Chapter 51
"My sister-in-law said it can cure sunburn. Hurry up and take off your clothes so I can apply it on you."
Fu Zhen heard his wife say this, looked at the green and slippery medicinal mud on her face, and resisted in his heart. He replied, "I'm a man, so I can get sunburned. I won't apply it."
Wen Xing was relentless: "It's so cool and comfortable. Not only your face, but your entire body is sunburned too. You absolutely need to apply it."
Fu Zhen couldn't persuade her, so he said, "I'll put it on after I shower."
Wen Xing nodded and was about to go back to the house when Fu Zhen called her, "How long do you want the application to last, sister-in-law?"
She replied, "Once it's dry, you can wash it off. It'll probably take about half an hour."
Fu Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Then don't go back to the house yet. Wait until you've washed up."
After a moment's thought, he added, "My mother is old and can't see clearly. She might be frightened."
He was shocked, let alone the mother and son.
Wen Xing thought that the green mud on her face seemed quite scary, so she nodded.
Fu Zhen went to fetch a bucket of water and went into the bathroom to wash up, while Wen Xing was waiting outside.
After the sound of water stopped, Wen Xing looked up and saw her husband walking out of the bathing room shirtless, with water dripping down his muscles.
The water droplets on her chest flowed down the muscle texture to the ravine in her abdomen, and then slowly slid down. She looked away with red ears.
Although they have been together, they haven't had sex for five or six years.
First, after Fu Ning was born, she was busy taking care of him, and her husband did not dare to stop working to support the family.
Later, after we went to the quarry, it was even more impossible to get too close.
Now that we're alone together, it feels awkward.
Fu Zhen sat with his legs apart on a wooden stool in the kitchen and said, "Spread it."
Wen Xing dug some herbs on her hands and then rubbed them on her husband's hard muscles. Due to years of hard work, his palms had already become rough, but because of the smoothness of the herbs, even his palms seemed to be much softer.
Fu Zhen was a little distracted, but when he looked up at his wife's face covered with sticky medicinal mud, he suddenly calmed down.
*
Because they needed to free up a room to store medicinal herbs, the He family members would come over in the afternoon after collecting herbs in the morning to help build thatched huts, or use bamboo to make medicine racks and weave winnowing baskets.
Fu Wei used cattail to weave a grasshopper for his nephew, niece, and He's eldest grandson, and the children played wildly in the yard.
Fuanfuning rarely felt so relaxed and happy.
Wen Xing warned them: "Be careful, don't fall."
Song Sanlang, who had been recuperating for five or six days, also came over from the He family on crutches.
When Fu Wei saw the crutch in his hand, his eyes darkened, and then he saw Liu Niang walking towards him.
He was silent for a moment and called Fu Ning over.
Yu Ying walked over to Song Sanlang and asked him, "How is your wound healing?"
Song Sanlang said, "It's slowly scabbing over."
Yu Ying said, "If there are no problems in two days, I will help you remove the wires."
Song Sanlang nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "How much money will it cost to treat me this time? I'll send it to you when I have enough money."
Yu Ying smiled and said, "When the Song brothers helped us build the thatched hut, they didn't ask for money. Why would I accept money now?"
Song Sanlang responded with a grateful tone: "This is different. I just helped out that day, but if it weren't for the help of the Fu family's brothers and sisters this time, my leg might really be broken."
Yu Ying was about to say something when her clothes were suddenly tugged gently. She looked down and saw it was Xiao Funing.
Fu Ning handed his aunt a straw grasshopper, then turned and pointed at Fu Wei who was helping to weave a winnowing basket in the yard.
Fu Wei smiled faintly at her.
Yu Ying took the grasshopper handed to her by Fu Ning and touched her little head.
Yu Ying looked up at Song Sanlang again and said, "I don't run a clinic, and these herbs were collected by everyone, so you really don't need to pay me. If you feel bad, Brother Song, then you can rest your legs and feet and come back to help."
Song Sanlang was silent for a moment, then replied, "I'm idle anyway. Even though I can't walk, my hands can still help."
After Song Sanlang agreed, he found a place to sit down and helped weave the winnowing basket.
