31-40

Chapter 31

"You are not thinking about Brother Yu, are you?"

Xu Qingsheng did not even cover his tiles, but just reached out and touched his long beard. The next second, he saw a dirty hand, so he quickly bent down and wiped it on his trouser legs.

"What are you thinking about?" He Ze raised his head.

"You are such a jerk! Of course it's that kind of thing!" Xu Qingsheng was anxious, patted He Ze's shoulder, and pouted in the direction of Lin Yu, "Look, Brother Yu is good-looking, has a good temper, and is capable..."

Well, he is indeed good-looking, and he is also very capable at hunting. As for his temper... his eyes and mouth are not counted. He Ze suddenly felt a little pain in his nose.

But leaving this aside, other aspects should be... not bad. The sun was a little strong, He Ze raised his arm to wipe his forehead, bent down to cover a tile, and said, "I know all this, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?"

Xu Qingsheng repeated his sentence, and wanted to say something else but closed his mouth again. After staring at He Ze for a long time, and seeing that the latter showed no abnormality, he continued, "He family boy, tell me the truth, do you have that idea for Yu Ge'er?"

"Which one..." He Ze was stunned in the middle of his words, and it took him a long time to react, and then he said in disbelief, "Doctor Xu, you don't mean... that, do you?"

"Oh! Yes, I understand?" Xu Qingsheng slapped his thigh with an excited expression, "That's what I mean, tell me, what do you think?"

This He family boy is not a bad person, and the two families are from the same village, knowing each other well. It might be a good match for Yu Ge'er!

For so many years, he has watched Yu Ge'er grow up. Because of the thoughts he has for Yu Ge'er's mother, he almost treats Yu Ge'er as his own child. The child's marriage is not only a concern for his mother, but also for him.

Xu Qingsheng stroked his beard and looked at He Ze, and he felt more and more satisfied.

"What do you mean?" He Ze was a little scared by his look, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Then he frowned, "Don't worry, Xu... Uncle Xu, I don't have that intention towards Lin Yu."

I'm afraid he will never have that intention towards anyone in this life.

"Really?" Xu Qingsheng paused, his voice rose eight degrees, and his eyes were like torches.

He suddenly moved closer to He Ze, as if he wanted to find a flower on his face.

"Really."

"Then I'm surprised, if you don't have that intention, why do you always come close to Brother Yu?" Xu Qingsheng looked He Ze up and down for several times, and his eyes gradually became cold, "Are you teasing me on purpose..."

"...Uncle Xu, what are you talking about? The reason why Lin Yu was injured was because he brought me up the mountain, and I came to see him and he can't do it?"

"Okay, of course."

Xu Qingsheng seemed to have thought of something, the coldness in his eyes faded, and he bent down to continue laying tiles.

"Uncle Xu, you..."

He Ze sensitively noticed that the atmosphere at this time was a little wrong.

"It's okay, I forgot that Brother Yu has such a reputation. I'm afraid any man would have a knot in his heart, not to mention that it's hard for your family to agree."

Xu Qingsheng paused while laying tiles, and then sighed.

"Uncle Xu, you misunderstood..."

"Okay, okay, stop talking. Since you don't have that kind of heart for Brother Yu, then I'll take a good look at him for him. You kid... don't cry when the time comes!" Xu Qingsheng glared at He Ze, and then chuckled.

"..."

He Ze fell silent, and subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction of Lin Yu. At this time, Lin Yu was sitting at the table, holding his chin and looking at the two of them. When He Ze looked at them, their eyes happened to meet, and the next second He Ze saw Lin Yu's curved mouth.

He Ze was stunned for a moment, and the corners of his mouth also curved.

Lin Yu, indeed deserves a good husband.

Bending down and picking a few more good tiles from the basket, He Ze covered the gap in the roof with them.

"By the way, you said last time that you wanted to open a medicinal herb field. Have you decided what to plant?" The two were silent for a while, and Xu Qingsheng suddenly changed the subject.

"I originally wanted to pick one from the four plants: Angelica dahurica, Atractylodes macrocephala, Crocus saffron and Platycodon grandiflorum. Now that saffron and Platycodon grandiflorum have not been found on the mountain, I looked at the medicine book again and found that the most suitable one to plant among the four is Angelica dahurica."

Atractylodes macrocephala is susceptible to insect diseases; saffron is too precious and has harsh growing conditions, so it is not suitable to plant it for the first time; as for Platycodon grandiflorum, Platycodon grandiflorum has insufficient medicinal value, and there is a trend of surplus in the market now.

With only Angelica dahurica, the risk he has to bear is very low.

"Not bad," Xu Qingsheng looked at He Ze and nodded, "I thought you would choose saffron at the beginning. After all, its current market price is more than ten times that of Angelica dahurica."

"What if the price is higher? If you can't grow it, you will only lose more." After He Ze laid the last tile, he climbed to the top of the roof in two steps and sat down. From his angle, Lin Yu was hanging his head, and only the outline of his face could be vaguely seen.

"That's right, haha." Xu Qingsheng also covered the last tile, climbed up in two steps and sat side by side with He Ze, "It's rare that you have such foresight, the young are really formidable!"

"Uncle Xu, you are too kind."

"Since you want to grow Angelica dahurica, do you have any idea about the medicinal seeds? This is the first step."

He Ze reacted and suddenly clasped his fists to Xu Qingsheng, "Please help me, Uncle Xu."

He had previously investigated and found that the Angelica dahurica in the town's medicine shop was mostly produced in Dingshan County.

But Dingshan County is a long way away, and it has just suffered from floods. I'm afraid there will be many people fleeing along the way. It's not an easy task to get there smoothly. Moreover, after this disaster, the local medicinal farmers may rely on the remaining Angelica dahurica seeds left over from last year to survive, and it's hard to say whether they can sell them to him.

He also wanted to go to find medicinal material dealers and buy from them, but the medicinal material dealers are afraid that the seeds they sell are not the best choice for seed preservation, so he hesitated.

We can dig up all the Angelica dahurica on the mountain, but they are wild and their growth conditions are not the same. If we want to induce them to grow one by one, the workload will be too much.

He Ze was struggling with this matter, and Xu Qingsheng's question was really a timely help.

"The Angelica dahurica in our town's medicine shop is indeed mostly produced in Dingshan County, but it does not mean that all of them are. There are only some common medicinal materials in my clinic, but there are also two prices of Angelica dahurica. Do you know why?"

He Ze looked up at Xu Qingsheng and shook his head.

"The low-priced ones are produced in Dingshan County, and the high-priced ones are produced in the neighboring county of An County, and the quality is only higher than that of Dingshan. But because there is only one place in An County that is suitable for planting, it has always been self-operated and planted by local farmers, and has not formed a large scale."

"An County? In other words, I can go to An County to find farmers?" He Ze seemed to understand.

"Of course." Xu Qingsheng stroked his long beard with a smile on his face, "If you don't know the way, just ask Brother Yu. A few years ago, his mother's prescription included a herb called Chuanxiong, and several pharmacies in the town didn't have it. He was anxious and went to look for it alone. He actually found it, and later went there several times."

"...Okay," He Ze nodded, looked at Lin Yu in the yard again, and suddenly stood up, "Uncle Xu, let's go down quickly, otherwise Lin Yu and Aunt Lin will be worried."

After saying that, he didn't wait for Xu Qingsheng to answer, but went down the ladder. Lin Yu saw him coming down and stood up with the help of the table, "Be careful! Are you done?"

"Okay," He Ze clapped his hands, and in just a few steps he came to Lin Yu. He glanced at the things on the table, and then said, "There are some snacks here to satisfy your appetite. There are also some spare ribs. I will ask Aunt Lin to stew them for you later to nourish your bones. I will go back first, don't move."

"...... Okay."

Lin Yu responded, turned around and watched He Ze leave.

Xu Qingsheng had just come down from the ladder at this time. Seeing Lin Yu turned his back to look at the direction of the courtyard gate, he suddenly had a bad premonition, but did not say much.

Knowing that Zhang was afraid of being gossiped, Xu Qingsheng glanced at the kitchen and said goodbye to Lin Yu.

"Uncle Xu, take care."

Seeing that Xu Qingsheng's back had disappeared outside the courtyard gate, Lin Yu just turned his head and saw Zhang standing by the kitchen door. He pursed his lips and quickly looked away.

"Brother Yu, sit down first. Aunt stewed meat porridge for you and will bring it over soon!"

Zhang came to her senses and turned back into the kitchen. Lin Yu sat quietly at the table, not knowing what he was thinking.

...

When He Ze returned home, Li had already left. He An and He Youcai were sitting in the yard chatting and laughing. When He An saw him, he immediately rushed over, "Brother!"

He Ze quickly dodged to the side and finally avoided him.

"Brother, how could you do this!"

He An pouted, returned to his seat, picked up a piece of chestnut cake and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, he was really a real foodie.

"Are you back? Is Brother Yu'er's injury better?"

"Yeah, better." He Ze nodded, walked over and sat down opposite He Youcai, "Dad, where's Mom?"

"The wind and rain were too strong yesterday. Your mom went to check on the millet in the field, make sure it doesn't get blown down." He Youcai sighed, poured a cup of tea and handed it to He Ze.

He Ze took the tea and took a sip before saying, "It shouldn't be, right? After all, it didn't rain for long."

"I hope so, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Our family is counting on the millet from those two plots of land this year, otherwise what will we eat next year?"

He Ze didn't answer, but a smile appeared on his face. After finishing the tea in the cup, he said, "Dad, before... the land where you planted sweet potatoes, you didn't plant anything else, right?"

"No, didn't you say to wait? Your mother wanted to plant, but I stopped her."

He Youcai waved his hand and took a puff from the pipe on the table.

"That's good," He Ze tapped the table with his fingertips, and spoke after a while, "Dad, I want to try planting medicinal herbs on that land."

"Medicinal herbs?"

He Youcai looked surprised and frowned.

Chapter 32

"Yes, medicinal herbs. Father, I already had this idea before, but because I didn't think through all aspects, I didn't mention it to you. But now..."

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've read the medicine books, asked Doctor Xu, and went to the drugstore to ask about the prices and weights of various medicinal herbs. I've been going up the mountain these days to look for wild herbs on the mountain. Father, I made this decision after careful consideration."

He Youcai glanced at He Ze and lowered his head again. He put the pipe in his mouth, but took it off without taking a puff. "It's not that father doesn't believe you, it's just that our family has never been involved in this matter since our ancestors... Although you have made money, after paying off the family's foreign debts, your mother and I originally planned to keep the rest to arrange your marriage with An Ge'er..."

"Father, I'm still young, why are you in such a hurry?" He An, who had been sitting aside, picked up a piece of cake and put it into his mouth. After swallowing it, he continued, "Brother, your idea is not bad, You always forced him to study before, but brother didn't like it. Now he has something he wants to do. Isn't it a good thing? "

After the voice fell, He An blinked at He Ze, picked up a piece of chestnut cake and shook it in front of him. He Ze understood, a smile appeared on his face, and then nodded slightly.

He Youcai looked at the little actions of his two brothers, his brows relaxed, but he said unhappily, "Ange'er has grown up, he doesn't help dad anymore but only helps your brother. Dad feels... bitter!"

After saying that, he patted his chest with a sad face.

He Ze and He An looked at each other, each picked up a piece of cake and handed it to the plate in front of He Youcai, and said in unison, "Dad, you eat." "

..."

He Youcai was speechless, then he snorted coldly, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

He Ze continued, "Dad, the cost of growing medicinal herbs on this piece of land is not expensive, but it takes more effort. Besides, I'm already eighteen years old. Not only has my family not been established, but I have to find something to do for myself, right? It's too unreasonable to let you two old people support me all the time."

"You still know?!" He Youcai glanced at him, took another puff of cigarette, and then said, "You have come to your senses now. When you came back from the academy, I asked you to learn carpentry from me. At that time, you were unwilling to do it. I was thinking about what you would do in the future... Okay, men in my He family must have this ambition. Since you have this confidence, I will discuss it with your mother when she comes back."

"Dad, then I'll wait for your good news!"

He Ze poured a cup of tea for He Youcai in a flattering manner and pushed it in front of him. The latter took a sip with a smile on his face.

While He Youcai was drinking tea, He An gave He Ze a thumbs up, and He Ze picked up a piece of chestnut cake to cover his mouth.

He An did not stop talking, and after a long while he said incoherently, "Brother, how could you do this..."

He Ze laughed, and did not answer again. He just looked around, and then stopped on the firewood pile beside the courtyard wall. Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea... This simple joy of life made him forget that it had been ten years since the end of the world.

But it's good. Now, it's really good.

Time passed quickly. No one knew what He Youcai said to Li that night. The next morning, Li called He Ze aside and stuffed ten taels of silver into his hand. The

nineteen taels he brought back last time, plus the two taels from Wei Quan a few days ago, the family had about twenty taels of silver. But I heard from Li before that the family still owed three or four taels of silver. If they all paid it back, there would be about five taels left.

Five taels of silver is not a lot, but it is enough to guarantee the food, drink and expenses of a family of four for a year. But firstly, he was afraid that something would happen at home again. Secondly, he was now using a piece of land to grow medicinal herbs. So there were only three plots of land in the family. However, the vegetable plot at the head of the village was only suitable for growing vegetables. Two grain plots were obviously not enough for four people.

