Chapter 47

Chapter 47

This farce ended in a deeply ironic way.

Pei Yan was first frightened by the "ghost," then surrounded by a crowd, had his ears twisted by Tian Shi, saw Tian Shi go crazy, and finally was so terrified that he shit his pants.

The onlookers outside held their noses and backed off. Pei Shui, standing beside Tian Shi and getting scolded alongside her, felt like the world was ending. Seeing his youngest brother like this, he almost passed out.

The villagers who had gathered to watch the excitement went quiet. Pei Yan was only six years old. This family deserved to be scolded, but no one would go so far as to bully a child.

Seeing Pei Yan looking stunned, with Tian Shi and Pei Shui still frozen in shock, a kind-hearted neighbor had to say something.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and take the child home to get him cleaned up."

Pei Shui came to his senses first and quickly dragged Pei Yan away.

Tian Shi had lost the argument, and nobody bought her tantrum. Instead, Zhong Yizhu turned the tables and blamed Pei Song. Realizing that further denial was useless, she took the opportunity to flee without a second thought, not giving a damn about them.

She shouted at Pei Shui ahead of her: "What the hell are you running so fast for? Carry your brother—those shoes of his were just made, don't let them get dirty!"

Pei Shui stopped abruptly and shoved Pei Yan toward her. The stink made him want to puke; there was no way he was carrying that.

Cursing him as an ungrateful brat, Tian Shi bent down to lift Pei Yan horizontally, trying to keep him away from her shoes to save herself the trouble of washing another pair. But she hadn't carried him in so long that she misjudged his weight, and with her arms stretched out awkwardly, she lost her balance the moment she lifted him.

Tian Shi landed hard on her chin, and Pei Yan, crushed beneath her, started crying again. At the same time, she felt the warmth and stench spreading across her chest and abdomen.

"Ah—" Tian Shi let out a hoarse scream, startling Pei Shui into turning back.

When he held his breath and helped her up, taking in her disheveled state and listening to her endless stream of accusations, he finally lost it too. Letting go of her, he turned and ran home crying.

Meanwhile, Pei Song, hearing the commotion outside, stiff-necked, left the yard. Pei Jin followed behind him, clutching his now-bloodless nose, looking utterly meek.

Someone in the crowd suddenly spat at them, "Ptui!" and immediately others joined in. Since they hadn't scolded enough earlier, they eagerly resumed.

Insults and curses rained down on the two men, driving them to quicken their pace until they were almost fleeing the yard entrance.

But little did they know, another disaster was waiting for them up ahead.

Tian Shi had hurt her chin; lowering her head was painful, so she had to keep her chin up. She cursed Pei Shui while ordering Pei Yan to get up and take her hand and lead her home.

Pei Yan, face covered in tears and snot, dared not move. Only when he saw his father and eldest brother approaching did he scramble up and hug his father's thigh, wailing loudly.

Pei Song had never felt so humiliated in his life. He was walking quickly with his head down, trying to avoid other villagers, while inwardly regretting that he had ever listened to that foolish woman. Now he had been completely humiliated.

Caught off guard, he was startled by Pei Yan, who was crying and covered in filth, hugging his leg. Before any paternal affection could surface, the stench hit him and almost made him gag.

He looked up in shock, and when he saw the mess on Tian Shi's front, he realized what had happened—but it was too late.

He tried to lift Pei Yan, but the boy, terrified, clung to his leg and refused to let go, wrapping himself around his leg and rubbing all over it.

Pei Song held his breath and looked down at his robe, could barely stand from the shock...

At the small yard at the foot of the mountain, after driving the Pei family away, the villagers followed Liu Mingfeng into the yard. Since they were already there and had witnessed this incident, they figured they might as well check on Pei Mu.

For a long time, they had stayed away from Pei Mu because of being called a jinx. Even though Zhong Yizhu had exposed Pei Song's hypocrisy, their prejudices and distance wouldn't vanish overnight.

