Shen Suqing was so angry that his vision went black for a moment.

Despite his terrible complexion, his raised finger to his forehead, and his seemingly swaying posture as if he might faint at any moment, the excited Wangcai continued to chatter on and on, trying to keep him company.

"I was wondering why the village chief asked me to repair your old house yesterday. It turns out it's because you're back, Brother Er Gou! Don't worry, Brother Er Gou, I've repaired all the roof tiles. It definitely won't leak anymore."

Wangcai patted his chest and gave his assurance.

Before the silent Shen Suqing could respond, Wangcai chuckled a few times and tentatively pointed to Zhan Xinjia, who was sitting next to him, lazily sunbathing her hair and trying hard to suppress her laughter.

His expression was very cautious, yet also contained a hint of anticipation.

"Brother Er Gou, is this little sister a friend you brought back? Um, can I play with her? Hehe! I've never seen such a cute little sister before, she looks like a cotton ball, so fun."

Play? What kind of play?

Zhan Xinjia, who was suddenly called upon, tilted her head in confusion.

Before she could figure it out, the next second, an arm suddenly came across her shoulder and pulled her back forcefully and without explanation until her back was against the young man's chest.

A chin rested on top of his head, and Master Shen's muffled voice came from above.

His tone was very cold.

"It's not very convenient; she doesn't like to hang out with outsiders."

"Brother Er Gou!..."

Wangcai was about to say something when he was interrupted by the sound of the door being pushed open.

Su Yun walked out of the main room with a bamboo basket on her arm.

Her expression was one of surprise, and her eyes betrayed a deep sense of disappointment.

“Brother Chen, are you moving back home? That house has been vacant for so many years, it must be quite troublesome to clean. Anyway, you won’t be staying here for long, so you might as well stay at my house.”

"No need to trouble yourself. Just ask the teacher to give my regards when he returns from the county, and I'll come to visit again tomorrow."

Shen Suqing meant no politeness.

He and Azhi had only returned to Linshui Village by chance while fleeing for their lives. The people from Dali Temple would probably be coming soon, so it was best not to disturb the other villagers for the time being.

It just so happens that Ah Zhi also needs to take good care of his leg injury, as his injury is not yet fully healed. Having a quiet place of his own would be much more comfortable.

Moreover...

Recalling something, Shen Suqing looked worried.

Despite Su Yun's repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, Shen Suqing, led by Wangcai, helped Azhi walk towards the old courtyard left by his parents.

He wanted to carry her on his back, but the wound on his abdomen was still aching and had not yet healed or scabbed over. If he asked Wangcai to carry her, he felt inexplicably restless and uneasy. Just thinking about it made his chest feel tight.

"Oh dear! I can still manage to use my right leg, so what's wrong with walking a few steps? As long as no one's malicious enough to kick my crippled, good leg, it's fine..."

Holding her breath, Zhan Xinjia stubbornly took Xiao Shen's arm and began the rehabilitation training for the disabled with a limp.

The old house of Xiao Shen's family was made of mud bricks, the kind of adobe bungalow that is very common in the countryside.

Although it's old and looks quite dilapidated, it can still be lived in after some cleaning.

The house had its own small yard with a fence covered with yellow mud, where unidentified wild grasses and flowers bloomed lushly and abundantly, rustling softly in the wind.

After Wangcai left, Zhan Xinjia was placed under a stone bench in the courtyard to continue sunbathing, while Master Shen rolled up his sleeves, picked up a broom, and went inside.

The diligent Snail Prince is now online.

She hadn't been sunbathing for long when a crowd of people suddenly surged up at the entrance of the courtyard.

"Oh! The top scholar from the Shen family has really come home. I haven't seen that kid Er Gou for many years."

"Oh my, this little girl is so cute, she looks like she was made of dough~ Come, come, Auntie has some glutinous rice cakes here, you can take them and eat with Er Gou, and Auntie will make more for you after you finish eating."

"I heard that both of them were injured. Young people are weak, how can they not take care of their bodies?! This is Uncle Li's old hen, I caught it. You two can either keep it to lay eggs or kill it to eat, it's up to you."

