Chapter 43: This Problem Is Quite Serious

Seeing this, Feng Dian suddenly understood and cried out, “Oh no, my chest hurts! My old illness must be flaring up again! Physician… physician… I’m dying… help…”
Ye Kun watched as these two boys took on the airs of dying men and ran off…
Yet, somehow, this truly managed to stir the whole crowd.
“Ouch, I’ve got a cramp in my foot, I really can’t go on… I’ll need at least half a month to recover.”
“Oh my, my nose is crooked! I have to go to Ankang Prefecture for treatment.”
“No good, this sealing curse of mine needs to be treated in Taijing. Everyone, until we meet again.”
In the blink of an eye, only Ye Kun, his brother, and Ba Wanqing were left.
Ye Kun, of course, had heard of the Sunset Mountains, not far from Taixi County—half a day’s walk and you’d arrive. The Sunset Mountains were home to many wild beasts, the most common being the tiger-eagle. Though not especially fierce, the mere mention would make children uneasy.
There were certainly other beasts in the mountains, but as long as you didn’t venture too deep, there was no danger. Wu Chi’s main aim was to toughen the children’s nerves, and with him nearby, even if the strongest beast appeared, there was nothing to fear.
“Ye Qin, I’ll head back now. See you tomorrow morning.” Ba Wanqing spoke softly, her voice carrying a sweet note.
Ye Qin seemed a bit wooden, but smiled. “Mm, see you tomorrow.”
Ba Wanqing brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, left with a faint smile.
Ye Kun slung an arm around Ye Qin’s shoulder, pulling him close. “Little brother, not bad—you’ve already got yourself a wife.”
“Brother, isn’t it obvious Wanqing likes me? I noticed ages ago.” Ye Qin was very pleased, thinking Ba Wanqing was quite gentle—surely not like mother.
“Look how smug you are. So why didn’t you walk her home just now?”
“She can go home herself, she has a carriage.”
“Oh, little brother, you just don’t get it. Listen to your big brother, I have experience—I’ll teach you well.” Ye Kun put on the air of a worldly man, ready to instruct his younger brother.
Ye Qin blinked. “Brother, you have a wife too? Why didn’t you tell me? You’re keeping secrets from me again.”
“….”
“What wife would I have?” Ye Kun thought it best not to teach his little brother after all—his own experience was hardly something to brag about.
“Brother, do you really think I’d believe that?” Ye Qin’s look screamed disbelief—my affairs you know inside out, and you still keep secrets? What’s the point of being brothers then?
Ye Kun rubbed his bald head, not a single hair left, while his little brother’s was already growing back.
“Actually, there’s nothing to laugh at. Lately, I keep dreaming about a girl… well, that’s how it is.” Ye Kun clutched his chest and made up a story. These days, any slip of the tongue and his brother took it for truth, leaving him quite helpless.
“Brother, you really dream about things like that? What sort of girl is she? Is she prettier than Wanqing?”
To keep his brother’s pride intact, Ye Kun said, “No one could be prettier than your wife.”
“Impossible.”
“Alright, she’s prettier.”
At once Ye Qin’s face turned gloomy.
Seeing his brother’s expression, Ye Kun almost wanted to die—was this really his brother or his ancestor?
“So, brother, tell me, how did you meet her?”
“In my dream.”
“What did you do together?”
“How would I know!”
“Brother, you’re hiding things from me again… I tell you everything.”
“I…”
Ye Kun endured his headache and began spinning tales—not all fiction, some were confessions of his past, though all those things were long behind him. He had long since let go, telling himself he simply wasn’t capable then. But now, he was so strong that even resting he grew stronger.
Ye Kun recounted stories all the way home, with Ye Qin listening as if to a legend. There were so many twists and turns, could dreams really be so vivid? His brother was getting stronger again…
“Eh? Why are you two back so early today?” Night Ming asked in surprise as she trimmed the flower branches. Dongmen Meng sat nearby brewing tea, while Xiao Ling stood behind to attend her. It was as though nothing had happened the night before.
Ye Qin answered happily, “Teacher said tomorrow we’re going to the Sunset Mountains for three days of hard training, so he told us to come home and prepare.”
“The Sunset Mountains?” Dongmen Meng murmured. Night Ming glanced at her, a trace of worry in her eyes. After all, the children were still young. The Sunset Mountains might not be truly dangerous, but as parents, how could they not worry?
“That’s right, mother. I’m a man now.” Ye Qin struck a proud pose, which made the usually silent Xiao Ling’s lips curl into a faint smile.
“Little rascal,” Night Ming retorted mercilessly, only bullying her son to reclaim a sense of superiority.
“Who says I’m a little rascal? Father, I’m a man with a wife now.”
Ye Kun: “…”
Little brother, you’re getting a bit too full of yourself.
Sure enough, both parents were stunned—a child so young already had a wife? And his parents didn’t even know?
“Qin Qin, who is your wife? Bring her home for mother to see.” Dongmen Meng asked, curious.
“She’s the magistrate’s daughter, Ba Wanqing. Isn’t she beautiful?”
Night Ming was as if struck by lightning. At his son’s age, he hadn’t even dared look a girl in the eye, but this boy had already made arrangements!
And then, Ye Qin’s next words astonished his parents even more.
“Even my brother has a dream girl.”
Night Ming: “…”
Dongmen Meng: “…”
Ye Kun: “…”
“You two, come here! Tell mother everything, in detail…” Dongmen Meng put on a stern face. So young and already causing trouble—what would happen when they grew up? It must be from spoiling them too much.
Ye Kun hastened to explain that his so-called dream girl was imaginary.
Ye Qin insisted Wanqing liked him first, leaving both parents utterly bewildered.
After the questioning was done, Dongmen Meng dismissed the boys.
“Husband, Kun Kun is a real problem,” she said worriedly.
Night Ming sat opposite her, sipped his tea, and nodded. “Indeed, for Kun Kun to dream such things can only mean one thing.”
The couple exchanged glances.
“Should we arrange a betrothal for Kun Kun?”
“I think that’s the solution. If a boy is having those dreams, it means he’s starting to think about such things.”
Dongmen Meng furrowed her brows. “Maybe Qin Qin is influencing him.”
“Perhaps. Do you know any good girls on your side?”
“Xiao Ling, go find some girls about Kun Kun’s age. I want to choose carefully.”
Night Ming summoned Zhang Tiantian as well. “Go, look for girls about Kun Kun’s age with excellent qualities in all respects.”
“Yes!”