In front of a shop selling paper and ink at the street corner, Shen Qingzhu stopped, bringing Wu Lanshu inside with him.

Seeing customers entering, a shop assistant enthusiastically welcomed them. “Young master, what would you like?”

“I want to look at some paper,” Shen Qingzhu glanced around. The shop wasn’t very crowded, with only a few scholarly-looking customers browsing.

“This way, please,” the assistant led him to a counter displaying various kinds of paper. “We have paper for writing and painting here, in different price ranges. Feel free to look and choose whichever you prefer, young master.”

Shen Qingzhu reached out to touch the paper, feeling its texture before pointing to one that satisfied him. “This one, please. I’ll take two reams.”

Two reams of paper contained about fifty sheets, which would last him a while.

“Got it! We recently got some new ink in stock. Would you like to take a look and bring a bar with you?”

Shen Qingzhu smiled and shook his head. “Not this time.”

The assistant didn’t press further and packed the paper in oil paper before signaling him to head over to the counter to pay.

Behind the counter sat the shopkeeper, an elderly man around fifty years old with a goatee. He took the paper from the assistant and motioned for him to attend to other customers. Then, he looked at Shen Qingzhu and said, “It’s been a while since you’ve come by, young master.”

Shen Qingzhu smiled. “I was ill for a while and had to rest for some time.”

“Please take care of your health, young master.” The shopkeeper clicked a few beads on his abacus, handing over the two reams of paper. “Thank you for your patronage, that’ll be five hundred wen.”

Wu Lanshu took out the purse and paid, while Shen Qingzhu took the paper. As his fingers brushed against something, he looked up at the shopkeeper, who gave him a knowing smile.

“Take care, young master.”

Shen Qingzhu said nothing, merely nodding slightly in return, before taking the paper and turning to leave.

At the entrance of the shop, he paused for a moment and felt around under the paper package, pulling out an envelope with no name on it.

Wu Lanshu noticed and opened her mouth to speak but was quickly silenced by a look from Shen Qingzhu. She suppressed her thoughts and reached out to take the paper package from him.

Shen Qingzhu slipped the letter into his robe, handed over the paper, and asked calmly, “Where did Aunt Wang say they were going earlier?”

“She took Xiaoling to buy some thread and needles. She said it was for Xiaoling to learn embroidery. Should we go find them?” Wu Lanshu played along, pretending not to notice anything unusual.

Shen Qingzhu nodded, “Let’s go, it’s getting late, and it’s about time we head back to the village.”

With that, he lightly lifted the hem of his robe and stepped down the stairs. They had only walked a few steps before they heard a commotion ahead, with someone shouting, “Thief! Catch the thief!”

“Young master, be careful!”

Before Shen Qingzhu could fully process the situation, Wu Lanshu’s voice reached him, followed by the sensation of someone crashing into him. He was shoved so hard that he staggered and was about to fall into the middle of the road.

Another exclamation followed, but instead of hitting the hard ground, he found himself falling into an embrace that smelled faintly of pinewood.

“Mm…”

A soft grunt sounded near his ear as Shen Qingzhu looked up, meeting a pair of deep black eyes.

“Are you alright?” Zhou Song asked with a hint of concern in his voice, his gaze lowered to Shen Qingzhu.

“Young master!” Wu Lanshu hurried over, panicked, and helped Shen Qingzhu up. After checking to see that he wasn’t injured, she turned to Zhou Song, who had helped save her master. “Zhou boy, did you hurt yourself?”

Zhou Song waved off her concern, saying he was fine, and stood up to gather the items that had fallen out of his basket. The force of Shen Qingzhu’s fall had caused both of them to tumble to the ground, spilling several items from the basket.

Zhou Song quickly checked the contents, and to his relief, the box containing a jade hairpin, which was placed deep inside, was still intact.

Wu Lanshu saw him picking up the scattered items and gratefully said, “Thank you so much, Zhou boy.”

Finally having a chance to assess the situation, Shen Qingzhu realized that the thief had pushed him to use him as a shield against the people chasing him. He wasn’t the first victim; the thief had knocked down several people along the way. However, the thief himself hadn’t escaped, as he had tripped over Lin Erzhu’s foot and fallen to the ground, where he was now being apprehended.

Realizing that the incident hadn’t specifically targeted him, Shen Qingzhu felt relieved. He bent down, picked up a piece of cloth that had fallen, carefully brushed off the dust, and handed it to Zhou Song. “Thank you. Are you hurt?”

Zhou Song took the cloth, shook his head, and said nothing.

Shen Qingzhu smiled. “Is this cloth for making clothes?”

Zhou Song hesitated slightly, his lips pressed together, then quietly said, “Mm.”

“The color suits you well,” Shen Qingzhu said, glancing at the lake-blue fabric, which was much brighter than the coarse gray cloth Zhou Song was currently wearing.

Zhou Song’s grip on the fabric tightened, and his ears turned a faint shade of red.

Lin Erzhu, who had just finished dealing with the thief, overheard this last comment as he walked over. He raised an eyebrow and deliberately cleared his throat.

Zhou Song glanced at him briefly but didn’t respond. He slung the basket back over his shoulders, but as he did so, he winced and shook his right hand slightly.

Shen Qingzhu noticed his movement, recalling the grunt he had heard earlier. His gaze lingered for a moment before he spoke up. “Is your right hand hurt?”

Zhou Song didn’t expect him to notice and instinctively tucked his right hand behind his back. He had braced himself with his hand when catching Shen Qingzhu earlier, and it seemed he had strained his wrist.

“What? Brother Song, you’re injured?!” Lin Erzhu, who had been standing nearby, exclaimed in surprise.

“Zhou boy, why didn’t you say you were hurt?” Wu Lanshu was equally shocked. She had believed Zhou Song when he said he was fine, given his calm demeanor.