One plot of land cost about two taels of silver. Next year, he estimated that he would have to add a few more plots of land for medicinal herbs. If he wanted to buy now, he would definitely have to buy more.

Or... should he find a way to make some money again?

He Ze's mind turned around, and before he came to his senses, he asked Li to take him to have breakfast. Today was another sunny day. When the family put down their bowls and chopsticks, the sun had already shone into the house.

Because of the heavy rain two days ago, although it was short and only a few millet plants fell down, it also made Li anxious, and even He Youcai followed them to the field.

He Youcai and He An walked in front with sickles, and He Ze and Li carried baskets behind. On the way, I met many villagers. I guess everyone had the same idea, afraid of another heavy rain. If the harvest was ruined, it would be fatal.

Because of irrigation problems, the villagers' rice fields were connected. Occasionally, when the autumn wind blew, the golden rice waves rolled in the wind, which made people happy.

The two plots of land were about two acres, and it took a family of four two days to harvest.

Because there were no machines, everyone first cut the mature millet seedlings and dried them, and then threshed them manually - in a larger ladder-shaped wooden frame, holding a handful of millet seedlings and hitting them against the frame continuously until the grains fell off.

The sun was very hot, and He Ze took on the task of carrying the harvested millet back home. Not only was he exhausted these two days, but his skin was no longer as pale as before, and he looked much stronger.

Li felt a little distressed, but He Ze finally felt comfortable.

In two days, the endless rice waves were reduced to sparse ones, a piece here and a piece there, and it was very empty. So He Youcai, Li and Xiao An all went home. When He Ze came to the field to pick the last two baskets of millet seedlings, Lin Yu's limping back clearly entered his sight. After

collecting all the millet seedlings in the field into the basket, He Ze took the sickle and went in the direction of Lin Yu.

"He Ze? Have you harvested the millet seedlings in your field?"

When He Ze came over, Lin Yu was kneeling in the field cutting millet seedlings, probably because of his injured ankle. His clothes were covered with mud and his knees sank a little.

Noticing a sudden shadow in front of him, he raised his head and his face was also stained with mud.

"...Your injury hasn't healed yet, why are you in a hurry to come out?" He Ze lowered his head and glanced at him, his eyes a little complicated.

"Aren't you afraid of another heavy rain? Everyone in the village has harvested the millet seedlings. If we don't harvest them, my mother will be anxious, so..."

"So you're kneeling here?"

He Ze suddenly bent down and supported his arm. The latter paused and stood up.

"...Well, kneeling is more comfortable. I can't stand if I bend for a long time," Lin Yu curled his lips, as if to explain, "My injury has almost healed, really."

He Ze didn't answer, but with a cold face, he found a piece of grass on the ridge of the field and helped Lin Yu sit down. His hand gently swept across the green grass, and there seemed to be a faint green fluorescence flashing, rushing into Lin Yu's body.

But Lin Yu didn't notice it.

"Sit down first, will you die if you rest for a while when you are tired?"

Kneeling to cut millet seedlings, this is something only Lin Yu can do. When he saw it just now, he almost thought he had done something heinous.

Lin Yu didn't say anything, just looked up at him and immediately lowered his head. It was the first time that He Ze saw him look guilty, and finally he couldn't help laughing, "Okay, it's still early now, I'll help you cut it for a while, by the way, where is Aunt Lin?"

He Ze looked around, but didn't find Zhang's figure.

"I don't want you to help me cut the crops..." Lin Yu shook his head, and then continued, "Am is carrying a basket of millet seedlings back, and it will take some time for her to come back."

Because his foot injury was not fully healed, Am had to follow him to the field. But Am's health has been much better recently, so he did not stop him.

And he just piled up only half a basket, it was not heavy, and he should be able to carry it.

"Okay, sit down and rest for a while and your feet will feel better."

"Hey! He Ze..."

Seeing that He Ze had picked up the sickle and went inside, Lin Yu called him, but the latter did not respond at all.

He Ze was very fast, and he cut a large piece of land in a short while.

Lin Yu sat there on pins and needles. He Ze seemed to be aware of it several times when he wanted to stand up, and he would always look back at him, and he wilted somehow.

Looking around several times, Lin Yu wanted to bury his face, He Ze's face, in the millet seedlings when he saw someone looking over here.

A man helped to harvest their family's millet seedlings, why did he think it was wrong?

"Brother Yu, why are you sitting here? Are you tired?"

A voice came, and Lin Yu came back to his senses. Zhang was standing next to him carrying a basket. When her eyes touched him, her face suddenly changed, "You...didn't you fall? You were fine when I came back..."

Zhang put down the basket, grabbed Lin Yu's shoulders with both hands, and frowned.

"No, no," Lin Yu waved his hands quickly, "I was a little anxious when I walked over just now, and this is splashed with mud and water."

"Really? You kid too..."

"Okay, Mom, I'm just sitting here to rest for a while, it's okay." Lin Yu forced a smile on his face.

"It's good that you're okay. You're the lifeblood of my mother, so you can't have anything happen to you." Zhang looked at Lin Yu several times, and finally felt relieved when she saw that there was nothing unusual. However, as soon as she moved her eyes, her expression froze, and her eyes widened. "Who... who is that?"

"... It's He Ze."

"The boy from the He family?" Zhang turned her head, "Why is he in our field?"

"He said... he said that his field was harvested, so he helped me cut it... cut it for a while..." Lin Yu pursed his lips, his voice intermittent.

"This... this is too outrageous!"

Zhang glanced at He Ze's back again, took off his shoes and went down to the field. Lin Yu was anxious, and quickly stood up and followed him.

When he stood up, he sensitively found that his wound didn't seem to hurt at all. Lin Yu didn't care about being happy, but just walked faster.

"Aunt Lin, are you back?"

He Ze saw the two of them coming over, and stopped harvesting millet seedlings and stood up straight.

"He... He family boy, why are you in my field? You, where is yours? Have you finished harvesting?"

"Yes, we've finished. Isn't Lin Yu still injured his foot? I came over to help him."

"This... Aunt Lin thanks you in advance, go back quickly, go back quickly!" Zhang said as she pushed He Ze up, "What if others see this!"

"Aunt Lin..." "

He family boy, I know what you mean, just listen to Aunt Lin and go back quickly. Everyone in the village is here now, you come to our house to collect grain for us, I don't know what others will think! It's not good for you or Brother Yu!"

Zhang pushed He Ze a little harder, the latter paused, and shook off his hand in two moves, "Aunt Lin, if this is your reason, you can just tell them that you hired me as a helper, isn't that enough?" The

slightly wealthier families in the village would also hire one or two strong men to help if they were short of manpower during the autumn harvest, and they would just pay them some wages.

"This..."

"He Ze, go back quickly!" Seeing Zhang's hesitation, Lin Yu took a few steps forward and held his arm, then said, "My foot doesn't hurt anymore. This little work is no problem at all, don't worry."

"...It really doesn't hurt anymore?"

It was just a foot injury, he should have cured Lin Yu earlier, otherwise it wouldn't have delayed the Lin family's grain harvest.

"It really doesn't hurt anymore, you go back." Lin Yu nodded heavily.

"Okay, take good care of your injury. I want to ask you for a small favor in two days. I'm leaving first."

Small favor? What favor?

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, and when he looked up, He Ze had already walked away. Zhang looked at He Ze's back, and her doubts became heavier.

The author has something to say: Lin Yu: Everyone asked you to chase me.

He Ze: No.

Lin Yu: Well, say it again.

He Ze: Wife, I have to build a house and buy a car before I can pursue you, ah ah ah ~

Chapter 33

: It was said to be two days later, but in fact He Ze did not come to the Lin family again until six or seven days later.

At that time, the millet in their family had been threshed. Because of the good weather, the weather was sunny these days, and

he also helped to pound some rice - this is the process of husking the rice.

When He Ze entered the gate of the Lin family, Lin Yu had just finished breakfast, and it seemed that his legs and feet had completely recovered. After entering the house, He Ze also told him the purpose of his visit.

"Are you talking about Yangliu Village in An County?"

"Yangliu Village?"

"Aren't you asking me where I went to look for medicine? That's Yangliu Village in An County," Lin Yu poured a cup of tea and handed it to He Ze. "Yangliu Village is not far from here, but it takes at least two days to go back and forth. What are you going there for?"

"Looking for medicine," He Ze simply recounted the conversation with Xu Qingsheng that day, and then continued, "Uncle Xu said that if I don't know the way, I can come and ask you."

"I do know, but Yangliu Village is far away and the road is winding, and I'm not taking the official road..."

"You dare not take the official road?" He Ze frowned and interrupted him.

You know, although the current situation is stable, because of the disasters left over from the long-term war, many counties and prefectures are rampant.

Although they are located in a remote area, the methods of the successive county magistrates are not bad, and they have lived a relatively peaceful life in recent years.

But it's better to be safe than sorry, right? There is a post station every ten miles on the official road, and there are yamen runners stationed there, which is much safer than the small roads.

"Well... the first time I took the official road, but the official road is too long to go around, so I took the small road later, and I didn't encounter any danger."

"That's because you are lucky."

He Ze teased him unhappily, and then took a sip of the teacup. Judging from Lin Yu's face, he is lucky to run on the small roads without any trouble.

"...Even if they meet, they can't beat me..." Lin Yu obviously didn't take it to heart.

"..."

He Ze was speechless, just lowered his head, and drank the tea in the cup in one gulp before saying, "Let's not talk about this. I know you are powerful. How do you get to Yangliu Village specifically?"

"Are you asking about the official road or the small road?"

"What do you think?" He Ze raised his eyebrows and glanced at him.

"As for the official road... you take a bullock cart to the town, cross the West Street, and go east for about three miles at the end of the street. There is the official road. Because there is a big mountain between An County and us, the official road takes at least half a day to go around.

When you arrive in An County, you go north out of the city, pass two small towns, and then cross a mountain to reach Yangliu Town. Yangliu Village is a little more remote than the town from here. You go right from the east street of Yangliu Town and take a boat for half a day..."

"Stop!" Before Lin Yu finished speaking, the straight line in He Ze's mind had become curved and crisscrossed. He frowned so hard that he could pinch a fly to death, "How about... you draw a map for me?"

"Draw a map?"

"Yes," He Ze nodded, "a simple map, just mark the place names for me."

Otherwise, it would be too difficult to just walk like this.

Lin Yu glanced at him and suddenly fell silent.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"...I can't read," After a while, Lin Yu raised his head, pursed his lips and said, "How about, I take you there?"

"..."

He too, had forgotten about it for a moment. He Ze suddenly stood up, "In that case, I'll go by myself and ask passers-by on the way."

"Well...should I accompany you?" Lin Yu scratched his head, "It's just to lead you a distance, and I've been there so many times, and I have a few acquaintances in Yangliu Village."

"Is it okay?" He Ze hesitated, "If you go with me, where is Aunt Lin?"

"It's okay, I just need to tell Am. It's such a small matter, he won't disagree."

"Are you sure? You're a boy..."

"What's wrong with being a boy?" He Ze didn't finish the rest of the words, but Lin Yu could naturally understand what he meant, "I'm sure. I've been there many times in the past, but I took you with me this time. When you decide on a date, wait for me in town. Is that okay?"

He Ze pondered for a while and still didn't answer.

Lin Yu lost his patience, and stretched out his hand while pushing him out of the door, saying, "It's really just a small matter, let's decide. Let's go in different ways, and no one will see us." "

Well, okay." He Ze was silent for a while, then turned his head, "Lin Yu, thank you."

As soon as he finished thanking, the latter smiled, but the force of his hand pushing was a little stronger. When Zhang came in, she saw the two of them pulling and tugging.

As soon as she saw Zhang's figure, Lin Yu immediately turned away. He Ze also obviously noticed that something was wrong with him, but he didn't know why. He just nodded to Zhang, "Hello, Aunt Lin."

Zhang didn't say anything, just nodded back. For a moment, He Ze couldn't stay any longer, so he just said goodbye to Lin Yu, turned around and walked out of the house.

Wait until his figure disappeared from the sight of the mother and son. Zhang looked at Lin Yu and asked tentatively, "Brother Yu, what did the boy from the He family come to see you for?

"He..." Seeing Zhang's serious face, Lin Yu didn't know why the words on his lips were drowned in his throat. He changed the subject and said, "It's nothing. He just wanted to ask me about the time when wild birds appear in the mountains. He likes to go up the mountain frequently recently."

"Are you serious?" Zhang obviously didn't believe it and asked again.

"Of course it's true," Lin Yu nodded heavily, "By the way, Mom, Uncle Xu wrote you a prescription a few days ago. There are a few herbs that are not available in the pharmacy in town. I have to go to An County."

In the past, if the pharmacy in town was short of medicine, Lin Yu would go to Yangliu Village in An County and buy more directly from the herbal farmers.

Because the herbs sold by the herbal farmers are much cheaper.

Zhang was used to this, but now she was a little suspicious, "Your Uncle Xu wrote you another prescription? Why don't I know? "

Mom, you didn't want to see Uncle Xu when he came to your house these days, how would you know?" Lin Yu glanced at him, "Actually, Uncle Xu..."

