Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 174: Chapter 157 Slowly Eroding Day by Day

In the following days, Chu Yu truly witnessed Rong Zhi’s talent for entertaining children.

Eight stories every day.

The first day, only one child listened to stories at the corner. The next day, that child brought two friends, and by the afternoon, the number had increased to four. On the third day, the feet crouching at the corner turned into twelve in total, and by the fourth day, when Rong Zhi said he needed water, immediately, seven or eight bowls were eagerly passed to him.

The bowls contained clear, ice-cold well water. Besides using it to clean his wounds, the remaining clean water was left for Chu Yu to wash his face and hands. Although he couldn’t bathe, it was better than nothing.

But starting from the second day, Rong Zhi not only asked for water. He described several common herbs, having the children fetch them for him, and then crushed the herbs to apply on his wounds.

Searching for the herbs was not an easy task, but the stories Rong Zhi told captivated those children who had long been confined to the village without seeing the outside world. His wide knowledge and engaging storytelling about customs from different places enchanted the children, and sometimes even Chu Yu found himself utterly absorbed.

Chu Yu had once peeked through a small window and saw more than a dozen children squatting at the wall’s base, ranging from five or six to fifteen or sixteen years old. Rong Zhi had them running about doing various errands without any complaint and even resolved disputes among them with just a few words, maintaining harmony and obedience.

This unusual situation initially caught the attention of the village adults, but knowing that Rong Zhi wasn’t demanding anything excessive, they didn’t pay much heed, only instructing the children not to give him anything dangerous.

However, by the fifth day, Chu Yu began to feel a bit apprehensive. Although Rong Zhi was merely telling stories, occasionally asking for some water and herbs, he had subtly gathered all the children in the village who were older than five. His smile could easily charm adults, let alone deceive a few children.

It wasn’t just the village children who grew close to Rong Zhi; even Sun Dang and Sun Hu, who delivered their meals daily, warmed up to him. Sometimes they lingered to chat, even sharing basic information about the village, such as its population.

But Chu Yu had a vague premonition that such days would not last. Rong Zhi had stirred quite the commotion and though he had only asked for a bit of water and some herbs, it was unlikely that the village horse thieves would continue to ignore this situation indefinitely.

After sharing her concerns with Rong Zhi, he responded with a calm smile, “I have my plans.”

Before Chu Yu could discern what his plans were, the seventh day arrived. Normally, someone would have delivered their meal by noon, but today it was unusually late. Finally, when she heard the sound of a lock twirling and the door being pushed open, the figure that appeared wasn’t the usual Sun Hu or Sun Dang, but the tall and tower-like horse bandit leader Sun Li, who was also the head of the village.

He stood at the doorway, almost completely blocking the entire door and had to slightly stoop to enter. In one hand, he carried the meal basket, his face expressionless.

Chu Yu instinctively tugged at Rong Zhi’s sleeve, “You’ve charmed someone else’s flower, and now the adults have come to settle the score.”

Rong Zhi looked straight at Sun Li, smiling calmly, clearly unbothered by the accusation of luring minors, and simply stated, “Headman Sun Li, is there anything you need from me?”

After Sun Li entered the house, his men immediately shut the door and went a step further by locking it, locking Sun Li inside as well.

The horse bandit leader’s beard was considerably shorter than the last time she saw him, no longer covering half his face tightly. Through the gaps, one could faintly see his rough and resolute features.

His brow bones were high, giving his eye sockets a deeply set appearance. On closer inspection, Chu Yu realized that this horse bandit leader possessed a pair of profound eyes. Although his appearance was rugged in every aspect, those eyes revealed an unexpected meticulousness from within the rough exterior; the horse bandit was a man of subtle details within his roughness.

Sun Li sat cross-legged in front of the two men, his gaze as sharp as knives scanning over their faces in turns, focusing more on Rong Zhi, thus reducing the pressure on Chu Yu considerably.

After a while, Sun Li slowly opened his mouth and asked, “What exactly are you plotting?” Before returning to the village, he had been very rude and overbearing in front of his horse thieves, but once back in the village, that fierce and rash temperament seemed to gradually recede.

Rong Zhi smiled elegantly, with a hint of pride, still as composed as ever as he lightly brushed his neatly arranged clothes. This demeanor made Chu Yu involuntarily think of the aristocrats he had seen in Jiankang City, who also carried such restrained and arrogant expressions and gestures, proud of their heritage and flaunting their status.

The current Rong Zhi was perfectly portraying a son of an aristocratic family, but the grace of those aristocrats was something that could be maintained only in times of peace. Rong Zhi’s ability to do so even in dire straits added a different light in Sun Li’s eyes.

After such an act, Rong Zhi spoke in a soft voice, “I do not have any particular schemes in mind; I merely wish to live a bit more comfortably. With the abilities of Ah Chu and me, we are not enough to cause any turmoil. You are worrying too much.”

Sun Li stared at him coldly for a while before finally speaking, “You wish to live more comfortably? Why didn’t you ask me?”

Rong Zhi slightly lifted his eyelids, his gaze calm and tranquil, and he smiled lightly, “Isn’t that what I am doing right now by asking you?”

Sun Li was stunned for a moment, then quickly recovered to his usual self. After a while, he suddenly stood up, kicked over a basket filled with food next to him, and the food and water inside spilled all over the place.

Chu Yu did not know what he was about to do and became somewhat nervous, but Sun Li just turned and walked to the door, knocked lightly twice, and the person outside immediately opened it.

Standing at the doorway, Sun Li spoke without turning back, “Fine, I agree.”

After Sun Li left, Chu Yu and Rong Zhi were promptly asked to leave the cell and moved into a house in the village. This house had tables, chairs, beds, soft quilts, and clean clothes. Although the materials could not compare to those in the Princess Mansion, they were still not something ordinary families could afford. And their lunch had also turned from simple two dishes into a sumptuous one.

In exchange for being treated well, Sun Li requested Rong Zhi to temporarily take on the role of a teacher and educate the children in the village.

After the two had eaten, a slightly dark-skinned boy pushed the door open and came in. This boy was the first to come and listen to stories; he was nine years old and named Sun Xiaojiang. He was also Sun Li’s son.

Sun Xiaojiang ran into the room, affectionately calling Rong Zhi “Brother Rong,” and then casually, less affectionately calling Chu Yu “Brother Chu.” The difference in closeness was clear. Chu Yu, uninterested in cajoling the flower of the horse bandits, didn’t mind whether the child was fond of him. He watched as Sun Xiaojiang pulled out a fist-sized porcelain bottle from his robe and waved it in front of Rong Zhi, “Brother Rong, my dad said you can’t let your foot injury linger, he sent me to bring you medicine.”

Rong Zhi thanked him gently and promised to tell him an extra story next time as a reward.

After sending Sun Xiaojiang away, Rong Zhi toyed with the porcelain bottle in his hand, and Chu Yu, observing that he was playing with it rather than using it, curiously asked, “Why aren’t you applying the medicine?”

Rong Zhi smiled faintly and said, “If I were to apply this medicine, my leg would probably be ruined for life.” In terms of dealing with medicine, Sun Li was still far behind.