Chapter 84: Chapter 63: Reunion in Changning
Translator: 549690339
By the second day, after swapping to a new carriage, Lu Yuan, accompanied by Zhou Qing, continued their journey.
They had now reached the border of Luling Prefecture and even Yuzhang Prefecture.
Heading west from here, they would be outside the prefecture boundary within fifty miles.
As they could see their hometown getting further and further away, the rotating wheels of the carriage made the car shake rhythmically.
Zhou Qing, who had been silent for the past few days, finally couldn’t help his curiosity and asked, “Brother Lu, where are we heading?”
Lu Yuan glanced at the coachman driving outside. They were about to leave the territory of the Iron Sword Sect in Luling Prefecture, which somehow relieved him.
Of course, even though he felt slightly relaxed, he remained vigilant.
Consequently, he lowered his voice to a volume that the outside coachman could not hear and said, “I have a good friend in Dongting Prefecture, who holds an official position there. Aren’t we seeking refuge?
Fortunately, I haven’t seen this friend of mine for over two years, so we can go seek refuge with him.”
The said friend was naturally Sun Siwen.
Ever since the day he decided to escape, the first place Lu Yuan thought of escaping to was Dongting Prefecture.
Firstly, because it didn’t fall under the same Jianghu power as Luling Prefecture. Once there, they could effectively avoid pursuit by the Iron Sword Sect.
Secondly, Sun Siwen was an official there. Even though he was only a petty official, seeking refuge in him could offer some protection.
The third reason was of course the fact that having not seen his friend for two years, Lu Yuan somewhat missed him. Visiting him now was a perfect opportunity to honor the promise he made back then.
Zhou Qing nodded. Having learned their destination, he did not ask any further.
At this time, Lu Yuan paid no more attention to him and instead lost himself in thought, looking at the scenery receding outside the carriage window. “I wonder what Brother Sun looks like now after not seeing him for two years?” He pictured the scene when the two would reunite in a while, a smile appeared on his face, and he was pleased.
Dongting was a hilly region, with many uneven hills and valleys can be seen everywhere. There were steep hills and gentle valleys, some of which were accessible bv vehicles. while others didn’t even have Dedestrian oaths.
There were countless streams flowing through the region, with varying water speeds. Some streams were navigable, while others could only be crossed by suspension bridges.
Lu Yuan, with Zhou Qing, traveled through these mountains and rivers, sometimes by carriage, sometimes by boat, sometimes on foot. They experienced different landscapes and felt overwhelmed by the grandeur of nature and human power.
The fascinating scenes slowed their travel speed a bit.
Fortunately, after more than twenty days of circling around, they finally reached their destination, Changning County, where Sun Siwen held his post.
Changning County, located in the western part of Dongting Prefecture, was one of the poorest counties in the prefecture, even by its own standards.
Upon entering the city, Lu Yuan felt this deeply.
There were few people on the streets, many of whom had patches on their clothes, few were dressed in silk and satin.
Even more surprising was the sight of several barbarians wearing foreign attire or animal skins mingling among the people.
The locals seemed to have gotten used to this and comfortably carried on their business with these barbarians without any discomfort.
The local dialect was also interesting.
In Yuzhang Prefecture, whether in the city or the countryside, everyone communicated in the official language of Da Yue. People from all prefectures and counties could communicate without barriers.
However, in Changning County, fewer people spoke the language of Da Yue. This unfamiliar language, coupled with barbarians wearing exotic attires, mixed in the crowd, gave Lu Yuan a strangely vivid sense of being in a foreign land.
While it was mildly discomforting, he was intrigued by this exotic culture.
Yet, Lu Yuan had Zhou Qing and loads of baggage with him at the moment, and they were not there for a visit.
The priority was to find Sun Siwen quickly and settle down.
Fortunately, it was the middle of the month, a rest day for the government officials. Lu Yuan gave the coachman an address, and they headed towards Sun
Siwen’s home.
The city of Changning Couny wasn’t large , just five or six streets.
After passing two alleys, they quickly arrived at the Changning Fang in the west part of the city.
This was where the rich and officials of the city lived. As the education official, Sun Siwen had a residence arranged by the government and was living there.
Just as Lu Yuan approached the address, he saw Sun Siwen coming out of his house wearing casual blue clothes, looking like he was about to go somewhere.
He immediately shouted, “Brother Sun!”
When Sun Siwen heard the familiar voice, he turned around to see Lu Yuan standing next to a carriage, smiling at him.
He was momentarily stunned, and then ran over with a look of surprise on his face, “Brother Lu.’
Sun Siwen grabbed his friend’s hand and looked him up and down, then said happily, “Ever since we parted two years ago, I’ve been wondering when Brother Lu would come to visit me. Now after waiting for so long, day and night, you’ve finally arrived.”
Lu Yuan laughed, “Didn’t I say that I would come to see you when I had time? However, now that Brother Sun is an official, I hope you won’t mind me, a poor friend, coming to freeloading off you?”
Sun Siwen pretended to be angry, “Brother Lu, what kind of person do you think I am? We met during hard times, as close as brothers. What does it matter if one of us is an official or a commoner? Come on, I’ve already reserved a room for you at my home.”
But when he opened the trunk, he was stunned to find someone else sitting inside, looking quite sickly.
“I knew Brother Sun hasn’t changed.”
Lu Yuan laughed loudly, walked into the carriage, helped Zhou Qing out, and then introduced him to the puzzled-looking Sun Siwen. “This is Zhou Qing, the son of a good friend of mine. Now that his father has passed away, I have promised to look after him.”
Sun Siwen paused for a moment, then realized who Lu Yuan was referring to. He looked at Zhou Qing with a sympathetic expression, “Dr. Zhou once treated my father’s illness. I knew him to be a skilled and kind-hearted palace doctor, I didn’t expect that he has passed away.
Don’t worry, since Lu Yuan has made it his mission to look after you, as Lu Yuan’s friend, I will treat you as my nephew.
From now on, you are my family, so just stay at our place in peace.”
Upon hearing that Sun Siwen was an old friend of Dr. Zhou, Zhou Qing was again reminded of his father, and his previously calm mood turned sorrowful again, his eyes red.
However, having experienced the sorrowful past few days, he was able to hold back his tears.
“That’s enough, we’re in a new place, let’s leave the past behind.”
Lu Yuan patted his shoulder, gave some comforting words, then turned to Sun
Siwen and said, “Brother Sun, help me with the luggage, I need to support Xiaoqing, I can’t carry everything.”
“Alright.”
Sun Siwen replied, took the luggage, and then led the way..