Chapter 47: No Lie

Chapter 47: No Lie

Lin Shu paused, then her eyes crinkled into a bright smile. "Thank you, Brother A Ye. I'll leave today's breakfast dishes in your capable hands."

With that, she obediently settled onto the long bench.

Zhou Ye had positioned the bench perfectly; Lin Shu sat right in the middle without needing to adjust her feet. She quickly waved to He Guixiang and Lin Xiaopu. "Mom, Xiao Pu, come sit with me. Brother A Ye has agreed to cook these dishes, so the three of us can just sit back and watch."

Lin Xiaopu immediately scampered over with a grin and plopped down beside her. He Guixiang, however, shook her head with a smile. "I'll pass, dear. I still have other chores. Oh, and Xiao Pu, you left early this morning and haven't taken your herbal tonic yet. I've been keeping it warm for you—let me fetch it now."

At the mention of medicine, Lin Xiaopu's face fell, but she still replied meekly, "Okay."

Lin Shu gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, winked playfully, and called out, "Mom, let's take Xiao Pu to the market tomorrow."

He Guixiang emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of herbal medicine and replied cheerfully, "Sure, we'll do as A Shu says."

Lin Shu smiled contentedly.

She had already noticed that her mother was soft-hearted but not indecisive—if you could persuade her with reason, she was willing to listen. Lin Shu guessed that in the past, when Lin Yao was around, He Guixiang had likely deferred to her opinions often as well.

Cheered up again, Lin Xiaopu took the medicine from He Guixiang and gulped it down in a few large swallows. Then she darted into the kitchen to rinse her mouth with fresh spring water, trying to wash away the bitter taste.

When she returned to her seat, she snuggled up to Lin Shu and whispered, "Sis, I love autumn the most. There are so many wild fruits in the mountains then. After taking my medicine, I eat a fruit, and the sweetness completely masks the bitterness—it's wonderful. Last year, Brother A Ye picked so many for me that I couldn't finish them all by myself."

Lin Shu gently patted her head. "In the future, if there are leftover fruits, I'll make dried fruit preserves for you. They'll keep for a long time."

Lin Xiaopu's eyes sparkled with anticipation. She didn't even ask how Lin Shu would make them—to her, it was perfectly normal for her sister to know how to do anything.

While everyone else was in high spirits, Zhou Ye glanced at Lin Shu with a slight frown and suddenly said, "Perhaps you shouldn't go to the market tomorrow."

Without waiting for her response, he turned to He Guixiang. "Auntie, Xiao Pu's medicine will last for several more days. There's no rush to replenish it now. We can go to the market town to see the doctor when it's time to buy more. Besides, the market will be crowded tomorrow, and Old Man Liao's ox cart might not have enough space. Neither Xiao Pu nor Little Sister A Shu can walk such a long mountain road."

For some reason, he found it difficult to call her "Little Sister A Shu" in front of the elders.

He Guixiang thought it over and nodded. "That makes sense. The clinic where the old doctor practices is always packed on market days—even more people go there for medicine then. Last time, I deliberately went on a regular day, and it was still quite busy."

Zhou Ye added, "The mushrooms in the yard need another two or three days to dry thoroughly before they're ready to sell. How about I take A Shu and Xiao Pu to town when I go later? If you're worried, Auntie, you can come along too. We can even hire Old Man Liao's ox cart for the trip."

Zhou Ye presented one reasonable point after another, leaving even Lin Shu with no room to argue. She was just disappointed—going on a regular day meant she'd miss the lively atmosphere of the market.

"Alright, we'll do as A Ye says. Let's go in a couple of days instead," He Guixiang quickly agreed.

With the matter settled, Zhou Ye set to work under Lin Shu's slightly resentful gaze.

The mushrooms in the basket were soon sorted into piles.

The Green Russula were the most abundant, forming a small hill. There were also plenty of Termitomyces, and the bamboo fungus, though fewer in number, looked impressive stacked together due to their large size. Even the handful of straw mushrooms that Xiao Pu had eagerly picked earlier were enough for a small stir-fry.

