Chapter 11
"That's good news, Zhou Yuan." The matchmaker didn't mind his dismissive tone. "Are you really unaware or just pretending?"
Looking at the blue brick house, she kept exclaiming, "Look at this house, it's really grand. Wouldn't it be even more beautiful if it had another owner?"
Zhou Yuan looked completely bewildered: "Why should an unrelated person be the owner of the house I built myself?"
Aunt Hua's smile froze, but being the kind of person she worked at, she quickly recovered: "You're joking with your aunt, aren't you? You're quite an interesting person."
Zhou Yuan looked at her with a blank expression: "Auntie, if there's nothing else, I won't keep you for dinner."
Seeing the bowl of mixed rice that Zhou Yuan had left in the yard, Aunt Hua had another excuse: "Look at you, there's no one in the house, so you can only eat whatever you can find. Here, let me introduce you to someone, you can listen to what they have to say."
"At the west end of the village, there's a family with a brick house, the Li family. Old man Li has a blacksmithing skill passed down through generations, and his family lives quite well in the village. The young man from the Li family is handsome and has a very good temperament. I think he's a perfect match for you. If you think it's a good match, your aunt will go and propose marriage to you tomorrow."
Zhou Yuan shook his head: "Auntie, thank you for your kindness, but I have no plans to get married right now."
Aunt Hua thought he was just making a perfunctory refusal, so she quickly said, "Nonsense, you're at the perfect age now, and with such good qualities, you can choose any of the boys and girls you want."
Zhou Yuan said sincerely, "Auntie, if I really wanted to get married, I would definitely ask for your help, but it's really not necessary now."
Aunt Hua talked for a long time, but Zhou Yuan was unmoved. Aunt Hua went to the door full of confidence, but left dejectedly.
Chen Qing went to the village to fetch water. As he passed Zhou Yuan's house, he ran into Aunt Hua coming out of his house. Aunt Hua smiled at Chen Qing and asked, "Going to fetch water?"
Chen Qing nodded and left without looking back, as if something was chasing him.
Zhou Yuan looked at Chen Qing's small stature. Because Aunt Hua came to visit, he ate later than usual. Originally, it was Chen Qing who was supposed to help them fetch water, but Chen Qing did it himself.
Zhou Yuan frowned, his body had just recovered, so he went to fetch water.
The weather was hot and dry. Zhou Yuan ate a mixed meal that he couldn't tell was either vegetables or rice, and then lay down on the bed to rest, feeling a bit stuffy.
Although it was just a few brick houses, the rooms were bare except for a bed, and didn't feel like a home. I remembered Chen Qing's room that night, which had bamboo curtains, cabinets, a dressing table, and a camphor wood chest. Although it was small, it felt like a home.
Those who have been tempered on the battlefield also have excellent hearing. He lay in bed, listening to the sounds on the path outside.
“I already said I can pick them back myself.” It was Chen Qing’s voice.
Zhou Yuan didn't hear Chen Qing speak too often. Chen Qing was mostly quiet and didn't have much of a presence. Chen Qing's accent wasn't from Luohe Village. To be honest, his accent was closer to Zhou Yuan's hometown.
"You've just recovered, and two buckets of water can sink." This was another voice, one he had never heard before.
“But that means we have to make another trip.” Chen Qing’s voice was tinged with helplessness. “If I were to choose myself, one trip would be enough.”
"Just think of it as a stroll," the voice said. "Can't you come for a stroll with me?"
Chen Qing could only sigh and say, "Okay."
Zhou Yuan sat up and looked out the window. Two figures, one tall and one short, were carrying a bucket of water in a very awkward posture as they walked towards the next house.
Zhou Yuan thought for a while, got out of bed, found the bucket he had just made, and carried it to the well.
As he passed by, he saw Chen Qing and another man carrying water forward.
When Chen Qing saw him, he nodded, but the angle of the nod was almost negligible.
Zhou Yuan swiftly finished fetching the water and carried it back.
He took long strides and soon caught up with Chen Qing and Li Xin. Seeing their awkward posture, the guy who was taller than Chen Qing soon said he was tired, and the two of them were now sitting on the side taking a break.
Chen Qing wanted to say something, but Li Xin was genuinely trying to help him, so he had no choice but to remain silent. Fortunately, he wasn't busy at the moment and had some time to rest.
“I’ll burn some paper money for Meng Tao on the Ghost Festival,” Li Xin said. “Although we’re not close, we’re from the same village.”
He wasn't home when Meng Tao was buried, so he couldn't be with Chen Qing.
Chen Qing nodded: "Thank you."
"What's the big deal? Aren't we good friends?" Li Xin said nonchalantly. "Isn't it time to harvest the corn in a few days? I'll come and help you then."
Li Xin's family doesn't farm. His father is busy, and his mother is in poor health. They've rented out all their land, so he's quite free during the busy farming season.
Chen Qing felt a little embarrassed. Li Xin didn't have to do any work at home, yet she offered to do it for him. He declined, saying, "My family didn't plant much this year, so there's no need to trouble you."
Just as Li Xin was about to speak, she heard a noise beside her. Zhou Yuan, who was carrying a bucket of water, picked up their bucket as he passed by and left without saying a word.
"Hey, you..."
Chen Qing quickly pulled Li Xin back, who was trying to get the bucket back, afraid that his loud voice would attract attention.
Li Xin watched him carry water in one hand and a bucket in the other, yet he could still walk steadily. She then looked at Chen Qing and asked, "He's helping you carry water?"
Chen Qing nodded: "When I was sick before, and my mother had a bad back, he helped carry water."
Today, when Aunt Sun saw Aunt Hua go to Zhou Yuan's house, she knew that he might not be available for a while. So Chen Qing said that he would choose for himself. Anyway, he was all better now, so he could just pack less.
