Chapter 44

Chapter 44

After passing the rear mountain area and turning left, they reached the riverbank in about fifty feet. Gu Lan was the first to spot the shallow pool made of piled stones. Its edges were lined with flat green rocks, and the bottom was covered with differently-sized white pebbles, concealing the sand beneath. The water here was much clearer than elsewhere, looking exceptionally clean.

It was evident that this was man-made, not natural. He was surprised and turned to ask, "You did this?"

Pei Yan nodded and replied, "The water flow is rapid on the other side of the river. By diverting it here, it's more convenient for doing laundry without having to travel far."

"Wow, impressive," Gu Lan couldn't help but praise, his eyes shining with admiration.

Families in the village without wells had to wash their clothes by the river. It was manageable during regular times, but in summer's scorching heat, everyone fought for shaded spots with calm waters. Now, with this stone pool under the tree shade, they wouldn't have to worry about muddy water splashing around. Moreover, it was far from the village, and since Pei Yan built it himself, no one would contest it.

Rarely receiving compliments throughout his life, Pei Yan was taken aback. His thoughts drifted away, unable to recall when he was last praised.

He had never cared about such things before, but now, a vague and indescribable feeling began to surface. He tried to dismiss this unfamiliar emotion, yet a hint of joy lingered in his heart.

In reality, the 'impressive' feat merely involved exerting effort to dig a hole and move stones over. Others might have laughed at him for being foolish, wasting days on something that could have been done anywhere for laundry.

While he was lost in thought, Gu Lan placed the small basket containing wild soap beads on the ground. Rolling up his pants, he prepared to wash the dog, knowing that the action would inevitably create splashes.

Joy was an unfamiliar and distant sensation to Pei Yan. The myriad aspects of the world and its people appeared distant in his eyes; even he himself recognized that he resembled a stagnant pond, rarely taking interest in others or matters at hand.

He couldn't even respond appropriately, lowering his gaze as if he hadn't heard.

Upon seeing Gu Lan roll up his pant legs, exposing his fair calves, Pei Yan's gaze shifted away with great discomfort. His Adam's apple moved slightly, masking the unease in his heart. "Water can be fetched here too. Just get it from upstream."

"Alright, I understand. We'll fetch water here from now on. It's clean." Gu Lan smiled cheerfully, not at all bothered by his appearance.

Unlike the other men, he wouldn't expose his calves except when working in the paddy fields. With his naturally fair complexion, the reflection of sunlight on the rippling water made his calves appear even more porcelain-like.

As for Pei Yan, he was already considered family in Gu Lan's eyes. There were no outsiders here, so there was no need to be cautious or reserved.

The large dog drank from the stone pool, standing downstream. It had accompanied Pei Yan here a few times and was accustomed to reading its owner's cues, appearing rather intelligent and well-behaved in this moment.

Gu Lan felt a little afraid. "Hold it down."

Perceiving his fear, Pei Yan walked over to the dog and nudged it into the pool. He pressed one hand on the dog's neck while the other splashed water onto its body.

Gu Lan brought the wild bathing bead basket over and helped to drench the dog's fur. When Pei Yan guided the dog to lie in the water so its belly could be soaked, he pondered for a moment before suggesting, "I see many tangles. It might be better to cut them out since it's getting warmer. Otherwise, it won't be clean, and regular grooming will make its coat smoother."

In response to his words, Pei Yan rarely contradicted, so he fetched the scissors and let Pei Yan take over the grooming.

Dirty clumps of dog hair drifted away with the water as the large black dog stood in the water, lowering its head and not daring to move. Occasionally, a whimper escaped its throat.

"What's its name?" Gu Lan Shi asked.

Without looking up, Pei Yan trimmed the excessively dirty fur from the dog's tail. "It doesn't have one."

He hadn't paid much attention to the stray dogs before, but now that it was soaked in water, the water turned black and emitted an odor. His brows knitted slightly, clearly indicating his displeasure.

Gu Lan Shi pondered for a moment and suggested, "Let's call him Big Black. It's better to have a name; he'll come back when called."

In his household, they had Er'hei, and their previous dog was named Hei'er, so this would avoid confusion.

"Alright," Pei Yan agreed verbally. He paused to examine the dog closely. The tangled long fur had been trimmed away. This dog was more troublesome than others; short-haired dogs wouldn't have such matted clumps. Some spots were so tightly knotted that it was difficult to cut through with scissors.

Gu Lan Shi followed Pei Yan's gaze and assessed the dog. It now looked even uglier, its fur uneven in length. In some areas, the fur was trimmed too close to the skin, resembling bald patches.

