Chapter 51: Heavy Praise
The dazed yet serious little expression on his face made Shang Wan laugh out loud.
This kid had only helped Lu Chengjing run errands before, so where had he done such heavy work? It would probably take two of him to barely move the wood.
Shi Tou blushed bright red with embarrassment, secretly resolving to exercise more in the future, build up his strength, and help out at home.
After laughing, Shang Wan also pondered how to improve the family’s combat strength. No matter how capable she was, she couldn’t protect everyone every moment; only being strong themselves was truly strong.
Start with enhancing their constitutions first. Spiritual Spring Water was a good thing and needed to be put to use.
Hearing Shang Wan’s laughter, Lu Chengjing slowly opened his eyes. Feeling something in his arms, he reached out to touch and pulled out a familiar jade pendant.
His fair fingertips rubbed the smooth edge of the jade pendant. Lu Chengjing’s eyes darkened, his fingertips loosened, and the jade pendant fell straight down.
“If you don’t want it, don’t drop it.” The falling jade pendant landed in Shang Wan’s hand. “It’s pretty nice; it could fetch quite a bit of silver if pawned.”
Lu Chengjing sat up. Because he had just woken up, his originally clear voice was a bit hoarse. “Then pawn it.”
But Shang Wan shook the jade pendant at him. “Didn’t you like it a lot? You really don’t want it now?”
“I don’t like it now.” Lu Chengjing looked up at the person before him, his tone carrying three parts resolve. “I don’t want it.”
“Alright.” Shang Wan put away the jade pendant. “Tomorrow I’ll go to the city and pawn it to add bricks and tiles to our new house.”
Not knowing which word pleased Lu Chengjing, a shallow smile appeared on his still-sleepy face, dazzling Shang Wan.
Shang Wan reached out and traced the curved corner of the lips of the person before her, demanding, “Smile again.”
Lu Chengjing: ?
Shang Wan urged, “Come on, I want to see.”
Young Master Lu was forced to smile on demand, and Shang Wan expressed great satisfaction.
She casually hooked the sharp chin of the person before her and told him about the matter Li Dashan had asked her to inquire about.
“The villagers want you to help record accounts. If you’re willing, they’ll give you two points. I didn’t agree on your behalf. If you want to help, have Shi Tou make a trip and tell the villagers.”
Lu Chengjing lowered his gaze to his right hand, which still had no sensation at all, and said nothing.
Shang Wan grabbed his right hand, her pale finger pads rubbing over the pinkish scar on his wrist.
“In a couple days, the scar will fade. Your body is weak, so recovery will be slower. After the hand tendons heal, you’ll need rehab. To fully restore the flexibility from before, it’ll take at least two months. No rushing it.”
“Being able to recover is already fortunate.” Lu Chengjing shifted over a bit to make room. Shang Wan sat down accordingly, encircled his slender wrist, glanced at the equally skinny waist and abdomen of the person beside her, and secretly pondered how to fatten him up.
Right now, it was all bones; even hugging him to sleep felt bony and uncomfortable.
Realizing her thoughts had wandered, Shang Wan quickly reined them in, coughed lightly, “Anyway, though I think your left hand writes pretty well, if you don’t want to help, then don’t. We don’t lack that bit at home. Just rest up properly; I’ve got the home covered.”
Lu Chengjing turned his head to look at the person beside him, his eyes serious with a hint of probing. “You and I are neither kin nor related—why treat me so well?”
Without thinking, Shang Wan said, “Because you’re good-looking.”
A terminal face-connoisseur expressed that lustful intent was perfectly normal, right?
Lu Chengjing was silent for a moment before asking, “Besides looks?”
“Hmm…” Shang Wan thought seriously for a moment, then decisively said, “Fun to tease.”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
He shouldn’t have asked!
“I’m willing to help.” Dropping these words, Lu Chengjing lay back down and turned his body to face the other side.
Shang Wan: ?
A pretty face and an interesting soul were both compliments—why get suddenly upset?
“Turn back.” Shang Wan reached out and poked Lu Chengjing’s back, threatening, “Or I’ll pull your hair.”
Would Lu Chengjing be threatened by such a childish trick?
No!
He slowly turned back, staring at Shang Wan’s hand on his long hair, his pale lips pressed together without a word.
Clearly expressionless, but Shang Wan could see the pouting emoji on this pretty face. She couldn’t help but reach out and pinch it, her voice laced with laughter. “I was just complimenting you—why are you mad?”
Lu Chengjing ignored the hand messing with his face, looked up at her for a moment, held back the stuffiness in his chest, and spat out two words, “Superficial praise.”
Shang Wan tsked lightly. Spoiled this one had become, even making demands now.
Looking at Lu Chengjing’s face that suited her tastes, Shang Wan turned her eyes, leaned in close to his ear, and said, “Cute. Want to kiss.”
As the last word entered his ear, Lu Chengjing’s originally bloodless face turned red as the sunset sky, his gaze even going dazed.
Shang Wan held back her laughter and asked softly, “Want me to keep complimenting?”
Lu Chengjing turned his head, using his flushed red ears to indicate refusal.
Shang Wan stifled a laugh. Teasing him really was fun.
She reached out to smooth Lu Chengjing’s black hair draped behind him, conveniently covering his red ears. “I’ll have Shi Tou go tell the villagers. Probably people will come one after another. I’ll go prepare brush and ink for you.”
She got up and left. The person lying still then slightly turned his head, peeking at her back through the gap, the heat that had finally faded from his face showing signs of returning.
Yuan Yuan bumped over using her little head, pushing the little turtle, wanting her daddy to referee their crawling race, but ended up seeing a big red face.
The little one blinked her eyes, twisted her bottom, and crawled back the way she came.
Better to find Aunt Xiao Huan to referee instead.
Shi Tou ran off to notify the villagers. Shang Wan prepared brush and ink for Lu Chengjing, set up a temporary small table, then continued moving trees.
After the kitchen was cleared, the stove could be used. Seeing the time was about right, Xiao Huan took the things to light the fire and cook.
With the referee gone, Yuan Yuan and the little turtle’s crawling race ended. She crawled back in front of her daddy and lifted her adorably cute little face. “Daddy! Listen!”
This meant she wanted to hear a story.
Lu Chengjing practiced writing with his left hand while telling his daughter a story.
Here the days were peaceful, but the Lin Family was in chaos from not finding Tie Dan.
After Lin Jianshan sent Liu Shi to the Yuan Family, he kept thinking about those thirty taels of silver. He had Zhou Shi look after the two elders and ran back to the Lin Family himself.
He had originally planned to take the silver back from Tie Dan and give him a beating while at it.
He couldn’t even handle a small matter properly, making his old man lose such great face. He needed at least a few swats on the butt as a lesson.
Who knew Tie Dan wasn’t at the Lin Family. Only Er Ya was there, resting in the room after getting her head injured by debris during the earthquake.
Lin Jianshan cursed as he went out to look for him, his desire to discipline his son reaching a peak at that moment.
But he asked all the boys who usually played with Tie Dan, and none had seen Tie Dan or knew where he had gone.
Lin Jianshan suddenly remembered the red cloth dug up from the Lu Family, and his heart inexplicably panicked. He hurriedly searched Tie Dan’s usual play spots, even checked the riverside, but there wasn’t a sign of Tie Dan.
Lin Jianshan was completely panicked now. He only had Tie Dan as his son—what had happened to the child?
