FID – Chapter 1028

Chapter 1028: Everyone Knows He Has a Thick Skin

The spring planting was finished, and once Qin Xiao had rested and recovered a bit, the group would prepare to return to the capital.

  This also meant that Badou and Hongdou would be leaving Xinghua Village.

  Naturally, the old couple and people like Liu Dalin and Chen Xiulan were extremely reluctant, but they had no choice but to let them go.

  As much as they wanted to keep Badou and Hongdou, the two children were not only the Liu family’s grandchildren. They were also of imperial blood.

  The Empress Dowager had come all this way to fetch them with sincere affection.

  They couldn’t simply ignore that. How could they refuse?

On the day of departure, the old couple who were unable to part with the two little ones got onto the carriage with the Empress Dowager and escorted them all the way to the Yunzhou dock before returning.

  All the elders and children of Xinghua Village gathered beneath the big pagoda tree to see the Empress Dowager off.

  Although she wasn’t deeply familiar with every villager, their sincere and honest farewells still moved her.

  Besides the people of Xinghua Village, villagers from Xiapo Village also came.

  While they respectfully sent off the Empress Dowager, many of them slipped over to the accompanying guards, slinging arms over their shoulders like old buddies, inviting them to come back and ‘play next time.’ Seeing the guards struggling to hold back expressions of pure disgust made everyone nearby burst into laughter.

  Back then, the Xiapo villagers had shamelessly clung to the guards and made them work for an entire month. Even during the busiest days of spring planting, they didn’t let them off.

  Fortunately, after making the guards work, the villagers at least knew to invite them into their homes for meals. No one did anything petty or stingy. The guards even looked healthier and more energetic than when they first arrived.

  The water and soil here truly nourished people.

  The carriage slowly pulled away from Xinghua Village under the watchful eyes of the villagers.

  Inside the carriage, Grandma Liu held Hongdou in her arms, her eyes red with reluctance. “Why do you have to go back so soon? It’s not like there’s anything urgent waiting for you in the palace. Besides those concubines and consorts who visit each day to greet you, what else do you have to do? Wouldn’t it be much more comfortable to stay in Xinghua Village, sit under the big tree every day, and chat with people?”

  “You know nothing. I am the Empress Dowager,” the Empress Dowager said, thoroughly annoyed at the sight of the woman’s reddened eyes.

  “It’s always that sentence. ‘Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager.’ Can’t an Empress Dowager do what she wants? You’re the mother of the nation, so shouldn’t you be freer than everyone else? With that identity, even if you played outside for a year and a half before returning, who would dare say anything? And even if someone dared, you still have Xiao Feng’er and Axiu protecting you. What’s there to be afraid of?”

The old woman grumbled discontentedly, “All your life, you’ve lived for other people’s opinions. Don’t you feel tired? Your life is your own. What does it matter how others see you? Your own happiness is what matters most. And to think you always say you’re the Empress Dowager, yet you live less freely than an old woman like me.”

  The Empress Dowager remained silent.

  How could the Empress Dowager not understand the truth in the old woman’s words? But those who stand high above may appear glorious, yet they are even less free than ordinary people.

  Grandma Liu didn’t understand that the Empress Dowager did not have the privilege of being willful.

  A soft little hand gently touched her chin. Lowering her gaze, she met the clear, innocent eyes of the child in her arms, melting her heart softly.

  She was already at an age where she no longer desired much. Now she only wanted to stay by Badou and Hongdou’s side, watch them grow up, and enjoy the long-yearned-for warmth of family through them. When the day finally came for her to die, she would be able to close her eyes peacefully.

  In the carriage behind them, Grandpa Liu and Qin Xiao sat together.

  Originally, the four of them could have shared one carriage, but with Badou and Hongdou added, the two precious little ones, the Empress Dowager insisted on giving up the widest seats for them to lie down. As a result, the two old men were driven into another carriage.

  Listening to the rumbling of the wheels and watching the scenery passing by outside the window, Qin Xiao’s eyes were deep and unreadable, as if lost in thought.

  “In the blink of an eye, you’ve been here more than a month. Time passes too quickly. It feels like you arrived just yesterday and now you’re already leaving.” Grandpa Liu sighed. “Once you’re gone, I’ll have no opponent to play chess with in the village. Who knows when we’ll get to play again?”

  “You’re wrong. Once I leave, anyone in the village who can play chess will be evenly matched with you. I’ve been letting you win this whole time. Otherwise, do you really think a lousy player like you could battle me for so long? You even got addicted to it,” Qin Xiao said, exasperated and amused.

Life in the village was easy and carefree, and chess was played for entertainment, without the need to take it too seriously.

  So whenever Grandpa Liu set out the chessboard, Qin Xiao would deliberately go easy on him so as not to ruin the lively atmosphere for everyone. And yet the old man only got more enthusiastic because of it.

  Truly, he had no idea just how terrible his own chess skills really were.

Did Grandpa Liu himself not know? He knew very well.

  So when Qin Xiao exposed him, he wasn’t angry in the slightest. In fact, he twitched his moustache proudly. “It’s exactly because you let me win that I enjoy playing with you even more. Tell me—how many people in this world can claim that the great general gives way to them? I rely on strength, you know!”

  His shameless bragging made the general laugh out loud.

  “That rascal Zhiqiu is definitely your blood,” Qin Xiao said. “His thick skin is inherited straight from you.”

  The two old men bickered cheerfully, the atmosphere warm and lively.

  Up front, Liu Zhiqiu was driving the carriage. Hearing himself mentioned inside, he didn’t get angry at all. He simply hummed a little tune, utterly pleased.

  Everyone acknowledged that he was thick-skinned; no need to deny it. And what was wrong with being thick-skinned? Thick-skinned people got the sweet rewards.

  They had set out early in the morning, and when they arrived in Yunzhou it was just noon.

  After entering the city, Liu Zhiqiu drove straight to the largest restaurant, planning to let the Empress Dowager and his grandparents eat first.

  The Qians Restaurant owned by Qian Wanjin served delicious food, and they even gave discounts.

  The shopkeeper saw that it was the Liu family and immediately led everyone upstairs to a private room. After they sat down, Liu Zhiqiu began reciting a long list of dishes.

  He stunned both his grandpa and grandma.

  “There are only five of us. How are we supposed to finish that many dishes?” Grandma Liu questioned in distress. If they couldn’t finish, that would be a waste!

  Liu Zhiqiu grinned. “Don’t worry. Whatever we can’t finish, we’ll pack up. Nothing will go to waste.”

  Hearing that, the old couple finally relaxed.

  The Empress Dowager’s expression, however, darkened. Packing leftovers? If word got out, where would she put her imperial dignity?

  She decided she would leave early after the meal, before that boorish woman dragged her into embarrassment.

  Before the main dishes arrived, the kitchen first sent out two bowls of steamed egg custard.

  After feeding Badou and Hongdou, they coaxed the two little ones to sleep on the wooden couch beside the private room. Only then did the adults sit down to eat and chat, the conversation circling nonstop around the twins.

  Talking about Badou and Hongdou naturally led them to mention Feng Qingbai and Liu Yusheng.

  The two had already been gone for more than two months, and no news had come back at all. The only rumor they had heard was about the incident in Cangzhou. 

  Aside from that, there had been no message—almost as if all contact had suddenly been cut off. It was hard not to worry.