After Tian Yu and Tang Yuan finished brewing the medicine and fed it to Chen Chong, they told him to sleep so he could recover faster. Chen Chong wanted to stay awake and talk to them, but Tang Yuan and Tian Yu insisted that he close his eyes and rest. They remained silent for a while, neither of them feeling sleepy. Tian Yu cleared her throat and said, "How about I sing you a song?" Tang Yuan clapped her hands in agreement, and seeing that Chen Chong had no objections and looked expectant, Tian Yu thought for a moment and then softly began to hum:
A surge of movement under the distant blue sky
Golden Wheat Waves
It was there that you and I met.
Places I've Loved
When the breeze carries the scent of harvest
The wind blew against my face
I remember your gentle words
It once brought tears to my eyes.
Mmm... la la... mmm... la la...
We once sang in the fields.
Looking forward to winter
But they didn't get to see the sunlight.
This autumn scene
Let the lost vows fly!
drifting with the west wind
Just like your soft, long hair
My dreams were once fragrant.
Mmm... la la... mmm... la la...
Chen Chong quickly fell asleep to Tian Yu's gentle singing, and Tang Yuan listened quietly. Once she was sure Chen Chong's fever had subsided, Tian Yu quietly took Tang Yuan outside, tidied up the medicine bowl, and cooked him some porridge, keeping it warm in the pot over the embers, hoping he could eat it when he woke up. Before leaving, she checked again to make sure Chen Chong was no longer feverish and was sleeping soundly before departing.
On the way back, Tangyuan, still wanting more, begged Tianyu to sing him another song, so Tianyu sang "I Have a Little Donkey." Amidst their laughter and chatter, they soon arrived home. After gathering the wild vegetables they had gathered, and remembering their trip to the county town the next day, they asked Tangyuan to lead the way to the village to find Zhao the coachman. Zhao the coachman's real name was Zhao Laosan, the third son in his family. He had three sons and two daughters; his two sons were serving in the army and hadn't returned, and his daughters were all married. Only his ten-year-old son and his elderly wife remained at home. Perhaps burdened by life's hardships, the couple looked much older than their actual age; the villagers called them Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao. Aunt Zhao seemed unwelcoming upon seeing Tianyu, but upon hearing that they were there to rent the coachman for the day, she became polite. Tian Yu explained her purpose, negotiated the price, and agreed to meet at the village entrance the next day. She was about to leave with Tangyuan when Aunt Zhao politely invited her to stay for dinner, which Tian Yu politely declined. Seeing that it was getting late, she and Tangyuan hurried home. On the way, they inevitably encountered some villagers, and even after she passed by, they could still hear whispers behind her back. Covering Tangyuan's ears, Tian Yu chose to remain silent, but that didn't mean she gave in. She would find another way to make everyone willingly shut up, but not now.
After returning home and having a simple dinner, I taught Tangyuan some knowledge and told her a fable before washing up and going to bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Tianyu told herself to keep going, and that things will get better.
The next day, as usual, Tian Yu got up at the crack of dawn, got ready, and took Tangyuan to the village entrance to meet Uncle Zhao in the county town. Once there, Tian Yu didn't dare wander around; she went straight to East Street and bought rice, flour, oil, salt, and several kinds of seasonings. She bought quite a lot, and thanks to her witty remarks, the vendors gave her discounts. She also bought pork from a butcher's stall; because she bought so much, the vendor gave her offal and bones for free. Finally, she bought some bowls and chopsticks. After buying what she needed on East Street, Uncle Zhao led her to a place selling thatch and building materials. It was indeed very well-stocked, with many vendors selling thatch, as well as wood, stones, and mud for building houses. They even had workers. With Uncle Zhao's recommendation, they found a vendor they often used in their village, negotiated the price and quantity of thatch, and arranged for it to be delivered the next day. Then they hurried back, with Tian Yu buying some flatbread and steamed buns for the three of them to eat on the way.
Uncle Zhao delivered the things to the intersection near Tian Yu's house, and it was already getting dark. He wanted to help Tian Yu carry them home, but Tian Yu vaguely saw someone in front of her house. Judging from the figure, it should be Chen Chong. She wanted to go forward but stopped. Tian Yu made an excuse that it was getting late and her aunt must be worried, so she paid him to go back first, saying that she could carry it herself. Chen Chong, who was in the distance, saw Tian Yu and the others returning and wanted to run forward immediately, but seeing that there were strangers present, he held back. Thinking about his day, he felt a little disappointed when he woke up in the middle of the night and found that she had left, but seeing the porridge she had warmed for him in the pot warmed his heart a lot. He anxiously waited for dawn, thinking about how to see her without causing her any trouble, but when he got to Tian Yu's door, he found no one there. At first, he thought she had gone to the fields or to the river. But after searching everywhere in the village, he still couldn't find her. Chen Chong was a little desperate, but he couldn't ask around everywhere. He could only wait patiently near her door. Now that he saw her coming, he still couldn't go forward immediately.
Seeing Uncle Zhao walk away, Chen Chong couldn't hold back any longer and rushed up to hug Tian Yu, saying, "Where did you go? Why didn't you tell me? I thought something had happened to you!" "Alright, alright, I'm back now, aren't I?" Tian Yu was startled by his sudden hug and almost fell over. Chen Chong held her tightly to steady her, and she quickly patted him, comforting him like a child, even though the person in front of her was twice her size and weight. Noticing that Tang Yuan was also there, she deliberately said, "Tang Yuan, look, Uncle Chen thinks we don't want him anymore, he's so sad now. Come and comfort Uncle Chen."
Tangyuan was obedient and genuinely believed it. She patted Chen Chong's leg like Tian Yu and said, "Uncle Chen, Mom and I went to the county town to buy things. Don't be sad."
Chen Chong also realized that he was too excited, so he quickly let go of Tian Yu, squatted down and looked at Tang Yuan and said, "Uncle Chen fell asleep yesterday and didn't see you when he woke up. He found you this morning and thought something had happened to you and your mother. I'm glad to see that you are alright."
With Chen Chong there, everything was quickly carried home. Knowing that Tian Yu needed help repairing the roof, Chen Chong wanted to help, but Tian Yu refused. Although there was nothing between them, they still wanted to avoid suspicion; if he helped, people with ulterior motives would gossip about her. Chen Chong understood and didn't force the issue, nodding in agreement. After dinner, Chen Chong reluctantly left Tian Yu's house. He was exhausted from the day, but it strengthened his resolve to protect Tian Yu and her child.
The next day, the thatch seller arrived at Tian Yu's house as promised with two cartloads of thatch. Tian Yu helped arrange them, and invited them to stay for lunch, but they had other things to do and left after having some water. Tang Yuan went to find Chen Chong early in the morning, but returned shortly after, saying Chen Chong wasn't home; he'd probably gone hunting in the mountains with several other villagers. Seeing Tang Yuan's disappointed expression, Tian Yu asked him to stay and help her process the pig offal she'd bought the day before. They were busy all day, finishing everything by dark. In the afternoon, Tang Yuan went out again, but returned quickly, bringing back a bow and arrow, saying it was a gift from Chen Chong. He seemed quite mysterious when he came back. Tian Yu was too busy to ask, and after dinner, she kneaded the dough and put it in the pot to ferment in the residual heat. She quickly finished tidying up before resting. Lying in bed, she thought about the scene of Chen Chong holding her, feeling restless and unable to sleep. Fortunately, after a busy day, she tossed and turned for a while before finally falling asleep.
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