The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 65

Chapter 65: She’s Exhausted

Jiang Huaizhen was lying on the bed, her face as pale as paper, and her chapped lips were covered with scabs.

Her two legs were swollen from being soaked, and her pale skin was covered with small wounds. The most shocking was the hideous wound on her right calf, the flesh turned outward, like a gaping mouth.

Lin Shuang carefully applied medicine to her, her fingers trembling slightly.

She hadn’t sent Jiang Huaizhen to the clinic.

The flood had just passed, and the city was full of patients with seasonal epidemics. If she went to the clinic, she might catch a more serious infectious disease. Besides the external injuries, Jiang Huaizhen had mainly collapsed from exhaustion and cold entering her body, as well as being soaked in water for too long.

She had asked Doctor Xue and knew how to give her medicine.

The person on the bed had been unconscious for a whole night. Lin Shuang sat by the bed, occasionally moistening her lips with water. In the end, she was exhausted and fell asleep, lying beside her.

Old Madam Jiang grumbled, frequently going in and out of the room.

“She’s such a stubborn girl. How did she grow up with such a stubborn temper? The officials are all busy moving their belongings to higher ground, but she, she’s risking her life!”

Sighing, she thought of the medicine that was simmering on the stove and went back to the kitchen.

In the past two days, the threshold of the small courtyard had almost been worn flat. Lu Qing and Hu Guiying would come three times a day, each time with fresh meat and eggs. Doctor Xue was so busy he couldn’t get away, but he still took the time to come and take a look at her. He then wrote a prescription and had Lin Shuang go up the mountain to gather the herbs herself. His apothecary was very short on medicinal herbs now. He left half a ginseng root and left.

The people from the village also came.

Twenty strong young men who had participated in the rescue, both men and women, Lin Shuang gave each of them five hundred copper coins, for a total of ten taels of silver.

When she had first organized the rescue, no one was willing to step forward. Only a few families who had earned some wages from the mohele had sent people, but in total, there were only five or six people.

At that time, Lin Shuang had promised to pay them. Later, more and more people joined in.

But now, when it was time to distribute the money, these people were all red in the face, and no one had the face to take the money.

After all, the disaster victims they had saved were not related to Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen. Since everyone was doing a good deed, how could they let one person pay for it?

Not to mention that Lin Shuang had reminded them to harvest the rice in advance. Now, who in the village had not received their kindness?

Lin Shuang shook her head. “When we first called on everyone to save people, it was me and Huaizhen’s idea. Everyone risked their lives in the rescue and also delayed their work at home. I know that some of your families’ rice is still soaked in water. We can’t let you work for nothing.”

“Since we agreed at the beginning, no matter if Huaizhen and I have money or not, we have to pay this money.”

The crowd couldn’t refuse and accepted it with a blush.

Someone said on the spot, “Little Jiang is not awake now. When she wakes up, you tell her that I used to look down on her for being an executioner, but now that she can risk her life to save people, I admire her. From now on, if anyone has a problem with her, they have a problem with me.”

The others all agreed.

It had to be said that after this incident, the whole village seemed to have become more united.

The village chief was happy to see this change and smiled. “What Huaizhen and Shuang’er have done this time is a meritorious deed. Now, when you go out, who doesn’t give a thumbs-up when they mention our Whitewater Village?”

“Let her rest and recover well. We’ll go back first. We’ll come and see her when she’s better.”

Only then did the crowd gradually leave the West Mountain Valley.

The village chief stayed behind. After the villagers had left, he took out two strings of copper coins from his sleeve and placed them on the table. “Our family should also contribute to the rescue. We can’t take your silver.”

Seeing this, Old Madam Jiang looked at him in surprise.

Lin Shuang was also quite surprised. “It was Big Brother Lang and Second Brother Lang who went to save people. This money was promised as their hard work fee. Seventh Grand-uncle should take it back for them.”

The village chief shook his head. “Huaizhen almost lost her life. If I take this money, I will never be at ease in this life. Big Lang and Second Lang also mean the same.”

Compared to the other villagers, the village chief’s family was relatively well-off. He was determined not to take it, so Lin Shuang had no choice but to stop insisting.

Before he left, he couldn’t help but sigh. “I should have listened to you a few days ago and harvested all the rice.”

With that, he left with his hands behind his back.

Unexpectedly, after the village chief left, more and more people came back and quietly returned the money.

Of the ten taels of silver that had been distributed, seven had been returned.

Lin Shuang sat by the bed, looking at the strings of copper coins on the table, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Old Madam Jiang looked at the villagers who had left and then returned, and she couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. But her granddaughter was still lying on the bed, and she had no other thoughts for the time being. She hobbled to the kitchen, supporting herself against the wall, and muttered, “Let me make her some porridge. She can drink it when she wakes up…”

“Ping’er, go and keep Grandma company,” Lin Shuang said to Ping’er.

The little girl obediently followed.

Lin Shuang turned her head and looked at the woman on the sickbed in a daze. Her mind kept replaying the scene in the water yesterday, when she had shouted “go” to her.

She wouldn’t go. How could she go?

In this life and the next, she could never leave her.

