Zhang Zhaodi and others cleaned up the courtyard, then boiled water for bathing, changing out of their blood-soaked clothes.
Su Yaoguang used the hair cream she made herself while washing her hair.
When she finished bathing and came out, Zhou Wangshu was also done cleaning up.
The Zhang Zhaodi and her daughter bathed in the room, while Zhou Wangshu took water to the woodshed and cleaned himself up there.
Su Yaoguang looked at the handsome man who had just come out of the bath, her gaze lingering on his neck. She turned and went into the room, then came out and handed him a bottle: "This is for removing scars, give it a try."
Zhou Wangshu took it and thanked her with lowered eyes.
"Don't be frugal with it, I made it myself, and I'll make more when it's finished." Su Yaoguang said, "Once you've applied the medicine, come with me to deliver meat."
"To whom?" Zhou Wangshu asked.
"Of course to the grandma I should respect." Su Yaoguang said, "She's right, no matter what, she's my grandma, and not sending a bit of meat would lead to gossip."
Zhang Zhaodi came out while drying her hair, her eyes flashed with heartache upon hearing Su Yaoguang's words: "Then how much do you think is appropriate to send?"
"We saved two pounds for ourselves, let's send over one pound!" Su Yaoguang said, "And take two pig's feet as well. I'll bring the pig's feet, Wangshu will carry the meat, let's deliver it right now."
Zhou Wangshu went back to his room to apply the medicine. Soon, he came out. Su Yaoguang tied the one pound of meat neatly with a rope and handed it to him. She herself carried the two pig's feet and walked outside.
Zhang Zhaodi was a bit uneasy, wanting to go along, but Su Yaoguang stopped her.
Su Yaoguang said they'd just deliver the goods and come back, grandma should still be asleep, no one would fuss with them. It's just a quick run, no need for so many people to show up.
The two carried the meat and walked towards Uncle Su's house. Along the way, they met many villagers, and when asked where she was going, she would tell them loudly she was delivering meat to grandma's house.
"Yaoguang, is this your little husband?"
"Wang Shu is still small, don't scare him."
"What's a grown man being shy about?" A passing villager patted Zhou Wangshu's chest.
Zhou Wangshu endured the pain, and only after that villager left did he lean against a nearby tree to catch his breath.
"Are you okay?" Su Yaoguang frowned, "Uncle Yang is really something, he used to be a pig butcher, doesn't he know his own strength?"
Seeing Su Yaoguang was concerned, Zhou Wangshu forced a weak smile: "I'm too useless. I'm a man, yet I need you to protect me. Yaoguang, am I so useless that you'll despise me?"
Su Yaoguang looked at Zhou Wangshu's cautious expression and her thoughts drifted far away.
Back then, Xiao Yanci despised her, thought her too vulgar and said she earned too little. Was she just like Zhou Wangshu, afraid of being abandoned?
Zhou Wangshu tugged at her clothes, gently pulling, his eyes full of grievance: "Yaoguang, I will definitely work hard to make myself stronger."
Su Yaoguang came back to her senses, smiled and said: "Are you silly? Do you think I'd dislike you just because you're not strong? As long as Wangshu truly considers us family, no matter what you're like, you'll always be family to me."
"Family?" Zhou Wangshu froze for a moment.
"Yes, when Wangshu faced danger, he didn't run away but stayed to face it with me. At that moment, I knew you were different from others."
Zhou Wangshu looked at the girl, who was laughing so brightly, with a complex expression.
She was wrong.
The one who could have fled at that time was her. It was she who, not caring for her life, stayed to protect him. Even if Zhou Wangshu were an ingrate, he would never abandon someone who trusted him like that.
"It's getting dark, we should quickly deliver the meat, resolve this hassle, and then come back to make something delicious." Su Yaoguang said, "Though wild boar meat is gamey, I can turn it into something tasty."
As they passed the entrance of Jiang's house, they heard Jiang Yihui's angry roar from inside.
"I can't even lift my arm right now—how can I write well? If you're so capable, help me finish all my homework this time."
Xiao Yanci replied calmly: "Young master, that might not be appropriate. If the teacher finds out, he will certainly punish you."
"The teacher has to grade dozens of people's work, how could he scrutinize closely? He'll surely glance over it. In any case, today's business is all your fault. If you hadn't been ineffective in protecting me, I wouldn't have injured my arm. Now there are only two days left before I have to return to the academy, and I can't possibly finish the homework—it's up to you now."
Su Yaoguang sneered.
Jiang Yihui is nothing but a pretender, lacking true skill and knowledge. In her past life, Xiao Yanci managed to pass the scholar exams successively, while Jiang Yihui couldn't even pass the first hurdle.
However, in her previous life, Xiao Yanci took good care of Jiang Yihui. Back then, Jiang Yihui was like Xiao Yanci's follower, always relying on him in the academy. Looking back now, perhaps Xiao Yanci and Jiang Yihuan were already colluding, leaving her oblivious in her ignorance.
Zhong Lanhua and Zhang Zhaodi never got along; in her past life, Zhong Lanhua always said ambiguous things. At that time, she and her mother couldn't understand them, but looking back, they were clearly meant to mock them.
Zhou Wangshu saw Su Yaoguang drift off again and gave a subtle cough to remind her.
Su Yaoguang snapped out of her dark memories, and said to Zhou Wangshu: "Let's hurry away from here. It's unlucky, let's keep our distance from them."
"That Brother Xiao is quite pitiful." Zhou Wangshu sighed. "If he met a master like Yaoguang, he surely wouldn't be struggling like he is now."
"Wangshu, keep your distance from that Xiao Ci. You think he's pitiable, but you don't know that those who seem pitiful often have contemptible aspects. You're still too naive and easily fooled by appearances."
"Yaoguang seems to dislike him a lot." Zhou Wangshu said, "Did he do something against Yaoguang?"
"No, we've just met. But that person looks sinister and cunning—a glance tells he's up to no good."
The two arrived at the entrance of Uncle Su's house. Su Yaoguang knocked hard and shouted inside: "Grandma, Uncle, Auntie, Wangshu and I are here to deliver meat."
The voice was loud enough that several households across the way could hear.
Second Aunt Su opened the door and, looking at the items in Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu's hands, spoke in a strange tone: "You've made your grandma ill. She's still unconscious! Now you bring this sorry amount of meat—who are you trying to insult? Let me tell you Su Yaoguang, this isn't over, not even if you delivered the whole wild boar. Your uncle and I were about to come find you, but you saved us the trip by showing up here. Now tell me, how do you plan to make amends for making your grandmother sick?"
"Auntie, grandma was simply too happy, lost her footing, and fell. That's how it happened. How can you blame us? We didn't touch her."
"Happy about what? She was angered by you."
"She was thrilled hearing that we were sending wild boar meat over, lost her footing out of excitement. I know grandma will probably want wild boar meat when she wakes, so I brought it here."