Zhong Xiaoxiao wanted to say something more, about Song Xingzhi, about the bits and pieces she had heard or figured out on her own.
Zhang Chunxue's heart felt like it was being grabbed by an invisible hand. It felt sore, swollen, and a little breathless.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, forced a smile, and interrupted her daughter: "Okay, okay, stop talking about this nonsense."
"Hold Yuanyuan first and be careful not to let her get caught in the wind. This child is very precious." Zhang Chunxue tried to keep her tone as calm as possible and quickly changed the subject.
When Zhong Xiaoxiao heard this, her attention shifted, and she nodded quickly: "Yes! Mom, I understand!"
She wrapped her little niece in her arms a little tighter, and pressed her little face against the swaddling clothes, feeling the softness and warmth.
The two of them walked one in front and one behind, and walked upstream along the river bank for a while.
The pool here is deeper than downstream and the water is clearer. You can see the swaying water plants at the bottom of the water and the occasional small fish swimming by.
Zhang Chunxue stopped, put the bamboo basket and net bag on the shore, and rolled up his trouser legs neatly, revealing his thin but strong calves.
The icy river water is so cold that it's freezing.
Zhong Xiaoxiao felt distressed when she saw this and quickly stepped forward: "Mom, the water is cold, I'd better go down! I'm young and not afraid of the cold!"
Zhang Chunxue turned around and looked at her daughter's serious and worried face. Her heart warmed a little, but her face became stern.
"Nonsense! How can a mother stand on the shore and let her daughter splash in cold water? Hold Yuanyuan and stand back to avoid splashing the water on the child."
Zhong Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, knowing that she couldn't persuade her mother, but her eyes were a little red.
Zhang Chunxue held the rocks on the shore with one hand and held a small net bag with the other, carefully exploring the water.
The stones in the pool were slippery and she almost slipped several times.
She held her breath, her eyes fixed on the movement beneath the water.
I searched for a long time and finally my hard work paid off!
"Splash!" She quickly grabbed a palm-sized crucian carp and put it into the net bag.
Then, there was another smaller one.
A look of joy appeared on Zhang Chunxue's face. He fumbled in the cracks of the rocks for a while and actually caught a few fat loaches.
She went ashore contentedly, her feet covered in mud and icy cold.
"Mom, we caught him!" Zhong Xiaoxiao shouted happily.
Zhang Chunxue poured the fish and loaches into the bamboo basket. Looking at the lively fish, she felt much happier.
"Well, there are some gains!"
Because her feet were all wet and her shoes were covered in mud, she simply didn't wear them. She just carried them in her hands, carrying the bamboo basket on her back, and walked back with Zhong Xiaoxiao.
The mother and daughter walked back to the village along the same path they came from. The morning mist had mostly dissipated and the sky was getting brighter.
Zhang Chunxue walked barefoot on the ridge of the field. Although it was a bit painful, she didn't care.
Just as she reached the gravel road at the entrance of the village, she felt a sudden pain in the sole of her foot, as if she had stepped on something sharp.
"Hiss—" She gasped and stopped.
Zhong Xiaoxiao quickly supported her: "Mom, what's wrong?"
Zhang Chunxue lifted her foot and saw that a sharp piece of gravel had cut a hole in the sole of her foot, and bright red blood was oozing out.
"Mom! You're bleeding! There's such a big cut!" Zhong Xiaoxiao was so scared that her face turned pale and her voice became tearful.
Zhang Chunxue frowned, but waved her hand nonchalantly: "It's okay, just a minor injury. I'll just go back and apply some wood ash to it and it will be fine."
She had been hurt so many times before.
Just after turning a corner, he ran into Song Xingzhi who was coming back from washing clothes.
He was carrying a bucket of freshly washed clothes, obviously having just returned from the river.
When he saw Zhang Chunxue and Zhong Xiaoxiao, he was stunned for a moment and subconsciously wanted to look away.
As soon as he lowered his head, he saw the wound on Zhang Chunxue's foot, and his face changed immediately.
Song Xingzhi's voice also became deeper: "Your foot is injured? Why didn't you treat the bleeding?"
He put down the barrel, squatted down and wanted to check.
Zhang Chunxue subconsciously stepped back, a look of discomfort on her face. "It's okay, Clerk Song. I just scratched it accidentally."
Song Xingzhi frowned, his tone unquestionable: "This is no small matter! In such a day, if the wound is not treated properly, it will easily become infected!"
He stood up and picked up the bucket: "Come with me, let's go to the river to rinse and bandage it properly."
Zhang Chunxue's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly shook her head, "No, no, there's really no need to trouble Secretary Song. I can handle it myself when I get home."
She really didn't want to have too much contact with him, especially in public.
Song Xingzhi looked at her evasive gaze, sighed slightly in his heart, and his voice became a little more bitter: "Chunxue... Sister-in-law, I know you may not like me, but you have to treat this wound quickly, otherwise you will be the one who suffers!"
He paused, and his voice slowed down: "Fellow villagers, even if there is nothing else, I can't just ignore what I saw."
After hearing what he said, Zhang Chunxue felt it was difficult to refuse firmly, and the stinging pain in the soles of her feet also made her a little hesitant.
She bit her lip and finally said "hmm" softly, which was her tacit agreement.
Seeing that she agreed, Song Xingzhi immediately led her to the river not far away, and Zhong Xiaoxiao hurriedly followed with the child in her arms.
When they reached a large, clean bluestone by the river, Song Xingzhi asked Zhang Chunxue to sit down, while he carefully held up her feet.
Zhang Chunxue only felt her cheeks getting hot and her toes curled up.
Song Xingzhi seemed unaware of her embarrassment and carefully helped her clean the mud around the wound with the cool river water.
His movements were very gentle, for fear of hurting her.
After washing it clean, he took out a brand new white handkerchief from his coat pocket and carefully pressed the wound for her. Then he tore open the lining of his freshly washed coat which still smelled of soap, tore off a clean strip of cloth, and carefully bandaged her wound.
Zhang Chunxue looked at him with his head down and focused, and her heart trembled inexplicably.
After bandaging the wound, Song Xingzhi looked at her still wet feet again, took off his coat directly, and used his dry lining to wipe her feet clean.
Then he picked up the cloth shoes she had placed aside and gently helped her put them on.
Zhang Chunxue was completely stunned. She didn't expect Song Xingzhi to be so... bold!
This action is too intimate!
She was startled and looked up at Zhong Xiaoxiao.
Fortunately, Zhong Yuanyuan in Zhong Xiaoxiao's arms was probably hungry and suddenly started to cry and whimper. Zhong Xiaoxiao was busy coaxing the child and didn't notice the situation here at all.
Zhang Chunxue finally breathed a sigh of relief, but her heartbeat just wouldn't calm down.
"Okay, sister-in-law." After Song Xingzhi finished all this, he raised his head, his expression becoming more and more gentle. He stretched out his hand to Zhang Chunxue: "The ground is cold, let me help you up."
Zhang Chunxue looked at his outstretched hand, which had distinct joints, and was warm and strong.
(End of this chapter)
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