T.N: Hello everyone! If you enjoy this novel and like my translation, please consider heading over to Novel Updates and giving it a good rating. I’ve accumulated some 3 and 2 stars without any explanation, making me very sad ಥ_ಥ I personally only read novels that have a rating over 4, so I’m trying my best to not let it fall below that!
Before, when Shu Ran traveled, he either went by high-speed train or plane, so he had never taken the green train before. He obediently followed Xu Shen to the station, while Luo Dayou’s1Lo Ta-yu (Chinese: 羅大佑; pinyin: Luó Dàyòu; born 20 July 1954), also known as Luo Dayou and Law Tai-yau, is a Taiwanese singer and songwriter. During the 1980s, Lo became one of the most influential Mandopop singer-songwriters with his melodic lyrics and love songs, and his witty social and political commentary that he infused in his more political songs, often to the point that some of his songs were suppressed in Taiwan and Mainland China during the 1980s. He is recognized as a cultural icon in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China song “The Story of Time” floated into his ears.
For the passengers carrying large and small bags in the train station, that was a new song, barely released last year, but for Shu Ran… It was an old song that had been around for forty years.
The story of time… It sounded particularly touching.
Before their train arrived, Xu Shen pointed to the scenery outside the window and whispered to Shu Ran: “My wife, that fountain is also very beautiful from a distance.”
“Well, it’s indeed beautiful.” Shu Ran praised sincerely.
He had been to that city before and could see the train station when he passed by the viaduct. Unfortunately, it had already been rebuilt at that time. The grand square and the spectacular fountain lake in front of it were demolished a long time ago… After all, it was a big city, and every inch of land was precious. Half a century later, the train station had already been renovated, becoming smaller and smaller.
“Are you hungry? Can I buy you something to eat?” Xu Shen saw the passing passengers carrying food and wanted to buy some for Shu Ran.
Shu Ran said: “I’m not hungry, but we can buy some food to eat on the train.” Thinking of the familiar high-speed train, Shu Ran felt that the food on board must be very expensive…
In fact, it was also expensive inside the station. If he had known, he would have bought enough food from outside… Men really didn’t know how to live!
The two of them went to the store and bought tea eggs and boiled corn. Not much, just enough to keep them entertained on the road.
Walking back and forth, time flew by and the train soon arrived. Everyone else rushed to get ahead when they heard the announcement… Only the two of them walk slowly and leisurely, checking their tickets.
Why was everyone in such a hurry? The doors won’t open until a certain time anyway…
“You have to keep your ticket, they might check them on the train.” Xu Shen gave his wife some life education.
Although he felt that Shu Ran would rarely have the opportunity to take the train alone in the future, things were unpredictable and who could say for sure?
“Oh…” Shu Ran held a bottle of water and followed Xu Shen step by step, as if he was programmed to follow him.
Xu Shen felt that such a wife was very good, making him feel itchy for a moment.
The two of them stood on the platform and waited for a moment, while the train slowly pulled into the station with a beep. The retro model made it feel like it was a time-honored train, something that already belonged in a museum.
So it was now time to open the blind box… What would he smell when he walked inside?! It was really stressful and worrying…
Shu Ran held his breath as soon as he got on the train, observing Xu Shen’s reaction.
Xu Shen, the handy poison testing tool, willingly helped his wife test the poison. He quickly told the other person: “It’s okay, you can breathe.” They were lucky enough not to encounter any of the famous scenes they talked about last night.
“Thank you.” Shu Ran recited “Amitabha” in his heart and took a careful breath… It was indeed fine.
But there were more blind boxes waiting to be opened… Such as the bed!
Let’s see if it’s dried pickles or hair strands all over the pillow!
Maybe they really had the green light… The sleeping berth also turned out to be very tidy and the space was not occupied by any of the passengers who got on the train first.
Xu Shen took the upper bed for himself, but he was not tired yet. The two of them arranged their luggage and sat on the bottom bed to rest.
Opposite them was a gentle father with his son. When he saw two outstanding-looking young people walking in, he couldn’t help but take a second look… Maybe it was because Xu Shen was too tall and didn’t look easy to mess with, but the gentle-looking man only moved his lips, without saying anything.
