Warm Sun
The storm of marriage rejection was like a sudden thunderstorm in summer, which came violently and went away quickly.
After the fierce confrontation in the main hall of the Shen family, although Village Chief Shen did not give in, he did not take more drastic measures. He just gave Shen Bozhou a completely cold treatment and ignored him.
Chen Bozhou enjoyed the quietness and still went out early every day, devoting all his energy to the medicinal field that he and Yunwu managed together.
The days passed quietly in busyness and tacit understanding, and midsummer arrived in the blink of an eye.
The medicinal herbs in the medicine field grew very well under the careful care of the two people, especially the angelica, which had thick stems and thick, glossy green leaves. From a distance, it looked like a dark green ocean, shining with a healthy luster in the sun.
That morning, just as daybreak approached, Chen Bozhou arrived at the Yun family's house. Yunwu was in the yard sorting out the farm tools for the day, and when he saw him, he handed him a shiny hoe.
"Today, let's clear the weeds in the angelica patch at the west end." Yunwu's voice was slightly hoarse from the morning, but clear and steady. "In half a month, we'll be able to pick the first batch."
Chen Bozhou took the hoe, weighed it, and said with a smile, "Judging from how well it's growing, the harvest will definitely be good. When the money is sold, I'll repair your house first. I see some rain leaking through the east wall."
Yunwu looked up at the slightly dilapidated roof and shook her head slightly: "First, take care of the medicinal fields and grandma's medicine. The house is still habitable."
"That won't do," Chen Bozhou said firmly, "We make money to make our lives better. It's more important than anything else that you and grandma live comfortably. Listen to me on this matter." His words were unquestionable, but his eyes were gentle.
Yunwu looked at him and did not refute. She just lowered her head, and the corners of her lips curled up almost imperceptibly, tacitly agreeing to his arrangement.
The two walked side by side toward the fields. The morning dew had not yet dried, wetting their trouser legs. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth.
The mugwort beside the medicinal field has grown very lush, and the morning breeze brings bursts of unique fragrance.
Arriving in the fields, the two men worked in unison. Chen Bozhou, the stronger one, was responsible for clearing stubborn weeds and adding soil to the plants; Yunwu, the more meticulous one, followed behind, checking the growth of each herb, removing small weeds and straightening seedlings that had been blown crooked by the wind.
The sun gradually grew hotter and sweat soon soaked their clothes.
Chen Bozhou simply took off his shirt. His bronze back shone with a healthy oily glow in the sun, and his muscle lines rose and fell as he swung the hoe.
Yunwu occasionally looked up and saw his strong back outlined by sweat. Her cheeks felt slightly hot, and she quickly lowered her head and concentrated on the work in her hands.
"Let's take a break." After working for about half an hour, Chen Bozhou stopped, wiped his face with a sweat towel, walked to the shade of a tree at the edge of the field, picked up the water bag and gulped down a few big gulps. Then he handed the water bag to Yunwu who was walking over.
Yunwu took it and drank it in small sips. His cheeks were flushed from the work, and his hair was wet with sweat and stuck to his smooth forehead.
Chen Bozhou looked at his earlobes which were almost transparent under the sunlight, and his heart felt itchy as if it was being gently scratched by a feather.
"Look over there," Chen Bozhou broke the silence, pointing to a particularly thriving angelica plant beside the ridge, his tone filled with pride. "I transplanted that plant. Its roots were almost broken at the time, but I didn't expect it to be stronger than the others now."
Yunwu looked in the direction he pointed. The angelica plant indeed had plump stems and leaves, standing out among the other herbs. A smile flashed in his eyes, and he whispered, "Your compost is good."
"That's the method you taught me." Chen Bozhou smiled, his eyes still fixed on Yun Wu's profile, "Without you, I wouldn't know this."
The two sat under the shade of a tree, chatting about things in the fields and planning their next steps.
The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting mottled shadows on them. The distant chirping of birds added to the tranquility of the fields.
"After we harvest this batch of herbs," Chen Bozhou said, looking at the thriving medicinal fields in front of him with a look of yearning, "we'll also open up that sloping land on the east side. I've seen that the soil is good, though there are a lot of rocks. With some effort, we can open it up."
"Yes," Yunwu nodded, and cast his eyes on the slope waiting to be cultivated, "We can plant some sun-loving medicinal herbs, such as Bupleurum."
"Yes! Let's plant Bupleurum!" Chen Bozhou immediately chimed in, excitedly planning, "Then the scale of our medicinal fields will be greatly expanded. Maybe in two years, we can become the largest medicinal herb producer in this area!"
He spoke with great joy and a gleam in his eyes, which showed his undisguised expectation and confidence in the future.
Yunwu listened quietly without interrupting him, just looking at his high spirits with gentle eyes.
He knew that what Chen Bozhou described was not only the future of the medicine field, but also their common future.
After resting enough, the two stood up and continued to work. This time, Chen Bozhou did not move away from Yunwu, but intentionally or unintentionally moved closer to Yunwu, handing him tools when he needed them, or helping him to move away overgrown branches and leaves.
Their figures sometimes intertwined and sometimes walked side by side in the fields, as tacitly as if they were one person.
The sun was rising higher and the temperature was getting more and more scorching. Chen Bozhou looked at Yunwu's red cheeks and neck and couldn't help but say, "You go rest in the shade of the tree, I'll take care of the rest."
Yunwu shook her head, her hands moving non-stop: "Almost done, let's do it together."
Chen Bozhou knew he couldn't persuade him, so he had to speed up his movements, hoping to finish this scorching work as soon as possible. Sweat slid down his jawline, dripped into the soil, and disappeared in an instant.
Finally, before noon, they had completed all the planned tasks. Looking at the cleaned medicinal fields with tall, upright plants, they smiled at each other, each seeing satisfaction beyond fatigue in the other's eyes.
On the way back after packing up his tools, Chen Bozhou deliberately slowed down his pace, falling half a step behind Yunwu. He looked at Yunwu's thin but straight back, and saw his sweat-soaked clothes clinging to his back, and a mixture of heartache and incomparable determination surged in his heart.
"Clouds." He called softly.
Yunwu stopped, turned around and looked at him questioningly.
The sun shone from behind, gilding Shen Bozhou. He looked at the clouds and mist, his smile warm and open: "After this busy period, let's go to town and buy some new cloth for you and grandma to make summer clothes."
His tone was so natural, as if this was a matter of course. Yunwu was stunned, looking into his eyes, which were shining brightly in the sunlight. The sincerity and concern in them were unconditional.
He was silent for a moment, but did not refuse. He just nodded slightly and whispered, "Okay."
A single, light word brought joy to Chen Bozhou's heart. He knew that the clouds and mist were gradually accepting him, not just his help, but also his integration into his life and his future.
The two of them walked back along the scorching ridge of the field. Their figures were shortened by the midday sun, but they were close together.
The mugwort in the medicinal field sways in the breeze, emitting a tranquil fragrance, as if silently blessing this young couple who are struggling to move forward in the eyes of the world, but rely on each other and cultivate hope together.
On the other side of the ridge, which they could not see, Shen's mother was standing there at some point, carrying a basket filled with green bean soup to relieve the summer heat.
She watched from afar the backs of her son and the thin boy walking away side by side, looked at the relaxed smile on her son's face that she hadn't seen for a long time, and looked at the vibrant medicinal field. In the end, she just sighed softly, with a complicated look in her eyes, but did not go forward to disturb them. She turned around and left silently.
There was helplessness and worry in that sigh, but it seemed that there was also a very faint sense of relaxation that even she herself had not noticed.
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