Chapter 54: Chapter 54
After Physician Li was done tending to Mo Ying, he left the tent.
"He’ll be better; he just needs to rest and he’ll feel better by tomorrow morning," he notified Lin Xu as he then left and went back to his shelter.
With that, Lin Xu quickly stood up and entered the tent.
Inside the tent, she found the three buns sleeping, both holding each other wrapped around a huge blanket. Smiling, she patted their heads slightly; they must have been worried.
Turning to Mo Ying, Lin Xu walked toward him as she sat just beside him.
Mo Ying seemed to have felt her presence as he then opened his eyes and faced her, "Looks like we made it back."
He was still teasing her about the situation, and hearing that, Lin Xu just shook her head and smiled slightly.
"Hmmm.. we made it back. Get some rest, we have another day ahead of us tomorrow," she said as she then pulled the blanket closer to him before standing up to leave.
But before she could take a step, Mo Ying held her cloth from below, causing her to stop suddenly.
Facing him, she asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Stay!" he said, his voice faint. Lin Xu wanted to ask what he meant but just decided to save him the stress of answering. Standing for a while, she finally sat back down and lay beside him.
His face facing her as she faced the ceiling. It was awkward, yes, yet she felt safer and he did too.
**
The next day, the rain started as usual and it was heavy. They all stayed in the shelter house, relieved that they would all get to leave the mountain by tomorrow.
Meanwhile, all through the day, Zu Shi and Yan Mei were both keeping an eye on Lu Fei. Once they noticed anything suspicious, they would quickly take action, yet she didn’t go anywhere all day long.
She just stayed with her kids and husband.
Soon breakfast time came and they all gathered together.
While everyone was eating, Chief Yan then announced, "As we all know.. today would be the end of three days of heavy rainfall. By tomorrow we will all go down the mountain and back to our homes. I would like to advise everyone to be helpful to one another as these events have done so much damage to our shops, houses, and fields."
He said as they all nodded in agreement, all promising to assist one another in rebuilding whatever of theirs was destroyed by the rain.
Taking her own share of porridge, Lin Xu dished it into a bowl and also placed the kids’ and Mo Ying’s share in another bowl as she carried it back into the tent.
The kids all surrounded Mo Ying as he sat, his hands busy carving a piece of wood with a small dagger.
His temperature had come down so he was much better than last night.
"Alright, let’s have breakfast!" Lin Xu announced as she passed the kids their meal and placed Mo Ying’s in front of him.
Upon seeing her, Mo Ying put down what he was doing and wrapped himself with his blanket. "Lin Xu, feed me."
"Huh?" Lin Xu stared at him, confused, as he grinned mischievously.
Even the kids were shocked as they all exchanged looks, the three of them anticipating their mother’s scolding.
"Feed you? Why the heck will I feed you? You’re a grown man.. what are you teaching the kids?" Lin Xu shouted but Mo Ying didn’t back down.
"I’m teaching the kids how not to be too stubborn to ask for help.. after all, I got bitten in my arm.. I can’t feed myself, you could at least feed me since I’m only in this condition because I tried to save you," Mo Ying teased.
"Yes mama, Papa Mo is right.. you should feed him and help him out," Mo Yuen agreed as he and Mo Ying exchanged mischievous looks. Mo Ying then stuck out his hand and gave him a thumbs up.
Sighing in defeat, Lin Xu took the bowl of porridge and took one full spoon before stuffing it into Mo Ying’s mouth as hard as she could to teach him a lesson.
This only made the kids laugh at their parents.
Just then, they all heard murmurs and gasps from outside the tent, as people all spoke in angry tones.
"What’s going on out there?" Mo Ying asked as Lin Xu stood up quickly. "I’ll go and check it out."
But he followed behind her, "Wait for me... kids keep eating, we’ll be right back."
Mo Ying and Lin Xu left the tent only to be surprised to see the villagers all gathered together, and in their midst was Lu Fei and a man both seated on the ground.
Lu Fei was busy yanking Old Man Lou’s robe as she begged and pleaded.
"Please i-i can explain, it isn’t what it looks like!" she cried but he only kicked her away angrily.
"You wench! I had taken pity on you, slept with you and decided to marry you, and now you dared to cheat on me with my own men? I’ll teach you the lesson of your life!" Old Man Lou shouted as he kicked her.
"Hit her! Hit her hard!" He commanded his men as they all bounced on the man beside Lu Fei, beating him to a pulp.
Finally seeing Zu Shi, Lin Xu asked, "Zu Shi.. what happened? What’s with all this commotion all of a sudden?"
Smiling from ear to ear, Zu Shi informed, "Lin Xu, I told you I would get back at her.. after eating she left and disappeared. I and Yan Mei followed her and found her with that same man. Now her adultery has come to light, Old Man Lou will surely teach her a lesson."
Hearing all that Lin Xu’s face was just expressionless. She didn’t know what to feel. Happy? She didn’t hate Lu Fei nor did she like her, but she wasn’t someone to involve herself in people’s marital affairs.
Sigh! ’Looks like I have to do something’