Chapter 60 – Past Life Arc: Mutual Support

In the blink of an eye, spring came and went, it was already the peak of the summer season. Xu Yunchun had already lived with Wei Xiu for several months, and all the injuries on his body had healed. That formerly emaciated face had now grown some extra fat, he looked so healthy and adorable, like a completely separate person from the poor thing that had been getting dragged around by a rope.

Additionally, when he just arrived at the general’s residence, his speech was no better than that of a 5 year old, he would speak in couple-word utterances. Now, he spoke just like anyone else, there was no trace of his previous speech patterns.

One could even say he got better too quickly, so now the main issue was  that he spoke too much.

*

“Would you like to drink tea, young master? Why don’t I brew some tea for you?”

“No need, go practice your characters.”

“Let me fan you, young master! I can fan quite quickly!”

“No need for that, go practice your characters.”

“Young master, look, there’s a little bug pulling a leaf!”

“You’re the little bug!” Wei Xiu sheathed his sword, anger erupting, “I told you to sit properly and practice your characters, yet you wriggle around endlessly like a little worm! Have you finished practicing today’s characters? Have you practiced your horse stance?”

Wei Xiu originally intended to send Xu Yunchun to a private academy and have those teachers teach him. But, the third prince had many watch dogs lingering around, and Wei Xiu was afraid Xu Yunchun may get bullied, so he had no choice but to teach him to read and write on his own.

This saved Xu Yunchun from getting bullied, but instead resulted in Wei Xiu getting constantly irritated by Xu Yunchun.

He was not originally such an ill-tempered person, but now he found himself yelling all day.

But what choice did he have? When Xu Yunchun just arrived at the residence he had been so well-behaved, but now, it was like he was a completely different person.

He obviously wasn’t stupid, he was quite intelligent actually, he just never sat still.

Wei Xiu had to bring Xu Yunchun to work at his side, so it was easier to keep an eye on him. But, when the two were together, Xu Yunchun just wanted to keep talking to him.

After a string of nagging, Xu Yunchun finally stopped, and obediently practiced his characters.

Knowing that this quiet state would not last for long, Wei Xiu let out a sigh.

It really was…hard to be a young master.

*

Wei Xiu’s worries didn’t stop there,  he was also worried about the weakness of Xu Yunchun’s body.

“His bones are too weak, and he started training too late,” Wei Xiu ordered the housekeeper to remind the old woman to stew an extra chicken, “if he keeps training at this rate, he won’t achieve much.”

The housekeeper said: “There is no need for worry, young master. There are many people in this world who have no martial skill.”

But Wei Xiu insisted: “No, he must learn martial arts. If he does not enlist in the military, and instead enters any other specialties, then how will I be able to help him?”

Wei Xiu was aleady set to become a military officer, if Xu Yunchun were to become a scholar, naturally, he would be unable to help him. And the residents of the Wei household are few, so no one else would be able to help Xu Yunchun either.

The housekeeper saw no better alternatives: “He is not obligated to hold an official post, he can simply serve you as a servant.”

Wei Xiu: “If I were to die in battle, then how would he live? Just one rat sends him into a tearful fit!”

The housekeeper: “…You’re thinking too far ahead, young master.”

Wei Xiu: “Far? Life and death are quite fickle, who is to say that I may still alive even moments from now.”

The housekeeper was speechless, but soon he was at ease again.

His young master has been mature since young. Besides practicing martial arts and reading, he hadn’t cared about much else. That there was something that worried him so now was not necessarily a bad thing. And the housekeeper understood that he was quite up in age and wouldn’t be able to accompany the young master for many more years. With Xu Yunchun’s addition to the residence, also came an addition of frustration to the formerly desolate place. If Xu Yunchun could become an assistant to the young master in the future and accompany him that would be wonderful.

The housekeeper: “Then you must find a way to help Xu Yunchun, young master.”

*

Wei Xiu was still filled with worry. He didn’t know how Xu Yunchun would manage in the future.

At night, Xu Yunchun would lay down at Wei Xiu’s bedside, fanning him. Wei Xiu had never been served in such a way. The housekeeper and the old woman took care of his food and clothes, but no one had ever fanned him during the hot summer nights.

Of course, the young master does enjoy it at times…

But, now, not even a minute passed before Wei Xiu had had enough and said: “Why don’t you go and practice your characters instead.”

Xu Yunchun: “The young master needs Chunchun to fan him!”

Wei Xiu: “No, the young master needs Chunchun to practice his characters.”

Xu Yunchun let out a long “fine”, put down the fan and went to practice his characters. He leaned over the table, picked up his brush, and got hard at work practicing his characters.

Before, he couldn’t even hold the brush properly, so Wei Xiu would hold his hand to show him the proper way. Now, he held the brush like he knew what he was doing.