She grabbed Jiang Huaizhen’s hand, pressed her palm tightly against her face, felt the rough skin of her palm, and gently rubbed it, letting her tears fall.

Her feelings for Huaizhen were no longer just guilt, no longer just pity, and certainly not just a superficial infatuation. From the bond of their past life to the day and night of their reliance on each other in this life, the seed in her heart had already sprouted, grown roots of love, and had penetrated every inch of the soil in her heart.

Huaizhen, did she have her in her heart?

Lin Shuang was not sure, but she believed that Huaizhen could feel her feelings, and she had never explicitly rejected her. Including the status of husband and wife that had been left on the household register, and the joke she had made a few days ago, about which young couple slept in separate rooms…

Jiang Huaizhen’s gentleness and consideration were all hers to enjoy.

It was impossible for her to have no feelings at all.

Unless she didn’t like women.

But if she really did, what did being a woman matter?

Lin Shuang’s mind was in a mess, and her emotions were also up and down. Thinking that Jiang Huaizhen might not love her, her tears couldn’t help but fall again.

Just as she was in a mess of sadness, the hand she was holding suddenly moved. The pad of her thumb brushed under her eyelid, gently wiping away her tears.

“What are you crying for…”

A soft and slightly hoarse voice sounded in her ear.

Lin Shuang looked up and looked at her with both surprise and joy.

“You’re awake…”

“Yes, I’m awake,” Jiang Huaizhen looked at her gently and smiled.

Lin Shuang quickly put down her hand, then got up and touched her forehead. It wasn’t hot anymore, and her heart finally settled. She looked at her with red eyes. “You’ve had me worried all night.”

“I’m tough,” Jiang Huaizhen said, her gaze sweeping over the haggard little face before her, the pity in her eyes also unable to be stopped.

Lin Shuang remembered that Old Madam Jiang was still worried and quickly shouted at the kitchen, “Grandma, Huaizhen is awake—”

Sure enough, the sound of stumbling footsteps came from the kitchen. She quickly got up to help.

Sure enough, she saw Old Madam Jiang, holding the wall with one hand and Ping’er with the other, walking quickly toward the east room.

She quickly took two steps forward and supported her arm as she walked into the room.

Old Madam Jiang stepped over the threshold and, seeing Jiang Huaizhen sitting up in bed, already awake, her worried heart settled. Then her face darkened, and she cursed, “I’m not worried. I was just waiting for her to wake up so I can give her a good scolding and see if she dares to risk her life again next time.”

Hearing the familiar scolding, Jiang Huaizhen’s eyes grew moist, but the corners of her mouth curled up, and she called out “Grandma.”

The old woman couldn’t continue to scold. She held onto the cabinet by the bed tightly and looked her up and down again. She was still a little weak, but she was indeed awake.

After nagging for a few more sentences, she said, “You must be starving. The porridge has just come to a boil. I’ll go and take a look. You can eat in a while.”

Jiang Huaizhen replied with a soft “alright.”

Only then did the old woman, supporting herself on Ping’er, go back to the kitchen.

Lin Shuang sat down by the bed and patted her hair. “You were unconscious for a day and a night. Grandma was so worried.”

Jiang Huaizhen turned to look at her. “Did she scold you?”

Having been with her for fifteen years, she knew her adoptive grandmother all too well. When she was angry, she would be reckless. Even a passing dog would be scolded. With her in this state, Lin Shuang would definitely not have escaped her venomous tongue.

Lin Shuang forced a smile. “I was worried about you. I didn’t have time to pay attention to what she was saying.”

So, she had been scolded.

Jiang Huaizhen said helplessly, “That’s just her personality. When she’s anxious, she’ll say whatever comes to mind. We’re a family now. If it were you lying here, she would have scolded me even more harshly.”

Hearing this, Lin Shuang broke into a smile through her tears.

“Then you have to get better quickly.”

Jiang Huaizhen looked at her. “Alright.”

She leaned against the bed and closed her eyes to rest for a while. She then opened her eyes and said, “You must have been so worried about me yesterday that you couldn’t sleep well. If you’re tired, you can come up and lie down for a while.”

Lin Shuang was lying by the bed and shook her head. “I’ll sleep after I’ve eaten and it’s dark.”

When this person was not yet awake, she didn’t dare to sleep. Now that she was awake, Lin Shuang felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her, but she couldn’t bear to sleep, afraid that if she fell asleep, she wouldn’t be able to see her again.

“Next time… I can’t drag you with me to do this kind of thing anymore…”

Other people’s lives were lives, but Jiang Huaizhen’s life was also a life.

She really didn’t dare to risk Jiang Huaizhen’s life.

But Jiang Huaizhen was noncommittal and asked, “How many people did we save these few days? Have you counted?”

Lin Shuang’s eyes were lowered, and she said softly, “Big Brother Lang has counted. He said that with twelve bamboo rafts, including the two of us, we saved a total of seventy-nine people.”

In her past life, the number of people who had died in the flood in Changping County was one hundred and thirteen, and forty-seven had died in the plague after the flood. Because of her intervention, they had managed to reduce the number of people who had died in the flood to thirty-four.

