Chapter 494: 494. Everything is getting better

Translator: 549690339

After the whole family had come to express their gratitude, Peng Wei specifically held a banquet at the mansion and invited the people of Su Mansion to come over.

Two days later, Zheng’er and Ji Xiaoshu made an appointment with the Peng family’s twins to go climbing together. They originally wanted Gu Ling to take them, but Gu Ling said he was busy. He and Su Liang were focusing on researching a new medicine. In the end, it was decided that Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun would take the four children to Wangxiang Mountain to play.

When it was time to set off, there were two more people in the team, one was Min Rou who came specially, and the other was Weng Ran.

Qiao Jing was, of course, very happy, while Cheng Yun thought it was a coincidence, as the family members shouldn’t know about his relationship with Weng Ran.

“We invited the two aunts ourselves!” Ji Xiaoshu said with a grin, “The more people, the more fun it is!”

“That’s nice,” Cheng Yun nodded in agreement, his gaze once again swept over Weng Ran, who was wearing a beautiful skirt he hadn’t seen before and her hairstyle was also different from the previous one.

No carriages were prepared, just four people, each taking one of the four children on horseback. Zheng’er and Ji Xiaoshu both had their own ponies, but as Axin and Ale didn’t have any, they didn’t ride separately today either.

Qiao Jing said he would send two good horses to his disciples later. They were all very happy.

The weather was bright and sunny, and the warm breeze was gentle.

The four adults and four children dismounted at the foot of Wangxiang Mountain. Axin and Ale couldn’t help but exclaim at the sight of the high mountain peaks shrouded in mist. The mountains on Xingluo Island were not high, and although they had seen high mountains on their way to the capital city, this was their first opportunity to climb one, and they were looking forward to it.

As soon as the children got off their horses, they rushed forward. Running ahead, Ji Xiaoshu shouted, “Hurry! Let’s see who gets tired first and can’t walk!”

Zheng’er walked behind Axin and Ale, reminding them to watch their steps, as the mountain path was not flat, and he and Ji Xiaoshu were very familiar with this area.

Behind them were Min Rou and Weng Ran, arm in arm affectionately. Min Rou had visited the area with Qiao Jing just two days ago, while it was Weng Ran’s first time. However, she had often followed Weng Ming to collect herbs in the mountains since she was a child, so she was quite experienced in climbing.

Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun tied up the horses and walked behind together, chatting and listening to the children’s laughter in front of them. Their gazes occasionally fell on the two smiling girls in front.

“Are you going to move out after marrying next month?” Cheng Yun asked.

Qiao Jing nodded, “Yes, I’ll get married outside. Qi Yan has already helped me buy a house. It’s not big, but it’s already been cleaned up.”

Everyone was now gathered in Su Mansion, which was lively, but Qiao Jing felt that he needed to have his own little home when he got married. It would be inappropriate for Min Rou to marry into Su Mansion after all. They could always come back occasionally after the wedding. Moreover, he hoped to have some private time for the two of them.

Qi Jun and Ren Dong, who had already gotten married, as well as Qi Yan and Nangong Qian, who were about to get married, had all bought houses outside as well.

“That’s good,” Cheng Yun nodded.

“What about you?” Qiao Jing asked back.

Cheng Yun hesitated, his gaze falling on Weng Ran again. He felt that denying it would be like lying, but admitting it would mean that the two of them were still in the “testing” phase, and nothing was set in stone.

“Let’s just let nature take its course,” Cheng Yun said with an ambiguous smile. These days, one of the great joys of everyone in the family was to keep track of Cheng Yun’s progress with Weng Ran. They saw them sneaking off to the small grove together, and as soon as Weng Ran started cooking, Cheng Yun would rush over to start the fire and help out…

Axin and Ale were not as strong-bodied as Zheng’er and Ji Xiaoshu. This was their first time climbing a mountain, and they had started out at a fast pace, so they didn’t get far before they became tired.

Ji Xiaoshu, who had run ahead, came back around to comfort them, “It’s okay, my senior brother and I have been here ten or eight times before, we felt tired and couldn’t walk the first time we came too! As long as we keep coming to play in the future, we’ll get better!”

“Brother Xiaoshu, you’re amazing!” Ale looked at Ji Xiaoshu with admiration, “You don’t get tired at all!”

Ji Xiaoshu let out a chuckle, “Just average!”

Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun came forward and each carried one of the twins on their backs, telling them to rest for a while before walking on their own again.

They stopped halfway to rest, and Weng Ran handed out water to the children first, then to Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun. They had brought food, but the children said they weren’t hungry and would eat at the top of the mountain.

As they continued to walk, they reached the waterfall and stream where Zheng’er and Ji Xiaoshu had been brought by Gu Ling to catch tadpoles for the first time.

Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun put the twins down, and the four children rushed to the water’s edge.

Ji Xiaoshu quickly caught a tadpole and held it with both hands to show Ale and Axin, “What do you think this is?”

Ale and Axin both looked confused. There might be tadpoles on Xingluo Island, but they had never seen them, nor had anyone taken them to find them.

