Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The grandson opened his eyes, and Old Lady He didn't want to leave the room.

Lu Yuan wanted to shut Qi Cheng’s eyes, but with Old Lady He present, it was awkward for her.

It didn't bother her, but Chun Hua was already trembling with fear.

The man lay like a corpse, his eyes suddenly open, yet dull and empty, devoid of any warmth. Anyone timid, aside from family members, would find it frightening.

For the children’s peace of mind, Lu Yuan took them out of the room.

The yard outside was muddy and messy. The clothes from last night hadn’t been washed yet, and the two children only had one pair of straw sandals and one change of clothes each—they couldn’t afford to get dirty.

As for her, she had already gotten dirty from working outside earlier in the morning, so it didn’t matter anymore. Carrying one child in her arms and the other on her back, she moved them both to the small kitchen.

The kitchen was small, lower than the main house. It wasn’t a typhoon, just heavy wind and rain, so there wasn’t much damage, but the roof was leaking, making the inside damp.

Rainy days were truly annoying.

Lu Yuan had no choice but to put the two children down, wipe off a corner table and a stool, and have them sit there quietly while she made breakfast.

Lu Yuan stepped out of the kitchen and called toward Qi Cheng’s room, "Old Lady He, I’m going to your room to scoop some rice to make breakfast."

As soon as Lu Yuan entered the old lady’s room, she was startled.

Whoa, she had even moved the chickens into the room.

Old Lady He must have had the same thought as her—that it wasn’t the right time for the rooster and hens to mate. So, the rooster was tied to the bedpost at the head of the bed, and the two hens were tied to the foot of the bed, leaving the three of them staring at each other from a distance.

Lu Yuan shook off her wild thoughts. What nonsense was she thinking?

She checked on the dried bamboo shoots. Since a layer of straw had been spread over the bamboo basket, the dried bamboo shoots underneath hadn’t gotten too damp.

Feeling relieved, she scooped some rice and rice flour made from refined rice and left the room.

While the porridge was simmering, Lu Yuan went out to tidy up the mess in the yard.

The sky was still gray and overcast, and no one knew if the sun would come out today.

Just as Lu Yuan finished cleaning the yard, Old Lady He came out of her grandson’s room.

Her eyes were slightly red and swollen, clearly from recent tears.

The matter of Qi Cheng was something Old Lady He would have to process on her own; too much consolation from her would be useless.

The four of them ate breakfast quietly. After cleaning up, Lu Yuan picked up the wooden basin, ready to go to the river to wash clothes.

Just then, Old Man Li happened to arrive.

Seeing her, he said, "Last night’s rain came suddenly and fiercely. The river water has risen, and the current is swift. Be careful when washing clothes."

Old Lady He suddenly remembered Li Niang’s previous incident of falling into the water and immediately said to Lu Yuan, "There’s no rush to wash the clothes. Wait until noon when the river water recedes before going."

Lu Yuan took the advice and set the basin down. She went into Old Lady He’s room to bring out the dried bamboo shoots and air them out to reduce the dampness.

Before she could even move the dried bamboo shoots outside, she heard Old Man Li’s startled voice from the next room: "He’s awake, he’s awake! A Cheng is awake!"

Lu Yuan knew what was happening and didn’t pay it much mind. As she carried the basket out, she saw Old Man Li limping out of the room, explaining the situation inside.

Old Man Li: "A Cheng has opened his eyes, Old Lady He. Come quickly and see."

Old Lady He didn’t know how to explain, so she looked at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan had no choice but to vaguely explain, "Perhaps Qi Cheng is eager to wake up, but it’s not yet time, so his eyes opened first."

Old Man Li looked puzzled: "So, you’re saying his eyes are open, but he’s not awake?"

Lu Yuan nodded: "That’s about right."

Old Man Li muttered quietly, "Such a strange thing exists?"

Lu Yuan thought to herself, there are plenty of strange things—like the fact that there’s a time traveler right beside you, old man.

Old Man Li went back into the room. Facing those pitch-black eyes was truly eerie, so he used his palm to pull the eyelids shut.