Lin Shu understood that Zhou Ye meant well and didn't hold it against him. She sat leisurely on the bench, merely offering occasional instructions while he worked busily.

"Brother A Ye, the Green Russula are prone to harboring small insects. The ones we picked today are young mushrooms with unopened caps, so it's harder to spot any bugs. Keep an eye out—if you see any with insect holes, set them aside and discard them."

Zhou Ye acknowledged her words and carefully inspected the pile of Green Russula, eventually finding a few with insect damage.

Seeing that he had finished sorting, Lin Shu immediately assigned the next task. "Brother A Ye, could you go to the field and pick a few handfuls of cloak grass—the kind with fine hairs on the back? I forgot to get some earlier when we returned in a hurry. Those hairy leaves are perfect for cleaning mushrooms."

Pumpkin leaves would have been ideal, but the Da Yan Dynasty had not yet introduced pumpkins, depriving them of many delicious dishes—a fact Lin Shu found regrettable.

As soon as she mentioned it, Zhou Ye immediately recalled the plant she was referring to.

On their way up the mountain, Lin Shu had exclaimed over how beautiful the grass looked, saying that raindrops clinging to it resembled transparent gemstones.

She seemed particularly fond of the wildflowers and plants in the mountains. A pretty wildflower, an unusually vibrant blade of grass, or even the patterns on a passing butterfly could captivate her for a long time. To her, everything in the mountains seemed like a rare treasure.

If it had only been like this on her first day, it might have been understandable. But Lin Shu had been in Sweetwater Village for several days now, and she still radiated joy. She genuinely seemed to love this place.

Zhou Ye lowered his gaze, feeling puzzled yet admitting to himself that he might have misjudged her initially.

Little Sister A Shu was delicate in physique, but her personality was anything but fragile.

She... was truly admirable.

Lost in thought, Zhou Ye snapped back to reality and quickly fetched a handful of the cloak grass.

"How should I clean these mushrooms? Please continue," Zhou Ye said, then realizing he’d forgotten to use her name, hastily added, "Little Sister A Shu."

Lin Shu hadn’t even noticed the omission, but his belated addition amused her. She chuckled and nodded approvingly. "Not bad, not bad—you’re improving."

After teasing him lightly, she continued, "We’ll clean each type of mushroom separately. For the larger Termitomyces, gently rub them with your hands. For the smaller ones, you can use the cloak grass dipped in water to wipe them carefully, especially under the gills where dirt tends to hide. Be thorough. Once cleaned, tear them into strips along their texture and set them aside."

"Next, the bamboo fungus. Unlike other mushrooms, bamboo fungus are naturally clean and white. Just soak them in warm water for about fifteen minutes until they soften, then gently rub the surface. As for the Green Russula, their stems tend to have more soil. Use a small knife—maybe one whittled from bamboo—to scrape off the dirt at the base..."

He Guixiang, who was chopping chicken feed nearby, occasionally glanced over at the trio with a warm smile.

Lin Shu glanced back and said, "Mom, I didn’t use any salt from the jar today. Although saltwater cleans mushrooms better, Brother A Ye is very meticulous—washing them by hand will work just fine."

He Guixiang shot her a mock-stern look. "When have I ever complained about you using too much salt? Use it if you need to."

Lin Xiaopu giggled and unceremoniously exposed her sister’s habit. "Mom, don’t promise her that! If we used saltwater to clean this entire basket of mushrooms, the jar of salt at home wouldn’t be enough for A Shu."

He Guixiang replied, "We’ll buy more salt at the market tomorrow. I’ll stock up this time."

Lin Shu immediately praised her, "How generous of you, Mom!"

He Guixiang laughed. "A Shu, you’ve saved us so much money with all the delicious meals you’ve made. Buying a little extra salt is nothing."

As the mother and daughters chatted and laughed, Zhou Ye had already silently cleaned nearly half of the mushrooms. Seizing a break in Lin Shu’s conversation, he turned and asked, "Should I clean all these mushrooms?"

