C8. Heavy Rain.
On the way back, Yuanli glanced back multiple times at Chu Hechao, focusing on the dark belt around his waist.
Chu Hechao was annoyed by the scrutiny and coldly caught Yuanli's gaze, asking, "What are you looking at, sister-in-law?"
Yuanli replied honestly, "I'm looking at your belt."
The fact that even a copper coin was picked up with such care revealed that Chu Hechao was even poorer than Yuan Li had imagined.
With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, Chu Hechao had the typical inverted triangle body shape. The muscles under the belt were firm and taut, exuding an explosive power. Observing the belt was almost the same as looking at his waist.
After saying this, Yuanli felt Chu Hechao's gaze turn even more piercing, realizing that his words might have been misunderstood as provocative.
Feeling the need to remedy the situation, Yuanli commented, "The pattern on the General's belt is quite nice."
Chu Hechao pulled his lips, "This is the attire prepared by sister-in-law's people."
He then shifted his gaze to Yuan Li's waist. Yuanli, still a young man who had not yet come of age, had a slender and long-limbed figure. While not weak, he was certainly not fit to be in the military camp. Chu Hechao playfully examined Yuan Li's figure, mockingly commenting, "Not as attractive as sister-in-law."
Yuan Li politely replied, "Oh, no, yours is better."
The two men engaging in a discussion about belt aesthetics in this context was quite ironic. Chu Hechao chuckled and didn't continue with the conversation.
That night, the two men stayed at the farmhouse.
The farmhouse was teeming with insects, and the noise was deafening. The chirping of crickets, croaking of frogs, crowing of roosters, and grunting of pigs kept Yuan Li up until midnight. When he woke up the next day, his eyes had a tinge of blue.
Today's task was to start planting rice seedlings. After breakfast, Yuan Li suggested to Chu Hechao, "Father's fields are on the outskirts of the farmhouse, deep in the woods, and the path is remote and secluded. Perhaps it's better for you to stay at the farmhouse."
Chu Hechao laughed, idly twirling the reins with his long fingers clad in black leather gloves, "What are you saying, sister-in-law? As family, with my elder brother not here, how can I watch you work alone?"
This was the first time Yuan Li had heard the term "elder brother" from Chu Hechao's mouth.
He had heard some rumors during these days, suggesting that the relationship between Chu Hechao and Chu Mingfeng wasn't good. It was said that when Chu Hechao was on the verge of death on the battlefield, Chu Mingfeng was in the capital city drinking and reciting poetry with colleagues, taking Five Stone Powder.
When the news came, his expression remained unchanged, showing an indifferent attitude. He sighed and said to his friends, "Life or death, it's his fate."
With that, he downed a glass of wine.
Everyone said that it was thanks to Chu Mingfeng and Chu Hechao having the same parents that Chu Mingfeng made every effort to gather funds for Chu Hechao to take to the Northern Frontier. If they weren't of the same blood, he definitely wouldn't have cared about Chu Hechao's life or death.
Since Yuan Li had married into the Chu Wang's residence, he often saw traces of melancholy and sorrow on Prince Chu Wang and the Yang family's faces. However, Chu Hechao had never expressed sadness for his dying brother, appearing indifferent and cold.
But mentioning Chu Mingfeng now, Chu Hechao's tone was surprisingly calm.
Considering Chu Hechao's response, Yuan Li thought, "If General says so, then let's go."
Yuan Li was well-versed in the art of speaking, mixing truth and lies to the point where it was hard to tell the difference. He did enjoy farming for his father, and there was indeed a piece of land at the farmhouse belonging to him.
However, the location was serene, surrounded by mountains, with a small and rudimentary wooden hut nearby.
It was quite leisurely and leisurely, like a wild crane in a paradise.
The field had already been irrigated, and upon arrival, Yuan Li took off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and began planting the seedlings.
Observing Yuan Li's skillful movements, Chu Hechao squinted and walked over to sit in the shade.
