dull
Time flows slowly in silence.
Xie Shangjia cooperated with every acupuncture and every bowl of medicine. His body was like a withered seedling that had been thirsty for a long time and finally received a rain. Under Shen Qianyue's meticulous care and Shen Yanhui's exquisite medical skills, he gradually recovered his vitality.
Xie Shangjia was leaning on a soft pillow, staring at the dancing sunlight outside the window in a daze.
Shen Qianyue walked in carrying a delicate white porcelain bowl and placed the tray on the low table beside the bed. The aroma of light medicine and the original flavor of the ingredients instantly filled the air.
"Back then, the Valley Master fed you a few poisonous insects to suppress the poison in your body. Now that you've recovered a bit, you can start taking supplementary food."
Xie Shangjia's gaze shifted from the medicinal food to Shen Qianyue's face. She was concentrating on stirring the porridge, her hair falling from her temples, and the sunlight outlining the soft lines of her profile.
"You did it?"
Shen Qianyue nodded, sat down beside the bed, and handed him the bowl: "Well, you didn't eat the food I cooked that day. I will cook it for you again when I have the chance."
Xie Shangjia's eyes were surprisingly bright, as if filled with starlight, and he wolfed down the food.
"tasty."
Shen Qianyue put the bowl away: "Eat slowly next time, I thought you couldn't taste it."
Xie Shangjia said sarcastically, "How can I not taste it? What you cook is even better than the imperial chef in the palace."
Shen Qianyue smiled faintly: "How can it be compared with the imperial chef? If you like, when you get home, I will cook for you whenever I have time like before."
Xie Shangjia was stunned for a moment and held her hand. Her hands were smooth and delicate, how could they do such rough work every day?
"There's a cook at home, and your hands aren't suited to cooking."
Shen Qianyue was worried that he was bored recently, and seeing him often staring at the herbal farmers working, she offered to take him out for a walk.
"Let's take a stroll through the valley today and experience the life of the herbal farmers here."
Xie Shangjia nodded vigorously and changed into clothes that were convenient for getting out of bed before going out.
Seeing his excitement, Shen Qianyue couldn't help but smile.
The two went to a field where seedlings were being planted.
Xie Shangjia was in high spirits. He rolled up his sleeves and loosely rolled up his trouser legs to his calves. He carefully followed the old herbal farmer and tried to learn how to plant rice and identify herbs.
"Uncle Wang, this... this tiny thing is a windbreak?"
The old herbalist, Uncle Wang, laughed, revealing his gap teeth. "Yes, young master, you have a good eye. Don't look at it drooping now. When the sun is full and the roots are firmly established, it will be a good thing to dispel wind and cold!"
Chen Qianyue was wearing a plain dress, with her long black hair tied up. She looked over here, her eyes falling on Xie Shangjia's muddy profile and focused expression, and the corners of her lips unconsciously raised into a shallow arc.
Xie Shangjia seemed to sense something, raised his head, and smiled at her with a little childish pride.
“I know so many herbs!”
Chen Qianyue waved at him, motioning him to come over, and pulled out a white handkerchief from her sleeve, gently wiping away the little bit of mud that had gotten on the tip of his nose at some point.
"Clumsy."
Xie Shangjia didn't hide and let her wipe it. He just looked at her smiling eyes so close to him and smiled foolishly. He felt the slightly cool touch on the tip of his nose, which was sweet to the bottom of his heart.
The sun gradually rose higher and cicadas chirped in the valley. During their break from work, the two men sat in the shade of a tree to rest.
Xie Shangjia fanned himself with his sleeves, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. Shen Qianyue handed him the water bag, and he took it, tilted his head back and drank a few sips. The clear mountain spring water dispelled the heat.
"Are you tired?" Shen Qianyue asked softly, looking at his slightly red cheeks from the sun.
Xie Shangjia immediately shook his head, his eyes sparkling. "I'm not tired. This is just like an ordinary couple. The husband works in the fields, and the wife waits on the shore with a water bag. I feel very happy."
Shen Qianyue wiped the sweat off his face and leaned on his shoulder: "Ordinary young couples work together. How can the husband be left to work alone?"
Xie Shangjia put his arm around her shoulders and immediately retorted, "Even if we were just an ordinary couple, I would never let you suffer."
Shen Qianyue chuckled and suddenly felt something furry at her feet. She looked down and saw it was the jet-black cat in the valley.
This little guy had strolled over at some point and was now looking at Xie Shangjia curiously with his round golden cat eyes. He nestled directly on Xie Shangjia's hands that were supporting the ground, and made a satisfied "gurgling" sound in his throat.
Shen Qianyue looked at this harmonious scene with a hint of surprise and amusement in her tone. This little guy had been running to the guesthouse quite often in the past few days.
"This little thing really likes you. There are so many people in the valley, but it always ignores them. It just likes to stick to you."
Xie Shangjia was very proud. He raised his hand and nipped its soft fur, smiling so hard that his teeth were showing.
"That's right, it has good vision."
Shen Qianyue looked at his childish and gentle appearance, and the smile on the corner of her lips deepened.
She stretched out her finger, wanting to tease the little black cat, but it lazily opened its eyelids and took a look, then jumped onto Xie Shangjia's legs, sweeping the tip of its tail around her with satisfaction.
“…” Shen Qianyue’s fingers froze in mid-air.
Xie Shangjia tried hard to hold back his laughter, shrugging his shoulders and quickly trying to smooth things over.
"Oh, it must think you're too noble to get close to you."
Shen Qianyue withdrew her hand and glared at him in feigned anger.
"Okay, Xie Shangjia, now that you have the cat's support, you dare to make fun of me?"
