He Choked

Lu Mingxi's lips moved hesitantly. "I've learned half of it," he said quietly.

Su Yuhe stroked his head. "That's really impressive. You learn so quickly."

"I'm going to wash up." Meng Zhixian was seething, but could hardly say more. He stiffly tossed out those words and walked out.

She turned to Ruan Puchuan. "Thank you, then. Stay for breakfast before you go."

She did not want contact with anyone from Li Wenxiu's household, but whenever she thought of yesterday, of him lying all alone on the ground with no one looking after him, he really was so pitiful.

It would have been a lie to say she had not been moved. She wanted to help, but did not know how.

Su Yuhe patted Lu Mingxi's hand. "I'm going to wash up."

He let go and headed outside. "I'll fetch water for you, wife."

She caught up in a few strides and pushed him back into the kitchen. "Eat with the Li family's husband first. Thank you for getting up so early to cut grass and feed the chickens."

Su Yuhe closed the door and left. Smiling, Lu Mingxi fetched bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard and went to the stove to dish up the food, not forgetting to urge his eldest brother, "Hurry and get changed, Brother. Time to eat."

Lu Mingyi looked away, somewhat speechless. In the end, he said nothing in front of an outsider and turned to leave.

"Will you come again tomorrow?"

Lu Mingxi set the bowls and chopsticks on the table, then ran to fetch five teacups. He filled them with piping-hot water from the copper kettle and carefully set them on the table to cool.

Ruan Puchuan helped him. His husky voice sounded far more mature than his appearance.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes! I haven't learned it yet. Can you teach me again?"

The tall, thin youth's lips curved, his eyes crinkling. "Of course. I can teach you more dishes, too. You're one of my only two friends here, after all."

"Is the other one Li Yun?"

"Yes."

While the wok was still hot, Ruan Puchuan dished out what remained, scooped a dipperful of water into it, and gave it a quick scrub.

Lu Mingxi was very curious about Li Yun and asked furtively, "What sort of person is Li Yun?"

"Kind and helpful."

He felt that deeply. "He certainly is helpful."

But when an unmarried young man was so helpful toward a young woman, his intentions were plain as day.

"What else, besides helpful?"

The boy's thoughts were far too transparent. Ruan Puchuan covered his lips and chuckled. "He's also very good at hunting. His is one of the few households here that can eat meat all year round."

Lu Mingxi was unimpressed. Was being able to eat meat often so impressive?

On second thought, it really was. Meat was so expensive.

Ruan Puchuan went over the steps for making egg fried rice aloud once more. Lu Mingxi nodded repeatedly. "It sounds so simple, and it smells so good once it's cooked."

His thoughts had been on the egg fried rice on the table the entire time. He had left so early that he had not even eaten that half bowl of thin porridge at the Li house. He was counting on this bowl of egg fried rice.

After washing up, Su Yuhe came over eagerly, took a small sip of warm water, and politely invited Ruan Puchuan to eat. He nodded and shoveled mouthful after mouthful into his mouth.

Meng Zhixian stared, dumbfounded. He really looked like the reincarnation of a starving ghost.

Lu Mingxi somewhat regretted asking him to stay for breakfast. He really looked as though he could eat a lot.

She was polite but distant. "There's more if that's not enough."

"N-no, this is enough for me."

He spoke too hastily, and rice went down his windpipe. Covering his mouth, he turned his head aside and began coughing violently. Su Yuhe was about to step forward, but worried it would be too forward of her. Her gaze swept over the three young men, hoping they would take the initiative.

Lu Mingyi lowered his eyes, remaining composed, not affected in the least by the Li family's husband. Lu Mingxi was young, and the distaste in his eyes was plain to see. Meng Zhixian looked annoyed, as though resenting the Li family's husband for coughing at such an inopportune time.

After looking around, she found the young men from the city rather cold. The Li family's husband's already frail chest heaved violently, as though he might cough himself unconscious the next moment.

Su Yuhe rose to pat his back, but before she could, he crouched to one side himself and tilted his small face up at her, his eyes watery. "I-I-I'm fine."

She handed him a cup of water. He drank it, and Su Yuhe gently patted his back. "Is that any better?"

He flinched beneath her hand with every pat, looking utterly pitiful.

Lu Mingyi came over and helped Ruan Puchuan up without a word. The excessively thin youth lowered his head and apologized. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

Su Yuhe sat back down and continued eating. "You haven't. Go on and eat. It won't taste good once it's cold."

Ruan Puchuan looked at Lu Mingxi, but the latter did not notice his gaze, intent on picking the egg out of his own bowl and giving it to Su Yuhe.

Lu Mingyi patted Ruan Puchuan's shoulder. "Eat. There are a few things I'd like to ask you about later."

Only then did he sit down again, even more cautious than before. Even his chewing was extremely slow, as though making the slightest sound would kill him.

Su Yuhe finished eating first. Her gaze happened to pass over the Li family's husband's face. There were many small cuts on it, as well as some redness and swelling. It seemed he had not treated it at all last night.

"Mingyi."

Lu Mingyi set down his chopsticks and waited for her to continue.

"Help him treat those injuries in a little while."

He looked at Ruan Puchuan. His strikingly beautiful face was filled with unease, which did not diminish his beauty in the least, but only made him look all the more delicate and pitiable.

The brothels were full of men like this, yet women liked precisely this sort.

"All right."