Chapter 68 (First published on Jinjiang Literature City) 068 (Updated) A Tiger Smelling Flowers...
Farm work is really exhausting. It was almost noon, and Ruan Yu was already sweating profusely and feeling uncomfortable just sitting in the car.
The air was filled with dust and spring willow catkins, and it was getting increasingly stuffy. There was also an unpleasant smell in the distance.
Xuanniang opened the side window of the carriage, and Qingguo fanned Ruan Yu, saying, "The weather really gets hot so suddenly, it's really tough."
Xuan Niang: "This is only spring planting. When it comes to the Grain in Ear season and the wheat harvest in July and August, it will be even more grueling."
Ruan Yu said, "Go call Fourth Master for dinner in a quarter of an hour. The food won't keep for long. Xuan Niang, if Fourth Master comes again tomorrow, tell Afu to prepare some extra meat pies and get two blocks of ice."
"Yes, I've got it."
Fifteen minutes later, Chaolu returned.
As soon as he got on the bus, Chaolu noticed her flushed cheeks.
"I told you it's really hot and humid here, are you feeling uncomfortable now?"
Ruan Yu fanned herself and said, "It's alright. I don't have to do any work, so I'm not that delicate. Let's eat."
Chao Lu was covered in sweat, so he didn't let Ruan Yu get close. Ruan Yu didn't mind, but simply had the carriage doors and windows opened to let in some fresh air.
Qingguo quickly brought lunch: a plate of fried dumplings, a few flatbreads, and a small dish of fermented bean curd.
The pan-fried dumplings weren't as crispy anymore, but Chao Lu didn't mind at all, eating them one after another, unable to stop.
"This is still the best!"
As Ruan Yu looked at the people, she suddenly remembered what her mother had told her when she was a child about the busy farming season. At that time, every household, no matter how poor, would give the men working in the fields some oil and fat. Without oil and fat, people really couldn't endure such a heavy workload.
Ruan Yu: "Eat slowly. When we get home tonight, I'll have the kitchen stew a pork knuckle for you."
Chao Lu raised an eyebrow, clearly craving something.
“I asked, and the spring planting here will be finished in three days. After that, I’m afraid I’ll have to take the wheat seeds back to the grassland first.”
Since the grasslands are to be cultivated, the time of year is roughly the same, it's just that it's a bit colder in the north, so being a few days later is fine.
Ruan Yu hummed in agreement: "I'll see. I'll go back with you once things here are mostly settled."
"No need to rush, let's finish this first. Even if I go back, I'll be back soon."
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
Chao Lu finished his meal in a few bites. Ruan Yu told him to rest in the carriage for a while, but Chao Lu shook his head: "No need to rest. It will be over in a little over an hour. Do you still want to go to the peach blossom forest? If not, you can go back."
Looking at the sky, Ruan Yu thought for a moment and said, "Let's go. It won't be hot in a while. Let's take a walk around the neighborhood. It's not easy to come out here."
"Okay! I'll hurry up!"
"No need to rush, I'll take a nap in the car and wait for you."
Chao Lu smiled.
After Chao Lu left, Ruan Yu ate something and then dozed off for a while in the carriage.
After an unknown amount of time, the carriage slowly began to move.
Ruan Yu only opened her eyes when she felt the jolt!
Hearing the noise, Chao Lu's voice came from outside: "It's me, Yu Yu. I'll drive you to the peach blossom forest."
Ruan Yu breathed a huge sigh of relief: "What time is it?"
"We'll return before 3:45 PM (1:45 PM)."
"Okay... What about Afu and the others?"
Chao Lu: "There are people following behind. I saw you were sleeping and didn't have the heart to wake you. The carriage may only stop at the village entrance later, so you'll have to come up the mountain with me."
Ruan Yu glanced down at her clothes and shoes, and suddenly felt a little worried...
She didn't know she would be walking a mountain path today.
Unexpectedly, Chao Lu suddenly said, "If you can't walk, I'll carry you on my back."
Ruan Yu, inside the carriage, couldn't help but laugh.
That's fine, he's strong anyway.
...
The carriage stopped at the foot of a mountain.
Chao Lu lifted the carriage curtain and handed Ruan Yu his hand: "Get down."
“Okay.” Ruan Yu pulled the person down from the carriage together.
There is less arable land in this area, but significantly more vegetation. There is also a small hill not far away, where peach blossoms are in full bloom.
"Is that where we're going?"