Yu Ying glanced at it but didn't say anything.
There is a reason why Song Sanlang and his elder brother are good friends. They are of the same nature and do not want to owe others anything, nor do they want to take advantage of others. That is why they are as close as brothers.
She withdrew her gaze and looked at the little grasshopper in her hand.
It really looks like the real thing, so lifelike that if you don't look carefully you might mistake it for being alive.
He picked it up and flicked the little grasshopper gently, and his eyebrows curved.
Fu Wei quietly withdrew his gaze from her, but at this moment Fu An seemed to have discovered something and exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle's legs and feet are not working well, and Uncle Song's legs and feet are not working well either. They were both treated by Auntie, and they are both using the crutches that Auntie prepared. What a coincidence!"
Fu Wei turned his head and glanced at him silently, his face cold and his voice calm, "Since you have some free time, come and help us weave the winnowing baskets."
Fu An, who had just taken a break from playing for a while, immediately hung his head and muttered quietly: "I only played for a short while."
Although she was a little unhappy, she still went to help obediently and began to weave bamboo strips clumsily.
*
In the evening, after the He family and Song Sanlang had left, there were few people walking around in the village. Fu Wei sat on a bench, his legs flat on the wooden block in front of him, holding a long stick in his hand.
After saying "Look carefully," he slowly demonstrated three movements with his long staff in his hand. His voice was deep and deep: "The most basic move in spearmanship is the lan na za. It may seem simple, but almost all the moves after that are closely related to these three moves."
Yu Ying, who was tending to the herbs, heard the sound and looked towards Fu Wei curiously.
Fu Wei's movements were originally slow, but in the next moment his eyes became sharp, and his movements became faster and faster, so fast that it almost made her dazzled.
She couldn't help but marvel in her heart. It was the first time she saw someone sitting and playing with a gun so smoothly.
Not only Yu Ying was stunned, but her sister-in-law and Fu An and Funing were also stunned.
Fu An looked at his uncle with eyes full of admiration, and couldn't help but follow suit.
After several times, Fu Wei suddenly stopped his movements, and the fierce look in his eyes disappeared almost at the same time. When he looked up at his elder brother, he was already calm and indifferent.
He threw the long stick over and Fu Zhen took it steadily.
Fu Wei said methodically, "Put your legs down in a horse stance, hold the stick in your left hand so it can slide freely, and then hold the end firmly with your right hand and bring it to your waist."
Fu Zhen looked down at the long stick in his hand, and took a horse stance as his second brother said. Then, he slowly began to imitate his second brother's movements while recalling his second brother's movements.
The three movements were repeated back and forth, just like Fu Wei just now, the movements went from slow to fast, the force became more and more fierce, and the shaking of the stick was accompanied by a strong wind.
Fu Wei watched his elder brother's actions with his eyes slightly closed.
I have to admit that my elder brother does have talent in this area.
Looking at Fu Zhen who had quickly mastered the essence of the spear technique, Yu Ying vaguely guessed what Fu Wei had said to Fu Zhen last night.
In troubled times, their family of old, weak, women, children and one person who is still lying down, if they don’t have someone strong enough to protect them, they will probably become victims of the troubled times.
When everyone's attention was attracted by Fu Zhen's dance stick, only Luo Shi silently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and secretly turned around and went into the kitchen.
Luo saw the shadow of her late husband in her two sons, and felt mixed emotions.
Even after twenty-one years, she still couldn't believe that her husband, who was diligent and responsible and cared about the country and the people, would do something to collaborate with the enemy.
But what can I do if I don’t believe it?
Thinking of this, I covered my eyes and sobbed silently.
*
Yu Ying calculated that it had been almost two months since Fu Wei's bones were straightened, and it was time to remove the bamboo strips.
After returning from collecting herbs in the morning, Yu Ying asked her sister-in-law to help boil some hot water and bring it into the house. Then she washed her hands and went into the house.
Yu Ying took a dry cloth from the table and wiped the water stains on her hands. She said to Fu Wei, "It's been almost two months since the bone correction. The bamboo strips can be removed now."
