Chapter 518: Returning Home—Heimu Prefecture

Traveling on the same boat as Wang Ji, the journey was naturally smooth and unimpeded.

On the safe and secure boat,

Cheng Feng only wanted to properly empty his mind at this moment.

Not worrying about martial arts, not worrying about seeking the Immortal, not worrying about duels.

It was a pity it was only for these two days.

Cheng Feng began to take precautions; after all, he had to make arrangements upon returning this time.

Wei Zhuang in Qingxi County was steady, and Cheng Feng felt very reassured.

The Hong Sect's water transport in Heimu Prefecture remained profitable.

Cheng Feng also had to settle his own parents, wife, and children; leaving a few backup plans was inevitable.

But if he left, his wife and children could no longer stay in Heimu Prefecture.

In other words, he still had to clear out the influence of the Red Lotus Sect in the local area.

……

The time it took to return was faster than Cheng Feng had thought.

The boat docked at dusk.

The pier at Heimu Prefecture was shrouded in a thin layer of evening mist. Several wind lamps had already been lit beside the berths, their dim yellow light reflecting on the pitch-black water, broken by the ripples into a patch of floating golden scales.

Cheng Feng stood at the bow of the boat, the river breeze blowing against his face, carrying the mixed scent of water weeds and tung oil.

That scent was too familiar, so familiar that it made his chest tighten.

It had been nearly half a year since he left and returned.

Wang Ji's boat did not make a grand display, only flying an inconspicuous triangular flag.

After the boat docked, Wang Ji did not disembark, only letting the accompanying steward deliver a name card to the guard station on the pier.

Before long, a middle-aged man wearing a grey cloth short shirt hurried over, prepared a carriage by the boat, and waited with lowered head and submissive eyes.

Cheng Feng turned his head to look toward the cabin. Wang Ji lifted the curtain, revealing half of her face.

"I will stay on the boat for one night and leave early tomorrow morning," she said. "Arrange your own affairs yourself; see you in the capital in three months."

"Understood," Cheng Feng replied. Without further ado, he picked up his bundle and jumped off the boat.

The middle-aged man led Cheng Feng to board a green-tented carriage waiting by the roadside.

The carriage was not large, but the wheels were wrapped in leather, and it ran very steadily.

The inside of the carriage was covered with soft cushions, and tea and snacks were prepared in the corner. Cheng Feng sat by the window and lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.

The street scene of Heimu Prefecture receded slowly outside the window. Compared to Tianqi City, everything here appeared narrow, old, and heavy with the atmosphere of daily life.

Most of the shops along the street had already closed; only a few selling wontons and soy-sauce-braised goods remained open. Steam overflowed from the edges of the pot lids, forming clusters of white mist in the cold, damp air.

Occasionally, a few late-returning pedestrians walked by in a hurry with their necks hunched, their feet stained with the black mud unique to the pier.

Cheng Mansion

Even though Cheng Feng had left Heimu Prefecture and had not been seen for some time,

the days that had to be lived still had to be lived.

However, all the women respectfully greeted Cheng Fu and Cheng Mu

before putting their energy into their own children.

Studying, practicing martial arts, learning medicine—

this was the path Cheng Feng could leave for his children.

The expenses involved were no longer enough to make the Cheng Mansion feel like it was suffering a major blow.

The carriage stopped. He tipped the coachman two taels of silver, and the coachman left after thanking him profusely.

Cheng Feng walked to the door. Before he could raise his hand to knock, the door opened from the inside.

"The Master is back!!!"

The voice of the gatekeeper servant was so shrill it went out of tune. The expression on his face was both surprised and happy. Before he finished speaking, he turned and ran inside,

shouting as he ran: "The Master is back! Quickly report to the Old Master and Old Mistress! The Master is back!"

Cheng Feng stood at the door, stunned for a moment, then stepped over the threshold, unable to laugh or cry.

He had intended to sneak in first and wash his face before doing anything else, but who knew this gatekeeper had a louder voice than a night watchman?

With one shout, the entire Rear Courtyard of the Cheng Mansion heard it.

Sure enough, in less than half a cup of tea's time, footsteps surged from all directions.

The first to arrive was his mother. The old lady came out holding a shoe sole, her hair tied loosely with an old hairpin.

Her face showed surprise first, then anger, and finally she rushed up and pinched his arm hard: "You still know how to come back! Do you still have this family in your eyes? You've been gone for over half a year without even sending a letter home!"

Cheng Feng did not dodge and let her pinch him, saying, "Mother, haven't I come back now?"

The old lady pinched him twice, her own eyes turning red first, and she hugged him, crying until her whole body shook.

Cheng Feng reached out to wrap his arms around her back and discovered she had grown thinner again; her shoulder blades were hard, like two thin knife blades.

"Alright, let the child come into the house first." Cheng Fu came out from the main hall, standing on the steps with his hands behind his back. His expression was steady, but the tremor in his voice could not deceive anyone.

He looked at Cheng Feng, his lips moved, and finally he only gave a heavy "Hmm," turned around, and went into the house first.

Cheng Feng helped his mother into the house and kowtowed to his parents in the main hall.

