Feed pigs?
Cook pig feed?
Wouldn’t that be filthy, exhausting, and reeking of pig stink?
That was even worse than staying at the drying yard!
The color instantly drained from Pei Yunnuo’s face.
She looked even paler than the bleeding wounds on her hands.
A barely noticeable smile flashed across Lin Xizhi’s eyes before disappearing.
She gently nudged Pei Yunnuo.
“Yunnuo, Captain Song is doing this out of kindness. Hurry and thank him.”
“Aunt Liu is an expert at raising pigs. You’ll learn a lot of practical skills from her.”
“Besides, the pig farm is close to Widow Village.”
“If you’d like, you can come live with Aunt Hui and me.”
“I’ll tell Aunt Hui when I get back. I’m sure she’ll agree.”
At that moment, Pei Yunnuo’s mind was filled with nothing but smelly pigs.
She completely missed the important part of what Lin Xizhi had said.
Where she lived was the last thing on her mind!
All she felt was that she had escaped one den of wolves only to fall into a tiger’s lair.
My life is so miserable…
It’s unbearably miserable!
Yet faced with Song Zhuowei’s unquestionable expression, she could only grit her teeth and force out a voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum.
“…Thank you, Captain Song.”
Song Zhuowei waved his hand impatiently.
Seeing the signal, Shuisheng hurried away with the nearly tearful Pei Yunnuo.
Once Pei Yunnuo had been dealt with, Song Zhuowei turned his glare toward Ke Yuerong.
“And you!”
“Ke Yuerong!”
“I sent you to the drying yard to keep score.”
“You only need to maintain order. Since when does that give you permission to lay hands on the villagers or the educated youths?”
“Don’t you have a mouth?”
“When a small disagreement comes up, talk it through properly.”
“Resolve the big issues by making them small.”
“And if it really becomes a major conflict, the brigade and the Sea Guard Team are still here!”
“With all that bull-like strength of yours, stay farther away from everyone else.”
“The farther the better.”
“Otherwise, every other day someone will come complaining that you’ve beaten another person.”
Ke Yuerong swallowed her anger.
Though she was deeply dissatisfied, all she could do in the end was mutter a sullen,
“…Mm.”
Only then did Song Zhuowei feel the matter had finally been settled.
He withdrew his gaze and looked coldly at Lin Xizhi.
“You.”
“Come with me.”
Without another word, he turned and strode toward a small wooden hut beside the drying yard.
Lin Xizhi called after him.
“Captain Song, can’t we talk here?”
She spoke softly and unhurriedly.
“We’re a man and a woman alone.”
“If we’re seen whispering in private, people will start gossiping.”
Song Zhuowei replied,
“Don’t worry.”
“No one dares gossip about me.”
Suppressing a smile, Lin Xizhi continued,
“But they certainly dare gossip about me.”
“I don’t have Captain Song’s ability to protect myself.”
“So… whatever it is, let’s just talk here.”
Song Zhuowei glanced up at the blazing sun.
Even he felt his skin stinging under the scorching heat.
Was this girl missing a screw?
Frowning sternly, he said,
“This concerns confidential anti-piracy operations.”
“There are several important details I need to ask you.”
“Too many people are here.”
“It’s not convenient.”
Lin Xizhi knew perfectly well he was lying.
Nevertheless, she graciously accepted the excuse.
“Oh…”
“So it’s about that.”
“Then lead the way.”
“We can take our time discussing it.”
Her tone was completely ordinary.
Yet the last four words
“Take our time discussing it.”
felt like the light scratch of a kitten’s paw across Song Zhuowei’s heart.
It stirred gentle ripples through the calm waters of his mind.
Feeling strangely irritated, he walked ahead and entered the wooden hut first.
It was a temporary rest hut for the drying yard supervisor.
Though simple, it was reasonably clean.
Song Zhuowei glanced at the room’s only chair.
He grabbed it, carried it over, and rather unceremoniously placed it in front of Lin Xizhi.
Then he asked,
“What’s wrong with your face?”
“Did Aunt Hui hit you?”
Lin Xizhi hurriedly shook her head.
“No, no.”
“Aunt Hui treats me very well.”
“I accidentally scratched myself on some tree branches while gathering herbs this morning.”