Fu Wei, who was drinking tea, heard this and his eyebrows moved slightly. After putting down the bowl, he looked down at the pair of legs that had been crippled for several months and said quietly, "Will it really be healed?"
Yu Ying knew that he looked strong now, but he was still nervous in his heart.
Yu Ying said in a gentle voice, "With me here, are you still worried that it won't get better?"
Hearing this, Fu Wei's eyes, which had been slightly dim, suddenly showed a faint smile. He looked up at her and said, "Then I will place my hopes on you."
Yu Ying smiled: "Don't think too highly of me."
Fu Wei rolled up his trouser legs, exposing his legs tied with bamboo sticks.
Yu Ying checked it once before removing the cloth strips. When all the bamboo strips were removed, her legs were slightly swollen and looked a little ugly.
Fu Wei looked at his legs, frowned, and subconsciously looked up at Yu Ying.
Seeing that there was no disgust on her face, he breathed a sigh of relief.
There are no instruments here, so Yu Ying can only rely on her experience and feeling to carefully check again and again whether the bones have grown well.
Before the examination, Yu Ying thought that she had been keeping an eye on Fu Wei almost every day. If the bones didn't heal well, her grandfather's reputation would be ruined in her hands.
Yu Ying held her breath and carefully checked the broken bones in Fu Wei's legs over and over again. She finally breathed a sigh of relief when she was sure that he had recovered well.
"I thought you would be calmer than me." Seeing her so nervous, Fu Wei suddenly felt relaxed.
Yu Ying raised her eyes and rolled her eyes at him, saying, "I'm not some miracle doctor, so I can't cure everyone. And even though I speak with confidence, I'm no more relaxed than you are."
Only after she was sure that Fu Wei's leg bones had healed and she was no longer worried about affecting his mood did Yu Ying dare to say these words.
"So... can we move now?"
Yu Ying nodded: "Try to move your joints first, but you must not get out of bed and walk. Even if you want to walk, you have to wait until tomorrow and use a cane to get out of bed. But at the same time, you can't stand or walk for long periods of time."
Speaking of crutches, Yu Ying remembered that the crutches were still with Song Sanlang.
Song Sanlang's sutures were removed a few days ago, and he's recovering now. Because he used ordinary sutures and there's a shortage of medicine, the hideous scar can't be removed.
Song Sanlang didn't care too much about the scar, as long as it didn't affect his work.
Yu Ying thought that Song Sanlang was now limping when he walked, so he probably didn't need a cane anymore.
Then tomorrow morning she would go to the He family to give him a final check and take the crutches back.
At this time, the eldest sister-in-law knocked on the door and brought in hot water. Seeing the bamboo sticks and cloth strips on the ground, she exclaimed in surprise: "Is my second brother's leg healed?!"
Yu Ying smiled and said, "No, I still need to rest for a while before I can walk normally."
When Fu Wei heard the words "walk normally", he felt that they were very far away from him, yet very close.
After lying in bed for several months, he almost forgot what it felt like to walk and run normally on the ground.
Because her uncle's legs were exposed, Wen Xing couldn't stay long, so she left after serving him some water.
Yu Ying checked the water temperature and found it a little hot, so she went out and brought in some cold water.
When I came in from outside, I saw Fu Wei trying hard to move his legs.
Yu Ying didn't disturb him. After a while, Fu Wei's legs moved slightly.
Fu Wei sensed something and a look of joy gradually appeared in his eyes.
Yu Ying added some water and placed the basin outside the bed. She said to him, "You haven't moved for a long time. The blood flow to your legs and feet is blocked, so they're stiff and swollen, making it difficult to move. Try soaking your feet and applying a hot compress before trying again."
The broken bone is at the knee joint, and it is difficult to bend it now, so it is difficult to soak my feet.
Yu Ying wrung the cloth half-dry and was about to clean his legs and feet when Fu Wei took the cloth from her hand and said, "I can do it myself."
Her legs and feet were ugly, and Fu Wei didn't want her to touch them again.
Yu Ying just thought that Fu Wei was showing off and didn't think about anything else.
