Did she want to eat? She had spoken so much to him today, and Peng Fei felt very happy.
"Oh, I'll go get it for you. Wait a moment, it's a bit cold. I'll warm it up for you."
After he finished speaking, he was about to run out. He ran two steps, remembered the basin, and turned back.
He found the basin empty.
"Didn't you need to go to the restroom?"
As soon as the words were out, both of them blushed in embarrassment.
Zhan Jingchun said with some complaint, "I can't."
Peng Fei seemed experienced, "You probably haven't drunk enough water. Let me get you a cup first."
He moved quickly around the yard and soon returned with a bowl of water.
She didn't even have a teacup? Zhan Jingchun thought to herself.
The bowl wasn't clean. There were faint oil stains on the rim. When hot water was poured in, a layer of oil emerged. It looked nauseating, and she couldn't drink it.
"The bowl is too dirty. Wash it clean before giving it to me."
Peng Fei acted like her servant, accustomed to being ordered around. Without a second thought, he blew on the water a few times and then gulped it down.
"Okay, I'll wash it right away."
A rustling sound came from the small room on the right side of the yard. Soon, the water was brought back to her.
The white porcelain bowl was washed clean, and finally, there was no oil. Zhan Jingchun took it.
Seeing her blowing on it and drinking it impatiently, Peng Fei actually felt a sense of accomplishment.
"You drink that first, and I'll go warm up your meal."
He closed the door from the outside again. As soon as he entered the kitchen, Peng's mother followed him.
"What are you doing? I was asleep, and you woke me up again by coming back and forth. I still have to work tomorrow. Why aren't you sleeping?"
Peng Fei replied in a low voice, and Peng's mother immediately started scolding him, regretting he wasn't more ambitious.
"She won't die if she skips a meal. Look how pathetic you are! You've only been here half a day and you're already being bossed around like this? Fetching tea and water, cooking for her, you!"
"You're usually so fierce, how come I've never seen you so clumsy when it comes to women?"
Peng Fei lowered his head and said nothing, just adding firewood to the stove. Seeing that he really liked her and was willing to busy himself for that woman, Peng's mother sighed and stopped bothering.
"I'm telling you, her body isn't well yet. Don't touch her for now. Eat and go to sleep quickly. Otherwise, if she gets sick, it'll be another expense. The debt from marrying her is already enough."
Peng Fei knew what his mother meant.
All his childhood friends were married, some with three children. They often told him dirty jokes, and he wasn't stupid.
But he was too embarrassed to reply to his mother.
After his mother finished speaking, she glanced at the lit room, shook her head, and went inside.
Seeing his mother had completely gone, Peng Fei quietly added a poached egg to the noodles.
Just as Zhan Jingchun finished her bowl of hot water, he came in holding the noodles.
The white noodles, with only some vegetables mixed in, looked somewhat appetizing with an egg on top.
She wanted to get the bowl herself to eat, but the white porcelain bowl was hot. As soon as she touched it, she quickly withdrew her hand.
Peng Fei, having worked for years, had rough skin and calluses on his hands. He looked at her with a smile.
"I'll hold it for you to eat. It's fine, I'm not afraid of the heat."
Sigh.
Zhan Jingchun thought to herself, if they hadn't met in this way, she wouldn't have disliked an honest person like him.
The noodles, besides being a bit salty, had no other flavor. Zhan Jingchun frowned as she ate half of it, unable to eat more, or she would feel sick again.
Seeing her turn her head away, Peng Fei asked, "You're not eating anymore? Are you done?"
"It's not tasty."
Zhan Jingchun told the truth. "Do you raise chickens at home? Feed it to the chickens."
Peng Fei was a bit reluctant, after all, there were still bits of egg in it.
But he was too embarrassed to use her chopsticks in front of Zhan Jingchun. He turned away, picked up the bowl, and downed it in two gulps.
"It's fine if I eat it. Do you want more water?"
Zhan Jingchun didn't want water anymore, but she wanted to take a bath.
She didn't know how many days it had been since she came out. The white T-shirt on her body was stained with a lot of dirt on the left side, her legs were covered in dust, and her body felt sticky.
Even if it wasn't like this, she took a bath every day at home.
"No more water. Where can I wash?"
Wash?
Peng Fei and his family solved their needs in the yard.
She wasn't dirty...
The young lady from a wealthy family would definitely not want to wash in the yard. He suppressed the urge to say it.
"I'll bring you a basin and some water. Wait a moment."
After saying that, he ran back to the kitchen with quick steps.
He washed the bowls and pots quickly, added a few scoops of cold water, and while heating it, he took a tomato from the vegetable basket to give to her.
"It's home-grown, very sweet, and no pesticides. Try it."
This tomato was indeed prettier than everything else. It was naturally red and lovely. Under the dim light, it looked like an expensive gift.
Zhan Jingchun thought to herself, if you had such good things, why didn't you offer them earlier? You made me vomit so many times.
"Thank you. Did you wash it?"
"Yes."
She took it, and still uneasy, wiped it with her hand again. She took a bite, and it was sandy and sweet.
After finishing the tomato, the water was hot.
Peng Fei brought in the largest plastic basin they had, poured a bucket of cold water into it, added hot water, mixed it to a comfortable temperature, and placed it by the door.
"Wash."
There wasn't even a toilet, so naturally, there was no shower. It was good enough to have hot water.
Zhan Jingchun sat in it and scrubbed herself.
Peng Fei, listening to the sounds outside, felt that everything had stopped and pushed the door open.
Zhan Jingchun had no clean clothes. Wrapped in his large coat, she was staring blankly by the bed.
A pair of snow-white, slender, long legs were exposed, looking beautiful.
Their eyes met, and both the young man and woman blushed simultaneously.
"I'll help you pour the water."
As if afraid of being misunderstood, Peng Fei didn't dare to look too much and quickly ran to pick up the foot basin.
He was really strong.
Such a large basin, with so much water, and he lifted it with one hand.
Zhan Jingchun wanted to hide her changing clothes and wash them herself when she had the strength.
But Peng Fei quickly came in again, "Where are your clothes? I'll wash them for you."
"No need, I can wash them myself."
"Wash them yourself? Can you manage?"
She didn't know if she could manage it. But she should be able to.
After all, she had never even touched a washing machine since she was little.
In any case, she was too embarrassed to let him wash them.
They were at a stalemate for a while, and Peng Fei said,
"It's not that I don't want you to wash them, but you have to fetch water from the well, and the water is cold. Also, if you wash them tonight, they'll be dry tomorrow, and you'll have something to wear."
Zhan Jingchun then remembered the crucial issue: she had no clothes to change into tomorrow, and she didn't even know how she would get through tonight.
"Can you help me find some clothes?"
Peng Fei said, "I only have my mother's. Will that do?"
Thinking of that ill-tempered woman, Zhan Jingchun disliked the idea.
"I'll wear yours instead."
"Mine are too big."
"It doesn't matter."
In this unfamiliar place, he was the only one who could give her a slight sense of security.