Keeping them at home wasn’t an option either—no place to raise them, and Zheng Kui might come by.
As for eating them, there were too many to finish at once, and besides, aside from salt, he had no other seasonings—cooking fish used up a lot of salt.
After much thought, Cao Wen decided to salt and dry them for storage, so he could eat them whenever he wanted.
As he reasoned this out, his thoughts still circled back to salt.
A sudden flash of lightning outside caught his eye, and though he tried to distract himself, he realized the thread tying his heart was still there.
He stood by the vat, gazing out the window for a long while, then suddenly rushed out, pulling his damp straw hat onto his head, throwing on his rain cape, and striding into the storm.
Outside, only the occasional lightning lit the way, but though the road was rough, his heart felt steadier.
Rather than worry endlessly, it was better to go and see for himself.
If they were safe, he wouldn’t disturb them, just head home.
If something had happened, and he didn’t go, he’d regret it forever.
Cao Wen quickened his pace, following his memory through Tonggou Village to the Xu Family’s place.
He’d been there before—the old thatched house, a silhouette in the rainy night, but it seemed much smaller than before.
Cao Wen wasn’t sure if he’d lost his way in the dark, but a flash of lightning lit up the horizon.
Even though it was brief, he could clearly see the old thatched house in the distance—the very place Xu Duoyan had brought him before.
Suddenly, Cao Wen broke into a run toward the house, almost like a madman.
“Cough, cough, cough…A-Yan, cough…be careful.”
Lu Lingbi held a lantern with a shade, coughing uncontrollably, watching Xu Duoyan, who was fixing the roof while standing on three stacked stools, afraid he’d fall.
“It’s fine, Mother, stand somewhere dry so the leaking water doesn’t soak your feet.”
Lu Lingbi’s cloth shoes were already soaked.
Though she wanted to take care of herself so Xu Duoyan wouldn’t worry, at this point she had no energy for that.
The Xu Family home was right in the wind’s path, and the storm battered the old house mercilessly.
Mother and son tried their best to repair it, but after hours of rain, the house was like a waterfall inside, the leaks unstoppable.
As if that wasn’t enough, just as the rain seemed to ease near nightfall and they finally caught a breath, a thunderous crash sounded—the thatched house collapsed.
The old house caved in from the kitchen to the inner room.
Luckily, they were both in the main room, or they’d have been buried.
Lu Lingbi was still shaken.
The thatched house was never sturdy, and it had stood empty for a long time before they came.
The rain and wind had finally been too much, and the house gave way today.
Worst of all, the thunder and rain were even fiercer that night.
After a whole afternoon of struggle and a big scare, Lu Lingbi, already ill, was at her limit.
She didn’t know if she could make it through the night—if she died, at least she wouldn’t drag A-Yan down anymore, but she worried he’d be devastated.
Xu Duoyan had just patched a new leak and was about to come down from the stools when she slipped on a spot where the rain had dripped.
The stacked stools wobbled dangerously, and Lu Lingbi cried out,
“A-Yan!”
Xu Duoyan thought she was about to take a nasty fall, but suddenly the stool was steadied, and a familiar iron grip clamped her upper arm.
Seeing who’d appeared, she almost blurted out,
“Why are you here?” but Cao Wen helped her down first.
Once she was on the ground, Xu Duoyan signed,
“Passing by.”
Cao Wen only said two words, then climbed onto the stool himself to take over the repairs.
Xu Duoyan had already told Lu Lingbi about their divorce, so both mother and son were surprised to see Cao Wen.
The Xu Family wasn’t on the main road—anyone could see “passing by” was an excuse.
With the house in such trouble, and the neighbors all minding their own business, it was this person who came.
Not only Xu Duoyan, but even Lu Lingbi was moved.
“These thatches are all rusted through after so many years. Now soaked by rain, they’re falling apart. Patching here and there won’t work anymore—it can’t be fixed for now.”
Cao Wen jumped off the stool and looked at Xu Duoyan.
Seeing her hair and clothes half-soaked, he regretted not coming sooner.
When he saw from afar that the Xu Family house had collapsed, it felt like falling into an ice cellar, the chill sweeping through his whole body.
Thankfully, when he got there, Xu Duoyan and Lu Lingbi were safe.
“I know.”
“Pack up and move.”
Xu Duoyan was startled, but didn’t ask where they were moving.
Seeing her hesitate, Cao Wen frowned,
“This rain could last all night. You want your mother to spend the night here? Even if she could handle it, what if this part collapses too?”
Xu Duoyan’s brow twitched—every word hit home.
Right now, they really had nowhere else to go;
Cao Wen’s place was the only option.
Lu Lingbi coughed, and after a few coughs said,
“No need to trouble you, we have our own way.”
She’d disliked Cao Wen before, but seeing him willing to divorce Xu Duoyan, and now coming to help, her impression had improved.
But even so, she didn’t want her son to feel forced because of her.
Cao Wen didn’t get angry at Lu Lingbi’s words, just looked at Xu Duoyan: “You decide.”
Xu Duoyan was silent for a moment, but then turned to get a rain cape that hadn’t been buried in the collapse and put it on Lu Lingbi.
By the time they reached the Cao Family, all three were soaked through.
Lu Lingbi’s face was pale as paper—after getting drenched, chilled, and frightened, her body was at its limit.
When Xu Duoyan helped her to a chair, she could barely sit up, and though it was her first time at the Cao Family, she had no energy to look around.
Xu Duoyan, seeing her mother’s face, was a mess of worry, constantly checking her forehead to see if she had a fever.
Seeing Cao Wen come out with a set of dry clothes, she calmed down a little.
