Gu Chenzhou had already resigned himself to his fate.
He had been confined to the inn for five or six days. Jiang Wan didn't visit him every day, only coming by when she remembered.
Initially, he would get angry and beg, but after realizing that Jiang Wan would never detoxify him, he stopped speaking altogether.
Yuan Bao said with some concern, "Miss, if the young master continues like this, won't he develop some kind of ailment from being cooped up?"
Having served Gu Chenzhou for a few days, Yuan Bao had figured out that he wasn't actually paralyzed but had been poisoned by Jiang Wan.
When he first found out, Yuan Bao was truly startled. After all, what kind of sister would poison her own brother?
However, after a few days, although he didn't fully understand what was going on, he knew that poisoning the young lady and the young master was a last resort.
Seeing Gu Chenzhou not saying a word all day, Yuan Bao worried he might fall ill from being depressed.
Jiang Wan waved her hand, "No need to worry. If he really falls ill from being cooped up, then he can only blame himself for not being resilient enough. If he's going to be like this over such a small matter, he'll never amount to anything."
Yuan Bao couldn't understand why she was so heartless towards her own brother, but he didn't dare to ask further. In any case, he was bought by Jiang Wan, so he had to obey her.
Since Jiang Wan had asked him to take care of Gu Chenzhou, he diligently looked after him. He knew to keep his mouth shut about things that were not his concern.
Seeing Jiang Wan sit by Gu Chenzhou's bedside, he knew she must have something to say to him, so Yuan Bao voluntarily left the room.
Jiang Wan pulled Gu Chenzhou's hand and quietly absorbed energy.
She had absorbed too much in the previous few days and it took her two days to digest that energy. Later, there were family matters, and even when she came, she didn't have time to absorb.
Today, she had free time, so she hurried to absorb more.
Her special ability had reached its critical point, and she could faintly sense a trend of breakthrough.
Gu Chenzhou thought she was going to give him a long lecture to cheer up and was preparing to ignore her completely. He didn't expect her to quietly hold his hand without saying a word.
After a while, Gu Chenzhou felt a bit suffocated and turned his eyes to look at her.
What did he see?
The little chubby girl was holding his hand, leaning against the back of the chair, and had fallen asleep!
Gu Chenzhou rolled his eyes helplessly. Had she been trying to steal something last night?
He wanted to pull his hand back, but it was completely impossible, so he could only let her hold it.
Gu Chenzhou was extremely bored. He had been lying stiffly in bed for the past few days, and it had truly stifled him.
Yuan Bao, that simpleton, besides taking care of his food and daily needs, knew nothing else. He spent all day in the room, staring blankly at him.
He had thought Jiang Wan would chat with him when she came, but today she was also as silent as a mute.
Given her personality, she was probably too lazy to waste any more words on him. Anyway, he couldn't run away now, so she certainly wouldn't bother trying to persuade him anymore.
She was just like this, incredibly carefree.
He didn't know what his master was thinking, daring to entrust him to such an unreliable little girl.
Gu Chenzhou was complaining about her incessantly in his heart, when suddenly Jiang Wan, who was sleeping, tilted her head and fell forward, tumbling beside him.
The little girl was extremely drowsy. She raised her head blankly and looked around. Finding it uncomfortable to sleep while sitting, she kicked off her shoes, jumped onto the bed, lay down beside him, and then stretched out an arm to hug him.
Gu Chenzhou knitted his brows tightly.
He had never been so close to anyone other than his family or his master, so close that her breath fell on his shoulder.
Because of his cruel experiences, he was actually very resistant to being too close to people; it made him feel uneasy and agitated.
But this little girl, from the first time they met, had rushed towards him. Every time they met after that, she would run to his side and tug at his clothes.
Perhaps it was because she could control his condition, so he didn't reject her closeness, but he couldn't say he liked it either.
He could tolerate her closeness only because being close to her was beneficial to him.
He didn't know why this little girl liked to be next to him so much, and could even sleep so soundly beside him.
Gu Chenzhou lowered his head and looked. The little girl was sleeping with her mouth slightly open, and a drop of saliva even hung from the corner of her mouth.
If another child slept like this, he would have been disgusted and turned his head away immediately.
But at this moment, he actually found her sleeping face a little cute!
He must have developed a problem from being cooped up!
Gu Chenzhou forcibly turned his head to the side, his movements so slow they made one's mouth twitch.
Jiang Wan slept with the "energy tree" and woke up when the sky was already a little late.
Sensing the abundant energy, Jiang Wan was extremely pleased. She jumped off the bed, put on her shoes, and said irresponsibly:
"My second brother is getting married, so I might not have time to come over for the next few days. If you want anything to eat or drink, just tell Yuan Bao. I've put it on account at the counter, so don't be polite."
After all, whatever money he spent, she would get it back later.
Gu Chenzhou had no idea what she was thinking. He felt a little touched, thinking that this girl wasn't as heartless as he thought.
The Jiang family's wedding preparations were rushed, but all the necessary items were present, and it was even done very elegantly.
The chefs for the banquet were hired from the county's restaurant, and the ingredients were also delivered by the restaurant.
Many women from the village came to help. If the Jiang family's place wasn't large enough, there wouldn't have been enough space for so many helpers.
This was the first joyous occasion after the small mountain village had settled down, and in the eyes of the villagers, it held a different significance.
The Jiang family was generous and bought a lot of wedding candies. They gave a handful to every woman who came to help and their children, making these women chatter happily with festive words.
Su Shi, heavily pregnant, sat in her room, looking at the busy crowd in the courtyard with a hint of sadness.
When she got married, there was no such scene. Although they were both daughters-in-law of the Jiang family, she, the eldest daughter-in-law, was inferior to the second daughter-in-law in every way.
Su Shi was startled when she realized the jealousy in her heart.
She knew in her heart that the Jiang family's current situation was different from that of the past, so why was she still jealous?
Hadn't her mother-in-law explained it to her before?
However, she just couldn't help but have these thoughts.
If her in-laws found out about these thoughts, they would surely be even more disappointed in her...
When Jiang Wan was called by Chen Yuezhi to accompany Su Shi, she saw Su Shi sitting on the head of the bed, wiping away tears.
Jiang Wan was startled, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Su Shi felt quite pathetic. She quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile at Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan sat down beside her, "Mother was afraid you'd be bored staying alone in the room, so she asked me to keep you company. Sister-in-law, if you're feeling unwell anywhere, you must tell us. Don't keep it to yourself, understand?"
Seeing the genuine concern on Jiang Wan's face, Su Shi felt a warmth in her heart and hugged her, "Sister-in-law is fine, really."
How could she bring herself to reveal her petty thoughts?
Seeing that she wouldn't say anything, Jiang Wan didn't press further. She deliberately made small talk to accompany Su Shi in the room.
After everyone who had come to help left in the evening, and Chen Yuezhi had also made arrangements for the welcoming ceremony tomorrow, Jiang Wan finally mentioned Su Shi crying alone in her room.