to tell , is it dangerous?”
Chen Jie looked at her, touched, and nodded gently, “It’s not dangerous, just a small matter, I estimate I’ll be back before dawn.”
“Mm.”
Su Yunjin nodded, then followed by gathering Chen Jie’s evening outerwear.
“The wind is heavy outside, wear an extra piece of clothing when you leave, don’t catch a cold. Oh, and when will you leave?”
“I’m leaving now.”
“So soon, mm, then you must be careful, Ruirui and I will wait for you to co back.”
Su Yunjin instructed, and Chen Jie smiled.
The night sky was like a hook, a crescent moon hung in the air, and the Chen family’s courtyard door opened. Chen Jie wrapped himself in an outer garnt and said to Su Yunjin standing at the gate, “Go back inside, it’s cold out here.”
“After I leave, make sure you secure the door, don’t open it for anyone, okay? Just wait for to return.”
Chen Jie said tenderly.
Su Yunjin nodded and said, “I understand, don’t worry about us at ho, we’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us while you’re out, lest it distract you.”
Chen Jie nodded, “I’m off.”
Su Yunjin waved and said, “Go on, careful on the night roads.”
“No worries, go back inside.”
“Mm.”
“Go back, go back.”
Chen Jie walked on the night road, looking back and waving for Su Yunjin to return inside.
As his figure grew distant, the dim moonlight shone on the traveler’s receding back, and a graceful silhouette stood in the shadow of the door, watching the man’s figure disappear into the distance, her eyes filled with concern and reluctance.
But she did not attempt to hold him back, nor did she ask him to pause for her.
The man was already shouldering enough burden for this family. Even if she couldn’t do much for him, she couldn’t beco a burden to him, let alone cause him to stop for her…
And what she could do, was simply to prepare his clothes when he departed, ensure hot soup when he returned, and in his absence, silently pray…
For safety, for a smooth journey.
And for an early return ho!
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