Chapter 45: Upset Stomach
Entering July meant the arrival of summer.
People shed their thick robes, jackets, and padded coats, replacing them with light and cool linen shirts.
As soon as the sun rose, it scorched like fire. The blacksmith shop closed for business in this hottest month, and fieldwork couldn’t be done during the day, so they had to rise early and finish tasks quickly while it was still dark.
Luckily, they only needed to weed and deal with pests.
Due to digging irrigation channels in spring, although it cost a lot of money, the problem of watering was completely solved, saving a lot of effort.
Despite the unfortunate incident with the hired laborers, they did their work quite well.
Qingyan had never experienced days like these before. The summer nights were long, and because he woke up early every day, many times he felt sleepy and exhausted before it was even dark, washing up early and going to bed.
After finishing work in the fields, Qiu Henian would tidy up the vegetables they picked and put them on the cart, storing the tools properly.
He left a space for Qingyan on the cart with a thick mat, and on the way back, Qingyan would sit on it, shading himself with an oiled paper umbrella, sipping from a water pouch and nibbling on biscuits, half-closing his eyes, waiting for his husband to pull him home.
Sometimes they picked so many vegetables that they wouldn’t return home but would instead go directly to the town to sell them, earning a bit more.
On the way back, Qingyan would either have an extra bowl of chilled licorice soup or some sweet ice, enjoying himself.
Occasionally, he would call out “Henian,” but the man pulling the cart would just shake his head and say, “I’m not eating.”
After a while, Qingyan would call out “Husband,” and the man would have to stop the cart and go over to taste the ice treat his husband had given him.
Once, Qingyan ate too much chilled papaya and had a bad stomach for two or three days, causing him to lose weight. This project, which he found extremely delightful, was forcibly terminated by Qiu Henian.
After that incident, Qingyan didn’t want to eat it anymore, as those days with a bad stomach were extremely embarrassing for him.
On the first day, he ran to the latrine more than ten times. The doctor had come and administered medicine, pinching his nose to make him swallow it, but medicinal soups don’t take effect so quickly.
By the second day, his buttocks were rubbed raw, and he still had to make frequent trips to the latrine. Every time he went, the places where the skin had just started to heal would get rubbed raw again.
Qingyan was originally afraid of pain and wouldn’t stop fussing over a cut finger.
At the moment, his stomach was still cramping, and his buttocks hurt too.
Qiu Henian hadn’t seen him return for a long time and worriedly went to look for him, only to find him leaning against the wall, tears streaming down his face, quietly crying.
Before, Qingyan had suffered quietly on his own, but since crying in front of others twice, he no longer cared about that bit of pride. When he was uncomfortable, he would cry once.
Seeing him like this, Qiu Henian felt both distressed and amused. He carried him back to the house and laid him on the bed as if he were a patient who couldn’t take care of himself. He brought a basin of water to wash his face and hands.
Later, he also lit the stove and boiled hot water.
When Qiu Henian had finished his busy work and entered the house, Qingyan, with tearful eyes, asked, “Why did you boil water? I don’t want to drink it.”
Qiu Henian poured the hot water into the basin, mixed in some cold water to test the temperature, and said, “From now on, I’ll wash you every time. It’ll help you feel better.”
Qingyan hesitated for a moment, doubting whether he understood correctly, but Qiu Henian had already given him the answer with practical actions.
The curtains were drawn, dimming the room considerably. Qiu Henian walked up to Qingyan, lifted him effortlessly by his waist and abdomen. It seemed effortless, and Qingyan hung in the air from the bed like a chick. The basin of hot water was placed on the ground beside the bed behind him.
Qiu Henian whispered, “Put on your shoes and squat down.”
Qingyan subconsciously obeyed and was then gripped by the shoulders, his body leaning forward involuntarily, his hands pressed against the edge of the bed on the board used to step up.
That’s how he was raised up, then his pants were pulled down, making him feel the piercing cold. When the hot water touched him, he trembled all over, eyes wide open in disbelief at what was happening.
Meanwhile, Qiu Henian had already started washing him as carefully as possible.
It wasn’t clear how long it took, but Qiu Henian didn’t dare use the usual cloth in the house to wipe him, fearing it would hurt his delicate skin. Instead, he used his own clean and soft undershirt to wipe him and then washed it off.
After he finished wiping and made sure it was dry, he went to help Qingyan up, only to see him crying again, his face flushed red.
Qiu Henian hurriedly picked him up, let him sit on his lap, and patted his back like comforting a child, asking softly, “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you while wiping you?”
Qingyan shook his head, hugged Qiu Henian’s neck, choked and said, “You washed so slowly, I feel so embarrassed.”
Qiu Henian kissed his forehead with a smile, “I’ve seen every part of you. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“No,” Qingyan hiccuped, “You washed so slowly… I feel like I need to go to the latrine again, sob.”
