Chapter 100 Taking in... It wasn't a strand of hair, but a sheet as thin as a strand of hair...
The man lay motionless on the bed, and Le Jin felt a growing sense of unease. "Aunt Xu, could you please find me a doctor?"
Aunt Xu nodded repeatedly, pointed to the yard and said, "The firewood is piled up outside the kitchen, young lady, please use it!"
Le Jin brought an empty basin from the kitchen, threw in three or four burning pieces of wood, and soon heard crackling sounds, with a few sparks occasionally popping out, only to be extinguished before they hit the ground.
The room warmed up.
The man on the bed weakly opened his eyes and his gaze fell on Le Jin.
"You're awake!" Le Jin blinked in surprise, brought a cup of hot water to his lips, and said, "Drink some hot water to warm yourself up."
The man, having endured the cold for an unknown amount of time, snatched the hot water like a vicious dog pouncing on its prey and gulped it down in one go.
Le Jin clicked her tongue slightly and whispered, "I have more than half a leftover steamed bun here, do you want it?"
The man put down his cup and glanced at the steamed bun that Le Jin had taken out of her bosom, hesitating slightly.
Le Jin thought he looked down on the steamed bun, so she hesitantly withdrew her outstretched hand and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Oh, right, I've eaten this before..."
However, before she could finish speaking, the steamed bun in her hand was snatched away, leaving only a few crumbs between Le Jin's fingers.
"Eat slowly..." She gently patted his back, afraid he would choke.
After wolfing down most of the steamed bun, the man seemed much more energetic and even said "thank you" to Le Jin.
He could eat, drink, and talk. Le Jin finally felt relieved and gently asked him, "What's your name? How did you end up collapsed on the road?"
"Gold and silk."
The man uttered a name, his eyes darting beneath his thin eyelids. Suddenly realizing something, he immediately covered his burned face with his hands, turned his back to Le Jin, who was lying on the edge of the bed watching him.
"I'm sorry...did I scare you?"
The man curled up, looking extremely pitiful.
Le Jin quickly said, "No, no! I'm not afraid! I just want to know what happened to you so I can take you home."
“I…I have no home anymore. An accidental fire burned down my home and my family. I survived by the skin of my teeth and ended up wandering here.”
Le Jin let out a soft "ah," not expecting that what happened to this man was even worse than what happened to the girls at the distillery.
He was a helpless and penniless man.
Just as Le Jin was about to comfort him, Aunt Xu returned with the doctor.
The doctor placed two fingers on the man's pulse, his brows furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with shock.
"This young man's condition is truly rare! It must be due to years of emotional distress combined with old injuries both inside and outside his body. It's a miracle he survived!"
Le Jin blinked hard. What kind of life did this man lead before?!
“My family members are difficult to get along with. I’ve been beaten since I can remember. I can’t escape it every day… Over the years, I’ve accumulated both physical and emotional wounds.”
The man's breath was weak as he explained to the doctor in broken sentences, his tone as casual as if he were talking about sunrise and sunset. Le Jin listened from the side, her heart heavy with resentment.
Perhaps that fire even saved someone who was in such a terrible state.
She asked the doctor, "Is there any way to cure it?"
The doctor stroked his beard, his face hesitant. "This... I'm afraid it's difficult. Your heart is too broken, and your heart meridians are already damaged. Even when you were in better condition before, you could only barely manage. Now... I can only prescribe a medicine to alleviate the symptoms. As for a full recovery, there is no hope for you in this lifetime."
Le Jin's lips parted slightly, but she remained speechless.
It's so serious it's incurable?!
She looked at the man named Jin Bo, her eyes filled with pity and sympathy. What kind of abuse and torment had he suffered in the past? A grown man, now reduced to a "paper lantern."
As Le Jin was immersed in her distress, Jin Bo suddenly gave a pale smile.
"My wife, there's no need for that. I know my own body. As long as I can still breathe, everything is fine."
The doctor wrote down a prescription for recuperating and gave it to Le Jin, telling her to quickly get the medicine. However, Le Jin was new to Qingxi Town and unfamiliar with the area, so she entrusted the task to Aunt Xu.
