Yuan Zhao quietly covered him with the quilt. The doctor had just finished taking his pulse, so he was likely fine. Lunch could wait until he fully woke.
No one expected Shi Wuxiang to wake so quickly. During meals, Shi Zhangshi’s eyes were still red as she gazed at Yuan Zhao, seeing him as the hero who had awakened her son.
“These days, you don’t need to worry about chores. Just take care of Axiang at home. We’ll handle washing, cooking, and gathering firewood,” Shi Zhangshi said softly.
“No, no need!” Yuan Zhao shook his head repeatedly, barely holding his smile. “These are my duties. Let me do them!”
He was a trickster. By sheer accident, Shi Wuxiang had regained consciousness. If he didn’t diligently do his part, he might have been driven away.
He couldn’t let it happen—having to drag Yuan Yuan around, possibly ending up in a situation even harsher than now… no, he absolutely would not allow it!
Shi Zhangshi didn’t expect him to be so intense, but it made her think even more highly of him. “You don’t need to handle all these things yourself, but I understand your heart.”
“Yes, Sister-in-law, we’ll all help,” Shi Qingran said, his face still tinged with childlike innocence, giving Yuan Zhao’s arm a gentle shake, a sweet smile on his lips.
Yuan Zhao could only smile in return. He had to perform well; he couldn’t let the Shi family discover he was lying!
After breakfast, Yuan Zhao carried the basket and borrowed tools into the mountain to gather firewood. Once the basket was full, he used a wooden pole to lift two large bundles of wood and branches—enough for them to last the day.
He would collect more firewood later, after a short rest.
No sooner had he set down the bundles than Yuan Yuan ran over to tell him Shi Wuxiang had awakened again.
Compared to earlier that morning, Shi Wuxiang was much more alert and had some understanding of his situation.
However, when his gaze fell on the hurried, thin black-haired boy in front of him, his eyes pained him, and so did his conscience.
During his coma, he had dreamt—but these were no ordinary dreams. They were the entirety of the original host’s memories, including all his understanding and perceptions of the world.
He hadn’t expected that in this absurd, bizarre world, besides men and women, there existed a category called “brother” who could marry and even bear children… The thought alone made Shi Wuxiang’s head ache.
Thirty years of living cleanly, unmarried, childless, with no irresponsible pre-marital antics, having spent all those years immersed in scholarship, finally getting some rest—yet he now inexplicably ended up in a plane crash…
Yuan Zhao, aware that he didn’t look impressive—small, thin, dark—lowered his head silently when he noticed Shi Wuxiang staring.
“He is…”
“Didn’t I tell you this morning? You forgot again? He’s the husband chosen for you by your mother to break the bad luck, your matchmaker husband. Yuan Zhao is kind, sensible, and well-behaved. You’ll need to get along well with him,” Shi Zhangshi said, her gaze fixed on Yuan Zhao with obvious satisfaction. This was far better than that girl from town!
Shi Wuxiang looked at the clearly young, slender face and delicate, underdeveloped frame, bewildered. “How old are you?” he asked, absurdly.
“Ten… fifteen…” Yuan Zhao didn’t understand why he was asking. Did he think he was too old?
“A male spouse? And underage? This is illegal!” Shi Wuxiang’s frail face was the picture of outraged righteousness. Just waking up, he should be sent straight to jail!
Illegal?
Who in an ordinary household had ever heard of such a thing?
Yuan Zhao froze for a moment, instinctively shielding Yuan Yuan behind him, a puzzled look on his young face. “Why would marriage be illegal?”
Shi Zhangshi frowned slightly. “Don’t scare Yuan Zhao; he hasn’t studied. Marriage isn’t illegal. He’s just arrived, and you woke up—this is all thanks to him! You mustn’t bully him.”
So, there was no betrothal, no formal match—this was purely a “match to ward off misfortune”!
This utterly upended Shi Wuxiang’s worldview. His head swiveled and he fainted again.
“Ah, Wuxiang! Are you alright?” Shi Zhangshi quickly shook him gently, though she didn’t wake him. Luckily, he was still breathing, or she might have fainted too!
Judging by Shi Wuxiang’s reaction, she guessed he was still thinking of that girl in town. Thus, her gaze toward Yuan Zhao carried a hint of apology.
She softly reassured him, “Don’t worry, he’s just unsettled. When he feels better, I’ll explain properly. He’ll never mistreat you.”
“Ah, alright… it’s fine…” Yuan Zhao forced a smile, not knowing what else to say.
He hadn’t thought about all these absurd matters before being brought to break the bad luck. He only wanted a place to eat and sleep, yet Shi Wuxiang woke so early and seemed not to like him much.
In any household, if someone harbored malice toward you, life was uncomfortable. He’d have to wait for the right chance to get along.
Being good at lowering himself, as long as he worked diligently and appealed to Shi Wuxiang, he probably wouldn’t be driven away.