Shu Ran was used to the social distance of later generations, so it was even less possible for him to greet strangers.
And it was impossible for Xu Shen, too. His attitude towards strangers was just the word “indifference” plastered all over his face.
“It’s too hot to take the train in summer.” Xu Shen took out a cattail leaf fan and started fanning the two of them.
“A calm mind naturally cools down.” Shu Ran could only comfort himself in that way.
The road was too long and there was nothing to do, so Shu Ran said: “Give me my backpack.”
Xu Shen: “Do you want your notebook and pen?”
Shu Ran: “Yes.”
Xu Shen took it out for him directly. “Wouldn’t it be difficult to write like this?”
“It’s not that bad.” Shu Ran bent one leg and tried to write on his knee: “It’s just that the writing is quite ugly.”
Xu Shen took one look, and his understanding of “ugly” was suddenly overturned: “You call this ugly?! I should let you see Chen Kai’s handwriting another day…” And let you redefine what ugly truly meant…
“No, I can imagine it.” Shu Ran frowned and hissed, and both of them looked at each other and smiled.
Then it became quiet. One of them leaned on the carriage and bent one leg to concentrate on writing, while the other rested while shaking his cattail leaf fan.
He didn’t know for how long he wrote… Shu Ran turned his neck and glanced at Xu Shen: “Stop fanning me. Go to bed when you are tired.”
“Too lazy to crawl.” Xu Shen lay down on the lower bunk.
“Do you think you are still a baby?!” Shu Ran was speechless, unable to move after Xu Shen squeezed him like that.
The other party didn’t speak, and Shu Ran didn’t chase him away either. He only occasionally paid attention to the passengers on the bunk beds opposite to see if they were looking at them strangely.
But then he thought about it… They were just strangers who met by chance. In fact, Shu Ran didn’t really care whether they were there or not, since they wouldn’t meet again in the future.
Withdrawing his gaze, Shu Ran continued writing.
When he was tired from writing, he wanted to lie down but found that Xu Shen had fallen asleep next to him. Maybe it was too hot to sleep peacefully, so Shu Ran carefully took out the cattail leaf fan from the other person’s hand and fanned him with rare thoughtfulness.
The passengers opposite stared at them, probably thinking that those two brothers had such a good relationship, but Shu Ran couldn’t care less.
Not long after, a sneaky man came over and glanced at the empty upper bunk above them. He seemed to want to go up and rest, so Shu Ran reminded him kindly: “Brother, that bunk is occupied.”
The man glanced at him, then directly reached out and grabbed the railing to climb up.
Shu Ran had never met someone who refused to listen like that. While he was still stunned, Xu Shen opened his eyes and kicked the ladder: “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear that there was someone on the upper bunk?”
The man was stared at coldly by Xu Shen, so he had no other choice but to let go of his hand and walk away.
“You..” Shu Ran wanted to say something, but when he lowered his head, he found that Xu Shen’s eyes were closed again… As if he was sleepwalking just now.
When the other party finally woke up, Shu Ran asked him if he remembered scaring that man away, but received a simple answer: “No impression.”
What else could Shu Ran say?! Except that he was awesome, he also wanted to ask: “Is this the special skill of big bosses honed in society? Cool…”
Xu Shen listened to him recall and advised: “When you meet that kind of person in the future, you should be more aggressive and scold them back. Don’t be too polite to them.” He could guess how Shu Ran dealt with it.
“I don’t dare.” Shu Ran said matter-of-factly: “When you scold me, I shut up because I can’t win against you. What if the other person gets angry because of my scolding and beats me up?!”
Xu Shen was speechless. Indeed, he looked at Shu Ran’s physique, sighed, and compromised: “But I want you to scold me back…”
Shu Ran: “You still need me to scold you?!”
Those few words could be considered flirting. The two of them glanced at each other, and in the next second, they both looked away as if nothing had happened.
“I’m going to the bathroom.” Shu Ran finished his mental preparation.
“Be careful.” Xu Shen needed to look after the luggage, so he couldn’t accompany him.
“Yeah.” Shu Ran said.
It was neither the New Year nor another holiday, so there were not many passengers heading north, and he did not experience the terrifying scene of huge crowds of people lining in front of the toilet.
