The Second Young Master’s Obedient Husband : Chapter 45

Summer was drawing to a close, and the vegetation in the mountains grew thick and lush. The generous mountains gave their gifts to people; this was a season of plenty.

Su’s mother was better now, able to manage the lighter chores at home herself, so it didn’t matter if Su Qingyu went out for half a day.

Su Qingyu ran up the mountain more and more often. Picking mushrooms, digging wild greens, gathering firewood, he always found some excuse. He made up reason after reason, and Su’s mother never asked, only putting two extra dry rations in his basket each time he went out.

Liang Yu also stayed in the mountains longer. When his father asked, Liang Yu said he had set many traps and needed to check them frequently.

The villagers teased him, saying Second Master Liang had gotten addicted to hunting, not even wanting to come home. Liang’s mother heard this and only sighed, saying nothing. In her heart she thought, where was the addiction? He was building up savings for himself. When that little one came through the door, he wouldn’t need to worry about earning silver, and could be raised plump and fair. That dead boy would be happy then.

Every time Su Qingyu went up the mountain he would detour to that wooden house, staying an hour or two, sometimes longer.

He knew the mountain path so well he wouldn’t get lost even with his eyes closed. Every time he reached that forest clearing and saw the tall courtyard wall, his heartbeat would quicken.

Sometimes Liang Yu was there, sometimes he wasn’t.

When Liang Yu was there and saw Su Qingyu come in, his face showed no expression, but his eyes lit up.

Su Qingyu had just set down his basket and walked over when Liang Yu pulled him into his arms.

Liang Yu’s embrace carried the scent of the forest, the smell of sweat, steaming hot. Su Qingyu’s face was buried in his chest, listening to Liang Yu’s heartbeat, his cheeks flushing a beautiful pink.

“Why did you come today?”

“Picking mushrooms.”

Liang Yu laughed low, his chin rubbing against the top of Su Qingyu’s head. He took Su Qingyu’s soft lips and kissed him thoroughly.

The mushroom picking somehow ended up in bed.

Summer clothes were thin, easy to take off, easy to put on.

The wooden house was deep in the mountains, no one came, very quiet. The courtyard wall was high, the wooden gate sturdy, and they could hear any movement outside from within. Su Qingyu went from nervous at first, to slowly relaxing, and later, to wrapping his arms around Liang Yu’s neck, face red, softly telling him to hurry.

Each time after they finished, Liang Yu would wipe him clean, feed him water and food, and hold him to lie down for a while. When sunlight came through the window, Liang Yu would turn to block the light, his hand covering Su Qingyu’s eyes so he could sleep a while.

Once Su Qingyu leaned in his arms and called him, “Brother Liang…”

Liang Yu lowered his head to look at him. “What is it?”

Su Qingyu kept his eyes lowered. “I want… to make you another pair of shoes. Those ones from before, do they fit?”

Liang Yu remembered those new cloth shoes, the stitches fine and dense, made with great care, very soft to wear. He nodded and said, “They fit.”

The corner of Su Qingyu’s mouth curved up, and he leaned in his arms without speaking.

When Liang Yu wasn’t there, Su Qingyu stayed by himself, tidying the house, watering the vegetable patch, and when the rice and flour in the kitchen ran low, he would carry some up from below the mountain next time and put it in the cabinet. The mattress was aired until fluffy, the quilt folded neat and tidy.

When the house was done, he would start cooking at the right time. If the meal was ready and Liang Yu still hadn’t returned, Su Qingyu would carry out a small stool and sit in the courtyard doing embroidery, waiting for him.

When Liang Yu returned and saw the house and yard tidied up properly, with warm food in the pot, his heart felt steady and soft. His usually expressionless face couldn’t help but show a smile, the light in his eyes gentle.

He put down his game, washed his face and hands with water, then pulled the person over, kissing and holding him, and sometimes couldn’t help himself and would have another round.

