Chapter 66 (This is a proverb meaning someone who responds to kindness but not force.)
"You won't feel bad after you drink the medicine." Xie Pei didn't think drinking medicine was difficult; good medicine tastes bitter, so it's normal for it to be a little bitter. But he couldn't say it directly, lest Zhu Mingyue burst into tears again, so he could only offer dry words of advice.
Zhu Mingyue wasn't the type to make a fuss unnecessarily, and with a fever, he seemed even more sensitive than usual. Xie Pei had long since figured out his stubborn nature and knew he was easily swayed by gentle persuasion, so he patiently coaxed him a few more times.
Finally, seeing the other person obediently take the medicine, pinch their nose with one hand, their face scrunched up from crying, and drink the medicine in front of him, even pursing their lips and showing him the bottom of the bowl before finishing, Xie Pei's serious expression softened.
Oh, so sweet.
He just stared at her, feeling his heart soften uncontrollably. He sighed softly, then pulled out an oil paper package from somewhere, opened it, took out a candied date, and held it to Zhu Mingyue's lips.
Zhu Mingyue felt a bitter taste from the tip of her tongue to the back, and her stomach churned with nausea. The reason she kept her mouth shut was because she was afraid that if she opened it, she would spill out the bitter saliva. When she saw the candied dates in Xie Pei's palm, she felt as if she had seen a savior. Regardless of the fact that he used to scoff at these things, she hurriedly snatched the dates away like a chick pecking at rice.
The moist tip of her tongue touched Xie Pei's palm and then left, so quickly that even Zhu Mingyue herself didn't notice. Xie Pei's knuckles curled into a slight fist, and his fingertips rubbed against his palm. A strange emotion seemed to wash over him, causing his eyes to darken slightly: "I'll go cook some porridge."
Zhu Mingyue nodded, then thought for a moment and said softly, "I want to eat boiled eggs, two of them."
Xie Pei agreed, tucked the blanket back in for him, and left with the empty medicine bowl.
After he left, Zhu Mingyue lay down completely. He had already swallowed the jujubes, and with the lingering sweetness in his mouth, Zhu Mingyue felt a little better. He didn't know if his fever had subsided, but at least the taste of medicine in his mouth had been dispelled.
He thought about this and that, recalling the time Xie Hong was bedridden, and realized that Xie Hong wasn't entirely being dramatic. If he were drinking such bitter herbs every day, he wouldn't be in a good mood either. Now, he was actually eating sweets and eggs just like Xie Hong.
He was almost driven crazy by Xie Hong when he was taking care of him, and all he could think about every day was how to escape from the village. Now that he was the patient, he wondered if Xie Pei would also get annoyed by his own fussiness.
The medicine she had taken was probably starting to take effect, because Zhu Mingyue broke out in a fine sweat again, and, feeling drowsy from the heat, she fell asleep again.
The cold came on fiercely but also left quickly. Although Zhu Mingyue's physical condition was not as good as Xie Pei's, she was still a teenager. She slept for nearly two days without stopping, and by the afternoon of the second day, she suddenly felt much better, although her legs and feet were still a little weak.
Once he was fully awake, the first thing he did was ask Xie Pei to boil water for him, as he couldn't wait to take a bath and change his clothes.
Xie Pei took care of him for two days, bringing him porridge and medicine, providing meticulous care, except...
Zhu Mingyue reached under the covers and touched his clothes; his skin felt slippery, covered in sweat. He smelled of sweat, not exactly foul, but the blankets were soaked. He grimaced in disgust.
Xie Pei wiped his sweat, even quite frequently, but considering the awkwardness of their relationship, Xie Pei never treated him like a normal male friend, and there were many things he couldn't do, such as what he did below the neck.
However, Zhu Mingyue's request to take a shower was also rejected.
Xie Pei brought a basin of steaming water into the house.
Zhu Mingyue immediately objected and asked tactfully, "Is there not enough firewood at home?" He remembered that there was plenty of firewood; Xie Peiguang had piled it up along the entire base of the wall in the backyard.
Xie Pei replied coldly, "That's enough."
Zhu Mingyue frowned and launched into accusatory mode: "Then this basin of water isn't enough for me to take a bath! At most, I can only wash my hair."
He lay half-reclined on the headboard, grabbed a handful of his already greasy black hair, and then exaggeratedly said, "I don't need a washbasin. I have a wooden bucket this big, right in my room. I can make do with just a little bit."
