TIPS – Chapter 35

Shen Junxi liked hearing those words. He nodded and wrote: “Sit and rest for a while. I’ll get you something to eat and drink. We’ll talk once you’re feeling better.”

Pei Hongxuan replied, “Alright, thank you.” After struggling in the river for so long, he was indeed starving.

That evening, Shen Junxi took great care of Pei Hongxuan, so much so that it made Song Jingwei glance at him sideways. If he didn’t already know that Shen Junxi wasn’t that kind of person, he might have thought Shen Junxi had feelings for Pei Hongxuan.

In truth, Shen Junxi’s thoughts were simple—he had come across an old acquaintance in distress, so of course, he wanted to help. Moreover, it had been a long time since he had someone to confide in, someone he could communicate with about things he couldn’t discuss with his spouse. Perhaps because Pei Hongxuan, like him, carried a physical disability, he found it incredibly easy to talk to him.

When Shen Junxi’s father, Shen Dongming, returned home and learned about Pei Hongxuan’s situation, he was also very sympathetic. On top of that, Pei Hongxuan had once been Shen Junxi’s classmate, and they had both passed the imperial exams as scholars, so Shen Dongming naturally held Pei Hongxuan in high regard.

Upon discovering that Pei Hongxuan had become disabled, he was nearly moved to tears. Why is this child just as pitiful as my own?

“Isn’t that the truth?” Yang Shi had already cried once. Her soft-hearted nature completely overwhelmed her when she saw Pei Hongxuan limping. “Such a fine young man, so talented and promising, how could he be so unfortunate?” Pei Hongxuan was not only handsome and dignified but also a gifted scholar—yet now, he was crippled.

“What are you crying for? It’s nothing. Being crippled isn’t a big deal. Our Xi’er is mute, but didn’t he still get married and have children?” Shen Dongming said. If it had been before, he might have been full of worries. But ever since fate took a turn in their favor, their family’s circumstances had drastically improved. With the arrival of their daughter-in-law, Song Jingwei, this once poor and gloomy household had been brought out of the shadows.

“That’s right! Our Xi’er still got married,” Yang Shi said, breaking into a smile. Noticing Song Jingwei stepping out to eat, she quietly introduced him to Pei Hongxuan. “That’s my daughter-in-law. He joined our family on May 13th this year.” If one listened carefully, they could hear the pride in her voice.

Pei Hongxuan glanced at the composed and unflappable young master. Indeed, he was someone to be envied. After a few looks, Pei Hongxuan lowered his head and softly said, “Congratulations, Aunt Yang, on gaining such a virtuous son-in-law.”

Yang Shi chuckled softly. “Yes! Our family is even building a house at the foot of Xiaoliang Mountain. His father says it’s a big house, but I haven’t seen it yet.”

Song Jingwei walked over and greeted everyone before sitting inside to wait for dinner. Shen Junxi had been sitting elsewhere, but seeing Song Jingwei arrive, he immediately moved to sit beside him.

As the conversation continued, Shen Dongming suddenly called out, “Xianggui is here, bring the food!”

“Coming!” Yang Shi responded. She patted Pei Hongxuan’s hand and said, “Auntie is going to serve the dishes. You all keep chatting.”

Pei Hongxuan acknowledged her words and soon found himself chatting with the newly arrived Shen Dongming and Chen Xianggui.

Meanwhile, Song Jingwei nudged Shen Junxi’s foot and said, “Go help.”

Shen Junxi got up and followed Yang Shi. After carrying out the last dish, he noticed the wine hadn’t been brought out yet. Tugging at Song Jingwei’s sleeve, he gestured, “Where’s the wine?”

Song Jingwei went with him to find it. They dug out a clay wine jar weighing six to seven pounds from a corner. The moment it was opened, the rich aroma of aged wine filled the air.

“Haha! Good brother, this is some fine wine!” Chen Xianggui laughed. Though he usually didn’t drink, he couldn’t resist when faced with such high-quality liquor.

“Indeed, this is fine wine,” Shen Dongming agreed. “Good wine with good food, good wine with good friends—tonight, we drink to our hearts’ content!”

Excited, the two brothers encouraged each other to drink, making the meal lively and joyful. It had been a long time since the Shen family felt such warmth and festivity, even more so than on the wedding day.

“Hongxuan, eat more. You need to replenish your strength,” Shen family members took turns placing food onto Pei Hongxuan’s plate since he was their guest.

“Thank you, you all eat too,” Pei Hongxuan said gratefully. This was truly a warm household —he hadn’t felt such simple happiness in a long time.

“Hongxuan, don’t drink too much. If you’re tired, rest early, alright?” Yang Shi reminded him, worried that his body, still weak from nearly drowning, wouldn’t handle the alcohol well.

“Alright, thank you, Aunt Yang,” Pei Hongxuan said softly. Yang Shi’s kindness warmed his heart, and the family’s interactions made him envious. This is what true family love looks like. His own home, cold and unfeeling, was nothing more than a frozen wasteland. How could such people even be called family?

“Jingwei, here, take this chicken leg. You’re not that strong yourself—eat more,” Yang Shi instructed her son, subtly hinting that he should be more considerate. How can you only care about yourself? How will you win your spouse’s heart like this?

After hesitating for a moment, Shen Junxi quickly picked up the chicken leg and placed it into Song Jingwei’s bowl. However, the moment he did, regret washed over him—Song Jingwei disliked people serving him food.

Before he could feel too dejected, the chicken leg was promptly returned to his own bowl. Song Jingwei had given it back.

“…” Shen Junxi blinked, then quietly peeled the tender meat off the bone and placed it all back into Song Jingwei’s bowl, leaving only the bones behind.

