Chapter 7

Changsheng turned and left as if he had been bullied. Hehua muttered a curse, calling him a fool, and went to fetch a basin of water to wipe the floor. Just as she wrung out the cloth, she saw Changsheng come back into the room, extending his hand in front of her.

Changsheng waited for a long time, lowered his head in disappointment, and said somewhat angrily: "I have been taking care of my wife. We agreed that for every time I take care of her, I would receive a peanut. I covered her with a quilt, placed a towel for her, and applied medicine, so I should be given three peanuts..."

"Today the lotus flower fell ill, and I carried her back." Changsheng suddenly spoke, breaking the silence

The lotus knows that Changsheng is foolishly straightforward and does not lie, but when it feels angry, it is unwilling to easily trust him. It raised its neck and extended a hand, saying: "Alright, you give me the three peanuts you just obtained, and I will believe you."

Longevity Path: "No, I promised not to speak of it, and I did not say anything."

Changsheng nodded, thought for a moment, and then said: "You should eat boiled eggs; my grandmother used to give me boiled eggs when I was sick." After saying this, without waiting for Hehua to respond, he turned and left.

The lotus could not help but laugh, saying: "Look at you, what a little success you have." As she spoke, she handed the peanut she was holding to Changsheng, adding, "Here, who cares about your worthless peanut."

Oh. Changsheng received a reward, and without caring whether his wife would be scolded or not, he happily walked away holding the peanuts.

At that moment, Changsheng entered the kitchen with his bare arms and saw Hehua lying on the ground, and said: "It is dark now, time to sleep"

Lotus cursed a few more times, calling him a fool, regretting that she had been soft-hearted earlier and had not crushed those few peanuts for him

Lotus saw him turn to leave, fearing that he would go back to the kitchen. She urged, "Changsheng, I am unwell. If you are not hungry, please just stay by my side and keep me company. Once I feel better, we can have our meal together"

The lotus flower turned its head and said: "I simply do not wish to sleep, it is none of your concern."

Changsheng hurriedly took them, placing them in his palm to count: one, two, three, indeed three of them.

Longevity Path: "You should also sleep."

She was still feeling anxious, having sat for half a day without seeing Changsheng come. Looking into the courtyard, she noticed thick smoke billowing from the kitchen. Hehua was startled and hurried over. When she entered the kitchen, she saw Changsheng bent over the stove, adding firewood into the stove opening while blowing vigorously. The thick smoke kept pouring out, causing him to cough incessantly. Hehua covered her nose and coughed a few times before quickly pulling Changsheng out, exclaiming, "What are you doing? Who told you to start a fire!"

As soon as she entered the room, He Hua was still on the kang, and Chang Sheng, while pulling the quilt to tuck her in, said: "When you are ill, you need to lie in bed and sleep."

The lotus struggles to rise: "I am not ill"

The lotus flower shouted back loudly: "Who needs your care! Didn't you get peanuts? Why did you come to see me! I have no peanuts to give you!"

Fourth Grandma did not even raise her eyelids, responding with a nonchalant "hm".

Lotus was so taken aback that she almost bit her chopsticks. She tilted her head and stared at Changsheng with a look of confusion. Once she processed what had happened, she felt a surge of anger, thinking to herself that she had been moved for so long, only to realize that he treated her this way merely for a few peanuts

Longevity Path: "It has been half a day. He said that applying this medicine would cure your illness. How is it? Is your illness better now?"

The lotus felt a lingering grievance in her heart. When she raised her eyes and saw Changsheng, she recalled that his kindness towards her was entirely for the sake of exchanging for peanuts, which made her even more furious. She glared at him and retorted, "Go away!"

The lotus glanced at Changsheng and thought to herself, how can you be so talkative! If she did not know that Changsheng was a fool, she would have suspected him, thinking he was deliberately trying to report her in a roundabout way

Seeing his anxious demeanor, He Hua felt a pang of sympathy in her heart and comforted him, saying: "No, it's just that there is too much firewood, it doesn't matter. I don't need to eat eggs because of my illness, so don't waste them... You haven't had lunch yet, you must be hungry. I'll make you some egg pancakes to eat"

With a loud bang, Fourth Grandmother forcefully slammed the chopsticks onto the table and got up to leave

The lotus trembled in fright, no longer caring about its resentment towards Changsheng. However, Changsheng remained indifferent, still lowering his head in anger over not receiving a reward

Changsheng pondered for a moment, as if he had come to an understanding, and pulled on Changsheng's sleeve, saying: "Oh... you seem to have gotten into trouble."

Changsheng said earnestly: "I need to do this; my grandmother used to put this on me when I was sick." As he spoke, he noticed the scratches on Hehua's face, gently wiped her forehead with the handkerchief, and then placed it back on her forehead.

Changsheng stood at the door for a while, then cautiously entered the room and said, "I must have caused trouble..."