He had already conceded so much, yet he couldn't even get a glance from Xie Pei. Xie Pei didn't even lift his eyelids, still ruthlessly refusing: "That won't do either."
Zhu Mingyue exclaimed, "Why not? I feel almost fully recovered now, and I can take care of myself completely!"
Xie Pei finally deigned to look up at him.
Upon noticing her gaze, Zhu Mingyue's tone immediately softened, but she still stubbornly insisted, "At least taking a shower is no problem at all. I don't need you to help me shower, so why can't I!"
Xie Pei remained unmoved and continued to plead, "Please, Xie Pei, I'm covered in sweat and it's awful."
Xie Pei showed a slight sign of relenting, and he was about to press on when he saw Xie Pei shake his head hesitantly: "No."
Zhu Mingyue: ...So what are you still hesitating about? Didn't you reject me quite decisively?
Zhu Mingyue looked up at the sky, feeling utterly hopeless. He let himself slowly and smoothly lie back down, two lines of clear tears seeping from the corners of his eyes. He turned his head away, leaving Xie Pei with only his round back of his head, clearly indicating that he was unwilling to communicate anymore.
Xie Pei's stubborn temper flared up again, and a smile appeared in his eyes, with a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
He explained calmly, "Your cold hasn't fully healed yet, so don't take a bath today to avoid catching a chill. Drink two more doses of medicine, and we'll talk about it again when you're fully recovered."
Zhu Mingyue listened intently, and when he heard that he not only couldn't take a shower but also had to continue taking medicine, his pout deepened. He shifted his body slightly but still refused to speak.
Xie Pei found his retreating figure quite amusing and slowly said, "And..."
Time ticked by, and Zhu Mingyue's heart was pounding with curiosity, like a cat was scratching at her. Why isn't he telling us yet?! And what? Keep going!
It was driving him crazy. He turned around sheepishly, coughed twice to try to ease the awkwardness, and then casually urged, "What do you want? Why aren't you saying anything?" He blinked his big eyes expectantly, as if all the unpleasantness just now was nothing, and he wasn't the one throwing a tantrum.
Xie Pei was just teasing him, and now that he had achieved his goal, he said, "And your wooden bucket," he paused, his expression unusually complicated, "is gone."
"Gone?" Zhu Mingyue stared blankly. "How could it be gone? It's been sitting in my room the whole time. How could such a big and sturdy bucket be stolen?"
"That's hilarious! Who would break into their house in the middle of the night just to steal his wooden bucket? That's so funny, hahaha!" Zhu Mingyue's smile froze halfway through as she finally realized something was wrong.
He was moved to Xie Pei's house overnight. It didn't seem wrong that his wooden bucket was gone. He twitched the corner of his mouth and asked, "What happened to my bucket? No, what happened to my house?"
“It collapsed,” Xie Pei added considerately, “Your wooden bucket collapsed too.”
Brother, please stop adding more! His house is gone, who cares about the fate of some little broken bucket?
His heart was filled with bitterness, bitterer than drinking three bowls of herbal medicine. If he had a choice, he would rather drink the herbal medicine than have his house collapse.
Sensing the strong resentment emanating from inside the house, Xie Pei comforted him, "It's been windy and snowy these past few days, making repairs difficult. I'll rebuild it for you once the weather clears up. It'll be just like the original."
Zhu Mingyue's legs were still weak, and he tried to get out of bed shakily. Xie Pei supported him and frowned, dissuading him: "It's windy outside, don't go out."
Zhu Mingyue shook her head: "I'm not going out. You have to let me see how badly my house has collapsed, right?"
Xie Pei lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then wrapped him up tightly like a big bun. "That's fine."
Zhu Mingyue: ...Alright, I'm afraid that apart from Xie Pei, no one in this world would value his body so much.
Xie Pei practically half-carried and half-helped him out of the house. As they passed through the main room and were almost at his room, the half-carrying and half-helping turned into a full-body embrace.
The room was empty. Only a small section of the outer wall stubbornly remained in place. It was more like a pile of ruins than a house. Standing in the ruins, he looked around blankly. The emptiness made him shed two more tears. Then a biting wind came and the tears froze on his face.
Zhu Mingyue: !! He dared not cry anymore, and pursed his lips, forcing back his tears.
He picked at the ice crystals on his face and muttered, "My house is gone just like that."
Not only did he die a gruesome death, but he didn't even have a complete body after death. The thatch on the roof was blown away by the wind, and it's probably blown out of Shangyang County now, haha.