Once the door closed, only the two of them remained in the room.
Jin Bo forced himself to sit up, cupped his hands and thanked Le Jin profusely, saying, "Your kindness in rescuing me is already commendable, and now you've even prepared medicine for me. I truly don't know how to repay you..."
He swallowed hard and said timidly, "If you don't mind, young lady, I am willing to serve you with all my heart and soul."
Huh? This way of repaying a debt of gratitude is too grand... Le Jin had no intention of becoming a slave owner, so she quickly waved her hand: "No, no, no, I don't want anything from you, don't worry."
Disappointment flickered in Jin Bo's eyes, and his voice became even softer, as if he were afraid: "I'm too ugly, so ugly that no one wants me..."
He covered his face again, and his worn-out, thin sleeve was rubbed, revealing a similarly gruesome scar on his forearm.
Le Jin bit her lip, unable to bear it, thinking: This man is homeless and has nowhere to go. The doctor said he has a heartache. I have repeatedly refused him. What if he has a relapse? Wouldn't that be doing more harm than good?
“Okay, you can come with me. But!” Le Jin pulled his sleeve to carefully cover his wound, looking into his eyes and emphasizing, “Take your medicine properly, rest and recuperate, and save your life.”
Jin Bo looked up, his dark eyes shining brightly, reflecting the two tiny Le Jin figures. He smiled, "Alright, I'll do as you say, Miss."
"No need to call me 'Miss' all the time, just call me Le Jin."
"...Le Jin?"
Jin Bo looked at her and asked a question, seemingly questioning whether she had other names. However, Le Jin knew she was just feeling guilty; he had only repeated the name, how could he really know she had used other names?
"right."
Jin Bo's deathly pale lips gradually turned a pale red, and he smiled faintly, "A good name."
His breath was weak, but his tone was very serious. This was the first time in her life that someone had so earnestly praised her name. Her heart felt like it had been burned, and she felt happy but also a little uneasy.
She suspected that it was Jin Bo's long, delicate eyelashes that made her otherwise ordinary eyes appear somewhat alluring.
——
After the medicine stove was heated four times, Jinbo was able to get out of bed and walk around.
Le Jin breathed a sigh of relief for him, and the turmoil in her heart could finally be resolved.
She came to Qingxi Town on behalf of Jiang Yingyun, and had important business to attend to. However, Jin Bo was bedridden and unable to take care of himself, requiring constant attention, and Le Jin simply couldn't leave him.
Now that he can get out of bed, Le Jin can also go and see the girls at the winery.
Can I come with you?
When Jin Bo saw that she was about to leave, he immediately became nervous and stood awkwardly in front of Le Jin, pursing his lips.
"this……"
The weather was getting colder and colder, so Le Jin wore an extra thick cotton coat when she went out. She was tying it with her head down. "It's not that I don't want to take you with me, it's just that your health isn't suitable for going out."
She's only just started to feel better; it's not safe for her to go out in the wind again.
"Are you alone? You think you can just stand in the wind? What if you collapse too? What if you run into bad people?"
Jin Bo bombarded Le Jin with questions, and she suddenly realized that he was so clingy, like a little dog that would bark as soon as its owner left.
However, it's normal for someone recovering from a serious illness to have a dependency complex, so Le Jin didn't hold it against him.
“I’m not alone. Aunt Xu is with me, and the girls I meet are all poor girls. There won’t be any bad people.”
"You just don't want me, right..."
Le Jin was surprised to hear this, and a question mark popped into her mind.
She was clearly explaining things properly; which of her words implied that she didn't want him?
"Who said that? Don't overthink it."
“But how do I know when you’ll be back? Or even if you’ll come back at all? You said yourself that you’re only staying in Qingxi Town temporarily and will leave soon, I…”
Jin Bo's voice trembled more and more, and he began to sway as if he couldn't stand up. Le Jin was so frightened that she quickly supported him, using her own body to brace him, afraid that he would fall down again.