“Yes.” Chao Lu seemed quite excited as well. “You go first. If you can’t walk, I’ll carry you. But my clothes are made of coarse cloth, so please don’t mind if they get snagged on your clothes.”
Ruan Yu glanced down and said, "What's the big deal? I have more than just this one outfit. Let's go."
The mountain road looks quite gentle; there shouldn't be any problems.
Xuan Niang, Qing Guo, A Fu, and Has followed at a distance.
Fifteen minutes later—
Ruan Yu's face was flushed, and she kept fanning herself and panting.
Chao Lu sighed helplessly: "What happened to your boasting just now? It's only been a quarter of an hour."
Ruan Yu was also very frustrated. The hillsides in the north were completely different! When she was in Chang'an, the most she ever went to temples in the suburbs with her mother to burn incense was to have steps, and they weren't this high!
Chao Lu smiled and walked up to her: "Come on up."
Ruan Yu looked at his retreating figure, but hesitated again.
Chao Lu asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Are you really afraid of damaging your clothes?"
Ruan Yu: "...No, that's not true."
She was just feeling sorry for him, having just finished farm work and now having to carry her up the mountain; the peach blossoms weren't really something she had to see.
"Come on up, it's only a short walk. There are still fruits on the mountain, I'll pick some for you to eat!"
Seeing his insistence, Ruan Yu had no choice but to agree.
She climbed up and gently put her arms around his neck.
Chao Lu stood up effortlessly. After standing up, he chuckled softly twice.
Ruan Yu asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"
The roots of the ears in Chaolu are a little hot.
"Yu Yu, you're so soft."
And they really have grown up.
Ruan Yu was stunned for a moment before she realized what he was talking about.
Looking down, I saw that my cheeks were completely red!
Ruan Yu suddenly grabbed his ear—
"Chao Lu!"
Chaolu's laughter echoed unabashedly through the mountains and forests...
-
Fifteen minutes later, Ruan Yu sat on an exposed rock in the peach blossom grove, the surrounding area carefully wiped by Chao Luzai.
He carried himself for half an hour, walking uphill, but all he noticed was that his breathing became a little rapid; otherwise, he showed no other reaction.
Ruan Yu truly admired him...
But she, after walking for only a short while, wanted to sit down.
Chaolu also stayed with her for a while, and the two of them drank some water to calm down.
Looking around, one sees a splendid peach blossom forest, with pink and white blossoms blooming profusely on the branches.
Ruan Yu was stunned for a moment.
Not far away, there is a small stream that meanders and twists. Although the water flow is not large, it adds a crisp sound to the valley with its tinkling and babbling. Peach blossom petals fall and flow down the stream, which is truly refreshing.
Chao Lu followed her gaze and asked, "If you like it, go take a look?"
Ruan Yu: "...I don't want to leave."
Chao Lu: "..."
Okay, he understands.
Chao Lu walked over: "I'll continue carrying you!"
Ruan Yu chuckled, "I was just kidding! Help me up."
Chao Lu reached out and grasped her soft, white hand, then suddenly sighed.
"I was absolutely right before."
"What?"
"You would never be allowed to leave the grasslands; you would be torn apart by wolves as soon as you stepped outside."
Ruan Yu: "...You still think I'm weak, just like before, right?"
Chao Lu stepped forward, suddenly blocking the view of everyone behind him, his voice hoarse: "If you don't mind, I'm willing to serve you..."
Ruan Yu snorted and continued walking forward.
Upon reaching the stream, Chaolu suddenly began to undress.
"What are you doing...?" Ruan Yu was stunned.
"I'm going down to wash up!" I wanted to wash up while working in the fields, but I held back all the way!
Ruan Yu: "Aren't you cold?"
"What's so cold about this? I can go into the river even in freezing weather."
Ruan Yu: "...Then go downstream, don't pollute the scenery upstream!"
Chao Lu pursed his lips: "You still say I look down on you? Who's looking down on whom?"
"Then don't wash it, we'll talk about it when we get back."
Chao Lu stared at the person, then suddenly smiled and said, "That won't do. I'm a clean person now."
Ruan Yu: "..."
Sarcastic and unsettling!
Chaolu still went downstream. Has and the others had already consciously avoided it, but with them guarding the area, no one else was likely to come near.
With the sound of rushing water, Chao Lu took off his coat, rolled up his trousers, and went into the river. He scooped up water and poured it over himself. Sometimes he would catch a few peach blossoms, smell them, and grin.
Ruan Yu happened to witness this scene. For some reason, a strange feeling arose within her.
