Chapter 57: Long-Winded (Part 2)

Chapter 57: The Nag (Part 2)

After speaking, Lin Shu watched the man stand before her like a wooden post, utterly silent. She couldn't tell if he had heard her, or if he had simply dismissed it without so much as a hum.

She narrowed her eyes, a mischievous thought bubbling up. Continuing from her previous remark, she said, "If my foot starts hurting again while we're walking, there's always you, A Ye. You can carry me on your back. Don't worry, I'm not shy. I'll just bury my face in your neck so no one can see what I look like. That way, I won't be embarrassed—they'll only be staring at you. Heh…"

Lin Shu couldn't help but laugh aloud after saying this.

She watched Zhou Ye pause and slow his stirring of the Termitomyces, which only amused her further.

"Why aren't you saying anything? What's wrong? Are you unwilling to carry me, or are you afraid of people staring and feeling embarrassed?"

Zhou Ye glanced back at her. "There are many villagers on the road, and gossip is inevitable. If you're talking about the market, it's even more crowded. I don’t mind people staring—I’m tall and sturdy, uncommon around here. Anyone could easily find out I’m from Tianshui Village. Once they know who I am, it wouldn’t be hard to guess who you are, even if you cover your face."

Lin Shu cast a languid gaze at him. "How would they guess? Couldn’t it be that you, Zhou Ye, happened upon a poor, injured girl and carried her to a doctor out of the kindness of your heart?"

Zhou Ye fell silent.

"Say something."

Zhou Ye didn’t know what to say. After a moment of silence, he replied, "I’m not that kind of person."

Lin Shu blinked. "What kind of person is 'that kind of person'?"

"Someone who meddles."

Lin Shu immediately retorted, "How is that meddling? If a girl was seriously injured on the road and would die if you didn’t carry her to a doctor, would you just stand by and watch, ignoring her life?"

Zhou Ye replied calmly, "I wouldn’t be the only one on the road. Someone kind-hearted would take her to a doctor. It doesn’t have to be me."

"What if you were the only one there? Would you still ignore her?" Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, determined to corner him with questions even if he tried to sidestep the issue.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Ye responded, "If I were the only one there, it would have to be deep in the mountains or the remote wilderness. In that case, the injured girl would most likely not be human but some mountain spirit or monster. I’d steer clear of her."

Lin Shu was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, holding her sides and shaking with mirth.

"Zhou Ye, you—since when did you learn to tell jokes? This is hilarious, hahaha…"

Zhou Ye didn’t find his remark particularly funny, but seeing Lin Shu laugh so heartily, a faint smile flickered in his eyes.

After she finally stopped laughing, Lin Shu asked, "What if the injured person was me? Would you carry me then? If you don’t, someone else will, and I’d owe that person a favor."

Hearing this, Zhou Ye instinctively frowned. "If you were with me, I wouldn’t let you get seriously injured in the first place."

Lin Shu’s gaze trembled slightly at his words, and she finally stopped pestering him. Only the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously, making it clear she was pleased.

Once she quieted down, Zhou Ye fell silent too, as still as a stone by the roadside.

But Lin Shu felt that Zhou Ye preferred this silence, much like how some people enjoy being alone in quiet solitude.

She sat on the long bench, resting her hands leisurely at her sides, watching Zhou Ye work, occasionally spacing out or daydreaming.

Noticing a bead of sweat trickling down Zhou Ye’s temple, she suddenly remembered she had originally meant to fetch a palm-leaf fan.

Lin Shu went to the main room by herself and took down one of the two palm-leaf fans hanging on the wall.

The fan was made from folded palm leaves, with He Guixiang having edged it with cloth strips and stitches.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, He Guixiang had brought out the old palm-leaf fans from previous years—two in total. Of the two, He Guixiang used hers the most, followed by Lin Shu. The men in the household preferred not to use them, opting to wash their faces or take cold showers when they felt hot.

But Lin Shu loved the breeze from the palm-leaf fan. For a gentle breeze, the embroidered round fans used by well-bred young women were elegant and pretty, but when the heat was unbearable, only the palm-leaf fan could deliver a strong gust of wind with a single swipe, providing immediate relief.

After shifting the long bench, Lin Shu sat facing Zhou Ye’s side and waved the fan, sending a strong gust of wind his way.

Zhou Ye turned his head to look at her, his tone seemingly brightened by the cool breeze. "With that much force, your arm will be sore in no time."

"Hmph, who do you think you’re looking down on?" Lin Shu continued fanning him with gust after gust.

Suddenly, Lin Shu noticed something and widened her eyes. "Wait, A Ye, did I just see you smile? Did I?"

Zhou Ye replied earnestly, "I didn’t."

Lin Shu thought he had, but when she looked again, Zhou Ye wore his usual silent, expressionless face, making her wonder if she had imagined it.

Moreover, after fanning so vigorously, her arm was indeed starting to ache.

She suspected she had fallen for Zhou Ye’s taunt.

Incredible—Zhou Ye had somehow stumbled upon using stratagems!

Lin Shu snorted lightly, withdrew the fan, and stopped fanning him, instead gently fanning herself. Unfortunately, the palm-leaf fan wasn’t suited for gentle waving—its handle was heavy, and even light fanning eventually made her wrist sore.

"A Shu, come take a look. Is the Termitomyces almost done frying?" Zhou Ye asked.

Lin Shu stood up and walked over. "It’s still early. To fully dry out the moisture, it’ll take at least another half an hour. But you don’t need to stir it constantly now. I’ll take over."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ye handed the wooden spatula back to her. It wasn’t that he was tired of the task—he just found it too simple and felt better suited for other work. Since Lin Shu said the Termitomyces didn’t need constant stirring now, it would also be easier for her.

After handing over the stirring task, Zhou Ye initially thought about working on the bamboo in the yard but, seeing that Lin Shu wasn’t in a hurry to make bamboo beds or chairs, he dropped the idea. Instead, he picked up an axe and continued splitting firewood.

He worked quickly, and before long, he had split most of the thick logs in the woodpile, stacking them row by row for easy access.

With no more tasks at hand, he informed Lin Shu that he was going to the fields to help Lin Dashan with work.

Lin Shu found it both amusing and exasperating but didn’t stop him. "If you’re not tired, go ahead. Dad will be thrilled to see you helping."

Although by the time he arrived, the sun would be setting in a little over an hour, Zhou Ye worked efficiently. Even half an hour to an hour of his help would ease her father’s burden significantly.

Zhou Ye waited for her nod before heading out. At the gate to the yard, he suddenly stopped and turned back to remind her, "After I leave, bolt the gate. Only open it when Aunt He and Xiao Pu return."

Lin Shu couldn’t help but laugh. "Do you think I’m a child like Xiao Pu?"

Zhou Ye silently stared at her, his expression firm.

Lin Shu reluctantly gave in. "Fine, I’ll bolt the gate after you leave."

Zhou Ye still didn’t leave. "Come here. I’ll watch you bolt it before I go."

Lin Shu: …

"How can someone who usually says so little become such a nag when he’s serious?" Lin Shu muttered under her breath, complaining even as the corners of her mouth slowly curved upward.