In the evening, Hehua did not accompany Changsheng to the village entrance to meet Granny Si. When the two of them entered the courtyard, Hehua noticed that Granny Si's expression was not very pleasant. She knew that today's matter could not be kept a secret; even though Granny Si did not like to chat with others, it was likely that as soon as she entered the village, some well-meaning person would inform her about it.

Changsheng pursed her lips, her brows knitted into a knot, and she turned around angrily to leave

Changsheng looked innocently at the lotus flower, his face blackened from the smoke, and said: "I will give you a boiled egg to eat"

Hmm... hmm... Longsheng stared anxiously at the stove, feeling as if he were cutting flesh from his own body, wanting to go pick it up but fearing that Hehua would be angry, his hands constantly rubbing against his pants.

At that moment, Hehua was kneeling on the ground, feeling wronged as she wiped the stove. She had just received a scolding from Fourth Aunt without any surprise. In the end, Fourth Aunt told her that if she had nothing to do and was free, instead of getting into fights with people in the village, she might as well tidy up the kitchen thoroughly, and that there should not be a speck of dirt on the stove or the floor by tomorrow morning

Is this what you did? asked the lotus flower

Lotus Road: "That's not it..." Before she could finish her sentence, Changsheng turned around and left. As he walked out, he muttered in grievance, "You caused the trouble yourself and still blame me..."

He Hua, feeling helpless, sighed and said, "You must stay put and not make any fire." After saying this, she hurried into the kitchen and saw that the stove was already filled with firewood by Chang Sheng. She covered her mouth and nose and used a fire stick to clear out the firewood. Then she lifted the pot and saw two raw eggs floating in cold water. He Hua felt a pang of heartache and quickly scooped the eggs into a bowl

If it is said that in the past, Hehua was somewhat apprehensive, after being scolded and punished like this, she was left with nothing but grievance. Indeed, she may have been a bit impulsive today, but it was not her intention to cause trouble. Clearly, she was the one who was insulted; how could she not be allowed to clear her name! While it is wrong to engage in a physical fight, the reasons must be considered. At most, a few words of reprimand would suffice; was it really necessary to punish her like this? Hehua sniffled, feeling a hundred grievances in her heart. While it is wrong to engage in a physical fight, the reasons must be considered. At most, a few words of reprimand would suffice; was it really necessary to punish her like this? Hehua sniffled, feeling a hundred grievances in her heart.

As soon as Fourth Grandma returned, Hehua went up to her, trying to please her by saying: "I have cooked porridge and made egg pancakes. You must be tired and hungry after being out all day. I have hot water ready, and after you finish your meal, you can soak your feet..." Before she could finish her sentence, Fourth Grandma turned around with a cold expression and went back into the room

Lotus felt that lying in bed with a towel draped over her was quite foolish. However, seeing Changsheng sitting beside her, his eyes constantly watching over her as if she were a patient, she could not bear to refute his good intentions. With a sigh, she said: "Alright, let’s just pretend I am ill. We won’t go to the mountain today, and you can take a day off too"

He Hua felt uneasy and quietly went into the room to set the table for the meal, sitting beside Chang Sheng to wait. After a while, Fourth Aunt entered the room; her complexion had not improved, yet she said nothing and simply sat down at the table, taking a bowl and chopsticks to eat. She remained silent, and naturally, He Hua did not dare to speak either, sitting at the edge of a chair, carefully observing Fourth Aunt's expression while eating.

At this moment, Hehua was uncertain whether she should go and apologize to Fourth Aunt or comfort Changsheng. In any case, she could no longer eat this meal. It seemed that the two of them, grandfather and grandson, would probably not eat either. After hesitating for a while, she got up to clear the dishes.

Hmm! Changsheng nodded vigorously, seemingly quite willing. Immediately, he took off his shoes and climbed onto the kang, sitting cross-legged beside her. He Hua did not speak again; after lying down for a while, she felt her eyelids growing heavy and fell asleep. When she woke up, she saw that Changsheng was still sitting beside her just as he had been before she fell asleep, with not a trace of change in his expression. Upon noticing that she was awake, he did not say a word, but instead turned his body slightly forward, looking at her with an expectant expression, probably waiting for her to instruct him to fetch water or food.

Hmm. Fourth Grandmother hummed again, seemingly completely uninterested in what Changsheng was saying

The lotus, helpless, could only coaxingly say: "I am fine now"

Changsheng looked at it, pressed his lips together, and carefully picked up the peanuts one by one, as if counting treasures, placing them into the palm of his hand

Lotus glared at Changsheng, wishing she could stomp on his foot under the table. However, Changsheng did not pay her any attention, instead tilting his head to look at Fourth Grandmother with an expression full of anticipation. Fourth Grandmother, seemingly ignoring him on purpose, continued to serve herself food and eat.

Suddenly, the door curtain was lifted, and Fourth Grandma entered the room again, placing three peanuts on the table in front of Changsheng.