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this..." Hearing Lin Yu's words, Zhang's eyelids slightly narrowed, and she waved her hands and said, "It will take several days, you'd better be careful! Did you hear me?"

"Mom, don't worry, I've been there so many times..." Lin Yu had a smile on his face, walked a few steps to Zhang's side, and held his arm affectionately.

Seeing his look, Zhang also smiled, and patted his hand gently, but the scene he saw before appeared in his mind again.

He glanced at Lin Yu, wanted to speak but didn't ask again, but unknowingly the strength in his hand became a little stronger.

Until Lin Yu spoke, he pulled out his hand and shook it in front of him, "Mom, it seems that you are really better, my hand is red."

"Are you okay? Just now, Am..." Zhang came back to her senses, grabbed Lin Yu's hand and looked at it again and again.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm fine, Am, why do I see that you are uneasy..."

Lin Yu pulled his hand out.

Zhang glanced at him sideways with a bad temper, then sighed and said, "Okay, since there's nothing to do, Mom will prepare some dry food for you. It won't go bad if you prepare it early."

"Well, then I'll go chop the firewood in the yard." After saying that, Lin Yu didn't wait for Zhang to answer, and took the lead to the yard.

Zhang walked to the door of the room and stood there for a while, just following Lin Yu with his eyes, and his brows gradually relaxed.

...

He Ze finally persuaded He's father and Li, and went to the town restaurant to sit for a while the next day. On the third day, he went out early with a bundle of dry food.

Lin Yu didn't let him wait any longer. He Ze just stood at the intersection of the town for a while, and he arrived.

Maybe because Lin Yu said before that the road was roundabout, He Ze hired a slightly crude carriage. But even if it was crude, it was still a carriage.

The speed of the carriage was much better than that of the ox cart, and of course the price was the same.

Looking at the horse eating grass in front of him, Lin Yu felt a little sad, "He Ze, why are you..."

"Didn't you say to take a detour on the official road? With it, we can come back earlier. It's not expensive. This horse is old, and we only hired it for two days. Okay, get in the car, I'll drive."

"Can you do it?" Lin Yu just lifted the curtain, but his action suddenly stopped, "The carriage is not like the ox cart. If you don't control it enough, the horse will easily jump out..."

"Okay, I know," He Ze stretched out his hand and sat on the front of the carriage. He turned his head and pulled open the curtain, "Come in quickly, I'll call you if I'm tired."

"Okay."

Lin Yu glanced at He Ze, then nodded and stepped in.

At the end of West Street, out of the town, the carriage gradually drove onto the official road.

The road was lush with vegetation on both sides, and scenes of green shadows passed by. He Ze couldn't help but take a deep breath and sighed at the air here again.

He whipped the horse whip, and the horse under him went faster.

Lin Yu in the carriage couldn't help but reach out and climb up the handrail. He looked up, but his view was blocked by the front curtain of the carriage.

Although he couldn't see anything, he still curled the corners of his lips and shouted, "He Ze, can you do it? If not, it's my turn."

He Ze didn't answer, but Lin Yu could sensitively perceive that the speed of the carriage was faster, like a gust of wind.

The smile on Lin Yu's face became more exaggerated, and then he opened the curtain and looked out the window. The shadow of the carriage was getting farther and farther away, and the two gradually got closer and closer to An County.

This trip took three days.

Fortunately, nothing happened along the way. When they came back, they both sat outside the carriage, and there were several baskets of Angelica dahurica in the carriage.

"Whoa--"

When they arrived at the intersection of the town, He Ze pulled the reins to stop the car, "Lin Yu, you go back first. I'll go return this carriage first, and then hire a bullock cart to go home. Remember to get the medicine for Aunt Lin."

"Okay, then I'll go first."

Lin Yu nodded, then got into the carriage, took out two bundles, and then got off the car.

He Ze watched him leave until Lin Yu's back became a small black dot, then he kicked the horse's belly and turned his head.

Neither of them noticed that a man in front of the stall beside the road stared at them for a long time.

After changing to the ox cart, He Ze's speed slowed down a lot. It was not until the evening, when the sun set and the sky was full of red clouds, that he returned to the village.

Old Man He and He An had been waiting at the entrance of the village for a long time. When they saw him, they hurried over to greet him, "How was it, did anything happen along the way?"

"No," He Ze shook his head with a smile on his face, "Look, they're all on this cart."

Old Man He followed his gaze, his eyes swept over the baskets of Angelica dahurica on the ox cart, and then he laughed twice, "Okay! Good boy! We'll plant them tomorrow, and the first step will be completed. You have to take care of these treasures by yourself in the future. If you are careless like before and give up halfway, I will break your legs, do you hear me?"

"Dad, what are you talking about! You're going to break my brother's legs as soon as his hand heals..." Before He Ze could answer, He An on the side was unhappy. He raised his chin at Old Man He, "My mother and I will definitely not let you do that."

"You rascal, now you only have your brother in your heart, right?" He An's father rubbed He An's forehead with his pipe, and said after a while, "Dad has loved you for so many years in vain!" "

Dad..."

"Okay, Dad, let's take these baskets of Angelica dahurica back. I have to send the oxcart back to the town later." He Ze interrupted the two in time.

"Well, okay." He Youcai responded, took another puff of cigarette, and handed the pipe to He An. Then he walked to the tree trunk and handed the shoulder pole and thick rope he brought to He Ze, "Dad has prepared it long ago. It's not easy to move it. Let's carry it back."

The two put ropes on the four baskets on the oxcart, and each of them set off with one load.

He An was not involved. He followed the two with a smile, holding a piece of Angelica dahurica in one hand. The family of three attracted the attention of many villagers. Someone asked He An, but he just perfunctorily responded a few times and didn't say much.

But the smile on his face could not be concealed.

Because Xiaoze was kicked out of the academy by the teacher before, and his hand was injured again, he has heard a lot of gossip during this period.

Today, the anger in his heart was finally released.

Old Man He took a brisk step, humming a little tune, bypassing a few small paths, and crossing the ridge of the field, the three of them finally arrived at the door of the house. At that time, Li was waiting for them at the gate of the courtyard. The food on the table in the courtyard was still steaming, as if it had just been taken out of the pot.

Chapter 34

Two days passed in a flash. On this day, at the entrance of Hejia Village,

Xu Qingsheng got off the ox cart carrying a medicine box and headed left to the Lin family. As he approached the courtyard wall, he faintly heard the words "He family kid" and subconsciously slowed down his pace.

"Hey, are you talking about the kid from He Youcai's family? What's the matter?"

"Don't you know? Everyone in the village has heard that someone saw him and the boy from the Lin family riding in a carriage in the town, and the two were very close."

"What's wrong with riding in a carriage? You are meddling in other people's business!"

The voices of the two people were getting closer and closer. Xu Qingsheng stopped and saw two villagers carrying hoes passing by him.

They were still talking when someone next to them said, "No, no, didn't He Youcai and his boy come back carrying a few baskets of stuff two days ago? He said his son went on a long trip two days ago, but when he came back, someone saw him and the Lin family boy sitting in a carriage. I asked around, and the Lin family boy wasn't at home those two days!

You say a man and a boy, don't you understand this? What do you think He Youcai is thinking? He's not afraid that his son will get into trouble..."

"What do you mean? You mean the He family boy and the Lin family boy..."

"Right, isn't that what you mean? Although the Lin family boy is good-looking and capable, he has a bad fate after all. Have you forgotten the two families he was engaged to last time? A good man, one became a cripple in an instant, and the other lost his life in the blink of an eye... How pitiful!"

Someone sighed, and Xu Qingsheng's face turned cold. Just as he was about to step forward, he heard another person speak again, "I don't think so? Didn't He Youcai's injury heal? If his kid had something to do with the Lin family boy, could his injury still heal?"

"Who knows? Maybe the Lin family boy only harms his own man! Alas, it's really a waste of such a face. If this kind of thing hadn't happened, I would definitely go to the door to propose marriage for my son!"

"Okay, okay, if this kind of thing hadn't happened, would it be your son's turn? The threshold of this Lin family has been trampled by people! So, this is all fate!"

One person shook his head and sighed, and the two quickly walked away.

Xu Qingsheng stood there for a long time with his medicine box on his back, and he didn't come back to his senses. If what the two people said just now was true... He just asked the He family boy to ask Yu Ge'er, was he kidnapped directly? I

don't know if his mother knows about this.

Xu Qingsheng paused in his heart, and his steps were faster than before. He soon arrived at the Lin family yard, and it was Zhang who opened the door.

"Xu...his Uncle Xu, why are you here?"

"...I'm here to check your pulse. Don't worry, I'll just sit in the yard for a while and won't go in."

Zhang hesitated for a while and hesitantly opened the gate. Xu Qingsheng walked a few steps to the table in the middle of the yard, took down the medicine box and put it on the table, and sat down next to it.

"Where's Yu'er? Why didn't I see him?"

"Yu'er went to the fields. Why are you looking for him?" Zhang was a little surprised, but stood there without moving.

"No," Xu Qingsheng was silent for a moment, then looked up at Zhang, "How's your appetite recently? I think your complexion has improved a lot."

Zhang's complexion has been pale in recent years, but it has become rosier recently. Xu Qingsheng also relaxed.

Because of Zhang's illness, not only Lin Yu was worried over the years, but he was the same.

"It's okay, I feel much better. Didn't you prescribe medicine for me a while ago? There is no medicine shop in town, so Yu Ge'er went to An County to get some for me. I took a few doses and I rarely feel dizzy or stuffy these days."

"That's a good thing..." Xu Qingsheng stroked his long beard with a smile on his face, and suddenly frowned again, "You just said you prescribed medicine?"

He hadn't seen Zhang for a long time, where did she get the medicine? Xu Qingsheng remembered what the two people said when he met them on the way here, and put one hand on the table, not knowing what he was thinking.

"What's wrong?" Seeing his look, Zhang took a few steps to sit down opposite, "Is it my body or Yu Ge'er..."

He was obviously anxious, and before he finished speaking, he rolled up his sleeves and put his wrist in front of Xu Qingsheng, "Or... Uncle Xu, can you take another look? My health has improved a lot these days, and Yu Ge'er is very happy. What if..."

Xu Qingsheng didn't say anything, just lowered his eyes, and then stretched out two fingers and put them on Zhang's wrist. But after a while, a smile appeared on his face, "Yes, if it continues like this, you will be well in half a month."

"Really?" Zhang's face also showed joy.

Yu Ge'er has suffered a lot because of his health over the years. If he can get well now, he has to prepare some dowry for Yu Ge'er. As long as he can hold on until the day when Yu Ge'er can marry a good husband, he will die without regrets.

"Of course it's true, can I lie to you?" Xu Qingsheng stared at Zhang quietly. There were gradually more things in his eyes, and he suddenly held Zhang's wrist, "Su Ge'er, I..."

Zhang's original name was Zhang Su, and no one had called him that for a long time.

After many years, Zhang heard these three words again, and they were spoken by Xu Qingsheng. His heart trembled, and he wanted to pull his hand out anxiously, "Uncle Xu, you..."

"Brother Su, can you let me finish what I want to say today?" Xu Qingsheng's voice was a little hoarse, "It's been so many years, you know that every time I took your pulse, I felt something in my heart, I... We are so old, I am afraid that one day I will not have the chance to talk to you..."

"Uncle Xu, you... let go!"

Zhang lowered his head, and his hand could not be freed. In a hurry, his nails dug into the back of Xu Qingsheng's hand, and blood oozed out, but the latter seemed to be unaware.

"Brother Su, I know you are worried about what Brother Yu thinks, but...hiss-"

Before Xu Qingsheng could finish his words, he was kicked hard by Zhang. The latter cried out in pain, and Zhang pulled his hand out. He turned his head, his back to Xu Qingsheng, "Xu...Xu Qingsheng, don't say this again in the future. I told you at the beginning that I would not marry again, you, why are you doing this..."

His voice lowered at the end.

"Then why are you doing this?"

Xu Qingsheng stood up, and just as he took a few steps closer, Zhang staggered back a few steps, and they both stopped in the end.

There was a distance between them that was not far or close.

Zhang calmed down after a long while, and he turned his eyes away, "It's not a bitter or not, in this life I just want to see Yu Ge'er well, as for the rest, I don't want to think about it." He

didn't dare to think about it.

Zhang's hands twisted the hem of her clothes, slowly rolled it into a ball, and then slowly stretched it out. Xu

Qingsheng glanced at him, let out a long sigh, and was speechless. After a long while, he turned around and said, "Okay, I know what you mean, in the future, in the future..." After

hesitating for a long time, Xu Qingsheng still didn't say the rest of the words.

There was a sound outside the courtyard gate. Zhang looked outside in panic and saw two villagers passing by. He walked quickly to the table, picked up the medicine box and handed it to Xu Qingsheng, "You, you go back first..."

The latter took the medicine box and put it on his back. He turned around but stopped and looked at Zhang steadily.

"Uncle Zhang, you should go back soon. Brother Yu should be back soon." Zhang lowered her head, looking a little anxious.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qingsheng reached the gate of the yard in a few steps, but suddenly stopped.

"You..."

"Don't worry, I just encountered this when I came here. I think I should tell you, Brother Yu, he..."

"What happened to him?" Zhang's face changed, and she hurried to meet him.