Seeing the eyes closed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Just after wiping the body, he looked up and saw that the eyes, which had been closed, were open again, staring straight at him. It gave him a fright.

Although he still hoped this younger generation would wake up, this was too creepy.

He thought about going out to tell Old Lady He he couldn’t do it anymore, but then he remembered the thirty-five coins a month. Old Man Li had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep going.

After all, that was equivalent to three whole pounds of meat.

He stole another glance at those open eyes and felt a chill down his spine.

He had also forgotten to mention not to speak. Clasping his hands together, he said to Qi Cheng, "Nephew Cheng, don’t scare your Uncle Li. Your Uncle Li scares easily."

After saying that, he quickly finished up and hurried out of the room, leaving without even saying goodbye.

Watching Old Man Li’s frantic steps, Lu Yuan knew he had been frightened.

She wondered—wasn’t it just a vegetative state patient opening his eyes? It wasn’t like some vengeful spirit coming for revenge. Was it necessary to be so scared?

Lu Yuan shook her head in confusion, then went to the kitchen to scoop some rice soup to feed Qi Cheng.

Seeing his eyes were still open, she used her palm to pull the eyelids shut, then leaned in to listen to his heartbeat.

It was slow and steady—he must have been in a deep coma.

As she straightened up and was about to place a quilt under his head, she suddenly met those eyes, open again, and gasped sharply.

It wasn’t fear, but in that moment, it was still quite startling.

Lu Yuan let out a breath.

She looked at Qi Cheng with slight annoyance and muttered, "You’re not even awake yet, and you’re already scaring people. It seems your temperament isn’t particularly steady."

She studied his eyes carefully—deep-set and intense. If they had spirit, they would be passionate eyes.

Commonly known as the kind that seem deeply affectionate even when looking at a dog.

Lu Yuan came out of the room and said to Old Lady He, "Qi Cheng’s eyes won’t stay shut. Don’t be startled."

Old Lady He said irritably, "He’s my grandson. How could I be scared of him?"

Lu Yuan shrugged. She hoped so.

At 9 AM, a faint sunlight emerged, signaling a nice day ahead.

After a while, Old Lady He called her into the room, saying, "The clothes are almost done. Come in and try them on. If they don’t fit, we can still make adjustments."

Having new clothes to wear didn't make Lu Yuan particularly happy.

She entered the room, and Old Lady He, noticing the dirt on her clothes, said displeasedly, "Take off your outer layer. Don’t soil the new clothes—you’ll need to wear them on your wedding day."

Lu Yuan pursed her lips to herself but, without any hesitation, removed her outer robe, revealing faded underclothes.

Old Lady He glanced at her figure and remarked, "How are you still this skinny?"

Lu Yuan replied, "I also think I’m still too thin. It might take at least a month to properly nourish my body. Even if I were to conceive soon, I might not be able to carry to term. It’s better to wait a bit longer."

Old Lady He knew she was trying to delay things but didn’t push back.

Since learning her grandson was still conscious, she had begun to hesitate about the wedding night.

If her grandson were to be with a widow while fully aware, she feared he might lose the will to live.

Moreover, there was a strong possibility he would wake up, so passing on the family line wasn’t urgent.

Though the wedding night could wait, the marriage itself had to happen.

Even without checking their astrological signs, it was clear that Li Niang brought good luck and was particularly auspicious for Sheng Geer.

Since she arrived, Sheng Geer’s condition had been improving day by day. If that wasn’t auspicious, what was?

Lu Yuan was surprised. Old Lady He didn’t argue back, which meant there was more room for negotiation.

Knowing that the more said, the more mistakes made, she decided not to press further.

The clothes were a bit loose when she put them on.

Old Lady He said, "I’ll take it in a bit later."

Then, she looked Li Niang over carefully and asked doubtfully, "Have you gotten fairer? You seem to have a healthier look now."

Lu Yuan touched her own face and shook her head. "I don't know."

Without a mirror to check, and not really wanting to, she had no idea what she looked like now, except for the vague reflection she saw while washing clothes.

