Chapter 17: Has Second Brother’s Vision Recovered?

After confirming everything, Du Wanchun began sorting the radishes, picking out the good ones and placing them in a winnowing basket, preparing to wash off the dirt.

As she continued picking, her hand accidentally brushed against another—its cold touch sent a shiver through her, making her jerk in surprise. She quickly looked up and saw that it was Zhou Ruiyuan.

Zhou Ruiyuan was sitting on a chair, bending over to help her pick radishes. His movements were quick and skillful, his upper body moving up and down with ease, even faster than Du Wanchun’s.

Each time he moved, strands of his hair would sway, occasionally brushing against the back of Du Wanchun’s hand without her realizing it.

“Husband, you…?” Du Wanchun was startled, her round eyes fixed on him in surprise. She had always thought her husband was too weak to move, but to her astonishment, his waist seemed quite strong.

Zhou Ruiyuan noticed her staring and looked up at her. “Don’t worry,” he reassured her, “I may not be able to walk, but I can still do some farm work.”

His deep, dark eyes lifted slightly. He had long, slender double eyelids and thick eyelashes—so finely detailed, like a meticulously painted figure in an artwork, flawless in every stroke.

Du Wanchun was so close to him that she could clearly see his eyelashes and even feel his warm breath against her face. Her heart started pounding wildly.

She quickly lowered her head, her hands fumbling nervously as she continued picking radishes. “Thank you, husband,” she murmured.

Zhou Ruiyuan watched her flustered little hands, his gaze filled with warmth and amusement.

Neither of them spoke again, quietly focusing on their work. But as the pile of radishes grew smaller, they found themselves getting closer and closer.

Outside, a gentle spring breeze carried the soft drift of willow catkins and the delicate petals of peach blossoms through the air.

A single strand of Zhou Ruiyuan’s long hair, hanging by his temple, floated lightly in the wind, brushing against Du Wanchun’s cheek.

The faint scent of pear blossoms lingered by her ear—so close, so intimate, that it gave her the illusion of being held in an embrace.

In that moment, within the illusion, she felt the warmth and strength in his presence, inexplicably putting her at ease.

Not far away, Madam Zhou, not wanting to disturb them, quietly got up and headed toward the backyard.

In the backyard, Zhou Feng was sitting on a stone, lost in thought as he gazed at the sun.

Seeing him like this, Madam Zhou hurriedly asked, “Feng’er, what’s wrong?”

Zhou Feng kept his eyes on the sun and said, “Mother, I keep feeling like I can see light. But I don’t know if it’s just my imagination.”

“See light?” Madam Zhou exclaimed in delight. “Could it be that, like your third brother, your eyesight has suddenly recovered?”

Zhou Feng shook his head. “I don’t know. I keep feeling like there’s light, but when I look closely, it seems like there isn’t.”

Madam Zhou walked to his side and waved her hand in front of his eyes. “Feng’er, can you see this?”

Zhou Feng furrowed his brows, his face filled with disappointment. “No, I can’t.”

Madam Zhou tried again. This time, she directly covered his eyes with her hand and asked, “Feng’er, can you still see the light?”

Zhou Feng concentrated for a moment, then shook his head. “No, it’s completely dark.”

Madam Zhou then removed her hand. “How about now?”

Zhou Feng focused for a long while, his eyelids fluttering slightly. “Mother, I think I really can see a bit of light. It’s like a distant lamp in the darkness—very far away and very faint.”

Madam Zhou covered his eyes again. “Can you still see it?”

Zhou Feng froze for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I can’t.”

This time, Madam Zhou silently removed her hand without saying anything.

Zhou Feng immediately said, “Mother, I can see the light again!”

Madam Zhou was both shocked and overjoyed. She grabbed his arm excitedly and said, “Feng’er, your eyes can see again!”

Zhou Feng stood there in disbelief, his face blank, as if it didn’t feel real.

Compared to Zhou Ruiyuan’s steady and imposing presence and Zhou Zhao’s lively and energetic nature, Zhou Feng was more like a refined scholar from a noble family, gentle and elegant.

But with his blindness, he was like a precious jade that had lost its luster.

Madam Zhou was filled with joy and turned to head toward the front of the house. “I have to tell your eldest brother!”

Zhou Feng immediately grabbed her hand. “Mother, don’t tell him yet. My eyesight still isn’t certain. I don’t want my brother to get his hopes up only to be disappointed.”

Madam Zhou understood his concern and gently patted his hand. “Alright, I won’t tell your brother. For the next few days, try not to stare at the sun too much and get plenty of rest. Maybe in ten days or half a month, your vision will fully recover.”

Zhou Feng nodded, his voice gradually turning hoarse. “Mother, once my eyes are healed, let me go to the capital!”