bookbashuk Chapter 1429 Talking with Family (Part 1)
Chapter 1429 Talking with Family (Part 1)
After Shao Yunsong compromised, the group settled down and rested briefly in the throne room of the Sky Island Palace.
The group simply laid out some bedding they had brought with them and slept on the floor without much fanfare.
(Yuan Shang: I figured bedding rolls should be a necessity, so I brought them.)
Shen He held the drowsy Xi in his arms, placed her on the soft mattress, and stayed by her side without leaving her side, taking care of her and afraid that she would not sleep peacefully.
On the other side, Skykirk followed Vanessa as they turned and left the throne room to look for some kind of star map.
The others also gathered in twos and threes, conserving their energy for their escape.
But Shao Yun didn't rest immediately. He stood there, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone around him.
This was an escape from everything, with an unknown future and unpredictable dangers ahead. He knew that deep down, everyone might harbor unease and reluctance, especially his wife, Ying.
He knew that the Nata people treated Ying very well, and those sincere experiences were precious memories in Ying's heart.
Now that she's so determined to abandon them and run away alone, Ying must be feeling incredibly sad and guilty.
With that in mind, Shao Yun made up her mind to take a good look at her family members' mental state before going to bed, especially Ying.
At this moment, Ying was sitting quietly on her bedding roll, her hands gently resting on her knees, looking blank and listless...
Shao Yun sat down beside her, resting his shoulder on hers, and asked, "Wife, how are you? Are you tired, or are you feeling unwell?"
Ying turned her head to look at him, reminiscing about the past, and replied, "It's nothing, I was just sitting here with nothing to do, and I couldn't help but think about all the little things we did in Teyvat. Those days seem like they were just yesterday."
After a moment of silence, Ying suddenly looked at Shao Yun seriously and asked him a question: "Husband, how many years have we been together?"
Upon hearing this, Shao Yun reached out and gently scratched his head, then raised his fingers and began to calculate while slowly analyzing:
"Let me do the math. We've been in Nata for almost two years, then we spent another year in Fontaine, plus the time we spent traveling around Sumeru, Inazuma, Liyue, and Mondstadt, all added up here and there..."
He paused for a moment, carefully checked the numbers, then looked at Ying and gave a rough estimate with a smile: "About five years, right?"
When Ying heard Shao Yun say that the two of them had been together for five years, she sighed softly, feeling a sense of melancholy at how quickly time had passed.
"Five years have passed...it really has been a blink of an eye."
As she spoke, her thoughts drifted back to the moment she first met Shao Yun.
"I still remember it clearly. It was on that beach northeast of Mondstadt that the sea breeze was strong and the waves were crashing against the rocks. That's when I first met you."
Once the floodgates of memory are opened, every little detail of the past rushes into your mind like a tide.
"Two months before I saved you, I caught Paimon while fishing at the beach. I never expected to meet you so soon after."
"Over the past five years, we've traveled together through Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, and finally settled in Natalya. We've been through so much and seen so many beautiful sights."
She turned her head, looked intently at Shao Yun, her eyes filled with determination and tenderness, and said softly:
“Our lives haven’t always been sweet and happy. There have been many ups and downs, arguments, and misunderstandings. But no matter what happens, you will always be my husband, and that will never change.”
Hearing Ying's heartfelt confession, Shao Yun smiled shyly, scratched his head, and inadvertently brought up the most difficult and critical moment in their relationship.
"To be honest, back when we were in Inazuma, I thought you would be completely disappointed and divorce me..."
When the topic of Inazuma's past four years came up, a look of disdain instantly appeared on Ying's face.
"Blame Wendy and Zhongli, those two guys, Daines Reeb, and my stinky brother! It's all their fault!"
As she spoke, she reached out and grasped Shao Yun's hand, saying earnestly, "I understand your anger and despair at that time. If it were me, I would have gone to extremes too."
"As for Balzeb... she was never as important to me as you. If she's dead, she's dead."
Looking into Ying's sincere eyes, Shao Yun nodded gently and replied, "Mm..."
Ying leaned quietly on Shao Yun's shoulder, reminiscing about the past, and then a question came to mind.
Now that they've decided to abandon everything in Teyvat and escape, how will they live on a new planet?
Thinking of this, she raised her head, looked at Shao Yun, her eyes filled with longing and doubt, and asked softly:
"Honey, if we went to another planet, what would we do? Would we still keep running a small ranch, raising cattle and sheep, and living a peaceful life?"
As Shao Yun listened to Ying's question, he also began to seriously consider his future livelihood.
Herding is certainly an option, but Ying, who has been herding with him in Nata for two years, may also want to try a different kind of life.
As he was pondering this, a brilliant idea suddenly flashed in his mind, and his eyes lit up instantly. He quickly shared his good idea with Ying.
"Actually, we can change our lifestyle; we don't necessarily have to revolve around cattle and sheep every day."
He chuckled and ruffled Ying's hair, teasingly saying, "Didn't you always say that I'd go crazy from herding livestock all day? Perfect, let's take this opportunity of escaping Teyvat to start over and live a different life!"