Yuan Li, with a handful of rice seedlings, observed the neat rows he had planted. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, he continued his work with renewed vigor. However, as time passed, the sense of accomplishment turned into fatigue.
The lack of sleep from the previous night began to show, and Yuan Li occasionally stood up, massaging his back. He worked until his vision blurred.
Rising to his feet, Yuanli wiped the sweat beading on his brow. He turned and looked across the vast expanse of paddy field, his heart sinking. Only two meager points of land bore the fruits of his labor. The relentless sun beat down, promising a long day ahead.
Alone, he knew the task was daunting. Finishing before nightfall seemed an impossible feat.
Yuanli sighed and dipped his toes into the cool water. The surface shimmered with gentle ripples, a stark contrast to the turmoil within him.
A few dragonflies, quick as lightning, flitted across the water's surface, momentarily alighting on the newly planted seedlings. They seemed to gaze upon Yuanli with a curious innocence, oblivious to the burden of his toil.
As the midday sun was obscured by thick clouds, the hot weather was making everyone feel parched.
Thirsty, Yuan Li walked slowly to the edge of the water, picking up a water flask from the ground and sighing under the scorching sun.
Exhaustion is manageable, but the scorching heat truly tests his patience.
Yuan Li arrived with only Lintian, a single servant, in tow. He'd explained to Chu Hechao that his visit was solely for filial piety towards his father, and bringing a larger retinue wouldn't be appropriate for such a humble task as tending the fields.
As noon approached, Lintian, aware of his master's midday meal habit, excused himself to retrieve lunch from the farmhouse.
The vast landscapes were quiet and deserted, with only him and Chu Hechao present.
After taking a swig of water from the flask, he glanced at Chu Hechao, who was leisurely lying under a tree.
Feeling irked, Yuanli walked over and kicked Chu Hechao's legs.
Chu Hechao opened his eyes, looked at the mud spots on his pants, and then turned his gaze towards Yuan Li, his eyes somewhat intimidating.
Yuanli smiled. "We're all family here, General. Rise and join me in the fields, won't you?"
His usually fair and handsome face was now reddened by the harsh sun. Beads of sweat clung to his eyelashes, and his eyes, recently rubbed, were rimmed with red. His hair, plastered to his neck and face, added to the air of exhaustion and a hint of grievance, making him look like a child complaining to an elder.
Chu Hechao was about to retort sarcastically, "Is this your idea of filial piety, Master Yuan? This, from the man renowned for his devotion to his father?"
However, impatience got the better of him, and he swallowed the barb before it could fully form. With a sigh, he stood and headed towards the fields.
Yuan Li, who had expected a refusal, hesitated briefly before trailing after the man. To his surprise, Chu Hechao displayed unexpected skill when it came to working the land. Yuan Li, content to take a breather on the ridge, watched him work.
Chu Hechao glanced at him a few times but remained silent.
Yuan Li, being Chu Hechao's sister-in-law, farmwork wasn't his responsibility, especially with the Chu men around. So, after settling comfortably on the ridge for a while, Yuan Li almost dozed off. By the time Chu Hechao had planted nearly half the field, she finally rose and reluctantly joined him in the mud.
Lowering his head to plant a seedling, Yuan Li glanced up and saw Chu Hechao's back, slick with sweat. It dripped from his hair, soaking a large patch of his clothes, leaving a distinct musky scent.
He watched helplessly as a fly landed on Chu Hechao's back. With a frustrated slap, Chu Hechao whipped around, his face etched with annoyance.
"What are you doing?"
Yuanli blinked and said, "There was an insect."
Chu Hechao's forehead twitched a few times, but before he could say anything, two muffled thunderclaps sounded from the sky, and suddenly, the sky darkened.
It started to rain.
The two hurried back to the small hut in the fields, and as soon as they entered, the rain poured down heavily, creating bubbles on the muddy ground.
The swift wind surged, causing the wooden door to slam violently against the wall, and the mud and dust fell to the ground.
