Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Jinjiang First Release
Chapter 38
While Cui Jue was getting water to wash his hands, Su Li carefully got into the quilt. She moved slowly, put on her clothes, and then lifted the quilt and got out of bed.
Su Li thought that Cui Jue was the eldest son of the Wudong Cui family. If he disappeared, soldiers would come to look for him. Then she had to prepare to go on the journey with him as soon as possible, so that Cui Jue would not think she was a burden and abandon her.
Thinking of this, Su Li turned her gaze to the wooden rack where the washbasin was placed.
Su Li: "Master, please hand me the dagger I just used. And please help me move that cedar washbasin stand over to me."
Although Cui Jue didn't know what she wanted to do, he didn't refuse since it was just a small favor.
Cui Jue brought everything Su Li needed to her.
Su Li sat cross-legged beside the couch, carefully studying the structure of the basin stand.
Generally, this kind of wooden frame is constructed with mortise and tenon joints. As long as she finds the position of the tenon and mortise, she can easily disassemble the frame.
Su Li wanted to split the wooden basin stand in half and make a walking stick. That way, she could stagger down the mountain with Cui Jue.
The young lady was full of energy. Even though she had just suffered an ordeal, she still had the strength to tinker with the wooden shelf.
When Cui Jue heard the clanging sound, he couldn't help but raise his eyelids and glance at her.
Cui Jue filled a glass with cold water, rubbed the wall of the glass with his fingertips, and glanced around as if in surprise.
If Cui Shunying were to suffer such a catastrophe, she would not only cry in her room for days, but would also beg Cui Jue to send her many foreign treasures, and would also ask Concubine Xu to take care of her and feed her...
She is nothing like Su Li, who is so easy to coax. No matter how painful it is, she will only cry for a while, wipe away her tears and then smile again. She is very good at forbearance.
Perhaps it was because the farmyard was too quiet. Cui Jue had no state affairs to be busy with, and no classics, history books, or miscellaneous books at hand. His only entertainment was to watch Su Li tinkering with his work.
The young lady was working hard, her soft black hair falling on her shoulders, covering her completely. At this moment, Cui Jue discovered... that she was so thin.
Su Li seemed to be itchy because of the strand of hair. She subconsciously raised her pink fingertips and smoothed the strand of hair behind her slightly red ear.
The girl's thick and curled eyelashes, shiny fingernails, and plump cherry lips were all illuminated by the yellow candlelight, making her look as tender and juicy as if she were covered in spring sunshine.
Cui Jue lowered his brows and eyes, and calmly withdrew his gaze.
Su Li didn't notice Cui Jue's sharp gaze just now. She was still concentrating on the trivial matters in her hands.
God helps those who work hard. After nearly an hour of hard work, she finally took out a wooden stick with a small handle, which was just right for supporting her elbow.
Su Li was extremely surprised. She handed the finished product to Cui Jue and presented him with the treasure: "Look, my lord! With this cane, I can go out with you!"
The girl's soft and gentle voice fell into Cui Jue's ears. He was suddenly startled. For some reason, he felt an indescribable subtle emotion.
The man pursed his lips slightly.
Even though Su Li was seriously injured, she still supported herself and sat at the head of the bed to fiddle with the wooden frame.
Are you going through so much trouble just to... leave with him?
Su Li put half of her body's strength into the wooden stick. Although her movements were slow, at least she could walk unsteadily. She was very satisfied.
Just then, the old lady called out from outside the door: "Young Master, Madam, are you asleep? I see the light is still on in the room. If you're not asleep, come out and have a bowl of chicken noodle soup. My mother-in-law is having her birthday tomorrow, and she wants to have pheasant stewed with day lilies. She's a child at heart, and if she wants something, she wants it right away. I just cooked a pot and brought some for you two."
Su Li had been hungry all day. Now that she relaxed, she touched her empty belly and felt really hungry.
She didn't know what Cui Jue was thinking, so she couldn't help but turn around and ask for his opinion: "Young Master, do you want to eat?"
Su Li remembered that Cui Jue didn't eat late at night, so she didn't want to force him to eat with her.
Su Li guessed that Cui Jue was a very principled person and would probably refuse to have dinner tonight.
Strangely enough, he actually nodded and replied with a rare "Yeah."
The two of them came to the kitchen and saw two bowls of hot chicken noodle soup on the table.
Su Li looked around and saw two pieces of bacon hanging on the wall. There was firewood burning in the stove, and the fire was bright with scarlet flames.
An elderly woman sat at one side of the table. She seemed to be in a state of confusion, her speech slurred, and she needed the old lady to bring her chicken soup to feed her. However, the old woman looked kind, and when she saw Su Li, she smiled at her lovingly.
The old lady said apologetically, "My mother-in-law is old and has some hemiplegia. She fell in the mountains a few days ago and has been unable to get up for the past two days. She even needs me to feed her noodles."
Cui Jue had seen the world's ups and downs. He was naturally indifferent and had no sympathy. He only said, "The road is muddy after the rain and the mountain road is bumpy. Madam, please take care of yourself."
However, Su Li was reminded of her own grandmother when she saw the old woman, and she couldn't help but say with a soft heart, "If you want to treat hemiplegia, Auntie, try using chrysanthemum, mulberry leaves and other herbs to make a foot bath. The meridians on the soles of the feet lead to the waist, spine and vertebrae, which will activate the blood circulation in the limbs, relieve the blood stasis, and make the hands and feet naturally flexible. I used this method to take care of the elderly in my family in the past."
This was the prescription that the old traveling doctor had told her. It was beneficial to her grandmother, so Su Li always kept it in mind.
In addition, Su Li also told the old lady about some medicinal foods that can help the elderly improve their eyesight and replenish their energy, how to use pillows to nourish the elderly, and how to eat nourishing foods.
