Ch 5: Reborn to Raise My Husband

Later that afternoon, Xiao Hu unexpectedly returned home.

He came back surprisingly early—barely an hour or so had passed since the household had eaten their midday meal.

As it happened, he had already planned to descend from the mountains today. While on the path from the wooden cabin deep in the forest, he ran into a villager who had gone up to deliver a message.

Upon hearing that Qi Beinan had arrived, he quickened his pace and hurried home.

Qi Beinan could now be considered as having once again met his father-in-law.

This father-in-law of his was still only in his thirties, and compared to the version from his memories, he looked much the same.

Some people seemed older than their peers when young, yet appeared younger again in middle age—Xiao Hu was exactly that sort.

He was the very image of a man who lived off the mountains. His stature wasn’t especially tall, but his frame was solid and powerful.

His eyebrows and beard were thick and dark, his hair coarse and curled, carelessly tied back, and his body carried the faint scent of wild beasts.

At his right waist hung a long wood-cutting knife polished to a chilling gleam, and at his left hip rested a small dagger. Slung across his shoulder was a long hunting bow.

All in all, he was the kind of man who carried at least three lethal weapons on him at any given moment.

Anyone unfamiliar with him would instinctively keep a three-meter distance upon seeing such a figure.

After Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao married, he had taken Xiao Yuanbao with him to his post, and in truth, hadn’t spent much time with Xiao Hu.

Later, Qi Beinan had thought about bringing his father-in-law to live with them, but Xiao Hu already had his household and never agreed.

Less than two years after that, terrible news came from their hometown: Xiao Hu had suffered an accident while hunting in the mountains.

When Xiao Yuanbao heard the news, he fell severely ill, and his health had been fragile ever since.

“Qi Beinan greets Uncle Xiao.”

Qi Beinan bowed respectfully, emotions complex. He admired this father-in-law, yet also resented his carelessness that had caused Xiao Bao so much hardship.

But if one were to blame things in detail, he himself was also at fault. After their marriage, Xiao Bao had endured mockery from noblewomen and suffered in silence, while he remained oblivious for far too long.

“You’ve grown so much.”

Though the Qi and Xiao families had stayed in contact through letters—Qi Beinan often asked after his well-being—this was the first time they’d met since Qi Jinyan had moved to Qiu County.

Back then, Qi Beinan had been about the same age as Xiao Bao was now—a small boy. Now he stood tall and strong, nearly matching Xiao Hu in height.

He took after his father’s handsome features, but unlike his father’s refined and gentle manner, Qi Beinan’s frame was more robust and sturdy.

Xiao Hu looked him over, visibly pleased.

“Your father…”

As the topic turned to Qi Jinyan, Xiao Hu’s expression grew heavy, and he let out a long sigh.

Life and death were unpredictable. As a hunter, he understood that better than most—but hearing that another person tied to his late wife had passed left his heart steeped in sorrow.

“You must learn to let go. Your father and mother only left behind you.”

Xiao Hu wasn’t good with comforting words, but his intentions were sincere.

“I understand. But now that Father is gone, I am truly alone.”

Qi Beinan briefly mentioned the family trouble from his previous life, carefully selecting what to say. Though nothing had happened yet, he knew that if he stayed in Qiu County long enough, the relatives from back home would eventually come looking for him. It wasn’t a lie.

“Father had just passed when they started acting this way. It was truly disheartening. With no one else to rely on, I took the liberty of seeking out Uncle Xiao.”

Xiao Hu’s face darkened, and he slammed the table: “Qi Xiucai took you to Qiu County. I thought they’d finally stop pestering you. I can’t believe the moment he’s gone, they’ve become even more shameless!”

“If I’d been there, I’d have taught them a lesson they’d never forget!”

“Your words alone give me great comfort, Uncle Xiao,” Qi Beinan said.

Xiao Hu continued, “If those scoundrels went to Qiu County, you should’ve sent me a letter—I’d have come to stand up for you.”

Qi Beinan said, “At first, they claimed they came to pay their respects and spoke kindly. Only after some time did their true faces emerge. I was foolish to trust them.”

Xiao Hu let out a breath of frustration. “That’s not your fault. They came with hidden motives. How could a child like you deal with that?”

Seeing that Xiao Hu was clearly on his side, Qi Beinan brought out the square wooden box he’d carried with him and respectfully presented it.

“This was something my father instructed me to deliver personally to Uncle Xiao before he passed.”

Xiao Hu was surprised. What could be worth sending across such a long distance? He opened the box and saw inside—a cloud-patterned silver neck lock, one he recognized.

Qi Beinan stepped back, knelt, and bowed. “Before he died, Father said that if anything happened to our family, I must bring this to Uncle Xiao. But if things went well in Qiu County, I was to study hard and not disturb the Xiao family, only coming to fulfill our engagement when the time was right.”

