Chapter 83 The City Planted Full of Trees

After Li Yanhe had recovered from his injuries, Jiang Luohan turned to Lin Miaomiao and said, “It’s time I bid you farewell. I believe our paths have run their course.” Lin Miaomiao was somewhat perplexed by Jiang Luohan’s words. She looked at him and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Jiang Luohan sighed, crouched down, and spoke gently to Lin Miaomiao, “The Valley of a Hundred Flowers does not involve itself in the court’s internal struggles, but Li Yanhe stands at their very heart.” Upon hearing this, Lin Miaomiao’s hand trembled slightly. She gazed at Jiang Luohan and asked, “So what will you do?”

Jiang Luohan, hearing her question, glanced back at her and replied, “Nothing at all.”

Lin Miaomiao stood frozen, watching Jiang Luohan’s departing figure, unable to collect herself for a long while. As Jiang Luohan left on horseback, he turned back for one last look at Lin Miaomiao’s small house.

After his departure, Lin Miaomiao suddenly realized how quiet her courtyard had become. Normally, there would be the hum of conversation at this hour. In the end, she could only sigh—such was life: different encounters led to meeting all kinds of people.

That evening, Lin Miaomiao spoke with Li Yanhe about what had happened. Li Yanhe was momentarily taken aback, then said, “People of the martial world have their own codes.”

Lin Miaomiao, recalling the martial arts dramas she’d seen in the modern world, asked Li Yanhe, “Did Jiang Luohan break some rule of the Jianghu? Are the so-called righteous sects now out for his blood?”

Li Yanhe couldn’t help but laugh at her question. “Why would you think that?” he asked.

“Isn’t it so?” Lin Miaomiao replied, looking up at him.

Li Yanhe nodded and explained, “Jianghu organizations are merely folk associations. How could they possibly rally to hunt down another group?”

Relieved, Lin Miaomiao nodded. “That’s good, then. Otherwise, I might have been scared out of my wits.”

Li Yanhe ruffled her hair, looking at her with silent affection. “These are not worries you should bear,” he thought.

As Jiang Luohan rode past an inn, he noticed a figure standing quietly outside. Gripping the sword in his hand, he fixed his gaze on the man dressed in black. He quickly recognized him: the infamous Minglou of the martial world.

Jiang Luohan addressed him, “Who sent you?”

Minglou approached, step by step, and replied, “I have been entrusted by someone. This time, I am to guarantee your safety and see you return unharmed to the Valley of a Hundred Flowers.”

Jiang Luohan’s grip tightened on his riding whip at these words. Minglou smiled and continued, “He doesn’t wish for Miss Lin to endure too much.”

Jiang Luohan said nothing. He was a clever man; from Minglou’s first words, he knew who had sent him. Settling Jianghu matters with Jianghu hands—this was just like Li Yanhe. After saving him, Li Yanhe had never said a word about it.

Jiang Luohan nodded at Minglou, and the two quickly vanished into the night.

Meanwhile, Lin Miaomiao’s business flourished. Orders for her factory extended from before the New Year well into the next, especially since she had built dormitories for her workers. As a result, brick kilns sprang up throughout every city in Da’ankou. Thanks to her improvements, the old grey bricks were now replaced by red ones.

The kiln owners, operating on slim margins, managed to drive economic growth in the region. Lin Miaomiao shared this with Li Yanhe, who simply told her that if she believed it was right, then so it was.

Winter grew colder. Lin Miaomiao watched as Lin Langluan and Lin Langze began to shoot up in height—soon, the two boys were taller than she was.

In ancient times, children of eight or nine were already considered laborers. One day, Lin Langluan and Lin Langze sat in the courtyard, watching Lin Miaomiao as she pored over her account books. Suddenly interested, Lin Miaomiao asked them, “Do you have any dreams? Anything you want to do in the future?”

The twins thought for a moment before replying, “Sister, what is a dream? We don’t know what we want to do yet—the future is still uncertain.”

Lin Miaomiao smiled at their answer. “That’s all right. Just think about the kind of person you want to become.”

After a moment’s thought, Lin Langluan said, “Sis, you’re such a capable person. I want to be like you.”

Lin Langze pursed his lips, then said, “I want to be like Brother Jiang—a great physician.”