“…” Song Jingwei sighed inwardly. I just wanted to eat my meal in peace. He frowned at the chicken meat in his bowl, reluctant to eat it.

“……” Shen Junxi tugged at his sleeve in private, looking expectantly—eat it, why not eat it? Being rejected wouldn’t make him terribly sad, but the kind of sadness it brought was deep and lingering, occasionally pricking at his chest with a dull ache.

“I don’t like eating chicken leg meat,” Song Jingwei still didn’t eat it, putting the leg back into Shen Junxi’s bowl. Then, he buried his head and quickly finished his meal in just a few bites. He actually had no appetite, but he was afraid that not eating would upset his stomach.

Everyone quietly ignored this trivial episode and continued drinking, eating, and chatting loudly.

When asked about his future plans, Pei Hongxuan hesitated before voicing his thoughts, “Uncle Shen, I want to stay in the village in the future. Do you think that would be possible?”

Shen Dongming was surprised. “You want to stay in our village?” Seeing Pei Hongxuan nod seriously, he thought carefully and said, “Why not? Our village is great—beautiful mountains and rivers nourish the people. Living here will surely keep you in good spirits and good health.”

Everyone laughed and began discussing, “Then you’ll have to figure out your living arrangements and food. But for a single man, it’s simple—just find some long-term work in the countryside.”

Speaking of long-term work, everyone turned to look at Song Jingwei. He was the most famous landowner in Chashan Village—if someone needed work, he was the one to ask.

“No, my legs aren’t in good condition. I’m afraid no one would want to hire me for labor,” Pei Hongxuan acknowledged his limitations. “The only thing I have to offer is that I’ve read a few books and recognize some characters. If there’s a private school in the village, I could work as a teacher.”

Chen Xianggui said, “That could work too! You’re a scholar, so teaching is more than fitting.”

Shen Dongming’s third brother, Shen Dongying, ran a private school. Letting Pei Hongxuan teach there would be ideal. However, considering Shen Dongming’s strained relationship with his family, no one dared to bring it up.

“That’s right, you’re a scholar, so of course you shouldn’t be doing rough labor. My third brother runs a private school—I’ll take you there in a couple of days and ask him to arrange a teaching position for you.” Shen Dongming, slightly drunk, didn’t think about his own conflicts with Shen Dongying at that moment.

After all, he and Shen Dongying might not be close, but they were still brothers. And Pei Hongxuan was a pitiful man—if he could help, why not?

“Thank you, Uncle Shen,” Pei Hongxuan said gratefully. He didn’t know about their family’s history; he was simply surprised to learn that Shen Junxi’s third uncle owned a private school. That explained why Shen Junxi was so knowledgeable—he had passed the scholar’s exam at a young age.

He couldn’t help but reflect. If both he and Shen Junxi had lived smooth and fortunate lives, their circumstances would be vastly different now.

But that was just wishful thinking. He sighed inwardly, glancing at Song Jingwei’s cold expression and Shen Junxi’s forced indifference. He thought, “Maybe this is what a stable life truly is—what ordinary people spend their whole lives chasing.”

“Xianggui, take it slow on your way home,” Shen Dongming saw Chen Xianggui off, giving him some serious reminders. His old drinking buddy might have had too much—he was wobbling as he walked.

“Alright… Alright… Next time, we’ll drink again,” Chen Xianggui said. He wasn’t fully drunk, just speaking sluggishly.

After closing the courtyard gate, Shen Dongming went back inside to bathe and sleep. Everyone else in the household had already gone to bed, leaving only him and Chen Xianggui drinking late into the night.

“Dear, drink some hangover soup first,” Yang Shi hadn’t gone to bed yet. She walked over with a steaming bowl of soup.

“Mmm, mmm, I’ll drink it.” Shen Dongming instinctively picked up the bowl, only to burn his mouth. “Ow… ow…”

Yang Shi laughed and said, “See? I told you not to rush!” The two of them joked and laughed as they headed inside together.

That night, Pei Hongxuan lay on a bamboo couch in the Shen family’s guest hall, falling asleep to the faint scent of alcohol lingering in the air.

Song Jingwei and Shen Junxi hadn’t drunk any alcohol. After washing up, they went straight to bed. Everyone was exhausted that night, so for once, Shen Junxi didn’t try to communicate with gestures and quickly fell asleep.

It was in the middle of the night that Song Jingwei realized something was wrong with the person beside him. When he turned over, his hand accidentally touched a patch of burning-hot skin, jolting him awake.

He opened his eyes—the sky was still dark. His hand had landed on Shen Junxi’s cheek, which was burning with fever.

“Shen Junxi?” Song Jingwei nudged the young man lying inside. “Wake up, you’re running a fever.”

His face was so hot—it was probably because he had fallen into the water in the evening, then stayed in his wet clothes for too long. Now, he was burning up in the middle of the night.

“…” Shen Junxi groggily opened his eyes, barely able to see anything. He felt awful. A cool hand rested on his forehead, and he instinctively grabbed it. “Wife…” He wanted to speak, but no sound came out.

“Are you awake? Can you get up?” Song Jingwei asked while lifting the thin blanket and getting up to light the oil lamp on the table.

“…” Shen Junxi squinted—his face looked extremely haggard under the dim yellow light.

“Forget it, I’ll carry you out,” Song Jingwei decided. He didn’t bother waking Shen Dongming because he had been drinking. Instead, he went to find Yang Shi, asking where they could find a doctor.

In a place where even a common cold could be deadly, who knew if a fever could leave someone permanently impaired?