Chapter 50: Hu Gua’s smile is so sweet that even the biggest anger can be extinguished...
Lin Shuren was feeling guilty, and upon hearing this, she suddenly shuddered and stammered, "Mother, I'd better not trouble Brother Ye with this matter."
She hadn't figured out how to tell Zhou Ye about this yet. It felt bad to have her kindness be ignored, so she didn't want others to feel that her kindness was wasted.
He Guixiang misunderstood her meaning. "Aye is one of us, there's no need to bother him." Then she added, "Aye is tall and strong. With him around, mother can rest assured."
Lin Shu forced a smile. "Brother Aye still has to help me build the fish pond. Besides, he's a fast walker, and I'm slow, so I prefer to walk leisurely. If I ask him to always accommodate me, wouldn't that be unfair to him?"
Lin Xiaopu also thought it would be more reliable for Sister to go with Zhou Ye. After thinking about it, he immediately changed his mind. "I think what Mother said is right. Our Sister is the most beautiful girl in the surrounding area. No, the most beautiful girl in the entire area! What if Sister gets hit on by a lecher at the market? Cousin Yushu is too young and weak to protect Sister. We need someone like Brother Ye to do that. Brother Ye is so intimidating. No need to say anything. As long as he gets close to Sister, no one will dare to approach her!"
If the two of them hadn't reminded her, Lin Shu wouldn't have thought about it at all.
She is no longer the violent and delicate flower of the end times. Her fists are strong enough to protect herself, and her face is even more delicate and smooth than hers in the end times. She has a place in the capital city where there are so many beauties, and she is even more eye-catching in the countryside.
The villagers passing by in the village always like to stare at her face. It's because they think she is beautiful and want to take a few more glances at her.
A beautiful appearance always attracts more attention.
The slight trepidation I had felt earlier was immediately overwhelmed by the principle of safety first.
"Okay, I'll go tell him right away." If someone lets her kindness down, she would be angry. In more serious cases, she might never care about that person again.
Zhou Ye seemed to be good-natured, and Lin Shu wondered if he would mind such a small matter. She didn't want someone who originally wanted to care about her to be disappointed by her behavior and then withdraw his care in the future.
She was very greedy and would hold on to any kindness shown to her.
According to Lin Shu's rich experience, this matter must be discussed as soon as possible, so that even if Zhou Ye is angry, he can express it earlier. She can then coax him with a few words in a gentle tone, and after an afternoon and a night, the anger will probably be almost gone.
Lin Shu looked around and didn't see the handkerchief she used to wipe her sweat. She didn't know where she had thrown it. She lowered her head to glance at her cuffs, which were still clean. She thought to herself, I'll just use this.
After informing the two people in the same room, Lin Shu trotted out of the courtyard.
He Guixiang looked at Lin Xiaopu, who hadn't moved an inch, and was very puzzled. "Xiaopu, you always followed your sister in the past, why aren't you following her today?"
Lin Xiaopu said calmly, "Mother, I haven't memorized the few characters that Sister taught me today. I'm not as smart as my cousin Yushu, but I have to complete the lessons Sister taught me well. I can't let Sister down."
He Guixiang was delighted after hearing this, "Okay, let's study hard. Your sister is right. It's always good to learn a few more characters."
When Lin Shu went there, she was still thinking about how to start the conversation and was a little distracted. When she stepped on the stone road leading to the vegetable patch, she felt something was different and couldn't help but look down. She was stunned after seeing it.
Not only have these stone slabs been reinforced, but a thick layer of pebbles has also been laid between them!
The pebbles were still wet and looked as if someone had just fished them out of the stream.
She looked at the short cobblestone path under her feet, and couldn't tell what she felt for a moment. She just felt her heart slightly swelling, as if a warm current was flowing back and forth across her heart.
She is a person who always speaks better than she sings. She thinks there is nothing wrong in making everyone happy with just a few words. If she does something good, she will make sure to make it known to everyone so that others will remember her kindness.
She never believed that suffering a loss is a blessing, and she doesn't like suffering a loss.
But when she really encountered someone who secretly cared about others and did good things without saying a word, she seemed to be caught red-handed by the other party.
Lin Shu slowed down her pace and walked leisurely on the stone road.
Before she could get closer, Zhou Ye heard the movement behind him. He put down his work and walked over to the last stone slab, blocking her way. "Just stand on that stone slab. Don't come over. If you have anything to say, just talk to me."
Lin Shu stood on the last stone slab, staring at him for a long while, then suddenly beckoned to him, "Come closer."
Zhou Ye was already slightly bent over with his head lowered when he spoke to her. Hearing what she said, he seemed to realize what she wanted to do, but he hesitated for a moment before putting his head in front of her.
Lin Shu held his shoulder with one hand and pinched the clean part of her sleeve with the other hand, wiping it carefully on his forehead. "You've sweated a lot, your sleeves are not as clean as mine. I'll use mine to wipe you."