Lin Shu, her smile still bright, looked at him and said, "That depends on you, Brother A Ye. Can your bottomless stomach handle an entire basket of mushrooms? If so, we’ll cook them all. If not, we’ll split them into two meals and have the rest for dinner. If even two meals aren’t enough, we’ll sun-dry the leftovers into preserved mushrooms and save them for later."

Zhou Ye paused and said, "Let’s dry the rest. We’ll eat this half for now."

Lin Shu burst out laughing. "You really went with the third option! Silly, there are plenty of mushrooms in the mountains—we can’t possibly pick them all. It’s not like you’ll run out of things to eat. These mushrooms may look like a lot now, but they shrink significantly when cooked, just like vegetables. So, let’s clean them all. Except for the Termitomyces—set half aside. I want to try making something else with them. We’ll cook the rest for breakfast."

Zhou Ye didn’t argue and quietly finished cleaning the remaining mushrooms.

Lin Xiaopu grinned widely. Cooking them all was perfect—she could eat to her heart’s content.

"Oh, Sis, I meant to ask earlier—why did you tell Aunt Li and Aunt Lin about the bamboo fungus but not the other mushrooms?"

Lin Shu discreetly adjusted her straw sandals and explained, "It’s not that I’m keeping secrets from them. Bamboo fungus have a unique appearance, so it’s unlikely anyone would confuse them with other mushrooms. But Termitomyces and Green Russula are different. I can tell them apart easily, but others might not. If someone mistakes a poisonous mushroom for one of these, the consequences would be too severe for me to bear."

Lin Xiaopu’s heart skipped a beat. "You’re so smart, Sis. I never thought of that. But I won’t tell anyone anyway—I’m afraid others will compete with me for them, hehe."

Zhou Ye overheard their conversation and couldn’t help glancing back at Lin Shu.

It reminded him of his younger self.

He wasn't one to hold back, but he was slow-witted, not as clever as Lin Shu, and often ended up doing bad things with good intentions. After it happened too many times, his heart grew cold and hard, and could never warm again.

When Zhou Ye was focused on his tasks, even if his mind wandered, it didn't affect the work at hand in the slightest. So, in just a little while, all the mushrooms were cleaned.

When he sensed that gaze behind him had returned to him, before he could even ask, Lin Shu continued, "Brother A Ye, cut all the Green Russula into small pieces. If you don't know how, just cut them in halves, then quarters. We'll make a home-style Green Russula dish. Actually, there are many ways to cook Green Russula, but since we don't have many ingredients at home right now, we'll keep it simple. The same goes for the straw mushrooms—just stir-fry them plainly."

Zhou Ye murmured in agreement and first cut one to show her.

Lin Shu looked at the two evenly cut halves of Green Russula in his hand and her lips curved upward, "You cut that really well, Brother A Ye. You have a real talent for being a cook. They say gentlemen should stay out of the kitchen, but I don't like those kinds of gentlemen whose ten fingers never touch spring water. I prefer someone hands-on like you, Brother A Ye."

Zhou Ye's hand holding the knife suddenly jerked, and the Green Russula under the knife was cut crookedly.

He glanced at the unevenly cut mushroom, made a few more cuts to hide the poor knife work, and then tossed it into the colander.

In no time, the cut Green Russula not only filled the colander but also half of a bowl.

Lin Shu praised him endlessly, "Brother A Ye, you're so fast! You've cut all these Green Russula and straw mushrooms so quickly."

She then called out toward He Guixiang, "Mom, come take a look! Brother A Ye's knife work is terrific, just as good as yours. From now on, you can have him help you chop meat and vegetables—"

He Guixiang, who was mixing chicken greens over there, laughed and replied, "A Ye needs to be out in the fields. When would he have time for these chores?"

"Mom, that's old-fashioned thinking. No one says who has to do what. For example, men don't necessarily have to work the fields, and women don't necessarily have to be tied to the kitchen. If I had great strength like Brother A Ye, I could do even more than a man."

Wasn't that how she had lived in her previous life? She had done plenty of dirty and exhausting work, but that strength had also allowed her to protect herself.

