Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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After resting for a while, You Xu and Wen Shu climbed up the gentle slope and came out of the sinkhole. The two sat by the roadside and waited.
You Xu was somewhat worried: “Those bandits might still be around, right?”
Before leaving the cave, Wen Shu had consulted a divination, and at this moment he said, “There is no danger for now.”
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, a cart carrying firewood came from afar. You Xu immediately waved and stopped the cart, took out a few taels of silver, and expressed his desire to hitch a ride.
There wasn’t much silver on the carriage that had been robbed earlier, only some on his person. Fortunately, the bandits hadn’t had time to search him yet.
The cart was heading towards Jian’an City, and the driver indeed said, “I’m also going to Jian’an City. Get in.”
The cart wasn’t big, but it was piled with a lot of things, including wood, grains, and wine.
“Master, do you mind if I move some things?”
Seeing the driver readily agree, You Xu moved the things inside, piling them up slightly to make room for the two of them to sit, and then beckoned Wen Shu to get in the carriage.
Wen Shu had many injuries, and his high fever had not yet subsided. At this moment, his face was pale, his thin lips were colorless, and there was a little sweat on his forehead. It would take at least two or three days to get back from here, and it was unknown whether he could hold on.
You Xu patted her leg: “Why don’t you rest your head on my lap? It’ll be more comfortable.”
The coachman overheard this and joked, “This young lady is quite considerate.”
Wen Shu lifted his eyelids and glanced at her, but didn’t move.
You Xu: Hey, you wouldn’t let me let go while we were in the cave, but now that we’re out, it’s all just a pure friendship. You’re going to end up alone forever.
Taking advantage of his current weakness, You Xu simply pressed his head down and placed it on her lap.
Wen Shu stirred slightly, about to say something, when You Xu gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. He paused for a moment, then quieted down.
You Xu turned to the coachman and said, “Master, could you please hurry? He is injured and still has a high fever. His condition is not good. If you can speed things up, I will give you another five taels of silver when we reach Jian’an City.”
Five taels of silver would be enough for him to live on for a year and a half, so the driver immediately agreed and then asked, “How did you end up in this state?”
You Xu summarized the situation in a few words, which alarmed the coachman. “I will go back to Jian’an City with you, and I will never come back on this road again. I will find another way to make a living.”
You Xu exchanged a few more words with the driver and then fell silent. The cart was much simpler and bumpier than the horse-drawn carriage. The road was full of potholes and piles of gravel and sand, and she was so uncomfortable from the jolting that her face didn’t look very good.
Wen Shu sat up, supporting the back of her neck, and let her head rest on his chest.
His body temperature was a little high, and his body was warm in his arms. Listening to his rhythmic heartbeat, she was reminded of the days when she was a kitten, nestled in his arms and counting his heartbeats.
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but her consciousness gradually became blurred. After staying up late to watch over Wen Shu, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
When You Xu woke up again, it was already night. A silver moon hung in the sky, the stars were low, the light snow had stopped, and there was a thin layer of white snow on the road and on the cars.
You Xu moved slightly and found herself still being held by Wen Shu. He had even taken off an outer robe and draped it over her, so that snow didn’t stick to her from the top of her head to her back.
She tilted her head back from his embrace to look at him, only to find him asleep. A few snowflakes had fallen on his fine, curled eyelashes and in his hair.
The wind was biting cold, and he was freezing. The car was constantly bumping, but he seemed to be sleeping soundly, much more peacefully than he had been in the cave late at night.
You Xu wanted to know what he dreamed about in the latter half of the night, and also what he was dreaming about now.
She wanted to know everything he had experienced, both good and bad.
…..
After traveling for three days, they finally arrived at Jian’an City and came to the door of the You Xu’s home.
You Xu paid the money and thanked the driver repeatedly.
“Come on, come home with me.” You Xu helped Wen Shu walk towards their front door, but Wen Shu stopped in his tracks. “No.”
“Why?” You Xu frowned. “You don’t mean to go back to Shanyuan Temple now, do you?”
After three days of travel, his high fever had subsided somewhat, but many of his wounds had become inflamed. Now his face was unusually flushed, he was weak, and even speaking was extremely difficult and hoarse.
Cultivation requires taking one step at a time. As a half-Buddhist disciple, he naturally wouldn’t let anyone carry him up the mountain. But how could he climb the mountain in his current state? Perhaps they were even afraid he would faint halfway up.
Wen Shu coughed twice and said slowly, “Stay at an inn.”
You Xu now understood what he meant. She was a widow and was constantly being gossiped about by her neighbors. If she invited a man to stay for a couple of days, she would be subjected to even more slander.
“I don’t care about any of that,” Yush said.
Wen Shu frowned slightly, clearly disagreeing, and was about to say something when a voice interrupted him.
“Ah Xu, why did it take you so long to come back? I’ve been waiting for you around here for days.”
You Xu turned his head in the direction of the sound and saw a man dressed in coarse cloth, wearing a straw hat and straw sandals. He was strong and had dark skin, clearly someone who worked the land year-round.
Hearing the familiar tone, You Xu didn’t immediately react: “You are…?”
“I’m your brother Donghong,” Sun Donghong said. “You don’t recognize me after only half a year apart.”
You Xu immediately re-read about him in the original owner’s related timeline. Sun Donghong and the original owner were childhood sweethearts. He had liked the original owner since childhood. When the original owner married into the city, he was saddened for a long time. Later, when he heard that the original owner had become a widow, he said that he did not mind her status and would marry her back to the village.
The original owner of this body had been desperately seeking Wen Shu but to no avail. Moreover, seeing that Wen Shu had married Ye Lingling, she was disheartened and returned to the village with Sun Donghong. Sun Donghong was indeed good to the original owner for a while, but as time went on, his cruel nature was revealed. He would beat and scold her at the drop of a hat. The original owner had given birth to a child, so she had no choice but to endure it, living a life of depression.
“Ah,” You Xu forced a smile, “So it’s Brother Dong Hong. It’s been so long, of course I’d forgotten you.”
“…” Sun Donghong didn’t know how to respond to her for a moment. After a pause, without even looking at Wen Shu beside her, he quickly told You Xu what he thought was good news, “My parents have agreed to let me marry you. Come back with me and let’s live a good life together.”
You Xu: “Don’t you mind that I’m a widow and have been married before?”
Sun Donghong said sincerely, “Of course I don’t mind. We grew up together and know each other inside and out. You already know my feelings. When you married into the city, I said that I would marry no one but you. Isn’t this what God wants?”
He seemed simple-minded and honest, but he was surprisingly eloquent. After the original owner of this body married him, he married two more people, but that was another story.
You Xu was clearly too lazy to waste time on him, and turned to ask Wen Shu directly: “Master, are you going to my house or an inn? If you are going to an inn, I will stay next door so that it will be convenient for me to take care of you.”
She didn’t know if it was because he was feeling unwell, but she felt that his complexion had turned worse.
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