Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 498

Wu Qingyi now knew very well how to tease Gu Yin. He didn’t mock her but looked at her with a pitiful expression.

Feeling guilty, Gu Yin glanced at the sunny weather outside. “Well, how about we wait until the sun is about to set?”

Since she had been caught, there was no need to keep him away deliberately.

Wu Qingyi continued, “It’s not that I find it troublesome, but I thought the scenery by the lotus pond is beautiful. I wanted to invite Madam to go there together and enjoy the view.”

At a time when Gu Yin was too embarrassed to be alone with him, she naturally replied, “That’s a good idea. Let’s go together.”

As she spoke, she stuffed the booklet into the cabinet and pulled Wu Qingyi outside.

By the lotus pond, the black bamboo boat had already docked at the shore, and the maids were preparing fruits and refreshments in the pavilion by the pond.

Indeed, he didn’t lie; he had come to invite her to enjoy the scenery together.

Gu Yin wasn’t good at swimming, so she didn’t go into the water. Instead, she sat in the pavilion, admiring the scenery and nibbling on fruits.

Initially, Wu Qingyi had a servant help paddle the boat while he went to collect lotus seeds.

However, he later found that the lotus leaves were too densely packed, making it inconvenient for the small boat to pass through without damaging the picturesque scenery.

So, he decided to go into the water himself to collect the lotus seeds. The pond wasn’t deep, but there was mud at the bottom, preventing him from stepping directly.

Gu Yin was initially worried, but as she saw him effortlessly walking around and heard the servant saying that others guarding the shore were also excellent swimmers, she thought swimming in the summer would be good for his health. It would also help him expend some energy during the day, making the nights more comfortable for her. Therefore, she didn’t say anything.

As dusk approached and the heat subsided, Mrs. Wang supported Wu Zhong, and the two of them came out for a stroll.

When they reached the vicinity of the lotus pond, they saw Wu Qingyi collecting quite a few lotus seeds and swimming to the shore. Gu Yin, in the pavilion, put down the ice bowl in her hands and bent down to receive the lotus seeds.

After taking the lotus seeds and setting them aside, Gu Yin took a handkerchief to wipe Wu Qingyi’s face, fed him some water, and gave him a piece of watermelon. Wu Qingyi happily went back into the water. Seeing this, Mrs. Wang and Wu Zhong couldn’t help but smile. They didn’t want to disturb them and turned back the way they came.

After walking for a while, Wu Zhong suddenly thoughtfully said, “Madam, something doesn’t feel quite right. Just now, my daughter-in-law treated Qingyi in a weird way. Doesn’t it remind you of how you treated Big Yellow whenever you took him out to play?”

Big Yellow was a large dog the Wu family raised in Batou Village, guarding the house faithfully. It was loyal, and there was nothing wrong with it, except for its excessive energy.

In rural areas, dogs were usually allowed to roam freely during the day and returned home at night.

However, due to increasing taxes and levies during the old dynasty, life for the common people became increasingly difficult.

At that time, Mrs. Wang didn’t dare let Big Yellow roam freely, fearing it might get caught and eaten by someone. She had to confine it at home.

With no outlet for its boundless energy, Big Yellow started tearing apart things at home, chewing firewood and brooms. Therefore, Mrs. Wang could only take it for a walk every day, holding a branch in her hand.

She would throw the branch into the distance, and Big Yellow, happily fetching it, would bring it back. After returning, Mrs. Wang would pat its head, praise it, and throw the branch again. This routine continued endlessly, and Big Yellow enjoyed it very much.

Mrs. Wang said with a smile, “How can you compare our son to a dog?”

After saying that, Mrs. Wang compared her eldest son to Big Yellow and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. However, she still said, “Don’t meddle in the affairs of the young couple!”

Wu Zhong laughed heartily, “What am I meddling in? I just feel it’s good. I haven’t seen our son so happy in many years.”

As they continued walking and talking, they returned to the main courtyard. By dinner time, Gu Ye, Wu’an, Gu Yin, and Wu Qingyi, who had changed into clean clothes after swimming, all arrived one after another.

Gu Yin cooked a sweet soup for dinner, adding a lotus seed and longan porridge as a dessert.

The lotus seeds were processed by her and the chefs together. The bitter core was completely removed, leaving only a mouthful of soft sweetness.

Because they knew that Wu Qingyi had personally picked the lotus seeds, the whole family cherished the meal even more.

After the meal, Mrs. Wang and Wu Zhong took a rest, while the two children went to do their homework together, and Gu Yin and Wu Qingyi also returned to their courtyard.

While eating, Gu Yin noticed Wu Qingyi touching his neck from time to time.

Back in their room, when the two sat next to each other on the kang by the window, Gu Yin reached out to unbutton his shirt.

Wu Qingyi lowered his hands naturally by his side, as if expecting something, and said softly, “The sky is about to get dark; why is Madam so anxious?”

Gu Yin scoffed at him and loosened his collar to look at his neck.

Sure enough, there was a strange red mark on the back of his dark neck.

“This is a sunburn. Does it hurt?” 

Wu Qingyi shook his head indifferently, “It doesn’t hurt, it’s just a little itchy.”

“Blame me, I didn’t persuade you in the afternoon.”

Wu Qingyi, with his tanned and strong appearance and extraordinary martial arts, gave the impression of having tough skin. Gu Yin only now remembered his scarred physique, realizing his skin would be more delicate than ordinary people.

The commonly used medicines at home were well-prepared. Gu Yin asked Song Shiliu to fetch a little sunburn ointment and applied it to Wu Qingyi’s neck using her fingertips.

The cool ointment became slightly warm under the soft finger tips, and the annoying itching on the neck gradually disappeared, prompting a comfortable sigh from Wu Qingyi.

However, there were some unintended consequences – Gu Yin applied the medicine in a circular motion to facilitate quick absorption. After applying it, she noticed Wu Qingyi’s neck becoming hotter, and his breathing grew heavier.

Realizing the shift in atmosphere, Wu Qingyi seized her weak and boneless hand, placing it between his nose and taking a deep breath.

The cool scent of grass and trees filled his senses, and his voice turned hoarse, with a hint of pleading, “I saw many koi in the lotus pond this afternoon. However, at that time, I was solely focused on picking lotus pods for my wife and didn’t bother to take a closer look. If Madam could inform me, what does ‘koi absorbing water’ mean?”