Forget it… The list of people allowed to return to the city still needs approval from this village chief, Gu Guanghui.
Everyone knows Gu Guanghui is terrified of his wife. She’d better not get on Luo Erfen’s bad side—otherwise, if Luo Erfen decides to trip her up, she has no idea when she’ll ever get to leave.
Thinking of the good life waiting for her back in the city, she decides to hold her temper for now.
Seeing that she’s being obedient enough, Luo Erfen finally stops ranting and says no more about it.
With this matter, one side refuses to admit anything, while the other openly claims he’ll marry her—both have their own agendas, so there’s no way for her to press the issue further.
Luo Erfen huffs irritably, then glares fiercely at Shen Zhaozhao.
“Somebody better behave themselves! If I catch you slipping someone a drug again, don’t think I won’t drag you straight to jail!”
Shen Zhaozhao scoffs inwardly.
Who do you think you’re scaring?
Luo Erfen takes Shen Zhaozhao’s silence as guilt, and shoots her a disgusted look.
“What are you still standing there for? Look at the time—the sun’s already high in the sky! Get to work right now!”
“Don’t think just because you’ve latched onto my son you’ll get an easy life and won’t have to work like before.”
“Let me tell you—Gu Shichuan doesn’t get any military benefits or allowances anymore! He’s relying on us to feed him now!”
“You two better work hard and do exactly as you’re told, or you won’t get a single bite to eat!”
At that, Luo Erfen suddenly thinks of something, crosses her arms over her chest, and sneers at Shen Zhaozhao.
“Both of you know how to play games, but Wang Yurou picked the right man—she’ll be going back to the city with Shixuan to live a good life. You? You’ll never get out of here. You’ll spend the rest of your days scraping by under our noses.”
“Keep acting up, and you’ll never have a happy life!”
Shen Zhaozhao had cried so hard last night that her eyes are still red and puffy.
She shifts her thoughts, then suddenly lets out a sneeze, followed by a fit of hacking, violent coughing.
She coughs her way over to Luo Erfen.
“Aunt Luo, what did you…cough, cough…say? Cough, cough…what do I need to do today? I…cough, cough…didn’t hear you clearly—could you say it again?”
Shen Zhaozhao clutches her chest, coughing after every few words.
Luo Erfen and Gu Guanghui don’t have time to move away, and get sprayed with spittle.
Both recoil in revulsion, stepping back quickly, wiping their faces furiously with their sleeves, their faces twisted with disgust.
“You wretched girl! What do you think you’re doing? You got spit all over my face!”
Shen Zhaozhao puts on a weak, frail look: “I don’t know… I felt sick as soon as I woke up this morning, and I’ve been wanting to cough. I tried holding it in, but I just couldn’t anymore.”
She lets out another violent cough—so hard it looks like she’ll cough up her lungs.
Luo Erfen freezes, suddenly realizing something.
“Coughing that badly… you… you don’t have consumption or something, do you? That’s contagious!”
She quickly pulls Gu Guanghui further back.
Shen Zhaozhao leans against the wall, gasping for breath between coughs, waving a hand weakly, looking like she wants to say something but can’t.
“It’s definitely not consumption… I just… have a fever. Whether it’s contagious… I’m not sure.”
“Fever? I remember the village doctor said the first sign of consumption is a fever!” Gu Guanghui says, scrambling backward.
Shen Zhaozhao looks terrified, as if she’s just heard the worst news.
“Really? I feel like I’m burning up more and more… could I really have consumption?”
As soon as she says that, Gu Guanghui can’t stand to stay another second and hurries out of the yard.
Luo Erfen was already doubtful, but with Gu Guanghui gone, she’s left alone—and even more panicked.
Better safe than sorry. If it really is consumption, she’d be doomed if she catches it!
Luo Erfen stamps her foot in anger.
“Just as soon as I tell you to work, you suddenly get sick! Why don’t you just drop dead already instead of staying here and infecting everyone!”
Shen Zhaozhao looks helpless, glancing at Gu Shichuan.
“Even if I have consumption… would you still marry me? If you will, let’s go somewhere private and talk about our wedding right now.”
She tilts her head and winks at him, signaling him to play along.
In the sunlight, her glossy dark eyes shine like polished jade, warm and captivating—impossible to look away from.
Gu Shichuan’s lips twitch into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
Just as Shen Zhaozhao thinks he might not go along with it, he takes her hand firmly.
“I love you more than anything—of course I will. As long as you’re still breathing, you’re my fiancée.”
His words are spoken with such deep sincerity that even Shen Zhaozhao is caught off guard.
Luo Erfen’s eyes nearly pop out of her head.
“Gu Shichuan, have you lost your mind? Marry a woman with consumption? If you want to die, don’t drag the whole family down with you!”
“Madness—you’re both completely insane!”
Shen Zhaozhao covers her face as if she’s moved to tears, and pulls Gu Shichuan toward the house.
Luo Erfen reaches out to stop her, but Shen Zhaozhao bursts into another violent fit of coughing, spittle flying everywhere.
Luo Erfen yanks her hand back as if burned.
By the time she recovers and remembers there’s still work to be done, Shen Zhaozhao has slammed the door shut.
Shen Zhaozhao may have escaped, but someone still has to do all the chores.
Luo Erfen turns around—and her eyes land straight on Wang Yurou.
Wang Yurou had been enjoying the show, secretly hoping Shen Zhaozhao really did have consumption.
But now the trouble has come right to her.
Before she can think of an excuse to slip away, Luo Erfen speaks up.
“Wang Yurou, get in the kitchen and get cooking! None of us have had a bite to eat all morning.”
“Can’t you see Shixuan’s lips are chapped? Go make something nourishing—if you can’t even notice that, how will you ever take care of him?”
“And after you’re done cooking, clean up the kitchen, then go up the hill and gather firewood—enough for a whole week.”
“Then the fields need watering. Go carry water from the river, water the crops, and pull all the weeds.”
“Your uncle and I have things to take care of today—so all the farm work is yours.”