CHAPTER 405: CHAPTER 402: HIS PATH

Song Xian recounted to Old Mrs. Song everything that had happened these days, showing no intention of leaving yet.

Old Mrs. Song finally couldn’t hold back: "Is there anything else you want your grandmother to help you with?"

Song Xian looked at his great-grandmother. In his previous life, his grandmother had suddenly fallen gravely ill and passed away, likely related to Mrs. Rong. Unfortunately, at that time, he hadn’t paid attention to family matters, unaware of his grandmother’s suffering.

Thinking about it now, he felt truly ashamed towards his grandmother.

"Grandmother," Song Xian said, "these years I have caused you much worry; I haven’t done well and have often made you angry."

Suddenly hearing her grandson say these things, Old Mrs. Song couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion, but she smiled kindly: "What nonsense are you talking? It’s all your father’s fault, as I didn’t teach my son well, which led you to... You’ve done very well already. Anyone else might have gone astray."

"In the past, Grandma felt that you were too cold in nature, unwilling to come home and not liking to talk, but this isn’t a complaint—it’s... feeling heartache, seeing you drift further from this family, truly unable to feel at ease."

Old Mrs. Song laughed again as she spoke here: "Fortunately, you are a blessed child who met Liangchen. Actually, Grandma noticed changes in you early on and was pleased, but didn’t dare to ask, fearing something could go wrong. Later, discovering your fondness for Liangchen, Grandma understood. My grandson should be fine in the future."

"People, once they have someone they like, the spirit becomes different. Especially with a child like Liangchen—upright yet gentle, open-minded and meticulous, possessing a heart of gold. You like her, and your heart will follow her; it certainly won’t go wrong."

Listening to this, Song Xian couldn’t help but smile.

Old Mrs. Song remarked, "Even I, this old lady, feel at ease when at Chen Family Village, beside Liangchen. That child stands there, and everywhere feels bright and open."

"Later, learning she is a descendant of Prince Guangyang, I understood why even so long after Prince Guangyang’s death, people still remember his goodness. Alas... human nature is unpredictable. Some people envy the worthy rather than seek self-improvement; they only want to drag others down. You must protect Liangchen well in the future."

"If she is well, then you shall be well too, and Grandma can be at ease anytime."

Song Xian responded affirmatively.

Old Mrs. Song looked at Song Xian: "It’s getting late, you’ve been traveling all the way, you should get some rest."

Song Xian said, "Grandson will serve you in washing up."

Saying this, Song Xian ordered the steward to bring hot water. The steward didn’t really need Song Xian’s involvement, but just having Song Xian beside fetching water and handing towels made Old Mrs. Song immensely happy.

To have her grandson accompany her for so long, she truly felt content.

"Grandmother."

Once Old Mrs. Song lay down, Song Xian, sitting on the Jinwu beside the bed, said, "When we marry in the future, you should move in with us."

Old Mrs. Song nodded with a smile: "Yes, Grandma should often come visit you."

After Song Xian got up and left, Old Mrs. Song didn’t feel sleepy at all. She called over the housekeeper to chat: "Xian is getting more and more like how he was as a child."

The housekeeper said, "Indeed, I remember when the young master was little, he would insist on bringing water to wash your feet himself and stay by your side talking to you until you slept before leaving. Just now, seeing the young master like this, I suddenly felt like I’d gone back to the past."

Old Mrs. Song said, "I used to think I wouldn’t live to see this day, but my Xian has finally returned."

Song Xian returned to his room, yet couldn’t fall asleep.

While in the Capital City, he often lingered at the Xie Family’s residence, and on the road to Zhenzhou, he lodged in the same inn, post house; it had been quite some time since he was so far from Liangchen.

He felt somewhat unaccustomed.

He wondered what she was doing? Had she already gone to bed?

Song Xian got up, stood by the window, and opened it. When at the inn, he’d always open the window to see if the lights in her room were out.

Knowing full well they were not together now, he still habitually looked out ahead.

Unsure of how long he stood there, his clothes absorbing the cold wind, only then did he close the window, yet his mind remained filled with her every expression and smile.

Having lost his mother young and being distant from his father, he once felt he shouldn’t have been born, feeling redundant whether at the Song Family or elsewhere.

But at that moment, facing life and death, he met her.

Even if he accidentally missed it, Heaven gave him another chance to start over.

The things he had lost, bit by bit, all returned to him.

Those he cared about, his family.

He wished to build high walls, protecting them within, shielding them from any harm.

Though he didn’t have such invincible walls, he still had himself.

This is his path.

Song Xian instructed Chang An: "Go rest; tomorrow, we will leave the prefecture to inspect the camp at 5:30 AM."

...

Xie Liangchen carefully reviewed the new spinning wheel designs, only then preparing to blow the lamp and go to rest.

At the moment she looked down, she turned to look at the window. While traveling, whenever she was about to rest, she would look at Song Xian’s residence.

Each time she extinguished the light, the room opposite would soon fall into darkness too, though they didn’t speak, knowing he cared for her.

That subtle feeling brought unexplainable peace of mind.

After extinguishing the light, Xie Liangchen stood in the dark for a while before climbing onto the kang.

Thinking she would have much on her mind before sleep, she soon drifted into dreams.

When she awoke again, it was broad daylight, with her grandmother’s voice coming from outside: "Hurry, hurry, don’t come into my kitchen again."

Xie Liangchen didn’t need to look to know what had happened. In the capital, her grandmother already said that if the second aunt dared to use oil like that after returning to the village, she wouldn’t be allowed into the kitchen again.

Sure enough, Mrs. Gao’s voice was heard: "Aunt, you’re a bestowed lady, putting a little more oil isn’t such a big deal; must you cause such a fuss? Fine, I’ll leave... I’ll leave; is that enough? Your cooking won’t last long either, once Miss Chen gets up, you’ll be chased out too."

Xie Liangchen got up, dressed, washed, and left the house, taking a deep breath as she looked at the familiar Chen Family Village before her.

Why, she wasn’t sure, but she felt the air at home was always sweet and fragrant.

She planned to have breakfast early today, as she needed to discuss with her second and fourth uncles about going to the eight states.

When Song Xian returned to Dai State, he would be busy with the market affairs, for the Liao people’s wool and hides would come through the market to Dai State. Before that, spinning wheels had to be prepared, and the people taught how to make thread tassels and wool felt.

Having finished breakfast, everyone gathered in a room next to the Familiar Medicine Institute.

Chen Yongsheng spoke first: "Right now, thread tassels and wool felt sell well in the Capital, but how will these be sold in the future? If we all go to the eight states to help, what will become of these in Zhenzhou?"

Chen Yongyi nodded in agreement: "We’re going to the eight states for the spinning wheel, I can’t do it alone, definitely need to bring quite a few people... Our Chen Family Village is easy to deal with, but how we pay others still needs to be figured out."