Luzhou Moon

Chapter 152

Before she knew it, the sky was getting darker and darker. Yue Ruzheng looked up and saw a light drizzle falling outside the window. She quickly put down the clothes she was holding, grabbed an umbrella, and headed out of the courtyard. Soon, the rain became denser and heavier. But just as she climbed the hillside, she saw Lian Junchu rushing towards her again in the rain, her clothes already soaked through.

"Why are you doing this again?" she said, somewhat annoyed. She held the umbrella over his head, patted his clothes, and her hands were wet.

His face was still wet with rain, but he smiled nonchalantly. "I thought the rain wouldn't get any heavier."

Just as they were about to return to the courtyard, a sudden clap of thunder boomed in the dark sky, startling Yue Ruzheng so much that she dropped her paper umbrella. She scrambled to her feet, then frantically chased after the umbrella, which had been blown to the roadside by the strong wind. By the time she returned, both of them were soaked to the bone.

"Are you alright?" Lian Junchu asked hurriedly when she saw that her complexion was not good.

Yue Ruzheng silently shook her head, held up her umbrella, and returned home with him. After washing and changing, she was unusually silent. Lian Junchu had always known that she was still afraid of the dark and afraid of being alone, especially after she herself realized what being alone at night meant, and often thought about things from when she was nine years old.

--If I hadn't gotten separated from my aunt, would you not have lost your hands?

She had asked him the same question before, and he had given her all sorts of explanations and comforts, but in Yue Ruzheng's heart, it was perhaps always a difficult problem to understand.

That's why he didn't want to, or even dared not, leave her alone at home.

Lian Junchu walked to the window and saw her propping her chin up, gazing alone at the rain outside. Then she noticed the deep red dress on the table and deliberately asked, "Is this mine?"

Yue Ruzheng suddenly realized what was happening and reached for the unfinished garment, but her hand gripped the sleeve. Her heart, which had just calmed down, suddenly sank again. She listlessly put the garment down and said, "I'm tired. I don't want to eat dinner. Don't be careless."

After saying that, she walked to the bedside and lay down quietly without saying a word. She lay on the inner side of the bed, unable to see Lian Junchu, but she heard him sigh softly before leaving the room. Yue Ruzheng knew that he would be sad whenever she was sad, but for some reason, she couldn't control herself and couldn't help but think that the reason he had his arms cut off was because of her.

Raindrops pattered on the roof tiles, a sound carrying a sense of desolation and loneliness. She lay in the night for a while, but Lian Junchu still hadn't come in. A feeling of unease and worry crept into her heart. She realized she had been too willful, only knowing that she was uncomfortable and refusing to speak, neglecting his feelings. So she got up and left the room. The main room was empty, and there was no food on the table. Yue Ruzheng felt even more guilty. When she reached the kitchen, she saw Lian Junchu sitting alone in a chair, staring blankly at the dark stove.

Yue Ruzheng's eyes stung with tears. She stepped forward, squatted down, and held his knees, saying, "Why don't you even cook?"

Lian Junchu raised her eyes, looked at her, and after a moment of silence, said, "I don't want to eat anymore either."

Yue Ruzheng's already uneasy heart was instantly thrown into disarray by his gaze and those words. She pursed her lips, picked up some firewood from the ground, and stuffed it into the stove, saying, "Are you planning to starve to death?"

He then lifted his foot, took the tinderbox, bent down, and gently blew on it, lighting a faint flame. In the chilly, rainy night, it added a touch of warmth.

"Let's cook." Yue Ruzheng took the tinder, held it in her hand, and waved it at him.

...

The morning sunlight gently streamed into the small house. When Lian Jun woke up, he found Yue Ruzheng sitting by the window, unusually busy sewing his new clothes.

"Ruzheng, why are you up so early?" He asked, somewhat puzzled, as he looked at Yue Ruzheng's back.