"Stop, stop, stop! Don't think like that, I'll take you, okay!"
Jin Bo's body visibly stabilized when he said those words, but he did not stop Le Jin from helping him up. Instead, he continued to lean on her body as if nothing had happened.
The corners of his mouth turned up for a fleeting, imperceptible smile.
To reduce the risk of Jinbo falling ill again, Lejin did not take him to see Aunt Xu, but instead went to the home of the second girl they had visited last time.
"Is Madam Cui feeling better?"
As soon as Le Jin arrived, Cui Niangzi's two younger sisters brought her stools and poured her water. However, they were small and had difficulty carrying the water jugs. Le Jin quickly told them to stop, picked up the two little girls and hugged them, praising them for being so well-behaved.
As Cui Niangzi lay half-reclined on the bed watching this scene, a hint of relief appeared on her usually indifferent face.
“Those two are the most well-behaved, it’s a pity they were born into our family…” Madam Cui coughed twice, coughing away even that little bit of comfort, her eyes empty and numb.
Le Jinsheng felt a sense of empathy, so he let the two little girls go to the fire pit to warm themselves, and then leaned closer to Cui Niangzi and whispered, "I came here on behalf of your boss. If you have any grievances, you can tell me."
Madam Cui shook her head, "We've received enough kindness from Boss Jiang, how dare we complain about being wronged?"
"But the situation at the winery this year is clearly not right..."
Cui Niangzi glanced at Le Jin, then at her younger sister warming herself by the fire, and ultimately said nothing.
Why didn't you say anything? Le Jin was completely bewildered, her vision blurred as if covered in lard. Inside the Cui family's thatched hut, only the howling wind could be heard, the biting cold mixed with snow penetrating to the bone.
After a moment of silence, Jin Bo, who had been quiet all along, suddenly spoke up.
"Madam Cui dares not speak because you cannot afford to offend the person who caused you so much trouble this winter, right? Although the boss above cares about you, she can't be there for you every day. It's always been that way, the King of Hell is easier to see than his underlings."
Le Jin thought there was some truth to what he said, and when she looked at Cui Niangzi, she saw that she was trembling with fear, clearly having been hit the nail on the head.
Jin Bo picked up a piece of dead wood from behind, poked it at the broken branches and twigs in the brazier, and continued, "The distillery gives out winter subsidies every year, but this year there's been a problem. Actually, we could find out the truth by just checking who handled those subsidies, but this person can directly manage and arrange things for you, and even decide your fate, so all the exploited girls dare not speak out."
Le Jin suddenly realized, "The person who manages the winery in Qingxi Town is Aunt Xu!"
A clear gasp rang out, and Madam Cui grasped Le Jin's hand, shaking her head desperately: "Never mind, never mind..."
Le Jin was exasperated. "Tell me! Why are you tolerating her? I'm going back to Luoyang to find Boss Jiang. She can fire Aunt Xu right away."
"It can't be opened."
Jin Bo interrupted Le Jin calmly, "That Aunt Xu probably wasn't just hired temporarily to manage the distillery. She's someone who's worked her way up step by step, and she knows every part of the distillery inside and out. Besides, she can go to Luojing alone to discuss the situation with Boss Jiang. With her abilities, any action she takes will definitely harm the distillery's operations."
Le Jin was impressed but didn't understand, but she believed in Yingyun's character, "If she can protect the poor and weak female workers, this loss is worthwhile."
Jin Bo's gaze shifted from the brazier to Le Jin, as if he were laughing at her naivety, his eyes curving like crescent moons.
"That's one way, but there's a better way."
Le Jin and Cui Niangzi exchanged a glance and asked in unison, "What method?"
“We should bring in other people, or promote some to gradually weaken and sideline Aunt Xu’s power. At the same time, we should keep an eye on her actions to see if she continues to embezzle funds. We should only convict Aunt Xu after the distillery has transitioned smoothly. This way, we can avoid alerting her. If we take action against her right away, she will completely swallow up all the money she has embezzled, and we won’t be able to get it back at all.”