Xu Qingsheng felt a little sad, and then turned his head and told Zhang what he heard when he came. The latter gradually widened her eyes, "This... How is this possible..."

But he had a hunch in his heart that this was true.

Brother Yu and the boy from the He family went out on the same day and came back on the same day. If there was no such thing as prescribing medicine, then Brother Yu went specifically to lead the way for the boy from the He family... This... "But why didn't Brother Yu mention this to me?"

Zhang thought and spoke.

"Maybe he's afraid you won't agree," Xu Qingsheng said to him hastily, fearing that he would get angry. "When the child comes back later, you should talk to him properly, but don't be anxious. Brother Yu is already so old, and he has his own ideas since he was young. You..."

"Okay, I know," Zhang nodded in a daze. "Uncle Xu, you go back first and be careful on the road."

"Well, then I'll go first."

Xu Qingsheng responded, walked out of the yard in a few steps, and soon disappeared at the end of the ridge.

Zhang looked at his back, her eyes wandering, her face wrinkled, and she didn't know what she was thinking.

It was not until noon that Lin Yu came back carrying the hoe. Zhang had already prepared the meal. Lin Yu took a few bites and put down his bowl and chopsticks. He glanced at Zhang opposite, "Mom, what's wrong with you today?"

He came back for so long without saying a word. It seemed that his appetite was not very good?

Lin Yu was anxious, and quickly stood up and walked to Zhang, "Auntie, what's wrong? I'll go to the town to ask Uncle Xu to come over?"

Zhang shook her head and put down her bowl and chopsticks in silence, "Brother Yu, sit down first, I have something to ask you."

"Auntie?"

Lin Yu had some doubts, but he also pulled the stool next to him and sat down obediently.

The two looked at each other in silence for a long time, and Zhang finally sighed and said, "You went to Yangliu Village with the boy from the He family two days ago, right? Why did you hide it from Auntie?"

"Auntie..."

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, bit the corner of his lips, and said nothing.

"Okay, Auntie knows everything," Zhang gently stroked Lin Yu's soft hair, "Brother Yu, you are a boy, and a boy went out with a man and stayed for two or three days. You... Do you know that it has spread all over the village now, what about your reputation?" "

Spread all over the village?"

Lin Yu frowned and automatically filtered the next sentence.

"Really? If your Uncle Xu hadn't heard it, how long would you have kept it a secret from Aunt? Even if you wanted to go, why didn't you tell Aunt?" Zhang's face looked a little ugly. She was really angry at this moment. "You have to know that you are a boy, different from a man..."

"Ah..." Lin Yu interrupted Zhang's words, and then began to explain, "He Ze came to me to ask for directions that day. But the road was too complicated and I couldn't tell it clearly. So I thought of taking him with me, it's just a small matter.

I was just afraid that you wouldn't let me go... Didn't you say before that Uncle He and Aunt He helped us a lot, we can't forget it. Now that He Ze came to me, I must help him with such a small matter, right?"

"But... but this is not the way you want to help..." Zhang frowned, "I clearly remember that you never had a good face for the boy from the He family before, why now..."

"What's wrong?"

Lin Yu pursed his lips subconsciously and straightened his back.

"Brother Yu, tell Mom the truth, are you in love with the boy from the He family?"

Zhang grabbed Lin Yu's arm and looked at him.

Chapter 35

"Brother Yu, do you have any thoughts about the boy from the He family?"

Seeing that Lin Yu did not answer, Zhang asked again.

"...No! How is this possible!"

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, and finally came to his senses, and pushed Zhang's hand away, "Mom, why did you think of this? I just took him on a journey, how could I have any thoughts about him!"

Lin Yu and Zhang looked at each other, without any hesitation.

"Really? Yu'er, tell the truth to Mom, there really isn't..."

"No!" Lin Yu suddenly stood up, turned his back to Zhang, "Mom, no, really not. He Ze finally escaped death last time, and he changed his personality. I'm happy for Uncle He and Aunt He, so what's wrong with helping out a little?"

"Yu'er, you..."

"Okay, okay, Mom, just believe me. He Ze is two years younger than me, how could I have such thoughts? And..." Lin Yu turned around, frowning even more than Zhang, "And, I've told you many times before that I don't want to get married... You..."

"Yu'er, Mom believes you, isn't it enough to believe you?" Zhang stood up, a look of worry on her face, "As for not wanting to get married, you..."

"Mom, you just asked me about my reputation. But what kind of reputation do I have? How bad can it be? Even if I don't go out of the house, will someone be willing to marry me? That's not the case at all! Mom, I don't want to bring disaster to others..."

Lin Yu lowered his head, his voice getting lower and lower.

"Brother Yu!" Zhang's face suddenly turned cold, "What are you talking about? What's the harm or not? It's just a coincidence! You came out of Mom's belly, why don't you defeat Mom?"

"Mom..."

"Brother Yu, Mom knows what you think," Zhang held Lin Yu's hand tightly, "but listen to Mom, brother, in this life, you still have to find a good husband, support each other, and have a big fat boy in the future, and live happily together, so that the rest of your life can be settled. Mom is old, and one day she will leave first, what will you do when the time comes?"

"Mom!"

Lin Yu held Zhang's hand back and opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Since you don't like the boy from the He family, you have to be careful about how you get along with him in the future. He is a man after all. If he gets married one day, can you still get so close to him?"

"...I know."

Lin Yu looked up at Zhang, then quickly lowered his eyes.

"Well, actually, I think the boy from the He family is a good person during this period, but...he and that He Baoer were childhood sweethearts for more than ten years, and he even tried to commit suicide for her. How can you forget it so easily? I'm afraid that you will fall in love with her alone...This kind of love, when only one of the two people falls in love, it is the most tiring..."

"Mom, I really don't like He Ze!"

Before Zhang finished speaking, Lin Yu suddenly raised his head and said firmly.

"Okay, if you don't like it, then don't like it. Auntie is just reminding you." Zhang patted the back of Lin Yu's hand lightly, "I'll prepare something tomorrow and go to Auntie Wang to have a look. My brother Yu is so good, Auntie will definitely ask Auntie Wang to find you a good one, who is caring... and those who believe in gossip behind your back, let's not have it!"

"Auntie..."

"Brother Yu, Auntie has been looking forward to the day when you get married in this life, you can fulfill Auntie's wish. Okay?"

"I..."

Lin Yu raised his head and met Zhang's gaze.

There was a moment of silence in the air, the sun shone in from the door, the golden color spread on his eyebrows, and his long eyelashes blinked lightly, forming arc-shaped shadows on his lower eyelids.

"Okay."

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Yu finally nodded lightly.

"Hey! That's right!" Zhang's face was full of uncontrollable joy, and her eyes were covered with a layer of mist, "Mom is waiting for you to say this! Tomorrow, tomorrow I will go to see Aunt Wang! I am waiting to hold your grandson!"

"Mom..."

Lin Yu lowered his eyes, and his voice seemed to be a little shy.

"Oh, Mom, I won't say it anymore, I won't say it anymore!" Zhang covered her mouth and chuckled twice, then looked up and down at Lin Yu a few times, and suddenly took a few steps back, "Mom, now I remember, didn't you sell a few pieces of good material back two years ago? I didn't want to wear it, so I'll find it now and make you a set! If my brother Yu wears more eye-catching clothes, who in the ten miles and eight villages can compare with him!"

"Mom, I still have two sets of clothes you made for me last time..." Wear...

Zhang hurriedly walked out of the door, and Lin Yu couldn't even see his shadow before he finished his sentence, and the last two words had to be drowned in his throat.

He was the only one left in the room.

Lin Yu turned around and glanced at the dishes on the table that had not been cleared away. Then he remembered that his mother and son had not finished their meal.

He sat back in his original position and ate two mouthfuls of rice. The food was already cold. Lin Yu fed himself a mouthful of white rice from time to time, chewed it a few times and swallowed it.

"...Actually, I think the boy from the He family is a good person, but...he and that He Baoer were childhood sweethearts for more than ten years, and he was trying to kill himself for her..."

Somehow, Zhang's words just now echoed in his ears again. Lin Yu ate the rice in the porcelain bowl in one go. As he chewed, his cheeks bulged.

"Cough cough... cough cough..."

There was too much rice in his mouth, and Lin Yu choked. His face turned red, and he coughed several times before he stopped. Finally, he lifted the teapot on the table and filled himself with half a pot of water, and finally he felt better.

"I don't like you!"

Lin Yu muttered to himself after taking another sip of water. His face was expressionless and his eyes were empty.

...

Since it was the time to plant angelica, He Ze didn't delay. He rolled up his sleeves and started working with He's father, Li and Xiao An these two days.

Because the land had been planted with sweet potatoes not long ago, it was already fertile land. Before planting, they only applied some plant ash, sprinkled some water to soak it, and then started digging holes. The roots of angelica with medicinal value are its seeds. Plant them in holes at intervals, and then cover them completely with plant ash until they sprout.

This busy work lasted for several days. It was not until five days later that the last angelica was buried in the ground.

"Brother, when will it sprout?"

The sun was a little strong on the hillside. He An rested under a big tree next to the ground, with sweat on his forehead. He picked up a leaf on the ground and was blowing the wind for himself.

"About half a month later," he turned the basket in his hand upside down and tapped it a few times, causing dust to fly. He Ze walked a few steps to He An, and looked around, "Weren't father and mother sitting next to you just now? Where are they?"

"Didn't they see that you're done? I heard them say that they wanted to exchange a piece of millet field for a piece of dry land, and they went over here," He An pointed to the path next to them, "to see if there is any suitable dry land nearby."

"Suitable? You mean they went to see if there is any suitable dry land nearby?"

"Yeah, just now." He An threw away the leaves and stood up with the help of the tree trunk next to him, "Brother, what's wrong?"

"It's okay. You like white rice, so why do you say you like sweet potatoes?"

He Ze piled up several baskets on the edge of the land, raised his eyebrows and asked He An.

"Of course I like white rice!"

"That's good, then what's there to exchange? There are only two paddy fields at home, which are not enough for a year. Not to mention exchanging, I'm afraid I have to buy two more." He Ze raised his hands to cover his eyes and looked at the sky, then he continued, "By the way, did they ask us to wait here?"

"No, Dad asked us to go back after we're done, and said they would be back soon." He An put his hands behind his back, his hair tied into a bun, and he seemed to have grown a little taller these days.

"Okay, let's go."

He Ze responded, and the two of them carried a few empty baskets. After about two quarters of an hour, they finally entered the house. He Youcai and Li Shi would be back a quarter later than them. After the family had dinner, Li Shi and He An got up to clean up the dishes and went out, and then He Ze mentioned this matter.

"Not changing?"

"Yes, we won't. There are four people in our family, and we only have two paddy fields. How can we have enough to eat? By then, buying white rice will be much more expensive than sweet potatoes." He Ze poured himself a cup of tea, and poured another cup for He's father and handed it to him. "Now it's not like before when our family couldn't even afford to eat. No matter how hard it is, there's no need to suffer on food. No matter how bad it is, we can still survive next year." "

Well, that's what I meant, but your mother is worried..."

"Dad, then you should talk to your mother. We don't need to tighten our belts like this. Isn't your injury healed? I heard from Xiao An that someone came to ask you to make custom wooden furniture today?"

"Yes, it seems that your father still has some reputation!" He Youcai smiled, he raised his pipe and took a puff, "Okay, Dad will tell your mother. As long as Dad is still energetic, you will never starve!"

He Ze laughed along, and the father and son chatted for a long time, until the moon was at its zenith, He Youcai went back to the room.

Perhaps because it was close to the fifteenth day, the moon in the sky was as round as a plate, and the moonlight was as bright as snow. He Ze sat on the stone steps in front of the yard, playing with a small stone in his hand.

This made him remember that he needed to buy land.

However, without money, he didn't expect that he would still be a poor man after traveling through with supernatural powers. He Ze sighed in his heart and then stroked his forehead.

Wei Quan has already finished the story of "Legend of the White Snake". So he can continue to cooperate with him. He has already achieved some results and can double his money. Or he can grow a pot of flowers, which is a quick and easy way. Or...

a way to make money quickly without attracting too much attention... There were footsteps behind him. He Ze's eyes flashed with interest and he suddenly threw the stone in his hand into the sky.

The next second, He An's voice rang in his ears, "Hiss - Brother, what did you throw? It hurts..."

"Okay, who told you to stay up so late and sneak behind me?" He Ze raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"I... I saw you touching your forehead. I thought your injury had taken root and it hurt again... I was worried about you!"

He An replied unhappily, and walked a few steps to the stone steps, pushed He Ze aside, and sat down with him.

"It's healed a long time ago, how can there be any root of disease..."

"That's not necessarily true. You had a bump on your forehead, and then you met a blind bear. Brother Lin said that the blind bear almost broke your neck with one claw, and later I don't know if you were injured anywhere..."

"Wait——"

He An hadn't finished his sentence yet, and He Ze paused and suddenly interrupted him, "You just said, a blind bear? In the mountains?"

Chapter 36

"...What's wrong? Where is the blind bear if it's not in the mountains?" He An looked suspicious.

"That's not what I meant," He Ze shook his head, a smile on his lips, "What you said just now reminded me of something."

"What is it?"

