Wish You All the Best - Chapter 91
Chapter 91
Jiafu snuggled deeper into the man’s embrace, pressing even closer, and closed her eyes to drift off to sleep once more.
When she awoke again, it was likely near midday. She was alone in the bed, but Pei You’an was not far away; she knew he was just outside the door. She could hear the fragmented sounds of him speaking with Yang Yun. Though she couldn't make out the words, the voice drifting into the room was melodic and soothing to her heart.
The fire in the room’s stove was burning brightly. Jiafu lay naked beneath the covers, feeling warm from the inside out. Every inch of her skin and every strand of her hair felt profoundly comfortable and at ease.
The memory of her arduous trek through the snow last night felt unreal, as if it had never happened.
She had never imagined she was capable of walking so far, trekking eight or nine miles through snow that reached her ankles without stopping once.
Looking back, it seemed truly unbelievable.
Stretching out two slender, lotus-root-like arms from beneath the quilt, Jiafu let out a lazy, expansive yawn and slowly sat up. She looked down to find her clothes, but the garments that had been removed the previous night were gone. Resting by her pillow was a clean set of clothing, everything from her inner garments to her socks provided. Pei You’an must have retrieved them from her pack after he had risen.
She stifled a small yawn and reached out to grab the clothes, but at that moment, she heard his footsteps approaching the door, followed by the soft sound of it being pushed open.
Jiafu immediately slid into the quilt and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
He closed the door and entered with light, careful steps. He seemed to check the stove before coming to the bedside and sitting down gently.
Even with her eyes closed, Jiafu could feel him silently gazing at her.
Fortunately, she was sleeping with her back to the outside and her face turned inward; otherwise, being watched like that, she wouldn’t have been able to hold back for long.
A moment later, Jiafu felt the man behind her slowly lean in. She couldn't guess what he was about to do. Before she could react, she felt a warmth against her back—he had planted a light kiss on her exposed skin, then gathered the quilt up to cover her shoulders and back, which she hadn't managed to tuck in time. His movements were incredibly gentle, as if he feared waking her.
Once finished, he stood up, seemingly intending to leave.
With her heart racing from that secret kiss on her back, Jiafu could no longer restrain herself. She let out a soft, delighted laugh, opened her eyes, and scrambled up from the quilt. She wrapped her bare arms around him, and as her soft body pressed against him, his composure faltered; his legs softened, and he fell back onto the bed.
The leg of the old bed, which had groaned and struggled under their weight the night before, let out another pitiful "creak."
Jiafu turned over and lay across his chest, half-closing her eyes—still hazy from sleep and a touch coquettish like a kitten—and tilted her beautiful chin up at him triumphantly.
"Taking advantage of me while I was asleep to sneak a kiss!"
A glimmer of pleasure danced in the depths of Pei You’an’s eyes. He chuckled, raised his hand, and gave her a light pat on the bottom through the quilt.
"Still pretending to be asleep? How dishonest. Are you hungry? Get up now."
Jiafu was far from obedient and clung to him relentlessly. It took a good while of coaxing before she finally let him go.
Pei You’an helped her dress piece by piece. When he reached her feet to put on her socks, his hands paused.
Her feet, once as pristine as lotus petals, were now covered in red, swollen chilblains. The tops of her feet were puffy, looking like two steamed buns, a truly pitiful sight.
Jiafu curled her toes and laughed, "It’s only itchy sometimes; it doesn’t hurt. It’s no trouble at all."
Pei You’an remained silent. He simply cupped her feet in his palms, kneading the soles for a moment, then took out a jar of ointment. He applied it to the chilblains and massaged them a while longer before gently putting on her socks. Finally, he brought out a pair of new cotton shoes she had prepared for him before the journey and helped her slip them on.
Because her feet were swollen with frostbite, her original shoes would have been constricting and uncomfortable. She didn't know what kind of sheer willpower had kept her going last night. Once off the bed, she stood on tiptoe to kiss his chin, whispering, "Big Cousin, you are so good to me." Then, wearing the shoes which were far too large—like slippers—she shuffled across the floor with a clattering sound. Happy as a little girl, she reached the desk and peeked at the account books. Seeing they were merely mundane records of fodder intake and output, messy and trivial, she thought of how he had been working on these late last night despite being ill. Remembering his past achievements, she couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness at seeing a mighty dragon trapped in shallow waters, a talented man reduced to menial tasks.