Feeling overwhelmed by their concern, Zhou Song awkwardly waved them off. “It’s nothing, just a minor injury. It’ll heal in a couple of days.”

Shen Qingzhu, however, wasn’t convinced by his words. “We should take you to the medical clinic.”

Zhou Song, used to minor injuries from his time spent in the mountains, usually treated such things himself and didn’t think it was a big deal. “No need, I can—”

“Zhou Song,” Shen Qingzhu interrupted, his tone firm.

Startled by the seriousness in Shen Qingzhu’s voice, Zhou Song pressed his lips together, unsure of what to say.

Shen Qingzhu softened his tone slightly. “You hurt your hand while helping me. If we don’t get it looked at by a doctor, I’ll feel guilty.”

Faced with Shen Qingzhu’s insistence, Zhou Song had no choice but to nod obediently. “Alright.”

Lin Erzhu, who had been silently observing, couldn’t help but feel relieved. Finally, someone could get his stubborn Brother Song to listen!

The group headed to the medical clinic. When Zhou Song finally revealed his hand, everyone gasped.

In the time they had been delayed, Zhou Song’s right wrist had become swollen and red, clearly painful, though he still maintained his stoic expression.

The elderly doctor, who had been practicing for many years, carefully examined Zhou Song’s wrist, pressing gently on the swollen area. Seeing Zhou Song’s frown, the doctor quickly let go. “The bone is fine, but the tendons are strained. It’s not a serious injury, but it will take about ten days to half a month to heal properly. During that time, avoid lifting heavy objects and apply the medicinal oil several times a day.”

Relieved that the injury wasn’t severe, the group collectively sighed in relief.

Wu Lanshu went with the apprentice to get the medicinal oil and paid for it. When she returned, the doctor helped apply the oil and massaged Zhou Song’s wrist to reduce the swelling.

Zhou Song, though silent throughout the procedure, was clearly in pain, evidenced by the thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Seeing this, Shen Qingzhu hesitated for a moment before pulling out a handkerchief from his sleeve. After a brief pause, he handed it to Lin Erzhu.

Lin Erzhu understood immediately, thanking him as he wiped the sweat from his brother’s forehead.

Zhou Song smelled the faint scent of orchids and opened his eyes, only to see Lin Erzhu helping him. Feeling slightly disappointed, he closed his eyes again, even though he knew it wasn’t appropriate to think that way.

Sensing that his efforts weren’t appreciated, Lin Erzhu smirked to himself. After wiping away the sweat, he quickly stuffed the handkerchief into Zhou Song’s hand. “Here, it’s dirty with your sweat. You can wash it and return it to Shen Xiaolang later.”

Shen Qingzhu didn’t care much about a handkerchief, replying casually, “That’s fine.”

Zhou Song, holding the soft cloth that still carried the faint scent of orchids, pressed his lips together, a subtle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

When they left the clinic, it was already getting late, and by the time they returned to the village, it would be dark.

Zhou Song still needed to pick up some flour from another street, but given the state of his wrist, he clearly couldn’t carry it. Lin Erzhu, who was accompanying him, suggested that Shen Qingzhu and the others head back first.

However, Shen Qingzhu felt it wouldn’t be right to leave them behind after Zhou Song had gotten hurt trying to help him, and it seemed improper to abandon them now.

In the end, they all went together.

By the time they reached the parking area near the city gate, the other villagers had already been waiting for a while. Upon learning that Zhou Song had been injured, they expressed their concern as well.

On the way back, Lin Erzhu took over driving the cart while Zhou Song sat next to him, holding his injured wrist.

This time, Wu Lanshu didn’t rush ahead in the horse-drawn carriage but slowed down to travel alongside their ox-cart, so they could look out for each other on the road.

Occasionally, Shen Qingzhu would lift the curtain of the carriage window and glance at the ox-cart following behind. Feeling responsible for Zhou Song’s injury, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of obligation to look out for him.

As if the day couldn’t get any more unlucky, halfway through the journey, the old ox suddenly let out a loud “moo” and refused to move any further.

Lin Erzhu clicked his tongue in annoyance and jumped down to check on the ox. After inspecting its legs and hooves, he found no injuries or foreign objects lodged in its hooves.

While he was checking, everyone got out of the cart. Zhou Song squatted down to examine the wheels and called out, “The axle is broken.”

“What?” Lin Erzhu came over, crouched down, and inspected the underside of the cart. “It can be fixed, but it’ll take some time.”

By now, the sky was dimming, and it would be fully dark by the time they finished the repairs. Walking the road at night wasn’t ideal.

The young woman in their group, possibly afraid of the dark, whispered to her mother, asking what they should do.

Noticing that their cart had stopped, Shen Qingzhu also had Wu Lanshu stop their carriage. The two of them walked over. “What happened?”

Lin Erzhu kicked the wheel. “It’s broken and needs to be fixed.”

Understanding the situation, Shen Qingzhu glanced at the sky and suggested, “How about Zhou Song and the two ladies ride in our carriage first?”

Neither Lin Erzhu nor the middle-aged man had any objections. Since there were two women and Zhou Song was injured, it seemed only right to prioritize them.

Zhou Song hesitated, then shook his head. “You should take the two women first. The ox-cart is borrowed, so I need to stay and make sure it gets back safely. Besides, that horse probably can’t handle so many people at once, so it’s better if one less person rides.”

His reasoning made sense. The horse wasn’t a particularly strong one, and it might struggle to pull too many people. The best option was for the women to go ahead first.

Shen Qingzhu looked at Zhou Song’s injured wrist and lowered his gaze in thought. After a moment, he raised his eyes and said, “Then I’ll stay with you. Aunt Wang can take the others back first.”