Chapter 3: Drinking Medicine

Jin Xiaoye was furious when she heard her father-in-law mention Li Qingzhi’s funeral arrangements.

Her father-in-law had always been unreliable, sneaky when working, and gambling when idle.

But even so, she never imagined that after Li Qingzhi returned, her father-in-law would obstruct her from spending money to hire a doctor for Li Qingzhi’s treatment and would even think about profiting from Li Qingzhi’s funeral before he had died.

In their village, if someone wanted to hold a decent funeral, they had to spend money. But if they wanted to keep it simple, the money and food sent by relatives and friends would be more than enough.

It was outrageous that her father-in-law was thinking about such things!

There wasn’t really much depth to Jin Xiaoye’s affection for Li Qingzhi.

She used to like him. Before they got married, she had high hopes for their life together. When they first got married, she felt that Li Qingzhi was different from the other men in the village, which attracted her to him.

But just two months after their marriage, Li Qingzhi disappeared. She had to work in the fields with a big belly, then raise the child while farming…

After enduring years of hardship like this, any romantic feelings she had for Li Qingzhi had long faded!

The reason she hadn’t remarried in all these years wasn’t because she still thought about Li Qingzhi, she simply didn’t want to.

Li Qingzhi didn’t leave her with much, just two acres of land and two adobe houses. But it was enough for her to support herself and her two children. In a couple of years, when Damao and Ermao grew up, they could also help her… If she remarried, her life might not be as good as it was now.

She couldn’t bear to see Damao and Ermao suffer.

But now that Li Qingzhi had returned… looking at his condition, it was evident that his disappearance wasn’t abandoning them; he must have encountered an accident.

If that was the case, and Li Qingzhi was seriously ill, she had to find a way to help him.

Since Li Qingzhi hadn’t died yet, they shouldn’t discuss his funeral in front of him.

Jin Xiaoye interrupted Li Laogen’s words, “Dad! What nonsense are you talking about! My husband is still alive!”

At the same time, Damao dragged Ermao out of the house, shouting, “Mom, Dad woke up!”

Hearing this, Xiaoye didn’t have time to talk to Li Laogen. She ran into the room and saw Li Qingzhi lying on the bed with his eyes open, his gaze still clear.

Xiaoye felt a pang of heartache. “Are you awake?”

While Xiaoye looked at Li Qingzhi, he was also looking at her.

Xiaoye hadn’t changed much compared to five years ago, but she looked fiercer overall, and her voice had grown louder.

The original owner didn’t want to attract attention. He chose Xiaoye initially not because she was pretty.

Xiaoye was about one meter and sixty centimeters tall, with beautiful eyes, but her skin was dark, her face was large, and she hadn’t tidied herself up, making her just an ordinary village woman.

But she was a person! She was a living person!

She was still his wife! His partner!

God knows how much Li Qingzhi, who had lived alone in the apocalypse for many years, wished he had someone to accompany him!

Li Qingzhi stared blankly at Xiaoye, his heart beating faster and faster with excitement.

In Xiaoye’s eyes, Li Qingzhi seemed to be looking at her affectionately.

After being the head of the household for so many years, Xiaoye, who had a fiery temper, suddenly felt a little embarrassed. “How do you feel? Are you feeling any better?”

Li Qingzhi didn’t speak. Xiaoye looked at the children by her feet. “Damao, Ermao, your dad’s medicine is ready. Go and get it!”

After speaking, Xiaoye came to Li Qingzhi’s side and reached out to touch his forehead, checking if he had a fever. She also said a lot of things, “Ah Qing, did you see those two children? I gave birth to them for you. Where have you been these years? Why didn’t you come back? And why did you let yourself end up like this?”

When Xiaoye’s hand touched his, Li Qingzhi felt his blood rush to his head.

It had been so long since anyone had touched him!

He wished Xiaoye would keep touching his head, but unfortunately, she quickly withdrew her hand.

Li Qingzhi looked at that hand with a sense of loss and spoke with difficulty, “I… I was captured and forced to dig stones… for several years, before… before I escaped.”

His voice was hoarse, and although he only said a few words, it seemed like he had used up all his strength.

“So you were captured to dig stones. How careless of you.” Li Laogen came in from outside.

Li Laogen was actually not yet fifty years old, but he looked almost like a seventy-year-old from before the apocalypse, with teeth falling out, hair turned white, and a face full of wrinkles.

Although he was a man, Li Laogen was only about one meter and fifty centimeters tall, probably even less. He looked skinny and had a somewhat weaselly appearance.

Not only that, what he said was also speechless—Li Qingzhi was in big trouble, yet he blamed Li Qingzhi for not being careful enough.

But even so, seeing him, Li Qingzhi still felt a sense of closeness.

This was a living person! Not like a zombie that would come and bite him!

He was lying here now, and Li Laogen wouldn’t come to kill him. It was even better!

Filled with a sense of security, Li Qingzhi smiled and called out, “Dad.”

Although they weren’t biologically related, the original owner indeed acknowledged Li Laogen as his father.

