She still had injuries on her body. How could she endure the cold again?

The young gentleman pursed his lips, “You…”

He hesitated. Li Ruantang’s lips curved into a smile as she walked out from behind the bamboo rack. She rubbed the top of his head and said softly, “Don’t worry, I am a woman. I can endure this bit of hardship.”

Her touch was intimate and natural. The young gentleman’s face flushed red, and he uncomfortably took a small step back.

Hmm.

Meng Jun secretly glanced at Li Ruantang, whose face was yellowish. Was his avoidance too obvious?!

The young gentleman felt guilty and turned around to bring a bowl from the table, “Wife-master, eat this.”

Of the two fried eggs, Meng Jun had intentionally left the larger one. Compared to himself, Li Ruantang needed more nourishment at the moment.

“These are all left for you. I’ve already eaten.” Li Ruantang didn’t mind his evasion. She picked up Meng Jun’s damp outer robe, turned around, and took a few steps outside, hanging it on the bamboo rack in the courtyard.

The frosty wide sleeves swayed gently in the wind and were quickly smoothed out by her fingers. Her movements were gentle and meticulous, without a hint of impatience or disdain, as if she were doing the most important thing in the world.

Meng Jun had never done rough work, and neither had Li Ruantang. But now, she was willing to humble herself for his sake and personally do these things.

It seemed that Li Ruantang was not as reckless as he thought.

The young gentleman, who was secretly watching by the window, slowly blushed again.

Zhou Fulang, who had just come out of the main hall, immediately noticed the eye-catching figure standing in the courtyard. When Hu Sanniang had dragged the person back, he had sized her up a few times.

This young lady had fair and delicate skin. Although her brows and eyes were sorrowful, she had a top-notch appearance. Especially after she woke up, most of the things she asked from the Hu family were for the young gentleman beside her.

Zhou Fulang secretly envied him. After all, the village was not as strict as the capital. He walked a few steps forward and kindly called out, “Young lady, do you have any difficulties?”

“Zhou Fulang.” Li Ruantang was still holding the undergarment Chirp Chirp had changed out of in her arms. She used her wide sleeves to cover it slightly and politely said, “May I ask where in the village can one wash clothes…”

At the base of the wall in the main hall stood a large vat.

However, Li Ruantang was also aware that the water was not for washing clothes.

Zhou Fulang was startled. He had lived in the village for more than twenty years, but he had never heard of any lady asking about this matter.

Zhou Fulang felt even more favorable towards her. He glanced behind Li Ruantang and saw the blushing young gentleman sneakily hiding behind the window lattice, eagerly eavesdropping.

He suppressed a smile and lowered his eyes, “Young lady, if you follow the path outside my family’s courtyard and walk straight for a li, turn left at the big banyan tree. After walking for a while, you will hear the sound of water. That’s where all the gentlemen in our village wash their clothes.”

“If the young lady goes now, there will be fewer people by the river.”

“Thank you.” Li Ruantang silently made a note. Just as she lifted her foot, Zhou Fulang called out to her again. He handed over a bamboo basket with a soap ball inside.

“This is made from soap pods. Young lady, if you rub it to create lather and then rinse with water, you can wash away the stains on the clothes.”

Li Ruantang nodded and casually put the outer robe that had just been dried into the bamboo basket as well. Meng Jun had been eavesdropping for a long time, so how could he not understand what she was going to do?

The young gentleman couldn’t sit still at all. He carefully checked his own clothes, hastily tied his hair with a headband, and then, like a gust of wind, chased after Li Ruantang, who had left the courtyard.

“Wife-master!” He rarely ran around like this. At this moment, his blood rushed, causing the redness on his cheeks to deepen even more.

“Why did you come out?” Li Ruantang turned her head and saw the tiny beads of sweat on the young gentleman’s nose tip. She instinctively wanted to reach out, but remembering his previous avoidance, her raised fingers turned in a circle and then retracted into her sleeve.

“Go back and rest.”

“Wife-master.” The young gentleman grabbed her sleeve, “Didn’t you ask me to check your injuries?”

He didn’t dare to stay too far from Li Ruantang. She had woken up late and hadn’t heard the Hu family’s scheming. But he had heard it loud and clear.

“And…” Meng Jun lowered his head, his gaze flicking to the undergarment pressed in the bamboo basket. That was his close-fitting garment. The young gentleman pursed his lips, “I can do these myself.”

He could pretend to call her wife-master, but some things that were fake were just fake.

Li Ruantang lowered her brows and slightly shifted her footsteps forward, meticulously shielding the young gentleman in her shadow, “Then I’ll accompany you.”

“Huh?”

Meng Jun raised his eyes in slight surprise, falling into her faint smile, “After all, the clothes on my body also need to be dried.”

The wind blew Li Ruantang’s hair, like a drop of ink gently falling into water, spreading out into numerous ripples of ink color.

The tips of the young gentleman’s ears suddenly burned again. Phew, it must be his illusion!

Li Ruantang couldn’t possibly be such a gentle and considerate person!