After Shu Ran came back, Xu Shen asked: “How’s the situation?”
Both of them understood and smiled, while Shu Ran answered: “It’s okay.”
But the poor passengers opposite still didn’t know what they were laughing about.
Half a day and a night passed quickly. The train’s route was much faster than that of a truck, but it was still almost dawn when the train pulled into the station. Shu Ran rubbed his sleepy eyes, got off the train with Xu Shen, and headed home.
“Put down your things later. I’ll go to Chen’s house and decide on the location of the factory quickly, otherwise, we can’t keep the goods in the truck for long.”
Xu Shen rented a three-wheeled motorcycle to help carry all their luggage. Shu Ran sat on it and lay down comfortably, with his head resting on Xu Shen’s lap. In order to prevent him from falling, Xu Shen kept holding his shoulders.
“I’ll also want to go and choose the factory site…” Shu Ran muttered with his eyes closed.
“You don’t want to go, you want to stay at home and rest.” Xu Shen said while holding Shu Ran’s shoulders, which were skinnier and thinner than before.
“That’s okay…” Shu Ran’s voice became smaller and smaller. It wasn’t that he, the shareholder, wanted to be absent, but he just couldn’t bear it anymore.
Xu Shen was so distressed that he didn’t know what to say, so he could only touch his cheek, thinking that he must find an old doctor for Shu Ran after he came back… Both of them were men who were intimate with each other, so there were too many things to pay attention to.
But let’s decide on the factory’s location first.
Shu Ran went home asleep and continued to sleep, without even knowing when Xu Shen left.
There were several alternative factory sites in Nanshi, so the Chen brothers had been waiting for Xu Shen to come back for a long time. When they met, the first thing they asked was: “Where is Shu Ran?”
“Too tired, he’s resting at home.” Xu Shen did not take the offered cigarette, directly letting them lead the way.
“What, you quit smoking?” Chen Sen thought for a moment, realizing he hadn’t seen Xu Shen smoking for a while.
“Yes.” Xu Shen spoke more directly this time, with a smile on his face.
“Tsk, tsk.” Seeing him like that made people’s teeth sore for a while… There was no need to ask why he decided to quit smoking: “Then let’s go.”
“My wife has mentioned a few key points for renting the factory’s site…” Xu Shen said with a proud smile on his face, while riding his bicycle parallel to Chen Kai’s motorcycle: “First, if we could rent from the government, it’s better to rent a state-owned building. Second, we should rent it for as long as we can, and thirdly, it must have convenient transportation but far away from any residential areas. How about it? Is there anything that fits the bill?”
Chen Kai chuckled: “Yes, I’ll take you directly to it.”
It turned out to be an old pharmaceutical factory. The owners moved to a new location a year before, and the old factory had been left empty. Originally, Chen Kai thought that the pharmaceutical factory was too shabby and the employee dormitories at the gate were too small… But now he thought that everything could be renovated.
But it was in such a dilapidated state… If they were willing to invest money in some renovations, the government would definitely be willing to aid them… They needed to talk about it when the time came.
It was about seven kilometers from Xu Shen’s house to the factory’s site, and the distance was not far but it was remote enough. After all, most pharmaceutical factories must be far away from residential areas. Otherwise, when some Chinese medicines started to emit a strong smell during the brewing process, everyone living nearby would complain.
“It’s really broken… I thought you were exaggerating.” Xu Shen went in and walked around. The only advantage was that it was quite large.
“No one has paid any attention to it for a year, what do you think?” Chen Sen said slowly: “Broken has its advantages. Maybe the price can be lowered by negotiating.”
“Apart from the fact that this is a state-owned building, is there anything else?” Xu Shen asked.
“None. The others are private and more expensive.” Chen Kai said that he originally kept this one as a backup, only because it was cheap.
Xu Shen thought for a moment: “Would you like this one?”
The others had no objection: “Is it okay if you think it’s okay…?”
“Okay, then don’t bother looking anymore. Let’s go to the office and ask what’s the longest period they can rent it for.” Xu Shen had no idea that the inflation rate in the future would be astonishing, and land and houses would become very expensive, but he still chose to listen to Shu Ran. After all, renting a state-owned building could indeed save a lot of trouble.