Pei Yan rinsed the scissors in water. Having spent a few years in the military camp, he was sensitive to scents. Although the odor on the dog wasn't as overpowering as blood, it still made him slightly uncomfortable. Raising his eyes to meet Gu Lan Shi's, he said, "I'll buy a new pair of scissors later. Don't use these for sewing anymore."

Dogs were so filthy that even washing the scissors multiple times might not suffice, for fear of causing annoyance. Surprisingly, Pei Yan shared the same thought. Gu Lan Shi smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, we'll use this to trim its fur from now on. It'll also come in handy for plucking feathers from chickens and ducks later."

Of course, they couldn't just dispose of the scissors carelessly. Household items were valuable, and with a little sharpening, they could still be used for miscellaneous tasks.

After lathering up the wild soapberry, they worked together to give the dog a thorough wash several times. After three or four rounds, the water was finally no longer black. Gu Lan Shi lifted his arm to wipe away his sweat, not expecting dog grooming to be such a tiring task.

Seeing this, Pei Yan offered to take over and give the dog its final rinse while Gu Lan Shi washed his hands clean and rested.

Gu Lan Shi crouched by the poolside, slowly rubbing the wild soapberry in the basket to create white foam. After some hesitation, he spoke up, "Pei Yan, I was thinking of selling both sets of wedding attire. They should fetch a considerable sum."

Pei Yan abruptly lifted his gaze, his lips pursed slightly, as if even his jawline was tense.

Gu Lan explained, "They're only worn for one day during the wedding, and there are no children yet. Even if there were, it would be over a decade before he gets married. It's a bit of a waste to store them away for so long."

Who would normally wear a wedding outfit for no reason, risking ridicule from others? One could either alter it for innerwear to add warmth in cold weather, or cut it up – the red cloth could be used to make a baby's apron. However, Gu Lan was still rather clueless and had no intention of having children, so he didn't think of this possibility.

Seeing that Pei Yan wasn't responding, he became uncertain and cautiously asked, "Is that alright?"

Pei Yan himself wasn't sure why he was feeling slightly annoyed. He knew he shouldn't be angry; after all, selling the clothes was just business, and earning money was the main priority.

With great effort, he convinced himself to agree but found the words stuck in his throat as they reached his lips.

Gu Lan Shi was puzzled and asked, "What's the matter?"

Softly and warmly, he inquired, and Pei Yan fell into a brief silence before responding, "The new clothes I just made are still wearable."

Gu Lan Shi crouched by the pond, prodding his cheek with a single finger. Who would wear wedding attire while walking around? After some thought, he ventured, "Then, should I make you another set?"

A hint of relaxation appeared in Pei Yan's cool expression. He pondered for a moment and decided it sounded acceptable. He grunted in response and continued washing the dog.

Gu Lan Shi seemed deep in thought, though he couldn't quite grasp the reason behind Pei Yan's change of heart. He said, "I remember you bought two bolts of cloth. We can use one of those for your new outfit. I brought two new sets of clothes for myself, but we won't need them right away."

"Leave them in the trunk. We'll find them when we get back," Pei Yan instructed, submerging the dog underwater for a rigorous scrubbing, finally completing the day's main task.

As the dog climbed out, Gu Lan Shi instinctively stepped back. Previously, Er'hei had splashed him and Bamboo with water after swimming in the river.

Sure enough, as Blackie shook off its fur, water droplets flew everywhere.

Wet and bedraggled, it looked rather unappealing, but at least it no longer carried an unpleasant odor.

Having spent less than half a day together, Gu Lan didn't dare to touch it. Pei Yan had no interest in petting cats or dogs, so he certainly wouldn't reach out.

Back at their place, Gu Lan was tidying up when he saw Pei Yan enter. He asked again, "Are you really going to sell that wedding attire?"

Pei Yan glanced at the neatly folded clothes on the bed and still felt a bit uneasy. He said, "I still have some silver coins here. There's no rush to sell it."

With that, Gu Lan had no choice but to drop the matter. He opened his wooden chest and said, "Sure, it doesn't take up much space anyway. We can keep it as a foundation for our home."

Recalling what Gu Lan had just mentioned, Pei Yan slightly curled his fingers but still went over to open the old chest. He took out a bolt of cloth and placed it on the bed, muttering lowly, "This is for making clothes."

Gu Lan's suggestion to make him a new set had indeed piqued his interest. However, after he himself had gone back on selling the wedding attire, he couldn't help but feel anxious about Gu Lan possibly doing the same.

The chests were placed at the foot of the bed, so when Gu Lan opened it, he could see everything inside clearly. Aside from Pei Yan's old quilt and clothes, there was another bolt of cloth on top. Right against the edge of the chest was an eye-catching small gourd.