"Since Brother A Ye is so capable, he can do anything. Brother A Ye, don't you think I'm right?"

Zhou Ye paused for a moment, then said, "Yes."

Lin Shu immediately laughed, her voice clear and delightful, "Mom, listen! Brother A Ye himself has no objections. What reason do you have to oppose?"

"You, don't bully A Ye for being honest."

"Hehe, it's precisely because Brother A Ye is honest that I like to pick on him. If I don't pick on him, who will? Should I leave it to outsiders to bully him? Xiao Pu, don't you think that's right?"

"Yes! Whatever my sister says is always right." Lin Xiaopu had long been unable to sit still and dashed over to help Zhou Ye.

All the Termitomyces were torn by hand into strips, half set aside for her sister to use later, and the other half used to make the Termitomyces soup as her sister had described.

"Sis, this Termitomyces smells so sweet and fragrant, and the shredded flesh looks just like chicken!"

"Exactly, that's why it's called Termitomyces. Not only does the soup taste like chicken, but its texture is also very similar to white chicken meat."

Lin Xiaopu was already getting hungry and quickly brought out the small stove, placing the earthen pot on it. "Brother A Ye, you handle the other mushroom dishes. I'll personally make this Termitomyces soup!"

Lin Shu laughed and called her a greedy-guts. Seeing her pout, she quickly added, "I'm a greedy-guts too. We're definitely family."

Lin Xiaopu's pout then turned into a slight smile.

The Termitomyces soup was made exactly as her sister had described—very simple, with nothing added. They used plain water as the base, added a small spoonful of pork fat, brought it to a boil over high heat, then simmered it over low heat. A little salt was added just before it was done.

Zhou Ye had also started cooking. Auntie He had already lit the fire earlier, and the embers were still banked in the stove. After adding more firewood, the flames grew stronger, and the pot heated up quickly.

The chopped straw mushrooms and Green Russula were stir-fried separately. Green Russula was stir-fried with scallions until fragrant, while the straw mushrooms were cooked in warm oil and sprinkled with scallions after stir-frying.

There was a large amount of Green Russula, which filled half a bowl after cooking, while the straw mushrooms, being fewer in quantity, shrank down and only made a small plate.

The bamboo fungus was simply stir-fried with eggs. The roots of the bamboo fungus were cut off, and the stems were sectioned. As Lin Shu had instructed, they were parboiled to remove the earthy smell, then drained in a colander. The eggs were stir-fried first, with a little water added to make them tender. In another pan, scallions were fried until fragrant, then the bamboo fungus sections were added and stir-fried. The eggs were mixed in, and salt and other seasonings were added before serving.

After cooking these dishes, Zhou Ye, who had been busy by the stove, soon broke a sweat.

Lin Shu noticed the glistening sweat on his forehead and hesitated for a moment before finally getting up to find a clean handkerchief.

"Brother A Ye, bend down a little. Let me wipe your sweat."

Zhou Ye glanced at the clean handkerchief in her hand and took it casually. "I can do it myself. You go sit down." With that, he wiped his face roughly a few times.

Lin Shu: ...Such a rough fellow.

"You've worked hard today."

"I'm not tired," Zhou Ye said, then urged her again, "Go sit down."

"Sit down? Dad will be back any minute."

Right on time, there was a noise outside the yard—Lin Dashan had returned.

Lin Dashan had left early and didn't even know they had gone to the mountains to pick mushrooms. When he returned and saw the scene, he let out a surprised "Well now!"

Not to mention the large bundle of bamboo in the yard, Zhou Ye was actually rolling up his sleeves and busy by the stove, Xiao Pu was simmering soup on the small stove, and his wife, on the other hand, was quite leisurely, feeding the hens and chicks in the coop. Usually, they were fed after breakfast, but today they were fed early.

Wait, the soup the youngest was cooking...

It smelled amazing! It smelled like mushrooms, but the mushroom soups they'd made before never had this aroma.

And on the dining table—my word, a plate of stir-fried mushrooms and a large bowl of... what also looked like mushrooms.