Li Laogen felt a bit embarrassed after being called “Dad”, thinking of what he had just said. He chuckled awkwardly, “It’s good that you escaped.”

“Dad, weren’t you going to the field? Why haven’t you left yet?” Xiaoye said to Li Laogen, afraid that he would stay here and say something unpleasant.

“It’s such a hot day, when did I say I was going to the field?” Li Laogen mumbled, then caught Xiaoye’s unfriendly gaze.

Without saying another word, he dashed away.

It was at this moment that Li Damao came in carrying a clay pot.

He seemed to be afraid of accidentally dropping the clay pot, walking carefully with a serious expression on his face. Li Qingzhi’s heart melted just by looking at him.

As for Li Ermao, he followed behind his brother, mimicking his every step. If his brother walked a bit slower, he looked even more worried than his brother.

These two children were too adorable!

He actually had two such cute children!

Jin Xiaoye didn’t have as many thoughts as Li Qingzhi. She stepped forward, took the clay pot, and brought it to Li Qingzhi, saying, “Come, take the medicine. Once you take it, you’ll feel better.”

Saying that, Xiaoye sat on the edge of the bed, helped the emaciated Li Qingzhi up, and made him lean against her while he drank the medicine.

It was summertime, and the weather was extremely hot. Xiaoye was only wearing a thin dress.

As Li Qingzhi leaned against her, he could feel the warmth emanating from her body.

The warmth of a human body made him unable to control his trembling.

He was truly overjoyed!

When Xiaoye held the clay pot and brought it to his mouth… Li Qingzhi reached out and covered Xiaoye’s hand, giving it a little squeeze.

Xiaoye’s hand was rough, but it was the hand of a living person, and this person was his wife!

Li Qingzhi’s emotions surged, and he squeezed a few more times.

Xiaoye cleared her throat and said, “Quick, take the medicine!” What was going on with Li Qingzhi? He became this ill, yet he still thought about taking advantage of her!

 The clay pot was blackened by the fire, and the medicine inside was also dark, emitting an unpleasant odor.

But it wasn’t poisonous!

After twenty years in the apocalypse, what hadn’t Li Qingzhi eaten? Anything edible, he would swallow it!

And… he hadn’t eaten anything for a long time!

With longing in his eyes, Li Qingzhi couldn’t wait to drink the medicine as soon as Xiaoye brought the clay pot to his mouth.

The medicine didn’t taste great, but there was no contamination inside. Li Qingzhi drank it contentedly.

Li Damao and Li Ermao admired him greatly.

Though they were young, they knew medicine was hard to drink. Yet, their father drank this seemingly unpalatable medicine without changing his expression!

Not only did he drink it… there were some medicine residues at the bottom of the pot. When Xiaoye fed Li Qingzhi the medicine, he tasted a bit and even chewed it.

Li Damao and Li Ermao were shocked.

Xiaoye was stunned for a moment, then quickly moved the clay pot away. “You can’t eat the residue, and this residue needs to be boiled again!”

Half of the people in the village were surnamed Jin, and Xiaoye’s family lived a relatively comfortable life in the village.

But even a relatively comfortable life was only enough to fill Xiaoye’s stomach.

Her father was a farmer who worked in the fields. The most successful person in her family was her uncle, who worked as a porter in the local military compound and earned two coins a month.

When Xiaoye got married, her grandmother didn’t even give her a single copper coin!

Before Li Qingzhi disappeared, he left her a bit of money, but it was only a little over four hundred yuan.

They only had two acres of land in total, but with four people in the family, it was barely enough to eat. It was thanks to her efforts to find ways to earn money that they managed to save up a little over four coins.

The previous expenses for seeing the doctor and buying medicine totaled six coins, two of which Xiaoye had borrowed from someone.

Now that Xiaoye had no money left, she couldn’t afford to see the doctor again. She could only find ways to make the most of the medicine she had bought, such as boiling it again with water to continue drinking it.

After putting away the clay pot, Xiaoye said, “I’ll go prepare some food for you!”

When Li Qingzhi fainted earlier, she spent quite some time feeding him some medicinal rice soup. Now that Li Qingzhi was awake, he should be able to eat something.

Li Qingzhi nodded.

Seeing this, Xiaoye continued, “Damao, Ermao, you guys watch your dad. I’ll go cook!” With that, she hurried out.

Li Damao and Li Ermao nodded in response, then sat beside Li Qingzhi, curiously watching him.

The children’s eyes were bright and shiny… Li Qingzhi opened his mouth and said with difficulty, “Come here…”

Li Damao and Li Ermao felt somewhat uncomfortable with the sudden addition of a father figure in their lives.

But they did want a father.

Upon hearing Li Qingzhi’s words, the two little bald heads leaned in together at the edge of the bed.

Li Qingzhi, trembling, reached out his hand and touched Li Damao’s head, then Li Ermao’s.

He had touched his children! Li Qingzhi closed his eyes contentedly.

Li Ermao, however, was startled. “Brother, is Dad dead?”

Li Qingzhi: “…”

Li Qingzhi opened his eyes to indicate that he wasn’t dead.

Li Ermao breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. “Dad isn’t dead, that’s great!”