Chapter 145 An Extraordinary Relationship
When Zheng Xiuhua arrived, Lu Mingyue was leaning against the headboard telling Yao Yao a story.
She had just responded when Zheng Xiuhua walked in carrying a paper bag, followed by Niu Niu bouncing around, and clutching an arithmetic workbook in her hand.
"I heard you had shingles, so I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy you two boxes of peach shortbread. They're soft and easy to digest."
Zheng Xiuhua placed the paper package on the bedside table and reached out to touch Lu Mingyue's forehead. "You look alright, as long as you don't have a fever."
"Thank you for your concern. My back still hurts. The doctor said I can't be exposed to drafts and I have to avoid certain foods, but otherwise I'm fine."
Lu Mingyue smiled and shifted her body to make her more comfortable. "These past two days, Huo Zheng has been busy taking care of everything, and the children have been very sensible, so I haven't had to worry about them."
"It's good that the child is sensible. You can focus on getting better."
Zheng Xiuhua glanced into the inner room and saw Leilei doing his homework on the kang (a heated brick bed). She said, "My Niuniu should be doing his homework too. It's good for the two of them to do it together so they can keep each other company. I'm not doing anything here, so I'll chat with you and not disturb your rest."
As she spoke, she called Niu Niu into the inner room: "Do your homework with Lei Lei. No fighting. You can play after you finish."
Niu Niu nodded, took out his arithmetic workbook, and sat down next to Lei Lei.
The two children sat head to head, their pencils scratching on paper, occasionally whispering amongst themselves.
Zheng Xiuhua pulled Lu Mingyue to a bamboo chair in the living room, deliberately keeping it a distance from the inner room so as not to disturb the child with their conversation.
"You'll need to rest for a while if you have a snake wrapped around your waist, so be sure to watch out for what you eat."
Zheng Xiuhua rambled on, “My relatives back home had it before, and they said that boiling dried mugwort in water and rubbing it on the affected area can relieve the pain. I’ll find some for you later. Also, you must not eat leeks or cilantro, as these are considered irritating foods.”
Lu Mingyue felt a warm glow in her heart: "I'm so sorry to always trouble you like this."
“No need for formalities between neighbors.” Zheng Xiuhua waved her hand. “My Niu Niu had a fever the other day, and you got up in the middle of the night to find fever reducers for me. Besides, I have nothing to do at home, so chatting with you makes the time pass quickly.”
It took Lu Mingyue more than half a month for the snake-like appendage on her waist to fully heal. When the last piece of medicated cloth was removed, there were still faint red marks on the skin on her waist.
She has lost weight, her cheeks have sunken, her chin has become much sharper, and even her previously well-fitting clothes now look loose.
When Huo Zheng came home from get off work, he held her face in his hands and looked at her for a long time, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a mosquito.
That very night, he dug out the grain coupons he had saved at home, and the next morning he went to the county supply and marketing cooperative, queued up and bought two jin of pork belly, one jin of brown sugar, and a small bag of flour.
When they returned, they were carrying things on their shoulders and holding a bamboo basket in their hands, which contained fresh oysters that they had just bought from fishermen at the seaside.
These are all foods that Lu Mingyue usually likes to eat, but she has to avoid them when she is sick.
First, make Lu Mingyue a bowl of brown sugar millet porridge. The porridge should be cooked until it's thick and sticky. Keep it warm in the pot so she can drink it when she gets up later.
Thinking of the braised pork buns that Lu Mingyue mentioned, she quickly started making them. When she woke up from her honeymoon, she saw a table full of food.
"When did you get up and make all this?"
Huo Zheng ladled a bowl of millet porridge for her and said with a smile, "It's not that early."
Since he started cooking, he has become more and more skilled, and this amount of food is no problem for him.
That evening, he boiled a basin of warm water and helped Lu Mingyue wipe her body, his movements as gentle as if he were afraid of breaking porcelain.
