Chapter 59: You Haven’t Returned
“Grandma’s good grandson, are you starving?” Liu Shi brought over two sugar water eggs, looking at Tie Dan with eyes full of heartache. “Eat up quick. Grandma specially added two spoonfuls of sugar—super sweet.”
Tie Dan took the bowl and wolfed it down, drinking every last drop of the sugar water.
Chen Guifang secretly pursed her lips. Er Ya got beaten for eating candy, but Tie Dan came back and got sugar water eggs. Mother was too biased.
She raised her hand and touched Lin Jianshui’s arm, nodding her mouth toward the porcelain bowl, hoping her man would get the hint.
But Lin Jianshui didn’t understand her meaning and said bluntly, “If you want to eat, go cook it yourself. You expect Mother to cook it for you?”
Chen Guifang: “…”
Why had she married such a club?
“Eat what?” Liu Shi pulled a long face. “All day long doing no work and just eating! Go wash the bowl!”
Wasn’t all the housework at home done by her?
Chen Guifang was so angry she wanted to smash the porcelain bowl in her mother-in-law’s face, but thinking of the consequences, she swallowed her anger, took the porcelain bowl and chopsticks, and went out feeling aggrieved.
Lin Jianshan helped Village Chief Lin over and said to his younger brother, “It’s late at night. You’ve still got to go to the fields tomorrow. Go back to your room and rest.”
Lin Jianshui agreed and went back to his room.
Zhou Shi went over to close the door and stood by the door with her head down.
Village Chief Lin sat down at the table. “Tie Dan, Grandpa asks you, where did you go today?”
“Mountain.” Tie Dan was a bit afraid of Grandpa and answered obediently. “Lots of wolves.”
“Wolves?” Village Chief Lin was stunned and looked Tie Dan up and down. “Those wolves didn’t bite you?”
Tie Dan shook his head.
Village Chief Lin continued, “Who took you up the mountain?”
“Monkey.” Tie Dan said, “They robbed my silver and hit me. It hurt so much.”
Liu Shi said heartbrokenly, “Quick, let Grandma see. Where did they hit?”
Tie Dan covered his butt and shook his head. “Doesn’t hurt now.”
“Monkeys took you up the mountain. How did you end up in the wolf den?”
“A big monkey threw me there.” Tie Dan pouted. His butt had nearly split in two.
Lin Jianshan asked urgently, “What about the silver? Did it get thrown into the wolf den too?”
Tie Dan shook his head. He had been in so much pain and fear at the time, how could he remember the silver?
“Speak.” Village Chief Lin darkened his face. “Didn’t see it or didn’t throw it in?”
Tie Dan shrank his neck. “Didn’t… didn’t see it.”
“Don’t scare the child.” Liu Shi hurriedly hugged Tie Dan to comfort him, calling him sweet grandson and little heart over and over.
Zhou Shi came forward. “Dad, it’s late at night. If there’s anything, ask tomorrow. I’ll take Tie Dan back to the room to sleep.”
Without waiting for Village Chief Lin to speak, Liu Shi said, “Hurry up. Can’t you see the child is so sleepy he’s rubbing his eyes?”
Zhou Shi pulled Tie Dan into her arms, carefully glanced at Lin Jianshan, and seeing he had no intention of stopping her, hugged the child and went back to the room.
Village Chief Lin looked tired and sighed deeply. “Eldest, you go back to your room too. Stay alert tonight and keep an eye on Tie Dan. The child was frightened. He might get a fever at night.”
“Dad,” Lin Jianshan stood still, “that jade pendant…”
Village Chief Lin shot him a glance. “Pretend it never happened. Don’t mention it again!”
Lin Jianshan was unwilling. “Our family suffered such a big loss at that Shang person’s hands, got our family fortune emptied, and we’re just letting it go?”
“What’s the rush?” Village Chief Lin’s tone was meaningful. “There will come a time when they come begging to me.”
On the other side, Shang Wan stepped through the night dew back to the wooden shed, thinking everyone at home was asleep, but unexpectedly, someone was still sitting by the fire.
