It had been a long time since he had enjoyed such leisure, returning home on family visits had always been a rush, and he had never spent time wandering around the village.
Moreover, he knew An Hao’s home was at the eastern end of the village; he simply took it as a walk and headed there.
As he passed by a house along the road, he saw a candlelight flickering in a window, and a soft, low voice reading aloud reached his ears.
"Beiming has a fish, its name is Kun..."
The voice was very familiar and pleasant to listen to, soft yet strong and resonant.
It was An Hao’s voice.
Qin Jian stood in the fine spring rain, listening to An Hao reciting her book, and a faint smile gradually lifted the corners of his mouth.
After a while, the reading stopped abruptly.
The light in the house went out, and just as Qin Jian was about to leave, the door suddenly opened, and An Hao came out with a water bucket in hand.
Qin Jian was slightly startled, and An Hao also paused in surprise.
"Qin... Big Brother Qin..." After the moment of surprise, a smile slowly spread across An Hao’s face.
No, to be precise, it was a smile of joy.
It was only last night before she went to bed that she learned Qin Jian had come down with his troops for training, and here she was seeing him today.
In the silvery threads of rain, he stood there, wearing a dark blue shirt that made him look dashing. The raindrops wet his short hair and eyes, and through his long, thick lashes, An Hao saw the twinkle of a smile in his eyes.
"I was out for a walk this morning and stopped when I heard the reading," Qin Jian explained.
"Mhmm," An Hao nodded gently, her smile indicating the outside. "I’m going to fetch water."
"Let me do it," Qin Jian offered softly.
"No need, I..." An Hao didn’t finish her sentence when a warm, large hand brushed against hers, taking the carrying pole from her hand and quickly walked onward.
An Hao expressed her thanks and hurriedly followed behind Qin Jian.
Qin Jian, who was over six feet tall, walked ahead with long strides carrying the pole, while An Hao briskly walked a few steps to keep up behind him. From a distance, she looked like a shy, newly-wed wife trailing behind her husband.
Qin Jian walked ahead, hearing the urgent footsteps behind him and knowing he was walking too fast, so he slowed his pace considerably.
When An Hao caught up, he could hear her faint breathing.
"Tired?" Qin Jian glanced at An Hao, and with the dawn’s pale light, he could see a moist blush on her face.
She was different from the others.
People who lived in the mountains year-round usually had skin that was more or less red and purple, the result of exposure to sun and wind.
It was much like people living on the plateau with their plateau red, a similar concept.
Yet, from the first time he saw her, An Hao was clean and fair, her cheeks pale with a rosy flush, reminiscent of peach petals, her dull clothes unable to hide her own radiance.
"Not tired. It’s just a bit hard to keep up with you," An Hao stuck out her tongue a little.
"You could have just waited at home," Qin Jian said.
"That wouldn’t be right," An Hao replied with an embarrassed smile, suddenly remembering the money she had borrowed from him and so she asked, "Big Brother Qin, did you get my letter?"
"Mhmm," Qin Jian responded lightly, then fell silent.
Just when An Hao was feeling awkwardly at a loss for what to say, Qin Jian added, "The writing in the letter is not bad, very beautiful!"
Reminded by his words, An Hao also recalled his handwriting, forceful and powerful strokes, a structure that was very attractive, except there was only a brief line of text.