“We did our best.”

“But you’re not well,” Lin Shuang sniffed.

“I couldn’t be better,” Jiang Huaizhen said. “I feel very at ease after saving so many people with everyone… and this sense of ease comes from your judgment.”

“Don’t be afraid. Don’t mind me. If you encounter such a thing again in the future, just follow your heart.”

Lin Shuang looked at her, her lips moving slightly, wanting to tell her that the choice in her heart was only her.

But looking at her body covered in wounds, she still suppressed the love that was overflowing in her chest.

“I know,” she said.

As the two of them were talking, Ping’er came to call them for dinner.

Lin Shuang got up and went to the kitchen.

She had been worried about Jiang Huaizhen these two days and had had no mind for housework. Even the cooking was done by the old woman. Although the old woman was always grumbling, she had still done her best to make the food palatable.

The psychological endurance of an older woman was, after all, stronger than that of a younger person.

Only then did Lin Shuang feel guilty. She had recklessly taken the granddaughter that someone had raised with so much difficulty out to save people, and had gotten her injured. After she came back, she had only been sad and had left all the trivial matters to an old woman of nearly seventy. It was really not right.

“Grandma, let’s go to the east room to eat, so we can talk to Huaizhen.”

Old Madam Jiang said grumpily, “Then why don’t you go and move the table?”

Lin Shuang’s heart was relieved. “I’ll go right now.”

With that, she carried the table and went to the east room.

After the table was set up, she came over to get the dishes and ladle out the porridge.

Ping’er helped to get the chopsticks and move the stools.

Lin Shuang had been busy with business, cutting the rice, and disaster relief during this period, and she had not had a chance to care for her properly for a long time. She patted her little head, which had already grown long hair, and said, “Our Ping’er has grown up. She can do a lot of things for the family now.”

Ping’er looked up and smiled. “Really?”

“Of course it’s true.”

With that, Lin Shuang ladled out some porridge for the old and the young and had them sit down to eat. She then took half a bowl of porridge and sat down by the bed to feed Jiang Huaizhen.

Jiang Huaizhen looked at her. “You eat first. I’ll eat after you’re done.”

Lin Shuang shook her head. “You haven’t eaten for a day and a night. I’ve at least eaten. It’s not too late for me to eat after I’ve fed you.”

Old Madam Jiang hesitated to speak.

This girl, since she had come back, had been taking care of her granddaughter, full of self-blame, and had not eaten at all.

In the end, she did not expose her and said, “Go to my room and get that frame from before. Put it on the bed, and she can eat by herself.”

Lin Shuang couldn’t bear to. “Her right hand is injured. It’s not easy for her to hold a spoon. I’ll feed her.”

Old Madam Jiang had no choice but to shut up.

…

After dinner, Lin Shuang didn’t let the old woman do any more work and carefully cleaned up the mess.

Seeing that it was getting dark, she gave Jiang Huaizhen her medicine and helped her to the latrine.

Jiang Huaizhen had eaten a bowl of porridge, and her strength was gradually returning. Although her leg was injured, it was only a superficial wound and had not injured the bone. It would hurt to walk, but with the old woman’s cane, it was not a big problem.

It was just inconvenient to squat.

So Lin Shuang had spent a great deal of effort to carve a hole in a small stool, so she could sit on it to use the latrine.

Jiang Huaizhen looked at the stool, then at Lin Shuang, who was standing outside the latrine, and her face turned a little red.

Lin Shuang asked, “Do you want me to help you with your pants?”

Jiang Huaizhen shook her head.

“Then I’ll walk a little further. You can call me when you’re done.”

Jiang Huaizhen agreed and closed the door.

Lin Shuang knew she was shy and walked a little further away.

When Jiang Huaizhen came out and saw her coming up to her, she said in a low voice, “I can walk…”

Lin Shuang linked her arm and said domineeringly, “I want to.”

Jiang Huaizhen was helpless.

After returning to the room, Lin Shuang changed the dressing on her wound, brought some water, wiped her down, and changed her into a clean set of clothes.

After she was done, it was already completely dark, and only then did she go to take a bath.

When she came back, she carefully lay down on the outer side of the bed.

“Huaizhen, are you uncomfortable?”

Jiang Huaizhen replied, “It’s alright. The wound only hurts a little. It’s not that uncomfortable.”

Lin Shuang’s heart was at ease, and she said “alright.”

Jiang Huaizhen waited for a long time but didn’t hear her continue. She looked down and saw that she was leaning against her arm, already asleep. Her long hair was scattered on their shoulders, and her breathing was even and long.

She was exhausted and had fallen asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

The candlelight flickered. Jiang Huaizhen gently wrapped her uninjured left arm around her and pulled her into her embrace.

Her cheek gently rubbed against her forehead, enjoying a moment of intimacy.

The person in her arms was completely unaware of her actions and snuggled in her embrace, continuing to sleep soundly.

In the dim lamplight, Jiang Huaizhen lowered her head and looked at the slightly haggard face in her arms. Her mind flashed with the scene of the slope collapsing yesterday.

She didn’t know, if Lin Shuang had died there at that time, how she would have been able to go back to the days without her.