Chapter 50 – A Glimpse of Spring in the Early Morning
The next day, as soon as the rooster crowed, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, and Yan Shuxue got up to prepare breakfast. Even Yan Shuyun, who hadn’t fully recovered from her foot injury, got up to help. Yan Xiaosi had intended to get up and help as well, but her eyelids were just too heavy. She rolled over and fell back asleep in a daze until it was getting light outside and Yan Shuqin called her to get up for breakfast.
“Fourth Brother, didn’t you want to go to town? It’s already daylight, hurry and get up.”
Yan Xiaosi yawned wearily and finally crawled up from the floor.
Seeing her sleepy face, Yan Shuqin urged, “Hurry up, get dressed, and wash your face. Mom made you three poached eggs this morning.”
Although eggs were good, Yan Xiaosi was almost in tears over the tasteless, oil-free, and salt-free poached eggs. She had eaten them for several meals in a row. Fortunately, she had scrounged a meal at Tian Dazhuang’s house last night. Otherwise, her stomach would have rusted.
After Yan Shuqin left the room, Yan Xiaosi clumsily put on her clothes. On one hand, the design of the ancient clothes was somewhat complicated. On the other hand, her body was too weak, making her movements sluggish and causing her to feel sleepier than others.
“Xiaosi, hurry up and eat. After breakfast, you need to go to Dazhuang’s house to get the ox cart.”
Yan Xiaosi, neatly dressed and having washed her face, walked into the kitchen with a somewhat exhausted look. Seeing her come in, Ms. Zhong handed her a bowl of steaming poached eggs.
Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun were gathered around the broken wooden table, almost done eating. Although Yan Xiaosi was a time traveler, she knew that it was important to get to the market early. If they went late, it would be harder to sell firewood. She quickly took the bowl, sat next to Yan Shuqin, and gulped down the food.
After gobbling down her breakfast, Yan Xiaosi put down her chopsticks and was ready to go to Tian Dazhuang’s house to borrow an ox-cart.
She walked out of the kitchen and saw Long Hao boxing in the open space in front of the ruined temple. He was wearing a green shirt, and his powerful punches left her somewhat amazed.
In her previous life, she had seen many soldiers in the army field units with amazing recovery abilities after being injured. But Long Hao’s recovery was exceptional. His healing ability was almost abnormal.
Long Hao felt a pair of eyes on his back and turned to see Yan Xiaosi standing about ten feet away from him.
Due to his practice, he had sweated a lot, and the thin shirt was soaked, clinging to his body. As he turned to look at Yan Xiaosi, his chest muscles appeared faintly visible under the shirt, full of temptation.
In her previous life, as a military doctor, Yan Xiaosi had seen thousands of naked men and considered herself very composed in the face of male beauty. But when she saw Long Hao’s faintly visible chest muscles, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes and feel her heartbeat quicken a little.
In Long Hao’s eyes, although Yan Xiaosi was a man at the moment, he felt somewhat uneasy being scrutinized so blatantly by Yan Xiaosi.
“Aren’t you going to Daxing Town today?”
He looked at Yan Xiaosi and spoke with a pretense of indifference.
Yan Xiaosi then came to her senses, blinked, and took her gaze away from Long Hao’s body, secretly regretting.
Damn it, she had actually thought Long Hao’s body looked good just now.
“I’m on my way to Dazhuang’s house to borrow an ox-cart.”
Yan Xiaosi’s gaze shifted. She couldn’t help but glance at Long Hao again. Seeing him covered in sweat, she reminded him, “You’ve created such a vivid scene so early in the morning. Are you trying to seduce the village beauty? However, your face is a bit ugly now. I don’t think the village beauty will be interested.”
“Yan Xiaosi.”
Yan Xiaosi’s name burst from Long Hao’s mouth as he gritted his teeth.
“You can continue boxing and I’ll go borrow the ox-cart.”
Seeing Long Hao’s tightly stretched face and somewhat darkened complexion, Yan Xiaosi quickly left and started running.
Long Hao watched her fleeing figure and secretly clenched his teeth.
How could this brat have such dirty thoughts? But oddly enough, he still found this brat somewhat adorable, which was really strange.
Yan Xiaosi quickened her pace, heading towards Tian Dazhuang’s house when suddenly, a cow’s moo sounded in the wind. She looked carefully and saw Tian Dazhuang leading an ox-cart towards her.
Tian Dazhuang led the ox-cart to Yan Xiaosi, smiled honestly, and said, “Xiaosi, didn’t you want to borrow an ox-cart? I’ve brought it for you.”
Yan Xiaosi gratefully took the cow’s rope and smiled at Tian Dazhuang, “Big Brother Dazhuang, I really appreciate it.”
Just a moment ago, she had been worried about going to Tian Dazhuang’s house to borrow the ox-cart, thinking that Mrs. Wang might give her a hard time. But now that Tian Dazhuang had taken the initiative to bring the ox-cart to her, she wouldn’t have to deal with Mrs. Wang’s sour face.
“Xiaosi, why are you still being so polite with me?” asked Tian Dazhuang, habitually placing an arm around Yan Xiaosi’s shoulders.
“This morning, my mother’s arm was no longer swollen and she could move it more easily. If it wasn’t for your medicine, how could she have recovered so quickly?”
Yan Xiaosi smiled and remained silent.
Mrs. Wang’s arm was merely dislocated. As long as it was reset, she would be fine. Even without last night’s ointment, she would have recovered in two to three days.
Her silence and mysterious demeanor made Tian Dazhuang’s admiration for her grow even more.
“Xiaosi, I think your medical skills are much better than those of Ge Dongshu. Do you need me to help you spread the word?”
Upon hearing Tian Dazhuang’s words, Yan Xiaosi’s eyes noticeably brightened.
She had been worried that her reputation as a healer wouldn’t spread. If she told the villagers herself that she had medical skills, they might not believe her. Tian Dazhuang was honest, and if he spread the word, perhaps the villagers would believe him. Although she couldn’t make a lot of money by treating the villagers of Shaoyao Village, earning some small change and grain shouldn’t be a problem.
“Big Brother Dazhuang, I’ll have to trouble you then.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Besides, promoting your medical skills is also a benefit to our fellow villagers in Shaoyao Village.”
Tian Dazhuang looked at Yan Xiaosi, smiling honestly, with no intention of moving his arm from her shoulder.
Long Hao saw the arm on Yan Xiaosi’s shoulder and involuntarily frowned, reminding her coldly, “Weren’t you going to the market to sell firewood? If you don’t leave now, it’ll be broad daylight.”
Yan Xiaosi then remembered that Ms. Zhong and Yan Shuqin were still waiting for her. She said to Tian Dazhuang, “Big Brother Dazhuang, thank you for the ox-cart. I’m going to the market now, and we can talk later if there’s anything.”
When Yan Xiaosi went to find Ms. Zhong and Yan Shuqin with the ox-cart, Tian Dazhuang turned his gaze to Long Hao. Seeing the rash on Long Hao’s face, he was first taken aback, then asked, “Who are you and why are you at Xiaosi’s house?”
In his understanding, Yan’s third family had no relatives or friends.
Facing Tian Dazhuang’s question, Long Hao coldly turned away, treating Tian Dazhuang as if he weren’t there.
