Chapter 95 Quenching Thirst Catch the hot tears with your lips.

Lin Meizhu was nearly vomiting from the jolting. She clutched her chest to calm her pounding heart. After a while, she finally could see clearly again. She couldn't even remember how she got off the horse. She touched her face, which was covered in cold sweat but no blood. She then touched her arms and legs; they were still intact and pain-free. It seemed she hadn't fallen.

She collapsed as if she had lost her strength, but a pair of arms firmly supported her from behind and helped her sit on the soft grass.

Lin Meizhu finally found the strength to speak again. Her voice was hoarse from shouting. She asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you crazy?"

Shen Changfeng smiled with his white teeth and said, "I'm so happy!"

Lin Meizhu grabbed him by the collar and pushed him hard to the ground. She grabbed a handful of dirt and smeared it on his face, gritting her teeth and saying, "Happy! Happy! I told you to be happy! You lunatic! Can't you express your happiness in a normal way? Why are you spreading hysteria on me?"

Shen Changfeng smiled and rolled around with her in his arms. The fine dust was blown away by the wind. He smelled the fragrance of tender green grass on her fingertips and thought it smelled quite nice.

Lin Meiju became furious. She bent her knees and pushed the man up again. She twisted her waist, and the two changed positions again. This time Shen Changfeng didn't have time to dodge. Sand got into his eyes and mouth, and he choked twice before he stopped the ferocious little leopard.

Tears welled up in Shen Changfeng's eyes. He gripped her wrist tightly to prevent her from moving, still smiling, "Why don't you ask me why I'm so happy?"

Lin Meizhu indeed stopped and looked at Shen Changfeng, whose smile never faded. She had a vague guess in her mind, and Shen Changfeng blinked at her to show his confirmation.

"Found Xiaoman?!"

Shen Changfeng nodded and replied, "Yes, I found her."

Lin Meizhu paused for a moment, blinked a few times, and then tears began to fall. She wiped her tears and choked with sobs: "Good to find him. I'm happy. I should be happy. I found Xiaoman. I'm going to go back and tell Auntie. She can rest assured..."

Shen Changfeng sat up and took the person sitting on his lap to his arms, wiping away her tears. He listened quietly to her incoherent words, gently stroking her back to soothe her breath, and with his other hand he went to find her hand and held it tightly.

Whenever she cried, his heart couldn't help but feel sour.

Her feelings for Xiaoman went far beyond that of master and servant, and were not like those of an ordinary sister towards her younger sister. She allowed Xiaoman to grow up freely, almost to the point of indulgence and doting.

Sometimes he felt that she treated Xiaoman as her childhood self.

In this family, she has an elder sister who is independent, good at business and tolerant of everyone; a mother who has been with her for more than ten years and has never abandoned her; a grandfather with a bad temper but who always thinks of the younger generation; and an older brother.

Everyone in this family loves her.

I'm afraid she herself didn't even realize that she was trying to make up for her past self through Xiaoman.

Only this could explain why she was so worried and terrified, losing her appetite for days and nights, and even mumbling in her dreams during her brief naps in the pavilion, "Xiaoman, don't be afraid."

She compensated the love she lacked in herself a hundredfold and a thousandfold by giving it to another child, thereby filling in the missing piece of her childhood.

Shen Changfeng hugged her, tucked her into his arms like a child, lowered his head and stroked her cheek, as if responding to a silent call from many years ago, whispering in her ear over and over again: "Lin Meizhu, don't be afraid, Lin Meizhu, don't be afraid..."

Don't be afraid, no matter what happens, don't be afraid, I will always be by your side.

Lin Meiju listened to Shen Changfeng's story of finding Xiaoman. When she heard that he had sent her to Lin County, her eyelids twitched slightly.

Shen Changfeng recalled the scene and curled his lips. "I didn't expect her to have walked such a long way, almost to Shishou County. When I found her, she was still conscious and not even afraid of my hounds... But then she developed a fever. I heard you mention her childhood illness, so I didn't dare delay and sent her to Shishou County for medical treatment."

"Besides, our identities are sensitive, so it's not good to send her back in a big way. Wait until she's better, and then have the government send her back. This will be safer for our family's reputation."

He lowered his eyes and saw Lin Meiju staring at him intently. Tears welled up in her eyes as her eyelashes fluttered, and a tear fell tremblingly from the corner of her eye.

Shen Changfeng gently brushed aside the wet, messy black hair at her temples, cupped her face, and caught the burning tear with his lips, then kissed her from the side of her face to her slightly red eyelids. Lin Meizhu didn't hide, but closed her eyes, tears becoming more and more violent, and she sobbed silently.

Shen Changfeng's breathing gradually became disordered, and the dampness was accompanied by heat, burning her back numb. He put his head behind her ear and said with a heavy breath, "Don't cry, you know, tears can't quench my thirst."

Lin Meiju calmed herself down, pushed away his hand which was becoming restless, and stood up.

To be fair, he was meticulous, efficient, and decisive. He had found her in just two days, far faster than she'd expected. And his arrangements were impeccable. He'd considered Xiaoman's past illness and her reputation, hiring a doctor and crafting a comprehensive explanation to prevent gossip. She should have been grateful and admired him, and their relationship should have grown closer. However, the opposite was true.