Fu Wei bent down to wash his legs and feet.
Yu Ying looked at the way he bent his waist, and she couldn't help but sigh in her heart that his waist strength was really good. If she were to bend her waist like this, she would be half dead.
Yu Ying washed the towel for him and handed it to him.
After a simple scrubbing, Yu Ying soaked a towel in hot water, wrung it out half dry, and applied it as a hot compress on Fu Wei's knees.
Luo heard from her eldest daughter-in-law that the bamboo strips on Erlang's legs had been removed, so she hurried over.
After knocking on the door and entering the room, he took a look at the situation inside. He looked at Yu Ying nervously and asked in a trembling voice, "Sixth Mother, is Erlang's leg really almost healed?"
Yu Ying looked at Fu Wei, signaling him to speak.
Fu Wei understood what she meant, and nodded towards his mother, saying, "I just regained consciousness."
When Mrs. Luo heard this, her eyes turned red and she was obviously crying with joy.
She quickly asked again: "What else should I pay attention to after that?"
Yu Ying briefly explained some things that Luo Shi needed to pay attention to, which was also for Fu Wei to hear.
But after she finished speaking, Yu Ying's expression turned serious again, and she said, "Although I'm almost well, don't tell Fu An, not even Uncle He or Aunt He, except for my eldest brother and sister-in-law."
My eldest brother was a quiet man, not one for words. My eldest sister-in-law was also quite shy, staying at home almost all day, rarely going out, and not fond of chatting with the women in the village. It was obvious that she was good at keeping secrets.
It’s just that Fu An still has the same old problem – he’s still young and may not be able to keep a secret.
Hearing this, Luo's joy gradually faded: "I saved it. I will explain it in detail to Xingniang and Dalang later."
*
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Fu Wei's legs and feet recovered, and they all understood each other tacitly.
The next morning, Yu Ying took the crutches back.
When he returned to the house, he saw his eldest brother supporting Fu Wei's left arm, while he was standing with his right arm leaning on a crutch.
This was the first time Yu Ying saw Fu Wei standing up. Even though he was not standing straight, one could still see his upright body.
Fu Zhen was tall, but Fu Wei was not much shorter. Yu Ying felt that when Fu Wei stood up straight, she was only at his chin.
Seeing that Fu Wei was able to stand up, Yu Ying was happy in her heart and a look of joy appeared on her face.
Fu Wei looked at Yu Ying who came in from outside the house and they smiled at each other.
After a smile, Fu Wei slowly took a step forward.
This step made Fu Wei feel complicated.
I used to be heartbroken and never thought that one day I would be able to stand like a normal person. Now everything is gradually getting better, and my mind is full of thoughts.
But no matter how many thoughts I have, at least I am happy now.
His thin lips curled up slightly, and there was a smile in his eyes.
But after just a few steps, a thin layer of sweat broke out on Fu Wei's forehead, and the knuckles of his fingers holding up the crutch gradually turned white.
It was obvious that Fu Wei had reached his limit, but he still wanted to keep moving. Yu Ying, who was watching from the side, frowned slightly and called out, "Erlang, that's enough."
Fu Wei breathed a sigh of relief and finally stopped forcing himself, letting Fu Zhen help him sit down.
After Yu Ying sent her eldest brother away, she turned to look at Fu Wei and said, "I know you're anxious, but I told you not to rush things."
Fu Wei did not refute: "I forgot for a moment, sorry."
Yu Ying sighed and said, "If you want to get better, you have to take it slow."
Fu Wei smiled faintly at her: "I've been waiting for two months, and I'm not in a hurry. I was just too excited just now and wanted to take a few more steps. I will stop when I'm satisfied."
Seeing that he seemed to know what was going on, Yu Ying stopped trying to persuade him.
Fu Wei's legs and feet recovered well, and Yu Ying felt relieved. The next two things to do were to cultivate the fields and deliver the medicinal materials.
The arable land is divided into two parts, half is used to grow herbs and the other half is used to grow vegetables.
Two new thatched houses have been built.
One room for living.
One room was divided into two, with a partition set aside for Luo to use as a dormitory, and the outside was the dining area, with a table and a few stools.
