Chapter 112: Shock

Chapter 112: Shock

Lin Shu had been severely feverish last night, even forgetting the wild things she'd said while delirious. So, of course, she didn't remember the path Zhou Ye had taken. It wasn't until Zhou Ye was carrying her back on their return journey that she truly understood how arduous his trip to get help for her had been.

The mountain paths were already uneven, and after the heavy rain, they became muddy and difficult to navigate. Some sections were completely waterlogged, forcing them to wade through filthy water. One particularly low-lying stretch had been flooded by the rain, and even hours later, the water still reached waist-deep; it would have been even deeper last night.

When Lin Shu woke up at Old Wang the itinerant doctor’s house this morning, Zhou Ye had already cleaned himself up, so she hadn’t seen how disheveled he had been. But as they made their way back along the long road home, even without Zhou Ye saying a word, she could imagine just how difficult the journey had been.

But Lin Shu said nothing, only tightening her arms around Zhou Ye slightly.

There was hardly anyone on the road, as few were willing to venture out in such poor conditions.

Lin Shu turned her head to gaze at the lush green rice paddies on either side of the road and suddenly said, “A Ye, I’m craving meat. We still haven’t eaten the pork we bought yesterday.”

Zhou Ye hesitated. “A Shu, you’re still sick. It’s best to eat lightly these days.”

“Hmph, did Old Wang the itinerant doctor say that himself?”

Zhou Ye: “...Well, no.” But he suspected Old Wang hadn’t specifically mentioned it because villagers typically ate simple, vegetarian meals twice a day.

“I’ll just have a taste. A Ye, I mostly want to make it for you.” Lin Shu rested her chin on his shoulder, her voice soft and gentle.

Hearing this, a smile tugged at Zhou Ye’s lips, his eyes brimming with joy.

“Then I’ll cook, and you can guide me from the side.”

Lin Shu smiled, her eyes narrowing. “That works too. Learn a few more dishes so you can take over when I don’t feel like cooking.”

When Zhou Ye said he wasn’t tired, he meant it. Carrying Lin Shu was effortless for him, so she made herself comfortable without a second thought on his broad shoulders.

It wasn’t until they reached the entrance of Sweetwater Village that Lin Shu patted Zhou Ye’s shoulder, signaling that she wanted to get down.

“A Shu, you want to get down?”

“What, are you addicted to carrying me now? Silly, it’s fine in other villages, but here in Sweetwater Village, we see the other villagers all the time. Better to avoid gossip if we can. Otherwise, people will say my illness left me unable to walk.”

Zhou Ye nodded and set her down.

However, Lin Shu hadn’t gone far before her shoes were caked with thick mud, making each step heavier and more difficult. The wet mud splashed onto her ankles, making her uncomfortable.

She tugged at Zhou Ye again. “Forget it, A Ye. You’ve carried me this far—just take me straight home.”

Let the gossip go; her own comfort was what mattered most.

Zhou Ye didn’t ask questions, immediately crouching down again. “Hop on.”

Lin Shu giggled. “A Ye, you’re so good to me. If you don’t want people gossiping about us, when we see villagers, just say this…”

There were few people on the roads outside the village, but inside, there were plenty. Some were borrowing ladders to repair leaky roofs, others were fetching dry firewood because their woodpiles were exposed or poorly sheltered—there was always something requiring people to be out and about.

Even those who hadn’t gone out were busy clearing standing water from their yards, and these villagers all saw Zhou Ye carrying Lin Shu.

Everyone knew Zhou Ye was quiet but good-natured, always answering when spoken to, so it was inevitable that some curious village women would approach.

When asked, Zhou Ye replied, “Auntie, we’re just back from Rice Fragrance Village. A Shu had a high fever last night, so I carried her to see Old Wang the itinerant doctor there.”

The village woman was stunned. “What? You carried Lin Shu girl to Rice Fragrance Village last night? Rice Fragrance Village?! That’s even farther than town! How did you manage alone?”

Zhou Ye replied, “I walked. On the way back, A Shu said she felt better and insisted on walking, but as you can see, she’s exhausted and fell asleep.”

As he spoke, Zhou Ye deliberately revealed the packets of medicine hanging from his waist, proving that A Shu was indeed ill and needed to continue her treatment.

The village woman nodded, though she still seemed incredulous.

To anyone else who showed curiosity, Zhou Ye gave the same explanation.

Everyone who heard this was astonished.

Just the road out of Sweetwater Village was challenging enough—Zhou Ye had carried Lin Shu nearly thirty li (about ten miles)!

This astonishment overshadowed any gossip about him carrying her back. Besides, she was clearly still sick, and her feet were caked in mud, proof that she had walked quite a distance before becoming too tired to continue.

Even someone who wasn’t sick would be exhausted after such a long walk, let alone Lin Shu, who was ill.

And Zhou Ye, with his brute strength, had carried her—a slender but not lightweight girl, weighing many dozens of pounds—all the way to Rice Fragrance Village in the middle of the night!

Even Old Wang the itinerant doctor, in his younger days, rarely visited Sweetwater Village because the two villages were so far apart.

The villagers’ expressions shifted from shock to admiration, and finally, their gazes at Zhou Ye grew meaningful.

What a fine young man—not even married yet, but already doting on his future wife.