“You stay here to care for him. I’ll take Yuan Yuan and the others into the mountain for firewood. The medicine in the kitchen is nearly ready; we’ll let him drink it when he wakes,” Shi Zhangshi instructed, hoping to give them a chance to be alone together before leaving.
The room was left with only the still-sleeping Shi Wuxiang and Yuan Zhao, now feeling at a loss.
He sighed softly, considered briefly, and went outside to check the small stove. The bitter, pungent aroma of the medicinal decoction made him recoil, yet he feared overcooking it, so he carefully poured it into a bowl and brought it inside to cool.
Should he wake Shi Wuxiang? Or let him sleep a bit more before drinking the medicine?
“Hu… Wuxiang? Do you want to wake up and take your medicine?” Yuan Zhao asked timidly, gently shaking him. “Wake up, drink, and then you can sleep some more, alright?”
Shi Wuxiang lay stiff, his chest still rising and falling. Otherwise, he might have looked like a corpse.
Yuan Zhao shivered involuntarily at the thought.
Wanting him to feel more comfortable upon waking, Yuan Zhao began massaging his arms and legs. The doctor had said that after lying so long, he needed regular movement to regain strength.
He pinched his arms, patted his thighs, and even rotated his ankles.
Yuan Zhao sighed softly. What a fine young man he was!
Shi Wuxiang felt that the number of times he had lost consciousness in the past day almost matched his breathing rate. Yet this time, when he awoke, he didn’t feel the usual floating, dazed sensation. His limbs tingled lightly.
He raised his head slightly, only to see a thin, dark face leaning in front of him, hands persistently kneading his arms.
“What! What are you doing?!” Shi Wuxiang exclaimed. He was a patient!
“The doctor said you haven’t moved for several days, so I’m helping you. Did I hurt you?” Yuan Zhao frowned slightly, softening his touch. “I’ll use less force—I forgot I even have strength!”
Shi Wuxiang closed his eyes, his emotions stirred, almost about to faint again, but the boy shook his head gently.
“Don’t faint! I may not look good, but running a household doesn’t rely on looks. Except for Uncle’s family, hardly anyone dislikes me… but they do!” Yuan Zhao’s thin face flushed with pride.
Uncle’s family wasn’t popular in the village—but he was!
Shi Wuxiang turned his head away, murmuring weakly, “I’m a man… how can I marry a man… a man can’t bear children…”
The thought alone nearly made him faint again.
“Don’t faint! Don’t faint! We have no silver left for medicine!” Yuan Zhao shook his head, jostling him. “If you want to rest, take care of your body first. I’ll handle the household from now on!”
Shi Wuxiang looked at his frail appearance, clearly unconvinced. But the original memories told him this was how the villagers lived.
He forced a bitter smile. “I don’t really want to face reality yet…”
“That’s your problem—you need to overcome challenges!” Yuan Zhao straightened his neck, speaking matter-of-factly. “Besides, living with me isn’t bad at all! I’m strong! I have strength!”
He was indeed strong!
Shi Wuxiang, seeing his self-assuredness, couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Who brags like that?”
Yuan Zhao hummed softly. “You praise me when you should, scold me when needed, but you can’t hit me. Hitting is bad. Second Aunt said no wife goes unhit, but I don’t want to be hit…”
“Trying to hit you would be illegal…” Shi Wuxiang smiled helplessly. Besides, with his current weak state, he probably couldn’t even lift an arm—this kid could knock him out for three days with a single punch.
“Why do you always say such scary things?!” Yuan Zhao acted maturely. “You’ve talked long enough; drink your medicine!”
He helped Shi Wuxiang up and handed him the dark, bitter bowl of medicine.
“…Can I faint now?” Shi Wuxiang asked, sulking. He wasn’t keen on drinking bitter medicine, but who would drink it for pleasure?
“Don’t faint, just drink it!” Yuan Zhao raised his hand, tilting his head. “Can’t lift it? Then I’ll feed you.”
Fortunately, having massaged him earlier, Shi Wuxiang found he had some strength. He took the bowl and drained it in one go.
The bitter, pungent medicine burned his throat. He shut his eyes tightly, forcing himself not to show weakness in front of the boy.
“Did you feel faint sitting down?” Yuan Zhao shook his hand.
“No.” Perhaps the overwhelming bitterness actually eased his complexion slightly.
Yuan Zhao took the bowl and stood. “I’ll wash this. Grandma took them into the mountain for firewood. I’m going too—you need the chamber pot? I’ll bring it.”
The same old line. Shi Wuxiang sighed helplessly, like an elderly scholar. “You want me to faint again? If you have things to do, just go.”
“Really not going? You didn’t use the chamber pot while unconscious!” Yuan Zhao frowned. “How could you not need it?”
“I don’t want to right now. You better go check the mountain, quickly!” Shi Wuxiang’s face was ashen.
Seeing he was serious, Yuan Zhao nodded. “Alright, I’ll go. You can faint if you want; wake up after we return for lunch.”
Shi Wuxiang: “…”
You’re using me as an alarm clock?