"Dad, just wait a little longer. There's only one more stir-fried vegetable dish and the Termitomyces soup left. Breakfast will be ready soon," Lin Shu said to him, helping Zhou Ye stir-fry the vegetables their mother had already washed.

She checked on Xiao Pu's Termitomyces soup—it was almost done.

"Xiao Pu, add some salt and then put out the stove fire. Brother A Ye, once the earthen pot has cooled a bit, bring the whole pot to the table."

Zhou Ye: "Alright."

"Sis, is this small spoon of salt enough?" Lin Xiaopu scooped a full large spoon of salt, and asked.

For such a large pot of Termitomyces soup, shouldn't there be more salt?

Lin Shu said, "Take back half of that. Termitomyces soup should have less oil and salt so it doesn't overpower the natural sweetness of the mushrooms."

"Okay!"

Lin Dashan watched everyone busily working and chuckled warmly, feeling much of his morning fatigue melt away.

In this life, Lin Dashan had everything except a son. But now he had come to accept it—Zhou Ye was like half a son to him and would be able to provide for him in his old age.

When the food was all served and everyone had taken their seats, the quick-witted Lin Xiaopu had already claimed a seat at one end of the long bench before Zhou Ye and Lin Shu could sit down.

Lin Shu glanced at Zhou Ye, as if teasing him that today he had no escape.

Zhou Ye waited for her to sit first, then sat quietly at the other end, deliberately moving to the edge.

But he turned to Lin Shu and explained, "I'm large-built and have long arms. I'm afraid I might jostle you if I sit too close."

After saying this, he picked up his bowl of congee and began eating with his head down.

Lin Shu pursed her lips and smiled, replying softly, "Got it, no misunderstanding."

Beside her, Lin Xiaopu was the first to scoop a spoonful of Termitomyces soup and take a sip. After one taste, she suddenly exclaimed, "Wow! A Shu, this Termitomyces soup is really as good as chicken soup!"

After saying that, she quickly took another sip, smacking her lips appreciatively after the second mouthful.

After a few more satisfying sips of the delightful soup, she picked up a piece of fine-textured, silky-white Termitomyces mushroom. "Mmm, so delicious! It has the delicate fragrance of chicken and a hard-to-describe sweetness!"

Lin Shu was amused by her. "Everything you eat seems to become an amazing delicacy in your mouth." Although it resembled chicken soup, it still wasn't quite as good as real chicken soup.

"It really is delicious!" After finishing the much-anticipated Termitomyces soup, Lin Xiaopu immediately picked up a bite of bamboo fungus scrambled eggs, the "queen of mushrooms." Once again, her face lit up with satisfaction. "So tasty! Just as A Shu said—crisp, tender, and refreshing!"

Next, she tried the stir-fried Green Russula and straw mushrooms, raving about each dish enthusiastically.

A Shu didn't know how they used to live. Aside from the abundance of wild vegetables in spring, the meals Ping Er provided were limited to just a few types of dishes. Having eggs was a luxury, and most of the time, they ate pickled vegetables with porridge, sometimes with stir-fried greens and dried bamboo shoots.

But since A Shu arrived, the family enjoyed delicious meals every day. Even loaches and field snails were made delicious. Snacks like Guanyin Tofu were available daily, and eggs were no longer saved for selling—they were kept for the family to eat.

And now, with this table full of mushroom dishes and soup, they could look forward to having such meals regularly in the future. Just thinking about it made their lives feel wonderful!

Lin Dashan wasn't as expressive as his daughter when it came to praising food, but once he started eating, he didn't stop. He only had one bowl of thick porridge, saving room in his stomach for the Termitomyces soup, of which he finished two full bowls.

After finishing, he couldn't help but grumble a little about his wife not making plain rice. "With so many dishes, they should be eaten with plain rice to really enjoy them. And having plain rice with the mushroom soup afterward is the best part."

He Guixiang responded with a sigh, "I figured they wouldn't find many mushrooms—just enough for a small stir-fry to go with the porridge. Who knew Lin Shu knew so much? She picked every edible mushroom on the mountain and brought back a full basket. But, husband, you mustn't go around bragging about these mushrooms. Lin Shu said no one else can identify them accurately, and if someone accidentally picks and eats poisonous mushrooms, we can't bear the consequences."

