Chapter 15: Staying Behind

“That won’t do! What if she tells someone?” Dongzi suddenly flipped over and jumped up from the ground.

Selling wild boar meat isn’t a small matter—if it got reported, they could end up in jail.

“Don’t worry,” Qin Zheng said without even looking, already knowing what Dongzi was worried about. “She won’t blab.”

“That’s hard to say. Most of the educated youth who came from the city are so stuffy…” Dongzi hadn’t finished before Qin Zheng kicked him in the butt.

“If you don’t know how to speak properly, don’t misuse words. Set up the table—today we deal with these two pigs, then no more hunting wild boars for a month.”

“Alright, wild boars are too dangerous now. Today was almost fatal.” This was also why Dongzi agreed with Qin Zheng’s plan to split the money from selling the pigs three ways, giving a share to Tang Wan.

If they hadn’t slipped up, the boars wouldn’t have wandered so close to the village.

It wasn’t the first time people going into the mountains had been killed by wild boars, and Tang Wan was lucky her physique allowed her to dodge it.

Clearly, these two had done this before. Dongzi quickly set up the table against the wall and expertly bled and skinned the boars.

Qin Zheng pulled over a hook by the wall and hung the over-200-jin (about 220 pounds) wild boar on it alone.

Their movements were strong and swift, and by the time Grandma Bai returned, they had almost finished.

When Qin Zheng went to the front yard to get a carrying basket, Grandma Bai came in from outside.

Seeing the things Grandma Bai was holding, Qin Zheng was a little puzzled.

“Where have you been, carrying so many things?” Qin Zheng, covered in wild boar blood, couldn’t help but just stand still and watch.

“I went to the educated youth camp to bring things for Youth Tang. Her foot injury is serious, and the wounds still need dressing changes. I invited her to stay here for two days. Since you’re here and tonight you’re going with Dongzi to sell these things, let Tang Wan stay in your room tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll clear the room on the east side for her.”

Qin Zheng processed Grandma Bai’s words.

“No need. I can stay in the east room when I get back. Let her stay there,” Qin Zheng instinctively declined.

The east room was used to store miscellaneous items but had a bed.

When pressed for time and unable to return, Dongzi would crash there.

“That works too. You’re rarely home at night anyway. You can squeeze in there for a couple of days,” Grandma Bai readily agreed.

Tang Wan, inside the house, couldn’t see Qin Zheng but could hear their conversation. She didn’t want to trouble anyone, especially moving into Qin Zheng’s room and making him sleep in the east room.

But from Grandma Bai’s words, Qin Zheng didn’t seem to be home much at night.

Could it be that they all went hunting wild boars to sell? There can’t be that many boars.

While pondering this, Grandma Bai entered the room.

“I worried you wouldn’t be used to sleeping here, so I brought over all your things and will set them up for you. You probably heard what we just said. Just rest assured and sleep well. He’s not home much, and don’t think just because he’s a man that the room’s messy. It’s clean and tidy. You can live here comfortably.”

“Thank you so much. I only got hurt a little. You not only tended to my wounds but took me in to stay here.” Tang Wan rarely felt this kind of affection from elders.

Although in modern times she was seen as a young lady who studied abroad and inherited family wealth, she almost never experienced family love.

Especially love from an elder like Grandma Bai.

Now, she truly felt Grandma Bai’s care, as if she were her own junior family member.

“Why say such things? Among all these educated youth, I like you best. You don’t look at me with strange eyes,” Grandma Bai said.

She was good at judging people—Tang Wan was a good girl.

“All right, I’ll set up your things and light an oil lamp for you,” Grandma Bai got to work quickly.

In no time, the bed was made, and Qin Zheng’s original things were moved to the east room.

Then she helped Tang Wan into the room: “Sleep here these few days. They’ll finish packing soon and leave. Just rest well, and if you need anything, just call out loudly for me.”

Qin Zheng’s room was the west inner room, basically a secondary bedroom. Grandma Bai stayed in the master bedroom, with the hall in between.

“I understand. I’ll call you if I need anything. You’ve worked hard—go rest early,” Tang Wan said, looking at the neat bed Grandma Bai had made. The room was as clean and tidy as Grandma Bai promised.

Looking back, the room Qin Zheng took Tang Wan to before was Grandma Bai’s room.

After Grandma Bai left, Tang Wan got into bed. Her whole body ached and she really couldn’t stand.

The first thing she thought of was going into her space. After taking a few sips of spring water inside, her pain eased, and she finally felt alive again.

Thinking back on everything since encountering the wild boar, Tang Wan still found it hard to believe.

Normally, she wouldn’t have accepted Grandma Bai’s offer so quickly, but shocked and hurt, her mind wasn’t as sharp as usual—like it was rusty. Now she was coming around.

This showed how physical pain affects more than just the body.

Although the spring water helped, Tang Wan didn’t drink much—too quick healing wasn’t necessarily good, though she couldn’t explain why.

After such an eventful day, Tang Wan had no energy to think of other things. After leaving the space, she blew out the lamp and soon fell asleep.

Batangas

By then, Qin Zheng and Dongzi in the backyard had finished cleaning up, drawing water from the well to wash the ground, and putting things away so no one would guess anything happened.

They carried four large baskets, each riding bicycles. One person had two baskets on the back.

Watching Qin Zheng and Dongzi secure the baskets, Grandma Bai came out of the kitchen with two lunch boxes.

“When you get there, eat these. You two haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

Dongzi took them and placed the boxes in one of the baskets. “Don’t worry, Granny. I’ve been thinking about your cooking for days.”

“Alright, don’t talk nonsense. Be careful.”

“Mm, you better rest early,” Qin Zheng’s voice was heavy but carried a reliable tone.

“Yeah, Granny, with Brother Zheng like that, no one there would dare undercut the price. Don’t worry. We’ll be back after one trip.” Dongzi smiled cheerfully, still energetic despite the long day hunting and butchering.

Batangas

“You two sleep at home. Lock the door tight at night. If anyone knocks, don’t open,” Qin Zheng reminded Dongzi as they rode off.

“Who? Isn’t Granny home alone?” Dongzi looked confused.

“Let’s go.” Qin Zheng mounted his bike and left without explanation.

“Hey!” Dongzi hurriedly pedaled after him.