ALL NOVEL Chapter 53 - I
The weather had not yet reached June, and the earth felt like a pressure cooker. The air was scorching, making every breath not only stuffy but also excruciatingly hot.
Shi Yi had lost the mood for drawing. He slouched in a room with a basin of ice in his arms, staring blankly at the needle and thread that Shi Mo was skillfully weaving back and forth.
“Brother, aren’t you feeling hot? Let’s take a break.”
Shi Mo wiped sweat from his forehead, set aside his sewing, and sighed. “The weather is so abnormal. I wonder how they’re faring.”
“It should be fine; Pei Xing is highly capable. He’ll surely handle things well,” Shi Yi reassured as he pressed his face against the ice-filled basin. He reached out and picked up the small comics that Shi Mo had embroidered. The stitches were intricate, and the characters in the illustrations were adorable and clever.
For a while, he had been creating small comics, and they were selling well at Pei Xing’s bookstore. He had even discussed with Shi Mo the idea of embroidering a few special editions to sell at a premium.
Due to the strange weather, Zhouzhou’s condition had been steadily deteriorating, making him increasingly reliant on the presence of others. This had caused him to temporarily halt the work he and Chu Nan were engaged in.
Nonetheless, after months of diligent effort, Pei Xing and the others had successfully constructed the weapons warehouse on the mountainside.
They had initially focused on producing a batch of grenades, leading to frequent explosions on the mountain in recent times, sparking rumors in the village. Some even claimed their mining activities had angered the mountain deity. Chu Nan had to intervene to quash the rumors.
“You, don’t you like him very much? Why have you been so temperamental lately?” Shi Mo shook his head, a smile on his face as he wiped his sweat.
“You’ve been married for a long time, but you’re still so childish. Now he is very busy. You should be more understanding, caring, and attentive.”
Shi Yi lowered his eyes, trembling his eyelashes. He wanted to understand but he hardly saw the man.
The previous night, Pei Xing had returned late, holding him and kissing him without uttering a word, and they had embraced each other until dawn, leaving Shi Yi in tears.
The following evening, Pei Xing had come home without saying a word. Aunt Hong and Shi Mo assumed that the couple had quarreled and tried to console Shi Yi daily.
.
While they were discussing the matter, there was a sudden knock on the door. When Shi Yi opened the door and saw the visitor, his face turned pale. It was the same soldier who had apprehended the Prince of Chengyang.
The man gave Shi Yi a salute, saying, “Excuse me, I am Zhao Hong, I have an urgent message for Prince Liang. Please help me contact him.”
Shi Yi was about to explain that they were on the mountain but he decided to keep the matter a secret. He hesitated for a moment and stammered, “They are busy with important matters at the moment. If it’s not urgent, you and your companions can come in and rest for a while.”
Zhao Hong was about to decline, but when he saw Shi Yi holding onto the doorframe, looking anxious as if he wouldn’t leave unless they agreed, he accepted the offer and led his small group of soldiers into the yard.
Aunt Hong and Shi Mo, observing these armed men entering, felt their anxiety levels risen up. Shi Yi had prepared a large bucket of iced strawberry juice for them, each with a small wooden bowl. He then returned to the main room, sitting with Shi Mo and keeping a close watch on the situation.
Aunt Hong and the three children sat nearby; their eyes fixed on the people in the courtyard. Shi Liu casted a longing gaze at the iced strawberry juice and was about to express his desire to have some when his third brother embraced him tightly, pushing a strawberry into his mouth, instantly calming him down.
The soldiers in the courtyard had been running in the heat all day and were already overheated. They eagerly welcomed the iced strawberry juice, sharing a bowl among themselves, finishing it quickly.
Seeing they had finished; Aunt Hong hurriedly prepared another large bucket. The soldiers were not satisfied with just one and drank from the second bucket. As they were about to finish, yet another bucket arrived immediately. They paused, looking toward the main hall.
Aunt Hong became wary, and in the main hall, Shi Yi swallowed hard, his heart racing. He clutched onto Xiao Liu in his arms, fearing any possible confrontation. Shi Mo pulled Hong Luo behind him, holding her closely, and watched over his little baby.
Seeing them so frightened, Zhao Hong furrowed his brow, about to explain and reassure them. Suddenly, he noticed the two young shuanger in the room abruptly stood up. He stopped, hesitated for a moment, then coughed and said, “Keep drinking.”
For a while, everyone continued to drink bowl after bowl, but the pace of their drinking slowed down, with one bucket lasting an hour.
It wasn’t until the sun set that one of the younger soldiers couldn’t hold it any longer and loudly inquired about the location of the latrine. This prompted the other soldiers to look towards the main hall. Shi Yi pointed to the backyard and asked Aunt Hong to guide someone to the latrine.