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墨書 Inktalez
A landslide occurred, and An Shaojie fell to the ground, crying out once again.
"What am I doing this for? If it were someone completely unrelated to me, helping her like this could be seen as noble and great. But this person is someone I hate, someone I despise, someone I've always wanted to take revenge on."
"Why am I helping her?"
He shouted to the sky, but all he received in return was the sound of the rain.
He stood up and placed her on a large stone slab. "Carrying her out of the forest is at least something I can do for her, something I can do for my own conscience. Now her family will be able to find her more easily."
However, his legs found it even harder to descend than to ascend. After setting her down, he felt his body grow heavier, so heavy that he could hardly breathe; each breath brought pain.
He turned back three times as he looked at Qinglan lying on the stone slab. The warmth and friendship of their childhood flooded back into his mind, pushing aside all his resentment towards her.
He hurried back to her side and lifted her onto his back with the fastest speed.
This time, he felt a surge of strength throughout his body; his steps were no longer weak but firm.
Though tears still streamed down his face, he did not cry out.
Cry, cry, poor soul, kind-hearted person. God allows you to weep for yourself, for your family, for your life at this moment.
Wiping away his tears, he resolutely walked toward Liu Family Village.
Tears were meant to flow—tears for his Sister, for his Mother, for himself, and especially for the person on his back. He shed tears of grievance for everyone but found himself moved to tears by the very person who brought him such grievances.
The night in the mountains was dark. An Shaojie cautiously explored the path ahead while keeping a firm grip on her with one hand and using branches or grass to support himself with the other as he descended through the darkness.
Until he saw Qing Shusheng who had come looking for them.
Lying on the bed, An Shaojie shed tears for himself and her once again.
At Qing Shusheng's home.
The lights were bright as day.
The moment Qing Shusheng pushed the door open, it startled the family, causing everyone to come out of their rooms, even Liu Dezhou was helped down from the bamboo house by Liu Xiuzhen.
Liu Jiawei, who had always been indifferent to family matters and had been confined to his room for a long time, timidly walked out, looking at his Father with a shy gaze that lacked the usual boldness and restlessness.
“What happened to Lanlan?” Grandma was the first to exclaim.
“It’s nothing.” While Qing Shusheng hurriedly set down Qinglan, she instructed Liu Xiuzhen to fetch water for Qinglan to bathe and change clothes, and to brew ginger tea with brown sugar, all while hiding her own panic in front of everyone.
“Lanlan was stung by a Bee and needs detoxification.”
After giving instructions on what needed to be done at home, Qing Shusheng rushed out into the night and knocked on the door of the Barefoot Doctor's house in Dai Village.
After a while, the doctor arrived with a medical kit, gave Qinglan an injection, provided medication, and informed that if she did not wake up by morning, she should be taken to the Town Hospital.
That night, Qing Shusheng's family busied themselves around Qinglan until dawn.
In the early morning, a faint red glow began to appear on the mountaintop east of Liu Family Village, enveloping Liu Family Village in a colorful dawn mixed with mist and rosy light.
The black or crimson wooden doors of every household stood open, as Liu Family Village slowly awakened in the morning light after a night of deep slumber. The heavy rain from the previous night had washed the air clean and bright, making the distant mountains and nearby waters appear vividly clear.
An Shaojie had risen early, standing at the threshold of his home’s main door, gazing thoughtfully at the door across from him.
In his life, he could not recall ever having a sleepless night like last night or a morning filled with such anxiety.
He had not answered Bai Cuifen's questions last night, nor did he intend to respond to anyone else’s inquiries of that nature.
To answer would be to subject himself to a form of defilement; his pride made him disdainful of others' speculative judgments and gazes.
At this moment, he seemed to understand a bit of Qing Shusheng's stubborn heart from days gone by.
But this understanding was fleeting, just like the kindness he had shown to Qinglan last night out of pity—it passed quickly.
After all, he was still just an inexperienced youth, unaware of the world's complexities and human relationships.
Though born into poverty, the youthful arrogance and pride he possessed were no different from those of any other young person, regardless of their noble or humble origins; he shared all the virtues and flaws typical of youth.
After peering for a while, he noticed that there was no turmoil stirring within the house across from him; it was very quiet, which should indicate that nothing significant was happening.
He returned to his room and lay back down.
Indeed, it was exceptionally quiet at Qing Shusheng's home.
The family quietly kept vigil by Qinglan's bedside. After hearing the doctor say to observe how things looked in the morning, Grandma entered Qinglan's room right on time as indicated by the doctor.
“What's wrong with Lanlan?” Grandma asked in a low voice.
Liu Xiuzhen waved her hand and smiled, saying, “She’s awake.”
Grandma couldn't contain her joy as she moved closer to Qinglan's bedside, her face lit up with a warm smile.
“Lanlan, our little princess is awake?”
Qinglan slightly opened her eyes. Although her gaze still appeared tired and weak, her dark eyes remained bright and sparkling.
“Mother, Grandma, where am I?” Qinglan looked around in confusion.
“At home,” Liu Xiuzhen replied with a smile.
“At home?” Qinglan thought for a moment. “Wasn't I in the mountains?”
“No, your father carried you back,” Liu Xiuzhen said kindly.
“Father?” Qinglan propped herself up on her arms, trying to sit up, but a wave of pain made her wince.
“Don't move; your leg is sprained. Last night your father massaged it for you all night, and this morning he went to find a doctor to check on you,” Liu Xiuzhen explained.
“Oh.” Qinglan lay back down.
She had something else she wanted to ask. “What about Brother Shaojie? Has Brother Shaojie come back? Is Brother Shaojie okay?”
But the words were swallowed back. Such a question would surely provoke a storm from Mother.
Sighing, Qinglan decided to wait for Father to return before asking him.
She clearly remembered that before she fainted, only An Shaojie was by her side. Her vague memories and perceptions also made her certain that the person who carried her home should be Brother Shaojie, so how could it be Father?
Last night, while resting on Brother Shaojie's back, despite the various pains on her face, body, and legs, she was mainly just exhausted and fatigued. Thus, she fell into a peaceful sleep on his back, and in her hazy state, it seemed she remembered many things.
However, when Qinglan's health fully recovered and she asked Qing Shusheng about that night, he told her nothing, insisting that Qinglan had been found by him on the riverbank and that he had carried her back himself.
He said the same to Liu Xiuzhen and Grandma.
Although Liu Xiuzhen remained skeptical of Qing Shusheng's account, she gradually came to believe him. After all, since the day Qing Shusheng became her husband, she had only trusted him completely.
Yes, Qing Shusheng had to say it this way. Even though he knew An Shaojie hadn't harmed Qinglan in any way, in such a remote village, any little stir would lead to gossip. To protect the two children from harm, he could only say this. He also believed that An Shaojie would understand him and keep his help in his heart.
When he returned to Liu Family Village that night, didn't he timely avoid being seen? Meticulous yet inherently kind-hearted, he was actually a child who considered others' feelings.
Moreover, could someone as noisy as Liu Xiuzhen tell her the truth?
He didn't need her repayment; as long as she didn't cause trouble.
Since she didn't understand the concept of repayment, why should he tell her the truth that required it? As for Qinglan, the kind child held everything in her heart; she had her own pure sky. Qing Shusheng believed in her; there was no need to tell her the truth because she understood gratitude and appreciation.
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