He looked up slightly at Xie Pei: "How many years has this house been built? How can it be so fragile?" He had heard of typhoons breaking trees and blowing off windows or roofs, but he had never seen a typhoon collapse an entire house.
Xie Pei answered him truthfully: "I don't know exactly how many years ago, but it was probably built when my great-grandmother was alive."
One house can last for three generations; the person may leave, but the house remains.
Zhu Mingyue was even more speechless. It had been so many years since it was built; even if it was constructed of reinforced concrete, it would still be a dangerous building.
So, it was quite remarkable that it managed to outlive the Xie family until only Xie Pei remained. However, no matter how sturdy the Xie family's house was, it eventually succumbed to its power, and coincidentally, it only outlived the one he lived in.
Undeterred, he asked, "Besides that box, did you manage to salvage anything else from my room?" He had just seen the box in Xie Pei's room. Besides the family's savings, the box that Xu Linguang had entrusted to him was also inside. He hadn't had a chance to open it yet. Perhaps it was too heavy to be blown away, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Xie Pei looked at him seriously and said, "You." When he rushed into the house, the pig was sleeping like a dead pig. He immediately felt something was wrong. He touched it and found that the pig was not dead, but it was almost cooked.
Zhu Mingyue was speechless, thinking to herself, "What a lame joke. It's best not to say it in the dead of winter. Aren't you afraid of freezing people to death?"
He closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, filled with endless melancholy.
He even began to doubt whether he was really the jinx the villagers were talking about; it was unbelievable that he could even bring bad luck to their houses.
Xie Pei, seeing that he was still upset about the house, frowned even more deeply, straightened his cloak, and emphasized to him again: "I said, we'll rebuild it when the weather clears up, and it will be just like before."
Zhu Mingyue suddenly opened her eyes and said, "Let's not. This house is old, and the rest will collapse sooner or later. Let's make it die with dignity. We'll tear it down ourselves and rebuild it all."
Xie Pei really misunderstood him. He had nothing to be nostalgic about regarding the Xie family's house; after all, it wasn't his family's ancestral home. Besides, it was far from comfortable to live in.
I just feel so unlucky! How could my house just disappear after I was sleeping peacefully?
The room he was sleeping in was the one Xie Hong slept in before his death, and it was already the best room in the Xie family. Xie Pei was now sleeping in the room his parents had slept in before their deaths. The room was small, with only one small window facing the backyard, and it was very dark even during the day.
Xie Pei had a miserable past. His father and mother didn't love him, and he had an older brother who liked to bully him. He could only sleep in the smallest storage room, which contained all sorts of farm tools. Besides that, there was only a small bed the size of a stretcher. It wasn't until Xie Hong died that he was able to sleep in a proper room.
Even so, it wasn't exactly comfortable; Xie Pei had simply gotten used to it after living there for so many years. Zhu Mingyue, on the other hand, had never gotten used to it. His house had windows on two sides, so it received a fair amount of sunlight, but even so, it still emitted an unpleasant, rotten smell on damp, rainy days.
Since the house has already collapsed, he must be crazy to try to replicate it exactly.
He wants to live in a brick house with tiled roofs! He wants a house with two courtyards and two exits! He wants to live in a mansion!
Xie Pei was stunned; he had never considered demolishing and rebuilding the Xie family ancestral home.
Since he could remember, he had never felt any affection or belonging to this place. Zhu Mingyue suggested demolishing and rebuilding it, but Xie Pei felt a strange, inexplicable feeling welling up inside him.
The newly built house is a home centered around him and Zhu Mingyue...
Zhu Mingyue felt a surge of ambition, wishing she could build a skyscraper right now. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xie Pei's expression seemed somewhat unnatural. Then she remembered that this house belonged to the Xie family, and he had no right to make decisions.
He gently reminded him, "Xie Pei?"
Xie Pei snapped out of her daze and tightened her grip on his shoulder: "Let's talk inside."
It was indeed cold outside, so Zhu Mingyue sat on a small stool to warm herself by the fire before discussing with him, "Xie Pei, are you willing to tear it down and rebuild it?"
Xie Pei shook his head, his tone completely calm: "There's nothing I'm unwilling to do."
"Really?" Zhu Mingyue was completely relieved. "Then I want to build a brick house here."
Xie Pei's words were a wake-up call: "We don't have enough money."
Zhu Mingyue: "...entered and exited twice"
Xie Pei: "There isn't enough land."