Song Zhuowei immediately scolded her,
“You got hurt just gathering herbs?”
“Couldn’t you be a little more careful?”
Pressing her lips together, Lin Xizhi blinked innocently.
“Mm.”
“I’ll be more careful next time.”
Avoiding her gaze, Song Zhuowei asked another question.
“I heard my grandmother went to see you.”
“Yes.”
“I met Grandma Song.”
Lin Xizhi stopped beside the chair and sat down as naturally as if she were in her own home.
“Grandma Song wants to match the two of us together.”
“What do you think?”
What?!
Song Zhuowei nearly choked on his own breath.
“You’re a young lady.”
“Don’t casually say things like that in the future.”
Putting on a stern face again, he lectured,
“My grandmother’s getting senile.”
“Whenever she meets a young woman, she asks whether she’d be willing to marry me.”
“So you don’t need to take it seriously.”
Blinking, Lin Xizhi asked,
“Then what kind of woman are you looking for?”
The question caught Song Zhuowei completely off guard.
When he recovered, his sharp eyes immediately narrowed.
“Why are you asking something like that?”
Lin Xizhi smiled steadily.
“I may be a young woman, but I’m not a child.”
“I’m of marriageable age.”
“It’s only natural that I’ll get married someday.”
“Since you’re looking for a wife, and I’m looking for a husband…”
“What’s wrong with asking what qualities you want in your future partner?”
Song Zhuowei stiffened.
He remained silent for a long while.
Had Lin Xizhi not known him through two lifetimes and understood his temperament, she might truly have thought he was angry.
Any thin-skinned young woman would probably have retreated by now.
But Lin Xizhi had no intention of missing her chance with him a second time.
Winning Song Zhuowei’s heart…
She was determined to succeed.
Clearing her throat, she continued,
“Captain Song, you’ve saved me several times.”
“I already see you in a completely different light.”
“If it weren’t for my poor health and… my hidden illness…”
“I would’ve come to your house this morning to propose marriage.”
The moment those words landed, it felt as though a pirate’s naval mine had exploded inside Song Zhuowei’s head.
Boom.
His mind went completely blank.
In just two short sentences…
She had hidden several bombshells.
They struck him one after another, leaving him utterly unprepared.
For a moment, he didn’t even know which point to respond to first.
But Song Zhuowei had always acted according to his instincts.
Without thinking, he immediately asked,
“What illness do you have?”
“Did Aunt Hui diagnose it?”
Lin Xizhi nodded.
“Yes.”
Her eyes dimmed.
“Aunt Hui said there’s a very unusual poison inside my body.”
“Ordinary doctors would have difficulty detecting this chronic toxin.”
“It was probably administered little by little through my daily meals…”
“By someone very close to me.”
Song Zhuowei immediately thought of the four members of the Pei family.
“Those bastards actually dared do something like that to you?”
“Then why were you still trying to help that Pei Yunnuo just now?”
“If you’d told me earlier, I never would’ve transferred her to the pig farm!”
“I would’ve sent her to the ship repair workshop instead!”
The ship repair workshop was filled with the dirtiest, hardest, and heaviest labor.
The perfect place for a despicable person who poisoned others.
Lin Xizhi sighed softly.
“When catching a thief, you need stolen goods as evidence.”
“I don’t have proof.”
“I can’t simply accuse Pei Yunnuo without evidence.”
“What proof do you need?”
Song Zhuowei asked in disbelief.
“Are you planning to let her poison you again?”
“Do you have a death wish?”
Lin Xizhi slowly lifted her eyes.
“Captain Song…”
“Since you’re so concerned about me…”
“Why don’t you answer my question instead?”
“What kind of wife are you looking for?”
Once again, Song Zhuowei froze on the spot.
The conversation had been about something serious.
How had it somehow returned to the topic of marriage again?
He…
He had never even had a sweetheart before.
How was he supposed to know what requirements he had?
“Stop asking.”
“My standards are very high.”
He brushed the question aside, eager to leave.
“Besides, the pirates haven’t been wiped out yet.”
“How could I possibly have the time to think about finding a wife?”
“A man should establish his career before starting a family.”
“Forget it.”
“There’s no explaining these things to a muddle-headed little girl like you.”