UCTOOT CH59

Xie Wuchi stared at the hand he had let go of.

Shi Shu: “Xie Wuchi, can you change?”

“Change what?”

“Your sexual orientation. Change it back.”

Xie Wuchi: “Unless I chop it off, it’s very difficult to change.”

“…………”

Shi Shu asked no more questions and went to bed. The weather was deep into autumn, and the cold winter was approaching. The summer quilt felt a little thin. In the coolness of the night, Shi Shu couldn’t help but squeeze towards the heat source, Xie Wuchi, several times, but an alarm went off in his sleep, and he forced himself to stay away.

The next morning, the weather was good. They set off early. Shi Shu went to the market to buy a horse, changing his path.

Coming down from the back of the hill, it was now market time. It was bustling with people selling all kinds of livestock, cattle, and horses. People passed by the stalls, picking and choosing. Little lambs ran around, and chickens and ducks were crowded in pens, with layers of vendors’ calls ringing out.

Shi Shu walked and looked. Someone asked, “Sir, what are you buying?”

Shi Shu: “I want to buy a horse.”

The owner said, “Come with me. My horses are all mixed-breed from Shiguo—tall, strong, fast runners, and can carry heavy loads.”

Shi Shu understood the value of horses and went to take a look. The man said, “I used to transport salt and tea in Zhongchu Prefecture, but I’m not in that business anymore, so I want to sell all the horses. Someone just picked some out, these few are left.”

There were four or five left, each one plump and strong with thick coats. They were indeed rare, good horses. The owner tried his best to promote them, but Shi Shu noticed a horse in the corner with a drooping tail. That horse was very quiet, unlike the others who held their heads high. Shi Shu asked, “Has no one bought this one?”

The owner said, “This one’s old, twenty years old this year. It was amazing in its youth. I brought it back from Taiyin Prefecture. If no one buys it, I’ll have it haul bricks at the kiln.”

Shi Shu patted the horse’s back and said with a smile, “Old horses are gentle, just right for me. I’m also going to Taiyin Prefecture this time. I’ll take it home.”

Shi Shu paid the money and led the brownish-gray horse back. “I already have a Laifu, so you’ll be Laicai. You’ll help carry clothes and luggage from now on. It won’t be heavy. I might ride you a bit when I’m tired, but I won’t be very heavy.”

At the inn, the bailiffs and eunuchs saw from afar a young, handsome man in a green shirt and gray cloth leading a horse over. They all laughed and said, “Xie Erlang, why did you buy an old horse?”

Shi Shu: “I can’t train horses. The young ones are too scary to ride. An old horse is just right.”

After chatting with the group, Shi Shu loaded the clothes and quilts onto the horse’s back.

Shi Shu went to Xie Wuchi and told him the price. Xie Wuchi just nodded. “Very good.”

“Giddy-up, giddy-up!”

“Move it, don’t dawdle!”

“We’ll rest up ahead.”

At this moment, Shi Shu heard a series of shouts. A column of soldiers and horses passed by on the official road, with carts carrying goods. Beside them were men on tall horses, protecting them, cracking whips to urge the people to walk faster. These men wore headscarves and were drenched in sweat. A flag was raised high, with the name “Feng” written on it. Another flag bore the name “Hedong.”

These men had solemn expressions and were very alert to every movement around them. Looking closely, they were all wearing military uniforms; they were military personnel. The boxes of goods being transported in the carriages were the main point of this trip.

The station master wiped his sweat and said, “To think we’d run into a military payroll escort.”

“Military payroll escort?”

Shi Shu took a closer look. The man on the tall horse holding the reins was armed and armored, and he looked somewhat familiar.

“Yes, see the character ‘Feng’ up there? This is the military payroll being escorted to Military Governor Feng.”

Shi Shu didn’t immediately remember who it was and paid it no mind, responding to the man’s words: “Who is Military Governor Feng?”

“In Taiyin Prefecture and Changping Prefecture, he is the military leader who controls the garrisons of the two prefectures, a pillar of the Great Jing’s border, and his family has guarded the northern border for generations. Now he is the anchor of our Great Jing.”

Zhou Sanlang said, “Three million taels of silver from the land tax inspection were allocated as military funds for Military Governor Feng. This group is escorting that payroll.”

Shi Shu turned his head. “Xie Wuchi, the one you inspected.”

Xie Wuchi was drinking water from a bowl. Hearing this, he showed no reaction.

Zhou Sanlang added another comment. “The border is tense right now, in a stalemate with those barbarians from the Great Min. This three million taels of military funds might be like throwing meat buns at a dog—not enough.”

They were in a hurry to travel today. The bailiff soon stood up and said, “Let’s go, let’s set off, or we’ll be late and won’t make it to the station. I’m afraid we’ll have to share a station with this group of soldiers tonight.”

Shi Shu didn’t take it seriously at first, but when they reached the station, it was indeed so.

Arriving at Hebian Station at dusk, the soldiers who had arrived first to escort the military payroll had already packed the station to the brim. They were clamoring, “Isn’t dinner ready yet? I’m so hungry I could kill someone.”

“Tired, tired, tired, so tired!”

“Station master, bring the wine!”

The bailiff had just reached the door when a ruffianly soldier glared at him. “Get out, we’re full.”

“If you go any further, there are no more rooms in this place. Single rooms, large common rooms, we brothers have booked them all.”

The station master meekly retreated. But the eunuchs and guards behind him, who had walked all day, were not in a good mood. “Not letting us stay? Can’t you just squeeze in a bit? There are no other stations ahead, and it’s almost dark.”