Lin Dashan had indeed considered showing off these delicious mushrooms to others, but after hearing his wife's words, he immediately changed his mind.

Yes, yes, he mustn't risk harming the villagers. This blessing was just for him and his wife to enjoy alone.

The whole family ate until their bellies were full, including Zhou Ye. It was all because the Termitomyces soup was so delicious—he finished the whole bowl.

Since he stopped deliberately controlling how much he ate, Zhou Ye had been eating comfortably at every meal. Although he was still far from feeling full, he could now eat to about half to two-thirds full. For someone who had only eaten barely anything for over two years, this was already a significant improvement.

Lin Dashan and He Guixiang had gotten used to his enormous appetite and were no longer as shocked as they had been initially.

After the meal, Lin Dashan, as usual, rested with his full belly and shamelessly asked Lin Shu, "Sweetie, are you going to bring me a snack in the fields again today?"

Before Lin Shu could answer, He Guixiang teased him playfully, "Are you addicted now? This isn't the busiest season. If you want to eat, come back for dinner."

Lin Shu replied, "Don't worry, Dad. There are no more alkaline rice dumplings, but I promise you'll have snacks to eat every day from now on!"

He Guixiang laughed and chided Lin Dashan again for being greedy, though her smile grew even wider.

"Uncle, are you handling the farmwork alone?" Zhou Ye suddenly asked. He was usually quiet and rarely initiated conversations.

Lin Dashan was slightly surprised but touched by what he thought was genuine concern. He quickly replied, "Of course! Our family doesn't have much land—just some routine weeding and maintenance. Before the family divided the property, I had to do much more work, and I managed just fine. This feels like a leisurely life to me now."

Zhou Ye nodded, relieved, and continued, "Then please put up with it for a few more days. Lin Shu mei... Lin Shu wants to make a bamboo bed, and I'll help her with it over the next few days."

Hearing this, Lin Dashan: ...

So that's why A Ye was suddenly being so thoughtful like Lin Shu—it wasn't out of concern for him.

Lin Dashan glanced at Lin Shu, who gave a shy smile back at him. "Dad, I asked A Ye to make you a bamboo reclining chair. When you come back every day, you can lie on it—I guarantee you'll find it so comfortable you won't want to move!"

Lin Dashan waved his hand. "Do it, do it! Whatever Lin Shu wants, just do it!"

Lin Shu beamed. "Dad, you're so wise and powerful!"

Lin Dashan was so pleased he couldn't stop grinning.

Zhou Ye wasn't one to sit around. While Lin Dashan knew to rest and digest after a meal, Zhou Ye had already picked up an axe to trim branches from the bamboo.

They had only roughly chopped off the larger branches when coming down the mountain, leaving many smaller ones to be dealt with.

Seeing Lin Shu heading out, he quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

Lin Shu replied, "I only washed my hands earlier and just rinsed my feet briefly. I want to go behind the house to wash them properly."

Zhou Ye looked down at his own feet. His large feet were stuffed into straw sandals, and aside from the slightly lighter areas covered by the sandals, the rest were tanned dark by the sun. They were pretty dirty. Although he had scraped off the thick mud from the soles when coming down the mountain, the tops of his feet were still covered in dirt.

Earlier, he had only washed his hands properly before cooking, thinking he would be working again soon, so he had skipped rinsing his feet.

"My feet are dirty too. I'll go with you."

Lin Shu glanced at his feet and didn't refuse.

Before leaving the courtyard, the two walked separately, one after the other. But once they were outside, Zhou Ye took a large step forward, his arm blocking Lin Shu's path.

Lin Shu: ?

"Hold on," Zhou Ye said succinctly.

Lin Shu replied with an "Oh," secretly smiling to herself. What a subtly romantic personality, she thought.

Since they weren't going downhill, Lin Shu didn't hold his arm but merely leaned on him, easing the pain in her foot slightly.