He Ze just smiled and said nothing, but suddenly said, "Have you ever eaten bear meat?"

"Huh?" He An looked confused.

"Tomorrow, my brother will let you taste it, and it will be considered as revenge for that claw." He Ze patted He An's shoulder and stood up, "Go back to your room and rest early, be careful not to grow tall."

Before he finished speaking, he had already reached the door of his bedroom. It was not until the sound of the door closing that He An came back to his senses, tilted his head and muttered, "What does revenge for a claw mean?"

He thought about it for a while, but couldn't think of anything, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He An stood up and patted his butt. He An suddenly turned back and made a face at the door of He Ze's room, "You won't grow tall!"

When he entered the house, the oil lamp in the room went out. The moonlight was left in the yard, as cold as water. The night wind accompanied the concerto of cicadas for a long time, and it was faintly heard from a long distance.

...

The next morning, He Ze told Li and took Zhao Fugui's ox cart to the town. The sun was just right at that time.

He Ze went to Yu's Restaurant first. Although it was still early, the restaurant was still crowded.

At this time, Wei Quan's "Legend of the White Snake" on the high stage had come to an end.

He Ze found a table in the corner and sat down. He ordered a cup of tea. He heard the sound of the wake-up wood and Wei Quan was gone from the stage. Then he called the waiter and followed him to the backyard.

When he pushed the door in, the restaurant owner Yu was sitting in the pavilion with Wei Quan drinking tea. When he saw him, he stood up.

"Brother He, you haven't come for a long time. If you don't come in two days, I will go find you!" Wei Quan clasped his hands and laughed loudly.

Because of several time conflicts, He Ze later discussed with Wei Quan that if there is time, they can talk more, and if there is no time, they can talk less, and they don't have to follow the agreement of once every three days.

The last time He Ze came was the day before he and Lin Yu went to Yangliu Town. That day, he told Wei Quan all the remaining plots of "Legend of the White Snake" and left until the sun set.

As for what Wei Quan meant by this...

He Ze had a smile on his face. He walked closer to the pavilion, said hello to Shopkeeper Yu, and saluted Wei Quan in return, "Mr. Wei, you are joking. This... the agreement between us has been concluded. Mr. Wei wants to find me. Did something go wrong?"

"No, of course not," Wei Quan had a smile on his face all the time. He pulled He Ze to sit down, "It's just that I am very happy to cooperate with Brother He. Now that the agreement is concluded, I feel... really reluctant to let him go!"

"That's right, Mr. Wei has mentioned Brother He every time he drinks tea with me these past two days. He has forgotten about me, the shopkeeper! Haha!" Shopkeeper Yu also laughed and interjected.

He Ze said nothing, but stood up and poured a cup of tea for each of the three people. The fragrance of the tea was lingering, and there was a faint charm in the air.

He picked up the teacup in front of him, "This is all thanks to the appreciation of Manager Yu and Mr. Wei. Today, He Ze will use tea instead of wine to toast you two."

"Drink! Drink!"

All three of them smiled and drank the tea in the cup in one gulp.

Putting down the teacup, Manager Yu and Wei Quan looked at each other. The latter chuckled and suddenly said, "Brother He is a straightforward and trustworthy person. In fact, I really don't want our cooperation to end here..."

"What does Mr. Wei mean?" He Ze gently rubbed the teacup in his hand with his thumb.

"Last time I heard Brother He say that he had heard many stories since he was a child. The Legend of the White Snake is just one of them. I wonder if the others... have you ever heard this?"

He Ze looked up at Wei Quan, and then cast his eyes on Shopkeeper Yu, who stopped drinking tea. "Did I disturb you two here? I'm leaving now?"

"Shopkeeper Xu, you're joking. Mr. Wei makes a living by using Shopkeeper Xu's restaurant, and I make a living by using Mr. Wei's mouth. So, how could you possibly disturb us!" If

he left now, the show wouldn't go on. Before Shopkeeper Yu could get up, He Ze quickly persuaded him.

"Brother He, what are you saying..." Wei Quan seemed to be happy. "

Since Mr. Wei has spoken, this is a good thing. How could I not agree? It's just about the money..."

"The money is easy to talk about. It's still the original price. I won't lose a cent, Brother He. How about this?" Wei Quan's voice was high-spirited, without any hesitation.

"Heh..."

Before he finished speaking, He Ze suddenly laughed, "It seems that what Mr. Wei said before was just politeness. If Mr. Wei's sincerity is just this... Please forgive me, He Ze, for taking my leave first."

As he spoke, he stood up, but before he took a step, Wei Quan had already taken two steps in front of him, "Brother He! Business always requires bargaining. If brother He is not satisfied, we can discuss it again. It's not very nice of you to leave in a hurry!"

"When I said two taels just now, it was just referring to the price brother He proposed before. Of course... everyone has seen the business of the restaurant these days. Two taels is indeed a little too little. Let's discuss it again! Is that okay?"

"Yes, brother He, it's a rare trip for you, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Shopkeeper Yu also stood up, "If brother He thinks that the money offered by Mr. Wei is not appropriate, why don't you propose a price you can accept, and I will help you to take a look, how about it?"

"Look, Manager Yu has said this, but Brother He still refuses to give me this face?" Wei Quan pulled He Ze back to his seat, and the latter was also reluctant.

"Since Mr. Wei is so sincere, I will get straight to the point," He Ze sat down and stretched out his hand, "This next story, five taels."

"Five taels?" Wei Quan couldn't help but repeat, and the smile on his face also stopped, "Are you kidding, Brother He?"

He could only get five taels of silver at most with "Legend of the White Snake"! Leaving aside the two taels for He Ze, it was equivalent to only earning three taels. Now He Ze opened his mouth and asked for five taels? This... is simply a lion's mouth!

"I am not joking, but Mr. Wei can rest assured that I will naturally not let you pay five taels of silver at once."

"What are you doing?" Wei Quan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shopkeeper Yu, since Mr. Wei is telling stories in your restaurant, the business between Mr. Wei and I is also related to the business of your restaurant. How about we sign a three-party agreement?"

He Ze did not answer Wei Quan's words, but turned his gaze to another person.

"Three-party agreement? What do you mean?"

Shopkeeper Yu paused while drinking tea and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What Mr. Wei and I have done is just to prepare wedding clothes for you. This restaurant is full of customers, and the only one who makes a lot of money... is you, Shopkeeper Yu!"

When He Ze said this, Wei Quan beside him was also stunned.

"Could it be that Brother He wants me to pay for it?" Shopkeeper Yu put down the teacup and looked at He Ze quietly.

"That's true and not true. It's just five taels of silver. Compared with what Shopkeeper Yu has earned these days, it's probably just a drop in the bucket. You can discuss the details with Mr. Wei. I just want to see the silver."

In fact, from the very beginning, the best partner was Shopkeeper Yu. This huge restaurant can make more money than Wei Quan by squeezing out a little from its teeth. The economic base determines the superstructure, and the partner also determines the level of profit to a large extent.

It's like selling a bowl of rice to a beggar and selling a bowl of rice to the emperor. The rice is the same, but as for the value... it's a world of difference.

Of course, he dared to shout it in front of the emperor only after he let the emperor know that this bowl of rice is delicious. The same reason is that He Ze is just talking to Shopkeeper Yu now.

It's just that he didn't think of making a living from this, otherwise it wouldn't be difficult to negotiate with Shopkeeper Yu for two more days to get a higher price.

"Of course, if Shopkeeper Yu has any doubts, just pretend I didn't say this."

Seeing that Shopkeeper Yu was silent for a long time, He Ze hooked the corners of his lips, picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup, blew away the tea fragrance twice, and then took a sip.

"Indeed, it's only five taels. Brother He is very kind." After a while, Shopkeeper Yu finally smiled. "If your next story can make Mr. Wei nod, the rest of the matter will be the same as what you and he discussed before. When I leave later, I will re-draft a deed and let the accountant give you five taels of silver."

"Shopkeeper Yu is really straightforward. I'll toast you another cup," He Ze laughed loudly and drank the tea in the cup. "I wish you a prosperous business and a lot of money!"

"Okay, okay."

The matter was settled, and there was another burst of laughter in the pavilion. He Ze was kept for lunch before leaving.

Holding the five taels of silver that was not yet warm, He Ze entered the door of the blacksmith shop where he sold arrows to Lin Yu last time. When he came out, he had a longbow and a square quiver on his back. In the quiver, there were several arrows and a sharp tiger fork. He

went home all the way, and He Ze didn't go out much for the next two days. He tinkered with the bow and arrow in his hand when he had nothing to do. When He Youcai and Li asked him about it, he just answered that he was in a good mood. "

Dang--"

In the yard, He Ze shot an arrow, and the tile hanging on the courtyard wall cracked again, and several pieces of debris fell to the ground.

"Brother, you are so awesome!" He An on the side clapped his hands vigorously, with stars in his eyes, "Didn't Brother Lin teach you this? I remember you have never touched a bow and arrow before."

"...Who said I haven't touched it before? Riding and shooting is one of the six arts of a gentleman. The academy has even held archery competitions." Although not many people participated.

He Ze was stunned for a moment, and narrowed his eyes again.

"Is that so..." He An curled his lips, and then said excitedly, "Then did you win, brother?"

Did you win?

"...Why are you asking this, little kid?" He Ze suddenly put away the arrow and patted He An's head, "Where are dad and mom?"

"Dad went out to make wooden tools for others, and mom went to help him. He said he won't be back at noon, and asked us to heat up the food in the pot if we are hungry."

"Not coming back..."

He Ze glanced at the mountains in the distance, and suddenly went into the kitchen to pack some sesame cakes and dry buns, and then put on the longbow and quiver, "Brother is going to the mountain. If dad and mom come back and ask, you just say that I went to a friend's house in the academy, and will probably... be back tomorrow, do you hear me?"

"Tomorrow? Brother, where are you going? Going up the mountain to hunt or something? You alone..."

"Stop, stop, stop," seeing He An talking like a machine gun, He Ze interrupted him quickly, bent down to tie his trouser legs, and walked to the gate of the courtyard in a few steps, "Brother is leaving first. When I come back, I will make sure you taste what bear meat tastes like!"

"Brother, you..."

"Stay at home and remember, don't let anything slip when the time comes!" He Ze reiterated, and in a blink of an eye, they were already at the edge of the field.

"Brother!"

Before He An could react to what was happening, he took two steps forward, but soon He Ze disappeared.

Chapter 37

"... Let me taste what bear meat tastes like? What taste!" He An scratched his hair, turned around from the ridge in a daze, but suddenly stopped, "Taste bear meat? Revenge for a claw? Brother... Brother, are you going to hunt bears?!"

Hunting bears! How can brother be so bold!

He An felt sick, he turned around and chased for a long distance, but he didn't see He Ze until he reached the foot of the mountain at the village head. He thought he had already gone up the mountain.

"What should I do now, what should I do..."

He An stared at the direction of the mountain road breathlessly, with a sad face.

Brother, will nothing happen? It's all his fault! If he hadn't mentioned the blind bear last night, brother wouldn't have come up with this idea, but... but what on earth is he thinking! Going to hunt bears alone? ? ? He An's

mind was full of thoughts, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, he circled at the entrance of the mountain road for a long time, took a step and turned around several times.

He hadn't been to the mountain for several years, and he didn't know the way! What if my brother couldn't find him when he came back...

He An squatted under the tree and waited for a long time, staring at the entrance of the mountain road with his eyes, hoping that He Ze would come back soon, but he didn't show up until the sun set. The later it was, the

more tense He An's mind became.

"Brother An, what are you doing here?"

He Youcai and Li came back from the village head and saw He An sitting against the tree trunk from a distance. The latter heard Li's voice and hurriedly stood up, ran to the two of them, and said anxiously, "Dad, Mom, my brother..."

"...Remember, don't let it slip when the time comes!"

He Ze's voice suddenly echoed in He An's mind. He opened his mouth, and the following voice was drowned in his throat.

"What's wrong with your brother? What happened?"

He Youcai and Li looked at each other and saw that He An looked anxious.

"Brother, he...he, is fine. He went to visit his classmates in the academy. He asked me to tell you..."

He An lowered his head and rubbed his hands tightly behind his back.

When he finished speaking, Li breathed a sigh of relief, "I thought it was a big deal! He just went to town. Why are you so jumpy!"

"That's right. I scared your mother again!"

"Brother went to town. He said he would be back tomorrow and he didn't take me with him..." He An raised his head, his face full of grievance.

"Oh, are you reporting your brother?" Li smiled, and stretched out her hand to pinch He An's cheek, "Okay, wait for him to come back and let your mom help you teach him a lesson, okay?"

"Be obedient, go home and let your mom make delicious food for you!" He Youcai lifted the box on his shoulder, walked to the other side of He An, and climbed onto his shoulder, and said casually, "Did your brother bring you chestnut cakes again the other day? Do you have any more? Let your father have a taste, too. That thing is really good as a snack..."

As he spoke, He Youcai smacked his lips as if he was savoring the taste.

"Who are you? You are shameless to snatch food from your brother!" Li rolled her eyes at him unhappily, and took He An and walked a few steps ahead, "Don't pay attention to your father, who is always nagging, let's go home!"

"Hey, you... in front of the child, you..."