Well, dreams are beautiful, but reality is harsh. The budding hope was dampened by Xie Pei's cold water, nipped in the bud.
Zhu Mingyue refused to give up; he really wanted to live in a big house. "Is there really no way?"
“We can buy land and extend it into the backyard,” Xie Pei explained. His Xie family’s house, including the front and back yards, was actually quite small. If they wanted to build a two-entrance, two-exit house as Zhu Mingyue envisioned, they would need at least one acre of land.
Zhu Mingyue nodded. Apart from the Xie family's original land, buying land would only cost a few taels of silver. Apart from the land owned by each family, all other land belonged to the public. He didn't even need to negotiate with anyone else; he only needed to let the village chief handle it.
There's no need to worry too much about money. Xie Pei's money, plus his own, is already a considerable sum. We can use this money to build for now. In the spring, his dumpling shop will be able to open and make a profit again. We can earn money while building, so why worry about not being able to finish?
Zhu Mingyue shared her thoughts with Xie Pei, who always expressed no opinion.
However, it is not suitable to build a house right now. Firstly, it is too cold outside to carry out construction, and secondly, they are not building an ordinary mud house. If they want a more impressive one, they will have to go to the county to find craftsmen.
These craftsmen never lacked work because of their skills. In addition to serving the government, they would also take on private jobs for wealthy families. To find them, you had to go door to door and arrange a start time, which was very troublesome.
Furthermore, the bricks and tiles needed for building the house have to be purchased from the county. There is also a lot of snow on the ground now, and the slightest carelessness in transportation could cause losses. Even the most profitable kilns will not ship at this time.
We'll build it eventually, so a little extra time won't make a difference. Let's wait until the weather is completely clear before making any plans.
As for now,
Zhu Mingyue glanced back at Xie Pei's bed, which he had been sleeping in for three days, and hesitated before saying, "You'll be sleeping here tonight, right? I'll sleep in the storage room."
Xie Pei: "No need, I'm used to sleeping there."
Zhu Mingyue choked, that sounds so tragic!
When he came to the Xie family, Xie Pei let him stay in the best house. When his house collapsed, Xie Pei gave him his own. Xie Pei always gave him the best things, even if it meant hardship for himself.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved; the crackling firelight reflected off his face, making it glow red and hot.
He covered his face with his hands, trying to cool down, but he couldn't. He wanted to say something several times, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Xie Pei gave him a deep look, then stood up and said, "I'll go cook."
Watching his retreating figure, Zhu Mingyue seemed to have made up her mind and suddenly called out to him, "Xie Pei, wait!"
Xie Pei stopped in his tracks, leaving him with his back turned, as if he wanted to hear what he had to say.
Zhu Mingyue bit her lip: "Remember to boil two eggs for me."
Xie Pei: ...
After a long silence, he saw Xie Pei nod slightly, and then he left completely.
Zhu Mingyue was left alone, completely stunned by her own words.
Good heavens, this is absurd! He couldn't believe what he was babbling about. This wasn't what he meant to say, so why did it end up sounding like a boiled egg?
Is he a very gluttonous person?
Xie Pei did cook it for him, and it was a big one. Zhu Mingyue absentmindedly poked at the slippery, plump egg with her chopsticks, and finally asked him, "Do you want some?"
Xie Pei: "I won't eat."
"Oh, I almost forgot," Zhu Mingyue said to herself, "You only eat meat."
It was as if Xie Pei had been secretly eating meat while he was drinking porridge. Xie Pei looked puzzled. What was wrong with him now? Why was he suddenly acting so strangely?
Zhu Mingyue ate two eggs in a row, and very quickly, until she choked and almost rolled her eyes back.
Xie Pei didn't even have time to sigh this time, and hurriedly poured water for him.
After finally managing to get down to his feet, Zhu Mingyue weakly grabbed his clothes, trying to stop him from leaving.
Xie Pei was baffled: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Zhu Mingyue: Burp!
Er Ya stood by the window, her voice full of energy: Gaa!
An eerie duet played both inside and outside the house.
Xie Pei: ...
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Author's note: Xie Pei before marriage: Zhu Mingyue only responds to gentle persuasion, not force.
Xie Pei after getting married: Actually, sometimes I still have to be tough.
Before marriage, Zhu Mingyue said: He was very discreet and never touched anything below the neck.
After getting married, Zhu Mingyue thought: "You beast, you only target below the neck!"
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