Just as they were about to leave, Ji Yun tugged at Gu Zhou’s sleeve and then pointed at her own face, indicating that she wanted to wash her face.
Her face felt sticky and uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Zhou asked, unable to understand what she meant.
“Brother Gu, your wife wants to wash her face,” the doctor said with a smile. Newly married men were always so careless. They simply didn’t understand a young wife’s desire to keep herself clean and presentable.
“Doctor, would it be convenient?” Gu Zhou asked.
After such a long drought, the water level in the village had dropped. Everyone had to walk a long distance to fetch water just for drinking.
That was also why Ji Yun had died of thirst earlier. Since water was so scarce, the Ji family had been unwilling to waste any on a foolish girl like her.
“Go ahead. There’s a well in the backyard. Give her a good wash.” The doctor smiled and pointed toward the back.
There was a well behind the medicine shop, and getting water wasn’t too difficult for him.
Gu Zhou pulled up a bucket of water.
“Wash up.”
Ji Yun washed her face with the clean water and then drank her fill. At this point, she couldn’t care less whether the water was boiled or not.
Looking at the water in the wooden basin, Ji Yun finally got a clear look at her face.
It was dark and grimy. She wondered if she could restore her complexion with proper care later.
And then there was her hair—it was like an explosion had gone off on her head. It was messy, fluffy, and terribly unattractive.
This man certainly had a strong heart. He hadn’t disliked her despite her appearance.
He had even been willing to bring her to the medicine shop to see a doctor.
Only after Ji Yun had washed her face did Gu Zhou get a proper look at her. Although her complexion was somewhat dark, she had good features underneath.
Large eyes, a small and delicate nose, an oval face, and long eyelashes.
After washing her face and drinking some water, Ji Yun stared at him with her bright eyes. He had said he would take her to eat wontons.
Thinking about the taste of wontons, Ji Yun swallowed hard.
Seeing her look like a little glutton, Gu Zhou laughed.
“Let’s go. We’ll get some wontons.”
When they arrived at the wonton stall, Gu Zhou ordered only one bowl.
“Eat. After we finish, we’ll go home. By the way, who do you have in your family? I…”
Ji Yun stared at him, then glanced at the wontons, asking why he wasn’t eating.
Gu Zhou said, “I’m not hungry.”
The truth was that he didn’t have enough money in his pocket to buy two bowls.
Ji Yun thought for a moment, then asked the vendor for another bowl and divided half of the wontons into it.
This man was pretty nice. He had even treated her to wontons, so how could she eat them all by herself?
Gu Zhou was surprised by her actions. Wasn’t she a fool? She actually knew how to care about him!
Still, he didn’t refuse. It wasn’t often that he got to eat something good, so indulging himself a little was fine.
The two of them finished every last wonton and even asked the vendor for an extra bowl of soup.
After having some hot food, their stomachs finally felt a little better instead of being painfully empty.
When it was time to pay, Ji Yun noticed Gu Zhou take three copper coins from his pocket and place them on the table.
What kind of era was this?
The memories in her mind were extremely vague, like a background that someone had deliberately blurred.
“Can you walk by yourself?” Gu Zhou asked.
Ji Yun nodded.
“Then let’s go back. If we don’t, Grandma will start worrying.”
Along the way, Ji Yun obediently followed behind him without running off.
Gu Zhou felt that marrying a wife like this wasn’t so bad. Although she was foolish, at least she was a woman.
He had never had particularly high expectations for a wife.
“My house is in the mountains, and the road is a little difficult to walk. Take it slowly.”
Ji Yun nodded again.
“Also, there aren’t many people in my family. I only have my grandmother…”
Ji Yun understood that he was telling her about his family.
“Let’s go home first. The day after tomorrow, I’ll take you back to your family’s home.”
As they walked, Gu Zhou continued talking, and Ji Yun gradually gained a general understanding of his situation.
Looking at the sun, Ji Yun estimated that it was around eleven o’clock.
The sun was blazing overhead, and the white glare was almost dazzling. The trees along the roadside were withered, and the crops looked wilted and lifeless.
Ji Yun finally understood why Gu Zhou had asked the doctor whether it was convenient for her to wash her face back at the medicine shop.
This place was suffering from a severe water shortage!
That was not a good sign. A lack of water would lead to poor harvests. Food was the foundation of survival, and without enough grain, people could easily starve to death.
Having come from the apocalypse, Ji Yun had an instinctive sense of danger.
Thinking about the apocalypse, a trace of melancholy appeared on her face.