The mattress on the wooden house bed had been changed many times. Fortunately the weather was good, and each time it dried in an hour or two in the sun, otherwise there wouldn’t be enough to change. The days were long, and Su Qingyu always made it home before dusk each time.

That evening, Su Qingyu came back from the mountains and ran into several wives at the village entrance. Those wives were sitting by the well platform enjoying the cool air, and smiled to greet him when they saw him.

“Qingyu went up the mountain again? What good things did you pick?”

Su Qingyu smiled and lifted his basket a little to show them. Inside was half a basket of mushrooms and a bundle of firewood.

“Oh, these mushrooms are fresh. I’ll go pick some later too.”

“Brother Yu is so hardworking. Whoever marries him will enjoy good fortune.”

The wives laughed, their eyes moving over him. Su Qingyu’s ears went red from their laughter, and he lowered his head and walked quickly past.

When he got home, Su’s mother was cooking in the kitchen. Seeing her son come in, she took the basket and poured out the mushrooms, picking out the clean intact ones and putting them in a sieve to dry tomorrow. Su Qingyu sat in front of the stove adding firewood, watching the fire to keep the rice from burning.

Su’s mother picked through the mushrooms, then suddenly spoke. “Someone came to propose today.”

Su Qingyu’s hand paused, and he looked up.

Su’s mother looked at him and sighed. “The Wang family from the west end of the village, and the Li family, both sent people to speak of it.”

Su Qingyu kept his head lowered and said nothing.

Su’s mother finished picking the mushrooms, stood up, walked over to him, and squatted down to look at his face.

Su Qingyu’s face still had a flush, his eyes showing panic, showing guilt, but no regret.

Su’s mother looked at him for a while, then reached out and touched his face.

“I turned them all down for you.”

Su Qingyu’s eyes went red, and he looked up at her.

Su’s mother pulled him into her arms, like when he was little, patting his back again and again, the force not heavy, but pressing so that Su Qingyu’s throat tightened and his eyes rimmed with red.

“Mother only wants my child to be well.”

…

Sometimes at night Su Qingyu couldn’t sleep and would think of this and that, but he knew what he was doing.

No engagement, no status, and he had given himself to someone like this. If others found out, what would they say? Shameless, without sense of decency, learning to seduce men at such a young age.

Shameless, without sense of decency, corrupting public morals… he had heard these words on the road during the famine when he was little. Those years were chaotic with war, and all kinds of talk spread. Su Qingyu was still small then, hiding behind his mother, both afraid and curious listening to the adults tell stories.

They said there was a girl who ran off with someone, was caught and brought back, and the whole village surrounded her to curse her, spitting at her, saying she had no shame, saying she had dirtied the family reputation.

That girl later threw herself into a well.

They also said that girl was later fished out of the well, her face swollen and white, never to open her eyes again. Dead, she couldn’t even enter the ancestral grave. They randomly found a hillside, dug a hole and buried her. That family found it unlucky and didn’t even hold a funeral for her.

Poor such a good girl, born with good looks, hardworking and warm, but unfortunately went down the wrong path. Throwing herself into the well was good too, a clean death.

After this incident, that family became known in the village. But proper family conduct, they said, and there was even a daughter of a wealthy family from town who wanted to marry down to that family’s youngest son, which made the villagers envious.

At the time his mother covered his ears, not letting him listen, but he still muddled through and heard the whole story.

Sometimes at night Su Qingyu would remember this story, and thinking about it, he would grow afraid.

What if people found out? What if word got out? What would happen to Mother? What would happen to him?

But as he feared, he would think of Liang Yu.

When Liang Yu held him, that fear went away. When Liang Yu kissed him, that fear was forgotten. When Liang Yu entered his body, that fear all turned into something else, his heart swelling full. That wasn’t fear, it was liking, joy overflowing.

Su Qingyu thought, even if one day people really did find out, he wouldn’t regret it.

Afraid, truly afraid.

But regretful?

Su Qingyu had asked himself many times.

Each time the answer was the same.

No regret.