Qiu Henian was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter and said, “It’s okay. After it’s done, I’ll wash you again. The hot water hasn’t cooled down yet.”
By the time Qingyan recovered, it was two days later.
The washing indeed worked. The number of times he went to the latrine on the last day also decreased, and the skin slowly healed.
Minor ailments were also quite exhausting. When Qingyan felt better, he thought the sky was especially blue, and the food was especially fragrant. Everything seemed so good.
That morning, just as it was getting light, the rooster stood on the fence crowing, and unexpectedly, a small hen joined in, chirping incessantly.
Qingyan thought it was an old kite* coming down to catch the chickens. This had happened before. The chicken’s neck was bitten and bleeding, and afterward, the hen’s neck had been crooked, never straightening out again. Qingyan could only be thankful that it survived.
*T/N: A type of carnivorous bird
Hearing the chicken’s cries, Qingyan quickly ran into the yard, moving faster than Qiu Henian, who followed behind. As a result, the old kite didn’t see them, and Qingyan reached into the chicken coop and found a warm egg.
It was the first egg laid by the chickens he raised, and there was still a little blood on the shell. Qingyan took this egg and showed it to Qiu Henian, who followed behind him.
He had recently tanned a bit, but he was still fairer than others. After a few days of stomach trouble, the flesh on his cheeks had thinned out, his chin was sharp, and his clothes were loose, making him look pitiable.
Right now, he was extremely happy, his eyes sparkling brightly, his expression excited and somewhat showy.
Qiu Henian looked down at him, a smile playing on his lips. He reached out and pinched his chin, praising him, “Qingyan is really amazing.”
That morning, three more chickens laid eggs one after another, just enough to fry a dish.
Qingyan eagerly wanted to cook, but Qiu Henian stopped him. He washed his hands, put on an apron, kneaded dough, cooked a pot of light noodles, and made two poached eggs.
Qingyan was a bit disappointed, but now it was important to stay healthy, so he had to endure it.
Early the next morning, Qiu Henian went to work in the field, moving quietly so as not to wake Qingyan. Qingyan slept until he woke up naturally before getting up.
This time, there was no pain anywhere. He felt comfortable all over, finally completely healed.
After the chickens laid eggs, they needed to eat something nutritious. Qingyan went to the village oil mill to buy some soybean cakes pressed from leftover bean dregs, brought them home, and cooked them slowly in a large pot.
Then he put on a straw hat, dug half a basket of wild lettuce and a shepherd’s purse by the river at the door. These things were available until autumn. After digging a batch, they would grow another batch soon, which was best for feeding chickens and ducks.
After Qingyan finished digging, he took them back and rinsed them in the root. Then he set them aside to dry.
When the soybean cakes were cooked, they were soft and warm. Using a kitchen knife, he sliced them into pieces, chopped them finely after cooling, chopped the lettuce and shepherd’s purse, mixed them together, put them in a food bowl, and all the chicks swarmed over to eat, enjoying it immensely.
Qingyan watched beside them, feeling more satisfied than eating his own meal.
He rinsed the cutting board and knife, tidied up the courtyard, and prepared to rest in the house for a while.
Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard door. Qingyan heard a familiar voice outside asking, “Is Qingyan at home?”
The smile on Qingyan’s face gradually faded. He pursed his lips for a moment before reluctantly responding, “Yes,” and then went to open the courtyard door.
Shen Min stood outside with a small basket on his arm.
Seeing Qingyan open the door, he smiled and said, “I just picked some chili peppers from the field. I heard your family doesn’t grow them, so I brought some over.”
Qingyan smiled back at him, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
He stepped aside and said, “Come in and have a seat.”
Shen Min smiled and entered. Looking at the grapevines climbing high along the fence on the edge of the courtyard, green and lush, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “The grape seedlings in your house grow so well. The ones in my house didn’t grow at all.”
Qingyan smiled and said, “Yes.”
Shen Min glanced at him, lowered his eyelids, and when he raised them again, he smiled faintly.
But as soon as he turned his back to Qingyan, his expression quickly turned melancholy.
It wasn’t until he sat down at the table in the outer room that Qingyan brought over the basket of chili peppers that he quickly stood up and said with a smile, “It’s nothing special, don’t dislike it.”
Qingyan returned the basket to him, sat down opposite him at the table, and asked, “How has your family been recently? I heard that the village chief and a few elderly people have allocated ten acres of land to your family?”
Shen Min nodded and said, “The land at home was all sold by Wang Heyao. Seeing that we couldn’t even eat, the village chief said we couldn’t watch us starve to death, so he divided ten acres of land from various families for us. But this is a debt. We have to slowly repay the money to buy the land in the future.”
He lowered his head.