Xie Shangjia begged for mercy quickly, but his eyes were filled with a mischievous smile.
"How dare I? It's just that this cat is very attached to me. How about... you sit in my arms too? Maybe it will let you touch it?"
Shen Qianyue looked at him with a cunning and expectant look in his eyes, then looked at the lazy and noble black cat on his lap. In the end, she couldn't hold it in anymore, smiled and gently pushed his shoulder.
"loquacious!"
Xie Shangjia felt that Shen Qianyue was becoming more and more lively. Her cold and aloof appearance had gradually melted away. Did he really live such a happy life before he lost his memory?
If he could do it again, he would never clamor for a divorce. It was too childish and stupid. He didn't even dare to think about what would happen if Shen Qianyue really divorced him.
The two of them laughed and joked for a while, and the shade of the tree was filled with a relaxed and happy atmosphere. The cat slept soundly on Xie Shangjia's lap.
In the afternoon, the few remaining medicinal seedlings were planted, and the farmers went home in groups of three or four.
Xie Shangjia and Shen Qianyue walked side by side on the path back to the guesthouse, with the cat following behind them with its tail raised.
"Uncle Wang said thinning out seedlings is very important. I will definitely learn it carefully. Maybe in the future we can settle down in that Jiangnan town you like, and I can even buy a piece of land to grow medicinal herbs and support you."
Shen Qianyue nodded and agreed with him: "Okay."
Back in the courtyard where they were staying temporarily, Xie Shangjia bent down, scratched the cat's chin, and spoke softly.
"Be good, Mimi, go play by yourself. We need to take a rest."
The black cat meowed, and I don't know if it understood or not, but it didn't follow them into the house. It just jumped onto the courtyard wall and squatted gracefully, watching them like a loyal little guard.
Xie Shangjia picked up a bunch of firewood and prepared to boil water for a bath, while Shen Qianyue was cooking dinner at the small stove.
Here, there is no red tape, no intrigue, only the tiredness after work and the tranquility of dependence on each other.
After dinner, Shen Qianyue washed up and went back to her room to rest. Xie Shangjia stepped into the bathtub that Shen Qianyue had just left and kept the other bucket of hot water.
After washing up, Xie Shangjia climbed onto the couch. Shen Qianyue leaned on the soft pillow and read a book while waiting for him. When he came, she was ready to rest.
The candlelight went out, and Xie Shangjia, who had been well-behaved beside him, became like a restless big cat, tossing and turning, and the thin quilt was wrinkled into a ball by him.
"Chen Qianyue, are you sleepy?"
Shen Qianyue didn't open her eyes, but just said "hmm" lightly as a response.
Xie Shangjia moved a little closer, and tentatively and very gently put his arms around her waist. Through the thin nightgown, he could feel the soft curves of her body.
His voice was a little coquettish, and his breath was hot: "I feel like I'm healed..."
Shen Qianyue still had her eyes closed, her tone calm and still: "The Valley Master said you need to rest, go to sleep."
Xie Shangjia became anxious, tightened his arms slightly, and rubbed his chin lightly against the top of her head, trying to invite her with a bit of a naughty attitude.
"But I'm really fine. Look at me today. I helped Uncle Wang plant herbs, weed, and water. What did I not do? I'm full of energy! Nothing's wrong at all! If you don't believe me, come check it out!"
Shen Qianyue didn't move, nor did she push away his arm around her waist. She just turned her head slightly and met Xie Shangjia's eyes full of expectation and anxiety in the darkness.
"I'm not a doctor, how can I check?"
Xie Shangjia's cheeks felt a little hot, but the arrow was on the string, so he could only bite the bullet and, with a sense of risking his life, pull her hand towards himself.
"Check it out, it's really healed."
Shen Qianyue propped herself up, turned over and sat up, looking down at Xie Shangjia who was lying on her back on the bed. The moonlight outlined her graceful shoulders and neck. The collar of her pajamas was slightly open, revealing a small part of her delicate collarbone.
Her fingers pressed gently along his sternum: "Do you feel any tightness or pain in your chest?"
Xie Shangjia's voice was a little tense: "Not at all... not at all!"
Shen Qianyue's hand continued to move downwards, massaging several key points on his abdomen through his pajamas with moderate force.
"How is your spleen and stomach? Do you have a good appetite? Do you feel any bloating or pain?"
Xie Shangjia quickly replied, feeling the places she had pressed warming up: "Very good!"
The examination did not stop there. Shen Qianyue's hands slid to the joints of his limbs, pinched his arms and calves, and even lifted his knees to carefully check the flexibility of his knees and ankles.
Xie Shangjia was so tense by her meticulous "inspection" that his blood seemed to rush in a certain direction.
He felt like a fish on a chopping board being turned over and over, with no power to resist, but wherever the slightly cool fingertips touched, clusters of small flames were ignited.
When Shen Qianyue's hand finally checked the outside of his thigh and seemed to want to continue exploring deeper, Xie Shangjia could no longer bear it and suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Xie Shangjia's palms were burning hot and covered with sweat, and his voice was anxious and embarrassed, with a hint of begging for mercy.
"Enough...enough! I...I'm fine! No need to...check any further!"
Shen Qianyue's wrist was held by his hot hand. She did not struggle immediately. She raised her eyebrows slightly, lay down beside him again, pulled the quilt, and her voice returned to its usual calmness with a hint of imperceptible laziness.
"Now that the examination is complete, the conclusion is that you still need to rest. Go to sleep."
Xie Shangjia held her hand but did not let go, pulling her back into his arms. His whole body was still hot and he felt like there was a suffocating feeling in his chest that could neither go up nor down.
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