That shabby pharmaceutical factory had been put on hold for a year without being rented out… There were no government renovation projects that needed it for the time being, so it was just delayed and forgotten. Finally, a few young people came and asked about it. The staff quickly entertained them warmly, asking questions like what they needed it for and for how long…
When they heard they were planning to build a garment factory, the other party laughed heartily: “Very good, very good! It will drive the economic development of Nanshi and create more jobs for our people! Nanshi is in great need of young entrepreneurs like you who dare to work hard!”
After a lot of conversation, the price and lease period were finally discussed. Before Xu Shen could say anything, the other party offered: “The longer the lease is, the more favorable the price will be. If the rent can be paid in one go, it will be even more favorable!”
The longest period to rent the building could be twenty years… Everyone took a look at the final amount calculated by the people from the government’s office and took a deep breath… It was quite expensive.
They could afford it, but it was way too painful to take that big sum out all at once. The money to start a business was not particularly sufficient to begin with, so if they took it all in one go, they would lose a big chunk of everything they had. No wonder Shu Ran always asked them to save money… Xu Shen fell into thinking. The Chen brothers gave him a wink and they went out to discuss.
“How about, how about renting for ten years first?” Chen Kai said, thinking that the amount needed for twenty years was a bit too high.
“Shu Ran said the longer the better,” Xu Shen analyzed: “I think it makes sense. Factories will bloom everywhere in the future, and it would be hard to rent such a cheap one.”
“In ten years, we may have made a lot of money… Maybe we won’t care about it anymore.” What Chen Kai said made more sense.
Xu Shen couldn’t make the final decision alone, and the budget was indeed insufficient. After thinking about it for a while, he nodded: “Yeah, that’s okay.”
This time, after listening to Chen Kai’s suggestion and renting for ten years, Xu Shen felt uneasy and worried that Shu Ran would scold him when he came back home…
After getting all the information they needed and signing the contract, Xu Shen went to the vegetable market and bought a lot of ingredients, preparing to make a good meal and improving Shu Ran’s health.
But he was a grown man who had no idea how to replenish one’s body, so he went to the drugstore and asked people how to improve energy, qi, and blood.
In those days, the people in charge of pharmacies were all doctors. They had real skills, and they would not randomly sell high-profit drugs to customers. In short, they should be realistic and sell whatever drugs should be sold to customers.
Xu Shen carefully bought the warming and tonic herbs recommended to him by the doctor, mixed them with jujubes and the like, and then went to the market to buy a chicken to stew.
It was almost dusk by the time Shu Ran finally woke up, and there was a strong fragrance floating in the yard. It smelled like chicken soup, but with a faint smell of medicinal herbs.
“What are you stewing?” Shu Ran’s hoarse voice suddenly sounded from behind, startling Xu Shen. He put the lid back on, turned around, and smiled: “Chicken soup.”
Shu Ran had been hungry all day, so Xu Shen took out a large bowl and gave him two chicken legs.
“One is enough…” Shu Ran went to get another bowl and gave it to Xu Shen: “Don’t let me eat alone. It’s more delicious when two people eat together.”
So it wasn’t just Xu Shen’s illusion… He understood that Shu Ran finally felt better about him after returning from the trip to the coast. Xu Shen looked at the chicken drumsticks in the bowl and his heart swelled.
“How is the factory site? Is it settled?” Shu Ran held the stewed big chicken leg and took a mouthful of meat and soup. The chicken was rich in flavor and left a fragrant aroma in his mouth, and the soup was also delicious. Even though it had a medicinal taste, it was not unpleasant.
Xu Shen didn’t dare to hide anything and directly told him the situation: “I think Kaizi is right. We can renew the lease when we have more money in the future.” Then he carefully observed Shu Ran’s reaction.
“Ten years is enough.” Shu Ran nodded: “When we have more money, it’s not as simple as just renewing the lease… If we can buy the land, we should buy it.”
Xu Shen raised his eyes and took a deep look at his wife: “Yes.”