“Having land to cultivate is already good. At least we can have enough to eat. The village chief also arranged for me to buy seeds and fertilizers. However, it’s too late to plant rice or sweet potatoes. Last month, I planted chili peppers, cucumbers, persimmons, and loofahs. We can eat them until late autumn. I can sell some of them later to make a living.”
Qingyan nodded and said, “That’s good.”
After that, the two fell silent. Qingyan looked down at the table with his eyes lowered, not saying another word or driving anyone away, but his attitude was clearly not as warm as before.
Shen Min’s expression also became solemn. After a while, his voice became slightly hoarse.
“Just now, someone from the county came to our house and delivered a letter. Wang Heyao has been sentenced to be executed after the autumn trial.”
Qingyan looked at him sharply. Shen Min lowered his head, and a smile gradually appeared on his lips.
“His mother heard the news and fainted. When I left home, she was lying on the ground crying.”
Shen Min looked at Qingyan and said, “I’m sure you’ve figured out my situation. I’m sorry for you and your husband.”
He didn’t elaborate on the specifics. By not saying it out loud, they could pretend they never knew, and there wouldn’t be any trouble in the future.
Qingyan’s lips twitched.
He lowered his eyes and said, “I know you’re in a difficult situation.”
Tears suddenly flowed from Shen Min’s eyes like a small stream.
He said, “I don’t expect you to treat me the same as before, but if you ever need me in the future, just let me know, and I will do my best.”
With that, Shen Min wiped his face, stood up, and was about to leave.
Before leaving, he wanted to say something, but after biting his lip, he decided not to. With red eyes, he turned around and walked out quickly.
That night, Wang Heyao, who was drunk, sat on the ground outside the house like a dead dog, took a hammer, and treated a low stool as if it were a human head, hammering it fiercely.
As he hammered, he muttered in a low voice, “First kill that bitch, then slaughter that miserly old lady without a penny, hide the hammer in that ugly freak’s house, and go to the county office to report it. The ugly freak gets beheaded, I don’t want the little beauty anymore. They’ll all get beheaded together, the house and shop will all be mine, and no one will bother me again in the future!”
Shen Min crouched behind the door, feeling chills down his spine as he listened.
The next day, he brought back two catties of pig hindquarters, hinting and guiding Wang Heyao over and over again.
But Shen Min thought that there was no point in talking about these things. It wouldn’t change the fact that he had schemed and used Qingyan and his husband.
…
Seven or eight days later, Old Lady Wang passed away.
She had been groaning in bed for several days before Shen Min called a doctor. The doctor shook his head after checking her and advised to prepare for her final arrangements.
Recently, Old Lady Wang’s family had encountered these two incidents, which made everyone who heard about it sigh and lament.
The villagers nearby scraped together some money for Shen Min.
Unable to afford an expensive coffin, they wrapped her in a mat and hired someone to pull the cart, scattering paper money along the way. She was buried at the foot of the mountain on the road out of the village, next to her deceased husband.
After the burial, Shen Min cleaned out everything from Old Lady Wang’s house that could be sold and threw away what was useless.
Shen Min took the bunch of keys from Old Lady Wang and opened all the cupboard doors one by one. After searching to the bottom, he didn’t find a single penny.
With people gone, past grievances no longer mattered. Everything ended.
…
Old Lady Wang passed away in the early hours of the morning.
No one knew that before she died, the old lady lying in bed unable to get up had once gotten out of bed.
She didn’t have much strength at that time. She staggered to the woodshed in the yard, found a cloth bag under the firewood pile, and then took a shovel to dig a deep hole, step by step. Then she brought the cloth bag back, and her dim eyes suddenly lit up. She held it in her arms for a while.
Afterwards, she opened the cloth bag and found it was filled with shining silver.
Old Lady Wang patiently counted them one by one, exactly one hundred taels.
After counting, she touched them with satisfaction. After that, she closed the cloth bag, wrapped it in a grass mat from the bed, and put it into the deep hole she had just dug out.
After burying the soil back and patting it down, the floor of the house was originally made of soil, and people walked over it every day, so it was not flat. After she finished it, there were no traces left.
After Old Lady Wang finished this task, she didn’t forget to hold her breath and put the shovel back to the yard, wiping the soles of her shoes clean before lying back on the bed.
Less than two hours later, she passed away.
Wang Heyao was a troublesome person, and she knew it was all her fault for spoiling him, but things had come to this point, and she couldn’t do anything about it.
She knew she couldn’t touch the money in her hands. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to live anymore.
If Wang Heyao knew she had this money, he would probably lose it all in one night. She had to hide it well.
After hiding it for so many years, this money had become her obsession.
She held onto this silver for her whole life. Now that she was dead, no one could use it.
As long as the house wasn’t torn down and the foundation wasn’t dug up, no one could get it.
Old Lady Wang died without regrets, feeling satisfied!
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Qingyan blushed even more, answering, “The other day when I was tidying up, I saw the book you hid in Dad’s cabinet.”