“This is a tadpole; it doesn’t bite,” Zhengzheng said with a smile, “You can touch it.”

After that, the four adults sat nearby and rested, while listening to Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu explain to the twins what tadpoles are and what they turn into when they grow up, as well as the story of a tadpole looking for its mother.

Min Rou laughed, “I’ve grown up not knowing what a tadpole is; no one taught me. Zhengzheng and Xiaoshu know more than we do.”

Weng Ran nodded, “I’ve seen them and know that they turn into frogs when they grow up, but I don’t know as much as they do.”

Not only that, but along the way, Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu also introduced the herbal medicine they discovered to the twins.

Finally, before noon, the group reached the top of the mountain.

“You guys go hunting, otherwise we won’t have any meat to eat,” Min Rou said to Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun. Qiao Jing had hunted a rabbit during her last visit, and they roasted it on the spot, with salt and spices, which was delicious.

Today, Qiao Jing also brought spices blended by Gu Ling and bows and arrows. Hearing this, he went hunting with Cheng Yun.

Min Rou and Weng Ran found a soft, flat patch of grass that could be bathed in sunlight with a large rock nearby to place their food and spread out their picnic blanket.

On the other side, tree-climbing enthusiast Ji Xiaoshu quickly demonstrated his climbing skills to his new friends, then came down and started teaching the twins how to climb trees.

“Be careful not to fall,” Weng Ran reminded.

Zhengzheng replied, “Don’t worry, Aunt Ran, I’ll watch out for my little brothers.”

“Zhengzheng is so sensible,” Min Rou praised.

After Ale and Axin learned to climb trees and all four children were up in the trees, admiring the beautiful scenery below, Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun returned with a wild chicken and a wild rabbit.

“Master!” Ale called out to Qiao Jing from the tree, his eyes squinting with a smile.

Qiao Jing raised the fat wild rabbit in his hand, “Come down, let’s grill the meat together!”

Zhengzheng climbed down first and caught his brothers at the bottom, fearing they might fall. Then, the four children went to help.

When the wild chicken and rabbit were grilled until fragrant, the picnic began.

“What’s this?” Axin asked Qiao Jing, who was holding a small bottle. The cap had two layers, and the second layer had many small holes, allowing the powder inside the bottle to be evenly sprinkled on the grilled meat.

“This is my master’s secret grilled meat spice mix, and he made the bottle too,” Ji Xiaoshu said.

“Uncle Gu is truly capable of anything!” Axin exclaimed.

After tasting the delicious grilled meat, Ale and Axin felt they had never tasted something so delicious before. The four rabbit legs were divided among the four children, and Qiao Jing handed a chicken leg to Min Rou.

Min Rou shook her head, “I’ll have a chicken wing.”

“What would you like?” Cheng Yun asked Weng Ran.

“I’ll have a chicken wing too,” Weng Ran said.

The two chicken legs were eventually given to Ale and Axin. Cheng Yun and Qiao Jing ate most of the rest. In addition, there were fruits brought by Weng Ran and desserts brought by Min Rou.

After the picnic, Qiao Jing and Min Rou sat side by side at the edge of the cliff, admiring the view, while the four children played games together.

After Cheng Yun helped Weng Ran pack up their things, the two sat on a rock and talked.

“Our families probably don’t know yet, right?” Cheng Yun said.

Upon hearing this, Weng Ran laughed, “Do you really think they don’t know?”

Cheng Yun blinked, “You mean…”

“They all know.” Weng Ran said indifferently, “They just haven’t confronted us about it. They’re waiting for us to come clean.”

Cheng Yun lightly coughed, “Is it… that obvious?”

“We live under the same roof. What do you think?” Weng Ran laughed softly.

“Should we… come clean?” Cheng Yun asked in a low voice, leaning his head closer to Weng Ran’s, catching a faint scent.

“I don’t mind either way. It’s quite fun right now, and they find our sneaking around amusing. I find their thinking we don’t know they know amusingly.” Weng Ran shrugged, “But whether or not we tell them, and when we tell them, is up to you.”

Upon hearing Weng Ran’s words, Cheng Yun couldn’t help but smile, “Indeed, it’s very interesting. Let’s not say anything then, let’s see who breaks first and confronts us.”

“If I were to guess, it would probably be my grandfather, he’ll likely talk to you soon.” Weng Ran made this prediction based on his understanding of Weng Ming. Weng Ming respected Weng Ran, so he wouldn’t ask about his love life, but he’d definitely want to talk to Cheng Yun, asking what his intentions were and whether he was serious.

At the mention of this, Cheng Yun became nervous, “What will my grandfather want to talk to me about? What should I answer to his questions?”

Weng Ran laughed, “Why are you afraid? Just speak your heart.”

“So we’re… sure about this?” Cheng Yun asked somewhat nervously.

“I think it’s not bad. What do you think?” Weng Ran reached out to remove the leaves that had fallen on Cheng Yun’s head.

Cheng Yun immediately nodded, “I think it’s great.”

Suddenly, they heard Axin’s voice from behind, “Aunt Ran, is there any more water?”