Was Xu Yunchun made for the scholarly arts? Maybe he should hire someone to teach him? Wei Xiu started to ponder this issue again.

Xu Yunchun wiped away some sweat. Seeing this, Wei Xiu hurried to grab the fan and fan him.

Xu Yunchun: “?”

Wei Xiu: “What are you looking at? Focus! Write! You are forbidden from sleeping until you finish!”

Xu Yunchun immediately lowered his head and continued writing.

As expected, a young master must be strict. Wei Xiu was quite pleased with himself, fan still in hand, he continued to fan the other.

*

For a period of time, Wei Xiu didn’t closely consider Xu Yunchun’s upbringing, he simply had him continue to read and practice characters, and continued to supervise his martial arts practice.

At the end of the summer season, Wei Xiu went out into battle as a military officer for the first time. By this time, Xu Yunchun was already much taller than before, but he still seemed like a child.

Xu Yunchun whined, pulling Wei Xiu with two hands: “Let me go as well, young master. I must serve you.”

Wei Xiu said: “I do not need you to serve me, I just need you to wait nicely at home. When I return, I will test you on your studies. You mustn’t fall behind in your martial arts either! Understood?”

“Young master!” Xu Yunchun was on the verge of tears.

“Be good.” Wei Xiu consoled, his voice low.

Wei Xiu had always shown no sadness or happiness, his mood as calm as water. This was the first time that he was worried to the point of headache for someone else.

He wanted to bring Xu Yunchun along, but the other was too young. If he brought someone so young with him, he was afraid others would criticize him.

On top of it all, fighting a war was not a laughing matter, he was afraid Xu Yunchun would get hurt.

*

On the night before Wei Xiu was set to go out, he took the initiative to embrace Xu Yunchun, patiently consoling him. The young one had been holding back, but in the end, he could not hold it anymore and just started crying.

Wanting to distract him, Wei Xiu teased him: “What is it? You’re too scared of the big rats to sleep on your own.”

Xu Yunchun shakes his head: “I’m afraid the young master will get injured, afraid the young master might die…”

Wei Xiu: “Well, since you’re not scared of the rates anymore, then sleep on your own.”

Xu Yunchun immediately starts bawling.

Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Wei Xiu hurried to say: “I promise I will be safe and sound! Don’t cry…How about this? Let’s pinky promise!”

Finally, Xu Yunchun nodded: “Pinky promise.”

Just a moment later, Wei Xiu yelled: “Why is there so much mucus on your hand? Clean your hands and then we can pinky promise.”

*

Wei Xiu went out to battle and was gone for only three months.

That battle was an absolute victory, a military success for a young and inexperienced soldier such as him. It also marked the beginning of a streak of victories for years to come.

But Wei Xiu did take an arrow to the shoulder, and that injury still hadn’t fully healed.

“Why are you crying now?”

After three months apart, Xu Yunchun grew taller, making him look like a completely different person from the previous year.

As soon as he saw the bandages on Wei Xiu’s shoulder, he started bawling: “The young master is not to be trusted! I studied well and trained diligently! But you still got hurt!”

Wei Xiu: “It is but an injury, I haven’t died!”

Xu Yunchun: “It seems like you’re going to!”

Wei Xiu: “…”

Only once Wei Xiu finally promised to get well soon was Xu Yunchun somewhat set at ease.

*

Over those three months, Xu Yunchun was indeed quite well-behaved. The old housekeeper said that Xu Yunchun read and practiced his characters without fail, and he did his martial arts training just as Wei Xiu instructed. Although he started to be a bit mischievous after getting the hang of it, he would never forget Wei Xiu’s words.

“The mischievousness gives him the appearance of a child.” The old housekeeper said with a smile.

“I think he’ll eventually get absolutely out of control.” Wei Xiu let out a sigh, but seeing the considerable improvement in his characters with them becoming more and more similar to his own, he smiled in the end.

*

That night, Xu Yunchun shared a bed with Wei Xiu just as they had before. But unlike before, Xu Yunchun didn’t nestle into Wei Xiu’s chest. Feeling the emptiness of his chest, Wei Xiu thinks: “They’ve been apart for three months, they must have grown a bit distant.”

“Young master, can I sleep on the outside?”

“Do as you please. There is much space in the residence, you can sleep wherever you choose.”

Wei Xiu didn’t particularly want to share his bed with anyone, but the way Xu Yunchun had volunteered to leave had left him feeling somewhat uneasy. He laid on the bed straight faced, and watched as Xu Yunchun climbed off the bed. Xu Yunchun pushed Wei Xiu to the inside and climbed back on the bed.

Wei Xiu: “?”

Xu Yunchun pulls the covers and nestles into Wei Xiu’s chest. He rubbed against him satisfied and said: “Your shoulder must get better soon, young master. I’d like you to sleep on the inside.”