Old Lady He looked at Li Niang’s face for a long time before saying, "Your facial features are decent. With some care, you’ll be nice-looking."

Why did that rub her the wrong way?

Was she being called ugly now?

Old Lady He pondered and murmured, "Let me think back to the beauty routines I used when I was young."

She frowned and shook her head as she tried to recall.

Lu Yuan guessed that Old Lady He must have come from a wealthy family in her youth, as those beauty routines likely required costly ingredients.

Lu Yuan suggested, "What about using rice water?"

Though she hadn’t studied traditional medicine, she knew that boiling rice water with angelica powder, then cooling it, could be used for washing the face, offering good for moisturizing and brightening skin.

Now that they could afford rice, rice water wasn't a problem anymore.

Not only could she use it, but the two children could benefit as well.

It was only early autumn, yet the children’s faces were already getting chapped, and hers wasn’t much better.

Hearing this, Old Lady He clapped her hands happily and said, "How could I have forgotten this method? Save your rice water from noon and evening washes to use for face washing."

She thought to herself that if she could improve Li Niang’s appearance, even if she wasn’t stunningly beautiful, Sheng Geer wouldn’t be dissatisfied when he woke up and saw her ordinary but healthy appearance.

Feeling relieved, Old Lady He’s expression brightened.

She said to Lu Yuan, "Take that off. I’ll add a few stitches."

Lu Yuan took off the clothes and was about to put her old clothes back on when she noticed Old Lady He’s eyes lingering on her chest.

She looked down as well.

Though Su Liniang was very thin—her face, abdomen, and arms almost skeletal—she had kept flesh in the right places. There was still some fullness in her chest and hips.

People often said that when you lose weight, your chest goes first, but even in this emaciated state, her chest hadn’t completely flattened. With better nourishment, she felt her figure could become quite attractive.

Old Lady He muttered, "She may be thin, but there’s still some flesh on her chest. When Sheng Geer wakes up, he won’t have anything to complain about."

Lu Yuan: …

Old lady, that’s really not proper for you to say things like that.

It makes it sound like your grandson is some kind of pervert.

Lu Yuan put her clothes back on and was about to leave when Old Lady He spoke to her in a discussing tone, "The wedding is in two days. Given Sheng Geer’s condition, we can’t hold a banquet. I’ll only invite the village chief and the oldest elder to witness the ceremony. Do you have any objections?"

Lu Yuan shook her head. "No objections."

She was already going to marry a rooster in his place—what objections could she possibly have?

Old Lady He added, "When Sheng Geer wakes up, I’ll have him make it right with you."

Lu Yuan couldn’t help asking, "Old lady, haven’t you considered that when Qi Cheng wakes up, he might not acknowledge me as his wife and could break off the marriage?"

Old Lady He suddenly laughed.

Lu Yuan asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at, old lady?"

Old Lady He’s laughter softened, her tone nostalgic and gentle, "I know my grandson. You stayed during our hardest times and kept this household going. Even if you weren’t married, he would always support you."

"If you do marry, even if you grew a tumor on your face, he wouldn’t break his promise."

Listening to Old Lady He’s analysis of her grandson, and recalling how Manager Liu in town, the shop assistant, and others in the village all felt sorry about what happened to Qi Cheng, Lu Yuan thought Qi Cheng must be a very good man, cherished by so many.

What if he woke up and really took the marriage seriously? Then what?

Lu Yuan pondered.

It was highly likely she couldn’t return to her own time. The rest of her life would be spent in this era.

This era wasn’t safe. As a woman raising two children alone, it would be difficult—not because of anything else, but because she feared attracting attention from thieves.

If she had to marry, she’d definitely choose someone with good character and decent looks—a normal person.

If it were Qi Cheng, it might not be so bad.

She could give it a try, and if it worked, continue. If not, she could figure something else out.

Of course, Lu Yuan knew her quick acceptance was ninety-nine percent due to Qi Cheng’s face.

If he were ugly, she felt she would have realistically refused.