The other room became the new dormitory for Yu Ying and Fu Wei, and the small room became a room for storing herbs.
Yu Ying originally wanted to build another thatched hut, but after the He family father and son and the eldest brother built the two thatched huts in tacit understanding, they went to help Song Sanlang build a house.
The big thatched house took a lot of time to build, and they usually took time out from their busy schedules to build it, so she didn't know how to ask for another house.
After the eldest brother and He Dalang moved the bamboo bed and table to the new house, they carried Fu Wei, who was able to walk but had to pretend to be a cripple, to the new house, and then went to work on Song Sanlang's house.
Yu Ying and Fu Wei sat on the bed, looking embarrassed.
After a moment of silence, Fu Wei spoke first, "They might have thought we were a couple and it would be hard for them to understand why we needed an extra room, so they might have given up."
There are still many inconveniences when Yu Ying and Fu Wei share a room.
Seeing that she was a little depressed, Fu Wei pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll talk to mother and I'll live in that small compartment, and let mother live in the same room with you. If you can walk..."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "When you all have rested tonight, I'll go for a walk in the dining hall."
When Yu Ying heard Fu Wei say this, she thought that Luo's room was a bit small. After putting down a bamboo bed and a simple small bamboo table, there was only an aisle.
The aisle was narrow, and Fu Wei had to walk with the help of a cane, which was extremely inconvenient. He might even bump into something if he fell.
Yu Ying turned to look at her roommate, frowning slightly. She sighed and said, "Mother's room is too small. It's not conducive to your daily recovery. I also know that it's inconvenient for you and me to share a room, but it seems that no matter how we divide the room, it won't be suitable now."
My elder brother and his wife should have a room of their own. We can’t have them live separately after returning home, right?
The best thing for Luo is to live with her or live alone.
But it was obvious that Luo's small room and the single bamboo bed could not accommodate her.
When Fu Wei heard her words, he rubbed his knuckles with the tip of his thumb and silently replied in his heart: He didn't feel inconvenienced.
His expression was calm and indifferent: "I'm used to it, but I'm worried that you, Liu Niang, will feel uncomfortable."
To be honest, when it comes to sleeping, Yu Ying has really gotten used to having Fu Wei beside her, and there is nothing to feel uncomfortable about.
But apart from the matter of going to bed, there are actually many uncomfortable things.
The first is that she has to go to the bathroom to change clothes.
The second reason is that she would not sleep comfortably during her menstrual period, and even had to go to the toilet to change her menstrual belt.
She can barely accept it now, but if it comes to winter and it is cold and dark outside, she will still be afraid.
After pondering it for a while, Yu Ying finally accepted the reality that it was difficult to separate the rooms. She said uncertainly, "If you don't mind, then we can squeeze in a little bit."
Fu Wei's expression didn't change much, and he calmly replied, "As long as you don't mind."
Seeing that they both reached a consensus, Yu Ying began to think about how to decorate the new house.
She thought, since they couldn't have separate rooms, they would definitely have to have separate beds.
After separating the beds and adding a thatched screen, it will be much more convenient to change clothes.
Yu Ying had an idea in her mind and stopped worrying about it.
She got up and planned to go to the old house to take down the curtains.
Yu Ying stood up and left, but she didn't know that Fu Wei behind her had a slight smile on his lips.
After Yu Ying took down the curtains, she simply washed them, hung them to dry, and then went to pick a handful of wild flowers.
She put the wild flowers into a bamboo tube, brought it into the house and placed it on the table.
The house was bigger and brighter than the previous small house, but it also seemed very empty.
Yu Ying thought that since her wallet had become fatter these days, she should buy some new things instead of living in a bare house with only a bed and a table.
After a few days, when Fu Wei saw an extra single bamboo bed in the room, he fell silent.
Yu Ying smiled and said, "Although we have no choice but to live in the same room, now that we have the conditions, we naturally don't have to squeeze into one bed, don't you think?"
Fu Wei's gaze shifted from the bamboo bed to her, a faint smile on his face: "You are still very thoughtful."
That’s really... thoughtful.
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