Having just spoken out boldly outside, they now felt a little awkward inside the yard.

Sun Yunniang invited everyone to sit and drink water. Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu also thanked the crowd together.

Seeing Pei Mu's pale face, blue-tinged lips, and the bandage wrapped around his left hand, with Zhong Yizhu supporting him, his own eyes red from crying, they looked utterly pitiful.

The whole family was injured and weak, no wonder the Pei family had taken advantage of them.

Their sense of justice kicked in, and the older women and men offered words of comfort. Those who hadn't gotten their fill of cursing resumed.

Liu Mingfeng, seeing the yard about to erupt into chaos again, quickly spoke up that Pei Mu needed to tend to his injuries and suggested they come back another day.

As the eldest son of the village head, Liu Youzong, who was respected by the villagers, Liu Mingfeng had his father's authority. The villagers heeded his words and began to take their leave.

Now that they had seen the Pei family's true colors, they re-evaluated Pei Mu's past hardships, finding fault with everything. They chatted animatedly as they left.

"That shameless old hag! I said back then that no kidnapper in his right mind would carry a baby into the mountains—it was probably him who abandoned the child..."

The yard soon emptied.

Zhong Yizhu, Pei Mu, and Sun Yunniang all sincerely thanked He Agong. He waved his hand and didn't say anything else, and didn't ask about the details between Pei Mu and the Pei family.

Zhong Yizhu didn't bother with formalities either; he quickly pulled Pei Mu forward. "Grandpa He, please take a look. He was just woken up by the commotion those people made. Will it affect his health?"

He Agong nodded. "Let's go inside. I'll take his pulse."

They entered the main room. Pei Mu and He Agong sat at the table to check his pulse, while Zhong Yizhu and Sun Yunniang watched nervously from the side.

Even though Pei Mu had already woken up, Zhong Yizhu remembered He Agong's earlier warning and didn't dare let his guard down.

After taking his pulse and unwrapping the bandage to examine the wound on Pei Mu's left hand, He Agong nodded. "Better than I expected. This medicine works faster and better on you than on others. No wonder you woke up so early."

Zhong Yizhu felt a surge of joy, but then He Agong continued, "However, snake venom is insidious. Even if the toxin is completely cleared, it can still cause unseen damage to the internal organs. If not properly cared for, you might be fine when young, but have problems later in life."

"What kind of care does he need?" Zhong Yizhu asked urgently. Sun Yunniang also looked at He Agong with concern.

He Agong tugged at his little beard. "It's not difficult. Find a good doctor who specializes in recovery and get some prescriptions. The herbs for building up the body aren't cheap—you'll have to decide for yourselves."

Hearing this, Zhong Yizhu's tense heart finally relaxed. Full recovery was the best possible outcome.

Pei Mu was stunned for a moment and then quickly thanked He Agong.

As a hunter, he knew the dangers of snake venom well—some killed instantly, some left no cure, some saved lives but left disabilities, and even mild venom could cause long-term problems.

To have received He Agong's treatment at just the right time was an unimaginable stroke of luck.

But it wasn't just luck.

Pei Mu looked at Zhong Yizhu. If not for Zhong Yizhu making the right decisions at every turn, this outcome wouldn't have been possible.

It was Zhong Yizhu who had pulled him back from the brink of death.

He Agong and Sun Yunniang left the main room one after another, leaving only Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu. Their eyes met, and Zhong Yizhu reached out to support Pei Mu.

"There's still a while before dinner. Go lie down in the room for a bit. Grandpa He said you need to recover—you gotta listen to the doctor."

Pei Mu followed his lead and stood up, turning his head to study Zhong Yizhu's tired face and red-rimmed eyes.

"You've been through a lot, Zhu Ge'er."

Zhong Yizhu didn't know what was wrong with him, but just one sentence from Pei Mu made tears stream down his face instantly.

He wasn't usually this prone to crying.

Now, he could support Pei Mu, hear his voice, and everything about Pei Mu made him want to weep.

He had come so close, so very close, to truly losing Pei Mu.

