Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Wasteful
"No, no, no, you’ve misunderstood; I’m not here to hurry you for the herbal medicine."
Qin Wanru from the other end quickly explained, saying, "I’m calling Mr. Liu this time because I want to ask you for a favor."
"Oh? What favor? Go ahead, I’m listening."
"I was hoping Mr. Liu could catch another Green Bamboo Viper for me?"
"Ah? Catch another Green Bamboo Viper?"
Liu Zheng was at a loss for words.
Although there were many snakes in the mountains, his sister-in-law Wu Min and Liu Sumei had both been bitten by snakes in the past few days.
But to specifically catch a Green Bamboo Viper was a real challenge.
It had been a coincidence that Liu Zheng had come across one before.
But to intentionally search for one in the mountain, that was not going to be easy.
Besides, since it was about catching snakes, there was danger involved and a risk of getting bitten by the snake as well.
Still.
After thinking it over, Liu Zheng eventually agreed.
"Alright, I’ll try my luck in the mountains."
"I really appreciate it, Mr. Liu."
As she heard Liu Zheng agree, Qin Wanru couldn’t help feeling overjoyed.
Soon after, their call ended.
After putting down his phone, Liu Zheng then rode his electric tricycle home in haste.
All he could think about now was improving life for his brother and sister-in-law; other matters could wait for later.
When he arrived at the entrance of his home, Liu Zheng got off the tricycle and walked towards the yard.
Once inside the yard, the first thing he saw were the damp clothes hanging out to dry.
His own dirty clothes were among them.
Not far from the doorway, his sister-in-law Wu Min was diligently washing clothes while sitting on a small stool.
In the countryside, people usually used washboards, and Wu Min was no exception, vigorously scrubbing clothes against the washboard. The movement caused her body to sway up and down, and with it her short sleeves rolled.
This sight caused Liu Zheng’s heart to skip a beat; the glimpses of springtime hidden under the short sleeves appeared and vanished with their motion.
The sight left Liu Zheng staring, spellbound.
However, he managed to control the stirring in his heart, and upon entering the yard, he asked, "Sister-in-law, are you washing clothes?"
With a smile, Liu Zheng greeted her and quickly walked over.
But.
Sister-in-law Wu Min looked up at Liu Zheng, gave him a cold glance, and then lowered her head again without saying a word.
Seeing this, Liu Zheng was taken aback.
Something was definitely wrong; there must have been some misunderstanding.
With that thought, Liu Zheng quickly moved closer to Wu Min’s side, plastered a grin on his face, and asked, "Sister-in-law, what’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you?"
Turning her head to him, she shot Liu Zheng another cold glance.
It seemed that Wu Min had originally not intended to speak with Liu Zheng.
Yet somehow, she eventually sighed, with a stern face she said, "What’s wrong? Humph! Just go back to your room and see for yourself."
After that, she ignored Liu Zheng and resumed her vigorous washing.
Confused, Liu Zheng hesitated but decided to head to his room nonetheless.
Back in the room, just as he entered, Liu Zheng saw something on the bed and his eyes widened in shock, frozen in place.
It was a green, torn piece of women’s underwear.
The moment he saw it, his face immediately changed.
The underwear had been ripped apart by Wang Erniu when he saved Liu Sumei in the mountains that very day. Having picked it up for her and seeing no use for it, Liu Zheng stuffed it into his pocket.
After returning home, Liu Zheng had forgotten to throw it away.
Understanding now why his sister-in-law Wu Min was angry, Liu Zheng felt an immense sense of helplessness.
After thinking for a while, he still took the underwear and left the room, heading to where his sister-in-law Wu Min was.
"Sister-in-law, are you angry because of this?"
Liu Zheng showed the underwear to Wu Min.
"Hmph!"
Wu Min said nothing, only giving Liu Zheng a cold glance before lowering her head to continue doing the laundry.
Seeing that Wu Min was still ignoring him, Liu Zheng became anxious.
He scratched his head and, after a moment of hesitation, decided to tell her the truth.
"Sister-in-law, it’s not what you think it is,"
Liu Zheng sighed and went on, "You know, two days ago, I went into the mountains to collect herbs, right? Just then, I came across Wang Erniu bullying Sister Sumei. I was so furious that I rushed up and beat Wang Erniu away, rescuing Sister Sumei."
"But... At the time, Wang Erniu had nearly succeeded, and he tore Sister Sumei’s underwear. I was in a rush to treat her snakebite, so I just stuffed the underwear in my pocket and forgot to throw it away after coming back."
Upon hearing Liu Zheng’s explanation, Wu Min couldn’t help but frown.
Still doubtful in her heart, she looked at Liu Zheng and asked, "Really?"
"Of course it’s true. Sister Sumei didn’t want me to talk about this incident, but... since you asked me today, I can only tell you the truth. If you don’t believe it, you can go ask Sister Sumei!"
After hearing his words, the coldness in Wu Min’s expression finally began to thaw.
The gloominess that was on her face a moment ago all but dissipated.
However, what replaced it was guilt in her heart.
Liu Zheng isn’t my man, and I’m not his wife, so why should I meddle in his affairs?
What reason does he have to explain himself to me?
Even if Liu Zheng really had a woman, what right would I have to interfere?
Noticing that Wu Min’s expression had improved significantly, Liu Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Sister-in-law, you’re not angry anymore, are you?"
Wu Min, internally cursing herself for being nosy, heard Liu Zheng’s question and couldn’t help but shake her head, saying, "I’m not angry anymore. Why would I be so... Actually, I just thought that someone as young as you, to be a panty thief, that’s why I got angry. But now that I know it’s not true, I’m not angry anymore."
Upon hearing that Wu Min was no longer angry, Liu Zheng couldn’t help but let out a long breath of relief.
Since Wu Min no longer had any worries, she continued with her chores.
After rinsing the washed clothes in the clean water, she wrung them out and casually passed them to Liu Zheng, saying, "Go, hang them up to dry."
As Liu Zheng took them, he just glanced and then froze.
Because these were the boxer shorts he had changed out of that morning.
He had hidden them away, and they were placed under the bed.
But.
He really didn’t expect that his sister-in-law would still be able to find them.
And she had even considerately washed them clean for him.
Liu Zheng suddenly stood there dumbstruck, his face turning red, showing extreme embarrassment.
Seeing him like this, Wu Min paused for a second then realized what was happening, and couldn’t help but starting to smile.
She teased Liu Zheng on purpose, saying, "In the future, oh! Make sure you don’t take matters into your own hands, it’s not good for your health, and it’s wasteful, you get it?"