Yue Ruzheng turned around and saw him sitting there wearing only a thin shirt. She rushed over and pressed him down hard. "I've told you so many times, it's not summer now. Get dressed right away."

Seeing her overreacting, Lian Junchu couldn't help but laugh. "I'm perfectly healthy, how could I catch a cold so easily?"

"That won't do either." Yue Ruzheng took the clothes and put them on him, taking the opportunity to touch his neck, frowning as she said, "It's so cold, and you said you weren't cold!"

"It's clearly your hands that are cold..." he muttered under his breath, but seeing her glancing at him sideways, he stopped himself from saying anything more. Yue Ruzheng pulled the blanket up a little higher and patted his shoulder, "Don't get up yet, wait for me a moment."

Then she hurriedly returned to the window and began sewing her new clothes.

After waiting for a while, Lian Junchu couldn't help but say, "It's not like I don't have an outer garment, why are you rushing to make one?"

Yue Ruzheng ignored him, simply took a pair of scissors and cut the loose thread, then came over with the new clothes, sat on the edge of the bed, and said with a smile, "It's finished, try it on!"

She unfolded the dress and draped it over his shoulders. Lian Junchu bent down and fastened the collar himself, then shrugged his shoulders, making a slight adjustment. The deep red dress, though not extravagant, fit him perfectly thanks to her careful tailoring. Yue Ruzheng examined it closely for a long time, then tugged at the hem of his dress and asked, "Little Tang, do you like it?"

Lian Junchu looked down at the clothes and said, "I like what you made."

"My little Tang, you look good in anything." She whispered softly as she nestled against him.

Lian Junchu curled the corners of her lips into a smile and said calmly, "Only you would say something like that."

"I didn't lie to you." Yue Ruzheng wrapped her arms around his waist, straightened up, and looked into his eyes. Lian Junchu's eyes rippled gently like spring water. He leaned lightly against her and said, "I know."

Yue Ruzheng reached out and traced a line between his eyebrows. "Little Tang, the clothes are all ready. We can get married now."

He paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "No wonder you were in such a hurry to finish."

"Aren't you in a hurry now!" she said, pinching his cheek and deliberately speaking fiercely.

Side Story: A Perfect Union (Part 2)

On this day, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle, and the leaves all over the mountain were tinged with a rosy blush. Yue Ruzheng had been "driving" Lian Junchu into the main room since the afternoon, saying that he would not be allowed to see her face until the wedding ceremony.

"Haven't we known each other for years already?" he said helplessly from across the doorway.

"How can you be like this?" Yue Ruzheng hid inside the house, refusing to open the door, seemingly fiddling with something. After a while, she couldn't help but ask from inside, "Xiao Tang, is it cold outside?"

Lian Junchu deliberately remained silent, which indeed made Yue Ruzheng anxious. She walked to the door, opened it a crack, and saw Lian Junchu sitting peacefully at the table. She hurriedly closed the door again and said angrily, "Are you playing a trick on me?"

"Don't worry, I won't barge into your room." Lian Junchu turned to the side with a relaxed air, emphasizing "your room."

Yue Ruzheng peeked at his figure through the crack in the door, a hint of shyness in her eyes, and said, "This isn't my boudoir; this whole room is yours."

Lian Junchu seemed somewhat satisfied, her eyes brightening as she said, "We're so poor, we only have this old house, and you're still willing to marry me."

"Um... I'm very easy to take care of..." Yue Ruzheng felt a little embarrassed, her face slightly flushed, and then added, "I've been waiting for this day."

Lian Junchu turned and looked at the door, sat quietly for a moment, and said, "Ruzheng."

"Why……"

He hesitated for a moment, but still wanted to speak his mind, "It seems like I've caused you a lot of suffering over the years..."

Yue Ruzheng's heart skipped a beat. She quickly knocked on the door and said, "Don't say anything!"

Lian Junchu fell silent. Yue Ruzheng leaned against the door and said softly, "Little Tang, please don't say these things, okay? I'm afraid I'll start crying again..."