When Ying heard Shao Yun say he was giving up herding and wanted to find a new way to make a living, she frowned and asked, "Besides herding... you don't mean you're planning to take our whole family to other planets to rob, do you?"
"Let me tell you, I won't do that kind of thing!"
Shao Yun laughed out loud at Ying's words, then quickly shook his head and waved his hand, earnestly explaining his new dream.
"No, no, no, what are you thinking! We're going to another planet. There's no need to start a ranch. There are plenty of legitimate businesses. Why would we do something as foolish as robbery?"
“I was thinking, how about we open a restaurant? A place for people to eat and relax, nothing too complicated—it could be a simple and convenient fast food restaurant where people can grab a bite whenever they’re hungry.”
"It could also be a truly exquisite restaurant, beautifully decorated, like the Grand de Bois in Fontaine, where everyone can sit down comfortably and enjoy a proper meal."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but gesture, as if he could already see what the restaurant would look like when it opened.
Ying listened intently to Shao Yun's vision of opening a restaurant in the future and became very interested, asking, "Hmm, that sounds great! So, does that mean I'll be the restaurant's owner?"
This plan, which has no future whatsoever, hasn't even started yet, but Ying has already begun to assume the role of the proprietress.
Seeing her interested expression, Shao Yun nodded emphatically.
"Of course! I own a restaurant, so my wife is naturally the boss's wife. Need I say more?"
He changed the subject, gently rubbing Ying's cheek as he reminded her:
"However, this is just an idea right now, and it's uncertain whether it can be realized. Let's leave the future to the future. You should rest now, and I'll go check on the others."
Ying nodded obediently, her eyes full of gentleness. She didn't ask any more questions, slowly lay down on the prepared bedding, closed her eyes, and prepared to rest.
……
Shao Yun quietly stayed by Ying's side until she watched her breathing gradually become even and she fell into a deep sleep. Only then did she gently get up, walk quietly to the bedding not far away.
Shen He was sitting by the bedding, gently patting Xi's back and humming a simple lullaby to lull the little one to sleep.
Perhaps hearing footsteps, Shen He looked up and saw Shao Yun approaching. A gentle smile instantly spread across his face, and he softened his voice to greet her gently:
"Mr. Shao Yun?"
Shao Yun nodded and sat down quietly on the bedding next to Shen He, trying not to make a sound.
Seeing how good Shen He is to his daughter, and thinking back on what happened over the past year and a half, I feel a little guilty.
"I'm sorry, Shen He. I've made you leave your hometown and follow us for so long, but I haven't taken good care of you."
Upon hearing this, Shen He tilted his head slightly and asked in confusion:
“Mr. Shao Yun, why are you apologizing? I don’t feel tired at all. Everyone has been very kind to me. Miss Ying treats me like a sister, and you have always taken good care of me. And Xi… I’m so happy to be by your side.”
Shao Yun pursed his lips and slowly revealed the deep-seated sense of indebtedness in his heart.
“I once promised Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun, who is also your master Xianyun, that I would take good care of you and not let you suffer any injustice.”
“But now, we are forced to flee Teyvat and live a life of running for our lives. Along the way, we will have to trouble you to take care of Xi Bao. I feel really bad about it.”
Shen He didn't care at all. She gently shook her head and looked back at Xi Bao's sleeping face, her doting gaze growing even stronger.
“Mr. Shao Yun, you don’t need to feel indebted to me. On the contrary, I should thank you for trusting me and letting me become Xi’s godmother, so that I can always be by the little one’s side, take care of her, and watch her grow up.”
“I have said many times that as long as my family can be together, whether we live in luxury or live a life of hardship, I am willing to do it all and will not feel it is hard at all.”
Immediately afterwards, Shen He's gaze drifted slightly into the distance as he began to talk about his master, Xianyun. The expression on his face gradually became somewhat subtle, showing a mixture of guilt and reluctance.
But only for a moment. When she looked down and saw Xi's peaceful sleeping face, her hesitation vanished completely, her expression hardened again, and she said softly:
"As for Master... I know I've let her down, that I couldn't stay by her side to fulfill my filial duty, but I can't let go of Xi, I can't let go of you all. Perhaps this is what people often mean by the dilemma of loyalty to one's country and filial piety."
Hearing Shen He's words, Shao Yun couldn't help but smile and teased gently, "Although I haven't read many books, I feel that the idiom 'loyalty and filial piety are hard to reconcile' that you're referring to isn't used in this way."
Shen He paused for a moment, but didn't dwell on the usage of the idiom. He simply looked at Xi again, gently stroking her cheek with his fingertips, and solemnly assured Shao Yun:
“Mr. Shao Yun, no matter what, I will do everything in my power to take good care of Xi Bao and protect her. Even if it costs me my life, I will have no complaints and will never regret it.”
After saying this, her voice softened even more, her eyes filled with unwavering love, and she murmured softly, "I love her...more than I love myself."
……