Chapter 16 Yin Yang Ravine (Part 4) Both being men, the senior brother wouldn't yield...
"Come in." An old, hoarse voice came from the shadows, sending chills down one's spine.
He's clearly a widower living alone, yet he keeps talking about his wife. Could it be that he's getting old and his mind is not clear?
Song San turned to look at Gu Lianzhou and saw the doubt in her eyes, as if she was waiting for her to make a decision.
"Junior brother, go inside." She raised her hand and patted the tense hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her, and said, "Sleep for one night, and leave when it gets light."
Regardless of his mental instability, once the money has been given, there's no reason to take it back.
Besides, once they miss this opportunity, it's gone forever; who knows if the next family will be willing to take them in?
Furthermore, her body urgently needs rest right now, and she can't afford to be picky.
Upon hearing this, Gu Lianzhou felt reassured and helped Song San step over the threshold into the house.
The door closed slowly behind him. Song San turned around and glanced at the old man's feet. In the dim candlelight, he saw a black figure being trampled underfoot.
The shadow follows the body, indestructible and eternal.
It's a living person.
Song San silently withdrew his gaze, and then heard the old man say, "The house is not big, there is only one partition. My wife and I will sleep in the inner room, and you will sleep in the outer room tonight."
He led the two to a dilapidated bed, then went to the cupboard, took out bedding, and laid it out.
When you're under someone's roof, you naturally have to bow your head in everything.
After the bed was hastily made up, Gu Lianzhou quickly pulled Song San to sit down by the bed, looked up and thanked the old man, saying, "Uncle, thank you for your hard work. I have another request. My senior brother has caught a cold. Could you please tell me if there is a doctor in the village?"
Although the old man was not very clear-headed, he knew a lot about the village. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Go out of here and head east. The fifth house is the way there."
Gu Lianzhou readily agreed and was about to turn around when the old man added, "That family keeps a vicious dog that bites anyone it doesn't know. Be careful."
"A vicious dog?" Gu Lianzhou's face paled. "Why would a doctor like him keep a vicious dog?"
The old man paused for a moment, then turned around, picked up the candle, and left, muttering, "Perhaps he feels lonely. Unlike me, I have an old woman by my side."
Gu Lianzhou pursed his lips, watching the old man's retreating figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Did he not know that seeking medical treatment would involve the risk of being bitten by a dog?
“I’ll go with you.” Song San straightened the hem of his clothes and stood up. “If that dog doesn’t behave, I have plenty of ways to control it.”
He thought Gu Lianzhou would readily agree, but to his surprise, Gu Lianzhou immediately bristled upon hearing this, raising his hand to press him down again. "Senior brother, what are you trying to prove now? I can do it, I'll go and fetch a doctor for you right now."
As soon as he finished speaking, he bent down, grabbed a quilt from the side, wrapped Song San up in it, stuffed him into the bed, and said confidently, "Senior brother, you should rest well and not catch a cold."
Already feeling groggy, Gu Lianzhou wrapped him up like a dumpling and pushed him onto the bed, and a strong sense of sleepiness immediately washed over him.
Song San blinked slowly, looking at Gu Lianzhou who was so close to him, and asked uncertainly, "Are you really capable of doing this alone?"
Gu Lianzhou, who was tucking the blanket around his senior brother, nodded upon hearing this. "Even the fiercest dog is just a dog; it always has weaknesses. Besides, I'm going to seek medical help, not to steal anything. The doctor will come to my rescue if he hears the commotion."
That makes sense.
With that, Song San finally felt relieved. He watched as Gu Lianzhou closed the door to the cubicle before slowly closing his eyes and going to sleep.
-
The quilt was thick and heavy, probably because it hadn't been aired in the sun for a long time, and it had a faint musty smell. In his half-awake state, Song San frowned and felt his body burning hot, as if he were in a furnace.
Why is it so hot?
In a hazy state of consciousness, I heard the rustling of footsteps approaching from afar, which sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet room.
With his eyes moving back and forth under his tightly closed eyelids, Song San's mind gradually cleared. He felt the footsteps disappear by the bedside, and then a chill suddenly brushed past his ear.
She struggled, but still couldn't open her eyes. Although she couldn't see, she felt a gaze upon her as if it were real.
Suddenly, I felt a warm touch on my forehead.
Song San froze.
The heat source was still damp, water trickling down his forehead, into his hair, along the edges of his ears, and even onto the back of his neck.
In just a moment, the pillow behind my head became damp.
A faint sigh escaped her lips, and a shallow breath brushed across her cheek, moving downwards.
Before Song San could even relax his guard after the heat source was removed, he suddenly felt his collar loosen, his breath caught in his throat, and his heart began to pound again.
The heat source traveled gently down her neck, and as if finding her thick winter clothes in the way, a hand grabbed her collar, trying to tear it open.
Song San was struck dumb, and in desperation, he bit the tip of his tongue.
A sharp pain shot through Song San, his chest heaving. He took a deep breath, suddenly opened his eyes, and before he could even see what was in front of him, he grabbed the unruly hand and twisted it to the side.
"Ouch—" The man cried out in pain and quickly pulled his hand back. "Senior brother, it's me, not someone else."