Su Li's explanation was very logical. The old lady nodded as she wrote down the prescription. She smiled and said, "My wife is so virtuous and smart. My husband's family will surely love her very much."
Su Li thought of her picky second mother-in-law, and her face turned red, but she said nothing more.
She subconsciously looked at Cui Jue, but found that the man was also looking at her.
Cui Jue sat at the table, expressionless, unable to tell whether he was happy or angry. His cold dark eyes stared at her intently, and it was unknown what he was thinking.
Su Li felt uneasy when he stared at her. She then looked at the chicken noodle soup in front of Cui Jue, which was not less at all. Instead, the noodles had become clumpy due to being soaked in the soup for too long.
An idea suddenly came to her mind, and she thought of Cui Jue's rule of not eating meat after killing an animal. She muttered to herself that he had so many things to do, and he was still waiting for her to serve him!
Su Li frightenedly took the chopsticks and put all the dried shrimps and chicken legs in the man's bowl into her own bowl.
At this point, all that was left in Cui Jue's bowl was a little chicken soup with animal oil, apart from the thin vegetarian noodles.
Su Li asked anxiously, "Master, is it okay to eat like this?"
Cui Jue was actually not such a delicate person. He stared at Su Li for a long time, but he was just thinking about something else.
But the girl had cleared away the meat dishes in the bowl one by one, leaving only some broth... Cui Jue knew that this was the host's kindness, so he didn't refuse. He picked up his chopsticks again and whispered, "Yes."
Su Li breathed a sigh of relief, took her own bowl of noodles and began to eat slowly.
While eating, Su Li turned the noodles over and saw a lot of dried river food at the bottom of her soup bowl, which touched her heart.
Su Li knew that meat was precious. If a farmer wanted to show hospitality and graciously entertain a guest from afar, they would add countless dried shrimps and slices of meat to the guest's bowl...
The old lady hopes that they can eat and drink well. This kindness is hard-earned. Su Li doesn't want Cui Jue to be picky about food and let down the hostess.
After having a midnight snack, the two of them cleaned their teeth and washed up, then returned to the room where they would stay for the night.
Although it was early summer, there had been two heavy rains in the mountains, and the night wind was bleak and still very cold.
Su Li put down the wooden stick that supported her body, sat down on the edge of the bed, and breathed a sigh of relief.
She patted the soft bedding, and then she remembered something... There was only one room, so wouldn't she and Cui Jue have to sleep in the same bed tonight?
Su Li did not forget that they had sex in Shuyue Pavilion before. Cui Jue left after they were done and was not willing to sleep on the same couch with her at all.
Perhaps the eldest son prided himself on his noble status and disdained to have too much close involvement with a girl from a poor family like her.
But tonight... Su Li was sick due to a cold, and her leg injury had not healed yet. She didn't want to sleep on the ground no matter what.
Thinking of this, Su Li turned back in embarrassment and looked at the tall man who had just entered the room.
"My lord, I know I am of low status and unworthy of sharing the same bed with you, but I am feeling unwell tonight. Could you please take a corner of your bed and take a nap? Once we find reinforcements tomorrow, I will stay in the carriage and not come to your side to cause any nuisance."
Cui Jue glanced at her indifferently and did not answer.
The man didn't say anything, and Su Li didn't want to pay attention to him. She could only grit her teeth and crawl into the bed curtain, lying down obediently at the innermost side.
She waited for a while, the candle went out, and one side of the bedding suddenly sank. It was Cui Jue who got on the bed.
The man lay down silently, his breathing slow and cold, a bit like a soulless corpse...
Su Li felt an inexplicable shudder, and her sleepiness disappeared in an instant.
Perhaps knowing that she was not asleep, Cui Jue opened his beautiful eyes with the corners slightly raised in the darkness. His voice was slightly cold, like the thick snow on the top of the mountain, icy and biting.
He asked her, "Su Li, you just said that you've been with the old man for a long time and know how to take care of him. I've seen your words and actions are very skillful, so this is indeed true. But the old lady of the Lanhe Su family passed away twenty years ago, and even my grandfather didn't live in Lanhe County for long. So... who is the old man you are talking about? Or who taught you this medical skill of identifying herbs?"
Su Li could recognize the names of the medicinal herbs drying under the eaves in the dim moonlight. Only those who were familiar with medicine could do that.
It is obvious that she is a woman who is well versed in the art of medicine.
However, although the children of aristocratic families are good at calligraphy, poetry, and skilled in archery and horse riding, very few of them would study medicine... Su Li is quite a surprise.
Cui Jue's casual question made Su Li break out in a cold sweat.
She didn't think Cui Jue was just chatting with her on a whim; he was clearly suspicious and wanted to test her.
Su Li's palms were sweating and her hands and feet were so stiff that she couldn't move.
Su Li thought quickly and said, "My mother once had an acute illness. She was in critical condition and all the famous doctors were helpless. I was worried and couldn't sleep at night. To pray for my mother, I once stayed in an ancient temple in the mountains for a month. These medical skills and how to take care of the elderly were taught to me by the old abbot..."
Su Li clenched her palms and slowed down her breathing. She knew that the room was dim, and if she breathed rapidly or her heart beat too fast, Cui Jue would definitely notice that she was lying.
"Really?" Cui Jue lowered his eyelashes and pursed his lips coldly, "Then Madam Su really has a lot of thoughts in mind."
After saying that, he seemed to accept Su Li's impromptu nonsense and said no more.
Su Li's back was tense and she didn't move for a long time.
Only after Cui Jue fell silent, as if he had closed his eyes and fallen asleep, did she dare to slowly turn over.
It turns out that even in casual conversations, Cui Jue would carefully speculate... This person is very dangerous, and Su Li cannot let her guard down when dealing with him.
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