"If you need anything, just tell us, we're all one family. It's a pity that Old Shen and Xiao Wan passed away so early, without the blessing of having a child. If they knew in the afterlife that Er Gou brought back such a beautiful little girl, they would be overjoyed."

The villagers chatted amongst themselves, their simple faces beaming with kind smiles.

Whether it's an auntie with a headscarf, an uncle carrying a hoe who has just returned from the fields, or an elderly man and woman with hunched backs, every pair of eyes looking over them is filled with the loving kindness of elders.

Zhan Xinjia wanted to escape, but with her limp, she couldn't escape anywhere.

Faced with such a warm greeting, she was at a loss for words and could only sit there blushing and nod blankly.

Some people patted her head, others pinched her cheeks, and still others held her hands. People were crowding around her from all directions, and one by one, they couldn't resist touching her.

Zhan Xinjia's head was buzzing, and she was completely dazed. It took her a long time to stammer out, "I'm not made of dough."

Everyone burst into laughter.

After everyone left, when Shen Suqing came out after cleaning the house, she saw Azhi holding a chicken tied with a red rope in one hand and a newborn lamb in the other, while chewing a piece of osmanthus candy that someone had given her.

The little girl's hair, washed and dried, was fluffy and soft, with a few strands sticking up in a messy manner.

Her eyes were wet, and there were several mud marks from her fingers on her face. She looked at him blankly and helplessly like a fool.

Shen Suqing was stunned for a moment, then leaned against the door frame and chuckled softly.

The afternoon sun was warm, and the wind was gentle and the clouds were clear.

Ivy climbed the earthen wall, cicadas chirped incessantly, and a snow-white lamb lay in a makeshift hut made of straw, idly chewing on dry grass and occasionally letting out a soft "baa~".

In the warm sunshine, Zhan Xinjia sat on the steps, swinging her legs, which had little feeling.

Below the steps, the young man in the plain robe frowned slightly. His lowered eyelids obscured the thoughts in his eyes. His thin lips were pressed into a serious line. He raised his hand high, and with a flick of his sleeve, his movements were fluid and graceful.

Scatter a handful of rice.

"Hook, hook!" The old hen pecked at the rice happily.

The melancholy Grand Tutor of the capital city feeds chickens in the countryside.

"Brother Er Gou! Brother Er Gou!"

Outside the fence gate, Wangcai, having finished lunch, rushed over in a hurry, grinning and revealing a set of neat, bright teeth.

"My dad told me to show you around the village."

Shen Suqing originally intended to refuse, after all, he felt that his current mental state might require some quiet time, but he couldn't resist Ah Zhi's restlessness, which was like that of a child with ADHD.

By the time Shen Suqing came to his senses, he had already been dragged to the edge of the paddy field by the limping but determined Azhi. Beside him, Wangcai excitedly pointed out the landscape of the rice paddy.

“It’s the time to harvest the early rice right now, Brother Er Gou, let’s go help Aunt Wang tomorrow! How can she manage such a large plot of land all by herself?”

Shen Suqing coughed a few times, his face showing panic. He secretly glanced at the little girl beside him out of the corner of his eye.

In an attempt to preserve his dignity, he feigned indifference.

"Let's find someone else to help. I'm not familiar with this matter."

"??? Brother Er Gou, what are you pretending to be a city person for? You taught me how to harvest grain and plow the fields, didn't you? You used to be the rice transplanting expert in our village. Even the Li family of three, who worked all night and were exhausted to the point of vomiting blood, couldn't do farm work as fast as you. When you were ten years old, you were often borrowed by everyone to work in the fields like an old ox!"

Zhan Xinjia: "..."

Shen Suqing: "..."

Wangcai: "Brother Ergou, why are you angry?"

Shen Suqing: "No."

Wangcai: "But you look like an angry countryman right now."

Shen Suqing: "..."

He really wanted to pretend to faint and fall to the ground, but there was so much cow dung on the ridge that he decided against it.