The apocalypse had begun with a massive meteor shower, an event that occurred only once in a thousand years.
At the time, the whole world broadcast the spectacular event.
But no one could have imagined that the meteor shower would bring about a disaster.
Overnight, plants began growing at a terrifying rate, spreading everywhere and blocking out the sky and sun. Many buildings were destroyed.
Then the herbivorous animals began to mutate. Not only did they grow enormously, but their genes also underwent mutations, causing them to develop features that did not belong to them.
For example, tigers grew wings, fish developed teeth, and so on…
In the blink of an eye, humans fell from the top of the food chain. They not only lost their homes but also became prey for all kinds of creatures.
After the initial panic, the survivors established bases and banded together for warmth and protection.
Soon afterward, humans began awakening supernatural abilities.
Her ability was lightning.
At the time, she had been fighting a mutated tiger and had unleashed her strongest attack. She never expected that she would end up here.
If she hadn’t misunderstood, she was this man’s newlywed wife.
After walking for a while and stopping several times along the way, the two entered the woods when the sun reached its highest point.
But calling it a forest was a bit of a stretch. The trees could barely provide them with any shade.
The drought was apparently far more severe than she had imagined. Even the forest had lost its greenery.
In the mountain forest, the man limped along ahead while Ji Yun followed behind.
“From now on, don’t run around. The forest is dangerous. If you encounter a wild animal, no one will be able to save you.”
Ji Yun nodded.
As he spoke, the man reached over and pulled up some medicinal herbs nearby.
“This has a cooling effect. When we get back, I’ll boil it for you to drink. The doctor said your throat will be fine after resting for a few days.”
Ji Yun gave a soft snort through her nose.
After walking for about an hour, they finally arrived in front of a small wooden house.
“We’re here. This is my home.”
In front of the house, an elderly woman came running over with quick little steps.
“You’re back! Let Grandma take a look. What does my grandson’s wife look like?”
“Grandma, slow down. She’s not going to run away.”
“Oh! My grandson’s wife is really pretty.”
The old woman walked around Ji Yun, examining her from every angle and looking more and more pleased.
The only thing she didn’t like was her hair, which was rather unattractive.
Her dark complexion was not a problem at all.
How many farm girls had truly fair skin?
A dark complexion simply proved that the girl was hardworking!
The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. The old woman stepped forward and took Ji Yun’s hand.
“Granddaughter-in-law, you must be tired, right? Come, Grandma will make you something delicious.”
Ji Yun smiled gently and demurely.
The old woman became even more satisfied. It seemed that the girl had a very gentle temperament.
“Hmm, not bad.”
She was just too thin. It would be better if she were a little stronger.
“Grandma, let me do it. You go rest.”
The man shook his head. His grandmother’s cooking skills were even worse than his.
The fact that he had managed to grow up this healthy was entirely thanks to good luck.
“You can do it, then. It’s your wedding day, after all, so make something more elaborate.”
The old woman took Ji Yun’s hand and led her inside.
“Girl, what’s your name?”
“Grandma, her name is Ji Yun. She’s from Nanshan Village.”
“Yunyun, from now on, this is your home. As long as the two of you live your lives well together, this old woman will never interfere unnecessarily.”
Ji Yun smiled.
The old woman became suspicious.
Since entering the house, the girl hadn’t said a single word.
Was she simply too shy, or…
Could she actually not speak?
“Yunyun, go look around the courtyard, but don’t wander too far, okay?”
Ji Yun began walking around the courtyard.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the old woman slipped into the kitchen.
“Gu Zhou, what’s wrong with your wife? Why doesn’t she speak? Don’t tell me she’s mute?”
“She… injured her throat.”
Gu Zhou carefully chose his words, deciding to hide the fact that Ji Yun had been struck by lightning.
“Did she see a doctor? What did the doctor say? Can she be cured?”
“The doctor said she’ll be fine after resting for a few days.”
“Thank goodness. As long as she isn’t mute, I can rest easy.”
Gu Zhou thought to himself, Grandma, you’re relieved too soon. There’s something even more serious than being mute.
However, for the sake of his grandmother’s health, he decided not to tell her yet.
“All right, go cook. I’ll go help you tidy up the room.”
The old woman hurried off again.
Ji Yun looked around the house. The entire structure was made of wood, and everything was neatly arranged. It looked clean and elegant.
“Yunyun, you must be tired after walking for so long.”
Ji Yun shook her head.
“Sit down. I’ll go help you two tidy up the room.”
With that, the old woman rushed into the room and first removed everything from the bed.
Then she carried in several wooden boards from outside and widened the bed.