Jun Yelan went to see General Lan and respectfully called out, "Father-in-law. Lan Yan and I will depart in three days for the Serpent Tribe. After half a year, I will bring her back for a short stay."
General Lan was flipping through a military book. He felt displeased upon hearing the first half of Jun Yelan's sentence, but much more at ease with the latter half. Without looking up, he tapped the pages of the book and said, "Mm, as you wish."
Seeing this, Jun Yelan prepared to leave.
"Oh, right. Little Yan is impatient. Be more tolerant of her in the future," General Lan called out.
A smile tugged at the corner of Jun Yelan's lips. "She's wonderful, there's nothing for me to tolerate. On the contrary, it's she who's always been tolerant of me." He took his leave of the study.
Caught off guard by the display of affection, General Lan muttered, "...Never mind. Children have their own fortunes. I should focus on my military books." He resumed reading, completely oblivious that he was holding the book upside down.
When Jun Yelan returned to his room, he found Lan Yan already awake and chatting with Lan Ya.
Lan Yan neatly organized the account books in her hands and handed them over to her second sister. "Lan Ya, the General's Manor will rely on you for accounting from now on. And those three little sprouts also need you to look after them."
"Elder Sister, don't worry. Father has decided to stay in the capital and will personally tutor Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu. I only need to take Xiao Yi to classes."
"And the accounting methods you taught me, I've learned them. It's much simpler now," Lan Ya said with a smile. "You and Brother-in-law live your lives well. When you have children, remember to let me see them."
She could help her elder sister care for the children.
Lan Yan hadn't thought that far ahead. Being suddenly brought up about children, she decided to consider it later. She nodded, and after seeing Lan Ya off, began to pack her belongings.
In reality, she only needed to pack a few changes of clothes, as she would be returning to live there in half a year anyway.
"Yan'er, let me help you," Jun Yelan said with a smile, coming over to help Lan Yan pack. He also saw the painting Lan Yan had drawn for him then, and smiled, "At that time, I already had you in my heart."
Lan Yan smiled. "I was earlier than you. Guess when?"
Jun Yelan put his arm around Lan Yan's waist and gazed into her bright, mischievous eyes, playfully guessing, "It was when you saw me smile."
"Wrong." Lan Yan saw that Jun Yelan couldn't guess and chuckled, "I'll tell you in ten years." With a smile on her lips, she went to pack other things.
Jun Yelan was amused and became rather curious about Lan Yan's answer in ten years.
With both of them working together, they finished packing quickly.
Three days later, Lan Yan bid farewell to the people of the Lan manor at the entrance and boarded the carriage.
The people of the Lan manor couldn't help but shed tears, calling out, "Elder Sister, take care of yourself!"
Jun Yelan rode his horse in front, as the carriage slowly moved forward.
A few hours later, Lan Yan lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out at the scenery of the Serpent Tribe. Small towns were scattered here and there, nestled by mountains and water, like homes in a fishing village.
She curiously asked, "Yelan, where are we going?"
"I'm taking you to a place where I used to live. We'll be there soon," Jun Yelan said as he walked forward, finding a place to park the carriage and helping Lan Yan alight.
Lan Yan looked at the town before her, divided by four or five streets. Each street was lined with low houses, with goods displayed in front of them.
The goods came from this town or nearby ones – daily necessities and snacks.
As she walked in, she was immediately greeted by the simplicity and unpretentiousness of the place. The people here wore coarse cloth clothes; women carried baskets, men carried goods, and children skipped joyfully in the middle.
Walking down the street, she heard the calls of vendors and the conversations of neighbors.
She turned to Jun Yelan, noticing that he seemed less guarded here. "Did you live here for a long time before?" she asked. She only knew his basic information, not the specifics.
Jun Yelan shook his head. "No. I used to live in a nearby town and made a living by begging. I also did many other things to survive. Once, I was beaten half to death by a well-dressed man and left lying on the road in a pathetic state."
"It started raining then. I looked at the rain falling from the sky, and in that moment, I felt immense hatred. I told myself that if I survived, I would definitely get revenge."
"Perhaps even the heavens didn't want me, because I managed to drag myself to a dilapidated temple. I had a high fever all night, but I didn't die. Then I started wandering, came here, and worked as a laborer. Finally, I had enough to eat."
"Later, I heard about conscription, so I joined. The rest, as you know."
Lan Yan listened quietly, and couldn't help but embrace Jun Yelan.
She stood on her tiptoes, stroking Jun Yelan's head, holding back her tears. "You had a difficult childhood. From now on, with me by your side, the grown-up you will be well."
Jun Yelan's pupils slightly widened. He hugged Lan Yan back, not wanting to let go for a long time. He took Lan Yan's hand and smiled, "It's all in the past. I'll take you to where I used to live."
He led Lan Yan to a wooden house on the edge of the town.
Lan Yan looked at the wooden house, the place where Jun Yelan had lived as a child. She gently pushed open the door. Her gaze fell upon a bed, a table and chairs against the wall, and a small cabinet.
She smiled. "Yelan, let's stay here for a night. We just need to clean it up a bit." She wanted to experience Jun Yelan's past.
"Alright, I'll go get some water from outside." Seeing Lan Yan's joy, Jun Yelan readily agreed.
The two then cleaned the inside and outside thoroughly and went to town to buy four steamed buns for dinner.
After dinner, they lay on the bed, looking at the stars outside.
Lan Yan turned her head and faced Jun Yelan. "In the future, when we have free time, let's come here again," she said. She felt that this place held Jun Yelan's memories.
"From now on, you'll be in charge at home, and I'll listen to you," Jun Yelan smiled and tapped Lan Yan's forehead.
Lan Yan's lips curved upwards as she watched Jun Yelan drift off to sleep.
They slept embracing each other.
The next morning, the two left the town and continued towards the capital of the Serpent Tribe. On the way, Lan Yan saw a doctor setting up a stall and felt he looked familiar.
She got off the carriage to take a closer look, and upon seeing his beard, she exclaimed, "Divine Doctor Lin, is that you!"
Divine Doctor Lin saw that Lan Yan had her hair styled as a married woman and that Jun Yelan was accompanying her. He smiled, "Girl, it seems you two are really together. I'm happy for you."
"Thank you. Divine Doctor Lin, why are you here?" Lan Yan felt it was too coincidental.
Divine Doctor Lin sighed, "I wanted to burn some incense for my son and daughter-in-law, so I've been searching all along. Seeing people sick on the road, I set up stalls in every place I visited to offer consultations."
After these days, he felt much more at ease.
Lan Yan nodded, feeling that this was quite good for Divine Doctor Lin. She chatted with him for a long time before getting back into the carriage.
They traveled leisurely, enjoying the scenery, and after a month, they finally reached the capital of the Serpent Tribe.
The two stood before the Marquis's manor, hand in hand, as they walked in.