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Zhenshu asked, "Why are you called Big Fish?"

Lin Dayu said, "On the day I was born, my father caught a very big fish."

Zhenshu couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying, "Good things come in pairs!"

To conceal his wicked thoughts, Lin Dayu feigned laughter, but his laughter was so intense that it caused the wound on his back to bleed. Zhenshu threw him the mended clothes she had prepared, saying, "Don't wear these mended clothes. You'll easily catch a cold if you go shirtless like this."

Lin Dayu put on the porridge as instructed, and the two sat on the tree trunk, slowly eating porridge from a bowl and a pot.

After finishing his porridge and putting down his bowl, Lin Dayu said listlessly, "I feel a little dizzy. I need to go inside and lie down for a while. I'll take you out later, okay?"

Zhenshu did as she was told, collected the bowls and washed them clean, then sat outside to wash and hang her own jacket to dry before coming inside and saying, "I washed my clothes and left them for you to use as a blanket at night, as well as the pot and bowls..."

Chapter 24: The Wedding

Seeing Lin Dayu lying with his eyes closed, his face flushed as if he had a fever, she quickly touched his forehead and found it burning hot. She shook his arm and said, "Brother Dayu, why do you have a fever?"

Lin Dayu slightly lifted his eyelids and waved his hand, saying, "I'm afraid I can't see you off."

He was fine last night, but he developed a fever again this morning. He must have caught a cold from peeling the tiger skin all night.

Zhenshu got up and went to the outer room. She washed the plantain she had picked yesterday and put it in the pot to boil. Then she wet a cloth and wiped his forehead. Lin Dayu, wearing that tattered shirt, refused to take it off and mumbled, "You rest outside for a while and wait for me. I'll be fine after a nap."

Zhenshu brought in a strong bowl of herbal medicine, helped him up, and fed it to him, saying, "I was worried you would have a fever yesterday, so I picked a lot of plantain to bring it down. After you drink it and then sleep soundly until you sweat it out, you'll definitely feel better."

Lin Dayu lay down as instructed and fell into a deep sleep again.

Zhenshu sat silently in the outer room for a long time. It was midday, and the sunlight shimmered on the surface of the small river. She had been terrified and sweating profusely since yesterday, and now her body felt sticky. She thought to herself that Lin Dayu was probably fast asleep, so she should take advantage of the heat to wash herself thoroughly and dry her clothes. That way, she would feel refreshed when she left.

She first took off her inner bodice and undergarments and washed them by the river, then hung them on a nearby tree branch to dry. Only then did she take off her outer short shirt and trousers and jump into the water for a comfortable bath. After washing, she reached for her half-dry underwear and long jacket and put them on before washing and hanging up her short shirt and trousers.

The sunlight was perfect, and the May sky was exceptionally clear. She sat on the wooden root to dry her hair, estimating that Lin Dayu Shao's hair should have faded by now. She pushed open the door and touched his forehead again.

To his astonishment, he touched the head and found that despite drinking such a strong medicinal soup, the fever had not subsided; in fact, the forehead was so hot that he could not touch it.

Zhenshu knelt on the bed in a hurry and shook Lin Dayu, calling out, "Brother Dayu, Brother Dayu."

He glanced at Zhenshu with his eyes half-open, then fell into a deep sleep.

It had only been two hours since she had given him the medicine, so she couldn't give him any more. Zhenshu had no choice but to bring in some cold water to wipe him down. She wiped him down again and again until the fever subsided, but it spiked again in the time it took to change the water.

Even as the sun began to set, Lin Dayu's fever showed no signs of abating.

When Lin Dayu was feeding the medicine again, he woke up for a while and said softly, "I'm dragging you down so you can't go home. If I drag this out any longer, it will only damage your reputation. If you're willing, take my dagger and go down the river yourself. You should be able to get to the main road by nightfall."

Zhenshu blew on the medicine to cool it down for him and said, "You saved me from the tiger's mouth, how could I abandon you? Stop talking, I will take care of you until you are fully recovered before I leave."

She cooked some porridge again that night, her brow furrowed, and silently fed him. She herself ate only a few bites, and as night fell, the two of them fell into a deep sleep, one on each side.

The next morning, Lin Dayu's forehead was still burning hot, and his face was turning increasingly bluish-purple.

Zhenshu continued to drink a strong bowl of medicinal soup with every meal, but the fever just wouldn't go down. By evening, even Zhenshu, who was always unwilling to give up easily, broke down and cried on Lin Dayu's body: "Brother Dayu, cheer yourself up and get better. I really have no other way."

