Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 66: Returning Home in Glory

An ordinary tavern, a bookstore, and a clinic.

Moreover, all three establishments were in the West Gate district, so it seemed everything had been planned quite thoroughly.

Lu Chang’sheng smiled and said, "You’re all too polite. Won’t you come inside to sit for a bit?"

At those words, more than ten heads of wealthy families all let out a sigh of relief, smiles returning to their faces. They followed Lu Chang’sheng into the courtyard, drank tea with him for nearly half an hour, and only then took their leave.

Over the next few days, Lu Chang’sheng waited for his passage document while also receiving various visiting nobles and local notables.

He welcomed almost everyone who came.

This made him a bit more popular in town.

He was indeed exhausted, but it also showed that he wasn’t picking sides, so those nobles who’d been wary of him began to let down their guard, at least for now.

Three days later, when the documents were issued, Lu Chang’sheng received word from a junior official and went to the prefecture office to collect his pass, formally gaining his official status.

His position was that of a "Ninth Grade Clerk," a post for administrative affairs, with a monthly stipend of 20 taels of silver, and he was assigned a mansion covering ten acres.

For ordinary Advanced Scholars, this was more than decent, but for him—this year’s Top Scholar—it was a far cry from what one might expect.

This was the downside of not picking a faction.

Without someone up top pulling strings, you’d never land the lucrative postings.

Still, Lu Chang’sheng didn’t seem to mind. He collected his document, got a passage permit from the prefecture office, and returned home.

The next morning, a group gathered outside the Traveler’s Inn at the West Gate.

At first, there were just a few people, carrying big bundles and bags.

Nobody paid them any attention.

Ever since the upheaval in Chishui County a few years ago, the main road to Black Mountain Prefecture had been heavily guarded, travel so tough it was almost impossible.

The road from Chishui County itself had been completely severed.

When safety in the prefecture city was involved, the gentry inside didn’t leave any room for sloppiness.

But soon more and more people gathered, and then a carriage rolled out from inside the city, stopping in front of the inn.

"Whose household is that?"

"Must be some old child scholars from the city!"

······

Ma Xuncai craned his neck to look outside. Soon he saw the carriage crew loading all the bundles into the wagon, and then, slowly, they headed westward.

Just then, a vaguely familiar face flashed by in the carriage window. He shot to his feet, a glint of excitement and envy in his eyes.

"What’s up, Ma?"

The scholar next to him asked in surprise. Ma Xuncai nearly blurted out "Scholar Lu’s" name, but remembering that Lu Chang’sheng had yet to show his face—likely to keep his travels quiet—he swallowed his words. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Two years as a child scholar, three more to Top Scholar—Chang’sheng, really, that’s something extraordinary!"

······

The people in the carriage were, of course, Lu Chang’sheng and his companions.

The carriage was loaded with all sorts of essentials, mostly food supplies.

There were a few finer goods as well, but not much—expensive things weren’t necessarily a blessing in the village.

With their passage document, the trip went smoothly for everyone.

After several days, they felt something and stepped out of the carriage to look. In the distance, shrouded in morning fog, the outlines of a village emerged, faint yet familiar.

"Chang’sheng, we’re home!"

"Yeah! I just wonder how the family’s been?"

Lu Chang’sheng felt a surge of emotion, faces from the past flashing through his mind.

"The village...it almost feels strange now."

Zhao Hu stood on the carriage, a wistful look in his eyes.

"Mr. Zhao, do you have any family left here?"

Lu Chang’sheng climbed back into the carriage.

The surrounding farmland had been planted again, and you could still see signs of last season’s harvest at the edges of the plots.

This eased his mind a bit.

Clearly, the flooding that followed the drought hadn’t impacted Zhao Family Village much. The family’s situation at home should be much better because of that.

"When I was little, my parents died in a fall from the mountain."

Zhao Hu replied plain and simple.

If not for that, he wouldn’t have spent all those years in Black Mountain Prefecture.

Lu Chang’sheng offered a few words of comfort.

The morning sunlight spilled in as their carriage rolled slowly into Zhao Family Village.

The elders sitting at the entrance to the village suddenly opened their eyes wide in disbelief at the scene before them.

"Hey now, that’s a carriage! There’s a carriage coming!"

"Quick, someone tell Zhao Deshui—his sister’s come back to the village!"

The old men sprang to their feet, excited.

One nimble elder dashed off toward Zhao Deshui’s house, while the others stood aside, eyes glued on the wagon as it slowly rolled past them.

"Ming!"

Suddenly, someone poked their head out of the carriage.

An old man was startled—but when he heard the word "Ming," his heart skipped a beat.

"You’re—?"

"It’s me, Black Monkey!"

"Black Monkey—who’s Black Monkey?"

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, something clicked. The old man’s eyes went wide as saucers. Pointing at Wang Heihou, he sputtered, "Black Monkey? Wang family boy?"

Wang Heihou nodded vigorously. Then, one after another, figures jumped down from the wagon. But so many years had passed, the youngsters had all grown taller and stronger. The ones who recognized them hesitated, unsure if they should approach.

In the end, once Wang Heihou confirmed their identities, they rushed over, babbling in excitement.

Lu Chang’sheng didn’t get out; he kept steering the carriage toward the house he remembered so well.

"I wonder what little sis looks like now."

That adorable little face seemed like yesterday.

The muddy lane leading to the Lu Family’s home was a tough walk. Lu Chang’sheng had to stop, grab two bags, and walk the rest of the way home.

Just as he turned the corner, a figure approached from up the path. Seeing the way Lu Chang’sheng was dressed, the man froze, looking nervous.

Surely must be some important person!

Lu Haozi lowered his head in envy, not daring to stare any longer.

He knew there was no one of this kind in their village; just a passing glance at the stranger’s aura was proof enough.

Most likely an outsider. Still, why did he look somewhat familiar?

He was still thinking about it when suddenly, a shout rang out—

"Big Brother!"

Lu Haozi didn’t dare stop.

Why would someone like that call him big brother?

"Big Brother! Why are you walking so fast?"

Finally, Lu Haozi reacted. He looked around—there wasn’t anyone else nearby.

"Who are you?"

Clang! The farm tool slid from his hand as his eyes went wide in disbelief.

"Er...Dan?"

At that moment, Lu Chang’sheng felt nothing awkward about the name and nodded gently.

"It’s me, Er Dan!"

Lu Haozi grabbed his brother’s hand, his eyes a little misty. "Big brother, you’ve had it rough because of me!"

"How could you say that? The weight you carry is heavier than mine,"

Lu Chang’sheng said with feeling.

Heading off to Black Mountain Prefecture had been the best choice; if he hadn’t left, none of this would have happened, and even little sister might have been sold to some big family in town.

By Great Yuan law, such sales were legal, and the children sold off became strangers to their birth families.

"So...is little sis, and are our parents... still home?"

"Yes! They’re all here! After the drought ended, our parents tried to go find you. They said you weren’t dead, that you must still be in Black Mountain Prefecture. But on the way, the officials set up checkpoints and our parents couldn’t get through. Later, there was a landslide that blocked the road!"

Lu Chang’sheng stooped to pick up big brother’s tool, and the two walked home together, talking as they went.

It was only then that Lu Chang’sheng began to learn about all that had happened in his family over these past few years.