Chapter 66: Chapter 39: Affection by the Little Qing River

Juhua said, “The sun’s so bright, and it’s almost noon, so the river water won’t be as icy. This bedsheet is too big to shake out in a washtub. Tossing it in the river to rinse a few times will get it clean. It’s much easier!”

Zheng Changhe grew even more concerned. “That’s exactly why I’m worried. It’s big, and once it’s wet, it’ll be incredibly heavy. What if it pulls you into the river?”

Juhua smiled. “Dad, I’ll be careful. It’ll be fine!”

The winter sun shone warmly on the riverbank, covered in withered, yellow grass. The water of the Little Qing River remained frigid and clear, its surface glinting in the sunlight. The water was bone-chillingly cold; the sun had done nothing to raise its temperature.

Just as he’d said, the bedsheet became incredibly heavy once wet. After struggling with it in the river for a while, Juhua broke out in a light sweat, but her ten fingers were frozen stiff, red like carrots. She felt she was reaching her limit; even her toes ached from the biting cold.

She tossed the bedsheet onto a flat stone slab and began stomping her feet in place. Cupping her hands, she brought them to her mouth and blew hot breath on them again and again, but the pathetic bit of warmth did nothing to thaw her frozen fingers.

She was just debating whether to shove her hands inside her shirt to warm them, worried the icy touch would make her even colder. Suddenly, someone shot out from the side, snatched the bedsheet from the stone slab, and tossed it back into the river. With a powerful flick, he unfurled it. He dragged it through the water, letting the grime wash away, then gathered it up, folded it, and placed it back on the slab, where he began beating it forcefully with a laundry paddle.

Juhua jumped in fright. Her body swayed, and she nearly toppled into the river. Luckily, the person’s quick reflexes saved her; he grabbed her arm, preventing a disaster.

Once she regained her footing, she saw who it was. Zhang Huai!

’How can he be so reckless? Is he here to help or to cause trouble? Why didn’t he make a sound?’

Juhua complained, “Brother Huai Zi, why didn’t you say anything? You nearly made me fall into the river!”

Hearing the familiar, friendly way she called his name, free of any distance, Zhang Huai’s heart skipped a beat. Without turning his head, he said in a low voice, “I thought you heard me. Is your brother home? Why would he let you wash in this cold water?”

He had spotted Juhua washing things by the river from a distance while on the road. ’The water is freezing,’ he’d thought. ’Why isn’t she using the well water at home? Isn’t Qingmu home today? He could help her draw water!’

Even though his family had no daughters, he knew that women shouldn’t handle cold water carelessly, especially in winter. There were always a few days when his mother would scrub the clothes and then have his father or him do the rinsing, saying that if she wasn’t careful, she’d get sick, and that would cost money for a doctor.

So, he had made a detour to check on her.

When he saw Juhua’s slight frame twisting and turning as she fought with the heavy bedsheet, she looked so strained he feared it would drag her into the river. After a moment of struggle, she would stop to stomp her feet, trying to warm her hands with her breath. Seeing this, he could no longer hold back. He set his basket down on the riverbank and rushed over.

Juhua said, “My brother and my mom went to the market to run some errands. Did you need my brother for something, Brother Huai Zi?”

Though she felt a little awkward, he was helping her so earnestly that she couldn’t bring herself to turn him away with a stern face. Besides, the water really was frigid, so she was more than happy to stand aside, crossing her arms and tucking her hands into her armpits for warmth. Her hands were so thoroughly frozen that their icy touch made her shiver, even through her clothes.

Zhang Huai didn’t get the answer he was hoping for. He paused for a moment before saying, “It’s nothing important. My grandmother’s family sent over some beef, so I’m bringing you some. My mom’s cooking isn’t as good as yours, so I just brought the meat raw.”

As soon as Juhua heard that, her awkwardness vanished, replaced by delighted surprise. “Really? Is it from a field ox or a water buffalo? Are there any bones? I’ll tell you, it’s not that hard to cook. You just blanch the beef, then add some ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, chili paste, and soy sauce, and let it simmer on low heat. When it’s almost done, throw in some sliced daikon radish and cook until it’s soft. When you make it like that, the radish is even tastier than the beef! And the bones are perfect for soup, but you have to simmer it overnight for it to be really good!”

Zhang Huai stiffened for a second. He grunted in acknowledgement before replying, “I don’t know what kind of cow it is. We have bones, too. My mom said there wasn’t any meat on them and she’d be embarrassed to give them to you, so I didn’t bring any. If you like them, I’ll bring some over later!”

Juhua had gotten carried away by the news of beef and spoken without thinking. Only after she’d finished did she realize how improper she’d been. ’Who just asks people for things like that?’ Now, hearing Zhang Huai offer to bring bones over, she felt incredibly embarrassed.

She said apologetically, “Everyone loves the meat, but really, the soup made from the bones is the most fragrant part. Your family was lucky to get some beef, so you should keep all the meat for yourselves. Just bringing over some of the bones would be wonderful. My family all love soup anyway.”

Zhang Huai didn’t like hearing that at all. ’Why is she being so distant? Does she really expect me to take the beef I brought all the way here back home? Haven’t we been eating the pork innards and headcheese from Aunt Zheng all the time?’

So he fell silent and just went back to work, forcefully swishing the bedsheets in the river. He’d swish one, drag it back onto the slab, and beat it. With a few quick, deft movements, he had finished washing two of them in no time.

Juhua watched him work with such practiced skill. ’What a good young man,’ she thought. ’He must help his mother with this chore all the time.’

When it was time to wring them out, Juhua offered to help, but Zhang Huai waved her off. Crossing his hands, he gave a powerful twist. Water gushed out, and the bedsheet was wrung into a thick rope, coiled like a figure eight.

He worked with incredible speed while Juhua stood to the side, watching.

He could feel Juhua’s eyes on him, and his neck began to blush. He found it even harder to look up at her. His mind was racing—’What’s gotten into me?’—when he suddenly heard Juhua say, “Brother Huai Zi, let me wash the rest. You’re almost finished!”

Zhang Huai looked up, surprised. ’Why is she stopping me now, after I’ve washed so much?’

Juhua saw his questioning gaze, his narrow eyes beneath strong brows fixed on her. Her heart fluttered. ’It’s just not fair,’ she thought. ’Why does a village boy have to be so handsome? Hmmph, it’s no big deal. My brother is handsome, too!’

Her gaze shifted toward the village path. Two people were approaching.

Zhang Huai followed her gaze and instantly understood. ’She’s afraid of gossip!’ The blush on his face hadn’t yet faded, and now a fresh wave of red washed over it. His handsome face became so flushed that Juhua couldn’t bear to look at him directly.

She thought, ’My reputation is what it is. If this affects anyone’s “virtue,” it’ll be yours. I don’t care about things like that anyway.’

Zhang Huai turned his head away and, as if in a huff, went back to washing the bedsheets, ignoring her completely. He wasn’t sure if he was angry at the thought of gossip or at Juhua for being so cautious. All he knew was that her trying to avoid suspicion made him feel very uncomfortable.

Once all the bedsheets were washed, Zhang Huai rinsed the laundry paddle, placed it in his basket, and picked it up. “Let’s go,” he said to Juhua.

******

Please smash all your votes on this Chapter! Ugly Juhua needs your enthusiastic support. The vote count isn’t just a number; it’s a sign of your approval for the story and the author. So, don’t be shy! Let your love for this story out, and let it bloom as brilliantly as the wild chrysanthemums beneath Little Qing Mountain. Of course, if you don’t like it, that’s fine too.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep