Chapter 159: Joining the Venture

Chapter 159: Joining the Venture

Zhou Ye didn't answer Lin Shu's question. Fortunately, Lin Shu had only asked idly and was quickly captivated by the performance again.

To say the street performance was exactly spectacular would be an exaggeration, especially for Lin Shu, who had seen plenty in her previous life. But sometimes, when the atmosphere was lively enough, even a mediocre show could feel like a seven or eight out of ten.

Lin Shu joined the crowd in clapping and cheering, completely engrossed. Even after the performance ended, she still felt a bit left wanting more.

When the acrobat, who had been flipping around, came around with a collection jar asking for tips, Lin Shu dropped in five copper coins—neither too many to draw attention nor too few to seem stingy. After all, many people only threw in one or two coins, and some simply left without giving anything after watching the show.

Lin Dashan also asked He Guixiang for three coins and tossed them in.

He Guixiang grumbled under her breath, "Why are you acting so generous? We were standing on the outskirts and could barely see anything. One coin would've been enough."

Lin Dashan grinned goofily, "I'm just happy today! We couldn't see clearly, but our little girl had a great view, right, Xiao Pu?"

Lin Xiaopu flashed an equally goofy smile, "Yeah! Mom, the acrobatics were amazing. You missed it—that big guy flipped three times in a row! And when he jumped, he went several feet high! And the wooden sword—even though it wasn't steel, he swung it so fast it left a blur!"

He Guixiang sighed and said nothing more. Life was better now, but in the past, she would’ve hated to spend even a single coin.

Before the crowd had fully dispersed, Lin Xiaopu—who had been let down from Lin Dashan’s shoulders—stood on tiptoes to look ahead and spotted the tall, sturdy Zhou Ye. Her sister, small and delicate, stood beside him. Despite their height difference, the two looked uniquely well-suited.

She couldn’t help but whisper in He Guixiang’s ear, “Mom, A Ye is so considerate of A Shu. When he saw my sister couldn’t see the show, he made sure to push through the crowd with her to the front.”

If you asked her, A Ye was strong enough to hoist A Shu onto his shoulders, just like Dad did with her. Hehe.

But if A Ye and her sister actually did that in public, they’d never hear the end of it.

He Guixiang, hearing this, mimicked one of Lin Shu’s habits and pinched Lin Xiaopu’s cheek. “Such a little busybody! Stop teasing your sister and A Ye.”

“Hehe, I wouldn’t dare tease them openly. I’m just telling you, Mom. Mom, since A Shu and A Ye are so close, when do you think A Shu will finally agree to marry him?” After all, they’d still need to pick an auspicious date.

He Guixiang laughed, “Why are you more eager than I am?”

Lin Xiaopu sighed like a little adult, “I just can’t stand seeing A Ye looking so yearning. Besides, after A Shu gets married, she’ll just be sleeping in a different room.”

He Guixiang blushed with embarrassment and tapped her forehead. “What ‘yearning’? Where did you learn such talk? Don’t say things like that again!”

“Oh…”

Once the crowd had fully dispersed, Lin Shu rejoined He Guixiang and the others, exclaiming excitedly, “Dad, Mom, the month-end market is so lively! Let’s come back every time!”

There were so many snacks, drinks, and fun activities. People couldn’t work like draft animals all the time—they needed to enjoy themselves sometimes.

He Guixiang agreed, “As A Shu says! We’ll come every month from now on!”

True to her desire to enjoy herself, Lin Shu didn’t hold back. When she got thirsty from all the walking, she bought four bowls of brewed drinks from a stall—some made from bamboo leaves, others from mint, at ten coins per bowl. She bought one each for Dad, A Ye, and Mom, and shared one with Xiao Pu.

Seeing how popular the drink stall was, Lin Shu smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons. The drinks weren’t particularly special—just refreshing—but it made her even more confident about her ice jelly venture.

They ate and wandered around for what felt like half a day before they knew it. After making sure they hadn’t missed anything and placing an order for the cooking knife Aunt Lin wanted at the blacksmith’s, the family finally headed home.

“A Shu, are you tired?” Zhou Ye asked her.

“Not tired. I’ll let you know if I am,” Lin Shu said, noticing her parents glancing her way and clearing her throat lightly.

On the way there, Lin Dashan and Zhou Ye had walked together, while Lin Shu walked with Lin Xiaopu. But on the way back, somehow, Zhou Ye ended up lagging behind with Lin Shu.

Lin Shu didn’t push herself. Her stamina had improved a lot, but after a full day of walking, her legs were inevitably a bit sore. Still, if she walked slowly, she could make it back to Sweetwater Village.

Zhou Ye didn’t say anything, just slowed his pace to match hers.

After about a third of the journey, Lin Shu gave in and clung to Zhou Ye’s arm, coaxing, “A Ye, so tired. Carry me.”

Zhou Ye showed no surprise, calmly shifting the basket of goods to his front and crouching down with his back to her.

Only after Lin Shu slumped onto his back did the corners of his mouth curl into a slight smile.

“A Ye, remember what you said the last time I asked you to carry me?” Lin Shu asked after he’d been carrying her for a while, her energy slowly returning.

