Liu Donghuai immediately saw her predicament and couldn't help but curse Xiao Shan in his heart.
Why hadn't he gone to the academy these past few days? It was all because Xiao Shan had inexplicably come to find him that day and asked what he had said to his woman.
What could he say? Of course, he had advised her to leave that brute.
As a result, the fellow named Xiao kicked him again. He was too barbaric. Even as a man, he couldn't stand the pain, which was why he had gone home to recuperate for a few days. Not to mention a woman, who had to endure his abuse every day.
She was so delicate, washing such heavy clothes. That man was truly a scoundrel.
"I'll help..." Liu Donghuai was about to offer help when he heard faint voices approaching.
Damn it, someone was coming to wash clothes.
"I'll hide the clothes in the woods over there, and then I'll bring them home for you when no one is around." Liu Donghuai picked up the wooden bucket.
It was so heavy.
"You two, don't let anyone see you. Hurry and leave, Xu Daniu! Have you rested enough? Hurry home!"
Xu Daniu, looking disheveled, hurriedly turned into a side path.
"Thank you." Xue Niang didn't know the way and said a word of thanks to Liu Donghuai, then followed Xu Daniu.
Liu Donghuai carried the wooden bucket to where he had been studying.
After Xue Niang returned home, she changed her clothes. Her elbows were indeed scraped, bleeding from the friction, and it hurt terribly.
She hadn't eaten lunch either, and her stomach was growling with hunger. It seemed her first attempt at washing clothes wasn't very successful.
The clothes were still by the river. With her mind preoccupied, she was absent-minded all afternoon.
The scholar hadn't delivered the clothes. Was it because he couldn't find an opportunity, or had he forgotten?
He seemed quite upright; he shouldn't break his word, right?
As dusk approached, Xue Niang could no longer sit still and decided to go back to the river to retrieve the clothes.
Just as she closed the fence gate, she encountered Xiao Shan returning.
Strangely, besides the game he carried on his back, he was also carrying their family's wooden basin in his right arm.
"Ah? Why are you carrying it back?"
"Who else would you want to carry it?"
Xiao Shan was very angry, but given Xue Niang's cold shoulder these past few days, he didn't dare to show it on his face, only cursing Liu Donghuai in his heart.
He had just met that pale scholar halfway, holding their wooden basin, which contained his clothes and Xue Niang's.
Before he could even question him, the scholar started accusing him of abusing women, saying it was not the act of a true man, spouting a string of "zhi hu zhe ye" that made him want to punch him.
Whether he was a true man was debatable, but that pale scholar was definitely a villain. He had come to his house in the dark. What were his intentions?
Why didn't he help deliver the clothes earlier?
Coincidentally, the scholar's mother was looking for him. The pale scholar then dropped the wooden basin nervously, offered some perfunctory words to his mother, and coaxed her away.
Xue Niang couldn't understand what was going on.
"Where is that young scholar?"
"How is he young? He's much older than you."
"Don't evade the question. Why are you being so sarcastic!" Xue Niang glanced sideways at Xiao Shan. This guy had just returned and was already making her angry.
Xiao Shan was frustrated. He rushed to the mountains to hunt all day, not just to build a brighter house for her to live in, but now it had created an opportunity for that pale scholar.
This morning she was clearly wearing that pink cloth skirt, but now she had changed into a soft, light green cotton silk skirt. Who was she trying to see?
It certainly wasn't for him. He knew he didn't have that much confidence.
"You've just recovered. Don't rush to wash clothes. I'll wash them myself when I get back."
Even if he was angry now, Xiao Shan didn't dare to provoke her. Besides, she was washing clothes for him. It was just bad luck to have met Liu Donghuai, and it wasn't her fault.
"Hang them up quickly, and come in for dinner. You're so long-winded!"
Xue Niang, having had one failed experience, had gained some experience. Next time, she would definitely not bring so many.
As for Xiao Shan's words, she found them comforting, but she still had to wash them. He had worked all day and still had to come back to wash clothes, leaving her idle. Wouldn't that make her a lazy wife?
When Xiao Shan first bought Xue Niang, he had intended for her to wash clothes and cook meals. But at that time, he hadn't figured out his feelings yet.
Now that she was washing clothes and cooking, he felt heartache, and after feeling heartache, he felt sweet.
Even the simplest meal tasted fragrant.
Xue Niang hadn't slept well last night and yawned.
"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."
Xiao Shan had been on the mountain all day and hadn't spoken much to her since returning before she went to her room.
He needed to talk to her more, to tell her not to overexert herself at home and to rest when she needed to.
Also, sleeping in separate rooms was too torturous. This way, they had no time to spend together.
Xue Niang reached the doorway and turned back to say, "You eat quickly. I think there are still mice in the room. You stay in the room and leave after I fall asleep."
Got it!
Xiao Shan quickly finished his meal, cleaned himself up, changed into clean clothes, and entered the bedroom.
Xue Niang was half-asleep, her eyes half-closed. Seeing Xiao Shan's shadow, she suddenly relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.
"Xue Niang?"
Was she that tired?
Xiao Shan looked at the unresponsive Xue Niang, frowned, and pulled the quilt up for her.
Her hand was outside, and some abrasions were exposed on one side. Xiao Shan's gaze sharpened, and he raised his hand to examine them.
Moving upwards, her elbow was actually bleeding, on both arms.
These injuries were likely caused by falling forward. Thinking of Liu Donghuai's words, could it be that Xue Niang fell because the clothes were too heavy?
It seemed they really couldn't let her wash outside anymore. Washing at home would suffice. It was just a matter of carrying a few more buckets of water!
She had probably applied some medicine, but the smell had faded. Xiao Shan applied another layer before carefully placing her arms back under the quilt.
He watched Xue Niang's sleeping face quietly for a long time, then carefully examined the patterns on her left cheek. Linglong said that this was harmless to the body, something similar to a chastity mark. He didn't know if it was true, but it was a poison anyway. He would ask other doctors if he had the chance to see if it could be removed.
Xiao Shan trimmed the candle wick. She slept alone, and in case of any accidents, the candle was always lit. It would be almost dawn when the candle burned out naturally.
Xiao Shan closed the door, gazed at the moon in the courtyard with a sigh, and then returned to the storeroom.
Meanwhile, at the home of the wealthiest family in Bozi Village, Liu Demao's house, things were not entirely peaceful.
The Liu family was the largest clan in the village, followed by the Wang family. Liu Demao was engaged in handicraft and had a shop in the county town. His son had also passed the imperial examination to become a scholar. He was a prominent figure in the village, and even the village chief showed him some respect.
Liu Demao's wife was also from the village, named Wang Cuilan. She usually spoke softly and appeared to be very well-mannered. However, she had only one son, Liu Donghuai. Her husband was busy outside all day, sometimes even staying in the city at night, so she focused all her attention on her son, managing every detail of his life.
Her son had been unwell these past few days, walking with a limp. He said he had fallen on his way to the academy, and she doted on him, serving him good soup and water.
Who knew that her son had said at noon today that he was going out to study for a while and would eat dinner when he returned. He hadn't come back, and she had frantically searched the entire Bozi Village. It wasn't until evening that she saw him.
He was standing and talking with the dreaded hunter Xiao, holding a wooden basin in his hand.