"Furthermore, the fact that she dared to tamper with the subsidies shows that there are some loopholes in the management of the distillery, at least it won't pass the inspection. This is because Boss Jiang is too trusting of women and has forgotten that everyone is prone to greed. Next, it would be best to select a few inspectors in each distillery to supervise different distilleries, with Boss Jiang independently leading them. This will temporarily curb the trend of embezzlement."
Jin Bo sat there, a small brazier illuminating his entire body in a golden-red glow. Le Jin stared at him blankly, completely shocked.
"Jin Bo, how do you know so much???"
He hadn't even visited the winery or met Aunt Xu, yet he could grasp the essence of the matter and arrange all of this with just a few words. Le Jin's eyes practically lit up when she looked at him.
Jin Bo smiled sheepishly, "I only had a few years of schooling before."
Le Jin excitedly pounded her thigh; she knew that reading more books was always a good thing!
"However, with so many methods, can this kind of embezzlement only be stopped temporarily?"
Jin Bo nodded. "Everyone is greedy; it just depends on whether the opportunity arises. Very few people can remain honest and upright throughout their lives."
"What if someone commits evil again after that?"
"Respond to each move as it comes."
Jin Bo spoke casually, yet he seemed to understand people's hearts like a chess piece, knowing exactly where each move would be made.
Le Jin looked at him and exclaimed, "Jin Bo, you are amazing."
“Then…” Jin Bo paused for a moment, then suddenly coughed again, covering his mouth with his fist.
"Hey!" Le Jin's expression changed, and she stepped forward to squat down next to Jin Bo. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Unexpectedly, their eyes met.
Jin Bo's eyes slowly flowed with tenderness, like the gentle ripples of spring water, and Le Jin's heart skipped a beat.
"Can we go back now?"
He was pleading with her, offering such a sophisticated method just so she could take him home as soon as possible.
Le Jin couldn't describe what it felt like when her heart skipped a beat; she only felt a tingling sensation all over her body and instinctively turned her head away.
"Um."
The two walked through the vast snowfield, their footprints of varying depths and sizes side by side.
As the cold wind blew, the turmoil in Le Jin's heart gradually subsided.
She's already married to Yuanfang, a married woman, so why is her heart suddenly racing like this? Aren't she ashamed?
Le Jin despised herself and silently distanced herself from Jin Bo.
Before long, Jinbo suddenly tumbled forward, half of himself falling into the snow.
"Gold and silk!"
Le Jin helped him up, and Jin Bo laughed self-deprecatingly, "I'm so useless, I can even trip over a stone..."
"Where did you hurt yourself?"
Le Jin glanced around at the snow beneath her feet. The snow was ankle-deep, making it impossible to see the path underneath. Jin Boren was feeling unwell again…
With the greater good at hand, Le Jin temporarily set aside those matters of male-female conflict.
She supported Jin Bo's forearm, her palm tightly gripping his wrist, their arms pressed together.
"If I carry you, you won't be afraid of falling!"
Le Jin was open and honest, but Jin Bo lowered his head shyly and only said "Thank you".
Back in the small courtyard where they had settled down, both of them were covered in snow. Le Jin bent down and patted herself off, quickly shaking off the snow.
She felt a gentle pat on the head, and when she looked up, she saw Jin Bo's gentle, smiling eyes again.
There's still snow here, but you can't see it.
He gently brushed the snowflakes from Yue Jin's hair, his movements natural and intimate, as if they had known each other for many years.
Le Jin's face felt a little hot, and her eyes darted around erratically. When her gaze swept over Jin Bo's neck, she suddenly noticed something strange.
Jinbo has an extremely thin line on his chin that connects to behind his ear, looking like a strand of hair.
Le Jin frowned slightly, and took a closer look while he was brushing the snow off her.
Her heart was in her throat.
That wasn't a strand of hair; it was a sheet of skin as thin as a hair.
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Author's Note: The main story will end tomorrow [crying][crying][crying] I'm so reluctant to say goodbye, waa ...
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