guard
The harvest season was approaching, and the wheat in the fields grew golden and plump day by day. Chen Bozhou and Yunwu stayed in the fields almost every day, carefully watching over their joint efforts.
Early that morning, the two men were checking the maturity of the wheat ears in the field when the village tyrant Zhao Laosi came staggering over with two followers.
Zhao Laosi is a notorious rogue in the village. Relying on the money his family has, he bullies the weak and fears the strong, and often bullies poor families.
"Hey, isn't this the Yun family kid?" Zhao Laosi said sarcastically, his triangular eyes darting maliciously at Yun Wu. "I heard your land has a good harvest?"
Yunwu ignored him and continued to check the wheat ears. Chen Bozhou frowned and stepped forward to block Yunwu: "Zhao Laosi, what's the matter?"
Zhao Laosi sneered, walked around Chen Bozhou, and went straight to Yun Wu. "Hey, Yun boy, your crops are so good, are you using some evil tricks? I heard that you have a tough life and killed your parents, and now..."
"Zhao Laosi!" Chen Bozhou interrupted him harshly, his fists unconsciously clenched, "Watch your mouth!"
Zhao Laosi ignored him and instead raised his voice, deliberately letting the gathering villagers hear: "What, was I wrong? Everyone knows that Yunwu has a hard fate and is unlucky for his relatives? His father died while building a dam, his mother died giving birth to him, and now his grandmother is ill. Who else could it be but him?"
The surrounding villagers began to whisper, some showed expressions of approval, while others looked at Yunwu with sympathy.
Yunwu's body was obviously stiff, he lowered his head, Chen Bozhou couldn't see his expression, he could only see his clenched fists and slightly trembling fingertips.
"Try to say it again?" Chen Bozhou's voice was as cold as ice, and he approached Zhao Laosi step by step.
Zhao Laosi was frightened by his aura, but for the sake of face, he still said stubbornly: "Why, you won't let me tell the truth? He is a disaster! Whoever gets involved with him will be unlucky! Chen Bozhou, I advise you to stay away from him, or he will bring bad luck to your family too!"
Chen Bozhou swung his fist out suddenly, but it stopped abruptly just an inch away from Zhao Laosi's nose.
Zhao Laosi was so scared that he closed his eyes and shrank his neck, and there were exclamations from all around him.
"I, Chen Bozhou, am making this clear today," Chen Bozhou's voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard throughout the field. "From now on, anyone who dares to say anything bad about Yun Wu will have a problem with me, Chen Bozhou!"
He retracted his fist and swept a sharp gaze over everyone present. "What do you mean by a strong destiny? That's all nonsense! Yunwu earns his living with his own hands. He's a hundred times better than you who only know how to gossip! If anyone dares to bully him again, don't blame me for not recognizing anyone with my fists."
Zhao Laosi's face turned pale and blue. He wanted to refute but didn't dare. Finally, he spat in anger and walked away in shame with his followers.
The onlookers also dispersed, and no one dared to say anything more.
After the crowd dispersed, only the two of them were left in the field. Shen Bozhou turned to look at Yunwu and found that he was still looking down, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"Yunwu..." Chen Bozhou called him softly, feeling both pained and angry.
Yun Wu raised her head. There were no tears in her eyes as Chen Bozhou had expected, only a bottomless calmness. "He's right, I do..."
"Shut up!" Chen Bozhou got angry at Yun Wu, a rare moment. "That's all nonsense! Your father sacrificed his life to build a dam for the benefit of the people, and your mother had a misfortune during childbirth. What does that have to do with you? Grandma Yun is old and in poor health, which is normal. How can you say that it's your fault?"
Yunwu stared at him blankly, her lips trembling slightly.
Chen Bozhou took a deep breath and softened his voice: "Yunwu, listen, you are not a disaster star, you are the best and strongest person I have ever met. Don't take those gossips to heart in the future. With me here, no one can hurt you again."
As he spoke, he reached out his hand and gently held Yunwu's cold fingers: "From now on, I will be your support."
Yunwu's hand trembled slightly in his palm, but he didn't pull it away. After a long moment, he whispered, "Thank you."
This thank you is heavier and more sincere than any other time before.
From then on, no one in the village dared to criticize Yunwu to his face. The warning he gave the day the boat sank was like an invisible barrier, keeping out those malicious thoughts.
Yun Wu's attitude towards Shen Bozhou also changed quietly. He was no longer silent all the time, and would occasionally take the initiative to find a topic. When he looked at Shen Bozhou, there was a little more dependence and trust in his eyes.
That evening, the two men sat on the edge of the field to rest, and the setting sun stretched their shadows very long.
"After this wheat is harvested, I want to plant some medicinal herbs over there." Yunwu pointed to a corner of the field. "The owner of the herbal medicine shop in town said that some of the herbs are very valuable."
"Okay, whatever you want to plant, I'll help you." Chen Bozhou said with a smile.
Yunwu turned to look at him, the setting sun gilding his profile. "Bozhou, why are you so nice to me?"
Chen Bozhou looked at his eyebrows and eyes, which were particularly gentle under the sunset, and his heartbeat accelerated involuntarily: "Because... because you are worth it."
"What's it worth?" Yunwu asked, with some emotion flashing in his eyes.
"It's worth all the good things in the world." Chen Bozhou said seriously.
Yunwu smiled, not the shallow, fleeting smile she had in the past, but a real smile. Her eyebrows curved, the corners of her lips turned up, and her whole body brightened up.
Chen Bozhou was stunned. This was the first time he saw Yunwu smile like this.
"When the time comes and I've harvested the herbs I'll sell, I'll make you a new dress," Yunwu said softly. "You always give me things, so I should give you something in return."
"Need not..."
"Yes," Yunwu interrupted him, his tone firm, "between friends, courtesy is the norm."
"Friends." The word "friends" uttered by Yunwu made Chen Bozhou's heart feel both sweet and bitter. What he wanted was no longer just friends.
But he didn't say it out loud, just smiled and nodded: "Okay, then I'll wait for your gift."
As the sun sets, their shadows cling to each other on the ridge of the field. Chen Bozhou knows that some boundaries are blurring.
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