Zhou Ye's nose was instantly filled with a faint fragrance. A hint of red slowly crept up his tanned neck and slightly dark earlobes, and then spread to other places at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A burning warmth emanated from the place where Lin Shu held his shoulders.
"Brother Aye, the sun is getting hotter and hotter. Go to the shade and rest."
Zhou Ye waited for her to finish wiping the sweat off her face, then almost immediately straightened up, humming softly and saying, "The sun is strong, go to the inner room to rest, and don't come out unless necessary. I'll come to the inner room to talk to you when the fish pond is ready."
Lin Shu looked at him, a smile flowing between her eyebrows. The smile was calmer than before, like a gentle net, trapping the tall and strong man in front of her, making his heart beat faster and even his breathing quicken.
She suddenly said without any context, "Brother Aye, thank you for your kindness."
Zhou Ye was startled when he saw her gently stepping on the stone slabs with both feet. "It's so stable! There are pebbles between the stone slabs. Even if you slip, you won't get mud on your feet. Brother Aye is not only careful, but also very smart. There is no more capable man than Brother Aye in this town."
The blush that spread across Zhou Ye's chest suddenly deepened. He was silent for a moment, then replied, "Next time, if there's anything inconvenient, tell me directly. I can't always spot it."
"Well, okay, okay." Lin Shu looked at him, her smiling eyes like little hooks that could hook anything. Zhou Ye felt as if something in his chest had been hooked away by her.
"Brother Aye, I have something to tell you. Please don't be angry."
Zhou Ye's somewhat dazed mind suddenly returned to its senses, and he said, "You say, I won't be angry."
Lin Shu told him that she was going to the bookstore in town the next day. Sure enough, when she mentioned going to the market, the man frowned, but did not interrupt her. Instead, he listened to her finish her reasons one by one.
"I won't be angry. This is your own decision. The wound is yours, and the foot is yours. If you think it's okay, then it's okay." Zhou Ye said.
Although he kept saying that he was not angry and he did not show any anger, Lin Shu still heard some annoyance in his words.
So, she is here to coax people.
Originally, because he quietly repaved the stone road, she was prepared to endure it even if he was really angry. But Zhou Ye's temper turned out to be as good as Xiao Pu said, and his emotions were quite stable.
"It does hurt a little, actually. I've been intolerant to pain since I was little. Any wound that bleeds, even a small cut, makes my eyes ache. If I could just lie in bed and rest, why would I want to go out and suffer this? But didn't I say this beforehand? If others thought I only had a small cut on my foot and couldn't even walk, they'd probably laugh at me for being delicate."
"So, Brother Aye, can you come with me? If I get really tired, you can give me a hand. If we get to a place with fewer people on the road, you can even secretly carry me on your back for a few steps, hehe."
This "hehe" was not the silly laugh of an honest man like Lin Dashan, nor was it the mischievous laugh of Xiao Pu, but a sweet laugh mixed with a hint of naivety, which could extinguish any anger in a moment, let alone Zhou Ye, who was not angry but only slightly annoyed that she did not cherish herself.
The tall and strong man soon softened his heart and nodded in agreement.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "You don't have to get up early tomorrow. I'll call you when it's time to leave."
"Okay, thank you, Brother Aye." Lin Shu responded quickly.
Although the villagers usually get up early, they have to get up before dawn on market day. Tianshui Village is far from the town, and even if they don't bring anything with them and go to the market alone, it will still take more than an hour.
When the villagers of Tianshui Village go to the market, they will more or less bring some of their own products to sell in the town. Those with skills like Aunt San will weave their own straw sandals, and some will pickle their own vegetables and dry them, etc. Most people will pick two baskets of fresh vegetables.
It would take even longer to carry the goods, at least two hours.
Not everyone is like Zhou Ye, who has fast steps and good physical strength, and can be unaffected even if he carries objects weighing hundreds of pounds.
Lin Shu didn't expect Zhou Ye to be so considerate. Knowing that she was used to getting up fifteen or twenty minutes later, he actually let her do it.
"Is there anything else?" Zhou Ye asked.
Lin Shu smiled and shook her head. "Firstly, I was afraid you'd be angry, so I came over to explain tomorrow's market. Secondly, I wanted to see if you were working so hard you didn't even take a break. And the mountain spring water in the bamboo tube I brought you, did you take a sip every now and then?"
When she said this, she subconsciously looked at Zhou Ye's mouth.
Zhou Ye tilted his head and pursed his lips uncomfortably, "I've rested and drank the water you brought me."
Lin Shu spread her hands towards him, "You asked me to stand here and not move. Then bring that bamboo tube over to me and let me see if you're lying to me."
Zhou Ye paused where he was, sighed helplessly, and turned to get the bamboo tube.
