BXBX NOVEL Chapter 426: Care
Chapter 426: Care
Gu Zi’s hand lightly clutched the corner of the man’s coat, matching his pace step for step as she trailed behind him, escorting him out the door.
His towering figure shielded her from the brunt of the cold wind. As they neared the main gate, her voice, filled with concern, echoed from behind him, “Be sure to keep warm tonight, don’t catch a cold. I’ve placed a warming tonic in your coat pocket. Remember to mix it with water and drink it before you get busy.”
The sincerity in the woman’s meticulous tone caused the man to halt and turn around. He knew she wasn’t the type to flatter or ingratiate herself to others. Her current attentiveness towards him was genuine, wrapping his heart in a warmth that he found especially comforting.
He gazed at her intently. A stray lock of hair on her forehead fluttered in the wind, brushing against her beautiful face. He lifted his hand, his slender fingers carefully tucking the errant strand behind her ear. His eyes held an unmistakable fondness.
“Alright, don’t worry about me,” he reassured her. “I might come back late tonight, or perhaps not until tomorrow. You should rest well.”
Gu Zi looked up at him, her hand resting on his waist as she nodded in understanding. “I sleep well enough. If you’re going to the town to deliver goods tomorrow, remember to check if they have apple pears. Buy some more and bring them back. I’ll make frozen pears for everyone in our family to taste.”
She remembered a shop in town that sold exotic fruits, including apple pears. These pears were large, juicy, and had small cores. Their flesh was milky white and incredibly succulent, making them the perfect choice for making frozen pears.
Although she couldn’t fulfill Su Li’s wish to see snow, she could still let him taste the frozen pears typical of snowy days. As long as the method was right, frozen pears could be made even with an electric refrigerator.
She had thought of this plan when Su Li mentioned frozen pears earlier in the day but had kept it a secret to surprise him. She also knew that the pig farm had been busy these days and there weren’t enough people to deliver goods. Su Shen often had to help with deliveries, and he usually went to the town, so it was convenient for him to buy the pears.
A hint of amusement flickered in Su Shen’s eyes as he looked at her. This woman always managed to create a variety of novel and interesting dishes. He hadn’t expected that she could even make frozen pears, a delicacy he had only heard about from his comrades in the northeast. His voice was low and husky as he said, “Alright, you should go back now. Goodnight.”
Gu Zi echoed his sentiment, “Goodnight!” After speaking, she was the first to step inside, knowing that he would find it hard to leave unless she did.
Perhaps this was what they called an unspoken understanding, where many things didn’t need to be explicitly stated.
In the pig farm, everyone had just finished their evening meal and were now hastily beginning the task of cleaning the pigsty, moving the pigs, and slaughtering.
Aunt Yang had been working as a cleaner at the pig farm for several days now, and she was well acquainted with her duties. Although her movements were somewhat slow, she made up for it with her diligence. Her work was well done, at least to the extent that even the most discerning eye could not find fault with it.
At that moment, she was in the boiler room, heating water. Soon, it would be mixed with cooler water to feed the pigs. The weather was getting colder, and providing the pigs with slightly warm water would help boost their resistance and prevent them from catching a cold.
Su Shen, accompanied by his subordinate Ah Zhuang, was conducting a routine inspection to eliminate any safety hazards in the pig farm. As they happened to pass by the boiler room, he noticed Aunt Yang’s thin clothing. He immediately instructed someone to fetch her a coat. The person behind him didn’t hesitate and promptly went to find a coat.
As Ah Zhuang was getting the coat, he started a casual conversation with a person nearby. “The treatment for Aunt Yang is different. This position was originally intended for my mother. My mother is faster than Aunt Yang and would definitely do a better job. I don’t understand why Sister-in-law Gu Zi is so considerate of her. Is it just because she led the wedding ceremony?”
The person nearby laughed, “You don’t know? Aunt Yang and the sister-in-law’s mother are very close. Otherwise, why do you think Aunt Yang was able to lead the wedding ceremony for Brother Shen and the sister-in-law? Stop complaining, or Brother Shen might hear you. Besides, Aunt Yang is a pitiful person, let her do this job.”
Ah Zhuang pursed his lips, still feeling dissatisfied. The New Year was approaching, and every family wanted to earn a little more money to celebrate.
However, he didn’t dare to say anything more. After all, he owed his job to Brother Shen. He couldn’t blame the sister-in-law and her mother for using their connections. If there was anyone to blame, it was himself for not having strong enough connections..