Luzhou Moon - Chapter 156
Yue Ruzheng was speechless. She deliberately kicked him and said, "I thought you were nice before, but now you're suddenly so heartless."
Lian Junchu smiled, remaining silent, but turned to lean against her, quietly watching her. At these moments, Yue Ruzheng could never resist his indifferent, lingering gaze; whether genuinely angry or feigning indifference, she could only surrender. This time, her face flushed, and she couldn't help but pounce on him, biting his cheek, and said angrily, "Always trying to seduce me."
He couldn't help but laugh, letting her lie on top of him and touch him wildly.
Yue Ruzheng was small, so sleeping all over him wouldn't be too heavy. She stretched out her arms to hug him, pressed her cheek against his chest, and said, "Little Tang, this way you won't be cold."
"Mmm." He replied simply, his eyes closed.
"Little Tang, Little Tang, Little Tang..." she called softly to him again. Lian Junchu suddenly raised his head and kissed her lips.
The long kiss almost suffocated them both. He took advantage of this moment to quietly lift his leg and hold her tightly. Yue Ruzheng's long eyelashes trembled, and then she reached out and unbuttoned his clothes.
Her fingertips touched Lian Junchu's arm, trembled slightly, and then she lowered her head and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
Lian Junchu's heart stirred. Her soft lips lingered on his shoulder and arm, and although there was still a hint of hesitation, it was the warmest comfort on this chilly spring night.
Side Story: Keeping You Warm (Part 2)
Before we knew it, another winter had arrived.
The little yellow dog has grown up, is agile, and has bright eyes. Its name has changed from "Little Yellow" to "Big Yellow," but it still likes to follow its owner around and wag its tail from time to time, just like when it was a puppy.
However, besides it, there were only the owner and his wife in this small courtyard in the mountains.
Winter in Jiangnan also offers a unique landscape. Perhaps one night, fine snowflakes fall silently from the sky, landing on the thatched roof. At dawn, upon waking, one finds the outside world bright and white. Pushing open the window, one sees snow-white branches drooping quietly before their eyes, still carrying a touch of dust.
At this time of year, Yue Ruzheng's favorite thing to do was to hide under the covers, clinging to the person beside her and not letting him get up early. When they first started living together, Lian Junchu had a habit of quietly getting up before dawn, biting his clothes, and going to the main room to put them on. Yue Ruzheng was unaware of this at first; every time she woke up, she would see him already dressed, even already in the kitchen. But one day, she woke up early and, in her drowsy state, saw Lian Junchu walking out wearing only a thin shirt, so she called out to him.
At first, he simply said he was used to waking up early. Yue Ruzheng asked, puzzled, "Then why do you insist on going outside to get dressed? What if you catch a cold?"
He refused to elaborate.
Yue Ruzheng thought he still didn't want her to see him dressed, so her heart softened a little. She stroked him and said, "I've seen you take your clothes off before, why would I be afraid to see you dressed?"
"That's not what I meant..." He turned his head to the side, sat on the edge of the bed, and fiddled with his clothes with his foot. "It takes me too long to get dressed, and I'm afraid I'll wake you."
Yue Ruzheng hadn't expected him to think so meticulously, and felt a pang of sadness mixed with deep emotion.
"Are you trying to break my heart?" She rubbed his shoulders, applying more pressure as if she wanted to meld him into her palm.
After that incident, she forbade Lian Junchu from doing such a foolish thing again. However, he still had the habit of getting up before her, and even when Yue Ruzheng was half asleep, she would subconsciously help him. Actually, it was just simple actions like tying his belt or adjusting his clothes; he would try his best to do everything else himself and didn't want to rely on her.
But in the dead of winter, she became stubborn, refusing to let him get up alone anymore, and always loving to hold him close, lying down together. The winters in Jiangnan were unbearably cold and damp. After waking up, Yue Ruzheng would often lie down beside him to look at him. Sometimes, before he was even awake, she would carefully move closer, and even just watching him silently made her feel happy.
On the morning of the first snowfall, Yue Ruzheng had just woken up when she heard the barking of a large yellow dog outside the courtyard. At first, she didn't pay much attention, but after a long time, it continued to bark loudly, as if something had happened.
