Chapter 31: Rain, Fever, Mother's Back

Broken eaves, shattered tiles, misty rivers and mountains.

Under the sky, dim gray, the rain still patters.

Du Shanü couldn't see Yu Hen's eyes, yet she could feel the warmth in his palm.

No.

Rather than saying it's warmth,

Better to say it's the soul scorching hot.

At first sight of Yu Hen, she could feel his desolation, loneliness, and an innate story-like aura.

Such bearing, paired with a beautiful face, instantly captivated her soul.

Du Shanü didn't say it aloud, but she kept thinking about how to lure him to bed—first sauce, then ferment, then sauce and ferment again… cough cough.

Loving beauty, loving desire, for fleeting pleasure, while mind and soul are overturned……

This is simply human nature.

However, Du Shanü only now realizes that perhaps everything differs from what she had imagined.

In storybooks, they always love to write generals, princes, emperors, scholars, guards, and all sorts of men.

They often arrive abruptly and leave in haste.

Men swear mountain and sea oaths, yet it hardly affects their betrayal.

Rather than saying generals wage war, it's more like they raid widows' villages, always bringing back some frail concubine, a few children, forcing the first wife to agree to let them in.

Emperors often, for court stability, are forced to marry officials' children; on one side they undress and have many children with others, while on the other they constantly proclaim their helplessness and deep affection.

Scholars often disappear after passing the provincial exam; when seen again, they are 'current top scholar/second/third', snatched as a son-in-law by the imperial list, eager to annul their pre‑exam marriage and seek another splendid future.

Noble households and guards are even more disaster‑prone.

Guards are often silent and taciturn, inexplicably loyal; a single whistle and they can do almost anything.

Among them, a small faction clearly are personal guards, yet they readily draw blades for other women, showing no loyalty to their master, instead displaying deep affection for others......

Noble houses often, in the name of true love, imprison women in square courtyards, fighting mother‑in‑law, fighting concubine, after fighting concubine, seizing household authority.

Afterward, the woman must bear at least two children, one boy and one girl; the boy resembles the husband, the girl resembles the wife.

People mostly envy this, utterly unaware……

These are all men's hunting endeavors.

Humans are born to pursue power and desire.

While women lacking love manifest loss of power.

Women need not necessarily crave love in the inner chambers; they are merely confined, forced to lose power, and thus seek refuge.

Men envy outstanding women, thus they pretext love to commit jealous acts and gather power.

Women can only interact with their husbands, thus they can only accept everything, beautifying everything......

Unknowingly, they do not realize they deserve a broader world.

Are these men handsome?

Most likely yes.

Do people love reading such storybooks?

Most likely yes.

Such men provide enough conflict and enough eye‑catching drama.

Whether they hold a fire inside or find it amusing to relieve boredom, spectators will mostly keep watching.

Just......

They are beloved, but what about those who were originally like little suns?

Those who were originally open‑minded, gentle, perhaps a bit slow, yet pure‑hearted and respectful—what should be done with them?

Just as the morning light is destined each day, such people do not strive, and others already know what choices they will make, so they feel no fresh excitement toward them……

So what should be done with them?

To earn a mere 'you're a good person' remark, then withdraw sadly, ending life alone and bitter?

No, it shouldn't be like that!

Just as elders and parents taught us in youth to be good people……

At the dawn of all things, gentleness, kindness, sincerity, courage—shouldn't these be the qualities we ought to possess?

Such people naturally deserve to be loved!

The rain pours down, Du Shanü's heart thunders.

Beside her, Yu Baobao carries Chinu, staggering along the mountain path; Du Shanü supports him, leading the way through the torrential rain.

Heaven is unkind, all things are blank and white.

Within ten steps, men and women are indistinguishable; within a hundred steps, humans and beasts blur.

On the mountain path, mud is everywhere; a moment's carelessness and you step into ankle‑deep mire, hard to pull free.

Even a healthy Du Shanü struggles to move, let alone Yu Baobao whose eyes haven't healed?

Rainwater runs from his straw hat into his collar, soaking him nearly through, his complexion gradually paling.

However……

He never utters a word of tiredness or bitterness.

He simply keeps close to Du Shanü's arm, only occasionally asking softly:

…… 'Mm, how is Chinu?'

