NCCnovel Chapter 423 I’m always here
Chapter 423 I’m always here
Chapter 423
The old lady was stunned at first, then her face showed an even more surprised expression, and she said with a little shame: "I'm really sorry, if I had known that you were buying rice for this purpose, I would not have accepted your money."
Seeing the old lady's annoyance, Luo Shuiyao smiled and said, "There's no need to be like this, old lady. You have a family to support, and you've contributed to the road construction, which is already very rare. How can you not accept the money?"
The old lady shook her head and said with emotion, "You have no connection to anyone in Baihua County, yet you are able to do such a kind act. In comparison, we, the people of Baihua Town, are really ashamed."
"Auntie, there's no need to feel ashamed. We are all citizens of the Great Zhou, and we should help each other."
Luo Shuiyao spoke sincerely, "I hope you can help me and load the bowls, chopsticks and pots into the truck as soon as possible, so that I can cook porridge for everyone earlier."
The old lady's eyes were slightly hot, and she nodded heavily: "Okay! I will help with Xiao He right away, and I promise to get it done quickly!"
The four of them worked together and quickly counted the two hundred large bowls. They also lifted the two largest iron pots in the store onto the cart. After paying for the bowls and chopsticks, Luo Shuiyao asked the old lady, "Do you have any firewood for sale?"
The old lady slapped her thigh and said cheerfully, "There's a mountain of firewood in my backyard, so feel free to take it, girl!"
Luo Shuiyao thought for a moment. With the continuous rainstorm, she was afraid that she would not be able to find anyone to sell firewood. Firewood was indeed in short supply at the moment, so she smiled and replied, "Thank you very much, Auntie! I will pay for the firewood, and I would like to trouble you to help load it into the car."
The old lady waved her hands repeatedly and refused: "No, no! How much is this firewood worth? My husband can get it by chopping a few trees in the mountains when he has free time. Please don't bother me, girl!"
Luo Shuiyao didn't hesitate any longer and nodded readily, "Then let's go load it!" They left the grocery store and headed straight for the rice shop's backyard. There, firewood was piled high, almost touching the eaves. Without a word, Luo Shuiyao, Chun Xing, and the old lady immediately began loading it onto the cart.
A moment later, Xiao He quietly followed, silently helping to stack the firewood neatly. The four of them toiled for a long time until the carriage was completely packed, so full that there wasn't even room for anyone to sit. While the old lady was turning away, Luo Shuiyao pulled out a dime and gently placed it on the windowsill, carefully weighing it down with half a piece of firewood before leaving with peace of mind.
Luo Shuiyao and Chun Xing had just gotten on the carriage and had not taken a few steps when they saw the old lady and Xiao He, who had already turned around and left, hurriedly chasing after them.
She hurriedly tightened the reins and slowly stopped the carriage.
Turning around, I saw an old woman driving a donkey cart following behind.
The old lady wiped the sweat from her forehead, her voice full of warmth, "Xiao He and I have nothing to do anyway, so why don't we help you cook porridge! If you don't mind, let us lend a hand!"
Luo Shuiyao's heart warmed. She was deeply impressed by the kindness and sincerity of the people of Baihua County, and their concerted efforts to address the disaster. No wonder the place was so well-governed; County Magistrate Qin truly had his share of special talents. She didn't refuse, but smiled and nodded, saying, "I'm so grateful that you're willing to help! Come on, let's go together!"
Luo Shuiyao had originally planned to return to the inn, spend some money, and hire a waiter to lead the way. Now that Aunt He was accompanying her, she saved herself a lot of hassle. The group quickly arrived at the site of the canal and road construction, driving their carriage. Night had already fallen, and while the view ahead was blurry, they could make out the movement of people. In this pre-tech age, digging the canal and road construction relied entirely on human labor, so engrossed in their toil that they didn't even notice their arrival.
Luo Shuiyao did not go forward to disturb them. She found a clean and flat open space and started working with her aunt, Xiao He, and Chun Xing.
She set up the pot, built the stove, and lit the fire, all in one smooth motion. Watching the dancing flames licking the bottom of the pot, Luo Shuiyao secretly felt lucky—thanks to the old lady for taking the initiative to help, otherwise, she really didn't know how long it would take to light the fire and build the stove.
There was a canal not far away, and the environment was simple, so she had no time to worry about whether it was clean. Besides, the old lady said that this river water was what the locals drank daily, so it was very clean.
The firewood was stacked high, its flames licking the bottom of the pot cheerfully. Soon, the water in the cauldron began to simmer. Luo Shuiyao poured rice into the pot, stirring gently with a long spoon. As the steam rose, the rich aroma of rice wafted into the air, permeating the noses of the hungry canal diggers and road builders.
Ever since Luo Shuiyao and her group arrived, some had noticed the commotion. Watching them set up the cauldron and light the fire, they had a vague idea of what was going on. At that moment, the alluring aroma of rice filled their nostrils, intensifying the hunger in their stomachs. The already exhausted crowd could no longer concentrate, their hoes and shovels unconsciously slowing down, and finally stopping, their gazes fixed in the direction of the fragrant aroma.
It was dusk and several bonfires had already been lit all around. The orange-red flames flickered in the night. Although they could not illuminate the surroundings as brightly as day, they could still reflect the tired faces of everyone.
