Chapter 2
The second time Xie Lian met the young man was when he entered a new town to collect scraps and almost dropped his bag when he heard a passing crowd talking about a rogue cultivator donned in gray, having handled a ghost killing anyone who dared set foot on the old abandoned house just outside of town.
The ghost was gone but the cultivator was said to be staying with a farmer for a few days towards the east just out of town and… Well Xie Lian was always weak to curiosity and he very much had enjoyed the last conversation he had with the young master, very much enjoyed the rare positive interaction that he had with him… and even if it was unlikely to even be Lin Shuo that was here in town, he had to check.
His chest clenched at the hope of having another pleasant chat with a companion that it drove his foolish feet on. With his luck it would just be a stranger, he didn’t even know why he would bother, the likelihood of it being the young man he met several weeks ago was slim but hope was an addicting drug and like a man being stranded in the desert one tiny sip of water wasn’t enough.
He prepared himself for disappointment as his steps faltered, a house was in the distance but out in the field there was a figure donned in gray pulling a plow like a horse would, they were dragging it behind them and was chatting kindly to a small child skipping along next to them.
The anxious little ball of dread that was building on Xie Lian’s way over-relaxed, relief swarming through him at the young master he remembered. They weren’t waterlogged this time, their hair dry and fluffy and with waves and curls being held back in a lazy bun, the length following out underneath and sticking to their neck, their bangs were pinned back on top of their head keeping it out of their eyes.
Lin Shuo was a bit sweaty and dirty but Xie Lian thought they looked pretty in the sunlight and honestly one of the most beautiful sights he had seen in a long time, after all, they were his friend (right?). He felt a smile pull on his lips as his bamboo hat tipped a bit back and without a thought, he called out, “Lin Shuo!”
They stopped in the field with the child tugging at their sleeve, confusion on that pretty face as they turned to him and it lit up like the sun, warm brown eyes sparkling in joy as they called out, “A-An!”
The younger waved at him with exuberance and beckoned him closer, the small child to the side clinging to the robes as they looked at the white-dressed stranger, “ Shuo-ge Shuo-ge, Who’s he?” The little boy muttered into the other’s robes, looking at the approaching figure with all the wariness a child that age could muster.
“A friend! A-An it seemed our paths have crossed again! How have you been? I hope you’ve been doing well!”
Xie Lian almost felt like laughing with mirth and joy, the feelings welling up in his chest at such a jubilant greeting (when was the last time someone was glad to see him?), coming to stand in the fields as well.
“I’ve been doing well, I just got into town when I heard something of a rogue gray cultivator that helped some locals and thought, well it may be my friend from before!” He felt his face flush a little in embarrassment, he felt like a needy child wanting attention and had jumped when the opportunity came.
“And here I am! I am glad to see you, you look less bruised than before anyway! I’m just staying to rest for a day or two before moving on. The farmer was nice enough to offer a place to sleep and some food for helping the town out but he lost his poor mule a few days ago and well, I had insisted on helping him and his family out a bit! After all, it's easier for me to plow a field than a normal farmer.”
The small child spoke up beside them, “HmmmMmm! Shuo-ge is young and strong and broke a tree when they punched the bad ghost! A-Dei saw it himself! But A-Dei said Shuo-ge didn’t need to help with the fields to stay but Shuo-ge is nice and in… insis…”
“Insisted?” Xie Lian finished for the young child, watching as a blinding smile with missing teeth shone his way, “HmmMmm! Shuo-ge insisted cause they’re big and strong and can break trees!”
Lin Shuo chuckled a bit at the small child, shaking their head in mirth at the logic of small children,” Not exactly but you're about right Xaio Chun, it’s easy for me to do things because I’m a cultivator and physical labor like moving heavy things and running really fast or doing things for a long time is easier for me then it would be for your A-Dei or A-Ma.”
The small child seemed to soak the information in as seriously as his tiny face could, the conversation carrying on as Lin Shuo motioned for the white-garbed man to walk while he continued to plow, Xie Lian insisted on taking the second rope they were using to pull the plow and worked beside the younger, the small child skipping to the side asking about Cultivation and what it meant.
Physical labor like this wasn’t something he had much experience with, which was surprising seeing how old he was but it was a refreshing experience, one that he really enjoyed. Doing something new he’s never done before while having pleasant chatter from Lin Shuo and the occasional quip from the child following the gray-robed cultivator around like a tiny duckling. It made his heart squeeze a bit at the adorable site.
Surprisingly his bad luck only reared its head once or twice, first when he got his sleeve caught in the spinning bits of the plow that Lin Shuo patiently untangled (he felt especially happy and warmed inside when his friend took the time to pull out some string and tie his sleeves up with an endearing worry line on their brow).
Then again when the farmer had invited him in as well for dinner, he tripped in the doorway over nothing and it was his friend whose hand shot out to steady him like it was nothing and it was the first time in a very, extremely long time that he had a meal with the laughter of a family and the conversation of people that were actually interested, or didn’t look at him with disdain or disgust or -or…
He thought perhaps this was all just a nice pleasant dream, and his chest felt tight and strange as he kept looking over to his friend next to him, eating and smiling into their bowl as they entertained the children. He was afraid if he blinked then he would wake up and find that this perfect wonderful day was just a dream and that he maybe fell in a ditch and hit his head before heading into the town, all this just an elaborate dream that came from being spoiled with Lin Shuo’s concern and company several weeks ago.
He still couldn’t completely believe it as they both settled down in the barn laying out next to each other on a tarp placed over hay, something that he found was surprisingly soft and much better than most of the things he has slept on over the many years. They shared a blanket that the farmer had given them, apologizing that there was only one, and left a respectable space between them.
Lin Shuo shuffled before blinking sleepily over at him, a small good night leaving their lips before shutting their eyes, less than half an incense stick’s time later their breathing evened out and left Xie Lian to stare at the strange and kind person beside him. He blinked once before turning to look at the wooden slats of the ceiling before deciding his friend was a better thing to fall asleep to and turned to his side, hoping that this wasn’t just a dream his mind decided to play tricks with.
He rarely ever had such good days like this and he would very much cherish this in his memories when the days were rough and his luck turned sour again. He fell asleep with a content smile, feeling at peace for the first in a long time.