Chapter 2885: Small Town Infrastructure Construction Proceeds Cheerfully 05

Huo Zhaoye handed over the water bowl, "It's hot, take a sip of water."

Jin Chen took it, his fingertip touching Huo Zhaoye's finger, lowered his eyes and slowly finished the bowl of water.

"How's the wound?" Huo Zhaoye set down the bowl.

"Much better." Jin Chen said, pausing a moment, his gaze sweeping over Huo Zhaoye's sweat-soaked shirt clinging to his body, "... Your clothes are wet, you'll catch a chill."

Huo Zhaoye stared for a moment, looked down, then lifted his eyes to Jin Chen.

Jin Chen had already turned his face away, staring at the scattered metal shavings on the workbench, his ears slightly red.

Huo Zhaoye raised his eyebrows, that indescribable feeling in his heart welling up again.

He tugged at the collar of his sweat shirt, drew out his tone, sounding somewhat unserious, "It's fine, thanks for the concern, Professor Jin."

Jin Chen said nothing, the tip of his tongue licking his back molar.

Huo Zhaoye turned and went to look at the axle again, pondering how to polish it, catching sight of a few tomatoes in the nearby basket—improved by Yan Gengu, not great in flavor, sour with a hint of bitterness, but already a rarity.

He casually scooped one up and tossed it to Jin Chen, "Try it."

Jin Chen raised his hand to catch it, took a small bite, juice staining his pale lips.

……

So sour.

As an earth deity, how could Yan Gengu have cultivated something like this?

Jin Chen, under Huo Zhaoye's gaze, didn't dare discard the now precious fruit and vegetable, forcing himself to slowly finish it.

Huo Zhaoye bent down to continue fiddling with the axle, using sandpaper to polish the rusted parts.

Jin Chen leisurely ate the sour tomato, leaning against the doorframe, watching Huo Zhaoye work.

The blacksmith's shop was very quiet; after a while, Jin Chen suddenly spoke, "You have metal shavings on your face."

Huo Zhaoye's motion paused, he lifted his head, "What?"

"Left side, below the cheekbone."

Huo Zhaoye raised his hand, rubbed the back of his hand across his left cheek, but missed the spot, instead smearing a bit of black dust.

"Not wiped off." Jin Chen pointed at his own face.

Huo Zhaoye rubbed again, still couldn't get it off, only making that patch of skin redder.

He was getting a bit impatient, so he roughly rubbed his face twice with the back of his hand, the motion crude.

Jin Chen: "……"

He set down the half-eaten tomato, walked over, and Huo Zhaoye looked at him, puzzled.

Jin Chen reached out, lightly brushed Huo Zhaoye's left cheek, the contact brief, then they separated.

"All right." Jin Chen withdrew his hand, turned and walked back to the doorside, picked up the half tomato, continued eating, his expression blank from the sourness.

Huo Zhaoye froze there, motionless for several seconds.

The spot on his cheek that had been touched felt like a mint leaf dipped in cool water brushed over it, leaving a refreshing, slightly damp sensation.

He turned his head, looking toward Jin Chen.

Jin Chen, side-facing him, took small bites of the tomato, his gaze falling on the road outside, bleached white by the scorching sun.

Huo Zhaoye looked at him for a few seconds, then kicked the clueless Xiao Wu's rear, "What are you staring at! Get to work!"

【Villain triggered Heartbeat Value detected, Heartbeat Value +6, total 6!】

——

In the evening, the heat eased slightly.

Jin Chen strolled along the small path trodden by the Old World River bank, the river breeze bringing moisture, cooler than inside the town.

He unknowingly arrived beside the Silence Great Bridge, only a short distance from stepping onto it.

This bridge is an Old World relic, having endured natural disasters and the passage of time; its main structure remains intact, though heavily rusted.

This is the tacit boundary between North and South Town, and also a place where occasional trade takes place.

Jin Chen looked up; on either side of the roughly drawn line painted across the bridge's center stood one person each.

The north side was Huo Zhaoye, the south side a man who looked a few years older than Huo Zhaoye.

"So South Town's generator can be borrowed," Lu Jun said, "but North Town must offer one-third of next month's fishing rights in exchange."

Near the Silence Great Bridge, this stretch of river has relatively more fish, and fishing rights are a resource frequently contested by both sides.

Huo Zhaoye frowned, "One-third is too much; one-fifth, plus fixing that broken door of your granary."

"That door was originally broken by your North Town's kids kicking a ball," Lu Jun stood firm.

"Evidence?" Huo Zhaoye raised an eyebrow.

"Sister Liu was at the drying field at the time, she saw it herself."

"Sister Liu is from your South Town."

The two went back and forth, bargaining, contesting every inch.

Lu Jun raised his eyebrows, smiled, his smile a bit sly, "Lord Huo, you can't put it that way."

"The door breaking was bound to happen sooner or later, but it's indeed your North Town's kids' final kick that made it completely fall off; tit for tat, one-fifth of the fishing rights, repairing the door, that's acceptable, but you need to add something else."

"Add what?"

"Thirty chicken eggs, or something of equivalent value."

"You're extorting?" Huo Zhaoye's tone hardened, "Twenty, no more."

Jin Chen just stood beneath the bridge, occasionally sizing up Lu Jun.

Lu Jun noticed him, suddenly shifted his tone, "Huo Zhaoye, have you become overly nitpicky lately? You weren't this hard to talk to before."

Huo Zhaoye didn't take the bait, "One-fifth of the fishing rights, fixing the door, twenty eggs—if you don't agree, forget it."

Lu Jun raised his eyebrows, glanced again at Jin Chen standing aside, "Fine."

Lu Jun readily agreed, "Considering the face of this Teacher Jin."

Jin Chen turned his face, looking toward Lu Jun.

Huo Zhao Ye was taken aback, disliking Lu Jun's way of dragging Jin Chen into this, "What does it have to do with him?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Lu Jun smiled a bit slyly, "You Northern Garrison gained a teacher who can teach; I'm investing early, building good relations— isn't that fine?"

He spoke half-truth, half-false, even with a hint of trying to sow discord.

Jin Chen walked onto the bridge, standing behind Huo Zhao Ye, "Lord Lu seems to know me."

Lu Jun this guy had better have no memory, rather than also bring some broken mission into the small world.

Huo Zhao Ye glanced at Jin Chen somewhat unexpectedly, not expecting him to suddenly interject and ask this.