He didn't look at Pei Mu, only carefully and gently supported him, and responded, biting his lip and dropping his gaze: "You've worked hard too."

Even the doctor at the clinic had marveled at Pei Mu's will to live, and Zhong Yizhu knew that Pei Mu was also fighting hard to survive.

The two of them walked into the bedroom, and the arm Zhong Yizhu was supporting suddenly slipped out, making his heart feel like it had dropped. The next moment, Pei Mu leaned in and gently pressed him against the bedroom door.

They breathed the same air, so close together, and Zhong Yizhu had to look up at Pei Mu.

Pei Mu looked at his tearful eyes, leaned forward, and gently kissed him.

"Silly, the doctor said I'd be fine, why are you still crying."

Zhong Yizhu sniffled, tears spilling uncontrollably from his eyes: "I don't know…"

Pei Mu lowered his head and gently brushed the corners of his eyes, his cheeks, then the tip of his nose, the corner of his lips.

He kissed every place where the tears had flowed, again and again.

He comforted Zhong Yizhu over and over, reassuring him of his presence over and over.

Zhong Yizhu was enclosed in this small space, breathing in the herbal scent of Pei Mu. The moment he reached out to embrace Pei Mu's shoulders, he was pulled even more tightly into his arms.

From last night until now, everything that had happened floated through his mind like a dream, and only at this moment did Zhong Yizhu's floating, unsettled heart finally settle back down.

He truly had this person back.

…

Later, Wang Ping'an and his husband came by. Hearing that pigeon soup was good for recovery, they took the time to go to the neighboring village and bought a pigeon from Grandma Sun, intending to stew it for Pei Mu once he woke up, but unfortunately, the Pei family had seized the opportunity.

Both were still shaken; no one had expected the Pei family members to be so cruel. It was their carelessness not to leave someone behind. Fortunately, Pei Mu and the others were unharmed, and Pei Mu had woken up, or they would have felt terribly guilty.

As usual, they visited Pei Mu, left the pigeon, and went on their way. The past night and day had been tumultuous, and though they had stayed at an inn, they probably hadn't rested well. Zhong Yizhu didn't insist on them staying, only saying he would invite them over when Pei Mu was fully recovered.

Wang Ping'an and Chen Xiaorong smiled and agreed, genuinely happy for the young couple who had been through so much, seeing that Pei Mu had woken up and was out of danger.

The Pei family's dinner was hearty. To celebrate Pei Mu's awakening, Sun Yunniang specially made meat pies, cooked a pot of vegetable congee, fried a few side dishes, and stewed some tender meat to accommodate He Agong's poor teeth.

The meat pies Sun Yunniang made were truly delicious, nothing like the ones Zhong Yizhu had made for him to take up the mountain on the second day after their wedding. Yet Pei Mu only ate two, far less than half of what he usually ate.

Pei Mu's lips were cold; a man who was usually like a furnace, now clearly suffering and uncomfortable, though he said nothing.

Zhong Yizhu's heart ached so much that he himself ate little, causing Sun Yunniang to sigh inwardly.

The meal was peaceful and warm. After eating, Zhong Yizhu washed the dishes while Pei Mu stayed by his side.

Sun Yunniang returned to the old Zhong family home while it was still light. It was already a stretch having He Agong stay here, and there was no room left for her to sleep. Fortunately, Pei Mu had woken up and no longer needed round-the-clock care, so she could rest a little easier and come back in the morning.

In the yard outside, He Agong was preparing Pei Mu's evening medicine. After Pei Mu drank it, He Agong also went to rest in the storage room.

After washing up, Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu returned to the bedroom. Pei Mu lay on the bed with his clothes open, watching Zhong Yizhu carefully apply medicine to the wounds on his body, Zhong Yizhu's brow furrowed.

These small wounds were nothing to him; he could have applied the medicine in a few quick swipes himself, but Zhong Yizhu was so concerned, afraid of hurting him, that his movements were as light as could be.