His father sat on the grand armchair, looking him up and down several times. His gaze swept from the weathering on his face to the old boots on his feet, and finally he nodded: "You've toughened up."

This was his father's way of expressing himself. After half a year of not seeing each other, a single "You've toughened up" was the greatest praise.

As they were talking, a burst of light and hurried footsteps came from the direction of the Rear Courtyard. Cheng Feng looked up and saw his women entering one after another, filling the room with their presence.

They seemed to have agreed upon it, dressed more plainly than usual, with only a light dusting of powder on their faces.

Their gazes fell squarely upon him; some were smiling, some had red eyes.

Some pursed their lips and stared at him without a word, yet not one of them rashly rushed forward.

"Greetings to Grandfather and Grandmother." Zhao Wei, walking at the very front, first bowed to the two elders, then turned to Cheng Feng, curtsied, and said, "Concubine greets Master. Master has had a tiring journey."

Cheng Feng raised his hand in a gesture of support: "No need for such formalities. Is everything well at home?"

"Everything is well." Zhao Wei stood up and looked up at him, her eyes hiding a layer of moisture, yet her tone remained composed.

"The matters you entrusted to me before leaving home, Concubine have all looked after. The businesses, the household, and the children's studies—not a single thing has been neglected."

Cheng Feng nodded. Zhao Wei was the mistress of the prefecture.

Her temperament was steady and her mind was meticulous; he felt at ease leaving the inner residence to her.

Coupled with the relationship between Cai'er and the other women, these matters were basically not difficult.

The remaining few women stepped forward in turn to offer their greetings.

Cai'er's voice was still as soft as ever, and as she smiled, her eyes turned red.

Dongmei held the youngest child by the hand; seeing him, she only lowered her head, the tips of her ears bright red.

The other concubines also had glistening eyes.

The children were finally led up. The older ones were three or four, while the youngest was still in swaddling clothes.

They stood in a row from tallest to shortest; some called out "Father" in a disciplined manner, while others timidly hid behind their mothers, only poking half their faces out.

Cheng Feng looked at them one by one and discovered that his eldest son had grown quite a bit, his brows and eyes already possessing a touch of a youth's heroic spirit.

His youngest daughter was a bit chubbier than when he had left home, her cheeks round and chubby, clutching her mother's hem and refusing to let go.

"Father." His eldest son, Chengping, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed, his movements precise and proper. "Son pays respects to Father."

Cheng Feng reached out and patted his shoulder, feeling the already firm muscles beneath his touch: "How are your studies?"

"I have finished memorizing the Thousand Character Classic and the Hundred Schools Sayings, and now I am following the teacher to read the Treatise on Arts. My martial arts lessons have not been neglected either; I can stand in a horse stance for half an hour now."

Cheng Feng smiled and looked toward his second son, Cheng'an.

That child was thinner, and as soon as he was stared at, he became nervous, stammering out a "Father" in a voice as small as a cat's meow.

Cheng Feng did not make things difficult for him, only patting his head: "Study well."

After the noisy round of greetings was finished, Cheng Feng finally returned to his own courtyard.

Zhao Wei followed him in, personally fetching water to help him wash his face and hands, and then brought over the hot tea that had already been prepared.

Cheng Feng washed his face, changed into a set of clean clothes, and sat by the table drinking tea.

Zhao Wei sat to one side and, in a low voice, recounted the important matters of the prefecture from the past half-year.

"Father and Mother are still in good health, but they miss you. Mother often cannot sleep at night; she doesn't say it, but her appetite has decreased quite a bit. Now that you are back, the knot in her heart will dissipate."

"There is enough silver in the prefecture. As you said before you left, our family spent money to open a cloth shop and a grain shop. I don't let people spread the accounts, but the internal ledgers have been kept."

I bought some fields for Father, and with the tenant farmers, Father helps manage them, which keeps him from being bored.

Mother makes clothes at home, so she doesn't feel dull.

Currently, there is a surplus in income, the foundation is still there, and there are basically no major issues."

"The children are all well-behaved. Those who study are studying, and those who practice martial arts are practicing; none of them have caused trouble. It's just that Lao San caught a cold last month; I invited a doctor to prescribe a decoction, and after taking five doses, he is already fully recovered."

Cheng Feng listened quietly, nodding from time to time. He held his teacup, his gaze resting on the old locust tree outside the window.

Heimu Prefecture was not as bustling as Tianqi City; once night fell, it was exceptionally quiet, with even the sound of the wind kept low.

He discovered that the longer he was away, the more he could appreciate the goodness of this quietude.

"I will stay with you tonight," Cheng Feng suddenly said.

Zhao Wei was startled, then a faint red flush flew across her face, and she responded in a low voice.

At night, Cheng Feng settled the women of the house properly and went to the two elders' room to keep them company for a while.

His father remained taciturn, chatting aimlessly about matters in the fields and the shops; though it seemed irrelevant, every sentence was meant to put him at ease.

His mother, however, chattered on and on about how he had grown thin and dark, and how he must have suffered so much outside.

Heaven have mercy, Cheng Feng did not think his skin had reached the point of being dark.

This must be motherly love!

Cheng Feng stayed with them until the two elders urged him to go and rest, at which point he finally rose.