Gu Jiaojiao and Aunt Zhao headed back together, parting ways halfway ho.
As Gu Jiaojiao entered the courtyard, she saw Leng Yuan coming out with their al.
The sight of her husband made her eyes well up.
"Leng Yuan."
Her voice was a mixture of petulance and misery.
Leng Yuan imdiately set down the food and ca over to her.
Gu Jiaojiao threw herself right into his arms, feeling utterly miserable.
"Shucking corn is so hard! My hands are about to fall off."
Leng Yuan held her and comforted her. Hearing what she said, he imdiately took her hands to examine them.
Her fair, tender palms were completely red, and blisters had even ford in the webbing between her thumbs and index fingers.
"Didn’t I tell you to rest when you got tired? Why didn’t you listen?"
Gu Jiaojiao huffed, "They all looked down on . They don’t think I’m cut out for this kind of work. How could I let them underestimate like that?"
She had just finished speaking when Leng Yuan brushed against a blister, making her gasp in pain. Her whole face scrunched up.
"And you’re still trying to act tough when you’re in this much pain."
With that, he had Gu Jiaojiao sit on a stool. Leng Yuan went into the room and ca back with a new needle, which he sterilized before lancing her blisters.
Gu Jiaojiao’s face was scrunched up. ’I could have endured it, really. But with Leng Yuan here, I just feel even more miserable.’
’I knew this would happen; I was prepared for it.’
’With hands as fair and soft as mine, it would be weird if I *didn’t* get blisters from farm work.’
’But seeing Leng Yuan still makes feel so sorry for myself.’
Gu Jiaojiao sat obediently on the stool, letting Leng Yuan lance the blisters and apply dicine.
In reality, country folk weren’t nearly so delicate. Blisters were a normal part of life; whose hands hadn’t been blistered before?
Forget hands—in the height of sumr, working under the scorching sun with tools slung over their shoulders, even the burliest n would get sun blisters on their shoulders.
But everyone just endured it. They wouldn’t apply any dicine, simply waiting for them to heal on their own over ti.
Even the villagers who doted on their own daughters weren’t this ticulous. No one else would be lancing blisters and applying dicine!
Gu Jiaojiao could have endured it, but Leng Yuan wouldn’t allow it. ’I have the ans,’ he thought, ’so why should I let my woman suffer?’
’Besides, if the wound isn’t treated, it could get infected. That would be even more trouble.’
’It probably wouldn’t happen to anyone else, but with Jiaojiao... you never knew.’
’After all, she looks so delicate.’
Once her hands were treated, the two of them finally started to eat. Leng Yuan was a decent cook. He had made a fish stew, so flatbreads, and a small side of mixed cold vegetables. The al was light and refreshing.
Gu Jiaojiao ate even more than usual; everything tasted exceptionally delicious.
After the al, it was again Leng Yuan who cleared the table. "Go back to the room and get so sleep," he said, never forgetting to look after her.
This ti, Gu Jiaojiao didn’t object. She went back to their room, ready for a nap.
They had a two-hour break for lunch. Factoring in the ti to cook and eat, that left a little over an hour to rest.
After clearing the dishes, Leng Yuan also took the opportunity to rest for a bit.
Gu Jiaojiao felt like she had barely closed her eyes when a whistle blew.
She opened her eyes but didn’t see Leng Yuan. After getting ready and stepping outside, she found him already filling a water flask with warm water. When he saw her, he handed it over.
"Rember to take this with you when you go to work from now on."
Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t taken any water that morning, and her lips were dry and chapped by the ti she got ho. She’d had to drink two whole bowls of fish soup during lunch just to feel rehydrated.
"Leng Yuan, you’re just too good to ."
Gu Jiaojiao was touched by her husband’s thoughtful gesture. She hadn’t even thought of it herself, but Leng Yuan had taken care of everything. ’This man is truly amazing,’ she thought.
Leng Yuan looked at the cheeky Gu Jiaojiao with fond exasperation. Since they had married, her personality in his presence had beco increasingly—lively!
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