Wang Qingchen left the residence and headed straight for his family's mill. Since he was back, it wouldn't do to keep his own family in the dark, so he needed to inform them.

Wang Qinghua was certainly pleased by Wang Qingchen's return, though not entirely surprised. After all, they were aware of Li Yuntai's impending marriage, and he had already speculated whether his second brother might return for the occasion. As it turned out, his instincts were correct; his younger brother had indeed come back.

“When did you get back? By the way, where is your luggage?” Wang Qinghua asked, puzzled.

“I just arrived. I brought a fellow classmate back with me, and I’ve just settled him into the townhouse in the town. My luggage is there as well,” Wang Qingchen explained.

“Oh? Why are you staying there? There’s no one else there right now. Why didn’t you bring him home? That way, Father and Mother could help you look after him properly. Besides, Mother and Father haven’t seen you for days; they’ll be overjoyed when they see you’ve returned!” Wang Qinghua reasoned.

Upon hearing his elder brother’s suggestion, Wang Qingchen pondered internally that if Wang Qinghua knew about the matter involving his uncle and his classmate’s mother, he wouldn't say such a thing. If his uncle were to see Zhao Cheng, he would surely go into a frenzy. After all this time, his uncle had only just managed to calm down a bit; if Wang Qingchen stirred up trouble again now, it wouldn't just be Zhao Cheng and Huang Shi who would be furious with him, but his grandparents as well. The thought made Wang Qingchen quickly shake his head—he absolutely could not take Zhao Cheng to Wangjia Village, or too many complications would arise.

So, Wang Qingchen smiled and said, “Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to bring him home; it’s just that my classmate prefers quiet. Our home has quite a few children running around. If we invited him over, wouldn't it just annoy him? Having him stay in the townhouse in town is perfect right now; it’s empty, very tranquil. He’s content, and so am I.” Wang Qingchen fabricated the excuse smoothly.

Wang Qinghua didn’t doubt him and became rather thoughtful. “Oh, I see! Then it seems your classmate is fond of reading.”

“Hmm?” Wang Qingchen was confused. How did his elder brother deduce that?

“Since he prefers quiet, it must be because he doesn't want anyone disturbing him while he’s reading. So, in my opinion, this person must enjoy books,” Wang Qinghua explained.

“Haha, Brother, you guessed exactly right. That’s precisely how it is,” Wang Qingchen replied with a smile.

At this moment, whether Wang Qinghua’s guess was accurate or not didn’t matter; as long as his elder brother believed it and stopped pressing the issue, that was enough.

“So, you plan to stay in town, then?” Wang Qinghua inquired.

Wang Qingchen paused to consider, then nodded. “Yes. I can’t very well leave my classmate alone, can I? So, for now, I won’t be going back.”

“Are you not returning home at all this time? You don’t know how much everyone misses you. In my view, you should go back a few times! Otherwise, when Father and Mother learn you’re back in Qingshan Town but haven’t come home, they’ll be terribly upset!” Wang Qinghua urged.

Hearing Wang Qinghua’s concern, Wang Qingchen laughed. “Brother, don’t worry about that. How could I not go back to see the family? It’s just that I must stay here for the time being. I can’t bring someone to stay and then immediately go home and abandon my friend!”

“If you can go back, that’s good. So, when I go back today, I’ll tell Father and Mother you’ve returned?” Wang Qinghua asked.

“Agreed. You can tell Mother and Father first,” Wang Qingchen consented.

After reporting the news and chatting for a while at the mill, Wang Qingchen headed back to the townhouse. He truly couldn't leave Zhao Cheng alone there.

When Wang Qingchen returned, Zhao Cheng had just woken up from a nap. Upon waking, Zhao Cheng was not idle but said, “It’s been so long since I was back in Qingshan Town. I’d like to go out for a walk. After all, I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to come back here again.”

Hearing Zhao Cheng’s somewhat wistful words, Wang Qingchen smiled and said, “Never mind that. You just want to walk around, don't you? I’ll go with you!”

Zhao Cheng had originally intended to go for a solitary walk, perhaps visiting where he used to live to reminisce a little. But now that Wang Qingchen had proactively offered to accompany him, he could imagine that with Wang Qingchen involved, any chance of quiet reflection would be utterly derailed. However, Zhao Cheng found it difficult to refuse, so he could only nod in agreement and head out with Wang Qingchen.

