Seeing that someone had escorted Lu Zhiyao back safely, He Lingyun finally felt at ease.
Back at his house, he sat face-to-face with Wu Guihua.
“Third son, what did you want to tell your mother?”
“Mom, not long ago, I was injured during a mission…”
The moment she heard this, Wu Guihua jumped up in shock. “What? You were injured? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Where were you hurt? Tell me quickly!”
“Mom, I’m just about to explain—listen first!”
She quickly nodded. “Alright, alright, I won’t interrupt. Go on.”
“Mom, the injury was to my lower abdomen. The military hospital director said that in the future… it might be difficult for me to have children. I’m telling you this so you won’t try to arrange a marriage for me anymore. What decent family would marry their daughter to a man who can’t have children?”
Hearing this, Wu Guihua collapsed to the ground in shock. Just then, Li Yunzhao stepped into the doorway, choked on his water, and started coughing violently.
This guy… for the sake of marrying Lu Zhiyao, he was even willing to throw away his pride and say something like this.
He Lingyun shot him a sharp look, scaring Li Yunzhao into immediately suppressing his cough.
“Son… you’re lying to your mother, right? How… how could this happen?”
“Yunzhao is here—you can ask him.”
With a meaningful glance from He Lingyun, Li Yunzhao had no choice but to tell the truth.
“Auntie, it’s true. Otherwise, Commander He wouldn’t have been given a month’s leave to recover. It’s not completely impossible… but since the injury is in that area, having children will be very difficult.”
Wu Guihua’s face turned deathly pale. She never imagined that her most promising son would… be unable to have children. How could she accept this?
“Son… is there really no hope at all?”
“It’s not that there’s no hope—it’s just very slim. If I’m lucky, maybe one… if not…”
He Lingyun’s calm expression only made her feel that he was suffering so deeply he couldn’t even cry.
“Waaah… why is my son’s life so hard…” she sobbed on the ground.
He Lingyun felt uneasy as well. He had hesitated before about pursuing Lu Zhiyao. If he truly couldn’t have children, wouldn’t that mean ruining her future?
But the thought of her marrying another man, sharing a life, having children…
He couldn’t even bear to imagine it.
Let him be selfish just this once.
After a long silence, Wu Guihua asked, “So… you’re not planning to marry?”
“Mom, even if I want to, which girl would accept someone like me?” he said helplessly.
“Son… do you like that Comrade Lu? I’ll go talk to her! If you can’t have children, we can adopt one from your elder brother’s family!”
Her words startled him.
“Mom, what makes you think I like her?”
“You’re my son—how would I not know? You’ve never been the kind to help others so eagerly. Today you helped her carry stones, worried about her foot—who would believe you didn’t care?”
“…Yes, I do like her. But someone like me—she definitely won’t agree.”
Wu Guihua fell into deep worry.
On one hand, Lu Zhiyao wasn’t the kind of daughter-in-law she had imagined.
On the other, with her son’s condition, asking that girl to marry him would feel like wronging her.
“Then… don’t tell her.”
“Mom, that would be deceiving her into marriage. That’s not right.”
“But if you tell the truth, what good family would agree?”
“Mom, we’re not that familiar yet. Let me get to know her first. If it works out, I’ll tell her. If she can’t accept it, we won’t force it.”
“Alright, alright—get to know her first! I won’t say anything bad about her anymore. If you like her, go win her over yourself. I won’t oppose it!”
Hearing this, He Lingyun finally relaxed. He had managed to persuade his mother.
Thinking about Lu Zhiyao’s injured foot, he felt a pang of concern—but had no reason to visit her.
“Here—take these to her.”
Wu Guihua saw through his thoughts and handed him two eggs and a piece of meat.
“Thank you, Mom.”
He Lingyun took the items and headed for the educated youth courtyard.
At the courtyard, Lu Zhiyao had been helped back to her room by He Li and Hu Fang. They still had work to finish, so they left, leaving her alone waiting for the barefoot doctor.
“Jiujiu, you’ve really done me dirty! Look at my foot—it’s swollen like a pig’s trotter. I won’t be able to work for days. No work means no work points, no food. And you only gave me 1,000 points? That’s unfair!”
【Host, I don’t have a choice. This mission came from above.】
“I don’t care—you owe me compensation, or I’ll keep complaining!”
【Alright, alright—I’ll go apply for compensation from the main system!】
The system disappeared, leaving her alone in a daze.
Soon, a voice came from outside.
“Is this Comrade Lu? I’m the village barefoot doctor. I’ve come to check your foot.”
“Please come in. I can’t go out to greet you.”
After examining her, the doctor said, “The bone isn’t broken—just a sprain. Apply some medicinal liquor and rest. Don’t walk around for a while.”
“I understand. Please tell Captain Wang I’m not slacking off on purpose.”
“I got it.”
After leaving the medicinal liquor, the doctor departed.
Not long after, He Lingyun arrived.
Standing at the door, he knocked lightly. “Comrade Lu, may I come in?”
“Commander He? What are you doing here?”
“My mother asked me to bring you some eggs… to nourish your body.”
Lu Zhiyao looked shocked.
What? Aunt Wu gave her something? Nourishment? Was this a joke? Did he steal it?
Her suspicious look made He Lingyun tap her forehead helplessly.
“What are you thinking? Do I need to steal food from my own home? And if I were bringing you something, it wouldn’t be just eggs. My mother really gave these—and she really meant for you to recover well.”
Her brain nearly short-circuited.
“Is your foot okay? Did the doctor come?”
“Yes, just a sprain. I need to rub it with medicinal liquor.”
“I’ll help you. Your strength isn’t enough—if it’s not treated properly, there could be lasting issues.”
Knowing that could be true, she agreed.
“Then… thank you.”
She extended her foot. Her once fair ankle was now swollen, red, and bruised.
Seeing it, He Lingyun felt a deep ache of regret. He shouldn’t have let her step on those stones.
The injury was on her—but the pain was in his heart.
Ignoring propriety, he poured the medicinal liquor into his palm, warmed it, and began massaging her ankle.
“Hiss—so painful!”
Her cry of pain, to his ears, carried a different kind of intensity.
He looked up—her eyes were red, tears trembling but not falling.
That sight stirred something dangerous in him—a fleeting urge he quickly suppressed.
When it was over, both of them were drenched in sweat.
She from the pain, her body tense and cold.
He from enduring something far less visible.
Their eyes met briefly—then both quickly looked away.
To hide his state, He Lingyun made an excuse and hurriedly left.
He didn’t want her to see him like this.
Nor did he want her to think he was a man ruled by desire.