He met Li Xin by the well, and Li Xin insisted on helping him. Chen Qing was not good at refusing people, so he carried water home with him. Unexpectedly, he ran into Zhou Yuan.
Chen Qing watched his retreating figure. Had he already made arrangements with Aunt Hua? Was he going to propose marriage to Li Xin?
Li Xin is a very good person, good-looking, and from a good family. They are a good match.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Qing squatted down to pick up the carrying pole, but couldn't pick it up for a long time.
Chen Qing picked up the carrying pole somewhat awkwardly: "I wasn't thinking about anything. Are you going home?"
Li Xin nodded. It was getting dark, and he should go back to help his mother cook. His mother had traveled a long way and was resting at home.
Li Xin glanced at Chen Qing, then at Zhou Yuan, who had walked quite a distance away.
These two people are acting strangely, very strangely!
They parted ways at the intersection. Chen Qing carried a bare carrying pole home and ran into Zhou Yuan, who had just come out of his house.
The two houses are not far apart, but the road in front of them is a narrow path. The roads in the village are not wide, which is why Chen Qing is reluctant to go out. Wherever he goes, he will meet people very close by.
Chen Qing stood on the path, not going any further. He wanted to wait until Zhou Yuan had passed before he went on his own. Looking at the bucket on Zhou Yuan's shoulder, he guessed that the water he had carried had probably been poured into his own water tank.
Chen Qing's fingers unconsciously rubbed against the carrying pole, thinking that he should thank Zhou Yuan, but Zhou Yuan was almost in front of him, and the words were still in his stomach, unable to come out of his mouth.
Zhou Yuan saw Chen Qing standing by the roadside early in the morning. Seeing his conflicted look, Zhou Yuan walked over to him and said, "Thank you for the wild fruit today. It was delicious. I've never eaten it before."
"Ah, oh, that, that's just a very ordinary thing." Chen Qing quickly said, but he didn't dare to look at Zhou Yuan at all, and his ears slowly turned red. "My mother told me to thank you."
Zhou Yuan thought to himself, "Thank you for not saying everything."
"Auntie already thanked me," Zhou Yuan said.
"Ah, I didn't know." Chen Qing felt his hands were numb. He thanked her, but Zhou Yuan probably thought he was just trying to make conversation. He really didn't mean that.
Zhou Yuan stood still, and Chen Qing didn't move either. The two of them remained frozen in place until Zhou Yuan looked down and saw that Chen Qing's whole body was trembling slightly.
He moved aside a little: "Sorry, I didn't realize I was blocking your way."
Chen Qing said very quietly that he was fine, and then ran home without looking back, afraid that if he was even a second late, Zhou Yuan would have to say something to him again.
Seeing him flee in disarray, Zhou Yuan couldn't help but smile.
Back home, Chen Qing filled a ladle with water and discovered that his water tank was already full. Aunt Sun said, "Zhou Yuan just came over and filled the water tank."
Chen Qing nodded.
Did you thank them just now?
Chen Qing said in a very soft voice, "Thank you."
Grandma Sun shook her head: "Aqing, we'll be neighbors from now on, and we'll have a lot to do with each other. We can't do this. If anything happens in the future, you'll have to handle it yourself. What if your mother passes away? Do you want to hide in the house for the rest of your life?"
Chen Qing looked up blankly and said, "Mother, don't say such unlucky things. I will definitely learn to communicate with others in the future."
Aunt Sun then patted his hair and said, "Dinner's ready. I made extra; take some to Zhou Yuan."
When Chen Qing went into the kitchen, he saw that a basin of food had already been prepared. Today, they were making a soup with pork bones. The soup base was very rich, and they had also cooked some winter melon, sweet potato, and rolled noodles in it. It was a big, hot bowl of soup.
Chen Qing was somewhat uncertain: "Should I deliver it?"
Aunt Sun said, "Didn't you just promise me that you'd do things yourself from now on?"
Chen Qing had no choice but to carry the small basin and slowly walk towards Zhou Yuan's house. When he arrived at Zhou Yuan's door, Zhou Yuan was not in the yard. Chen Qing tried to call out to him, but he couldn't make a sound.
Zhou Yuan had already spotted Chen Qing at his doorstep, but he was determined to wait for Chen Qing to call him before he went out.
"that……"
"Why……"
The room remained quiet. Chen Qing took a deep breath, his voice slightly louder than before, but still trembling: "Zhou Yuan."
The word "far" seemed to have taken many twists and turns before finally reaching his heart. He became even more certain that Chen Qing was not from Luohe Village; his accent was even further north than that of his hometown.
Zhou Yuan sat up in bed, walked to the door, and looked down at Chen Qing: "What's up?"
Chen Qing handed him the bowl: "Made by your mother, this is for you to eat."
Zhou Yuan followed his hand and saw his reddened fingertips, then took the bowl from his hand.
Chen Qing breathed a sigh of relief, then heard Zhou Yuan say, "But I've already eaten."
"Huh? What should we do then?" Chen Qing was at a loss.
Seeing his expression, Zhou Yuan felt the joy of teasing a child again, a joy he hadn't experienced in a long time: "I'll eat it tomorrow, and I'll bring the bowl back to you tomorrow?"
Chen Qing nodded vigorously, "Okay, okay, then I'll head back if there's nothing else."
"Wait a moment."
Chen Qing abruptly stopped in his tracks, not even looking at Zhou Yuan, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"In a few days, it will be the Ghost Festival. I want to go and offer incense to your husband... Meng Tao."
Chen Qing blinked: "Okay, okay."
"It's alright, you can go back now."
Chen Qing breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ran back home. Zhou Yuan, standing in his own yard, shook his head and chuckled.
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