He Youcai was still nagging at the back, and Li turned around and glared at him, and he immediately shut his mouth.

He An kept his head down, looking back from time to time. Li thought he was really having a childish temper, and didn't think much about it.

When they returned to their own yard, it was already dark, and Hejia Village was quiet, but there were wisps of smoke rising from every house.

Li brought the prepared food to the table, and the family of three sat around the table. The bowl in front of He An was filled with chopsticks from He Youcai and Li.

"Brother An, what's wrong with you today? Eat quickly!"

Seeing that He An had been poking and tapping in the bowl with his chopsticks for a long time, but didn't take a sip, Li and He Youcai looked at each other, poured a cup of tea and handed it to He An, "Brother An, tell Mom the truth, did your brother bully you again? What did he do? Tell Mom, and when you come back, Mom will help you beat him up!"

"Mom..."

"What's going on?!" He Youcai put down his bowl and chopsticks.

"Brother he...he..."

He An hesitated for a long time, but he just couldn't open his mouth.

"Are you trying to make your father and mother anxious to death? Just tell me!"

"I...I..." He An raised his head and looked at the two of them tremblingly, and suddenly put down his chopsticks with a snap, "I was wrong, mother, I'm not mad at brother, I..."

He lowered his head again.

"Is that all?" Before He An finished speaking, Li smiled and raised her hand to tap his forehead. "Your brother probably didn't take you with him because he had something important to do. It's okay for you to be angry, but why are you still angry for so long? Your brother is not here now, so he can't see you no matter how angry you are. Next time, I will still not take you with me!"

"..."

"Okay, let's eat quickly. After dinner, go to bed early. Your brother will definitely bring you delicious food tomorrow! Eat quickly!" Li said and put the bowl and chopsticks back into He An's hands. "My mother made braised pork for you. It smells delicious! If you don't eat it, I will be angry!"

"..."

He An glanced at Li, picked up the piece of meat in the bowl and stuffed it into his mouth, and then took two more mouthfuls of rice. Li and He Youcai finally smiled when they saw his actions.

After dinner, Li cleaned up the bowl and chopsticks, and then went into the house with He Youcai. They worked all day today and were probably tired.

He An didn't dare to sleep. He just sat on the stone steps in front of the courtyard, staring straight at the direction of the courtyard gate.

A quarter of an hour passed, two quarters of an hour passed, three quarters of an hour passed... nothing happened, but the village became quieter.

"Woof, woof woof--"

Suddenly two dog barks were heard, and the string in He An's mind broke. He stood up suddenly, looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and ran out of the courtyard gate.

It was the direction of the Lin family.

"Pah, pah--"

When He An knocked on the door, Zhang had already fallen asleep. At that time, Lin Yu was sitting in the room polishing arrows.

He was reluctant to use the three peregrine falcon arrows that He Ze gave him, but he had to polish them every night for fear that they would rust.

"Xiao An, it's so late? Why did you come to see me?"

Lin Yu opened the courtyard gate and saw He An who was panting.

"Brother Lin, I...my brother..."

"What happened to your brother?" Lin Yu frowned subconsciously and patted He An on the back, "Speak slowly, what happened?"

"My brother went up the mountain alone with a bow and arrow today. He said...he said he wanted to avenge the blind bear's claw. It seems that he was going to hunt bears. Now he hasn't come back yet. I'm worried about him, I..."

"Hunting bears? Just him alone?..." He wouldn't be so depressed that he would go to seek death again? !

This was the only reason he could think of.

Seeing He An's face about to cry, Lin Yu had to take a deep breath and comfort him, "Don't worry, he said he was going to hunt a blind bear, so he went to hunt a blind bear? Whether he can find it is a question! Apart from the blind bear, I haven't seen any ferocious beasts in the mountains in the past two years, don't worry! I'm going up the mountain to find him now. Do Uncle He and Aunt He know about this?"

"They don't know yet. I dare not tell them..."

"Okay, then don't tell them for now. Wait for me here!"

Before Lin Yu finished speaking, he turned around and ran into the bedroom, carrying the longbow and quiver on the table. After a pause, he put the three peregrine falcon arrows in the square box into the quiver.

The skin of the blind bear is too thick, and ordinary arrows can't even penetrate the skin.

He An was waiting outside anxiously, and Lin Yu went to the kitchen to get a fire starter and came out with a wooden stick soaked in oil.

"Xiao An, I'm going to look for your brother now. Don't tell Uncle He and Aunt He first. Remember what I said, nothing will happen! If your brother was going to die, he would have died long ago. It's rare for him to escape death. It's not easy for him to get into trouble again!"

"Brother Lin..." He An was already crying.

"Okay, I'm leaving first. Remember to tell my mother tomorrow that I went up the mountain early in the morning, okay?"

"Yeah," He An nodded heavily, and then suddenly raised his head, "Brother Lin, how about, how about I go with you? I'll follow you and won't let you worry..."

"No, it's night now, it's too dark on the mountain, I can't take care of you. Besides, you have to comfort Uncle He, Aunt He and my mother at home. Remember, don't let it slip. I will bring He Ze back immediately after I find him!"

As he said that, Lin Yu patted He An's shoulder and went to the village head in the moonlight.

He An watched his back gradually go away, and a hint of salty taste came out of the corner of his lips, but he seemed to be unaware of it. He stood there in a daze for a while, and then walked slowly back the way he came.

...

As soon as he reached the entrance of the mountain road, Lin Yu lit a torch, and the bright flames illuminated the surroundings.

He Ze... Don't let anything happen to you!

Without any delay, Lin Yu raised the torch and went up the mountain. Because it was still early autumn, the trees on the mountain were still lush and green, and he didn't have to worry about igniting the grass and trees all the time.

"He Ze, He Ze, He Ze--"

Lin Yu shouted as he walked. The mountain was very quiet at this time. He shouted, and there was a faint echo and he shouted again.

Soon they reached the halfway point of the mountain. Lin Yu held onto the tree trunk beside him. He had walked too fast just now, and even he couldn't hold on.

There are five peaks in Xiangyang Mountain. The approximate directions are faintly straight in the east, south, west and north, and there is a short peak sandwiched in the middle of the other four. He often brought He Ze to the East Peak, which is the one under his feet. The time when Lin Yu was saved from the bear's claws was at...

"...North Peak!"

It was no use looking for it this way. Now he could only rely on luck. Lin Yu looked up at the mountain road in front of him, but suddenly turned sideways.

"He Ze, He Ze!"

In order to save time, Lin Yu did not walk on the road, but walked directly through the trees.

When he reached the North Peak, about an hour had passed. His face was still white before going up the mountain, but now, under the reflection of the firelight, it was as if it was covered with ash from the bottom of a pot, so black that his appearance could no longer be seen.

Because he encountered a lot of thorn bushes along the way, Lin Yu's outer shirt was torn into pieces, and there were faint traces of blood on his exposed face and hands.

"He Ze, He Ze...hiss--"

The wooden stick in his hand had burned to the end, and he didn't look down until it burned his hand. He simply threw the remaining finger-long stick head on the ground, covered it with a few handfuls of wet soil, and then continued to move forward.

But without fire, it was fine in the open space, as there was still moonlight. But in the dense forest, nothing could be seen, and it was pitch black. Lin Yu no longer had the patience to wait for another stick to burn, so he just climbed the trees and moved forward. He

couldn't move faster, and he became more and more anxious.

From the East Peak to the North Peak, there was also a South Peak in the middle, and the sound could be heard from afar, so it made no sense that He Ze couldn't hear a word, but...

but He Ze didn't respond to him!

"He Ze, get out of here!"

There was another shout, and Lin Yu punched the tree trunk next to him. The tree trunk trembled slightly, and leaves fell rustling.

Where are the people! Where are the people! Where are the people!

Lin Yu didn't dare to think, and just slowly clenched his fists. There was silence, and suddenly a hand put his shoulder from behind.

Chapter 38

Lin Yu suddenly stopped, one hand slowly slid down from the tree trunk, the other hand slowly moved up from his chest, and suddenly grabbed the wrist on his shoulder at the speed of thunder.

He turned around with a swivel and threw a punch. The man behind him dodged to the side and barely avoided it.

"Lin Yu! Stop, it's me."

Another sharp punch came, He Ze hurriedly clenched his fist and stretched out his hand to block it. The two collided, and the next second his brows wrinkled into a ball, and he shouted hurriedly.

Lin Yu's strength... He was inferior to him.

"He Ze?"

Lin Yu released his strength, fumbled out a fire starter from his belt and blew it, and the sparks were soon ignited.

"He Ze, it's really you!"

Under the faint light of the fire, the man opposite was the frowning He Ze.

Lin Yu's face was happy.

"If not me, then who else? Why did you come to the mountain in the middle of the night?"

"How dare you say that!"

Upon hearing He Ze's words, Lin Yu's smile suddenly disappeared, and the anger in his voice was stronger than the fire of a fire starter. "Finally you showed up? Do you know how long I have been looking for you? Did you hear me? If you heard me, why didn't you answer? You walked without making any sound! Also, if that punch just now had hit you on the head, I don't want to pay with my life!"

"..."

He didn't mean to not respond to Lin Yu, but he heard the wolf howling for a while before, and he felt it was too noisy, so he blocked his ears with leaves. Because of his supernatural powers, if there is any danger approaching, the plants all over the mountain will remind him, so he is not worried.

Later, he faintly heard Lin Yu's shouting, and he woke up, and came here with the wood escape. It was just a matter of a few moments, so naturally he didn't have time to respond.

As for just now... well, he wanted to try his skills on a whim, and it seems... he still has to continue practicing.

Lin Yu didn't stop talking, He Ze rubbed his arm, and just when he looked up, he was stunned.

The man opposite had messy hair, scratches on his clothes, black and red mixed on his hands and face... He

looked miserable.

He had never seen Lin Yu like this, and all the sounds were drowned in his throat for a while.

"What's wrong with you? Are you stupid?" Lin Yu raised his hand in front of He Ze, and suddenly pursed his lips, "I'm telling you, I didn't hit you just now, don't try to blame me!"

He Ze came back to his senses, couldn't help but chuckled, and said after a while, "Are you here to find me?"

"Nonsense!"

"Why are you here to find me? Didn't I tell Xiao An? Tell him not to worry, I'll be back tomorrow, right... he didn't tell his father and mother?" "

No," Lin Yu replied unhappily, "You said you're not worried, so you're not worried? How old is Xiao An? You're going to hunt bears alone, how can he not worry?"

"...What's wrong with me? You were able to hunt bears when you were thirteen, why can't I?" He Ze's eyes were full of interest, he raised his eyebrows and glanced at Lin Yu.

"You... Just because I was hunting bears, you followed a boy crying every day, okay?"

As he said that, Lin Yu glared at He Ze fiercely, pushed him away, and walked a few steps in front.

"Crying? How is that possible? Why don't I remember it?" He Ze followed him in a few steps, "I was eleven years old at that time, right? I haven't cried since I was eight..."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I..." He Ze stopped talking before he finished.

Yes, he really hasn't cried since he was eight. He has the impression that this is something he has always been proud of since his youth, so he still remembers it clearly.

But... he didn't cry, but the original body...

He Ze thought about it in his mind. He did follow He Baoer every day at that time. If someone didn't play with him, he would cry immediately, and his tears flowed faster than anyone else...

"Huh? Why don't you talk?" Lin Yu raised his chin.

"I... I was still young at that time, and I can't remember some things clearly," He Ze turned his eyes to the side, "But even if you said that, so what? How can you take childhood things seriously!" "

Hehe--"

Lin Yu sneered at him twice, and carefully protected the flame in his hand, and walked more quickly.

"Are you going down the mountain?"

He Ze looked in his direction and suddenly stopped.

"What else do you want to do if you don't go down the mountain? Spend the night on this mountain?"

"...Well, then why don't you go back first? I'll spend the night on the mountain tonight. I've found the place where the blind bear sleeps during the day. We can't just leave like this." The

blind bear usually comes out at night and sleeps during the day. But when he came over, it was already late, and the blind bear was in a light sleep, so he didn't do anything.

Originally, he could have used his supernatural power to solve it directly. No matter how powerful the blind bear is, it would probably lose half its life if two big trees fell on it, but it would be meaningless.

There is no day without blood in the apocalypse, and now he has lived a peaceful life for so long. Since he had this idea in the past two days, he has been eager to try it.

Men always have a bit of bloodthirstiness in their bones. It's just that it can't be used as a main meal, it can only be used as a condiment, otherwise it can drive people crazy.

The apocalypse is such a place that can drive people crazy, but fortunately, he was free.

"Are you really here to hunt blind bears?" Lin Yu also stopped and looked at He Ze in shock. "You... have you forgotten how I saved you last time? Do you think you are too old?"

"... Don't worry, the evil will last for thousands of years and will not die."

"No! Come back with me now. I promised Xiao An that I would take you back as soon as I find you!"

Lin Yu's face was a little cold.

"... Go back and tell him that I am really fine. I have been scouting the bear's territory for a long time, but... it's all in vain? The last time, that claw almost scratched me to death. I have to avenge it anyway."

"You!"

Lin Yu frowned, and his hand under his sleeve clenched into a fist.

Knock this man out and take him back directly? Directly...

Lin Yu's hand clenched tighter and tighter. He looked up at He Ze, then suddenly loosened it and turned around angrily.