The previous scorching heat had disappeared completely, replaced by a dominant coldness that made Yuan Li shiver involuntarily.
Chu Hechao dragged a table over to block the door, frowning as he walked to the window to look at the pouring rain outside.
"Spring sky, child's face," Yuan Li also walked over. The window was made of bamboo, and the wind and rain poured in at an angle, almost splashing his face. "Such heavy rain, it might only last for a while. Let's wait, it might stop in fifteen minutes."
However, fifteen minutes later, the rain not only didn't decrease, but it continued to intensify.
Chu Hechao stared at Yuan Li with a smile that wasn't a smile.
Yuan Li remained composed. "I didn't expect this rain to be so heavy."
Chu Hechao chuckled, stood up from his chair, but as soon as he stood up, his stomach growled.
He halted in his tracks, turned to look at Yuan Li, and calmly said, "Sister-in-law, I'm hungry."
Yuan Li was also hungry. He thought for a moment, walked to the door and looked at the vegetable garden in front of the door, and said, "Go pick some leeks."
Chu Hechao didn't say anything, he pulled the table and walked into the rain. After a moment, he returned briskly, completely drenched, with rainwater dripping down his handsome face.
Yuan Li prepared a simple dish of chives and eggs with the ingredients he had on hand, as the rain showed no signs of stopping.
Thankfully, the farmers had anticipated his rice-planting plans and stocked the wooden house with provisions. Otherwise, they would have been stranded, forced to wait out the rain with empty bellies.
The rain was so heavy that it was unlikely Lin Tian could come over.
Chu Hechao was uncomfortable with his wet clothes clinging to his body. He took off his outer robe and wrapped his upper garments around his waist, exposing his sturdy and muscular upper body.
Seeing Yuan Li chopping wood with an axe, he furrowed his brow, walked over, and snatched the axe from Yuan Li's hand.
With his immense strength, Chu Hechao effortlessly split the wood into two pieces with a single swing of the axe, dropping it to the ground. Rainwater cascaded down his back to his waist.
In the narrow wooden hut, the aura of a tough and brave man was almost impossible to hide, and the aggressive behavior seemed to be aimed directly at Yuan Li.
Yuan Li twitched at the corner of his eye, and uncomfortably averted his gaze, focusing on what he was doing.
Soon, the fire started and the warmth dispelled the coldness in the room.
After dinner, the torrential rain had not stopped.
It continued into the night.
The windows and door cracks were blocked to prevent rain from seeping in. The small wooden hut had become a stranded boat in the sea, unable to even see how heavy the rain was outside.
Yuan Li was exhausted and fell asleep on the bed with an old blanket. When he woke up again, he was surrounded by pitch-black darkness.
Confused, he sat up, and the blanket rustled slightly.
In the darkness, a hoarse voice suddenly spoke, "Awake?"
Yuan Li followed the voice but couldn't see anything in the deep night.
"Chu Hechao?" he tentatively called out.
The man lazily responded.
Yuan Li breathed a sigh of relief. He was thirsty and tried to get up to find water. However, he tripped over something and fell forward, crashing straight onto Chu Hechao. They both uttered a muffled groan.
Yuan Li's left hand was pressed against a hot and hard surface, while his right hand rubbed his head. The impact instantly woke him up from his drowsiness.
Chu Hechao's tone turned ominous, "Get up."
Yuan Li, unable to see anything, fumbled to stand up. But Chu Hechao groaned again, his voice suddenly fierce and angry, almost like a growl, "Get out of here!"
Yuan Li trembled, as if he had touched something terrifying. He took a few steps back and leaned against the wooden bed.
The atmosphere in the room was tense, only two awkward breaths resounded.
Yuan Li rubbed his hands vigorously, only then did he remember that chives were said to be an aphrodisiac.
After a long pause, as if to break the ice, Chu Hechao suddenly spoke.
"Sister-in-law," his voice was cold in the darkness, "do you know where Yang Zhongfa's lost goods are?"