Chapter 430: Chapter 429: I Want to Take a Bath
"Uncle, Auntie, Little Chen is here to see you."
He Zichen followed him inside. The room was filled with the smell of medicine.
Auntie He was lying back on the heated bed. When she saw Little Chen come in, she tried to sit up.
He Zichen quickly said, "Auntie, please stay lying down. I just came to see how you’re doing."
Uncle He put down his pipe. "Little Chen, you’re back."
"Yeah. Xiao Yang told me Auntie wasn’t feeling well. What’s wrong? Should she go to a hospital in Beijing City for a check-up?"
Auntie He shook her head. "COUGH, COUGH, COUGH... No, I’m not going. I’m too old for all that trouble."
Uncle He added, "It’s an old ailment of hers. She always gets a cough when the weather changes, but it’s gotten worse these past few years. Going to Beijing City won’t help."
He then asked, "Little Chen, are you doing alright in Beijing City?"
"I’m doing great."
Xiao Yang chimed in, "Grand-uncle, my brother brought his girlfriend back with him."
Hearing this, Uncle He grinned. "Is that so? That’s wonderful news! You’ve been away all these years, and you’re at the right age to get married. It’s good to settle down, so your mother won’t have to worry about you."
He Zichen nodded. "Yes, I know."
Auntie He looked at them and said, "Little Chen and Xiao Yang are all grown up. No wonder we’re getting old. Time flies, doesn’t it?"
Uncle He also said, "It does. I’m already over fifty."
He Zichen asked, "Hasn’t my cousin Zhen Dong come back?"
Uncle He shook his head. "He’s busy. He knows about his mother’s old ailment; it’s not life-threatening. How’s your third uncle’s business doing these days?"
He Zichen replied, "It’s doing quite well."
"That’s good."
Uncle He wanted to have the two brothers stay for dinner, but Little Chen declined, explaining that his girlfriend was still at home and he was worried she wouldn’t be comfortable, having just arrived.
Seeing this, Uncle He let them go.
When the brothers got back, Yun Shu was already off the heated bed. She was in the courtyard playing "eagle catching chicks" with Little Yuan and Xiao Man, while Wang Chunlan and Gao Cuiyun were in the kitchen cooking.
"I’m coming to get you..."
Seeing the smile on Yun Shu’s face, he could tell she liked children, or at least, she was quite fond of Little Yuan and Xiao Man.
At dinner, the family gathered around the table.
Gao Cuiyun was afraid Yun Shu wouldn’t be used to their home-cooked meals, so she had specially made white rice for dinner, along with several stir-fried dishes. She had even slaughtered one of their hens to make chicken and mushroom stew.
There were both meat and vegetable dishes, and it all looked quite appetizing.
"Yun Shu, we didn’t know what you like to eat, so we just made some simple home-style dishes. Give them a try and see if you like them."
Yun Shu said with a smile, "I’m not a picky eater. This is all wonderful."
Gao Cuiyun placed a chicken drumstick in Yun Shu’s bowl. "Go on, eat."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Looking at the drumstick in her bowl, Yun Shu felt a wave of emotion. Whenever her family had chicken, her father would always give the drumstick to her.
It had been so long since she’d eaten a meal with her family. Usually, she would just get off work, go home, and cook and eat all by herself.
Being together with a family like this felt so warm. For a moment, Yun Shu almost forgot this was her boss’s home and that she was here on a mission.
He Zichen noticed her staring blankly at the drumstick in her bowl.
"You don’t like drumsticks?"
Yun Shu shook her head, then picked up the drumstick and started eating.
It was a happy meal. Gao Cuiyun kept putting more food in her bowl, and Yun Shu ate until she was full. Afterward, she walked a few laps around the courtyard to help with digestion.
When He Zichen saw this, he thought to himself, ’This girl is actually pretty cute.’
Yun Shu offered to help wash the dishes in the kitchen but was pushed out by Gao Cuiyun.
"Auntie, I know how to wash dishes."
Gao Cuiyun said, "Even so, you don’t have to. Chunlan and I can handle it. Don’t get your clothes dirty."
Yun Shu pressed her lips together and gave up.
After walking a few more laps in the courtyard, she went back inside and saw her boss sitting leisurely at the table, drinking water.
"Boss, where am I sleeping tonight?"
He Zichen looked at her and said, "Just call me by my name. Don’t call me ’Boss’ at home. If they hear you, they’ll think we’re not close."
Yun Shu pouted. ’We aren’t close, to begin with.’ But when she met He Zichen’s dark gaze, she changed her tune. "So, where am I sleeping tonight?"
"There’s a spare room. I’ll take you there. I saw my mom already cleaned it up."
"Okay."
It was actually right next door to his room. The room was very clean; Gao Cuiyun had even put on new sheets and a new duvet cover. She had already lit the fire for the heated bed that afternoon.
Yun Shu touched the head of the heated bed; it was very warm.
’I actually quite like this kind of heated bed. It must be so warm to sleep on.’
He Zichen watched her and teased, "Looks like you’re adapting pretty well."
Yun Shu rolled her eyes at him. "What else am I supposed to do? I’m already here, so I have to make the best of it. Besides, I’m a victim here, too. This was all your terrible idea."
He Zichen glanced toward the door and lowered his voice. "Hey, you ungrateful thing. Didn’t I pay you?"
Yun Shu thought of what He Zichen had promised her and snorted softly.
"I still don’t think what you’re doing is right. We can say this now, but what if your mom asks us when we’re getting married in a little while? You’re not going to hire a bride to trick her then, are you?"
He Zichen fell silent.
Yun Shu added, "Seeing your mom bustling about for me... I feel guilty."
Yun Shu sighed, leaning against the heated bed.
"By the way, is there a place to bathe? I feel so gross, I’m itchy all over."
He Zichen glanced at her. "Once the kitchen is free, I’ll go heat a pot of water for you. We have a bathing tub."
Yun Shu said, "You don’t have to. I can heat it myself."
He Zichen asked her, "Do you know how to use a wood-fired stove?"
Yun Shu blinked. "Don’t you just stuff the wood inside?"
He Zichen said, "Have you ever used one before?"
Yun Shu shook her head.
"Then I’d better do it. We don’t want you starting a fire on your first day."
Yun Shu thought about it. ’That’s actually possible.’ So she didn’t insist.
A little while later, Gao Cuiyun brought a cup of hot water for Yun Shu and placed it on the table.
"Drink this if you get thirsty. You’ve never slept on a heated bed before, so you might get thirsty in the middle of the night."
Yun Shu nodded. "Okay, thank you, Auntie."
Gao Cuiyun told her, "We’re all family here, no need for ’thank you.’ If there’s anything you need and you feel too shy to ask us, just tell Little Chen."
"Okay."
"We don’t have a TV, so there’s not much to do for fun at night. You should get to bed early."
"Okay."
Not long after Gao Cuiyun left, He Zichen brought the bathing tub into Yun Shu’s room.
Yun Shu still felt a bit awkward watching her boss do work for her.
Then He Zichen came in carrying buckets of hot water and adjusted the temperature for her.
"There, it’s ready. Go ahead and bathe. I’ll be right outside. Just give me a shout when you’re done, and I’ll come in to empty the water."
Yun Shu looked at the heavy tub. ’I definitely can’t move that myself.’ So she had to nod.
Finally, a hot bath. Yun Shu sank into the tub and let out a comfortable sigh.
She mumbled to herself, "The countryside isn’t as bad as I imagined."
Yun Shu looked around the room. In any case, she felt pretty good.
It was as if all her worries disappeared here. Or maybe she had just temporarily set aside her exhaustion. It was so peaceful.