"Okay, Lin Yu, you came to the mountain to find me so late at night, thank you, how about I take you down the mountain? You go back early and have a good sleep. I'll try it tomorrow. If I can't beat that blind bear, I'll run away, and nothing will happen."

If he really can't beat it, he can only use his supernatural powers. As long as he is in the forest, he can be invincible, and he won't hurt himself no matter what.

Lin Yu still didn't answer, He Ze had no choice but to stand there with him, and the air was silent for a while.

The night wind suddenly rose, and the small cluster of flames in Lin Yu's hand moved slightly. He Ze stood behind him and suddenly stretched out his hand, but before he touched Lin Yu, the latter suddenly dodged, "What are you doing?!"

"...The leaves on your hair are thorny."

He Ze took two steps back and tapped his hair lightly.

"..."

Lin Yu glanced at him, stretched out his hand to sweep his head, carefully tore off the leaves, and then threw them on the ground.

"You really don't want to go back with me?"

"I..."

"Okay, then I won't go back either. I've been looking for that blind bear for a long time, but I didn't expect you to find him in one day. I can help you," Lin Yu suddenly turned around and said as he walked, "You said you would stay here overnight, have you found a place to sleep?"

"..."

"He Ze, what's wrong with you? You're not talking again?"

"Well... why don't you go back? Brother, what will it say if you stay on this mountain in the middle of the night?" He Ze stepped forward and stretched out his hand to stop him.

Besides, if Lin Yu was there, he would not be able to beat the blind bear, and he might not even be able to protect himself.

"What are you talking about? Why didn't you tell me when I took you to Yangliu Town?" Lin Yu glanced at him unhappily, "You know all the rumors in the village, right? Why do you think of this now?"

"I..."

He did know those rumors, and it was Xiao An who told him.

He Ze frowned, and suddenly said solemnly, "Lin Yu, I apologize to you. I was not thoughtful enough about the incident in Yangliu Town. Gossip can destroy a person. Those rumors, I..."

"So, you have been avoiding suspicion these days?"

Lin Yu looked at He Ze quietly, his eyes calm.

He didn't know why he said that impulsively at that moment just now. He Ze was obviously worried about this matter that day. He insisted on doing so, and it was not He Ze's fault at all.

What's more, he didn't care about his reputation a long time ago, let alone being angry with He Ze.

It's just, just... forget it, it's so annoying!

Before He Ze could answer, Lin Yu suddenly spoke again, "That... you don't have to answer me. The previous incident was not your fault. I was just angry with you all night. Don't mind it."

"... Yeah, no."

Avoid suspicion? Mind? Why would he care about these?

In his opinion, those rumors were just nonsense, which made people laugh. It's just... this world is too unfriendly to me. In comparison, his cognition is out of tune.

First, it's hard to stop the gossips. Second, he was really busy during this period. He couldn't think of a solution to the problem for a while, so he didn't go to the Lin family.

Now I'm afraid... Lin Yu thought too much, right?

He Ze breathed a sigh of relief, responded, and suddenly stretched out his hand to cover Lin Yu's shoulder, "Let's go, I'll take you to find a place to sleep, and I promise you will have a good dream."

Fortunately, his arms are long, even in this posture, the two of them just touch each other's clothes from time to time.

It's just this kind of protector's posture...

Lin Yu looked up at He Ze. It wasn't long, and the thinness on his body seemed to have safely disappeared. Under the dim yellow firelight, He Ze's facial features were very three-dimensional, his eyebrows were clear, but he had the unique heroism of a man, and... there was also a very special taste.

This was a feeling he had never had when he looked at He Ze before.

Bang-bang-bang-

Lin Yu suddenly felt his heart beating a little faster. He lowered his head and tried his best to suppress the vibration in his chest, but... he was powerless.

The tinder was held in He Ze's hand. The road they walked was not very smooth. Except for the time just now, he was able to avoid running into Lin Yu. Later, when they were walking through the bushes and jumping over the dirt slope, He Ze simply held Lin Yu's arm.

"Sorry, it's so dark, let's hold each other, I'm afraid you will fall..."

Lin Yu didn't answer. He Ze led him through the forest and stopped in an open place for a long time. Two big trees stood together. There was a layer of leaves on the ground, and there were few other plants.

The wind blew in the forest, and the flame of the tinder flickered and suddenly went out.

"He Ze..."

"It's okay, you light it first."

He Ze handed the tinder to Lin Yu, walked to the front in a few steps, turned his head and looked back at him, and then gently raised his hand.

While Lin Yu was concentrating on blowing the tinder, several branches on the tree were spinning slightly.

"He Ze, it's done!"

The fire was rekindled, and Lin Yu walked a few steps to He Ze. His dark face made his teeth look very white.

It was a bit funny.

He Ze tried not to laugh out loud, but immediately turned his head, took the tinder and raised it, "Look, such a good place, how about we sleep here?"

Lin Yu looked up along his line of sight, and saw that the branches of the two big trees in front of him were very strange. Several branches in the same position of each tree were twisted and intertwined together, and the flat ground seemed to be cut with a knife.

"Nature's uncanny workmanship, not bad, right?" Meeting Lin Yu's suspicious gaze, He Ze explained, "You are lucky, I just found it today, if you are tired of hunting in the future, you can come here to lie down for a while. This is a camphor tree, snakes, insects, rats and ants have to take a detour."

"...You are lucky, right?" He was familiar enough with this mountain, but he had never found such a tree before.

"Let's say I'm lucky. How about climbing up?"

Coincidentally, the branches of the two trees were half as flat as if they were cut, and the shorter branches overlapped each other like stone steps, which made it easy for people to climb up.

Lin Yu glanced at He Ze, walked to the bottom of the tree in a few steps, and climbed up the tree in a short while.

He Ze smiled and blew out the fire in his hand. He didn't rush to go up, but fiddled under the tree for a long time.

Until Lin Yu called him, "He Ze, what are you still doing down there?"

"It's okay, I'm coming."

He Ze responded and climbed up the tree in a few steps, holding two things in his hands. He threw one of them to Lin Yu and used the other as a pillow behind his head.

"What is this?"

"I made a pillow with leaves. It's more comfortable to use." He Ze took off the longbow and quiver behind him and lay down. "Okay, go to sleep. We'll go back immediately after hunting the bear tomorrow morning."

"..."

Lin Yu glanced at him and didn't answer. He just touched the soft leaves in his hand and looked up at the sky.

The festivals in this world are somewhat similar to the ancient festivals in China. The fifteenth day of the

lunar month just passed two days ago, and the fifteenth day of next month will be the Mid-Autumn Festival. At this time, the moon is bright and sparse in the sky, and the moonlight is like a thread between heaven and earth.

Faintly hearing the long breathing of He Ze, Lin Yu carefully turned sideways and looked at him quietly. There

seemed to be a lot of things in his eyes, but it seemed that there was nothing.

Chapter 40

"Why do you ask this?" He Ze frowned, as if thinking.

Lin Yu did not answer, but just looked at him quietly. The sun was shining brightly on the two of them. From He Ze's point of view, Lin Yu's face, which was originally dark, was now faintly shiny, and the red marks on it were particularly conspicuous.

He Ze suddenly stretched out his hand.

"Hiss - what are you doing?"

As soon as his fingertips touched the red marks on Lin Yu's face, the latter frowned and took two steps back.

"Does it hurt?"

"Nonsense!"

"That's right, that blind bear just rushed at your face, what if you were disfigured? You're my brother."

"..."

"Besides, you came up the mountain to find me, how could I let you go back with injuries?" He Ze glanced at Lin Yu, his eyes swept around, and suddenly walked away. After a while, he came back with half a longbow in one hand, "It's a pity that your bow..."

"It's okay," Lin Yu came back to his senses, stretched out his hand to take the longbow, and put them on his chest, "I'll go back and see if I can fix it. If not, I'll change it."

This bow was made by him and has been with him for six years.

Lin Yu lowered his head and said it lightly.

He Ze looked at him and the two bows in his arms, and didn't speak again for a while. After a long time, Lin Yu put the bow and the arrows scattered on the ground into the quiver, and changed the subject, "What should we do now? When should we go back?"

"Of course, the sooner the better. As for this bear..."

He Ze squatted beside the black bear's body and pulled out the tiger fork on its back with great force. In an instant, blood splattered. He Ze couldn't dodge in time, and half of his face and clothes were stained red. It looked a bit shocking.

"Are you okay?" Lin Yu frowned and walked up to him with big strides. "Can't you slow down?"

"It's okay."

He Ze shook his head, rolled up his sleeves and wiped his face, and then put the tiger fork on the bear skin and wiped it a few times until the blood on the tip could no longer be seen. Then he said, "How is it? Can you drag this bear back?" The

black bear on the ground was about five or six feet long and weighed at least more than 300 pounds.

"I can carry it back."

Lin Yu looked up at He Ze, with pride hidden between his eyebrows.

He turned the black bear's body over and pulled out the arrow from its eye. His eyes finally fixed on the two small holes on the bear's back. He suddenly said with some regret, "You shouldn't have handed me the tiger fork just now. My fist is more useful than the tiger fork, but I was in a hurry just now... If I had used my fist, I wouldn't have damaged its fur."

​​"... It's okay, it's just a little bit, no big deal," He Ze stood up, "You take it back first, I'll go down the mountain later."

"Me? Me alone? Where to take it back?"

Lin Yu also stood up. This is a blind bear. Isn't He Ze afraid that he will deny it?

"Of course, go back to the village. We have to stagger, otherwise... I should marry you." He Ze curved his lips and suddenly leaned close to Lin Yu and patted his shoulder.

Marry? The latter straightened his body, his face was slightly hot, but it was still dark, and no one could see anything unusual.

"What's wrong with you?"

Seeing that Lin Yu didn't answer, He Ze stretched out his hand and waved it in front of him.

"It's okay... Who wants you to marry her?" Lin Yu suddenly glared at He Ze and pushed him away. "I don't care about those rumors. You don't need to be so careful. Anyway... there are too many lice and you don't feel itchy."

"..."

Is this because the emperor is not anxious to kill the eunuch? Wait... forget it. He Ze calmed down and said, "That won't work. You have to help. If I go back with you, this matter can't be concealed. Can you bear to see me being caned by my father?" "

No way? Uncle He..."

"He will really do that." He Ze nodded heavily.

He didn't lie. The family always prepared a cane, but every time Father He made a move, Li had to persuade him to stop. Otherwise, his butt would have been beaten long ago.

"Then..."

"Okay, it's settled. You go back first, and tell Xiao An to stop worrying about me. Tomorrow, we'll go to town together to deal with the blind bear." With Uncle Zhao around, no one could say anything. "I have to go wash my face, otherwise if I go back with blood all over my face, if someone sees me, they'll probably report me to the authorities. Be careful when you go down the mountain."

"Yeah."

After He Ze finished talking, Lin Yu looked up at him and finally nodded.

The latter chuckled, picked up Lin Yu's backpack on the ground and handed it to him, "Let's go."

Watching Lin Yu dragging the blind bear away, He Ze stood there for a long time before turning around. When he picked up his longbow and arrows on the ground, he was stunned for a moment.

Somehow, the scene of Lin Yu picking up the longbow and smashing it on the blind bear's head suddenly appeared in his mind, as well as... the sharpness of his punches, the sweat on his forehead, and his bright amber eyes. Even though his face was dirty, it did not diminish the strange charm on him.

The kind of charm that makes people... unconsciously focus their eyes on him.

"If it was a girl..."

This thought flashed through He Ze's mind, and the next second he frowned.

No, Lin Yu is Lin Yu, and he should be like this.

This is good.

Putting the bow and arrow into the quiver, He Ze breathed a sigh of relief and followed the morning's footprints all the way to the mountain stream. After he washed his face, he took off his outer shirt with many blood stains and threw it away, and then slowly walked down the mountain.

It was already past noon, and He Ze's speed was very slow. When he got down the mountain road, the sun was already setting, and he was afraid that it would set soon.

He didn't know if it was his illusion, but as soon as he entered the village, he met several groups of villagers coming and going. They were all talking as if something earth-shattering had happened. What was going on?

He Ze looked up suspiciously, but saw two people coming towards him. These two people... he seemed to know them.

He subconsciously slowed down his pace, and two voices came into his ears from far away.

"He Dalang, have you seen that blind bear? My goodness, it's fatter than the sow we have fed for more than two years! Tsk tsk, this brother from the Lin family is so amazing!"

"No way? Is it that big? Liu San, you're just bragging!"

"You know what, I'm not bragging this time! Many people in the village went to see it all afternoon, and I... I even touched it! The fur is so smooth! And the fangs and claws are amazing. I'm afraid that even five or six big men in our village may not be able to hunt this thing!"

"What you said, let's go, take me to see it!"

"Okay! Let's go... I just remembered now that I haven't taken a good look at the bear paw. It's a valuable item. What do you think of that brother from the Lin family... If he is not unlucky, I must marry him!"

"Tsk, with you, aren't you ashamed?"

"What's wrong with me? Have you forgotten the rumors spread by Lin Yu and He Ze last time? I don't believe that He Ze can still stay with such a beautiful guy and do nothing... You said that He Ze, who is weak and weak, has such a good fortune, I think it's not bad to touch me, don't you think so?" "

..."