The bamboo tube filled with water was now almost empty, so even though Zhou Ye drank it, he was still scolded by Lin Shu, "You didn't even bother to go to the kitchen to add some more after you finished drinking it, you idiot."
"Wait a minute, I'll get some water for you!"
Zhou Ye opened his mouth to stop her, but Lin Shu had already turned and ran away.
The re-stabilized flagstones and the newly laid cobblestones made her lose all restraint and almost ran away. Even if he could stop her, it was too late.
Thinking of her words asking him to rest more, Zhou Ye stopped working and just stood here waiting for Lin Shu to come back.
Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, Lin Shu did not turn back, but there was a clear voice talking in the courtyard.
He heard some noises before Lin Shu left. It must be that there was a guest at home. The guest probably didn't want to make too much noise, so he spoke in a low voice.
Zhou Ye listened and guessed that Lin Shu was being pulled away by the guest to talk and was unable to get away for a while.
Lin Shu was indeed being held back by someone at this moment.
The Aunt Lin whom I met while picking mushrooms in the morning came to visit me with a basket of vegetables because I told her about the bamboo fungus.
There were three freshly picked cucumbers in the vegetable basket, which she forced on He Guixiang. He Guixiang was about to refuse, but at this moment Lin Shu came back, and Aunt Lin stuffed the cucumbers into her hands instead.
"Here! My auntie grows it herself. It's delicious whether eaten raw or served cold."
"Aunt Lin, you are too polite." Lin Shu was already craving those three cucumbers, but she always tried to refuse them with her mouth and hands.
After stuffing her food in, Lin Zhaodi put her own basket back. Even if she tried to put it back, she couldn't. "Ashu girl, I made a bamboo fungus salad just as you asked. The men in the family love it. Bamboo fungus is common in bamboo forests. Because of your kindness, I can have more delicious dishes on the table in the future. Compared to that, these three cucumbers of mine are really nothing. Please accept them quickly. If you don't, you will be being distant with me!"
Lin Shu finally accepted the cucumber and said, "To be honest, Aunt Lin, I really crave the refreshing taste of cucumbers. Tomorrow when I go to the market, I want to buy some cucumber seeds. Aunt Lin is good at growing cucumbers. I'll ask you for some advice later. Please don't think I'm annoying."
Lin Zhaodi said readily, "Why go to the market to buy them? I have some cucumber seeds saved from previous years. They may not sprout as many as those sold at the market, but we have plenty of seeds. Just sow some and some will eventually grow. I just planted a few nests of summer cucumbers a while ago, so it's not too late for you to plant now. Cucumbers can grow several times a year, in spring, summer, and autumn. If you have any questions, just come and ask me!"
Lin Shu thought, Aunt Lin is not a talkative person, it's just that she didn't talk about things that interested her when she was picking mushrooms in the morning. Now that she mentioned growing cucumbers, she became more talkative.
"Okay, Auntie, then I won't be polite to you."
Lin Zhaodi added, "It's too sunny right now, so there's no need to rush. Wait until the sun sets, or after you've had dinner, and come to my house to get the cucumber seeds."
Lin Shu agreed and sent the person out of the yard.
Before leaving, Lin Zhaodi also said hello to He Guixiang, "Sister-in-law He, I'll go back first."
He Guixiang hurriedly said, "Hey," and said, "Sister Lin, please drive slowly."
After Lin Zhaodi walked away, He Guixiang was still a little confused.
Lin Xiaopu came out of the house, poked her head out and asked, "Mom, has the person gone far away?" Every time there was such a quarrel between adults, she would stay as far away as possible. It was not for any other reason, but she just felt it was weird.
He Guixiang laughed and scolded, "You've gone so far. Why are you hiding from people? Those aunties in the village don't eat people." Then she muttered, "But the Zhao family is only close to Wang Yingen's mother. Ping'er rarely hangs out with other families. When she came in just now, I was so surprised to see her that I thought I was seeing things."
Lin Xiaopu immediately said, "It's because my sister is so popular that everyone loves her and flowers bloom when they see her! Aunt Lin was also fascinated by my sister when she saw her this morning!"
Lin Shu pinched her cheeks and said, "Mother, don't listen to her nonsense. I saw that Aunt Li and Aunt Lin were nice people, so I told them about the bamboo fungus. Aunt Lin probably doesn't like to owe favors, so she sent me three cucumbers."
As she spoke, Lin Shu sniffed the three cucumbers in her hand, and immediately smelled a refreshing fragrance.
She couldn't wait to shout, "Come on, let's share the cucumbers! Let's wash them and eat them raw. Give one to Dad, share one with Xiao Pu and Mom, and this is the last one—"
Lin Shu didn't know what scene was coming to her mind, and a sly look flashed across her eyes. "I'll send it to Brother Aye later, and I'll share it with him."
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