When she reached the red marks on her side, she slowed down. After wiping her body, she took out a moisturizing cream from the military clinic, warmed it in her palms, and gently applied it to her dry skin. "The doctor said that the skin needs to be nourished, and applying this will make it softer."
Lu Mingyue enjoyed his service and felt very satisfied.
During his weekend break, Huo Zheng carried a hoe and planted bok choy and scallions on the previously tilled land, and also planted a few strawberry seedlings in the corner.
"When the strawberries ripen, we can pick them and eat them; they're very sweet."
The day the red mark on her waist completely disappeared, the first thing Lu Mingyue did was to climb out of the bamboo basket in the corner of the wall.
As the weather warms up, shepherd's purse, purslane, and bitter greens sprout up in batches on the back hill, so fresh and tender that you can squeeze water out of them. It's perfect to dig some up and make dumplings and wild vegetable dumplings to give Huo Zheng and the children a change of pace.
Yao Yao skipped school and, upon hearing that they were going to dig for wild vegetables, hopped and skipped after her.
Lu Mingyue was worried that Yao Yao would get tired from going up the mountain, so she specially entrusted her to Sister Wang across the street: "Sister-in-law, please take care of Yao Yao for the morning. I will come back after I finish digging for wild vegetables and bring you some fresh ones."
Sister-in-law Wang smiled and agreed, "Don't worry, Yao Yao and my daughter get along very well."
The slope of the back hill is not steep. Sunlight filters through the leaves and falls on the ground. Wild vegetables hide in the grass, their green color shining brightly.
Lu Mingyue carefully examined the shape of the shepherd's purse and soon dug up a small half basket.
As the sun rose directly overhead and her basket was already full, Lu Mingyue dusted off her hands and prepared to head down the mountain.
Just as we reached the fork in the road halfway up the mountain, we saw Guo Xuefu standing under a pine tree, talking to a man.
This time, being closer, Lu Mingyue could see clearly that the man was wearing a military green cadre uniform, had a dark complexion, and his features were very familiar; it was Comrade Wang Rui.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously slowed her pace.
Carrying a basket full of wild vegetables back home, Lu Mingyue took out a handful of tender shepherd's purse from the basket and gave it to Sister Wang before carrying Yao Yao into the house.
But the thought of the scene under the pine trees halfway up the mountain only deepened my doubts.
When Guo Xuefu and Wang Rui were talking, Wang Rui brushed the fallen leaves off her shoulder. When Guo Xuefu handed over the envelope, their fingertips touched. The intimacy between them was not like the politeness between ordinary comrades.
What troubled her even more was that Huo Zheng had mentioned to her before that Wang Rui had a fiancée and the two were about to get engaged, and the wives in the family compound had been gossiping about it privately.
If Wang Rui and Guo Xuefu were truly close, Guo Xueying couldn't possibly have been completely unaware. After much thought, the only explanation is that Guo Xuefu was keeping it from her sister.
At dinner, Huo Zheng brought out the freshly stewed wild vegetable and tofu soup. Seeing that Lu Mingyue was eating rice without touching her chopsticks, he frowned slightly and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like the wild vegetables?"
Lu Mingyue shook her head and didn't say anything. After the child fell asleep that night, she pulled Huo Zheng to sit on a bamboo chair in the yard and told him everything about the scene she saw halfway up the mountain and the fact that Wang Rui had a fiancée.
"What I'm struggling with is whether or not to tell Guo Xueying," Lu Mingyue said, her voice full of hesitation as she gazed at the moonlight outside the courtyard.
"Guo Xueying is an honest person. If he knew that his sister was like this, he would definitely disagree. But if I say something, what if I misunderstand or there is some misunderstanding? Wouldn't that interfere with other people's affairs and offend Guo Xuefu?"
Huo Zheng silently took out a cigarette, but did not light it, his fingers gently stroking the pipe stem.
After a long while, he finally spoke, "This matter cannot be discussed in haste."
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