Chapter 22
Back inside, Lu Ling expressed his doubts, "Looking at Aunt Zhao's expression just now, I felt like she didn't want to rebuild the school."
Chen Wangyou took Lu Ling in his arms, walked to the bedside, and said, "Maybe you're afraid of triggering feelings and don't want to face it."
Lu Ling nodded, hoping that things were indeed as Shen Wangyou said.
Aunt Zhao quickly brought the villagers' suggestions.
"No one has any objection to the construction of the school. They are all happy that their children can go to school."
"What about the labor for construction?" Lu Ling asked, expressing his concern.
Aunt Zhao waved her hand and said with a smile, "Don't worry. We'll gather the villagers to work together and it will be done in a few days."
Lu Ling's eyebrows lit up, his lips curled up, and he said happily, "That's great."
As he spoke, Lu Ling also shook Shen Wangyou’s hand.
Seeing Lu Ling like this, Shen Wangyou also laughed heartily.
"It's just..." Aunt Zhao suddenly spoke. Lu Ling was startled, his smile froze, and he looked at Aunt Zhao with a frown.
"Everyone in the village has been busy with farming lately, so I'm afraid it won't be possible during this period."
"Then is there anything we can do to help? Once the farming is finished, there's no rush for us to build the school." Shen Wangyou said.
"I'm afraid you won't." Aunt Zhao saw that the two men were not physically fit enough to work in the fields for a long time, and was worried that they would not be able to adapt.
Lu Ling was eager to help, so he quickly said, "It's okay, we can learn, and we won't cause you any trouble."
Since the school hasn't been built yet, it's okay to go and help, Lu Ling thought.
Seeing how persistent the two were, Aunt Zhao nodded reluctantly.
After dinner, Lu Ling and Shen Wangyou followed Aunt Zhao and Zhao Zhenzhen out.
Walking to the fields, I saw people in simple clothes working in the fields. A breeze blew by, bringing bursts of fragrance and a touch of coolness to the people working in the fields.
"Aunt Zhao, what do you need us to do?" Lu Ling asked.
Aunt Zhao looked around for a long time, pointed to the bucket next to her, and said, "Wait until I plant these pepper seedlings, then you can water them."
"What about me?" Shen Wangyou stood beside them for a long time, but neither of them seemed to notice him, as if he didn't exist.
Aunt Zhao smiled awkwardly and said, "Just wait until the water in the bucket is gone and then go get some water from the river over there."
Aunt Zhao pointed to the river in the distance and said.
Several people worked in this way, each dividing the work. Some planted, some watered, and when it was time to fetch water, they went to fetch water.
The most comfortable person was Zhao Zhenzhen, who was standing aside and watching. When she got tired of watching, she would lie down under a tree and take a nap. After she had a good sleep, she would go to play with her friends next to her.
Lu Ling watched Aunt Zhao's planting techniques for a long time, then handed the gourd to Shen Wangyou and started working himself.
By the end, Lu Ling's hands were covered in mud, some of which had dried on his hands and needed water to wash off.
Lu Ling went to the river to wash his hands, and just as he stood up, Shen Wangyou came over.
“You…” Before the words could be said, Shen Wangyou took Lu Ling’s hand, took out a handkerchief from his chest, and wiped Lu Ling’s wet hands dry.
Lu Ling was attracted by the handkerchief in Shen Wangyou's hand, which was embroidered with a plum blossom.
Lu Ling still remembered that it was embroidered by her for him.
She thought Shen Wangyou had thrown it away long ago, but she didn't expect that he had kept it all the time.
"It's not good to keep your hands wet." Shen Wangyou looked at Lu Ling with a smile.
As if knowing what Lu Ling wanted to ask, Shen Wangyou stared at Lu Ling and said gently: "I lost it that day, but later I found it back."
Found you back too.
Lu Ling didn’t say anything, just stared at Shen Wangyou steadily.
Only after his hands were wiped dry did Lu Ling come back to his senses.
"Falling into the pond and getting covered in mud, how can you wash it so clean?" Lu Ling's question seemed to be asked to Shen Wangyou, but in fact it was asked to himself.
Shen Wangyou didn't know what Lu Ling was thinking, so she told the truth, "I picked it up later and washed it for a long time. It's a little wrinkled, but fortunately it's clean now."
Lu Ling lowered his eyes and said calmly, "It's good as long as it can be washed clean."
*
"Aunt Zhao, does everyone own the land we are cultivating today?"
When Lu Ling was helping out today, she noticed that there were many people in the field. She originally thought that it was only Aunt Zhao's land, but as more and more people came, Lu Ling became confused.
Aunt Zhao sighed, sat on a stool and said, "There's not much land in the village. We only have this little bit of land, and the little bit we grow rice on the east side of the river. Fortunately, there aren't many people in the village, so we can barely fill our stomachs."
"Have you ever thought about reclaiming the land next to it?" Lu Ling asked.
Aunt Zhao frowned, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Miss Aling, this is easier said than done. When we first arrived here, there were many able-bodied men in the village. They were the ones who reclaimed the land we have now, but things are not like they used to be."
Lu Ling didn't understand why it was easy then but not now.
"Did something happen?" Lu Ling asked softly.
"When we first arrived here, there were many people here. Everyone worked together, some building houses and some reclaiming wasteland. Within three months, this place looked brand new and had a lively atmosphere."