Weng Ran instantly stood up, “Yes. And there are two more fruits. Do you want to eat them?”

Axin drank some water, took the two fruits, and ran to his three friends not far away.

The four of them shared the fruits, and Axin said to Ji Xiaoshu, “Brother Xiaoshu, I heard Uncle Yun say that he thinks it’s great.”

Ji Xiaoshu chuckled, “It seems that Uncle Cheng Yun can get married this year too, a cause for celebration.”

“Are Uncle Yun and Aunt Ran a couple?” Ale asked curiously.

Zhengzheng covered Ale’s mouth, “Keep your voice down. They haven’t gone public yet, my master’s wife said it’s called a secret relationship.”

“Why haven’t they gone public?” Axin asked, puzzled.

Ji Xiaoshu clasped his hands together and said solemnly, “Probably because Uncle Cheng Yun hasn’t fully returned to secular life, and they fear the Buddha’s blame, wanting to give the Buddha more time to accept his change.”

Zhengzheng knocked on Ji Xiaoshu’s forehead, “Stop talking nonsense.”

“I think Brother Xiaoshu makes a lot of sense!” Ale expressed his support for Ji Xiaoshu.

Ji Xiaoshu hugged Ale and rubbed his head, “Haha! I was just making things up, don’t take it seriously!”

On the way down the mountain, Qiao Jing and Cheng Yun caught several more prey.

After descending the mountain, Qiao Jing first escorted Min Rou back home, giving her a wild chicken to bring back as a gift for the elderly Minister Min. Then they accompanied the twins back to Peng Mansion and left behind two wild animals.

“Master, can you give us some of the best spices?” Axin wanted Peng Wu to taste the delicious grilled meat they had eaten.

Qiao Jing directly handed them the bottle of spices he had brought with him. Gu Ling had made more at home.

When Peng Wu came out to pick up the children, Qiao Jing and the others had already left, saying they would visit again another day.

“Mother, we climbed a mountain today, it was so high!”

“On the way up, we couldn’t walk anymore, and Master and Uncle Yun carried us up! Brother Zheng and Brother Xiaoshu showed us tadpoles, we’ll go see them again later, the tadpoles will grow into frogs!”

“The grilled meat used Uncle Gu’s spices, the best taste in the world! Here, Master gave us the spices!”

Peng Wu’s smile never faded. Xingluo Island was a closed-off place, and her children had not seen the outside world since they were little. Fortunately, they had met kind people and were now happy every day. Seeing her children’s smiling faces, all her past pain seemed insignificant.

Feng Ming returned to the capital city a few days later than Su Liang had estimated. When he arrived home, it was already nightfall. He was dusty from the journey, looking thinner. He had been traveling non-stop for some time now.

“Master, Prince.” Feng Ming bowed in greeting.

At Yuanming Pavilion, they were having dinner. Zhu Zan immediately went over, “How did it go? Was everything smooth? Are you hurt?”

Feng Ming shook his head with a smile, “No, no! Everything went smoothly. It just took me some time to help two old folks find their son! Their son is still alive, and he has started his own family; even his grandchildren are not young. He joined his relatives years ago and settled down elsewhere.”

“That’s good.” Su Liang nodded, “You go wash up first, come eat with us later, and we’ll talk more later.”

Zhu Zan accompanied Feng Ming to the kitchen to fetch water for washing up, and told him about the situation at home.

“The Peng Family just happened to move to the capital city? That’s such a coincidence and great luck!” Feng Ming was happy upon hearing the news, “Miss Peng finally had her sweet ending.”

“They mentioned you earlier, saying that they want to properly thank you once you return.” Zhu Zan filled water for Feng Ming.

Feng Ming shook his head, “No need to thank me, it’s all Prince and Master Qiao’s credit.”

Zhu Zan patted Feng Ming’s shoulder, “I still need to find an opportunity to treat you to a good drink!”

Feng Ming nodded, “I’ll definitely drink your wine!”

The two looked at each other and laughed.

Two days after Feng Ming’s return, Gu Ling and Su Liang received news about Sheng Yue: Several male corpses with different ages had been thrown one after another outside the back gate of the Lian Mansion in Jiaye City, all with a bloody six-pointed star symbol carved on their faces.

The six-pointed star was the symbol of Xingluo Island. Although no one had seen Sheng Yue, Gu Ling and Su Liang knew that this was definitely his doing. Sheng Yue was also using this method to inform them: he was carrying out the task Gu Ling had assigned him.

“Most of those who left Xingluo Island should be in the south. Sheng Yue is expected to eliminate the remaining evil and arrive in the capital city next month.” Su Liang analyzed.

Gu Ling nodded, “By then, let him see Nuannuan’s transformation into a living person.”

Su Liang coughed lightly, “He’ll be shocked, being a descendant of the transmigrators himself, but not being able to do anything.”

“That’s the effect I’m going for.” Gu Ling said calmly.

Smiling slightly, Su Liang asked, “Great God, do you still remember how aloof you were when we first met?”

Gu Ling shook his head, “Actually, I was pretending.”