It turned out that it hadn’t been that he didn’t want to get closer to Wei Xiu, but that he was afraid of hurting Wei Xiu’s right shoulder.

“It’ll get better without you saying so.”

Wei Xiu said this, but the corners of his lips gently lifted.

*

However, Wei Xiu’s right shoulder didn’t get better, it would hurt with every movement.

The arrow that shot him had been dipped in poison which had then injured a nearby meridian. The emperor sent several imperial physicians to check, and they all said he had to wait patiently for the injury to heal.

The emperor wanted Wei Xiu to heal his injury in the palace, but Wei Xiu was unwilling. Although he had Xu Yunchun making a fuss at his side, watching Xu Yunchun causing trouble at his side was much better than watching those princes and princesses.

But, to his surprise, these past days Xu Yunchun was much quieter than usual.

“Why are you so quiet?”

“I want to treat you, young master.” Xu Yunchun explained while holding a medical book, “What does this character mean?”

Wei Xiu didn’t know how to react: “You want to treat before you can even read properly?”

Xu Yunchun started insisting: “Just tell me what it is, young master!”

Wei Xiu had no choice but to tell him.

Wei Xiu lay, bedridden, and Xu Yunchun sat beside him reading medical literature.

This child who would usually beg for hugs and praise as encouragement to keep reading after two lines was suddenly this focused. Wei Xiu couldn’t believe his eyes.

But a few days later, Xu Yunchun surprised him again.

“Young master, I wish to enter the palace.”

Wei Xiu: “What?”

Xu Yunchun’s gaze was serious: “I would like to learn medicine from an imperial physician.”

Wei Xiu: “Are you not scared that the princes in the palace may bully you again?”

Xu Yunchun: “Precisely, I must hurry and heal you, so you can enter the palace and beat up the third prince, young master.”

Wei Xiu: “???”

*

Wei Xiu said there’s no need, but, in reality he wanted to be a young master that could provide Xu Yunchun with anything his heart desires. He decided to go to the palace to treat his injury and brought Xu Yunchun with him under the guise of a servant. He requested that some imperial physicians educate Xu Yunchun in their practice using the fact that he will be serving him and treating his injury as justification.

The emperor assigned two eunuchs to Wei Xiu to serve him while Xu Yunchun spent entire days at the imperial medical academy.  The emperor knew that Wei Xiu liked peace and quiet, so he chose Rong Zi and De Zi who were both quiet and capable.

Usually, when it was meal time, the two eunuchs would expertly prepare food, and dismiss themselves without a word. Tea brewing and cleaning were also performed in this manner. Everything was done quietly and calmly, without even one sound.

Whenever Wei Xiu called them for anything, they would listen to his instructions with utmost respect, not once uttering even one word.

It had been quite some time since Wei Xiu’s eardrums had felt such tranquility, there was something strangely unsettling about it.

*

At night, Xu Yunchun would return.

“Young master, young master, guess what I saw today!”

Xu Yunchun nestled into Wei Xiu’s chest as soon as he saw him. Like a slippery little serpent, he couldn’t hold still.

Wei Xiu hears one “young master”, and another “young master” jostle his eardrums.

He couldn’t help but yell out: “Look at Rong Zi and Dezi, look how calm they are! And look at you! Who wouldn’t like a calm child?”

And soon as those words are said, the energy in Xu Yunchun’s lips is immediately deflated.

Wei Xiu thought, “Oh no, this brat is gonna cry again.”

But the next thing Xu Yunchun says is: “Why should I care what others like? It’s all fine as long as the young master likes Chunchun. Chunchun doesn’t care whether others like him or not.”

For a servant to say something like that, he must be quite spoiled, but Wei Xiu felt delighted hearing that.

That night, Xu Yunchun helped Wei Xiu change his bandages from his bedside. His gestures while changing the bandages were quite adept, the work was even more meticulous than that of those imperial physicians.

Wei Xiu listened to the other’s endless chattering and thought: this is just as it should be.

*

The two spent winter in the palace, and welcomed the next spring there as well.

Although Xu Yunchun’s mouth never rested, he put a lot of work into his studies. He would stay in the library searching and finding ancient prescriptions, modifying them with the imperial physicians, until miraculously, he found a remedy for Wei Xiu’s injury.

The little one who would always cry and hide away in his chest had managed to treat him.

Before they left the palace, the emperor granted the two eunuchs to Wei Xiu.

“These two eunuchs are quite clever and sharp-witted…”Wei Xiu stopped after pronouncing those words.

As Xu Yunchun stood behind him, gently pulling at his clothes, he said: “unlike Xu Yunchun who has the behavior of a young child.”

Xu Yunchun immediately let the clothes go.