Qin Chuan also noticed the movement from Luo Shuiyao's side. Seeing that everyone had stopped what they were doing, he knew that everyone was already hungry and exhausted from today's work.
Looking at the road that was about to be completed, Qin Chuan straightened his back and shouted at the top of his voice, "Fellow villagers, keep working hard! Once this road is completed, we can rest. Then everyone can have a hot meal and get enough rest. We will continue working tomorrow!"
After hearing this, a hint of anticipation appeared on everyone's originally tired faces, and the movements of their hands became faster. The sound of hoes and shovels colliding became more frequent. Everyone was looking forward to finishing the work quickly and having a hot meal.
Only then did Luo Shuiyao spot Qin Chuan among the crowd. He was dressed in a coarse cloth shorts, with a cloth wrapped around his head. He stood with his back straight, holding a hoe tightly in his hands. He had no refined demeanor of a scholar at all, but rather looked like a genuine farmer. He was full of energy and worked hard with everyone to build the road, without the slightest air of an official.
After Qin Chuan finished shouting, he was about to continue working with his hoe when he felt a gaze fall upon him. He followed that gaze and saw Luo Shuiyao. Luo Shuiyao was standing by the cauldron, the firelight reflected on her face, her eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and admiration.
Qin Chuan was slightly startled. For some reason, a heat rushed to his neck, as if it was burning by fire. He couldn't help but want to avoid it, but he was reluctant to do so.
Luo Shuiyao hadn't expected Qin Chuan to suddenly turn and look at her. They were so far apart that she couldn't see his expression clearly. She felt awkward—after all, she'd been caught peeping again. Just as she was about to look away, she saw Qin Chuan nod at her. Then, he bent down, raised his hoe, and continued to work diligently, quickly blending into the busy crowd.
Luo Shuiyao was caught "peeking" twice in a row and was feeling uncomfortable. Seeing that Qin Chuan didn't seem to care, her tense shoulders relaxed a little. She coughed lightly to cover up her embarrassment, quickly averted her gaze, and gripped the wooden spoon again to stir the boiling rice porridge in the pot.
However, Luo Shuiyao did not notice that when Qin Chuan raised the hoe again, the strength in his hand seemed to be greater than before.
Soon, the thick, sweet rice porridge in the pot bubbled to the perfect temperature. Meanwhile, the road in the distance had finally been repaired. The exhausted villagers straightened their hunched backs and gathered in groups of two or three toward the flickering fire.
Luo Shuiyao immediately divided the work with Auntie, Xiao He, and Chun Xing: she held the ladle for the porridge, Auntie passed the bowls, Xiao He added the firewood, and Chun Xing maintained order. The four of them moved swiftly back and forth between the dancing flames, quickly forming a long line. The aroma of the steaming porridge, wrapped in warmth, wafted slowly on the night breeze, seemingly dispelling the villagers' day's toil and worries.
At first, scooping the porridge was easy, but gradually, Luo Shuiyao felt a sharp pain in her hands, gripping the bowl and spoon. When another empty bowl was handed to her, she subconsciously shook her numb arms. Just then, a gentle voice came over: "You've worked really hard today, young lady. You should rest for a while and let me do it."
The voice was so familiar that she quickly turned around and found that it was County Magistrate Qin.
Realizing that he had seen her awkward movements, Luo Shuiyao felt a pang of shame. It was just a simple matter of serving porridge, yet she was so exhausted and had to trouble others for help. She glanced at the few people still waiting for their porridge, hesitated for a moment, and then handed the spoon over, saying softly, "Then I'll trouble County Magistrate Qin."
Seeing her politeness, Qin Chuan couldn't help but whisper, "Miss, there's no need to be so reserved." A chord in his heart seemed to be gently plucked, and a hint of warmth unconsciously appeared on his face. The steam rising from the pot and the flames blazing around him cleverly masked his discomfort.
The firelight illuminated Luo Shuiyao's face red. She was so busy running around that she didn't notice Qin Chuan's unusual behavior. She nodded slightly at his words, and without saying anything more, she turned around and helped pass the bowl and add firewood.
Qin Chuan handed a bowl of hot porridge to the villagers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Luo Shuiyao still busy in the crowd, and his brows unconsciously frowned. He wanted to say something to let her rest, but he swallowed the words back. He could only speed up the porridge, hoping to finish it quickly.
She waited until the last villager left with his bowl of porridge before she collapsed on the stone next to her.
After Qin Chuan helped clean up the stove, he walked to her side with a half bucket of water and said, "Wash your hands." Luo Shuiyao looked up and saw that his forehead was covered with mud and sweat, and his coarse cloth shorts were soaked with sweat, but he still stood upright.
She took the bucket and said, "Thank you, County Magistrate Qin, for today."
Qin Chuan didn't answer. He squatted down and looked at her at eye level. "Will you come tomorrow?"
Luo Shuiyao felt uncomfortable under his burning gaze, turned away and said, "It depends on the situation. Come if you need me."
"I'll be there tomorrow too." Qin Chuan suddenly spoke up. Seeing Luo Shuiyao looking at him in confusion, his ears turned red but he still stared at her. "The road hasn't been completed yet, I'll be there."
Luo Shuiyao responded with an "Oh", stood up and patted the hem of her skirt, "Then we'll meet again later."
She called Chun Xing and prepared to leave, but she didn't notice that Qin Chuan had been standing there behind her until her carriage disappeared into the night, and he didn't move for a long time.