Seeing the eunuch’s uniform and the imperial guards, the crowd’s voices softened, but there was still no shortage of grumbling. “There are so many of us brothers, how can we squeeze in! You come squeeze into our beds!”

Someone burst into laughter. “Little eunuch comes in, but there’s no going back.”

The young eunuchs flushed red with embarrassment. “You! How audacious! We are on an imperial mission!”

Suddenly, an angry shout rang out. “Stop all this noise! Four to a room, let them in! Everyone, clear the doorway!”

This voice was full of vigor and quickly brought the scene under control.

Shi Shu was looking at Xie Wuchi’s ankles. After a day of grinding, the scabs on his ankles had been worn open again, and they were swollen and bloody. He looked up, and Xie Wuchi’s expression was very calm, as if he didn’t care about life or death.

Shi Shu was worried. At the door, the general who had shouted walked out.

“Everyone squeeze in, make six rooms for them. Is there a prisoner here too? The prisoner can sleep in the woodshed!”

Shi Shu looked up. The general at the door was imposing, with an impatient expression. Looking closely, his mind suddenly jolted.

It was like a basin of cold water had been poured over him. His memory suddenly resurfaced, remembering being harassed by a heroic and fierce barbarian general at Gaohua Tower a few months ago. Wasn’t it this Feng Kui Zhi?

Shi Shu quickly lowered his head, bumping into Xie Wuchi’s waist, pretending to be busy tidying him up.

Feng Kui Zhi glanced at the crowd and asked, “What kind of prisoner is this? To trouble the imperial court so?”

“Escorting an official exiled for the New Policies.”

Feng Kui Zhi raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this our money tree? Good, good, good, let him stay in the sky-class room.”

The station attendant had a cloth over his shoulder. “General, a demoted official and an exile cannot stay in the upper rooms.”

“There’s such a rule?” Feng Kui Zhi frowned with his thick eyebrows and turned to leave.

Shi Shu heard the commotion at the door disappear and said softly, “Damn it, damn it, we’ve run into an enemy! Never mind that for now, Xie Wuchi, you go inside and sit down quickly.”

After walking all day, his legs felt like they were about to break, and the soles of his feet were sore and weak. Xu Er came and unlocked Xie Wuchi’s travel cangue. The two were led by the station attendant to the woodshed. “You two will stay here tonight.”

In the dark woodshed filled with miscellaneous items, Xu Erlang unlocked his handcuffs and shackles after entering. “Look at your brother’s legs and feet. The first few days of exile are the hardest to adapt to. Be careful not to get tetanus.”

After speaking, he went out.

Shi Shu looked at Xie Wuchi’s wounds, his scalp tingling. “How did you endure this journey?” He rinsed the handcuffs and chains with water and quickly wiped them dry with a cloth to prevent rust, placing them aside.

Shi Shu found there were many chores to do: making the bed, bathing, applying medicine, eating, washing clothes, especially when he himself was exhausted. But Shi Shu encouraged himself in the next second. “Isn’t it just these few chores? I’ll do them, do them, do them—”

He even let out a cheer to fuel himself. “Aaaah!”

Xie Wuchi had just stood up when he was pressed down onto a stool by Shi Shu. “You sit there, don’t move. You don’t need to do anything.”

Shi Shu brought a basin of hot water and handed him the cloth. “If you really want to help, take a bath yourself. I can’t help you with that.”

Shi Shu carried the chains out, thinking of a good method. “The chains chafe the hands and feet. I can wrap the chains in cloth so they won’t slip. Isn’t that better? I’m a genius!”

Shi Shu paid extra money to have the mother of the station attendant who also lived at the station sew it. Not only would it be sewn well, but the other person could also earn some income, a win-win. Then he went to the kitchen.

With so many people suddenly arriving today, the station attendants were extremely busy. Shi Shu took the opportunity to steal two steamed buns, one in his mouth, one in his hand, and a bowl of warm water in the other.

With his hands full, Shi Shu kicked the door open.

The clothes he had taken off were on the firewood. After walking all day and sweating profusely, the clothes were stained with dirt. Xie Wuchi stood in the dim room, a wet cloth hooked on his pinky finger, his body completely naked, the light of the oil lamp visible on his skin.

Shi Shu entered, and Xie Wuchi’s movements didn’t stop. He didn’t seem to mind at all and held the entire cloth in his hand.

Shi Shu couldn’t go out again. He closed the door and stood with his back to him, thinking, “If we’re brothers, I’d look, but a gay man I can’t look at, it feels a bit like sexual harassment.”

Then he mumbled with the bun in his mouth, “Xie Wuchi-wuwuwu—you take your time washing-wuwuwu—no hurry-wuwuwu—this bun will fill your stomach for now—dinner will probably be very late tonight—wuwuwu I saw the kitchen was extremely busy, who knows when it’ll be our turn-wuwuwu—”

The sound of splashing water.

Xie Wuchi answered him, and his bath was also nearing its end.

A moment later, Shi Shu heard a movement. Behind him, Xie Wuchi seemed to have dried his body and was preparing to get dressed.

Shi Shu closed his eyes, still maintaining the posture of biting the bun, staring at the dark door in front of him, his hands holding the bun and water.

A moment later, footsteps sounded behind him.

Shi Shu: “Wuwuwu are you done washing—”

He turned his face, and the Xie Wuchi before him was inches away, his eyelashes damp with water, wearing only a pair of pants around his waist, his upper body completely bare.

He leaned in, bent over, and took the steamed bun Shi Shu was holding in his mouth with his own.

The other end bore the soft indent of teeth, glistening with saliva.

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