Song San, like a lion with its mane bristling, hadn't had time to hide his ferocity, which startled Gu Lianzhou so much that he stood there stunned. After a long while, he raised his hand and held up the handkerchief in his hand, explaining, "I just touched your forehead and found it burning hot, so I thought I'd fetch some hot water to wipe it for you."
Who would have thought that my senior brother wouldn't let anyone touch him?
Looking at his senior brother's flushed face and heavy breathing, could it be that he was delirious from the fever and didn't recognize him?
Thinking of this, he put down the handkerchief, carefully approached Song San, and gently patted the quilt as if coaxing a child, murmuring, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
Song San lowered his eyes to look at the hand landing on his body, feeling puzzled.
wipe?
If she doesn't wake up, that hand might slip inside her clothes and touch places it shouldn't.
By then, Young Master Gu's hand will probably be beyond saving.
And now, this hand isn't exactly behaving itself either.
Song San closed his eyes briefly and said patiently, "I was having a nightmare just now, I didn't know it was you."
Gu Lianzhou said knowingly, "Being possessed by a nightmare is indeed unpleasant. Senior brother, you've gone through a lot."
"Why are you back?" Song San raised his hand, subtly tightening his collar, and asked, "Did you find a doctor?"
"It was dangerous, really. As the old man said, the doctor did indeed have a dog that barked incessantly at me from a distance." Recalling what had just happened, Gu Lianzhou said thankfully, "Luckily, I had a piece of dried cured meat in my pocket. After I threw it to the dog, it stopped."
"After finally knocking on the doctor's door, he refused to come back with me, saying that he didn't see patients at night and that I shouldn't bother him."
Looking at Gu Lianzhou's expression, Song San felt that things were not so simple.
As expected, a hint of smugness flashed in Gu Lianzhou's eyes as he said, "He doesn't know that I never do business at a loss. Since his dog ate my jerky, he, as the owner, has to pay the price."
"You brought him here by kidnapping?" Song San asked in a hoarse voice.
Gu Lianzhou choked for a moment, then said, "No, that's not it. I don't know what medicine the doctor took, but he refused to step out of the room. He just threw me a packet of medicine and told me to take it back and brew it for you. I looked at it, and it was all herbs for treating colds."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around, picked up the ceramic bowl on the table, and sat down by the bed. "Come on, senior brother, let me feed you your medicine."
That's all the ambition they have.
Song San sighed, and with Gu Lianzhou's help, sat up and took the medicine bowl from him. "I can do it myself."
The fingers covering the bottom of the bowl were long and strong, gripping the medicine bowl tightly without yielding an inch. Song San looked up suspiciously and met a pair of concerned eyes.
"Senior brother, please don't try to take it from me. There's only one bowl of medicine left, don't spill it."
Without saying another word, the man picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and held it to Song San's mouth, saying, "Ah—open your mouth."
Song San's lips twitched slightly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Gu Lianzhou raised his eyebrows, remaining noncommittal.
Song San gritted his teeth and said, "We are both men, what kind of behavior is this, being so intimate?"
Gu Lianzhou shook his head, disagreeing: "I used to serve Master medicine this way, and now I'm just following the same method to take care of you, Senior Brother. What's wrong with that?"
Song San fell silent.
Having nothing to say, I could only obediently open my mouth and swallow the medicine.
With Gu Lianzhou's persistent efforts, spoonful after spoonful of medicine, the bowl of medicine was gradually emptied.
Song San's face was burning hot, and he couldn't tell whether it was due to his embarrassment or the cold. He felt extremely flustered and was about to open his mouth to say something when he suddenly felt a coolness on his lips. He saw Gu Lianzhou pinch the corner of his sleeve and carefully wipe away the remaining medicine on his lips. His face was calm and composed.
Song San was terrified.
This is bad.
This is really bad.
Gu Lianzhou has absolutely no sense of boundaries with himself.
Is this how men should get along?
Are we really going to be so inseparable, like this, without any distinction between you and me?
"Senior brother, take your medicine and rest well. Once you sweat it out, the high fever will subside." Gu Lianzhou put down the medicine bowl, watched Song San lie back down in the bedding, and tucked her in again before straightening up with satisfaction.
Song San gave a perfunctory reply, then watched as the person in front of him turned around, moved two long stools together, and asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
Gu Lianzhou felt the narrow stool wasn't enough, so he moved two more armchairs to block the sides. Only then did he nod in satisfaction, turn around and walk to the wardrobe, take out a roll of cotton quilt, and say, "This bed is a bit small. I'm afraid I can't stretch my legs out, so I won't squeeze in with my senior brother. I think this stool is quite good. We can put it together and use it as a bed."
Song San thought to herself, "She can actually straighten her legs now."
I reckon this was just Gu Lianzhou's excuse to help me.
Thinking of this, she said softly, "Thank you."
Gu Lianzhou smiled warmly, carefully lay down on the falcon-shaped stool "bed", listened to the creaking sound beneath him, took a deep breath, closed his eyes and said, "Senior brother, go to sleep."
After drinking the medicine, its effects gradually took hold. Song San felt his eyelids getting heavy, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
In the cramped room, two breaths rang out alternately, making the silence outside seem like a stagnant pool.
At some point, the barking of dogs at the village entrance ceased, and the chirping of birds, beasts, and insects also disappeared.
Even the wind stopped.
In the deserted place, the air suddenly froze for a moment, and the full moon hanging high in the sky gradually turned crimson, as if stained with blood.
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