Lin Miaomiao was curious about his answer, so she stroked his head and asked, “Why do you think that?”

Lin Langze looked up at her earnestly. “Because last time when Brother Yanhe was hurt, you were so sad and cried so hard. But after Brother Jiang came out from seeing him, he said something to you, and you stopped crying.”

Hearing this, Lin Miaomiao’s eyes grew red and misty, though she couldn’t quite explain why she felt so exposed.

Lin Langluan, seeing her like this, said, “I want to help you too, Sis. You work so hard every day, looking over all those accounts.”

Lin Miaomiao looked at the two boys and replied, “All right, I understand.”

When Li Yanhe returned home, he found Lin Miaomiao, Lin Langluan, and Lin Langze sitting in the kitchen preparing dinner, their laughter drifting through the house. He couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.

Lin Langluan was sharp and quick-witted, while Lin Langze was less adaptable than his brother. As they grew, their features began to diverge—they no longer looked so identical as they had when they were small.

Lin Miaomiao realized she had been here for several years already. She remembered, penniless, deciding to take the boys with her. Reflecting on it now, she marveled at her own boldness—and Li Yanhe’s goodness.

When she stepped out of the kitchen, Li Yanhe noticed her red eyes and asked, “Why are your eyes so red?”

She wiped at her eyes and replied, “Time flies. It’s almost been five years, and I was just thinking of the past.”

Li Yanhe looked at her and said, “Would you like to go for a walk?”

She nodded, and he gently fastened her cloak before they walked out hand in hand.

Whenever Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe went out together, Lin Langluan and Lin Langze were always stopped by Lin Qi. The boys never quite understood why their brother wouldn’t let them tag along—until years later, after they had wives and children of their own.

By now, they were used to it, so they didn’t mind staying behind when Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe went out.

Hand in hand, Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe walked through the city. The guards at the gate, seeing them, greeted Li Yanhe with a bow as the couple ascended the city wall.

In the distance, Lin Miaomiao could see the smoke rising from village hearths, and her lips curved into a smile. Li Yanhe pointed to a village and said, “Do you know something?”

“Once, as far as the eye could see, this was all barren land. Now, you can see the kerosene lamps burning in the homes of the people.”

“In spring, the fields will be lush and green. In winter, you’ll see the lamps lit early in every house.”

“Once, all the houses here were thatched huts. Now, you see red-brick houses—something I never dared dream of before.”

He walked her to the edge of the city wall. “Look at these walls,” he said, pointing. “All these bricks were donated by the kilns.”

Lin Miaomiao looked up in surprise. Li Yanhe embraced her and whispered, “Thank you, for giving the people here new hope, and for giving me a new direction.”

That night, the two of them stood atop the city wall, watching the slow transformation of the city.

“Li Yanhe, in truth, it’s not I who have changed things here—it’s all of them. I just took action, and by doing so, perhaps inspired others to change as well.”

Li Yanhe nodded solemnly. “The city walls will soon be renewed. From afar, the sight will no longer be desolate.”

Lin Miaomiao nodded in agreement. That was what life was—living with hope, striving to make things better for oneself and for those around.

For the first time, Lin Miaomiao felt the joy of building a city. She had never imagined she might one day become someone who contributed to such growth. She used to think it was nearly impossible to become a person of value to a city, but because of Li Yanhe, she now felt an unbreakable connection with Da’ankou.

Even if she and Li Yanhe were to leave one day, every tree and every corner would bear traces of their presence.

She realized that these five years had not been spent in vain; she had achieved something small but real.

Together, she and Li Yanhe walked every inch of Da’ankou. She was delighted to find plum blossoms blooming in the city.

Looking at Li Yanhe, she heard him say, “The people here have returned. In the end, they chose to come home.”

“These years, you’ve helped me save quite a bit of silver, so I used it to plant trees along the streets of Da’ankou.”

Lin Miaomiao gazed at the trees lining the roads, and for some reason, tears welled in her eyes.

Seeing her cry, Li Yanhe grew flustered. “Don’t cry,” he said.

She looked up and said, “I’m really moved, Li Yanhe. You’re actually quite the romantic.”

With those words, she threw her arms around him. He laughed and patted her head.

“Li Yanhe, if I ever marry, it has to be to someone who would plant trees in an entire city for me.”

Li Yanhe only smiled in response.