Read Novel Full Chapter 138
Chapter 138: She Cares About Me
Shen Lie was indeed very happy, with a smile that never left his face.
When he returned to the cave by his home, he saw from a distance that the small vegetable garden he had left behind was now surrounded by a wooden fence, and he could faintly see little green sprouts inside.
Chickens and ducks wandered leisurely outside the fence.
“Did you build this fence?”
“Yes, I just planted vegetables in the field and didn’t want them to be ruined by the chickens and ducks, so I put up a fence. It’s right under the tree, so it’s not too conspicuous.”
She placed the basket on the open space next to the vegetable garden, an area designated for drying, and waved away a few fluffy animals that were attracted by the wild vegetables. She then went to the wooden shelf under the stove in the cave, took out a clay basin, and prepared to sort the wild vegetables and mushrooms.
Looking at Shen Lie, she hesitated for a moment and said, “Shall I boil some water for you to wash up and change your clothes before resting?”
He had been out for eleven days, and carrying heavy grain must have been exhausting.
Shen Lie nodded. It wasn’t that he was particularly tired, but he did feel quite dirty. While being outdoors, he couldn’t afford to be picky, but now that he was home, he needed to be clean since Sang Luo was particular about cleanliness.
“Cold water will do. I’ll fetch it myself.” He put down the small basket, turned around, and went to fetch a bucket for water.
“Cold water?” Sang Luo was momentarily stunned.
Shen Lie laughed, “When I encounter a pond or lake outside, I wash in cold water. I’m used to it. Besides, the weather isn’t that cold now, so it’s fine.”
Just then, several children came running over—Shen An, Shen Ning, and the Xu siblings.
They had been studying with a group of children at the innermost part of the valley and had seen Chen Dashan from afar, realizing that the grain carriers had returned. The group of children immediately abandoned their books and ran home.
It was almost feeding time, and Shen An and Shen Ning usually returned home before Sang Luo prepared dinner to help with chores like picking vegetables, washing, and starting the fire. So, they typically dispersed around this time, just a little earlier today.
As Shen An and Shen Ning called out to their older brother, Xu Wenbo hurriedly asked, “Brother Shen Lie, did my father send us any messages?”
Shen Lie smiled, “Yes, your uncle took them back first. Hurry home and check.”
Not only had they sent a message, but there was also a small bundle hidden in the cave that Wei Qinghe had carried back.
Xu Wenbo and Xu Wenyin thanked Shen Lie and, pulling Wang Yunzheng along, ran back to their cave.
When Shen Lie returned with two buckets of water, Sang Luo had already asked Shen An to start the stove fire and add water to the cauldron for boiling.
“I won’t insist on everything, but when it comes to washing your hair, you should use some hot water; otherwise, you might develop headaches in the future.”
Sang Luo, having suffered from illnesses in her past life, was particularly cautious about health matters.
Shen Lie was momentarily stunned, then smiled, “Alright.”
Shen An and Shen Ning exchanged amused glances. As expected, their elder brother had no objections to what their sister-in-law said.
While waiting for the water to boil, Shen Lie helped with sorting the vegetables. Except for mushrooms, which were particular about their growing environment, he had uprooted the remaining vegetables, saving the roots. He asked Sang Luo where on the mountain wall there was space and planted the roots.
Wild vegetables were resilient, and once grown, they would add variety to their meals.
As they were busy, Mrs. Xu came over with a package for Sang Luo.
“My Yuan Chang said, Aluo, that you can read and write. This pen, ink, paper, and inkstone aren’t just for practicing calligraphy. While we’re hiding in the mountains, it’s essential for communication. So, half of this is for your family. In the future, if there’s any news to convey, it’s better than carving it on bamboo slips.”
Shopkeeper Xu, whose full name was Xu Yuanchang, had sent the message through the letter Shen Lie brought back.
Initially, Sang Luo didn’t want to accept the precious gift of pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, but upon hearing it was for communication, she reconsidered. Although she had brought some writing materials herself, writing on bamboo slips was possible but not as convenient as paper. Moreover, her ink supply was limited, so she thanked Mrs. Xu and accepted it.
After Mrs. Xu left, the water was almost boiling. Shen An cherished the two wooden basins from the bottom shelf of the cave and called Shen Lie over.
He pointed to the marks Sang Luo had carved on the basins: one for washing hair and the other for him and his elder brother to bathe.
Only then did Shen Lie realize that Sang Luo had also made several face basins.
Seeing the basins, he had a thoughtful expression but didn’t say anything. He used the hair-washing basin first, then went next door to the Chen family without drying his hair.
Soon, Chen Dashan, Chen Youtian, and Old Man Chen followed him out, armed with saws and axes. They also called on several other families, and about seven or eight people felled a large, old tree in the valley.
Why was it considered old? The tree trunk was indeed thick.
After handling the wild vegetables—drying, blanching, or soaking as needed—Sang Luo, hearing the noise of the falling tree, ran over to find Chen Youtian and Shen Lie already sawing the timber.
Because the trunk was so thick, Chen Youtian’s saw wasn’t big enough to cut through in one go and required frequent adjustments.
Many women and children gathered to watch the spectacle. When Sang Luo asked, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhou family smiled, “They’re making a bathtub. The trees we felled before weren’t as sturdy, so we could only make face basins using your method. But now, with this old tree, we can finally make a proper bathtub.”
