Chapter 128 Wounded
The path downhill was gentler than the path uphill. Huo Lian took the initiative to run to the front, like a little guide, and every few steps he would turn around and call out, "Walk slowly, these steps are a bit slippery."
When he sees a loose stone slab, he will reach out to help Wen Yuexian, who is following behind, and remind her like a little adult: "Mom, hold me and don't step on that stone."
Yao Yao's little water bottle swayed back and forth in her hand, and she complained that her arm was sore after walking only a few steps.
Zhuangzhuang heard this, ran over excitedly, and reached out to grab it, saying, "I'll help you carry it, I'm strong."
Yao Yao initially refused, but Zhuang Zhuang frowned and said, "Look at you, your hands are all red. I'll help you carry it down the mountain, and you can just give me a sip of water."
Yao Yao was amused by him and handed him the water bottle.
Zhuangzhuang carried two water bottles, one in each hand, and walked with even more energy than before, glancing back at Yaoyao every now and then, as if afraid she wouldn't be able to keep up.
Looking at his son, Dongzi smiled and said to Huo Zheng, "This kid is usually so arrogant at home, but he's learned to take care of people when he's out here."
Huo Zheng laughed and said, "The children are learning from each other when they're together, which is more effective than our teaching."
When she got home, Lu Mingyue was stunned as soon as she pushed open the courtyard gate.
Three unfamiliar figures were standing in the courtyard, and Zhong Yulan was smiling and talking to them.
Huo Zheng quietly nudged her arm: "This is my uncle's family."
Before Lu Mingyue could react, Zhong Yulan had already come forward and pointed to the man in the middle wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit, introducing him: "Mingyue, this is your uncle Zhong Yuxiang, this is your aunt Wang Juan, and this is your cousin Zhong Xiaojun."
Lu Mingyue quickly stepped forward and greeted them somewhat reservedly: "Uncle, Aunt, hello."
Huo Zheng nodded in agreement: "Uncle, Aunt, Xiao Jun."
Zhong Yuxiang looked at Lu Mingyue with a polite smile on his face, "I've heard your mother mention it before, and now we finally have a chance to meet."
Wang Juan, pulling Zhong Xiaojun along, smiled and agreed, "Yes, I've often heard my sister say that you two are sensible. It's great to finally see you today."
Zhong Xiaojun grew up under the constant physical suppression of his two older cousins, and seeing Huo Zheng now reminded him of his childhood.
She glanced hurriedly at Lu Mingyue and Huo Zheng, whispered "Cousin, brother-in-law," and then quickly buried her head back down.
The fire in the stove was burning brightly. Zhong Yuxiang was chatting with Huo Zheng about the harvest in their hometown. Wang Juan was looking through photos of the children with Zhong Yulan, and occasionally a few laughs could be heard.
Lu Mingyue sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a porcelain cup to warm her hands, but her brows were furrowed.
A dull, stinging pain came from my heel, like a small pebble poking at it, or like my skin had been rubbed raw.
She secretly moved her foot, trying to relieve the pain, but the stinging sensation only became more pronounced.
With so many guests present, it was impossible to take off her shoes in public to check, so Lu Mingyue had to force herself to keep a smile on her face. However, when she responded to the other person's words, her voice was still a beat slow.
Huo Zheng, sitting opposite her, immediately noticed that something was wrong with her.
She had been walking slowly down the Great Wall, but now she was sitting upright with her toes slightly raised, clearly indicating that her feet were uncomfortable.
He listened to Zhong Yuxiang's words without showing any emotion, and as soon as the other party finished speaking, he stood up with a smile: "Mom, Mingyue and I are going to the yard to check on the children. I think we just heard Leilei calling."
Before Zhong Yulan could respond, Huo Zheng reached out and pulled Lu Mingyue along, saying in a low voice, "Let's go see the children."
Lu Mingyue was stunned for a moment, then stood up with his help and followed him outside, wondering: the children were clearly playing with Xiaojun inside the house, so why were they in the yard?
As soon as they reached the sheltered spot by the courtyard gate, Huo Zheng stopped and turned to look at her feet: "Do your feet hurt? I noticed something was wrong with you earlier."
Lu Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "It seems to be chafed. It hurt a little on the Great Wall earlier, but I didn't pay attention to it."
Huo Zheng squatted down, gently held her ankle, and carefully took off her cotton shoes.
The sock on my heel had a small hole worn through, with a faint red oozing from the hole. When I lifted the sock, I saw that a piece of skin the size of a coin had been worn away, revealing the reddish flesh underneath, which looked rather frightening.
"How did it get so worn out?" Huo Zheng frowned, his tone filled with concern. "I should have told you to slow down when we came down the mountain, but you insisted on running with the children."
Lu Mingyue smiled and nudged his shoulder: "It's nothing, just a minor injury. You'll be fine in no time. Don't let your uncle and the others see it and worry."
Huo Zheng didn't say anything, turned around and walked into the house. He quickly came out with a first-aid kit, which contained iodine and gauze that Zhong Yulan usually kept on hand.
He knelt down and gently applied iodine to the wound with a cotton swab. Lu Mingyue flinched in pain, and he immediately softened his movements: "Bear with it, just disinfect it and it'll be fine. Don't let it get infected."
He quickly bandaged the wound with gauze and helped her put on her shoes: "Alright, don't walk too much. Sit down when you come inside, and I'll take care of your uncle and the others."
After returning from the courtyard gate, Huo Zheng pulled Lu Mingyue directly into the inner room and pulled out a pair of newly made cotton slippers.
The dark blue corduroy uppers, stuffed with thick cotton, were made by Zhong Yulan for Lu Mingyue a few days ago.
"Put them on quickly, don't rub them against the wound again." He held her arm, watching her gently put her feet into the slippers.
The soft soles of the shoes wrapped around her heels, keeping the wound completely out of reach, and Lu Mingyue immediately felt much more comfortable.
As soon as she sat back down on the kang (a heated brick bed), Zhong Yulan noticed Lu Mingyue's cotton slippers and then looked at the first-aid kit in Huo Zheng's hand. She immediately understood and gave Huo Zheng a reproachful look: "Are your feet blistered? You child, don't you know to tell her to walk slowly?"
As she spoke, she squatted down to check the wound, but Lu Mingyue quickly waved her hand and said, "Mom, it's okay. Huo Zheng has already taken care of it for me. It won't hurt anymore once I put on my slippers."
Zhong Yulan was still worried and instructed, "Don't walk tonight, just sit still. You don't need to help with making dumplings."
The steaming dumplings were just served, the plump white dumplings emitting heat in the rough porcelain bowl, and the family sat down around the table.
Wang Juan looked at the children playing around on the table, then suddenly looked at Lu Mingyue and said with a smile, "Mingyue, look how big Leilei and Yaoyao are. The children are so lively. You two should hurry up and have another child."
Upon hearing this, Lu Mingyue's cheeks flushed slightly, her chopsticks paused, and she lowered her head, feigning embarrassment.
Huo Zheng quickly picked up a dumpling for her and smiled as he tried to smooth things over: "Auntie, we're not in a hurry. Let's raise this child first."
Wang Juan waved her hand and continued, "We can't be in a hurry. Look at your mother, she's still young and can help you take care of the children. In a couple of years, when she gets older, she won't be able to help as much. Besides, the children will grow up together and have each other's company. Isn't that great?"
Zhong Yulan listened from the side and nodded with a smile: "Your aunt is right. I also hope that you two will have another child, but there's no rush. You can discuss it yourselves. The most important thing is that you two are willing."
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