It was already late, the medicine had not been found yet, and they had not even walked halfway through the bushes. The old farmer could not wait any longer and drove his ox cart back.
"Are you scared? We will spend the night here and continue looking at dawn." Li Nanshan hugged his wife and sat down under a crooked tree.
"I was afraid at first, but I'm not afraid anymore now that you're here." Tao Xiaoxi looked around. It was pitch black and quiet. She didn't know what kind of monster was hiding there.
"Don't worry, I'm here."
They built a fire on the spot and ate some of the steamed buns and water they had brought with them. Their food and clothing problems were solved, but as the night deepened and the temperature dropped, Tao Xiaoxi clearly felt that the clothes on her body were not enough.
This was exactly the only thing Li Nanshan had not considered. He did not expect to sleep outdoors, so he did not prepare thick clothes.
He took off his coat and put it on his wife, then made the fire burn brighter. The two of them sat in each other's arms, with stars slowly filling the sky above their heads, fireflies dancing, and the wind blowing the grass. It was incredibly romantic.
"Li Nanshan~" Tao Xiaoxi nestled her head in Li Nanshan's arms, and her voice became soft for some reason.
"I'm here." Li Nanshan responded to her calmly.
"It's great to have you." Tao Xiaoxi said, and her nose felt sore. All the stupid things she had done before were explained.
Li Nanshan hugged her tighter and said, "I'm sorry for making you suffer with me."
"It's not bitter, not at all." Tao Xiaoxi rubbed against his arms, it was so sweet.
"I'm free, so I'll tell you a story."
"You talk, I listen."
"When I was working in the mines, there was a fellow miner. Every time he came up from the mines, he wouldn't go to the bathhouse with us. Everyone guessed he had some secret he didn't want us to know. People coming out of the mines were so filthy. Their noses, ears, eyelids, and even their hair were covered in coal dust. A little water couldn't wash it all away. But he refused to go. He never went to the big bathroom to bathe."
"Then he must be physically disabled?" Tao Xiaoxi guessed.
"We thought so at first, too. One time, when we were coming out of the mine, a few young miners played a prank on him and carried him into the bathhouse. They stripped him of his clothes, but everything seemed normal, perfectly normal."
"Well, he must be very angry, right?"
"He cried, squatting on the ground, sobbing loudly. His face was black and white, tears, sweat, coal slag and water mixed together. It was funny and sad at the same time."
"And then?"
"The mine manager and the master came later, but it was no use. He was like a spring, with tears flowing continuously. He started to twitch and refused to let anyone get close to him. He would bite anyone who approached him. Those mischievous miners were all scared silly."
"He just keeps crying like that?"
Li Nanshan pulled her coat closer and continued, "We had no choice. The mine manager asked us to call his home. His sister answered the phone and told us to go out and he would be out soon. Sure enough, he came out not long after we did, but he was fully dressed. I still remember the look in his eyes when he looked at us, as if he wanted to kill us all."
"Why exactly?"
"He didn't talk to us for a long time afterwards, until the well collapsed. I pushed him, and he went out, while I was buried underneath. They all thought I was dead, but I ended up back inside. One day when we were taking a break, he came over with a bottle of wine and drank with me. After a few drinks, he told me the reason himself."
Tao Xiaoxi held her breath and waited for Li Nanshan to finish speaking.
"He had a girlfriend from the same village, but his family didn't agree to him marrying her because her mother was half-crazy, and they were afraid their child would inherit her madness. So they forced a marriage on him. On his wedding day, the girl jumped into a well. When she was pulled out, she was dead, clutching a handkerchief he had given her."
"So he's afraid of water now?"
"About the same. Especially in a confined space like a pool, he would feel very uncomfortable and in serious cases he could hardly breathe."
"Hey, he's also a romantic. Where is he now?" Tao Xiaoxi asked.
"He should still be at the mine. He was still there when I left."
It was late at night, the moon high in the sky, and the evening breeze was chilly. Tao Xiaoxi shrank back, suddenly realizing something was wrong. She looked up, grabbed Li Nanshan's collar, and asked, "Was that the well collapse the same as when we were buried together?"
"Yeah." Li Nanshan nodded slightly.
"So you are his savior!"
"You are also my savior!"
Li Nanshan said softly.
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