SLH | Chapter 11

Liu Hu Gets Hurt

In the blink of an eye, Song Tingzhu has been married into the Liu family for almost half a month.

With Tian Le, Xiaomei, and Xia Ge’er keeping him company, Song Tingzhu lives comfortably every day, rarely falling ill. It was only during the first spring rain that he stood under the eaves watching for a while, and by the afternoon, he started to feel feverish. Drinking medicine didn’t help, and it took a whole night of tossing and turning before he felt better.

Since then, Liu Xiaomei has been watching him even more closely, allowing him no more than two quarters of an hour outside. If he stayed longer, the little girl would definitely complain to her second brother, Liu Hu.

Liu Hu, of course, couldn’t bear to speak harshly to his own wife. Not being very articulate, he could only use his pair of dark eyes to look at him with a mix of grievance and worry, as if Song Tingzhu had done something to wrong him, making him feel guilty.

Recalling the way the man looked at him last night, Song Tingzhu subconsciously quickened his pace.

Seeing this, Liu Xiaomei nodded with satisfaction, picked up her sewing basket, and said, “In two days, it’ll be the Lantern Festival. If you catch a cold from the wind, you won’t be able to go to town with us to see the lanterns.”

Xia Ge’er was squatting nearby, playing with grasshoppers made of straw. Hearing his little aunt mention lanterns, he turned his head excitedly and said, “The lanterns are so beautiful. Little uncle, come with us.”

Song Tingzhu curled his lips slightly but didn’t say anything.

His health had indeed improved recently, but he still couldn’t handle sitting in an ox cart to town. The little guy was in high spirits now, and he didn’t want to say anything that would dampen the mood.

A little while later, Tian Le arrived.

These days, he came to the Liu family every day to keep Song Tingzhu company and chat, while also practicing his embroidery skills.

“Tian Le gege, you’re here.” Seeing him enter the courtyard, Liu Xiaomei greeted him warmly.

“Yeah.”

He took a few red dates from his pocket and gave them to the two little ones to eat, then hurriedly went into the west room, pulling out two sachets from his arms to show Song Tingzhu.

“Sister-in-law, how do you think I did with these two sachets? I wanted to come earlier, but we had visitors at home, and I only just got free.”

Song Tingzhu took the sachets and asked, “Is it another matchmaking visit for your brother?”

“Yes, it’s the fourth one since the New Year.” Tian Le frowned, looking a bit unhappy, “Just now, when my mother was seeing the matchmaker out, I secretly asked if she had someone suitable for me too. Guess what she said?”

Song Tingzhu couldn’t guess, but seeing Le Ge’er’s expression, he knew it wasn’t anything good.

Tian Le, frustrated, bit his teeth and said, “She said I was shameless, that no one would want a little brother like me to be their husband! As if I care about getting married. If it weren’t for the unmarried tax, it wouldn’t matter if I never got married. My mother may complain about me, but in her heart, she can’t bear to let me marry out.”

Song Tingzhu said, “Marriage isn’t something to rush into. If you haven’t met the right person, it’s best not to hurry. You’re fifteen this year, and the unmarried tax is only 120 coins. If you improve your embroidery skills, why worry about not earning money?”

Tian Le glanced at his own embroidered sachets and sighed deeply, “That’s what I think too, but sister-in-law, look at my embroidery work. If my skills were even half as good as Xiaomei’s, I wouldn’t be so worried.”

“There are other ways to earn money besides embroidery. Even raising chickens and ducks properly can make you a big farmer.”

“My family doesn’t have enough space to raise chickens and ducks.”

Song Tingzhu chuckled, “I was just giving an example. Besides, didn’t you tell me before that you can’t keep live animals?”

Tian Le was dejected, “Yes, a farmer’s child who can’t tell wheat from chives, there probably aren’t many like that in the world.”

Song Tingzhu wanted to say he couldn’t tell them apart either, but growing up in the prefectural city, he’d never even seen a wheat field, let alone distinguish between them, so he changed the topic, “Is there anything you enjoy doing?”

“Something I enjoy doing?” Tian Le thought for a moment and said, “I like making small things out of bamboo. I have a bunch of small tables and chairs at home, and besides those, I can make little bamboo birds and chickens. I can make common small animals, but they’re not delicate enough to sell in town.”

“Are you interested in carpentry?”

“Not really, I just like figuring out how to make things. I don’t have the ability to make fine items. My mother always says, seeing all the junk in my room, that she gave birth to me wrong and should have sent me to Yao the carpenter as an apprentice.”

Song Tingzhu was amused, “Then Auntie might be disappointed.”

Tian Le propped his chin on his hand, pretending to be melancholic, “Being born a man would be nice too. At least I wouldn’t worry about the unmarried tax, and I’d have more strength than a little brother. Going into the mountains to chop bamboo would be less tiring.”

Song Tingzhu was a bit dazed by his words.

If he were a man, could he have protected his mother?

But that’s something that can’t be changed. He can’t become a man, and neither can Le Ge’er.

“Let’s not talk about these things. I came to cheer you up, not to talk about things that make you unhappy.” Tian Le put away the sachets and perked up, “I’ll go back and practice more, and in a few days, I’ll bring them for you to see.”

Song Tingzhu nodded.

They chatted happily for a while, and when the Liu family members gradually returned, Tian Le also got up and went back home.

After the family had dinner in the main room, they each went to their own rooms to sleep.

In the west room, after Liu Hu helped Song Tingzhu wash up, he was about to leave with the wooden bucket when Song Tingzhu called him back.