The Way of Longevity: "No, he is a bad person, he bullied you, not for the peanuts"

Changsheng was choked back, pondering what he might have done wrong. He stood at the door without moving, confused, and asked: "Why are you angry?"

The lotus flower looked at the three peanuts in his hand, then glanced at his expression of grievance and reluctance. Her heart softened, yet she deliberately teased him by grabbing the peanuts and pretending to throw them into the stove.

The lotus flower did not know what he intended to do. She got up from the bed and had just reached the door when she saw Changsheng returning with a towel. Seeing her up, he appeared quite anxious and somewhat displeased as he carried her back to the bed. Regardless of what she said, he stubbornly tucked her back under the covers, took the towel, and carefully folded it to place it on her forehead.

Lotus hummed, "This way, you not only have the chance to care for your wife but also get peanuts, right? Aren't you more satisfied?" After saying this, she glared at him and questioned, "Tell me, did you also mention the matter of the lame Feng to Grandma in exchange for peanuts?"

The lotus flower pouted and said: "I don't believe it. You help me deal with the scoundrels and protect me every day while going up and down the mountain, isn't it just to exchange for peanuts?"

The lotus smiled faintly and said, "Thanks to you, I am completely well"

Changsheng heard that he had done nothing wrong and breathed a sigh of relief, saying: "You don't need to do it, you are sick and need to rest." After saying this, he took the lotus back into the room and tucked it into the quilt

As night fell, Changsheng prepared the bedding for himself and Hehua before burrowing into the quilt. After lying there for quite some time without seeing Hehua come into the room, he got up, pushed open the window, and looked outside. He noticed that the kitchen was still lit. Stretching his neck to look for a while, he then closed the window, put on his shoes, got out of bed, and ran to the kitchen to look for someone

The lotus flower brought a bittersweet warmth to her heart, evoking a sense of emotion. She lifted the quilt and sat up, suddenly feeling something fall from her face. Looking down, she discovered it was a bit of crushed herbs. She raised her hand to wipe her face, noticing some dark residue on it.

Changsheng pressed her down again and said: "You are ill. Master Zhou can treat illnesses. He said you are sick, and those who are unwell must lie in bed and rest, and cannot move about recklessly"

With drooping eyelids, he wore an expression of unwillingness

Changsheng nodded and said: "Master Zhou asked me to apply this for you"

The lotus flower is unsure whether to laugh or be angry, simply saying: "I am not even feverish, why are you doing this to me?"

Lotus angrily threw the rag into the basin, splashing dirty water all over her face, which made her feel even more frustrated. She simply pushed the basin away and sat down on the pile of firewood beside her. Before long, she heard footsteps outside; it was Changsheng returning, still bare-shouldered, as if he had come back with a belly full of anger from inside the house. As soon as he entered, he shouted at Lotus, "I haven't done anything wrong, nor have I caused any trouble. I even took care of you when you were sick. Why are you yelling at me?"

Lotus recalled how she had once fought with others in a shrewish manner in front of Master Zhou, and how those who were implicated also faced ridicule. She felt extremely embarrassed. Moreover, she thought about how someone had come to deliver medicine to her while she lay in bed asleep, which made her feel even more guilty. She then asked, "When did he come? Did he say anything?"

Lotus waved the rag and shouted, "Which of your eyes saw me getting angry! When did I say I was angry! You fool! Do you understand what it means to be angry?! Go back to your room and sleep! Be careful, or I will hit you!"

The lotus flower pouted and said, "I can't sleep just yet. Do you see? Grandma wants me to tidy up the kitchen."

Changsheng stared blankly at Fourth Grandmother for a while, as if waiting for her to respond. Seeing that she did not react, he continued: "I also took care of her, covered her with a quilt, placed a towel for her, and I even applied the medicine that Master Zhou provided."

The lotus flower, however, had no mind to concern herself with him; she simply took the handkerchief from her forehead and turned over to sit up. She felt a heaviness in her heart, partly out of anger at herself for not having killed that widow Chen and instead having her face scratched, partly because this commotion had turned her into a laughingstock among the villagers, and she was uncertain how long people would talk about it. Additionally, she wondered whether Fourth Aunt would scold her upon her return.

Changsheng shook his head and said, "No, I cannot get up." After speaking, as if he thought of something, he dropped the lotus flower and turned to leave.

Changsheng was momentarily taken aback and said, "I did not ask you for peanuts; I told you to go to sleep"

Longevity Path: "But it is good for you to be sick; if you do not sleep, you will fall ill again"

Lotus Road: "Alright, I've given you the peanuts as well. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night with your bare arms? Are you looking for trouble? Hurry back inside and go to sleep."

The lotus flower retracted its hand and said irritably: "If you don't give it, then I have hit the nail on the head. Don't just stand here being a nuisance, hurry up and leave!"

Fourth Grandma said: "You go back first, I have something to discuss with your wife."