Pei You’an smiled and said, "Warhorses are precious. Anything concerning them cannot be neglected in the slightest. Being here is quite good, too."
Jiafu loved him not only for his past brilliance and far-reaching ambition but even more for his broad-minded ability to remain unswayed by glory or humiliation.
Feeling that she had underestimated him, she smiled. "Big Cousin, teach me these clerical tasks. I will help you from now on."
Pei You’an nodded with a smile and went to open the door to call for someone. Soon, Tanxiang and Muxiang brought in hot water. After washing up and combing her hair, Jiafu ate in the room. Seeing the sky had cleared, she refused to stay cooped up and wanted to see the area around the feed yard.
Pei You’an couldn’t refuse her; he wrapped her in a thick cloak, opened the door, and took her out.
The feed yard covered a vast area, with storage sheds to the east and a horse stable to the west, housing several hundred horses. When Pei You’an brought her to the entrance of the stable, he stopped and said with a smile, "It’s not clean inside. Let's go back."
Jiafu was full of enthusiasm and refused to turn around, so Pei You’an had to continue the tour.
Although there was no war at present, the icy conditions meant many warhorses suffered from frostbitten hooves or old injuries that were hard to heal. They were continuously sent here. If they could not recover to charge on the battlefield, they were considered "waste horses" to the army—keeping them was a waste of fodder—and the standard practice was to slaughter them for military rations.
Pei You’an had joined the army in his youth and was accustomed to such methods, but since arriving here, through his dedicated treatment and care, dozens of horses had slowly regained their health in just two short months.
As Jiafu walked through, she saw the stables were clean and orderly, with rows of warhorses kept inside. In the distance, two elderly soldiers were adding fodder. Seeing him arrive with the lady who had arrived last night, they hurriedly came over to pay their respects with a respectful attitude.
Pei You’an asked a few questions and told them to continue their work. Seeming to remember something, he signaled for Jiafu to follow and led her to a warm shed, gesturing for her to look inside.
Inside was a chestnut horse with a glossy, beautiful coat. Looking closely, she was smaller than the other horses, but her belly was quite large.
Jiafu was confused at first, but then she realized and said with pleasant surprise, "Is she carrying a little foal?"
Pei You’an nodded with a smile. "She stopped eating and drinking a while ago, so they thought she was sick and sent her here."
Jiafu was overjoyed. "Can I feed her?" Seeing him agree, she hurriedly held out a handful of beans and carefully approached to feed her. Her palm felt ticklish from the horse's warm, wet tongue, and she couldn't help but giggle incessantly.
She loved this place. Even though it was surrounded by vast, frozen wilderness and her living quarters were dilapidated and drafty, she loved it from the bottom of her heart.
After finishing the feeding and washing her hands, Pei You’an led her back out. She was in excellent spirits, walking in the snow and listening to the crunching sound, feeling as if she wanted to spin around and cheer.
Fearing she would catch a chill, Pei You’an insisted on taking her back to the room and closing the door. Worried she would be bored, he had the two maids keep her company while he busied himself repairing the cracks in the doors and windows. He fixed the maids' room as well, and from somewhere, he found a large wooden barrel, hammering away for the entire afternoon. Before dark, all the drafts in the house were sealed, and Jiafu had a bathing barrel for a comfortable hot bath. With a curtain hung in the corner, a simple bathing room was created.
After dinner, Pei You’an went on his routine inspection of the feed yard and hadn't yet returned. Jiafu brewed his medicine on the stove, replaced the stiff old bedding on the bed with the soft quilt she had brought with her, and drew the new curtains she had hung up during the day. The tea kettle hummed on the stove, bubbling over the fire. Outside, the wilderness was empty and frozen, but in this small, cozy room, she felt a profound sense of warmth.