“En, okay.” She hadn’t expected to be able to eat cherries in this unfamiliar era.
“Fourth brother, hurry, go eat,” Li Shu urged again.
Li Hua finally voiced his assent, got up, and left the hut.
Li Shu was almost done eating. He looked at Li Man. “Wife, you should eat faster too. I’ll go fill up your bowl once you’re done.”
“It’s okay. One bowl of food is enough for me.” Li Man lowered her head and seriously ate her dinner.
Seeing her like this, Li Shu felt quite upset. “Wife, do you really want to leave us that badly?”
“Huh?” Where did he get this idea? Even if she wanted to leave, there was nowhere for her to go.
Li Shu frowned in disappointment. Taking his empty bowl with him, he left the hut too.
Once Li Man finished eating, she got up from the bed, and brought the empty bowl back to the kitchen. She wanted to get some water to wash up in her hut, but after filling up a basin with hot water, she collided into a strong embrace.
“I’ll do it.” Without waiting for her to explain, Li Yan took the basin from her and brought it into her hut.
Li Man leaned against the doorway and coldly watched him. She didn’t appreciate his favor.
Li Yan put down the basin, turned around, and smiled at her. “It’s too dark in here. I’ll bring over a lamp.”
“No need,” said Li Man.
Li Yan wasn’t bothered by her indifference. He silently walked past her.
After Li Man quickly closed her door, her heart started to beat erratically. She hadn’t dared to enter the room with him. She was scared he would take the opportunity to do something again.
Right after she had rolled up her sleeves and poured water into a small basin for her to wash her butt, she heard someone knocking on her door. Startled, Li Man straightened up and pulled up her pants. When she opened her door, she was surprised to see that Li Hua had come back with a small lamp.
“Here, for you.”
“Thank you,” Li Man felt grateful for his thoughtfulness.
Li Hua slightly pursed his lips. “Go to sleep early.”
“En.”
After a day of sunny weather, most of the dampness in the hut was gone. Although the bed in the hut still couldn’t be used for sleeping, it would be fine to sleep on the bamboo couch that had already been brought over here.
—
That night, as Li Man tossed and turned on the bamboo couch, she didn’t have to worry about the creaking sounds made by the couch.
After a restless night, she woke up to another sunny day.
Li Man’s eyes ached when she got up. After tidying up, she opened her door and saw that Li Hua was about to knock on her door.
“You’re up?”
“Oh, sorry. I woke up late again. I’ll go cook breakfast.” Li Man wasn’t used to him appearing by her door so early in the morning.
“I already prepared it. I just came here to tell you that I’m setting off for school.”
“Right now? You’re not going to eat breakfast first?” Li Man asked in concern.
Li Hua chuckled. “I already ate earlier. I just came here to tell you I’m leaving.”
At this time, Li Shu had already finished sorting out the wolf fur and meat and packed it away on his small cart. He ran over here and said, “Fourth brother, everything is packed up. Let’s go.”
“En. I have to get something from the hut first.” Li Hua deeply looked at Li Man before going back to the eastern hut. He came back out with his book satchel and said to Li Shu, “Let’s go.”