In fact, Xu Shen had long suspected that it was impossible for such a poor family from a small village and with a bunch of children to raise such a smart person as Shu Ran… However, Shu Ran didn’t say anything, and he also never asked. As long as such a good wife was his…
“Li Jie and the others should arrive in the evening. I will pick them up. Just go to bed early and don’t wait for me.” Xu Shen explained warmly.
“Oh,” Shu Ran was worried: “Can we put the things in the factory now?”
“Yes, just change the lock on the warehouse.” Xu Shen said. “But it will still take a lot of time to renovate it. Let Brother Sen lead the people to do it.”
“It seems that I should go take a look tomorrow and come up with a decoration plan, otherwise Brother Sen won’t know how to renovate it into a garment factory.” Shu Ran thought about it.
“You are the one that’s good at this…” Xu Shen thought for a moment, and discussed with Shu Ran: “Then I will take you to see a doctor tomorrow and stop by the way.” Originally, he didn’t want Shu Ran to run around, so it was better to deal with everything in just one trip.
“See a doctor?” Shu Ran wondered… Should he?
“Yes.” Xu Shen looked at his fair face, his eyes reserved and gentle: “I have to ask clearly how much burden sex would have on your body.”
Shu Ran: “…”
The amount of information in that sentence was a bit complicated, and it was not easy to understand instantly… After Shu Ran understood it for a while, his face became hot and embarrassed.
He even imagined how uncomfortable he was going to be in front of the doctor tomorrow… Was it really necessary?!
There must be a burden on his body… Two men together were not in line with the yin and yang principles. Maybe it was fine occasionally, but there must be problems in the long run. But what if the doctor said it wasn’t good?! Could it be that Xu Shen won’t do it in the future?!
He didn’t know about the future, but he definitely won’t do it tonight!
Xu Shen, who was full of heavy desires, told him countless times when he was aroused back on the coast that he would wait for them to return to Nanshi. And the way he stared at him and spoke… His eyes were so fierce that he looked like he wanted to eat someone.
And so, Shu Ran thought that he would definitely be in trouble when they returned back home.
As a result, Xu Shen came back from putting away the goods late at night and just hugged and kissed him for a long time to get over the addiction. He was obviously not willing to torment him, letting him have a good rest.
Why he didn’t do it was definitely not because Xu Shen didn’t want to… The corners of Shu Ran’s eyes were flushed, and he lay lazily next to the other person. Without any warning, a literary sentence came to his mind: “Like means indulgence, but love means restraint.”
Love?! Shu Ran’s heart skipped a beat as he thought about it. Did Xu Shen already… Already loved him?!
Isn’t it just carnal desire? He genuinely thought… If he didn’t have such a good appearance, would the two of them still be like that?
Shu Ran felt that love required spiritual communication, and both of them still retained many things from each other, so it is not true love yet…
Shocked to realize that he was caught up in a strange problem, Shu Ran quickly stopped his thoughts and simply closed his eyes to sleep.
…………
There was a well-known, old Chinese medicine doctor in Nanshi who did not sit in the hospital but received medical seekers at his own house. That master’s surname was Hu and he was over seventy years old, with white eyebrows that looked particularly fairy-like. He and his wife were the only ones left in Nanshi, while their children were all working outside.
Shu Ran was very reserved and embarrassed when he saw the doctor, leaving Xu Shen to communicate with him. He only nodded or shook his head, put his wrist up, and let the doctor take his pulse…
Dr. Hu didn’t seem surprised when he heard about their relationship.
It was not difficult to understand, since Dr. Hu was over 70 years old. He must have seen other men liking men, but no one dared to say it out loud, let alone take the initiative to bring their partner to seek medical treatment. That was very much a scandal. In the past, if it was ever found out, their families would send them directly to the hospital for mental treatment… Or maybe, that was still happening now.
Xu Shen only dared to bring Shu Ran here because he felt that Dr. Hu was so old and knowledgeable, and he must have seen so much in his life that he should be able to understand them… And even if he didn’t, he was still a doctor who couldn’t ignore those who were seeking medical treatment.
Doctor Hu looked at the taller young man and said with a smile: “Don’t be nervous, I don’t think you are mentally ill, and I won’t tell others.”
It was the basic professional ethics of any doctor to not disclose patient information to outsiders.
“Thank you, Doctor Hu.” The two of them said something else, and then Xu Shen looked at Shu Ran’s side face, while Shu Ran lowered his head uncomfortably.
After carefully feeling his pulse, Dr. Hu said: “Your lover’s health is not bad, but there is some damage. Did you have a serious illness not long ago and did not take good care of yourself?”
Xu Shen looked at Shu Ran. He had never been ill since they met, but he was not sure about what happened before.
“Yeah…” Shu Ran cleared his throat and replied to the doctor: “I almost drowned in the river about two or three months ago… Almost died… I had a fever for a few days after getting back.”
“Yes, you didn’t take good care of yourself, and now your body is weak.” Dr. Hu nodded.
“Yeah…” Shu Ran responded vaguely. How could the Zhou family support him in such conditions?! He was back in the fields as soon as his fever subsided…
Hearing that Shu Ran almost drowned, Xu Shen frowned immediately. It was the first time he also heard that he didn’t take good care of himself after the incident… He was filled with anger but couldn’t let it out.
After all, he hadn’t met Shu Ran at that time… There was no way to help him, he could only hate that the Zhou family didn’t cherish him enough… How could they call themselves parents?!
“Your parents are really annoying.” Xu Shen said with an ugly face.
“It was my sister who carried me home from the river and took care of me until I recovered…” Shu Ran whispered, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be alive now.” So he was forever grateful to Zhou Hui.
That would also explain why Shu Ran went all out to help Zhou Hui get married… But when Xu Shen thought of the past, he only felt distressed. Then, regardless of Dr. Hu’s presence, he held Shu Ran’s other hand tightly.
“I will take good care of you from now on…” Xu Shen said, asking Dr. Hu: “Old sir, can my lover’s body be adjusted?”
Shu Ran was distracted for a moment, feeling that the term “lover” was quite romantic and unique to that era. In the future, the language will become more modern and way less poetic… To the extent that even terms like “pig”, “stinky” and “smelly” became popular. What the hell was with that?!
“It’s okay. Just take some medicine and slowly adjust it. You’re still young, so you’ll get better.” Dr. Hu said slowly and leisurely while taking out paper and pen from the drawer to write down the prescription.
“Old sir, what advice do you have regarding sex?” Xu Shen asked directly.
“Ah…” Doctor Hu pondered for a long time, and after writing the first prescription, he said slowly: “It is best to do it as little as possible. If you can’t abstain from it, then you should pay attention to proper preparations.”
“What kind of preparations?” Xu Shen quickly asked for advice.
Shu Ran, who was standing by, blushed while feeling extremely embarrassed, thinking that it must be the most embarrassing scene he had ever experienced in his entire life… But it was related to his own health, so he still pricked up his ears and paid attention quietly.
“It’s not difficult. I have a prescription that rich ladies seem to favor… It can also be used by your lover.” Dr. Hu said slowly: “Wait for me to write it down for you, then you can follow the prescription and take care of things back home.”
Soon after, they took both prescriptions from Dr. Hu, and Shu Ran took a glance at the piece of paper in Xu Shen’s hand. Upon seeing the words “cork suppositories” and “for internal use”, his expression quickly lost its calm… He stepped on Xu Shen’s foot hard, in shame and anger.
Since it was so troublesome, wouldn’t it be better to just abstain from sex in the future?!
Seeing that Shu Ran was uncomfortable, Xu Shen quickly coaxed him: “It’s just for sleeping at night… It won’t affect you during the day.” He also assured: “Don’t worry, I will take care of this matter. You don’t need to prepare any medicine or anything.”
Dr. Hu was still sitting there, looking at them with a smile, so Shu Ran could only nod helplessly. He didn’t want to talk to Xu Shen anymore! He rudely nudged him: “Quickly see how much the consultation fee is and give it to the old gentleman!”
Xu Shen then looked at Dr. Hu and asked gratefully how much the consultation fee was.
After paying, they left and went to the factory for a walk. Shu Ran took out a notebook and pen, drew a rough layout, and went back home to think about the renovation plan.
The next day, Xu Shen went out again to prepare medicine and buy cork. He also bought a very generous gift and sent it to Dr. Hu’s house, since in the future, Shu Ran’s body would inevitably need more medical treatment.
Dr. Hu’s wife muttered while cleaning up: “This kid is so generous…” But her husband answered her with a smile: “It’s because I treated his wife, not because he’s naturally generous…”
After practicing medicine for so many years, Dr. Hu rarely saw people who dared to bring their partners for medical treatment. Most of them hid it, preferring to wrong their lovers instead… So he liked Xu Shen very much since he was a caring and responsible man.
Although his partner was shy, he was also upright and without an inferiority complex. And… He also had a good heart and a good appearance! No matter how he looked at them, they were a perfect match! Really, there was nothing inappropriate about them!
Xu Shen bought what he needed and immediately set up a medicine decoction stove in the yard. He first prepared Shu Ran’s prescription to nourish the body and then he… Started to polish a piece of cork until it was smooth and the same thickness as one of his fingers. That kind of wood was harmless to the human body and had strong absorbency.
When enough medicine was absorbed, it could be put in… Then simply change it every night until everything was healed.
Shu Ran didn’t want to do any of those things, but since Xu Shen said he would take care of everything in the future, then… Whatever!
Before going to bed, Xu Shen brought the cooked medicine and a large cup of boiled water: “Stop drawing, drink your medicine, and go to bed immediately.”
Shu Ran was still working on his designs for the factory building. It was almost ready and he only needed to revise it but…
“It smells very bitter.”
“Is there any medicine that is not bitter?” Xu Shen said. “It might make you feel stuffy after one sip. But if you drink two sips of boiled water, the taste will be gone.”
Was he coaxing children?!
Since Shu Ran was not a grumpy person, he drank it quickly… But he still overestimated himself, and he started coughing after two sips, saying in pain: “It’s really bitter! Isn’t it too bitter?! What did you put in it?! Poison?!”
Was it really that bad?
Xu Shen took it, took a sip himself, and frowned. He didn’t expect Shu Ran’s medicine to be that disgusting, but he had no choice but to drink it all for the sake of his health.
“Give it to me…” After spending money, Shu Ran had no reason to refuse it. He just held the cup in his hands for a while, held his nose, and quickly drank it. Xu Shen immediately brought the boiled water up, and after Shu Ran cleaned his mouth, he took out a fruit candy, peeled it out, and fed it to him: “Fortunately, we still haven’t finished the wedding candy.”
After the entire operation, the corners of Shu Ran’s eyes turned red, and he rubbed his chest, which seemed to still have retained a bitter taste, feeling both aggrieved and sugary.
Xu Shen looked at him several times and went down with the empty bowl and cup.
The medicine was too bitter, and Shu Ran never wanted to be sick again in the future, so he consciously put away his notebook and went to bed without Xu Shen urging him. When he came back up, he saw that Shu Ran was already lying down, so he showed a satisfied smile on his lips while turning off the lights. “You know that medicine is bitter, is that why you didn’t take care of yourself before?”
Shu Ran turned around and faced the wall, not wanting to pay any attention to him.
“It’s not like I prescribed you bitter medicine… Do you blame me?” Xu Shen was actually amused by his reaction, but he didn’t want to offend him any further.
After a long time, Shu Ran asked quietly: “That cork thing…”
“It’s still soaking. We can start using it tomorrow night.” Xu Shen said: “It will take some time before I can touch you again…”
Young people recovered quickly. Even if there was some damage before, he should be able to recover after using it for a while…
Shu Ran never thought about the repercussions their future together might have on his body… It was always Xu Shen who was more concerned about that. Now, it seemed like he wanted to use practical actions to let Shu Ran know that he really cared.
…………
Regarding the factory’s renovation, Shu Ran got up in the morning and spent some time completing his designs. Then, after communicating and discussing with Xu Shen, they both agreed it was time to start the construction process.
“Actually, it’s best if I personally supervise the work. In that way, there won’t be any blind spots..” Shu Ran suggested hesitantly.
“You think you are the Thousand-Armed Guanyin?! I’ll go take a look at things…” Xu Shen dismissed Shu Ran’s fantasy, asking him to obediently stay at home and wait for him to come back for lunch.
“Okay.” Shu Ran nodded. Since Xu Shen had traveled to so many factories before, he also knew what he knew.