Having gone out, the two had no specific destination in mind. After wandering for a while, Zhao Cheng led Wang Qingchen to the place where he and his mother used to live.

The place where Zhao Cheng and Huang Shi had lived was rented out to others shortly after the mother and son left. Looking from outside the courtyard now, many of the internal layouts had changed, looking very different from when Zhao Cheng and his mother resided there.

Zhao Cheng looked around the yard and sighed, “There used to be a peach tree in this yard, but it’s gone now. I remember I used to constantly look forward to the peaches ripening. It wasn’t because I was greedy for the fruit itself, but because I thought once the peaches were ripe, I could sell them and buy some other nice things to eat.”

Saying that, Zhao Cheng pointed to another spot. “There used to be two stone stools there. When it was hot, Mother and I would eat there. But they aren’t here now; I wonder if the current residents threw them out.”

...

Zhao Cheng talked volubly to Wang Qingchen about the life he and Huang Shi shared there previously. Seeing the place altered now, his tone carried an inexpressible sense of loss.

Wang Qingchen saw this and laughed heartily, trying to smooth things over. “Of course, it would be different! Think about it, Auntie has such a fastidious nature; she would certainly keep everything neat and tidy. Moreover, you are not the same person you were then. You are a Juren now! Even if it wasn't for herself, Auntie wouldn't continue to live here for your sake! So, even if you and Auntie hadn't left Qingshan Town, you surely would have moved out by now.”

Zhao Cheng naturally understood that Wang Qingchen was trying to console him. He stopped sighing and instead thought that fortunately, he still had several good friends who would stand by him, no matter his condition.

Zhao Cheng’s mood significantly improved, and he then suggested they go elsewhere. Wang Qingchen was more than eager for this, as he was also worried that if Zhao Cheng stayed there any longer, he would become melancholy again.

Afterward, the two visited the former academy and other places where the students of Qingshan Town used to gather. It wasn’t until dinnertime that they found a place to sit down and sort out their meal, as they had walked quite a distance that day.

Back home that evening, Wang Qinghua informed the family of the news that Qingchen had returned to Qingshan Town.

Indeed, when Yang Shi and Wang Youfu heard the news, they became visibly excited. “Really? Qingchen is back? Where is he? Why didn't he come back with you?”

Hearing Yang Shi’s question, Wang Qinghua concealed nothing and recounted what his second brother had told him.

“Yes, Mother. Qingchen is currently taking his classmate to our townhouse in town! That’s why he didn’t come home,” Wang Qinghua stated.

“Is that so? Why didn’t he consider bringing his classmate home? That way, we could meet his friend and help Qingchen look after him better,” Yang Shi said.

Wang Qinghua immediately dismissed his mother’s suggestion. “Mother, I mentioned all those things to Qingchen earlier, but his friend is a quiet person. We still have young children here. How could Qingchen’s friend be comfortable staying here? If he isn’t settled here, won’t we bring shame upon Qingchen? In my opinion, it’s perfect for them to stay in the town residence. It’s quiet there, and it maintains dignity when entertaining guests. It’s much better!”

Hearing what his eldest son said, Yang Shi hesitated, then considered that her eldest son’s concerns were valid. She stopped insisting; if he didn't come, so be it, as long as her son could return to see them.

So, Yang Shi continued, “Then did Qingchen say when he would come back?”

Wang Qinghua shook his head. “He didn’t mention a specific time, but he did say he would definitely return. It’s just that right now, he can’t very well leave his guest alone at the residence.”

Just as Yang Shi was about to say something more, Wang Youfu, who had been silent until now, interjected, “The son is busy taking care of his friend; we shouldn’t rush him. Let’s wait until he has settled his friend properly!”

Upon hearing this, Yang Shi dropped the questions she was about to ask and said instead, “It’s just that I miss my son. He came back briefly before, but only for a few days. Now that he’s finally back, yet he has to stay in town and not come home. How about this: let’s go stay at the townhouse for a few days?”

Wang Youfu looked at his wife’s last suggestion, suddenly unsure what to say. “The boy chose that place precisely because it’s quiet. If we go stay there now, won’t we disturb their peace? We shouldn't cause the boy more trouble. Let’s just wait at home for Qingchen to come back!”