Aunt Zhao rubbed her legs and said, "But it didn't take long before many people got tired of this kind of life. They felt that it was just working from sunrise to sunset, with no excitement at all. So they brought their families and moved back here."
Lu Ling had never expected this to happen. "But didn't you come here to avoid disaster?"
"It's not all about avoiding disaster. Some people are tired of their original lives and just want to seek novelty. I only found out about this later."
"So that's how it is." Lu Ling nodded, her eyes empty. It turns out there are still people who don't like a comfortable life, she thought.
When Lu Ling returned to the house, he talked about this matter with Shen Wangyou, but Shen Wangyou didn't seem to care.
"A Ling, we are guests. Although we are helping them, what if the people here don't appreciate it? We can't make things difficult for Aunt Zhao."
Shen Wangyou took Lu Ling's hand, asked her to sit on the bed, and helped her take off the hairpin on her head. It was a wooden hairpin that Shen Wangyou made for her two days ago, and there was a plum blossom on it.
Her black hair was like a waterfall. The wind blew outside, her clothes fluttered, and the hair around her waist flew in the wind. The moonlight shone on Lu Ling's back, and her whole face was sunken in the darkness, with her hair floating, appearing and disappearing.
Shen Wangyou paused, staring at Lu Ling infatuatedly, unable to speak for a moment.
Suddenly, Lu Ling felt a kiss on his forehead. The warm lips stayed on his forehead for a long time before leaving.
Looking up at Shen Wangyou, she met his affectionate eyes.
"you……"
Before Lu Ling could finish his words, Shen Wangyou spoke up, "A Ling, I didn't mean it. I was just moved by my emotions. Don't blame me." Don't hate me.
Shen Wangyou didn't say the last sentence.
Seeing Shen Wangyou's panic, Lu Ling couldn't help but laugh and said, "I don't blame you, it's just that while we were talking, how come..."
Lu Ling's face turned red and he was too embarrassed to continue.
Although she and Shen Wangyou had been engaged before, they had always been emotional and polite. The most intimate time they had ever had was just a hug. She didn't expect that this man would kiss her today.
It was Lu Ling who teased Shen Wangyou first, but every time he teased Shen Wangyou, Lu Ling's cheeks would become hot.
Lu Ling could only sigh that he had too little experience, as he met Chen Wangyou at the age when he was just beginning to fall in love.
Shen Wangyou coughed awkwardly, picked up the comb to help Lu Ling comb his hair, and continued the previous topic, "If they don't want to do it, why should we force them."
Lu Ling looked at the ground. "I'm not forcing anyone. I see that Aunt Zhao is quite happy about it, but I feel that she has some concerns."
Shen Wangyou put down the comb in his hand, squatted down, looked into Lu Ling’s eyes, and said, “Then let’s not rush it, let’s see what Aunt Zhao is worried about, and then see if we can do it, okay?”
Lu Ling thought for a moment, nodded and agreed.
Then, Lu Ling seemed to have thought of something and asked Shen Wangyou, “Are you tired of carrying water today?”
Shen Wangyou shook his head and said with a smile: “I’m not so weak that I can’t even carry water.”
Lu Ling looked at Shen Wangyou and smiled.
"How about we dig a canal there to bring the river water to the fields, so we don't have to carry it back and forth."
Lu Ling smiled and looked at Shen Wangyou steadily. After a long while, he heard Shen Wangyou say, "Okay, I'll go ask Aunt Zhao tomorrow."
"good."
Shen Wangyou left the house, and Lu Ling didn't think much about it. He planned to take off his coat and go to bed. After working in the fields for a long time today, Lu Ling felt very tired.
As soon as he took off his coat, Shen Wangyou came back with a basin of water in his hand, with steam still floating on the water.
"A Ling, come and soak your feet." Shen Wangyou put the basin beside the bed and asked Lu Ling to sit on the bed.
There were no extra stools in the room, so the two of them sat on the edge of the bed when they needed to sit.
Shen Wangyou squatted down, took off Lu Ling's shoes and socks, reached out to test the water temperature, and then put Lu Ling's feet into the water.
Lu Ling was a little embarrassed at first, but Shen Wangyou told her it was okay and told her not to be afraid or have any concerns, so she accepted it.
Lu Ling looked down at Shen Wangyou's movements, as if a warmth filled his heart. The temperature of the water spread from his feet to his whole body little by little, and Lu Ling felt comfortable all over.
"A Ling, are you tired today?" Shen Wangyou asked while massaging Lu Ling's feet.
Lu Ling nodded slowly and said, "Not bad."
"If you're tired, you can take a rest. It's okay."
"Um."
"Have you washed?"
"I'll wash it after you finish washing it."
"When did you boil the water?" Lu Ling asked Shen Wangyou.
"Just now when you were talking to Aunt Zhao."
The slender, white feet like jade were placed on Shen Wangyou's legs and wiped again and again.
When wiping a certain spot, Lu Ling felt an itch on his foot and shrank back.
"I, I'll do it myself." Lu Ling felt a little uncomfortable. After all, this was the first time someone washed her feet.
In the past, at the Lu Mansion, although there were many maids serving him, Lu Ling never asked them to wash his feet. Lu Ling felt that this was an extremely private matter.
But today Shen Wangyou helped her wash, and she didn’t feel it anymore.
Shen Wangyou didn’t listen to Lu Ling and helped Lu Ling wipe it dry.
Lu Ling lay on the bed, feeling his heart beating like thunder, while Shen Wangyou ran outside dejectedly to get some water.
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