"What's wrong with Dahuang?" She asked worriedly, nudging the person next to her.
Lian Junchu was also woken up. She sat up helplessly and said, "They probably saw something."
"Get dressed!" She saw him get up and try to leave, so she quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"I know, I'm not stupid..." He lifted his foot and grabbed the robe from the chair, bit the collar with his teeth and slung it over his shoulder. Then, with a shrug, Yue Ruzheng pulled the other side of the robe over for him. He would put his arms into the sleeves himself, but she still needed to tie the belt.
Before she could help him tuck his trousers into his boots, he had already dashed out. Yue Ruzheng waited a while, then suddenly heard Lian Junchu calling from outside, "Ruzheng, come out and see!"
"What is it?" Yue Ruzheng didn't know why he seemed so interested, so she dressed and ran out of the courtyard in the cold.
Not far away, near the edge of the woods, Lian Junchu squatted under a tree, while her large yellow dog barked incessantly at the bushes. Yue Ruzheng hurried over, and Lian Junchu looked up with a smile, saying, "Look at that cave over there."
Beneath the mound of earth on the mountainside was a small cave. The entrance, which had been covered with fallen leaves, had probably been dug open by the yellow dog, revealing its secrets. Although it was dark and difficult to see clearly, Yue Ruzheng could still make out two round things huddled together inside, their backs covered with gray thorns.
"A hedgehog?" Yue Ruzheng smiled, pursing her lips.
"They hide away in winter." Lian Junchu kicked the fallen leaves at the entrance of the hole back into place, sheltering them from the wind and rain.
Yue Ruzheng pointed at the yellow dog and said, "Big Yellow, you're not allowed to disturb the hedgehog's sleep anymore, understand?"
The yellow dog wagged its tail, and when Lian Junchu called out, it followed its male owner into the yard.
...
When spring came, the pair of hedgehogs reappeared around the yard. One day, Yue Ruzheng discovered their tracks while cleaning. One hedgehog was busy all day long, constantly bringing back straw, while the other hedgehog hid in the corner where they usually stored firewood, wrapping itself up inside.
"What are you trying to do?" she asked Lian Junchu, puzzled.
Lian Junchu went over to take a look and said, "She's probably preparing for childbirth."
Yue Ruzheng blushed and said, "You've been hiding all winter, and now you're going to be parents so soon."
Lian Junchu seemed surprised by her reaction and looked up at her in astonishment. She glanced at him, noticing something strange in his gaze, and quickly patted him, saying, "Don't overthink it."
"No, no..." He suppressed a laugh and ran away, but instead of going back to his room, he went to pull weeds behind the house.
Last year, Yue Ruzheng found it inconvenient to go down the mountain to buy vegetables every time, so she cleared a small plot of land behind her house, loosened the soil, and started trying to grow her own vegetables. She had never done farm work before, and at first she didn't even know how to use a hoe or rake, and her hands were covered in blisters. Lian Junchu felt sorry for her and forbade her to continue. But she persevered and turned this small plot of land into a vegetable garden, even building a trellis against the corner of the wall so that the vines and fruits could climb on it.
While she was doing these things, Lian Junchu could only watch from the side. Yue Ruzheng didn't ask him for any help, but one time when she turned around, she found him carrying a bamboo chair with his amputated arm as he walked towards her, his head down and his brows furrowed, looking very tired.
Before Yue Ruzheng could ask a question, he quickly put down the chair, pushed it to the edge of the vegetable patch, and said, "I can sit down and weed."
She stared blankly, saying nothing more. He then sat down in the chair, took off his shoes, picked up the sickle from the ground, and began cutting the weeds in front of him, stroke by stroke.
"If we grow vegetables, we can cook delicious meals for you every day," he said happily.
Later, he even learned to use his shoulder and arm to hold the long handle of farm tools to clear land. At first, he rubbed his arms and neck raw, which Yue Ruzheng only discovered when she went to sleep at night. She was so sad that she cried. When Lian Junchu saw her crying, he panicked, but while he tried to comfort her, he also felt somewhat helpless.
"I just wanted to see if I could be like everyone else," he said, turning to look at her sideways.