Chapter 10: Warm chicken soup

“Huff… huff…”

The sun gradually climbed overhead, and Yun Mu’s forehead was already damp with sweat, but his steps showed no sign of slowing.

The residents of West City glanced at this familiar face, albeit in an unfamiliar guise, and paused briefly in surprise, yet still greeted him as usual.

“Hey, Yun kid, why the sudden change in your outfit today? I don’t remember Lin Xizhi teaching you to dress like that!”

“Yeah, if you keep dressing like that, be careful some girl might call you a hooligan!”

Laughter and teasing voices rose one after another, but none of it halted his pace.

“Hey, strange, Yun kid isn’t responding to us today. Could it be he’s really in some kind of rush?”

Seeing Yun Mu acting so out of the ordinary, the cheerful grandmas and grandpas began to wonder.

“Yeah, we don’t usually see him this hurried. Could it be… he’s found someone special?”

“Heh, that would be wonderful. If he’s with someone, that girl will surely live well. After all, he’s such a fine young man.”

“Yeah, yeah… if that’s the case… Lin Xizhi up in heaven should be at ease.”

Clearly, though they cared about the boy, they didn’t think the situation was so dire.

In fact, they even imagined better things.

After all, this was the capital city, where they had lived for decades, and no one dared to do anything bloody openly.

Naturally, they didn’t consider darker possibilities.

“…Finally arrived.”

Yun Mu looked at the familiar small courtyard before him, and at the two little children waiting by the gate as always.

He smiled and waved.

Though called a study house, it was really just an ordinary family’s home.

“Xiao Qiu, Xiao Chun, come inside quickly!”

He shouted, but the two children instead ran toward him.

“Brother Yun Mu!”

The innocent voices sounded, and though anxious, he instinctively slowed his steps, afraid he might knock the children down.

“Brother Yun Mu, you’re finally here. Xiao Chun and I missed you so much.”

“Yeah, yeah, when you weren’t here, that girl Xiao Qiu kept mentioning your name until my ears nearly got calluses.”

“Who, who kept mentioning!?”

Xiao Qiu retorted, blushing slightly,

“Obviously Xiao Chun said your name more! Lying will get you caught by the Big Grey Wolf!”

“I, I…”

The little boy stammered at the mention of the Big Grey Wolf, tugging at Yun Mu’s clothes and looking up at him, eyes suddenly brightening.

“Brother Yun Mu, why aren’t you wearing a shirt? You’ll catch a cold like that.”

Originally ready to continue bickering with her little brother, Xiao Qiu noticed the boy’s current state at those words.

She covered her mouth, her cheeks flushed, then without any shyness, grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

“Grandpa! Come quickly, Brother Yun Mu isn’t wearing a shirt!”

Xiao Chun also grabbed his right hand seriously, and the two kids pulled the young man into the house, one on each side.

Inside, hearing the calls, the white-haired elderly man hurried out from the kitchen, still holding a slotted spoon.

He adjusted his bifocals and recognized the young man.

“Grandpa Xie, I have important things to tell you. You first… hey, Grandpa, listen to me first!”

“Ah, you child, what could be more important than your own health? Look at you…”

Without waiting for the boy to finish, he turned and went to the bedroom, beginning to rummage through a wooden cabinet.

Yun Mu followed him inside.

“Grandpa Xie, listen to me. Take Xiao Chun and Xiao Qiu away quickly. Someone wants to kill—uh…”

Before he could finish, the old man had already draped a decent-looking garment over his head.

For some reason, Yun Mu instinctively raised his arms, letting the elder dress him.

“Heh, fits perfectly. Guess I’m not that old yet.”

Grandpa Xie patted his chest with a smiling face and looked at him warmly.

“…By the way… Mu’er, what did you just say? Grandpa’s ears aren’t as good as they used to be; I didn’t catch that.”

“Grandpa, listen, someone wants to kill—”

“Heh, I almost forgot. I specially killed an Old Hen today; it’s still in the pot. You kids wait in the study; Grandpa will finish cooking and come find you.”

Though the old man’s eyes were dim, he moved swiftly and decisively. The door slammed with a “bang,” leaving the boy standing there alone again.

“Grandpa! You…”

He turned to knock on the kitchen door but saw Xiao Chun and Xiao Qiu holding a book and a jar of honey candy, looking up at him expectantly.

“Brother Yun Mu, this is the book you wanted to read but couldn’t find last time. Xiao Chun and I helped you look for it.”

“And, and this is the honey candy we saved this month, for you to eat.”

“You two… thanks…”

Yun Mu sighed, stepping forward to ruffle their heads gently, speaking softly,

“You two go to the study first and wait for me. I’ll come read you a story soon, okay?”

“Okay! Then Xiao Qiu and I will wait for you. You have to come!”

The two held hands, smiling at each other, then took a few candies from the jar and placed them in the boy’s hand.

“That’s right, Brother, you must come!”

Then they ran off.

“Okay…”

The boy popped an orange-colored honey candy into his mouth.

The familiar sour-sweet orange flavor burst into sweetness on his tongue.

He walked to where the Brushes were kept, took down a well-preserved Brush and some Hemp Paper, then moved to the table by the window.

Looking down at his clothes, he tore a strip from the fabric on his pants, laid it on the table, and with a bold stroke wrote out what he wanted to say on the Hemp Paper.

“Thank you for saving me,”

it read in just one sentence.

The rest contained instructions for them to lay low.

Afterward, he carefully replaced everything as it was, pressed the Hemp Paper under a Bowl on the dining table, then turned and ran outside.

Yun Mu looked at the familiar flowers and plants, closed his eyes, resisting the urge to look back and say farewell, then hurried down the path he had come.

“Hey, hey, hey, my dear darlings, Grandpa’s special Chicken Soup is ready!”

Inside, the old man came out carrying a fragrant, rich chicken soup, his face full of smiles.

He placed the soup on the table, not noticing the note beneath the Bowl.

“Xiao Chun, Xiao Qiu, and Mu’er, come eat!”

“Okay!”

The two children laughed as they ran out, knowing the monthly lavish lunch was once again served.

“Grandpa, what are we eating today? Xiao Chun and I already smelled the aroma—it smells so good.”

“Yeah, yeah, it smells amazing.”

“Hahaha, you two little gluttons, today we have a whole chicken.”

At the mention of chicken, the two kids’ eyes instantly lit up.

They looked at the steam rising from the table, licking their lips and whispering to each other.

“I heard… the chicken drumsticks and wings are the tastiest. How about we each get one?”

“One each… or maybe we should give them to Brother Yun Mu and Grandpa since they work so hard.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Let’s give them to the two of them.”

The two chatted back and forth, completely unaware of their grandpa’s suddenly serious expression.

They looked up and called out.

“Grandpa! Where’s Brother Yun Mu?”

“Yeah, where did Brother Yun Mu go?”

The old man didn’t answer immediately.

Folding the Hemp Paper neatly, he pocketed it, then reached out to stroke their heads.

“Your Brother Yun seems to have gone off on something urgent. Let’s eat lunch first. Later, I’ll take you to Mother’s house, how’s that?”

“Eh, but… okay…”

The two children sighed in unison, glanced toward the door, hesitated, then obediently climbed into their seats.

Warmth rose from the chicken soup as the slotted spoon dipped in, carrying a few drops of the old man’s sweat, stirring ripples of oil.