"What's wrong with you? Speak!"

Seeing that He Dalang didn't respond, Liu San raised his elbow and bumped him, but saw that the other party had a stunned face. He also raised his head and his eyes widened immediately.

"He... He Ze, it's you... Long... Long time no see, long time no see," Liu San's expression froze, and then he laughed twice, "I... I heard that your injury has healed? I was just thinking about going to your house to see you! What a coincidence, we ran into each other, and you didn't come to see us brothers..."

"Are you done?" He Ze clenched his hands under his sleeves into fists, and his dark eyes were like a cold pond, which hurt people.

Liu San glanced at him, and suddenly shrank back two steps.

他上一次见到贺泽是几个月前，贺宝儿要嫁到镇上去这事儿还是他和贺大郎告诉贺泽的。

後来贺泽莫名其妙地出了事，他们俩整天担惊受怕的，又怕牵扯到自己身上来，直到後头听说贺泽好了，才敢拾掇着家里人带着东西去看了，这才放了心。

这才几个月不见，贺泽......怎地看着变化这么大？

不仅高了壮了，这眼神比他阿爹每次要揍他的时候都恐怖，就跟冰刀子似的！

难道去鬼门关走上一遭，还让阎王爷给改造了？

For a moment, Liu San's mind was in a whirlwind. His lips trembled a few times, but he suddenly slapped He Dalang on the shoulder, "I... He Dalang! We haven't seen He Ze for a long time, right? Why don't you say something when you see him!"

"Ah?" He Dalang was betrayed too quickly by his teammates, so he had to bite the bullet and said, "He Ze, what a coincidence, that... you know Liu San, he has always been so outspoken, don't mind it."

"Yes, I just... stop, stop, He Dalang, what the hell are you talking about! He Ze, I didn't say anything just now, I..." "

Bang--"

Hearing the two of them chattering endlessly, He Ze lost his patience and swung his fist to hit Liu San in the face. With a loud bang, the latter fell to the ground before he could react.

"He Ze! What are you doing!" He Dalang on the side did not expect that He Ze would really do it, and hurried over to help Liu San up, "He Ze, you are too mean! We grew up together, I just said a few words to you, do you have to..."

"Listen, Liu San, say I can, Lin Yu is a brother, I hear dirty words about him from your mouth again, I will beat you every time I see you!"

"He Ze, you kid! I, hiss-" Liu San suddenly covered the corner of his mouth halfway through his words, and the large purple patch with blood was particularly eye-catching.

He Dalang frowned, "He Ze, can't you say it nicely? This move... is too cruel."

Just looking at him made me feel anxious.

"You call this cruel?" He Ze paused, and suddenly seemed to think of something, his face became more gloomy, "The story between Lin Yu and I didn't come from you two, did it?"

"Ah? No, no!"

Before He Ze finished speaking, He Dalang shook his head like a rattle, "That's absolutely not the case! We also heard it from the villagers, and it was quite convincing, so..." As

He Dalang was speaking, Liu San also staggered to his feet, holding his arm, "If it was us who spread it, wouldn't we kill you first? He Ze, you are so capable, we grew up together, and we haven't seen each other for a while, and you come up and punch me? You..."

"What's wrong with me? Go on, how many times have you two lied to me in the past? Can I believe what you two say?" He Ze crossed his arms and took two steps towards the two men.

Liu San and He Dalang looked at each other, and Liu San suddenly twitched his mouth and walked towards He Ze, stretching his neck and said, "That... If you don't believe it, then don't believe it. Anyway, we didn't do it! Although I can't control my mouth, I know the seriousness of this matter, and I'm not that bad. I said too much just now, and you punched me, so let's just forget about it, okay?" "

...What I just said..."

"Okay, let's not talk about Lin Yu anymore, but He Ze...you and him..." Liu San laughed again, covering his mouth while laughing, with an indescribable...vulgar temperament.

He Ze turned his gaze away, "If you want to get punched again, just keep going."

"Stop, stop, stop! I won't say anything more, brother. Can't I just stop talking?" Liu San chuckled twice, paused and continued, "I said you're pretty good, when did your fist become so hard? You almost knocked my teeth out, otherwise I would have fought you to the death!"

"You?"

"I..."

"Okay, since it's not you, you'd better take care of yourself in the future. However, if I find out that you lied to me..."

"That's absolutely impossible! Don't worry, if we hear someone gossiping about you and the Lin family brother again, we will definitely beat him up for you!" Liu San climbed onto He Dalang's shoulders, crossed his legs and leaned against him.

"Heh..." He Ze smiled, "Thank you, but I'm in a hurry, so I'll go first."

"Hey! We'll come to your house to find you some other day!"

Seeing that He Ze's figure was getting farther and farther away, Liu San shouted, then he covered his mouth and said to He Dalang excitedly, "See, He Ze and the boy from the Lin family, hiss... there really is hope!"

"...Come on, are you so sure?"

"He Dalang, let me tell you, I can't be sure about other things, but about this matter... did you see how nervous He Ze was just now... Tsk tsk, if there's no hope, I, Liu San, will write my name backwards!"

"Okay, that's all you can do, stop talking about yourself! How did you promise He Ze just now?"

"Hey, aren't I just arguing with you? It was just a rumor before, but now it's confirmed. I didn't expect that the bitch He Baoer got married in town, and this kid He Ze might be the first among the three of us to get married. Sigh... we will have a sister-in-law in the future, hahaha... ouch... it hurts!"

"You deserve it!" He Dalang glared at Liu San, "Who told you to talk like that just now!"

"Okay, okay, it's my fault, isn't it enough? I am guilty. Don't play with your friend's wife. This is my brother's wife. I deeply repent, okay? But when I think that He Ze's wife will be the daughter of the Lin family, I... hahaha, hiss... that person is invincible in the surrounding area. In the future, He Ze... hehe, hiss..."

Liu San touched his belly and fell on He Dalang with laughter. His smile immediately affected his wound, so he could only half cover his mouth. The sound of his mouth sounded like he was suffering from insanity.

"Stop! Liu San, that's enough!" He Dalang looked at the strange looks people gave them, and gradually retracted his fists. He pushed Liu San away, "Fuck you! Don't say I know you anymore!"

"Hey, He Dalang, what you said... isn't my uncle also your uncle?!"

This village is Hejia Village, and most of the people there are He clan members. Although Liu San's surname is Liu, his ancestors have been here for generations. If you really want to talk about it, he must be related to most of the villagers. Uncle Liu San... is really his uncle!

What is going on!

He Dalang looked at Liu San with extreme disdain and walked to the front in a few steps.

"Hey, where are you going!"

Liu San finally stopped smiling and followed him with big strides.

"Go home!"

"Go home? Aren't we going to see the blind bear?"

"It's getting late, let's go tomorrow..."

The two figures gradually walked away, and their voices slowly disappeared. The sun set, and another day in Hejia Village gradually came to an end.

...

When He Ze returned home, there was no trace of He Laodi and Li in the yard. Only He An was sitting on the stone steps. When he saw him, he immediately rushed over, with a hint of tears in his voice, "Brother, you're back!"

This time He Ze did not avoid him, but just supported him with both hands, and rubbed his head for a long time, saying, "You're back, it's okay, it's okay, didn't I tell you not to worry?"

"I... who told you to be so brave! Why go hunting bears when there are so many other things to hunt, how can I not worry?" He An's tears came down as he spoke, and his crying became louder and louder. After crying for a while, he sniffed and glared at He Ze.

"Don't cry... Brother, I'm fine, I'm really fine..."

He Ze hurriedly took off the bow and arrow on his back, but he was at a loss and could only stand there blankly.

In the apocalypse, he saw people crying almost every day, crying heartbreakingly and hoarsely, but he didn't feel anything at that time, but now... it's

just a black bear, not even as dangerous as a level 2 zombie. He had to escape from dozens or hundreds of zombies every day, and then chop off their heads. Hunting bears seemed to him... just a trivial matter.

Even when he heard Lin Yu say it on the mountain last night, he didn't care.

However, when he heard He An crying at this moment... He Ze suddenly felt a little sour in his nose.

He forgot that he is now He Ze, He An's brother, He Lao and Li's son, Lin Yu... Lin Yu's friend, otherwise he would not have risked so much danger to come to him late at night...

In this world, he is not alone, there are people... who care about him.

"Okay, stop crying. Brother, I'm going to apologize to you."

He Ze spread out his palms and carefully wiped He An's tears. However, looking at the crystal clear... snot on He An's lips and jaws, he hesitated and couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Brother..." He An curled his lips again, and tears filled his eyes again.

Forget it! After all, they are not as good as zombies...

He Ze narrowed his eyes slightly, and wiped it off with a fearless attitude. The sticky and smooth...

"Hahaha, brother, you are so dirty!"

His palm had just left, and the next second He An had suddenly stepped back two steps with a crisp laugh.

"..."

"Brother, it's so dirty, why are you like this... Can't you just wipe it for me with a cloth or get me a basin of water?"

"..."

"Brother, what should I do? I won't dare to eat the chestnut cakes you buy from now on if you're like this..."

"Then don't eat it!" He Ze replied unhappily, "I won't buy it for you next time, keep talking!" "

Don't... don't... Brother, I was wrong, isn't it ok? I'm really wrong, let's write it off?"

He An walked closer to He Ze and hooked his little finger. He Ze couldn't help but smile at his expression, and stretched out his hand to hook it, but it hit nothing.

"Brother, you... better go wash your hands first..."

"...Okay, brother will go wash your hands, but," He Ze suddenly raised his other hand and poked He An's forehead, "your face is much dirtier than brother's hands!"

"Brother!"

He An looked at He Ze's back and stomped his foot hard. But seeing He Ze fetching two basins of water, he greeted him with a smile, "Brother, you are so nice~"

"Go wash your face, father and mother should be back soon!" He Ze handed him a basin of water, "They don't know about this, right?"

"I don't know, I didn't dare tell them," He An buried his head in the wet towel, his voice gradually lowered, "They went out again early this morning. The wooden furniture of that family has not been finished last time. I guess they will have to go for two more days, brother..."

He An suddenly looked up at He Ze with red eyes.

"Okay, I promise you that I will never do such dangerous things again, okay?" He Ze stretched out his hand and pinched He An's cheek, and changed the subject, "Did you see the black bear that your brother Lin dragged back?"

"I saw it!"

Hearing He Ze mention this, He An's voice immediately became excited, "That bear... is so big! Brother Lin told me that the arrow in the eye was shot by you, brother, you are so awesome!"

"Now you know how awesome I am? So, you have to trust me in the future, huh?"

"Yeah!" He An showed a mouthful of white teeth, nodded heavily, and suddenly said, "But you promised me just now, you can't go back on your word!"

"Of course not! If you don't do it, I will take care of everything you want to eat for the rest of your life, okay?" He Ze raised his eyebrows and stood up.

"Keep your word?"

"Keep your word!"

He An finally smiled, and He Ze glanced at him, his face softened a lot, and then walked to the courtyard wall to pour the two basins of water.

Today, He Youcai and Li came back at nightfall. Seeing that they were late, He An prepared dinner for them in advance.

He Ze was questioned by the two elders at the dinner table, but He An laughed even more happily. It

was not until he returned to his bedroom after dinner that He Ze carefully untied the cotton cloth on his arm.

Perhaps it was because the punch he gave Liu San in the afternoon was too big, and the cuts on his arm were torn open again. Fortunately, he put on a coat when he got home before, which covered it up.

After taking a look at his wounds, He Ze waited until late at night, when the oil lamps in He Laodi and Xiao An's room went out, and then he left the courtyard.

The next day, he came back when the sky was still white.

The family had breakfast together, and He Ze did not forget to make an appointment with Lin Yu to go to the town today. He told Li and headed for the village.

Because the mansion where Uncle Zhao delivered vegetables these days was said to be visiting relatives, his family's ox cart did not need to deliver vegetables these days, so the time was not as rushed as before.

When He Ze arrived, the ox cart had already stopped at the intersection, and Zhao Fugui was sitting on a stone pile next to it. When he saw him coming, Zhao Fugui stood up, and the ox also mooed.

"Look, Heizi knows you!" Heizi was the nickname Zhao Fugui gave to the ox.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao, Lin Yu..."

"You also knew that Brother Yu was coming?" Zhao Fugui asked, but before He Ze agreed, he immediately reacted by himself, "That's right, such a big bear... He told me yesterday, but it hasn't arrived yet! This ox cart is empty, I just figured I could help him transport the bear to the town. He family boy, wait a little longer."

"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry."

He Ze shook his head and waited at the intersection with Zhao Fugui. But after waiting for almost noon, Lin Yu still didn't show up.

The sun was a little hot, He Ze wiped the sweat from his forehead, inexplicably a little uneasy, and couldn't help standing up.

Zhao Fugui was also puzzled. He had never seen Brother Yu make such a mistake before! Seeing his actions, he couldn't help but say, "He family boy, how about..."

"Well, I'll go to the Lin family to take a look."

Before he finished speaking, He Ze had already started walking. However, before he had taken two steps, a figure in front of them ran towards them from afar. Before he came up, he gasped and shouted, "He Ze, it's bad! You...your wife, something happened at your wife's home!"