Wei Xiu switched his tone: “But I already have a housekeeper and old maid in my residence, no need to trouble the two eunuchs.”

After they had left the palace, Xu Yunchun asked: “Why didn’t you accept De Zi and Rong Zi? Don’t you like them better?”

Wei Xiu said: “I can’t, the bed is simply too small. If those two are also scared of rats,  then the four of us wouldn’t be able to fit on the bed.”

Xu Yunchun: “…”

Wei Xiu turns around: “But that can all be solved by just switching the bed! How about I go talk to His Majesty and…”

Xu Yunchun rushed to pull Wei Xiu back and yelled: “There’s no other bed in the residence to switch to! None!”

Wei Xiu laughed.

No one could ever have imagined that Wei Xiu, that old man stuck in a young boy’s body, would ever tease someone and wholeheartedly laugh in this way.

The spring wind blew. It was their second spring together.

*

After leaving the palace, Xu Yunchun continued to study medicine and pharmaceuticals. To avoid Wei Xiu getting poisoned again, he studied poisons intensively; how to make them and how to cure them.

When studying the creation of poison, also studying its use was inevitable. Xu Yunchun wanted to create a little portable container to carry all of his poisons which sparked an interest in learning about machinery.

He wanted to go find a teacher, but Wei Xiu understood that asking a master to teach you his skills would require you to become their disciple and serve under them for 3 to 5 years. Wei Xiu couldn’t bear the idea of Xu Yunchun going out and enduring hardship, so he spent the money and hired someone to come to the residence and teach Xu Yunchun.

Thus, Xu Yunchun’s studies expanded continuously.

After four years, he had learned to make machines and military weaponry. Although his craftsmanship was far from the peak of a master craftsman, Xu Yunchun understood that he had still earned the title of a ‘skilled craftsman’.

“Yunchun becomes smarter and more skilled every year.” The housekeeper said.

“He gets louder and louder every year as well.” Wei Xiu judged, “Although he can never focus properly on his reading, he’s able to intensively study the things he’s interested in. This is a form of progress.”

The housekeeper laughed and said: “I guess you can finally feel at ease, young master. You were quite concerned before, unsure of whether you should have him study literature or martial arts.”

Wei Xiu: “Me? At ease? Perhaps. If he stops having me try the medicine he makes, I would be much more at ease.”

Wei Xiu had made up his mind long ago. Although he may not be able to assist in all areas, he would do his utmost to help Xu Yunchun.

Wei Xiu: “Now, Xu Yunchun can even handle the chores. You can start to relinquish your house duties and live comfortably.”

The old housekeeper laughed again: “Am I not living comfortably now? My heart is full just watching you both laugh all day.”

*

Another year went by, the old woman of the residence retired from her position due to old age, returning to her hometown. As for the housekeeper, he eventually passed away.

In the hazy twilight of an autumn day, Xu Yunchun donned funerary clothes crying as he put the old housekeeper to rest in the soil. Wei Xiu did not cry, he stood before the grave, staring at the empty environment. He felt it was uncomfortably dreary.

When they returned to the general’s residence, it was empty, the autumn wind blew picking up the rustling leaves. The wind passed, the leaves fell, and so they were the only two remaining inhabitants of the residence.

Wei Xiu’s parents passed away quite early in his life, the old housekeeper had raised him on his own, he was no different from family. Now, he had passed away. He had met his father and mother, and had met Wei Xiu who can be considered to have had a nice childhood, and now nothing.

Wei Xiu felt as if a part of him had died along with him, and no one will remember it anymore. But he didn’t cry, he just felt a bit disoriented, unsure where to go from here. Suddenly, a warm body pounced on him, bringing him back to reality.

It was Xu Yunchun hugging him tightly as he bawled loudly.

“Never leave Chunchun, young master. Chunchun will be with the young master forever, forever. I’ll never let you be lonely, never let you be alone.

Wei Xiu’s tears finally fell, the drops hit Xu Yunchun’s face. The two’s tears melted together, just like their blood on that snowy day.

Wei Xiu hadn’t said anything, but Xu Yunchun had understood his pain. A part of him had indeed died, but the part of him connected to Xu Yunchun, was alive and well.

Mucus and tears trailed down Xu Yunchun’s face as he cried: “Chunchun will work hard to stay alive and stay with you, young master. You must die before Chunchun, but only a little before, you can’t let Chunchun be alone for too long.”

Wei Xiu chuckled through his tears: “You’re speaking nonsense again.”

Xu Yunchun: “It’s not nonsense. I will do as I promise, and you must as well, young master.”

*

That year, a promise was made to never let Wei Xiu ever be lonely.

That year, Wei Xiu was 19, Xu Yunchun was 15, and the two became each other’s mutual support for life.