Zhou Erlang’s wife, standing beside Sang Luo, quietly praised her, “Your Shen Lie is really good. He’s meticulous and treats you well. As soon as he comes back, he’s busy adding practical things to the house.”
Sang Luo had been sleeping on a bed early on, even earlier than the Chen family, let alone other families. For instance, in the Zhou family, with three brothers, they had only managed to make a bed for the parents. Zhou Dalang, with a three-year-old child, slept with the grandparents, while the two younger wives still slept on floorboards.
Sang Luo’s lips curled up, her eyes filled with a smile as she nodded, “Yes, he is quite considerate.”
…
Dinner was delayed, and Sang Luo only began preparing the meal after Shen Lie and Chen Dashan returned with a long piece of timber.
After putting down the timber, Shen Lie greeted Sang Luo and mentioned that he would help the Xu family transport another piece. He and Chen Dashan then went back.
Wei Qinghe, being weak, was exhausted from traversing the mountains and forests and collapsed upon returning to the cave. It was Mrs. Xu who went to check on the commotion, but since she couldn’t handle it herself, Shen Lie and Chen Youtian helped saw and carry the Xu family’s share back, with the help of Chen Dashan.
Sang Luo peeked at the long piece of timber, which seemed to be about a meter long. Were they planning to make two round bathtubs?
Not giving it much thought, she focused on cooking.
When Shen Lie returned, he saw that the dishes were already laid out on the wooden table: a cold-mixed amaranth, stir-fried preserved meat with bracken, and a large bowl of houttuynia cordata egg soup.
After a warm meal, Shen Lie took the family axe and went back to work.
Sang Luo then realized he wasn’t making two round bathtubs but a rectangular bath instead.
He used the axe for rough carving and the chisel for finer work. Slowly, Sang Luo saw the shape emerging—it resembled modern bathtubs used in small apartments. One could sit inside and soak, with water potentially reaching up to the chest if filled to the brim, though it didn’t have to be filled that much.
Sang Luo was somewhat dazed at the thought of having such a luxury even while escaping hardship. After a while, she asked, “Where do you plan to put this?”
The cave was small, and there wasn’t much space. Most importantly, she couldn’t manage to pour the water out herself…
Shen Lie smiled and pointed to the clean room, “In the clean room. I’ll carve out more space in the mountain rock to fit it. On my last trip, I discovered some yellow clay and shale about half a day’s journey from here. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go out with Dashan to bring some back. I’ll pave the clean room with shale, make a drain hole and a wooden plug at the bottom of the tub, so draining the water won’t be a hassle. You and An Ning can use this.”
As for him and Shen An, they would use a water source in the clean room, with the shale floor and an already dug drainage channel along the mountain wall, so bathing in the clean room wouldn’t be an issue. The mountain wall was sturdy and wouldn’t collapse from water exposure.
…
On the first day Shen Lie returned, he worked on carving the bathtub for Sang Luo and Shen Ning until almost midnight. However, the bathtub couldn’t be placed in the clean room yet because the room’s walls needed to be expanded. For now, it was stored in the cave.
After wiping himself down in the clean room and changing into clean clothes, Shen Lie returned to the cave to find Sang Luo setting up his bed with a mattress, pillow, and blanket that she had previously kept tied up on the shelf.
Seeing Sang Luo making his bed, Shen Lie’s heart skipped a beat, and he paused in his steps.
Sang Luo didn’t think much of it and asked if the two children had been to the clean room. Hearing that they had, she told Shen Lie to close the door, adjusted his pillow, and then went to her own bed.
Turning to see Shen Lie still standing there, she looked at him in confusion. Only then did Shen Lie remember to close the door, hastily going to shut the door plank.
With her back to him, Sang Luo took off her outer clothes, got under the blanket, and waited for Shen Lie to finish closing the door. She then said, “When you have time, make your own bed. It’s not good for your health to sleep like this and get damp.”
Such obvious concern would usually make Shen Lie’s lips curl up in a smile, but not tonight. Instead, he felt a gentle tug at his heart, a familiar sensation from when Sang Luo showed care in the past—like when she worried about his wet shoes, bought him winter clothes, or made clothes for him while he taught her archery. No matter how many times he felt it, the bone-melting, muscle-weakening sensation never grew old.
He didn’t want to resist it either. It was Sang Luo’s words that made him so happy.
This time, he was so overwhelmed that he even forgot to feel joy, merely nodding dumbly, “Um, oh, okay.”
He wasn’t even sure what he said.
Sang Luo didn’t notice anything unusual about him. She smiled, “Then turn off the light and go to bed early. It’s been a long day.”
With that, she lay down.
Only after Sang Luo lay down did Shen Lie pinch his right ear, blow out the oil lamp at the wall sconce, and plunge the cave into darkness. He placed his left hand over his heart and finally let a smile curve his lips, his eyes softening.
She seemed to care about him, after all.
When he left last time, Sang Luo showed no reluctance, which had left Shen Lie feeling a bit down.
Now, that bit of disappointment was completely swept away. He felt that if he worked harder, became worthy of her, Sang Luo might like him too.
Shen Lie lay down, pulling the blanket over himself. The faint scent of sunshine lingered, making his smile widen. He pulled the blanket higher, covering half his face, and grinned in the dark for a while.
Remembering that he needed to collect yellow clay and shale early the next day, he forced himself to sleep quickly. His elated mood lingered, and even in his dreams, his expression was joyous.