Ger, So Proud

Chapter 14: Change of Perspective

“It’s just… just that I’m surprised Mr. He is willing to spend so much money on a story.” Although he had heard from the tavern keeper that Wei Quan’s monthly salary was four taels of silver, spending two taels at once seemed a bit much.

Lin Yu was still puzzled, completely forgetting his attitude towards He Ze earlier.

But this incident had really surprised him.

He Ze paused and glanced at Lin Yu, then continued walking towards the academy. “Is it really that strange? Wei Quan is a storyteller, and a good story is like a book to a scholar or grain to a farmer. Naturally, he would appreciate it more than others.”

“But…” Lin Yu’s question lingered as he followed He Ze’s footsteps closely.

“Of course, that’s just one aspect of it. Two taels may seem like a lot, but Wei Quan definitely comes out ahead. As I told him before, given today’s situation, he can easily earn back the two taels from his audience in less than a month. Furthermore, if this continues, the tavern keeper will have to give him a raise. Otherwise, who would want to do such a losing business?”

“Well, okay, but where did you hear this story?” Lin Yu’s voice paused, as if he had suddenly remembered something. “Don’t fool me. There have never been such rumors in He Village.”

“… Do you think I wrote it myself?” He Ze raised an eyebrow.

“You? Really?”

Lin Yu glanced at He Ze up and down, then turned away, his whole body expressing disbelief.

“Forget it, I couldn’t have written it myself,” He Ze shook his head and stopped teasing him. “But after all these years of schooling, don’t you think I’ve come across a few unknown storybooks? Or heard a few stories from old beggars in the alley?”

Before the apocalypse, there were countless versions of stories in his mind, numbering not just hundreds but perhaps thousands. Although many years had passed, he had forgotten quite a bit, but “The Legend of the White Snake” was a childhood memory, and he could still recall the general plot.

Actually, the story he remembered most clearly was “Journey to the West,” but Sun Wukong’s rebellious ideas might easily lead to trouble here.

After all, it was a society where imperial authority reigned supreme.

However, he was just an ordinary person now, without grand ambitions, seeking only to live an ordinary life.

He Ze took a deep breath. There was no hint of decay in the air, and he glanced down at his palms. There was no blood there either. It was good, a luxury for him.

Suppressing the inexplicable emotions in his heart, He Ze quickened his pace, leaving Lin Yu behind in a few steps.

Watching his fading figure, Lin Yu hesitated, then stopped in his tracks. After all, He Ze was still Xiao An’s brother, and his injuries hadn’t healed yet. It wouldn’t be right to leave him behind like this…

Lin Yu silently thought to himself. When he caught up to He Ze, he saw him with a curious expression. “He Ze, did Bai Suzhen agree to accompany Xu Xian later? And, is Xu Xian really an herbalist?”

…

They walked side by side, enjoying the conversation under the perfect sunlight. Despite their simple attire, their handsomeness and beauty were undeniable, inadvertently attracting the envy of onlookers. Unfortunately, the two protagonists were oblivious.

…

They finally arrived at the academy, which, despite its name, was only about the size of three or four taverns, located at the end of East Street, a quiet spot amidst the bustle. Being poor, the quality of the teaching staff was weak. Since the establishment of the current regime, the town hadn’t produced a scholar.

However, throughout history, scholars were always seen differently by others, even though they were still just scholars. This was probably why He Youcai and Dad Li were determined to send their original body here, despite their doubts.

The desire for their children to succeed was universal among parents, but after enduring so many years, the He family’s original body didn’t seem promising, eventually dampening He Youcai and Li-hi’s enthusiasm.

Perhaps because his classmates were all in class, He Ze didn’t encounter them and didn’t bother them either. He just came out after tidying up a few clothes in the dormitory.

Lin Yu waited outside for a while, then when he saw his figure, he asked, “Where else are you going?”

“To buy rice at the rice shop, salt at the salt shop, meat at the butcher’s… Why, haven’t you heard enough?” He Ze hadn’t expected a single story to elevate his status. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Actually, it’s not just about a story.

But at this moment, He Ze just thought, after all, Lin Yu saved his life. Since Lin Yu wanted to listen, he might as well go over the plot of the story.

“What do you mean…” Caught off guard, Lin Yu rolled his eyes impatiently and then briskly walked ahead. “Let’s go, I’ll go with you. I need to buy some of those things too.”

It was getting a bit late, but the two hurried along. In the span of about fifteen minutes, they visited several shops. He Ze seemed to have developed a shopping addiction, wanting something from every store, big or small.

For example, at this moment, he was bending over at a roadside food stall, saying to the stall owner, “Please give me some sugar-roasted chestnuts, hot ones.”

“Sure thing, please wait a moment.”

Lin Yu lifted the back strap of his basket. “Do you like these?”

He Ze shook his head. “I promised Xiao An to bring him some delicious snacks. He likes these.”

In his memory, there was a time when Father He made a set of wooden furniture for a wealthy family in town and received a generous reward. When he came back, he brought back some sugar-roasted chestnuts. After that, Xiao An kept mentioning them for a while.

But they hadn’t had them at home since then. Instead, the original owner of the body used to enjoy buying snacks like these while studying but never brought them home.