At that moment, Du Shanü turns her head in the rain, slips her hand into Chinu's neck to feel his pulse, then replies either 'fine' or 'not good, his pulse is a bit weaker.'

When it's the former, Yu Baobao exhales in relief, shows a smile, a silver trace flickers at his lips, revealing his beauty.

At this moment, Du Shanü would take over from the other, struggling on the muddy road, letting the other rest a while.

But if it was the latter, Yu Baobao would seem as if the sky had fallen, head down and walking fast, trying to regain as much vitality as possible.

This road, the two of them walked with great difficulty.

However, fortunately, the two supported each other, their unity could cut through metal.

Perhaps after half an hour, perhaps after an hour, when the sky grew slightly light, the three, covered in mud, finally found the medicine shop called 【Hei Dian】.

Du Shanü, carrying the dying Chinu on her back and stepping on mud clods larger than her shoes, entered the door, startling both the old and the young inside the shop.

The three almost collapsed to the floor as soon as they entered the house, unable to get up.

The medicine boy hurried over to help, stripping off the raincoats caked in mud from the three; the old doctor acted swiftly, first taking the worst-off Chinu, whose rainwater and blood were almost indistinguishable, into the inner room for treatment.

Du Shanü lay on the ground for a good while before pushing herself up; her first reaction was not to wring out her clothes, but another strange thing that inexplicably popped into her mind:

"If Chinu were to write an essay in the future, it would surely be easy to write......"

Yu Baobao was also exhausted, huddling beside Du Shanü; rain dripped down his exceptionally handsome nose bridge and then seeped into the ground.

His blindfold had already been removed, but he still couldn't see clearly; thus, when he tilted his head to look at people, he appeared somewhat dazed and foolish:

"Huh? What essay?"

How did we suddenly start talking about writing essays again?

Although Chinu is very talented, he is injured now, so he certainly can't write an essay!

Du Shanü, gazed upon by those lackluster glassy eyes, felt her heart soften involuntarily and smiled:

"It's just a lovable essay template; no matter what topic the teacher gives, asking heaven and earth, asking spirits and gods, whether one knows or not, the continuation is always rainy days, running a fever, leopard leopard cat cat carrying me to the clinic......"

Now, Chinu has truly been carried on someone's back— isn't that just being adept at it!

Yu Baobao's face was pale, yet upon hearing this he still pursed his lips and smiled:

"Chinu would never write like that! His essays have always been the best; I often envy his talent......"

I also often think, Chinu is more like Father's biological child than he is.

Both are extremely talented, and it's quite a coincidence— Chinu is called Chinu, and Father's given name is Ji Nu......

Now Chinu has returned, but I don't know what Father......

Yu Baobao's smile faded gradually, the silver trace beneath his lips disappearing, yet it evoked a bit more pity.

Du Shanü felt a stir in her heart, slowly drawing near to him.

However, before she could do anything, just then two constables in official uniforms walked in from the torrential rain outside.

They were about thirty or forty, also drenched; upon entering, they impatiently knocked on the doorboard with their sabers, took out a wanted poster from the oiled paper bundle in their bosom, and shouted:

"Where is the shop owner?"

"This is the portrait of the bandits who murdered the county magistrate that day; please keep an eye out, and if you see anyone, report it promptly!"

?? Although the author's name is given to Chinu, the Baobao's seem not to realize that Chinu's winning rate is actually extremely low......

? If in the end only one man could be chosen, Yu Baobao would have about an eighty percent chance, while Chinu would have only ten percent, and all the remaining men in the world would share the remaining ten percent together.

? The title 'premier and minister' has never been a good epithet.

? In the opening poem, the phrases 【not retain】 and 【how could allow】 are essentially contempt.

? Chinu is more like a self-awakening NPC, whose base tone is unwillingness, madness, lingering resentment...... and also, the ambition to strive for a sliver of life for himself.

? Whether he can succeed in his struggle actually depends on everyone's feelings. If everyone dislikes him, the author will also replace him at any time, just as everyone replaces this text, opening a new book as easily.

? It's all just a casual gesture on some idle afternoon; we've laughed and made a fuss, no need to mind him~

? （Today is the first, Baobao's, go vote yay (*^▽^*) love you!!!! ）