Chapter 82: It Can Still Grow
Lu Chengjing’s ears turned red, but he slightly raised his chin, allowing Shang Wan to act.
He said, “When Mother married Father, the Wang Family was still commoners, and even needed support from the Lu Family. Uncle went to great lengths to secure a spot at Bai Hong Academy for Lu Chengyuan, which was undoubtedly repaying the kindness from back then.”
“I see.” Shang Wan withdrew her hand, turned her head toward the cloth curtain, and called out, “Had enough crying? If you’re done, come out.”
The faint crying from behind the cloth curtain stopped abruptly. Shi Tou came out with red eyes, and upon seeing Lu Chengjing, tears and snot flowed uncontrollably again.
Wuwuwu, how did Brother-in-law end up with such a beast of a brother?
He had no idea; if he had known, he definitely would have beaten that beast until he was spitting teeth everywhere!
Shang Wan got a headache from Shi Tou’s crying and gave Lu Chengjing a look, “Quickly comfort him. When I get back later, I don’t want to see a big rabbit with red eyes again.”
Without waiting for Lu Chengjing to agree, her figure flickered and she was gone.
Lu Chengjing: “……”
He glanced at the big rabbit with red eyes, sighed helplessly, and beckoned Shi Tou over to sit and talk.
Shang Wan didn’t know exactly how he comforted him. Anyway, by the time she finished beating the beast, washed up at the pool, and returned, the big rabbit with red eyes had already gone back to the wooden shed to sleep.
The campfire was left with only tiny flickering flames. Lu Chengjing was covered with a green cape, leaning crookedly against the wheelchair as he slept.
The gray wolf lay at his feet, bored and swishing its tail to drive away flying insects. Hearing movement, it stood up. Seeing it was Shang Wan, it made a low whine from its throat and went back to its den to sleep.
Shang Wan roughly dried her hair, extinguished the campfire, then carefully lifted Lu Chengjing from the wheelchair.
His nose caught a familiar fragrance. Lu Chengjing didn’t open his eyes and mumbled, “Niangzi?”
“It’s me.” Shang Wan replied, carrying him into the wooden shed, which had been remodeled into three rooms and furnished with quite a few things.
She removed his socks and shoes and outer robe, then tucked him into the soft bedding.
The bedding was somewhat cool. Lu Chengjing half-opened his sleepy eyes and vaguely saw a blurry figure.
After some rustling sounds, Shang Wan also lay down in the bedding, naturally draping her arm over Lu Chengjing’s waist and pulling him close to hold.
Just as she closed her eyes, she noticed the person beside her touching her hair.
She said, “I dried it.”
That hand then stopped moving, resting loosely on her neck. The breathing by her ear gradually became even.
Shang Wan blinked, slightly tilted her head to lightly peck the chin of the person beside her, pulled him tighter, and closed her eyes to sleep.
The next day, clouds piled up in the sky, thick as cotton wadding, blocking the sun layer by layer and faintly letting through some light.
The family finished breakfast. Shi Tou slipped into the cellar and rummaged from every nook and cranny to find a worn-out hoe.
The hoe blade was covered in rust spots, so dull it couldn’t even cut grass. The wood of the hoe handle had been gnawed by mice, missing chunks here and there. Using this hoe for land reclamation, you’d work yourself to death and not clear even an acre.
Shi Tou found Shang Wan, eyes full of expectation. “Sis, can you make a log like before to replace the hoe handle?”
Shang Wan glanced at the battered hoe and asked, “Did you memorize today’s herbs?”
Shi Tou proudly puffed out his chest. “I memorized ten kinds first thing this morning, all from the apothecary’s list. As long as I see them, I can definitely recognize them.”
Only then did Shang Wan take the hoe, violently pulled out the pitted hoe handle, and examined it closely.
“I can make one. You sharpen the hoe blade first. If it doesn’t rain soon, we’ll head into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs and practice.”
Theory must combine with practice; only real combat accumulates experience.
Shi Tou was puzzled. “Sis, aren’t we going to help the villagers with work?”
They hadn’t had time when entering the city yesterday; surely today they should go help out?
“Just go over and show face; that’s enough.” Shang Wan said, “The village only has so much work, and with so many people, everyone hopes to do more to earn points. When the disaster relief grain comes, they can get more food. No need for us to rush in and join the bustle.”
Shi Tou said, “But our family needs grain too.”
Shang Wan glanced at him. “With your little frame, you think you can compete with the village men in labor?”
They had muscles from years of farming; Shi Tou’s… best not to mention.
Shi Tou felt belittled.
He looked down at his body—not just arms a bit thin, legs a bit thin, height a bit short; he was only sixteen, he could still grow!
Shang Wan waved him off. “Hurry and sharpen your hoe; we’ll need it to dig herbs later.”
“Oh.” Shi Tou obediently hugged the hoe and walked away.
Shang Wan selected a solid piece of wood and began cutting it, comparing to the hoe handle’s size and trying to smooth it with the axe.
Lu Chengjing wheeled over, watched quietly for a bit before speaking. “You went to the Lu Residence last night?”
“Mm.” Shang Wan looked up at him, eyes curving slightly. “I happened to hear Master Lu throwing a tantrum. Apparently Lord An appreciated his kindness and sent someone with a ‘Great Benevolent Household’ plaque, hoping he would, as before, rally the gentry to donate money and grain to help Dongning County’s people through the crisis.”
“Servants at the mansion said the plaque had just arrived at the Lu Residence less than an hour ago when the gentry all came demanding an explanation from Master Lu. They thought he was using their money and grain to build the Lu Family’s good reputation. Lu Chengyuan went out to help mediate but got pointed at and cursed by the agitated gentry, and even took a hit to the head.”
“The two sides tore into each other and argued fiercely, parting on bad terms. You should’ve seen Master Lu’s face—tch, green enough to drip water. He cursed Lord An’s ancestors eighteen generations over.”
Shang Wan felt the trip last night was totally worth it.
“Right, last night Lu Chengyuan stumbled out of the study, fell rolling down the stone steps, and broke his leg.”
Lu Chengjing: “……He fell on his own?”
Shang Wan blinked. “What else?”
After a head injury suddenly causing dizziness and unsteady stance, falling down stone steps and breaking a leg—wasn’t that perfectly normal?
She sighed, “Pity, he broke it after just one fall.”
She had originally planned for ten or eight falls. Too bad.
Lu Chengjing: “……”
He had a subtle premonition that even if Lu Chengyuan survived, his future days probably wouldn’t be easy.
The clouds in the sky were so thick it seemed they would press down, and wind from all sides carried the chill unique to spring.
Shang Wan finished shaping the hoe handle and assembled it with the sharpened hoe blade; it looked decent.
Shi Tou happily dug twice, felt it was okay, and couldn’t wait to shoulder the hoe and go reclaim land.
Shang Wan: “……”
The boy still hadn’t suffered the hardship of farming. Facing the yellow soil with your back to the sky—even an ability user couldn’t endure it.
“No rush, let’s go around the village first.”
“Oh, okay.”
Shang Wan took her silly brother around the village, casually helped with some small tasks, made sure to be noticed, earned about one point, and went home.
The sky was still overcast; no telling when the rain would fall.
Shang Wan looked up at the sky, slung the back basket over her shoulder, and called to Shi Tou, “Let’s go, into the mountains to check.”