“Here you go, sir, these are yours. Take them.”

“Thank you.”

He Ze paid for the snacks and, with several bags in hand, took a few steps before realizing Lin Yu was still standing in place. Perhaps after spending the whole day together, he had become somewhat familiar with Lin Yu and subconsciously asked, “What are you still standing there for? Why aren’t you walking?”

Lin Yu snapped out of his thoughts, glanced at He Ze, his eyes complex and hard to express. By now, they had bought so many things, some for Uncle He , Dad Li and Xiao An, and He Ze remembered each person except himself.

This person’s temperament changed too quickly, but it was changing for the better. If other families with stubborn sons knew about He Ze’s situation, they would probably wish their sons would encounter such a situation.

Well, that was an exaggeration, but it was indeed quite miraculous.

“Lin Yu, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Just as Lin Yu was lost in thought, He Ze had somehow already stood in front of him. Lin Yu hurriedly shook his head. “Nothing, can you still carry all these things? Put them in my basket.”

He turned his back to He Ze.

“As long as you’re okay,” He Ze said, looking at the full bags in his hands. Without much hesitation, he put them all in Lin Yu’s basket. “Alright, we’ll need to go to the pharmacy later. I’m afraid you won’t be able to carry it all, but I can’t let you carry it.”

With that, He Ze lifted the back strap and took the basket off Lin Yu’s back. Lin Yu didn’t react in time and let him take it.

“You…”

In the blink of an eye, He Ze had put the basket on his own back. At this moment, he had forgotten that he was still a weakling. Fortunately, except for a few bushels of rice, which were a bit heavy, the other things weren’t too heavy, and there was no embarrassment.

“Let’s go, worried I’ll take your stuff?” He Ze joked. These heavy-duty tasks were what men did.

Watching his back, Lin Yu felt a strange feeling in his heart. For a moment, he couldn’t figure it out and could only follow along blankly. It wasn’t until He Ze asked, “By the way, is there a good doctor in town?”

He needed to go back and see Father He’s injuries and reassure his family, so they wouldn’t worry about him anymore. He had heard from Xiao An that Lin Yu’s dad was often ill, so Lin Yu should know about the doctor situation.

He Ze glanced at Lin Yu, who didn’t disappoint him either.

“Come with me. Let’s go to Uncle Xu’s place on West Street. His medical skills are the best in town.” Lin Yu gathered his thoughts and quickened his pace. After a pause, he added, “If you’re tired, just let me know. I’m strong enough to carry you.”

“…Looks like my image of being weak has deeply ingrained itself in people’s minds. Truly…” He Ze’s self-disgust deepened a bit more.

When the two returned to the agreed-upon location, judging by the sun’s shadow, shen hour is about to be over, and Zhao Fugui was already waiting there.

“He Ze, Lin Yu, you’re back? If you hadn’t returned soon, I, Zhao, would’ve started worrying!”

“Uncle Zhao, sorry for keeping you waiting.” Lin Yu felt a bit annoyed and scratched his head, suddenly appearing more childish.

Seeing his demeanor, He Ze also felt somewhat embarrassed. “Uncle Zhao, don’t blame Lin Yu. I had a bit too much shopping to do. Please forgive us.”

“Stop it, what are you two talking about? Who do you think Zhao is to get angry so easily!” Zhao Fugui jumped off the cart and stacked the empty baskets used for carrying vegetables on the cart. Then, turning to He Ze, he said, “Stop standing there. Aren’t you tired from carrying all that?”

Hearing this, He Ze quickly walked to the front and placed the basket he was carrying onto the cart, pushing it in. Zhao Fugui wiped his hands on his waist and looked at Lin Yu. “Lin Yu, why aren’t you hurrying? Oh, who’s this?”

Only then did he notice the other person standing beside Lin Yu, a man in his thirties or forties carrying a medicine box.

“Oh, Uncle Zhao, forgot to introduce you. This is Dr. Xu in town. He has been helping my dad with his illness these years. He Ze wants to ask him to check Uncle He’s hand injury.”

“Dr. Xu, this is my uncle, Uncle Zhao.”

Lin Yu turned his head and introduced Xu Qingsheng.

“I see. Dr. Xu, you must take good care of the young man. He’s a carpenter, and his hands are his lifeline!” Zhao Fugui sighed.

“Of course, it’s my duty.”

Xu Qingsheng bowed to Zhao Fugui.

“Then hurry up, you three get on. Stack the baskets together. I’ll drive slowly so you can sit comfortably and relax.” Zhao Fugui waved his hand and looked at the three of them.

Lin Yu stopped in his tracks. “Uncle He, let me help you drive the cart. You’ve had a long day too.”

“No need, no need. When your dad was pregnant, I went to town to fetch the midwife. This cart can fit five or six people at once, not counting me. Uncle Zhao is very skilled and sturdy. Get on, don’t delay. The sun is almost setting!”

Lin Yu saw Zhao Fugui’s insistence and didn’t say anything more. After helping Xu Qingsheng onto the cart, he himself climbed up. However, this time he sat next to He Ze.

Author’s note: He Ze: I have special skills for wooing my wife【serious face】

Good morning, sweetheart~