After applying medicine to one spot, he would lean in and blow on it, puffing out his cheeks, looking very childlike and utterly endearing.

Pei Mu had never been treated with such careful tenderness. A tingling sensation traveled from where Zhong Yizhu blew all the way to his heart, spreading a warm, aching softness through it.

The candle in the room burned brightly. Pei Mu noticed Zhong Yizhu staring at his old scars; he reached out and shielded his eyes. "They're ugly, don't stare."

His palm was brushed by soft eyelashes. Zhong Yizhu made a small sound of acknowledgment, pulled his hand down, and continued applying the medicine seriously.

Pei Mu silently watched Zhong Yizhu. After the medicine was done, Zhong Yizhu cleaned up and blew out the candle, then lay down beside Pei Mu.

The surroundings were very quiet. If not for the smell of medicine, this night seemed no different from many other nights.

Zhong Yizhu, still worried, checked Pei Mu's forehead again, afraid he might develop a fever again.

Pei Mu took his hand. "It's fine, my body is strong. And Agong said the medicine works faster on me than on others. Don't worry, get a good night's sleep, okay?"

Zhong Yizhu hummed in response, but in the darkness, he couldn't fall asleep.

He hadn't slept for a day and a night; he should have been exhausted, but whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Pei Mu lying on the clinic bed the night before, unresponsive no matter how he called. His mind was still on edge, and only the warmth of the body beside him could calm his panic.

Afraid of disturbing Pei Mu's rest, he didn't move or turn over, and even reaching out to check Pei Mu's forehead temperature, he only did after a long while.

A soft sigh came from beside him, and Pei Mu turned over, pulling him into his arms, both heartbroken and helpless.

Zhong Yizhu dared not move, afraid of rubbing against his wounds, only whispering nervously: "Lie back down, don't move! Did I wake you? Or are your wounds hurting too much to sleep?"

"They don't hurt, I've had much worse injuries than this, this is nothing. Let me hold you and go to sleep peacefully, okay?"

Zhong Yizhu didn't speak. Pei Mu said, "If you don't sleep, I won't sleep either."

After a moment, Zhong Yizhu curled up, nestled into the crook of his neck, and said in a muffled voice: "Then call me if you're uncomfortable."

"Mm." Pei Mu lowered his head and kissed his hair.

"And you better still be okay when I wake up tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I promise." Pei Mu gently patted Zhong Yizhu's back, and Zhong Yizhu, clutching his clothes, closed his eyes, lulled by his breathing.

As his consciousness relaxed, his already exhausted body fell into deep sleep almost instantly.

Pei Mu waited until Zhong Yizhu was asleep before pulling him closer.

He had frightened him badly.

He had said he would protect Zhu Ge'er, but in the end, it was the opposite—Zhu Ge'er ended up protecting him.

When he asked Zhu Ge'er how much silver he had spent, Zhu Ge'er had only dismissed it, saying it wasn't much, that the clinic in town couldn't treat him and barely charged anything, and that they just needed to pay He Agong more consultation fees later.

But he had clearly seen the young man quietly put the private banknotes back into the money box earlier, sparing no effort to save him, even bringing the banknotes meant for opening the shop. Zhong Yizhu had never mentioned the desperation behind it; if Pei Mu hadn't secretly seen it, he would never have known.

Pei Mu gently patted the back of the person in his arms, watching his furrowed brow slowly relax in sleep, not knowing how to treasure him enough.

Truly a little fool.

Good thing he was tough and pulled through; otherwise, who would protect this wonderful little fool from being bullied in the future? So soft-hearted and easy to coax, every part of him making others covet him.

Perhaps delirious from the poison, at some moments he even began to thank Pei Song. If Pei Song hadn't been such a beast, he might never have had the chance to become the man he was now and meet Zhong Yizhu.

The night deepened. Pei Mu placed Zhong Yizhu's hand over his heart, bent down to touch his relaxed brow, then gently rested his chin on top of Zhong Yizhu's

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