Lu Chengjing added two pieces of dry firewood to the fire, listening to the crackling of the burning wood, gradually lost in thought.
Under the orange firelight, that face which was always pale and sickly gained a bit of warmth, like warm jade.
They say beauty by lamplight, gentleman by moonlight. Shang Wan felt that with Lu Chengjing’s face, as long as there was light, it was beautiful from every angle, no blind spots.
She took a clean towel from the wooden pole, wiped her half-dry long hair as she walked over, and sat down beside Lu Chengjing. “It’s late at night. Why aren’t you sleeping?”
This sounded familiar. Lu Chengjing remembered Shang Wan had said something similar when she visited him in the prison cell. Clearly only a few days had passed, yet it felt like a long time ago.
“You hadn’t returned.” Lu Chengjing turned his head to look at the person beside him and noticed Shang Wan’s rough motions wiping her long hair. His gaze paused slightly. “Let me help you.”
Shang Wan glanced at his immobile right hand and refused. “No, rest properly.”
In a bit, this fox’s hand would get sore, and she’d have to help rub it. Better for her to do it herself.
Lu Chengjing sighed lightly, placed his left hand on his right arm, and lowered his head forlornly, looking like a pitiful little thing who had been wronged.
Shang Wan: “…”
Putting on an act, huh? Spoiled rotten!
“Here, here, here.” She sat closer, draped her long hair and towel on Lu Chengjing’s knee. “Wipe as long as you want. Okay?”
A faint smile flashed in Lu Chengjing’s eyes. His left hand gently smoothed the hair on his knee, wrapped it with the towel, and slowly rubbed and dried it.
“How much longer?” Shang Wan tilted her head uncomfortably, simply leaned on the thin shoulder of the person beside her, and lazily yawned.
“A bit.” Lu Chengjing lowered his gaze to look at her. His eyes passed over her delicate brows and eyes, landing on the long skirt on Shang Wan that was different from when she left. His gaze deepened slightly.
Shang Wan had her eyes closed and didn’t notice. Only when Lu Chengjing said it was done did she open her eyes, washed the towel and hung it on the wooden pole, then turned back to pick up Lu Chengjing and return to the wooden shed to sleep.
Though the wooden shed was a simple version, the space inside was sufficient.
Shang Wan had originally divided it in half with a wooden board, planning to separate men and women for sleeping, and refine it further after returning from the county town.
But after Xiao Huan tidied it up, it was somehow divided into three areas. The left side was separated in the middle by a cloth curtain. Xiao Huan slept with Yuan Yuan on one side, Shi Tou on the other.
The large space on the right was naturally reserved for Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing. Soft bedding was already laid out—ready to sleep on directly.
Shang Wan: “…”
Xiao Huan’s thoughts were all too obvious.
She placed Lu Chengjing on the inner side of the bedding and turned back to close the door.
A few strands of dim moonlight filtered through the gaps in the overhead wooden boards. Lu Chengjing could barely make out the approaching figure and involuntarily held his breath lightly.
Shang Wan glanced at the robe on Lu Chengjing and deliberately teased her fox. “Waiting for me to help you undress?”
“No.” Lu Chengjing lowered his gaze, first removed the boots from his feet, then slowly undid his belt with his left hand. But when taking off the outer robe, it got caught on his shoulder. He flushed slightly in embarrassment.
Shang Wan chuckled lightly and moved closer to help.
Lu Chengjing only felt his nose filled with the faint fragrance from Shang Wan. He instantly stiffened all over, not knowing where to put his hands and feet, and especially dared not look at Shang Wan.
“All done. Sleep.” Shang Wan pulled another quilt over to cover them both, and casually brushed Lu Chengjing’s long hair aside so it wouldn’t get pressed later.
Lu Chengjing closed his eyes, listening to the light breathing of the person beside him. Clearly sleepy, yet he couldn’t fall asleep.
Just as he was about to force himself to sleep, a warm hand suddenly reached over and grasped his cold left hand.