When they were alone again, Zhou Ye murmured, “A Shu, with this, the story of me carrying you to Old Wang the itinerant doctor will spread quickly through the village. From now on… you’ll have to marry me.”

Lin Shu teased him mischievously. “If I don’t want to marry you, there are plenty of ways out. For example, I could have my parents adopt you as their foster son. Then you’d be my brother, and a brother carrying his sister to see a doctor is perfectly acceptable, right?”

Zhou Ye fell silent.

Lin Shu poked his cheek lightly. “So you have to treat me well always, understand? Don’t think you can slack off just because you think you’ve got me. If you treat me well, I’ll keep my word and marry you. If you neglect me or stop putting in the effort, I can always change my mind.”

Zhou Ye recalled the things A Shu had said in her feverish state. Instead of feeling manipulated, he found her little schemes endearing.

A smile flickered in his eyes as he nodded. “A Shu, I understand.”

He said no more. A Shu didn’t like hearing promises, so from now on, he would show rather than tell.

In truth, he had always been a man of action rather than words. It was only after a few hard lessons and seeking advice from a knowledgeable woman outside the Baiji Hall that he had started speaking more.

That woman had said young girls loved hearing promises and vows of eternal love, but once again, she was wrong.

A Shu was different.

Even the mildly affectionate words he spoke were too much for her.

Since she didn’t like hearing them, he would stop saying them.

Back at the Lin household, Lin Xiaopu kept glancing toward the yard. When she spotted Zhou Ye and Lin Shu, she called out to the house, “Mom, they’re back! A Ye and big sister are back—”

Once home, Lin Shu discovered that the pork she had been craving had already been cooked by her mother. Half had been made into slippery meat, and the other half into crispy fried meat. The slippery meat was simmered in pork bone broth, while the plum blossom pork was fried until crispy on the outside and tender inside.

Although the weather had cooled after the rain, and the pork had been kept cool with mountain spring water, it couldn’t be stored for too long.

Any longer, and it would likely go to waste.

“A Shu, A Ye, have you eaten breakfast? I saved some for you.”

Lin Shu smiled warmly. “Aunt Wang fed us breakfast, but Mom, you know I’m a foodie. I have to try both the slippery meat and the crispy meat.”

He Guixiang, seeing her full of energy now with no trace of last night's high fever, cheerfully went to heat up the meal.

As she warmed the food, she said, "When you didn’t return for so long, I figured you’d probably eaten at Old Wang the itinerant doctor’s place. But A Ye has a big appetite—he definitely didn't get full and can eat some more when he gets back."

"Mom, I’m sorry for worrying you all last night."

He Guixiang sighed, "We were really scared, but what parent hasn’t been worried sick over their child? Thankfully, A Ye was there last night. Your father and I had no idea what to do, but A Ye didn’t hesitate—he just carried you on his back."

"I know, I’ve already thanked A Ye." Lin Shu stole a glance at Zhou Ye and added, "But you and Dad went through a lot too. A Ye told me you were so worried that you didn’t sleep at all after midnight, and came to see me first thing in the morning on Old Man Liao’s oxcart."

She leaned in, hugging her mother’s arm, and said playfully, "Why didn’t you and Dad rest after you got back? Dad’s nowhere to be seen—I suppose he went back to the fields. And you, Mom, must have gotten up early to cook again, right? It makes my heart ache to see you both like this."

He Guixiang explained with a smile, "We did sleep, but once the sun was up, we only slept a little while longer."

"That won’t do. You have to take a nap with me at noon. A Ye, go get Dad and tell him to rest at noon too."

Lin Xiaopu cleared her throat and spoke up, "Sis, even though I accidentally fell asleep, I was really worried about you too."

Lin Shu gave her head a rub and chuckled, "I know, I know. You’re my sister—of course I know you were worried. I’m sure you didn’t sleep well last night either. Take a nap with me at noon."

"Hehe, sure!"

He Guixiang finished heating the meal and quickly brought it over, urging them to eat.

Lin Shu thought she could eat a bit more, but after two pieces of slippery meat, she couldn’t manage any more. Partly because she’d already eaten earlier, and partly because her appetite hadn’t fully returned since her illness.

The leftovers wouldn't keep, so Zhou Ye finished everything that remained.

After they had eaten, Lin Xiaopu mentioned that the family had sent a bowl of pork bone broth and a bowl of crispy pork to Old Man Liao.

He Guixiang explained, "Old Man Liao is really decent. When your father and I went to ask him for help, we thought he might refuse—the roads are so difficult after the rain. But as soon as he heard how sick you were, he brought out his oxcart without a word. Later, he drove us all the way back without taking much of a break. After making breakfast, I had Xiao Pu take a bowl of pork bone soup and some crispy meat over to him. Oh, and I didn’t make the pork intestines well, so we ate those ourselves—didn’t save any for Old Man Liao or for you two."

Lin Xiaopu frowned and said, "When I went over, Old Man Liao was eating breakfast—just a small bowl of cold porridge and a little pickled radish, nothing else."

Lin Shu frowned thoughtfully and said to He Guixiang, "Mom, how about this—ask Old Man Liao if he’d like to come eat with us? He wouldn’t have to pay extra, just contribute enough grain for one person's meals each month."