It's discordant, yet somehow harmonious.
A tiger sniffs a flower.
I don't know how this image popped into my head.
Chao Lu also caught her gaze. The moment their eyes met, Ruan Yu quickly turned her face away, but it was too late. Chao Lu strode forward and soon stood in front of her.
"You can guard against others but not against yourself. If you want to see it, just be open about it."
Ruan Yu: "...Shut up."
"I'm not stingy. I'll show you, and you can touch it if you want."
After saying that, he leaned forward and suddenly grabbed Ruan Yu's hand.
As if burned, Ruan Yu abruptly pulled her hand back!
"Chao Lu!"
Chao Lu grinned and said, "What's there to be afraid of? Nobody's watching."
He was wearing a short shirt worn on the grasslands, with the collar open all the way to his chest, revealing his well-built muscles.
Ruan Yu's cheeks flushed, she lowered her eyes, her eyelashes fluttered, and she stared at Lu for a long time. Suddenly, she reached out and plucked a peach blossom that was about to fall onto the stream.
Then, she selected the most beautiful peach blossom from the tree and suddenly bent down to put it on Ruan Yu's hair.
Ruan Yu looked up in surprise.
"It's so beautiful."
She was still wearing that wind chime flower hairpin on her head, and with the peach blossoms, Chao Lu was also stunned.
Ruan Yu reached out and touched it, her cheeks turning even redder: "Hurry up and put on your clothes, or no one will care if you catch a cold."
Chaolu smiled and finally got out of the water and onto the shore.
Once the clothes were dry, Chao Lu went to the woods and reached out to pick a handful of mulberries for Ruan Yu.
As they were about to descend the mountain, he ignored Ruan Yu's advice and went to steal a few bird eggs.
It's lake blue, and it's especially beautiful.
After playing around for most of the day, Chaolu finally showed signs of fatigue.
Ruan Yu, having rested well, smiled and asked, "Can you carry me down the mountain?"
Chao Lu smiled and said, "That's more than enough, but I'll have to get something in return."
"What benefits?" Ruan Yu looked at him warily, wondering why he hadn't asked for them when they went up the mountain.
"Going up the mountain is easy, but going down is hard. My legs were trembling. When I came down, Yu Yu kissed me ten times, and then I had the strength."
Ruan Yu sneered: "How about I bite you ten times?"
Chao Lu clicked his tongue: "It'll do, but you have to whisper in my ear."
Ruan Yu was so angry she wanted to rip his ear: "I'll walk by myself!"
Chao Lu chuckled and chased after him again.
...
We finally made it back to the courtyard, and it was almost dusk.
Afu rushed out again when he reached the courtyard gate.
Ruan Yu saw this just as she got off the carriage: "Where did Afu go?"
Chao Lu remained unfazed: "I don't know, who cares?"
Ruan Yu didn't ask any more questions. She was exhausted from climbing the mountain today and just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep as soon as possible.
After dinner, the two took a bath one after the other. Unexpectedly, when Ruan Yu returned to the inner room rubbing her eyes, Chao Lu was still standing there without moving.
"Aren't you sleepy...?"
Chao Lu shook his head: "You go to sleep first, I have something to do."
Ruan Yu found it strange, but didn't ask any further questions. She nodded and went back to sleep.
Chao Lu sat for a while longer, then suddenly got up and went out.
Afu was already waiting at the door of the study.
"Fourth Master, we've bought them all, but it might not be complete." The shopkeeper looked at me like he'd seen a ghost and said—
"say what."
"They say that no one who actually works in the fields reads books, so I searched for a long time before finally finding this book, 'Detailed Explanation of Farm Tools,' in a shop."
"Okay, let's leave it at that for now. I'm not just asking you to find these kinds of books, you can also buy farming books, right?!"
Afu: "It's all the same, Fourth Master. Farming is all about experience, there's no need to be too particular. Who among us peasants reads books?"
Chao Lu: "..."
He stroked his chin. "Alright, I'll go ask those old men for advice later!"
"Fourth Master is really hardworking!" Afu gave him a thumbs up.
-----------------------
Author's note: Today, Yu Yu said you're a fierce tiger, so she won't call you a big dog anymore.
Let's resume tomorrow.
I'm still behind on my chapters today [laughing and crying with face covered]. Turns out, owing chapters can be addictive. Just remember that. I currently owe two chapters.
I'm making up for this during the National Day holiday. I've been so busy these past two days. There are just so many annoying things to do as the holiday approaches!
See you tomorrow.
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