These straw sandals probably had to be thrown out.

When they reached the vegetable plot behind the house, Lin Shu spotted the fish pond and gripped Zhou Ye's arm in delight. "You not only finished paving the fish pond, but you've already started planting Acorus gramineus?"

"Mm. It was almost done yesterday. This morning, I made a few trips to the river to bring back some Acorus gramineus. I chose the ones that grow on rocks—they’re hardy and won’t die if placed by the water. I don’t know what the water bayberry you mentioned looks like. I’ll take you deeper into the mountains later, and you can look for it."

Lin Shu looked at him with a smile. "A Ye, do you remember everything I say? Is it the same with others? Do you remember every casual remark so clearly?"

Probably no one dislikes the feeling of having their every word remembered.

Zhou Ye paused and answered honestly, "It depends on the person."

Hearing this, Lin Shu's eyes brimmed with laughter, sweet and overflowing. Zhou Ye was momentarily stunned before silently averting his gaze.

Lin Shu's foot hurt, so she leaned on Zhou Ye and walked slowly. Zhou Ye matched her pace, his long legs, which usually took large strides, now taking small, careful steps to accommodate her, which was rather amusing. Lin Shu's curved eyes were full of laughter, and she occasionally let out a soft chuckle.

Zhou Ye glanced at her a couple of times, puzzled, unsure what had made her laugh.

When they reached the place behind the house where the mountain spring flowed through the fields, Lin Shu let go of his arm and looked at him. "I'm going to take off my straw sandals to wash my feet. Don't peek."

Zhou Ye glanced at her with that deep, penetrating look that seemed to see into people's hearts, but he didn't ask anything. He simply turned around voluntarily, his back to Lin Shu, and began washing his own hands and feet.

Lin Shu crouched down, took off the straw sandal on her right foot, and glanced at the side of her foot. There was a finger-width cut, with a little blood, but it wasn't serious. It would heal in two or three days. The pain had likely intensified because the wound was irritated while coming down the mountain.

She examined the removed straw sandal, running her hand over the straw rope on the side. Sure enough, a rough end of the rope had worked its way out, scratching her foot and causing the cut.

Lin Shu pressed the rope end back into place, put the sandal back on after washing her foot, and quickly washed the other foot.

"Ah!"

Lin Shu's sudden exclamation brought Zhou Ye rushing over, worried something had happened. Before he could even ask, he saw one of Lin Shu's fair, delicate feet dipped in the spring water.

Zhou Ye’s eyes felt as if they’d been scalded, and without a second thought, he jerked his gaze away.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, his tone calm as usual.

Lin Shu carefully rinsed her left foot in the spring before pulling it out and replying, "I just suddenly remembered—the fish pond is dug, but we haven’t channeled the mountain spring water into it yet. We’ll need bamboo to guide the water all the way here, and I’m afraid it’ll take quite a lot. The bamboo in our courtyard looks plentiful, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll be enough, does it?"

Zhou Ye: "...I’ll just go cut some more."

Lin Shu found his speechless expression amusing and couldn’t help but let out another soft, exaggerated "Aiya!"—clearly feigned. "Hey, Brother A Ye, I’ve been squatting too long, my legs are numb. Quick, help me up."

Zhou Ye immediately stretched out his arm to her, but he turned his head away, refusing to even glance at Lin Shu, like an unfeeling wooden prop.

Lin Shu held onto his unfeeling prop of an arm as she stood, laughing at his behavior. "My foot really is a bit numb, I’m not lying."

But Zhou Ye went quiet.

"I’m talking to you, and you’re ignoring me again."

He waited until she was steady before Zhou Ye looked down at her. "I’m not ignoring you." He paused. "Even if you lied to me, it wouldn’t matter."

"What did I lie about?" Lin Shu pressed, pretending to be upset. "Am I the kind of person who makes unreasonable demands?"

Zhou Ye glanced down at her foot, then met her eyes firmly. "It’s your foot that hurts, not that it’s numb."

In an instant, Lin Shu was speechless. After a long moment, she mumbled, "Who says you're slow?"