Zhou Ye replied, “I remember. But A Shu, back then I only saw you as a sister—one who would marry someone else someday. I couldn’t do anything that might harm your reputation.”

“Hmmph, you changed your mind pretty quickly.”

Zhou Ye’s expression softened. He didn’t argue, letting Lin Shu have the last word, which made her smile happily.

At first, the two whispered to each other, but gradually, the talking stopped.

Zhou Ye knew A Shu had fallen asleep. He thought about waking her—if she slept now, she might struggle to fall asleep later that night. But then an idea occurred to him, and he hesitated, biting back the words.

Forget it, he decided. He wouldn’t wake her. Even Ping Er took afternoon siestas—she could just sleep a bit later tonight.

Zhou Ye carried Lin Shu without glancing sideways. When they passed acquaintances, he merely nodded, avoiding conversation whenever possible.

He walked slowly, matching the pace Lin Shu would have taken, following Lin Dashan and the others at a distance.

Lin Xiaopu glanced back and giggled behind her hand.

Lin Dashan, seeing Zhou Ye carrying his daughter without complaint, scratched his head and murmured something to He Guixiang. They were too far away, and their voices too low, for Zhou Ye to hear. But he guessed they were talking about him and A Shu.

He had long known how much Uncle Lin approved of him as a son-in-law. In the past, he’d drifted through life, thinking survival was all that mattered. But after meeting A Shu, he wanted nothing else—just her.

Before they knew it, they had reached the edge of the village. Zhou Ye tilted his head slightly and whispered, “A Shu, wake up. We’re almost home.”

Lin Shu, still half-asleep, mumbled, “So?”

Zhou Ye had been about to say that without the excuse of illness or a sprained ankle, carrying her back like this would surely start gossip. But since A Shu didn’t seem to care, he let it go.

If anyone asked, he’d just say A Shu had fallen asleep and he’d carried her because he wanted to.

He carried her all the way to her room and was about to lay her on the bed when she woke up, rubbing her eyes. Her sleepy expression made his heart stir, and he badly wanted to kiss her. But outwardly, he remained calm and proper, doing nothing.

Lin Shu glanced out the window at the dim, dusky sky and briefly wondered if she’d slept until morning.

Then she caught the scent of food wafting from the courtyard and saw A Ye standing there, reminding her that she’d fallen asleep on the way home.

She hadn’t expected A Ye’s shoulders to be so comfortable. Resting her head against his broad back and listening to his deep voice had been like a lullaby, lulling her to sleep.

“A Ye, why didn’t you wake me?”

Zhou Ye was silent for a moment before replying, “You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Lin Shu’s lively eyes sparkled mischievously. “But if I sleep so much during the day, how will I sleep tonight? What am I supposed to do if I can’t fall asleep?”

Zhou Ye looked at her, knowing she had guessed his intentions. After a brief hesitation, he gathered his nerve and said, “A Shu, if you really can’t sleep tonight, come find me. I’ll keep you company and talk with you.”

“Just talk?”

"Up to you—you can do something else if you prefer."

Lin Shu couldn't help but laugh and asked him, "If you say that, does it mean I can do whatever I want? A Ye, you shouldn't make promises like that casually, or what if you get scared by me later?"

Zhou Ye was puzzled. How much more shocking could she be? Hadn't A Shu already done plenty of things that could be considered shocking?

But Lin Shu didn't elaborate further. She sniffled, rubbed her stomach, and said, "I can smell the food. I used up a lot of energy today, so I'm going to eat half a bowl more for dinner."

"Oh, and for breakfast, I saved a bowl of duck meat for Old Man Liao. Don't forget to heat up that duck meat and bring it to Old Man Liao later."

"Alright, I'll let Aunt Lin know."

After Zhou Ye left, Lin Shu took a moment to compose herself before heading out to pitch in with whatever chores she could handle.

The items bought during the day had already been put away by her mother, while the things she used often were set aside separately for easy access.

The braised duck from breakfast was quite rich, so dinner was kept lighter. Aunt Lin prepared rice porridge and made pancakes with wild greens in various ways.

Though it couldn't compare to the morning meal, the men still ate with satisfaction.

Old Man Liao was especially satisfied. He had an extra bowl of duck meat in front of him. After shredding the duck, he added a few cucumber strips, wrapped them in the pancake, and ate with great relish.

That A Shu girl even specially saved a bowl of duck meat for him—this child is truly something else!

Recalling how Zhao Laosan had casually mentioned that his wife was planning to start an ice jelly business with A Shu, Old Man Liao, now full and content, asked, "A Shu, how are you and your Aunt Lin planning to run this ice jelly business? Will you need my ox cart?"

Lin Shu glanced at Lin Zhaodi and asked with a smile, "Aunt Lin has already talked to you about it?"

Lin Zhaodi quickly explained to Lin Shu, "No, no, it was your Uncle Zhao San who mentioned it, and Brother Liao overheard."

"It's fine, Auntie. I was just about to ask Old Man Liao about this. Old Man Liao, Aunt Lin and I can run this ice jelly business for several months. Do you want to join us?" Lin Shu asked.

Old Man Liao was suddenly stunned. "What? Join you? Me?"

He thought A Shu just wanted to borrow his ox cart for convenience, but how did it turn into him joining the business?

Old Man Liao was completely bewildered.