Lin Dayu opened his eyes and said, "Good sister, I'm not going to live."

Zhenshu asked, "Why?"

Lin Dayu said, “My family has a hereditary illness. If we don’t have a fever, we are fine, but if we have a high fever for more than three days, we will definitely die. My grandfather and several of my uncles all died this way.”

Zhenshu asked in confusion, "What about your father? If he hadn't died, you might not have inherited this family heirloom."

Lin Dayu said, "My father fell into the river and drowned."

Zhenshu shook her head upon hearing this and said, "I've read some medical books, but I've never seen such an illness before. They probably died because of improper care. Why do you want to discourage yourself?"

Lin Dayu sighed and said, "Just pretend I didn't say anything, and don't worry about me. Move me outside yourself. You can rest in this room for the night, and walk along the river by yourself tomorrow morning."

He struggled to get up, saying, "I'm afraid that dying next to you will frighten you."

Zhenshu hugged him and said, "I will never let you die. I will wipe you clean from time to time to prevent you from burning up."

Lin Dayu shook his head with a wry smile, struggled to get up, and went out the door while holding onto the door frame. He moved to sit on the wooden bench outside and looked at the setting sun in the distance, saying, "Life is but a fleeting moment, like grass in autumn. Although this sunset is infinitely beautiful, it's a pity I won't be able to see tomorrow's sunset."

Seeing that this strong and healthy young man was so tormented by illness and looked so listless, Zhenshu felt very sorry for him. She knelt down in front of him and patted his knees, saying, "Go back and lie down. I will still make you a strong medicine soup. It's just a fever. It will pass."

Lin Dayu shook his head and said, "It's no use."

He gazed into the distance for a long time before saying, "It's fine to die, but I've lived to the age of twenty and haven't even been able to marry a wife. When I get to the underworld, I'm afraid my ancestors won't accept me and will make me a lonely ghost."

Zhenshu was preoccupied with his illness and had no doubts. Confused, she said, "At this point, why bother about whether you've married or not?"

Lin Dayu said, “In our Wen County, unmarried men and women cannot be buried in the ancestral graves, and even if they die, their ancestors cannot accept them. I was born into a poor family and worked as a farmhand, so no woman was willing to marry me. Last night, I was trying to skin the tiger and sell it to save some money for my wedding, but now it seems there is no hope.”

He pointed to the tiger skin hanging high up and said, "After I die, you can roll it up tomorrow and take it back to exchange for some money."

Before Zhenshu could answer, he collapsed to the ground with his eyes rolled back. Zhenshu helped him up and tried to move him into the house, but he woke up again and opened his eyes to look at Zhenshu.

Having spent these past few days together, he had been a bit outspoken, but overall a good person. Kuang Zhenshu, having spent several days with him, had already developed some feelings for him. Seeing the hope in his eyes, she suddenly blurted out, "If you really want to find a wife, I'll have a simple wedding ceremony with you right here, so that you won't have nowhere to return to your family in the afterlife, okay?"

Lin Dayu was overjoyed, and his face immediately lit up with happiness. However, he frowned and said, "I may not live past tonight. How can you become a widow at such a young age?"

Zhen Shu said, "It's just a charade in these mountains to deceive our ancestors. I'll bury you tomorrow and then walk out on my own. As long as I don't say a word, who will know?"

When Lin Dayu heard her say that she was going to bury him, a chill ran down his spine. He then pretended to refuse, saying, "I'm just an illiterate farmhand. Even if it's just a fake ceremony, it's too much of a disservice to you."

Zhenshu helped him sit down and sighed, "My reputation will be ruined when I go back, and it will be difficult for me to get married. If it really can't be hidden, I'll just say that I married you, that you are dead, and that I am a widow. From now on, I can rightfully take charge of the household. Wouldn't that be better?"

Before Lin Dayu could reply, she turned around and went to the back of the house to find some dry firewood, kneaded it into two torches, lit them, and stuck them in the ground in front of the straw house, saying, "Now that we don't have candlesticks, we can only use these to make do. I hope your ancestors aren't the kind of people who like to hold grudges."

She helped Lin Dayu over, and the two hastily bowed to heaven and earth, then gave a perfunctory bow to their parents, and then bowed to each other again. Lin Dayu was already panting heavily.

Seeing that he still refused to go back into the house, Zhenshu prete

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