Chapter 9: The Startled Brother Huzi

“What’s going on? Changing clothes? What are you doing?” Chu Chen asked, puzzled.

They were husband and wife in name only, without the reality of a marital relationship.

The original owner seemed completely uninterested in that aspect and had never looked at Li Qinglian’s body before.

That was why Li Qinglian stared blankly at him, timidly saying, “Husband, I need to change clothes.”

“Then change. You don’t need to ask for permission just to change your clothes,” Chu Chen said without thinking.

Hearing Chu Chen’s words, which were hard to understand, Li Qinglian blushed deeply.

At that moment, Chu Chen slapped his thigh and muttered, “The original owner really is a little fool.”

“Qinglian, we are husband and wife. What is there that we can’t be honest about? Husband will watch you change...” Seeing that Chu Chen had no intention of leaving, she thought, yes, since they were married, there was no reason to be shy.

As the clothes slowly fell to the floor,

Chu Chen’s expression was a mix of excitement and heartache.

He was excited because, after being single for over twenty years, he was finally witnessing a scene he had only seen in foreign textbooks.

He was heartbroken because of the many bruises and purple marks all over Li Qinglian’s body—damn it, those were all caused by himself.

So he turned and left the room.

Just as Li Qinglian was feeling down, thinking her husband still didn’t appreciate her body,

Chu Chen returned to the room, carrying something in his hand.

Indeed, Chu Chen had taken advantage of the time to fetch a bottle of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving ointment from the pharmacy.

“Qinglian, it was my fault before. This is a miraculous medicine given by my master in my dreams. I’ll put it on you.”

Li Qinglian obediently lay down on the bed. Chu Chen gently helped her remove her clothes,

Suppressing the urge to curse the heavens.

He carefully applied the ointment onto Li Qinglian’s fair skin.

They said nothing throughout the night. Chu Chen held Li Qinglian tightly, and the two of them fell asleep embraced under the warm down quilt.

Although Chu Chen was fine physically, seeing those scars on Li Qinglian, he still couldn’t bring himself to touch her.

Early the next morning, the broken door was knocked loudly.

“Who is it? Stop knocking, or the door will fall off,” Chu Chen shouted loudly from inside.

Li Qinglian was also awakened by the noise; she had slept especially well last night and was feeling refreshed.

After Li Qinglian quietly put on her clothes,

Chu Chen opened the door to see who it was.

At dawn’s first light, a tall figure stood outside.

If it’s not my brother Huzi, then who else?

The man before him was Chu Xiaohu, the son of his second uncle, tall and burly, a year older than Chu Chen.

When they were children, he always followed Chu Chen around and stood like a wall of flesh when fighting other village kids.

Moreover, whenever trouble arose, since Huzi was a year older, he always took the blame.

“Brother Huzi, it’s not even dawn yet. What are you doing here?” Chu Chen asked irritably.

“Hey, Chu kid, what’s wrong with your eyes?” Huzi asked curiously.

“It’s so bright outside—are you blind?” Huzi muttered under his breath.

Chu Chen looked at the burly man in front of him speechlessly, unable to get angry.

“It’s nothing. Brother Huzi, have a seat first. I’ll go wash my face and brush my teeth,” Chu Chen said, heading toward the well beside the house.

Huzi couldn’t sit still and stared fixedly at the lamb meat in the kitchen, drooling.

Last night, his father had brought home a leg of lamb but only cut off a small piece. Since it was cold, it wouldn’t spoil easily; they had to eat it sparingly.

He never even tasted the meat he got—it was gone in a flash.

Turning around, he saw Chu Chen brushing his teeth and suddenly pounced, knocking Chu Chen to the ground.

Grabbing Chu Chen’s philtrum, he shouted, “Sister-in-law, come quick! Chu kid is poisoned!”

Chu Chen lay pinned down, unable to move, making muffled sounds as the pressure on his philtrum caused him pain.

At that moment, Li Qinglian, toothbrush clenched in her teeth, ran over.

“It’s over, she’s poisoned too!” Huzi let go of Chu Chen and ran toward Li Qinglian.

Frightened, Li Qinglian turned and fled.

For a while, it was pure chaos—chickens flying, dogs barking, a lively scene.

Chu Chen caught his breath and shouted at Huzi, “You scoundrel! I’m just brushing my teeth—stop chasing me!”

Huzi looked back puzzled at the spot where Chu Chen was standing, “Hey, Chu kid, you’re not poisoned?”

“Then why were you both foaming at the mouth earlier?”

Chu Chen stared at the big guy in disbelief, utterly speechless.

“Well, Brother Huzi, we were brushing our teeth. The foam you saw was just toothpaste bubbles,” Chu Chen explained.

Just then, hearing the commotion, the second uncle and aunt came running.

Since their homes were close, they immediately came upon hearing Huzi shout about poisoning.

“What’s going on?” the second uncle asked anxiously.

“Well, Chu kid was foaming at the mouth just now. I thought he was poisoned, so I shouted,” Huzi said to his parents.

The second uncle looked at Chu Chen with concern. “Are you alright, nephew?”

“I’m fine, fine. I was just cleaning my teeth and used some toothpaste,” Chu Chen explained again.

By then, Li Qinglian had finished washing up. Chu Chen had given her a toothbrush yesterday and explained enough for her to accept this brushing teeth business.

“Second uncle, second aunt, I’ll cook. Let’s eat together later,” Li Qinglian said to them.

“No, no, I’ll go back with your aunt to eat. Huzi, let’s go,” the second uncle said, pulling Huzi away.

Huzi shrugged off Chu Dazhuang’s grasp. “Dad, didn’t you say Chu kid had something to tell me? We haven’t talked yet, and you’re already leaving.”

He said this but kept his eyes fixed on the lamb in the kitchen.

Well, not only is he a troublemaker, he’s a foodie too.

Chu Chen followed his gaze but felt no concern—for himself, no matter how much Huzi ate, he could afford it.

He wanted Huzi nearby as a helper, just to have someone by his side in the future.

“Second uncle, second aunt, let’s eat here. Qinglian, go cook for five people,” Chu Chen said to the three of them.

Li Qinglian walked toward the kitchen, and the second aunt immediately followed, thinking to help.

Actually, after eating rice porridge and lamb soup last night, and receiving ten taels of silver from Chu Dazhuang, she felt the heavens had smiled upon her.

Hearing that her nephew had become a miraculous doctor was hard to believe, but all that evidence was undeniable.

So she thought her usual care for this nephew was not wasted.

“Second uncle, Brother Huzi doesn’t have much to do now. I want to hire him to help me. I’ll pay him five taels a month to cover his meals. What do you think?” Chu Chen asked Chu Dazhuang.

“What? That guy’s not worth five taels a month. If you want someone to help, just call him over. Why pay him?” The second uncle looked at Huzi with disdain.

“No, second uncle, if he helps me, I pay him. That’s only fair.”

“But if he doesn’t listen or is lazy, I can deduct his pay,” Chu Chen said seriously.

“No problem, don’t worry. If he dares slack off, I’ll break his legs. But isn’t five taels a bit much?” Chu Dazhuang still fretted over the money. For farmers, saving ten taels a year was already a big achievement.

Five taels a month? That’s sixty taels a year, equivalent to several years’ income for an average family.

“He’s my brother. I have my reasons for paying him that much.”

“Alright, second uncle, don’t say any more. Brother Huzi, any objections?”

What a joke. Five taels a month, plenty of meat at home, plus free meals—only a fool would object.