Chapter 116: A Simple Village
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The village was close to the mountain, and there were lush green plants everywhere. There was a stream flowing beside it, and the water was crystal clear. All in all, it was a beautiful place with mountains and rivers. If there was anything bad about it, it would be the level of poverty here.
Most of the villagers were elderly people, women, and children. There were very few men. Most of the men had left the village to earn more money.
Perhaps, the first step to improving the village would be to build a road first.
Lin Xiaowan was dizzy from the bumpy journey. She did not have car sickness, but she felt like vomiting from all the walking. She carried her art supplies and her luggage, which was relatively light.
In comparison, Gu Yuwu had more things to carry. After all, she was here to take photos of Lin Qing. She brought many props with her, and most of them were heavy.
The Gu family’s driver had driven the women here. Seeing that they could not drive to their destination, he helped carry Gu Yuwu’s luggage. He inhaled sharply as soon as he picked up Gu Yuwu’s luggage. It was obvious that it was not light.
Lin Qing stopped the driver. He took the initiative to take the luggage as he said, “Let me do it.”
Lin Qing also helped Lin Xiaowan with her luggage.
Lin Xiaowan adjusted her clothes, which were slightly messy. When she saw Lin Qing carrying the two pieces of luggage, she hurriedly chased after him as she said, “It’s fine. Mine isn’t heavy. 1 carry it myself!”
Lin Xiaowan felt embarrassed and did not want to trouble others.
Gu Yuwu also did not expect Lin Qing to be so proactive. She said, “That’s right. It’s too much for you to carry two alone.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re not heavy,” Lin Qing said nonchalantly. He did not let go as he continued to say, “You don’t have to feel embarrassed. After all, you are helping me to take photos. I haven’t even thanked you yet. Carrying these is nothing…”
When they were approaching a few steps up ahead, Lin Qing easily picked up the luggage as he reminded, “The steps are narrow here. Be careful.”
Lin Xiaowan did not expect such a thin man to be so strong. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the man’s arms. Although he was thin, his arms and legs were muscular.
They walked for a long time before they finally arrived at the village. It was after dinnertime. They saw elderly people sitting on small stools and chatting. They were holding cattail leaf fans, which were rare nowadays, swatting mosquitoes away.
The summer heat had dissipated a lot now that it was September. The wind was refreshing after sunset; the cool weather was rather enjoyable.
Lin Xiaowan could tell that many of the old ladies were talking about them. This was not surprising since there were not many new faces in the village. Let alone old ladies who had nothing to do and loved to gossip, even ordinary people would discuss this matter.
Lin Xiaowan thought that she would be under immense pressure from all the scrutiny if she lived here. It was just like when she was in her hometown.
Lin Xiaowan looked at Lin Qing, who was silently walking in front of her. His face was expressionless, and beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead. She could not tell what he was thinking, and she wondered if he minded being the topic of discussion.
In any case, she did not like being the topic of discussion. Although they were strangers, it was difficult for her to maintain a good expression when she vaguely overheard their messy speculations and discussions.
Lin Qing’s house was very far away. It was his ancestral home. There were chickens and ducks in the front yard, and a big dog was tied near the entrance. A small vegetable plot could be seen next to the house. Apart from a red pepper plant, it was impossible to tell what the other plants were despite their different leaves. There were also rows of flowers at the side.
When the big dog saw people approaching, it barked and stood up.
Lin Qing stretched his leg out and gently pushed the door open before he said to the two women, “It’s a little messy inside.”
After that, Lin Qing said something to the dog in a low voice, and the barking stopped. The dog only wagged its tail happily after that.
The dog did not look fierce so Lin Xiaowan tried to get closer to it. It did not bark, and it wagged its tail even harder than before.
Seeing this, Lin Qing said, “Rhubarb has a good temper. You can play with her, but don’t feed her anything. If you don’t do it correctly, you risk getting bitten.”
There was not even a clinic in the village. If someone was bitten, it would be very troublesome to seek treatment.
After obtaining permission from Lin Qing, Lin Xiaowan patted the dog’s head gingerly. However, she did not dare to get too close. After all, she had never owned a dog before. Although she was interested, she was still a little afraid due to her lack of experience.
At this moment, Gu Yuwu commented, “Your courtyard is really well taken care of.”
Lin Qing put down the things in his hands and asked, “Are both of you okay with sharing a room?”
Although the house was not small, there were not many rooms. The first floor had a guest room and a living room, and the second floor was Lin Qing’s room. The kitchen and the storeroom were on the left side of the first floor.
Gu Yuwu asked Lin Xiaowan, “Xiaowan, are you okay with sharing a room with me tonight?”
Lin Xiaowan, who had crouched down to look at the chickens in the coop while she carried her art supplies on her back, said, “I’m okay.”
Lin Xiaowan was very curious about this place. She looked at the chickens and the ducks before she counted how many little red peppers had grown.
After a while, Lin Qing came out with a pole and a bucket.
Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaowan asked, “What are you going to do?”
“Fetch water,” Lin Qing replied.
There was no running water in the village so Lin Qing had to fetch water for daily use such as cooking and washing.
Lin Xiaowan was curious again. She asked, “Can I come with you?”
Despite being surprised, Lin Qing said, “Sure.”
Then, he asked hesitantly, “Why don’t you put your things down first?”
Lin Xiaowan had been carrying her art supplies since she had gotten out of the car, and Lin Qing did not know what she was carrying and wondered if she was tired.
Lin Xiaowan almost forgot that she was carrying her art supplies on her back. She quickly said, “Oh, wait for me! I’ll be right back.”
After that, Lin Xiaowan jogged into the house and found the room. She put her things down and said to Gu Yuwu, “I’m going to fetch water with Lin Qing!”
Gu Yuwu only shook her head and smiled when she saw Lin Xiaowan skipping away. After that, she lowered her head and sent a message.
[Gu Yuwu: Your little darling has arrived safely. She’s following my friend to fetch water. The signal here is not good. 1’11 tell her to call you when she returns.]
Earlier, Huo Zheng received a message from Lin Xiaowan, telling him that she would be walking to the village. After that, he did not receive any other messages from her. He could not get through to her phone either. Worried about her, he had contacted Gu Yuwu..