And so, the renovation of the factory building started just like that, and many trivial things were done by their brothers. They only needed to provide food and cigarettes. Since it was their own factory, everyone could start working there right after it was established. If they perform well, they might even be able to get a management position… So Xu Shen and the others didn’t need to hold a mobilization meeting, since everyone was already consciously working hard.
The two Chen brothers were in charge of the renovation project, while Xu Shen and Jiang Fan had gone to get their licenses and spend some money on networking.
The only one who had free time was Shu Ran. After handing over the factory design drawings, he went to his brother-in-law’s house to see Zhou Hui and ask her how her tailoring business was going.
Zhou Hui reported to her younger brother with a smile: “I have taken several orders from your brother-in-law’s colleagues’ families, so I’m very busy.” She took out a set that was ready for delivery and showed it to Shu Ran: “This set is for sale. With this waist shape, I guarantee that the eldest lady will look good in it. She should introduce me to more business.”
“Sister, your tailoring skills are really good!” Shu Ran thought that when the masters from the coast arrived, Zhou Hui could learn a few new skills.
“Which girl isn’t good at cutting clothes?” Zhou Hui said modestly, knowing very well that she could only make some simple styles, and she still had to figure out the rest slowly.
The two siblings continued to talk excitedly. Zhou Hui looked Shu Ran up and down: “You’ve been out for more than half a month and it seems like you have lost a little weight… Is hard to run a business… How did it go?”
Shu Ran nodded: “It went very well, sister. Let me tell you something, but don’t tell anyone outside… Brother Shen and the others are going to set up a garment factory. We went to the coast to prepare for it.”
“Really? That’s great!” Zhou Hui’s first reaction was to be happy for Xu Shen, but then she said with a sly smile: “Don’t worry, I won’t even tell your brother-in-law.” She was indeed very strict.
“Well, we’ll talk about it later.” Shu Ran also smiled.
“Your brother-in-law is on vacation in the second half of the month. I will go home with him to pay homage to his ancestors.” It was considered a visit to her parents-in-law… Zhou Hui smiled and talked more about home affairs with Shu Ran.
Shu Ran had a meal at his brother-in-law’s place before leaving, thinking that since he was already out, he might as well take a detour to the factory and see how the renovation was progressing.
Chen Kai, who was currently supervising the work in the factory, was very happy to see Shu Ran: “Shu Ran! Here we are, at just the right time!” He held the plans drawn by Shu Ran and ran over to ask for advice… How to do it? He didn’t know very well… If he made a mistake, his brother and Xu Shen would have to beat him.
“What don’t you understand? Let me take a look.” Shu Ran immediately paid attention.
“There’s a lot! I was planning to go to your house and look for you…” But just now, Shu Ran came straight to his door! Chen Kai pulled him and refused to let him go… He had to finish understanding everything today, or else who knew when Shu Ran would come over again?!
So Shu Ran had to stay in the factory building all afternoon to check the details of the renovation with Chen Kai, not noticing that the sunlight outside the window was gradually dimming.
On Xu Shen’s side, the matter of the certification finally came to light. They only had to wait for the factory to be renovated and receive someone to inspect it…
Jiang Fan: “Oh! This matter is finally over. I was still worried about not getting it right.”
“I’m going home.” Xu Shen had a delicate wife hiding in his home, waiting for him to go back and cook. He had zero intention of saying another word to Jiang Fan, so he hurried home.
He was worried that Shu Ran might be lonely at home, or how hungry he must be… Although Xu Shen knew that Shu Ran was an adult and would not die of hunger without him around, he still couldn’t stop worrying.
In fact, it might be his wishful thinking, wanting to hang around Shu Ran like that, thinking he could create an atmosphere where Shu Ran couldn’t live without him… In that way, he could satisfy himself and deceive his wife at the same time.
And so far, it seemed that Shu Ran was quite happy to be deceived by him.
But when Xu Shen came home, he saw that the person he was missing was not even at home at all! Apparently, he was even busier than himself!
“He must have gone to the factory…” Xu Shen thought while turning his bicycle around and immediately heading towards the factory. Anyway, there was only one road. He couldn’t miss him on the way.
