Chapter 5: Jiulang Fan Changfeng

  From then on, he was no longer a lone figure, no longer indulging in excessive drinking and wild behavior, no longer staying overnight at brothels, and not even going out casually.

  He spent a lot of time with Ruyu, and Ruyu cooked for him, washed his clothes, and scrubbed his back every day.

  Every time the night is deep and people are quiet, like jade, she carefully gets up to help him cover his quilt. Sometimes, however, she quietly gazes at him sleeping soundly, with a look of peace and reassurance on his face that has been gone for many years. It seems that here, he no longer needs to hold his long sword while sleeping at night, like a wandering child who has finally found a home to protect himself.

  His sword is no longer sharp because he has emotions.

  Before, he was always helping Pei Yue get out of trouble. But now, it's the other way around, and Pei Yue has to help him all the time.

  Fighting against the enemy, every sword he wielded had a shadow of Ruyi reflected in his heart. He remembered Ruyi's words: "Please take care of yourself for me, thousands and thousands of times!!"

  His sword began to rust, his sword became slow, but the enemy started going crazy.

  Every morning when he wakes up, the sleeping Ruyu is tightly wrapped in his arms, their bodies closely attached, warming each other's breath.

  When he left, his eyes were always filled with tears, whispering his name, and he began to look back, reluctant to part with him, he began to believe that he had a home.

  That night, when he left home, he only said one sentence to Ruyu: "I have some things to settle, and I'll be back for sure!"

  Like jade in her heart a wave of panic, just about to speak, he had already turned around and left with big strides.

  "Yue Bo, I'm leaving him in your care, please take good care of him!" Yu Ru said sorrowfully to Pei Yue.

  "Don't worry, I will!" Pei Yue nodded and left.

  ……

  When Ruru saw him again, he was being carried back by Pei Yue.

  As Jade opened the door ready to go out and buy vegetables, what she saw was his tired gaze.

  He lay on Pei Yue's back, his white clothes already stained red with blood, his face showing fatigue, but he smiled and gazed at Ru Yu: "I have no more grudges, from now on the Jianghu is no longer mine! From now on, I only belong to you, only belong to home!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, the long sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang and broke into two pieces.

  From then on, the Jianghu was short of a ruthless swordsman.

  From then on, there was one less small beggar in the streets.

  From then on, there was an additional pair of divine lovers in the world.

  ……

  "Knock knock!" The knocking at the door outside woke up Yuan Shi from his deep thought.

  "Madam!" A man in his forties bowed and walked into the house.

  "It's Uncle Yue! These two days I've been dizzy too, Tao'er's matter hasn't thanked you yet, if it wasn't for you..." At this point, Yuan Shi's eyes turned red again.

  "Isn't that what Madam said going to kill me? Master has entrusted me, I must take good care of Madam and the young master, this is my duty!" Pei Yue said in trepidation.

  "Uncle Yue!"

  "Master! Please give orders!"

  Yuan hesitated for a moment, then finally asked: "That year, when you escorted me and Tao'er out of Chang'an, Jun Lang chased after us for dozens of miles, called you to one side, pointed at Tao'er and said something to you before turning around and leaving. All these years, I've never asked about it! Can you tell me what Jun Lang said to you that day?"

  "The master's last words, I dare not forget a single word! He said it like this!"

  "Pei Yue paused for a moment, as if recalling the scene at that time: 'If possible, let Taoer go to an ordinary family of common people and be an ordinary person. You must guarantee their mother and son's safety!'"

  "Is Junlang really saying this?" Yuan's face turned pale after hearing it.

  "Yes, milady, not one word different!"

  Yuanshi finally understood that she had not guessed her husband's mind. All these years, she thought her husband wanted her to raise their son into a top-notch man. She was guessing so and doing so. Today, she found out she was wrong.

  "Madam, Fan Jiulang has come to see the young master. He's still waiting outside!" Pei Yue hastily reported to Yuan Shi.

  "Quickly invite Jiulang in, he is Tao'er's best friend. With him here, perhaps Tao'er will be able to recall past events!" Yuanshi instructed Pei Yue.

  Just then, Du Bin opened his eyes.

  Yuan's face broke into a smile: "Tao'er, you're awake? Just in time, Jiu'lang has come to see you!"

  "Mother, who is Jiulang?" Du Bin asked hesitantly.

  Yuanshi suddenly remembered that her son had forgotten about the past. She calmly and gently helped Du Bin sit up, smiling and said: "It's Fan Jiulang, whose full name is Fan Changfeng, and he was your classmate in private school. Although his family is wealthy from doing business, no one looked down on him in school. I don't know how it happened, but Jiulang became especially close to you!"

  Du Bin couldn't understand why, in later generations, businessmen and the wealthy would have high social status. But he clearly heard a tone of disdain towards merchants from Yuan Shi's words.

  Du Bin did not know that Yuan Shi and the majority of people had the same idea. In ancient society, the positioning of the four peoples - scholars, farmers, workers and merchants - was an unchanging pattern, with merchants always in a very humble position that could not be raised.

  "Mrs. Li is well!"

  Just as Du Bin was deep in thought, a "meatball" rolled in from outside the door and bowed to Yuan Shi with a flourish.

  Needless to say, the "meatball" who entered was naturally Jiulang Fan Changfeng in Yuan's mouth.

  Dubin glanced at Fan Changfeng, only to see his round chin, round nose, two wind-catching ears, and the flesh on his face squeezed his eyes into a line. He was short and stout, with a rounded body that seemed to be dripping with oil, and his thick, short neck had disappeared into his shoulders. His small melon-like head looked like it was placed on top of two shoulders.

  Du Bin secretly despised his predecessor in his heart again: What kind of friends are these?

  Fan Changfeng's name is quite good, but this body is too embarrassing. Being a bit short is okay, being proportionate is also fine, but he doesn't have that either. His waist is thick and round, bulging out like a big belly. Standing up, he doesn't look like a winter melon, lying down, he doesn't look like a watermelon. Looking at his build, Du Bin really can't judge his age. Since they are in the same private school, he should be around the same age as himself.

  Fan Changfeng made a courtesy call to the Yuan family and then came to Du Bin's side, standing in front of him like a wooden bucket, stretching out his chubby arm and touching Du Bin's forehead.

  "Ah Tao, you haven't come to the private school for two days. I heard from Husband that you're ill, so I came to take a look at you!" Fan Changfeng's cheek muscles twitched as he spoke, his voice was like a thin line, soft and low.

  Fan Changfeng saw Du Bin sizing him up with an unfamiliar gaze, and he was perplexed. He turned his head to look at Yuan Shi.

  "Jiulang, Tao'er has contracted a strange illness, he can't remember things from before! Huazhong said it will take time to cure, you have to be patient!" Yuan Shi knew that hiding was futile with Fan Changfeng, so she simply told him straightforwardly.

  Fan Changfeng's face flashed with a hint of worry after hearing Yuan Shi's words, but he immediately put on a resolute expression: "Mrs. Li, don't worry, since A Tao helped me in the past, now that he's in trouble, I'll do my best to help him!"