“Mother, sit for a bit, I’ll get you some hot water.”
Cao Wen called Xu Duoyan to the kitchen and said,
“Tonight, you and your mother…cough, Auntie, will sleep in the bedroom. I’ll sleep on the couch in the main room. Tomorrow morning I’ll clear out the storage room.”
“Thank you.”
Xu Duoyan looked at the dripping-wet Cao Wen and sincerely thanked him.
Cao Wen said,
“No need for that.Hurry and get Auntie into dry clothes, or she’ll catch a fever.”
Xu Duoyan nodded.
Cao Wen changed into dry clothes in the washroom, then came out to start a fire and boil water.
He found a stove and clay pot, and some old ginger.
He grabbed a few crucian carp from the vat, cleaned and scaled them, marinated them with ginger water, then fired up the stove, fried the fish on both sides, added water, and after the soup boiled, tossed in ginger shreds and left it to simmer in the clay pot.
The rain kept drumming on the roof.
Xu Duoyan took her mother’s wet clothes to wash and hang, but as she stepped out of the bedroom, she saw Cao Wen bringing half a bucket of hot water.
“For Auntie to soak her feet.”
Xu Duoyan looked at the steaming water, didn’t refuse, and took it inside.
With hot water to soak her feet, Lu Lingbi finally regained some warmth.
Xu Duoyan hadn’t even had time to relax when she heard a knock at the door.
Turning, she saw Cao Wen standing at the doorway with a bowl and spoon.
The door wasn’t closed, but he didn’t come in, just stood properly at the threshold.
Feeling moved, she hurried over.
“I made some fish soup, give it to Auntie to warm up.”
Cao Wen handed her the bowl: “If it’s not enough, come get more, I made plenty.”
The milky-white crucian soup was steaming hot, with plenty of ginger to drive out the cold.
Lu Lingbi, drinking it, finally felt warm inside and out.
The fish was freshly caught, the soup delicious.
Seeing her mother finish a bowl, Xu Duoyan thickened her skin and went out for another, making sure Lu Lingbi drank it all before helping her to bed, then went out with the empty bowl.
Cao Wen was by the stove.
Seeing her, he asked,
“Want more? I’ll get you some.”
Xu Duoyan waved her hand: “Mother can’t drink anymore.”
“She’s asleep?”
Xu Duoyan nodded.
Cao Wen replied, and the room fell into a brief, awkward silence.
Both seemed a bit afraid of the atmosphere, and at the same time, both waited for the other to speak, then fell silent again.
After a moment, Xu Duoyan signed:
“Thank you.”
“I told you, you don’t have to say that. Even ordinary neighbors help each other out, let alone us who are still…”
Still divorced husband and wife.
Cao Wen scratched his head,
“Anyway, don’t overthink it. Just let Auntie stay here for now.”
Seeing Xu Duoyan looking at him, Cao Wen hurriedly said,
“Don’t rush to refuse. The house that collapsed is almost a total loss; fixing it is as good as rebuilding, and that’ll cost a lot.”
He knew what kind of family they were—where would they get that much money to rebuild?
A house was a big deal, not something you could fix with two or three taels of silver.
Even a thatched house cost nearly ten taels.
He handed over the bowl with a whole crucian in it: “Even if you and Auntie had the money to hire people to fix it, where would you live in the meantime?”
Xu Duoyan took the soup.
They’d been so busy with the emergency, she hadn’t thought of all this, but Cao Wen was right.
Right now, she and her mother had less than ten taels.
Even if they had enough, if they were planning to leave the village, rebuilding here didn’t make sense.
Seeing that Xu Duoyan didn’t object, Cao Wen continued: “Right now, let Auntie have the bedroom. You’re grown, so it’s not convenient to share with your mother. Tomorrow I’ll clear out the storage room—it’s bigger, and we can split it into two rooms.”
Seeing Xu Duoyan’s eyes widen, he hurriedly added,
“I promise I won’t take advantage of you.”
Xu Duoyan pressed her lips together.
She wasn’t worried about that—they’d even shared a bed before, and she knew Cao Wen was decent.
Besides, they were both men—what was there to take advantage of?
And who’d be taking advantage of who was still up for debate.
But since they’d agreed to divorce, they weren’t husband and wife anymore.
Cao Wen would have to find someone else.
He was good-looking and capable, but if people thought he was living with his ex-wife and mother-in-law, what decent girl would want him?
It would only hold him back.
Looking at the earnest Cao Wen, she didn’t want him to lose out because of her, so she voiced her thoughts.
Cao Wen heard Xu Duoyan’s concerns, frowned, but felt secretly pleased.
No matter what, she still cared about him—even if it was in the wrong direction, she cared!
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m still young. I’ll save some money for a couple more years, and when I can build a proper house and have a steady income, it’ll be easy to find someone.”
Now he had a sense of responsibility.
Xu Duoyan thought so.
“Alright.”
After a pause, Xu Duoyan said,
“While my mother and I stay here, we’ll pay you rent. In the meantime, you can court other girls, we won’t interfere.”
When she’d saved enough, she’d leave this place for good.
Cao Wen took a breath—she never said anything he wanted to hear, not a single word.
He gritted his teeth: “Fine, but no need for rent. You help with chores, that’s enough.”
Before Xu Duoyan could refuse, he said,
“Drink your soup before it gets cold.”
Xu Duoyan exhaled and, without arguing, took a spoonful of the milky soup.
She hadn’t eaten all day, and now she was starving.
Cao Wen stole a glance at her, a flicker of cunning in his eyes.
As long as she stayed, he’d have another chance!
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