The arm supporting her seemed to tighten even more.
Now that they had come this far, Jiang He refused to let the matter drop without hearing the answer.
She urged, “Come on, tell me. If you don’t, I won’t let you carry me anymore.”
His arm was wrapped around her so tightly that she instinctively struggled a few times.
Xie Zhao: “…”
This is like the one eating shit threatening the one taking a shit.
In a casual tone, he said, “Fine. Whatever you want.”
“Huh?” Jiang He blinked.
“You said you wanted me to repay your family’s life-saving kindness. What else can I do? I’ll grant your wish. It’s just… from now on, all that’s left between us will be gratitude.”
The way he said it sounded so strange that she couldn’t quite understand.
“What else could there be between us besides gratitude?”
Xie Zhao was somehow irritated by her response and deliberately pinched her thigh.
“What do you think?”
Jiang He yelped in pain and snapped, “How should I know?”
Xie Zhao: “…”
“Dummy.”
The hell… you’re the dummy.
“Jiang He.”
His voice suddenly turned serious.
“What is it?”
“You haven’t called me ‘Big Brother’ in a long time.”
Jiang He: “…”
She remembered that when Jiang Father had rescued him, the original Jiang He had only been thirteen or fourteen years old. Back then, she really had called him “Big Brother.”
About half a year ago, however, she had suddenly refused to use that title and insisted on calling him by his name instead.
At first, Xie Zhao hadn’t thought much about the change.
It wasn’t until Jiang Father passed away and she insisted on marrying him that he finally understood what she’d been thinking.
Sigh… what a mess.
“Jiang He, come on. Call me once.”
He pinched her again.
Deep in his mind was a vague feeling that he might have once had a younger sister. Whenever that thought surfaced, he unconsciously pictured Jiang He.
But to Jiang He, his behavior was completely baffling.
Who’s the dummy here?
You’re treating a teenage girl like this. What do you expect her to think?
You think it’s sibling affection, but from her perspective, you’re practically flirting with her!
You blockhead—how do you even have the nerve to call someone else stupid?
Suddenly, she felt the original owner wasn’t entirely to blame for forcing the marriage.
At most… she was eighty percent responsible.
But Xie Zhao genuinely seemed oblivious. He stubbornly insisted on having her call him “Big Brother.”
As though only that title could prove their relationship was innocent.
Fine, fine.
I’ll say it. If I don’t, he’s going to pinch my leg into a spotted deer.
“…Bro.”
She called out awkwardly, making the greatest concession she could.
“Why not ‘Big Brother’?”
Jiang He: “…”
Don’t push your luck.
“For a girl my age, calling someone ‘Bro’ is just a form of address. Calling someone ‘Big Brother’ feels flirtatious. Calling out ‘Brother~ Brother~ Brother~’ sounds like a rooster crowing. Which one do you want?”
Xie Zhao looked at her suspiciously.
“Where did you learn that?”
“Old Auntie Zhang next door said it.”
She lied without batting an eye.
Xie Zhao gave in.
“All right then. Your bro will take you home.”
Even his footsteps became noticeably lighter.
Jiang He’s lips twitched awkwardly.
…
They made it back just before the city gates closed. By the time they reached home, the sun had already set.
Xie Zhao settled Jiang He onto a chair and rolled up her pant leg.
Her ankle was swollen and red.
“You insisted on walking by yourself. Look at your foot now. Do you not want it anymore?”
“Well… ahem…”
“Wait here. I’ll get the medicinal wine.”
“Don’t.”
Jiang He stopped him.
“I want to bathe first. I’ll apply it afterward. Otherwise it’ll just wash off.”
“How are you supposed to bathe like this? Skip it today.”
“Absolutely not. I’m covered in sweat. There’s no way I can sleep without washing.”
“I’ll bring a stool into the bathhouse so I can sit while washing. I have to bathe.”
Xie Zhao relented.
He heated a large pot of water and prepared everything she needed before helping her into the bathhouse.
“Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
It was already dark, and neither of them had eaten. Their stomachs were practically glued to their backs with hunger.
Standing beside the well in the courtyard, Xie Zhao pulled up a rope. A basket was tied to the other end.
Inside were the leftover dishes and steamed buns from breakfast.
Summer was scorching, and food spoiled easily. But the well stayed cool, so almost every household stored food this way.
Firewood had to be bought in the city, so to save money people usually cooked one large pot of food in the morning—enough to last the entire day.
Since the weather was so hot, no one minded eating cold meals at noon and in the evening.
Some dishes still needed reheating, though, or they could upset the stomach.
To make the steamed buns taste better, Xie Zhao placed them in the steamer to warm them.
There was still some hot water left from heating Jiang He’s bath. Adding a bit more fire was enough to warm the buns.
By the time Jiang He came out, hot steamed buns and side dishes were already waiting.
“Eat first before applying the medicine. Otherwise the food will get cold. A little delay won’t matter.”
“Okay,” Jiang He agreed.
After dinner, Xie Zhao brought over the medicinal wine and began vigorously rubbing it into her ankle.
The pain made her howl.
“Gently! It’s going to break! It’s breaking!”
“Stop yelling. Even if it breaks, I’ll take care of you.”
Jiang He: “…”
Seriously, whose fault was that forced marriage? The original owner was only seventy percent responsible at most.
She clenched her teeth and endured the pain without making another sound.
Every now and then, she secretly glanced at him.
His rough palm rubbed against her slender, fair ankle.
His eyes remained perfectly clear, without the slightest trace of improper thoughts.
If anything…
…he even looked slightly disgusted.
Jiang He: “…”
What? Do you think my feet stink? I literally just washed them.
Looking at him now, she had to admit that the original Jiang He really had overthought things.
He genuinely had no romantic feelings for her.
“Done. How does it feel?”
To her surprise, it really didn’t hurt nearly as much anymore.
“Your technique’s pretty good. Where did you learn that?”
“I don’t know. It feels like I’ve always known how.”
Hmm…
He had lost his memory, but considering the kind of life he’d lived growing up…
It made sense that he’d know some basic treatment for sprains and bruises.
Suddenly, Jiang He remembered Jiang Father’s account book.
She immediately got down from the chair and hurried toward Jiang Father’s room.
The moment she put weight on her ankle, a sharp pain shot through it, making her gasp.
Xie Zhao, who had been clearing the dishes, hurried over to support her.
“What are you doing? Want to break it after all?”
“I thought it didn’t hurt anymore, so…”
“Are you stupid? Even if it doesn’t hurt, you still need to rest it for a couple of days.”
“Oh… got it.”
He truly didn’t know what to do with her.
“Just tell me what you need.”
“I want to go into Father’s room.”
Without asking why, he simply helped her inside.
After seating her on a stool, he lit the oil lamp on the table.
After Jiang Father’s death, large amounts of quicklime had been scattered throughout the house.
Xie Zhao had already cleaned the place, but traces of lime still covered the floor.
It was a local custom.
Most people didn’t know why it was done.
They simply followed the tradition passed down by their ancestors.
In truth, it helped prevent the spread of disease, since some people died from contagious illnesses.
Jiang Father’s room was almost empty.
There didn’t seem to be anywhere to hide anything.
She looked around before noticing a wooden chest sitting on top of the wardrobe.
Pointing at it, she said,
“I want that one.”
Without a word, Xie Zhao took it down for her.
Jiang He tried every key Jiang Father had left behind.
None of them opened the chest.
She looked at the rusty lock.
She couldn’t tell whether it refused to open because it had rusted shut…
…or because none of the keys actually fit.