“Why is there blood on your back?” Song Tingzhu frowned, seeing the man’s evasive eyes, he added, “If you’re thinking of fooling me, I’ll have Xiaomei open the window all day tomorrow.”

Liu Hu turned back anxiously, “I’ll tell you, today at work I accidentally got hit by a log.”

Song Tingzhu’s heart skipped a beat, “How did that happen? Is it serious? Did you apply any medicine?”

Seeing his wife concerned for him, Liu Hu smiled foolishly, “It’s not serious, just looks a bit scary.”

Song Tingzhu’s frown deepened. He pursed his lips, thinking that with so much blood, it couldn’t be not serious. This fool probably didn’t want to spend money, so he didn’t go to the clinic for treatment.

“Come over and let me see the wound.”

“No need, wife, I’ve already applied medicine.”

Song Tingzhu’s face darkened, “Fine, then don’t bother about me anymore. Let’s not care about each other.”

With that, he lifted the quilt, pretending to get out of bed.

Liu Hu stood dumbfounded at the door. It wasn’t until Song Tingzhu’s bare feet touched the ground that he dropped the bucket in a hurry, rushing over to carry him back to bed, pulling the quilt over him.

Seeing his wife angry for the first time, the man looked flustered, not knowing how to make him happy again. He stood there like a block of wood, making Song Tingzhu even angrier.

“Why do you care about me? Didn’t we agree not to care about each other?”

Liu Hu, not knowing how to coax someone, pressed down the quilt corner, stammering, “I didn’t agree.”

Song Tingzhu struggled a bit, but instead of breaking free, he wore himself out.

He breathed heavily, “You can watch over me today, but not tomorrow. Unless you never go out to work again and stay home to keep an eye on me.”

Seeing him silent, Song Tingzhu turned his back in anger, out of sight, out of mind.

There was no sound behind him, and after a long while, he finally heard the man admit his mistake.

“Wife, I was wrong. Please don’t be mad at me.”

Song Tingzhu still had his back to him, asking in a deep voice, “Then tell me, what did you do wrong?”

“I’ll let you take care of me, and I’ll show you my back. As long as you don’t stay mad at me, I’ll do whatever you say from now on.”

Song Tingzhu turned around, looking at the man, “Do you mean it?”

Liu Hu nodded, “I mean it, I won’t lie to you.”

Only then did Song Tingzhu’s expression soften. He sat up and said, “There’s ointment in the cabinet, go get it.”

The man did as he was told.

Once the ointment was retrieved, Song Tingzhu instructed him to take off his clothes.

Earlier, he had felt through the fabric that the injury wouldn’t be light. Now, seeing it for real, he realized how serious it was. It didn’t look like he had seen a doctor; it seemed more like he had washed it haphazardly and then bandaged it. The cloth strip was almost embedded in the flesh, a shocking sight that made Song Tingzhu’s heart ache.

“Is there any liquor at home? Go get some, and fetch a basin of hot water too.”

“Okay.”

After getting the liquor and hot water, Song Tingzhu had the man sit at the bedside. Carefully removing the blood-stained cloth strip, he cleaned around the wound with a damp cloth and gently said, “I’m going to pour the liquor now. Bear with it.”

“Wife, just do it. I’m not afraid of pain.”

Song Tingzhu frowned. How could it not hurt? It’s just that he’s been through it so many times that he’s used to the pain.

A few days ago, he heard from Xiaomei about what happened before the family split. When Liu Laotai was young, she had been ill several times. The doctor said she was cursed by a fierce tiger, but there were only tigers in the deep mountains near Yunxi Village, and Liu Laotai had never been there. How could she be cursed?

Thinking it over, she focused her suspicions on the eldest family, specifically the two grandsons named Meng and Hu. Initially, Liu Laotai wasn’t too extreme in her actions; she just wanted to change their names. But on her way to the village head’s house, she accidentally fell into a ditch. This fall almost cost her half her life. After recuperating for half a month, as soon as she could get out of bed, she took her two grandsons and threw them into the back mountain.

Liu Meng was lucky and was seen and brought back. Liu Hu was thrown farther away and wasn’t found until three days later by an old hunter who had gone into the mountains. At the time, Liu Hu was less than a year old and couldn’t even speak. A toddler who could only crawl, left in the deep mountains for three whole days. Every time Song Tingzhu thought about it, his heart ached terribly.

His eyes stung as he worked even more gently.

After treating the wound, he reminded, “Remember not to use this shoulder for heavy work in the next few days. Healing is the priority.”

Liu Hu nodded, “I got it.”

The man’s shoulder not only had wounds but also thick calluses from wear. As Song Tingzhu’s fingers brushed over them, he couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart, only that his nose stung again.

“Wife?” Seeing that his wife hadn’t removed his hand, Liu Hu called out in confusion.

Song Tingzhu quickly turned his head, tidying up the bedding, “It’s late, blow out the lamp and sleep.”

“Okay.”

That night, Song Tingzhu had a dream. He dreamed that his mother had something to tell him. He wanted to ask if she was coming to take him, but though the distance was short, it felt like they were separated by mountains and rivers. No matter how hard he tried to catch up, he couldn’t reach her.

He thought maybe it wasn’t time yet. Perhaps in a few days, he would hear his mother speak. Then he wanted to tell her that he was married. Though his husband was a farmer, he cared for him and was always there for him.

He also wanted to ask his mother if she could wait a little longer because… he was a bit reluctant to leave so soon…

—

**Author’s Note:**

Oops, I forgot to schedule it…

Thank you, dear readers, for wishing me a happy birthday. I also wish you all a fun holiday [throwing flowers] [heart] [heart] [heart]