"See? That's your home."
The entrance of the cave faces the village, and from a high vantage point, you can have a panoramic view of the entire small mountain village.
With the faint moonlight, you can see Zheng Chunmei's home.
"Look, I see." Zheng Chunmei hummed weakly, and then hugged Zhao Zheng tightly, "Uncle Zhao, I'm so cold!"
Zhao Zheng initially thought she was hot, but now when he touched her, she was actually burning. "Do you have a fever?"
"I don't know. My nose is blocked and my head feels very dizzy." Zheng Chunmei said.
Zhao Zheng pretended to rummage through the bamboo basket beside him, then spent a few coins to buy a thermometer from the mall. "Put it under your armpit and don't move."
Zheng Chunmei didn't dare to move, her body just kept shaking.
Zhao Zheng thought for a moment, took off his bearskin coat, let her wear it, and then wrapped her in a thick cloth. "Are you feeling better?"
"It's still cold." Zheng Chunmei said.
"Who told you to wear so little clothes? It would be strange if you didn't catch a cold." Zhao Zheng said.
Zheng Chunmei said aggrievedly: "Is it because I don't want to wear more? It's because there is nothing to wear!"
"We didn't have many clothes at home, and the weather was cold. The child was still young and couldn't get cold. So, all the remaining clothes went to my grandmother."
"When I go out, she won't let me wear it. She even wears it when I sleep. When I get home at night, the bed is as cold as an ice cellar."
"It's not like everyone has a kang, firewood, and thick clothes like your family."
Zhao Zheng sighed, then took out the thermometer from her armpit and looked at the temperature. It was 39 degrees.
"I have a high fever."
Zhao Zheng frowned, "Why don't you say it if you feel uncomfortable?"
Zheng Chunmei shed silent tears, "I'm afraid you'll think I'm being hypocritical, afraid you'll think I'm trying to blackmail you!"
Widow Zheng, who was already thin and haggard, looked like a broken vase at this moment.
Zhao Zheng rummaged through the box again and took out a fever-reducing pill and some medicine for treating colds.
He took out a kettle and a cup from the drawer, made some medicine, and handed it over. "Take this medicine for fever, and this is for treating colds."
"It's very expensive. I can't afford it." Zheng Chunmei said with red eyes. She actually knew that Zhao Zheng was not a stingy person, but at this moment, she couldn't help but feel humble.
"You don't have to pay it back. I gave it to you voluntarily." Zhao Zheng exhaled a puff of smoke. "If you die of illness, where can I find such an obedient young widow?"
"Go away! I thought you couldn't bear to leave me, but it turns out you're just afraid no one will take care of you." Zheng Chunmei said this, but she took the medicine very consciously. After drinking it, her stomach felt warm. "Thank you, Uncle Zhao."
Zhao Zheng curled his lips, then took out the lunch box from the bamboo basket and said, "Eat. Good things will come faster when you are full."
Zheng Chunmei took the lunch box, which was very heavy, and thought it must contain corn rice.
But when I opened it, I was completely stunned.
"Rice, and...chicken?"
"so much!!!"
Zheng Chunmei has never eaten such a sumptuous meal in her life.
"There's so much meat!"
For a moment, excitement and touching were intertwined in my heart.
Woo~
She couldn't help crying.
Zhao Zheng was speechless.
Is it enough to make you cry over pre-made braised chicken with rice?
"Why are you crying?"
"Uncle Zhao, you're so good to me!" Zheng Chunmei said sincerely, "I've been married to the Li family for so many years, bearing children for them, and even during my confinement period, I've never eaten meat..."
"Stop being sentimental and eat quickly."
Zheng Chunmei looked at Zhao Zheng deeply. This man was as hard on the outside as he was soft on the inside.
She picked up the spoon and started eating.
The plump rice has absorbed all the soup, and the chicken is tasty and filling.
After taking a bite, she felt like she was coming back to life.
After eating, she felt much better. "Uncle Zhao, I'm done!"
"Cover it and put it in the bamboo basket," Zhao Zheng said, handing over the medicine. "This is a fever-reducing medicine. Adults take one pill, and children half. Keep it. If the fever persists, remember to take it in two hours."
"This is for treating colds, take twice a day..."
"Uncle Zhao, this medicine is very expensive, isn't it?" Zheng Chunmei took it and said seriously, "I will definitely return it to you."
Zhao Zheng waved his hand. "If you have nothing else, go down the mountain. I'll lend you my leather jacket for two days. Don't let your old lady see it. Remember to return it to me in a couple of days!"
Zheng Chunmei shook her head, lay down directly, and hugged Zhao Zheng tightly, "I don't want to leave!"
"Aren't you afraid your old woman will find out?"
Zheng Chunmei gave a bitter laugh. "I wasn't feeling well yesterday. Do you know what my grandmother said when I told her?"
"say what?"
"She told me to stay away from her so as not to catch a cold, and she made me sleep alone in the small room next door." Zheng Chunmei smiled miserably. "The window over there was broken, and there wasn't even any bedding. She made me sleep in a grass nest... So, tonight, I don't want to go back!"
The cave was very simple, but there were bedding, a mattress, candlelight, and a man who was as warm as a kang.
Even though this man is old and cold, he is one of the few men in the world who is willing to care for her, give her medicine, and feed her meat.
"I can't help you!"
"I know." Zheng Chunmei pleaded, "Just let me stay here tonight. I'll be very obedient. I promise to leave before dawn and won't let anyone know about our relationship."
At this moment, Widow Zheng was extremely fragile both physically and mentally.
Zhao Zheng sighed softly and wrapped the thick cloth around her body tighter. "Don't do this again!"
Widow Zheng threw herself into Zhao Zheng's arms.
The cold wind was howling outside, but the small cave was extremely warm.
Bang bang!
"It's the second watch~"
Pan Dabo's voice echoed in the small mountain village.
After Zheng Chunmei took the medicine, she began to sweat all over and her hair stuck to her face, but her brows were still furrowed.
Zhao Zheng pulled out his arm which was numb from being pressed, blew out the candle, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Before dawn, Zheng Chunmei woke up, looked at Zhao Zheng who was sleeping soundly, and tightened her clothes.
"Thank you, Lao Zhao!"
"This is the most restful night's sleep I've had in recent days!"
She seemed to be talking to Zhao Zheng, or muttering to herself, then she covered Zhao Zheng with the cloth and left the cave quietly.
The moment she left, Zhao Zheng opened his eyes in the darkness.
When she entered the house, Zheng Chunmei had taken off her pajamas. She was wearing a leather jacket and was not afraid of the cold wind at all. She simply started to work in the yard.
Mrs. Li was also woken up by the noise and couldn't help but push the door open. "Chunmei, why are you up before dawn?"
Sure enough, she didn't know that she didn't come back last night.
Zheng Chunmei felt bitter and said, "The small room is drafty at night. It's unbearable to be freezing. It's warmer to work outside."
Mrs. Li knew she was in the wrong. "Chunmei, I'm afraid you'll pass the cold on to the children. We don't have enough money. If the children get sick, it could be fatal!"
"Mom, I understand. I won't feed Sanya for the next two days. Please give her more rice porridge!"
Mrs. Li was furious when she heard this. "What? No, absolutely not!"