“In the past, when our parents were alive, the Xiao and Qi families had arranged a marriage. Now I am young and alone—please, Uncle, show me mercy for the sake of that old bond.”

Qi Beinan wasn’t fully confident that Xiao Hu would agree.

His father had always said that Xiao Hu was a man of good character, someone worthy of trust.

But now, as a young man with no official title and little money, it was understandable if his father-in-law no longer wished to accept him.

Worse still, he might even be thinking of breaking the engagement in light of all that had happened.

So Qi Beinan added, “I am not clever, nor of great talent, but Father made sure I never neglected my studies. When my mourning period ends, I am confident I can pass the county exam.”

Though a promise made with empty hands could be seen as hollow, it was better than offering nothing at all. And Qi Beinan’s promise wasn’t baseless—he truly had the confidence to follow through.

“If in three years I have not earned the title of xiucai, I will leave of my own accord. In these three years, I will take care of my studies and living expenses myself. I only ask Uncle to lend me a corner of roof to shelter under.”

Qi Beinan’s words, though not backed by solid guarantees, were spoken with genuine sincerity.

After hearing about the relatives from the Qi family coming to stir up trouble, and seeing that Qi Beinan had come all this way on his own, Xiao Hu already had a sense of the situation.

He looked at the cloud-patterned silver lock lying quietly in the box—he still kept the matching one for Xiao Bao safe.

Back then, when he and his late wife had visited the Qi family and the marriage was happily arranged, it had felt like just a few years ago. Now, everyone else was gone, and all that remained were him and this lone child.

He looked down at the boy kneeling on the ground—his back straight, his gaze steady and firm, nothing like an ordinary youth.

That made his vow seem all the more convincing.

Though Xiao Hu was a rough man, he understood well how difficult the imperial exams were nowadays. For a commoner’s child to earn even the lowest scholarly title was as hard as climbing to the heavens.

For that reason, he thought this vow of Qi Beinan’s was likely hard to fulfill.

But he wasn’t one who coveted wealth or status. If Qi Beinan really could earn some distinction, it would naturally be a good thing.

Even if he couldn’t, he had read and studied well enough. He could read and write, and in the future, learning a lighter trade to make a living wouldn’t be difficult.

He could become a bookkeeper, or work in a printing house or academy as a clerk—any of those would be enough to support a household.

As long as Yuanbao could live with him, eat his fill and stay warm, that was good enough.

Xiao Hu might not seem like a schemer, but when it came to important matters, he had his own internal balance and made his calculations clearly.

He closed the wooden box and stepped forward to help Qi Beinan to his feet.

“I was close with your father and mother. Even without this marriage between our families, now that you’re an orphan with no one to rely on, I’d still take you in. Qi Xiucai entrusted you to me on his deathbed—that’s how much he trusted me.”

Xiao Hu looked at Qi Beinan and said, “I’m glad to see you’re ambitious, but you don’t need to make such heavy promises. Don’t burden yourself. Whether three years is enough or not, just settle in with peace of mind.”

“I’m often away. Xiao Bao is still young. If you can look after him while I’m out, I’ll feel more at ease.”

Qi Beinan, hearing Xiao Hu agree, let out a long breath of relief. He solemnly said, “You can rest assured, Uncle. I will take good care of Xiao Bao.”

Then he added, “Only… about Auntie…”

Xiao Hu waved his hand. “Don’t worry. Your aunt is a kind and virtuous woman. She’s known hardship too. I’ll explain everything to her—she’ll understand.”

Qi Beinan smiled faintly at those words. It was clear his father-in-law didn’t truly know what kind of person Qin Niazi was. He still believed in the gentle mask she wore.

But Qi Beinan didn’t say a single ill word about her. Instead, he followed Xiao Hu’s lead and praised her:

“With Uncle’s assurance, I’m sure Auntie must be warm and easy to get along with. I noticed Xiao Bao’s personality is a bit quiet—if not for a woman as kind as Auntie, how could he have been raised with such care? I will always show her respect and honor.”

Qi Beinan knew perfectly well what kind of temperament Qin Niazi had. There was no way she would be happy with an outsider suddenly living under her roof.

She would surely see him as an extra mouth to feed, another drain on the household expenses.

And more importantly, he was already ten, and had studied—he was no longer the innocent four- or five-year-old like Xiao Yuanbao, easy to manipulate.

Precisely because he anticipated this, he went out of his way to speak highly of her—lifting her up as generous, understanding, virtuous and wise.

He deliberately raised Xiao Hu’s expectations of her. The more she failed to live up to that image, the more disappointed Xiao Hu would be, and the more likely he’d begin to see her true colors.

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