Lin Meizhu lowered her eyes, her voice muffled, perhaps because of her nasal tone, "I'm still a little worried."

Shen Changfeng saw that her brows were slightly furrowed, and thought that she was worried about Xiaoman's illness. "Do you want to go see her?"

Lin Meizhu looked up at him and shook her head: "I can't leave this place without me. I want to ask my grandfather to go over and take a look. He is also aware of Xiaoman's condition."

After finding Xiaoman, Aunt Zhang must have gone to Lin County. Now if Chen Huisheng is going there too... Shen Changfeng didn't say anything, but his relaxed brows were enough to show his joy. He replied, "Okay, then I'll send a few brothers to take them there."

Lin Meizhu replied: "Do you want to be beaten again?"

Shen Changfeng thought of the sturdy rattan stick in Chen Huisheng's hand, and his reply got stuck in his throat.

Lin Meizhu said, "It's not far from here to Lin County. The robbers are only targeting caravans that are profitable. If they leave quickly during the day, nothing will happen."

He felt very warmed that she could think of him like this, so he said yes and hugged her gently from behind. Lin Meizhu was about to struggle away when she heard him say in her ear, "Look ahead, do you like this gift I gave you?"

The two men had just ridden their horses for a long distance and now they had reached the top of the mountain. Looking around, they saw more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages loaded with goods slowly approaching the end of the winding mountain road under the lush forest.

Lin Meiju didn't know what he meant and was stunned for a moment.

Shen Changfeng chuckled and reminded her, "Count how many carriages there are?"

Lin Meizhu looked at the other banner under the leading black banner and saw the three words "Hui Sheng Tang" written on it. She had a vague suspicion in her heart. She counted silently a few times, but she couldn't believe it. She counted twice more and her voice trembled a little: "Are they all... the goods I lost?"

The wind gently rustled the wheat waves, and Shen Changfeng's voice fell into her ears, soft and warm. He hugged her tighter, his tone a little regretful, yet also revealing a little pride, "Three cars were used, I replaced them for you..."

The person in his arms didn't reply, as if frozen. Shen Changfeng kissed the top of her head and said, "What's wrong? Are you moved and stupid?"

The unique aura of Shen Changfeng enveloped Lin Meiju, like the wind under the scorching sun, carrying the unruly vitality of the wilderness, fiercely and hotly crashing into her mouth, nose, and lungs, invading her mind, disturbing her soul and making it restless. She was completely confused.

"See those trees along the official road? I specifically had my brothers plant them. By next spring, they should be shady. People from the county will have a place to rest and recuperate when they come and go on business. When the village has more money, I'll have my men build pavilions along the way..." He stroked Lin Meizhu's smooth cheek with his fingertips and sighed softly, "That way, you won't be exposed to the sun or rain."

"Don't worry about those bandits. Give me another three to five months, or maybe even sooner, and I'll wipe out their mountaintops. You won't have to be afraid anywhere..."

Lin Meiju suddenly remembered that many people in the county were forced to hang ownership signs of various mountain strongholds on their doors, and only Xiaolianzi Lane where she lived was not disturbed. This was not because they were lucky, but because he had been silently protecting her behind the scenes.

"During this period, Fubo Village will provide shelter to all caravans entering and leaving Jingzhou." As if knowing what Lin Meizhu wanted to ask, he continued with a smile, "There's no need for resettlement fees or other unnecessary expenses. We are different from those people."

His tone then became passionate. "Whatever the government should have done but didn't do, Fubo Village will do it. Whatever the government should have intervened in but didn't dare to intervene in, Fubo Village will intervene. Whatever the government should have killed but ignored and condoned, Fubo Village will strangle them all!"

His words hinted at a bloody, murderous tone, yet also carried a lofty aura that looked down upon the world. For a moment, she felt the old Shen Changfeng return, but now he was distinctly different. All the impulsiveness and recklessness of his youth had vanished. A deep, abyssal might and edge had merged into his blood, controlled by him with ease. He had grown into a mountain, towering and immovable, indestructible.

Infected by his high blood and fighting spirit, Lin Meiju's heart was buzzing softly, and she thought to herself: He is really doing things for the people.

Shen Changfeng knew very well that the bandits in Hubei had been growing stronger in recent years, and that the four neighboring provinces were gradually responding. There must be someone behind the scenes fanning the flames. He also had his own guesses about who was behind this, and those people had revealed their identities at the Xiangyang Lantern Festival. However, he was unwilling to tell her about these things and add to her worries and anxiety.

He would clear out all the evil spirits for her.

He took her hand and slowly drew a line northward along the mountain road. "Go that way and you'll reach Xunyang. After Xunyang, you'll reach Henan..." He gazed into the distance, leading her fingertips over one mountain after another in the distance. "Runing, Kaifeng, Huaiqing, and then going north, you'll reach Shanxi... There are many, many more places. When peace is restored, if you're willing, I'll take you to visit them one by one..."

Lin Meiju looked at the misty mountains and the floating clouds, but what came to her mind were the maps in the attic and the densely written small words on them. Thinking of what she was about to do, her heart began to pound, and she tried her best not to let her panic show.

Shen Changfeng counted the future of him and her, and felt that his tongue began to smell sweet. Although she still did not hug him back, it was harmless. She no longer resisted his closeness. He even kissed the side of her cheek.

He felt that things were going to get better.