CFGF 8
After Cannon fodder Gong started farming, he had HE with the cold male protagonist (CFGF) - c8
Falling into the water, a sky-high expensive medicine
~
However, the person who would supposedly covet Lizheng's daughter in the future is currently climbing up a tree, climbing higher and higher, and then casting his sight on to the dilapidated but spotlessly clean backyard of the Lu family. "Will this guy never take two steps out of the front door?" He didn't see Lu Lizhi coming out all day yesterday, Jiang Baiye was a little worried, and made up his mind not to step on his bottom line by climbing the wall, but instead he looked down the big tree that stood in front of Lu Lizhi's gate. As the doors and windows remained shut, Jiang Baiye had been perched on the tree for nearly half an hour, consuming most of the wild fruits that Xiao Sanzi had gathered for him. Upon hearing someone calling out to him, Jiang Baiye prepared to descend from the tree. Just as he was about to do so, the door of the Lu household finally swung open. Lu Lizhi, with his slender figure resembling a gust of wind, almost floated out of the house. He held his forehead, weakly picked up the bucket placed by the kitchen door, stumbled upon rising, unexpectedly knocked his head, and opened the courtyard gate to step outside. Jiang Baiye waited for him to reach the base of the tree before jumping down, still clutching some remaining wild fruits in his hand. Observing the young man, Jiang Baiye noticed his sluggish reaction, pale and chapped lips, and a slight flush on his face. Lu Lizhi almost walked past him without noticing. "You're sick," Jiang Baiye stated confidently, placing the leftover sour fruits into Lu Lizhi's wooden bucket. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? If I truly wanted to harm you, there are numerous ways to do it. Is it necessary for me to bring you food every day?" Lu Lizhi's eyes displayed a hint of coldness. "I've already mentioned that I owe you this. Why are you so insistent? At most, you can repay me later. Hey!" As Jiang Baiye watched Lu Lizhi walk away once again, he felt a tinge of anger. It was just as he suspected, Lu Lizhi was not easily swayed. If he were so easily influenced, he wouldn't have possessed the cold-hearted and cunning nature of a powerful minister. No wonder he had so few friends and couldn't even find a spouse in the end... Returning to his own doorstep, Jiang Baiye gazed at the nearly completed adobe house. Instantly, his mood improved. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Brother Ye, I haven't quite figured out how to construct the attic you mentioned before, and I'm afraid something might go wrong," Xiao Sanzi, now his deputy, confessed with a hint of embarrassment. The attic was one of the innovative features of Jiang Baiye's new adobe house. He intended to add an extra floor, slightly smaller in height than the main floor. Such a design was unheard of in Qingshui Village, and perhaps even in the entire Daning region. For this reason, Jiang Baiye paid special attention to the construction of load-bearing walls, beams, and columns, ensuring a solid foundation for the structural integrity. Even though it was made of soil, adding an additional level posed no problem. As Jiang Baiye was about to share more details, he accidentally broke the branch with a sharp crack. "Brother Ye?" Xiao Sanzi called out. "Just wait, I'll talk to you when I return," Jiang Baiye replied. He was still concerned about Lu Lizhi's condition. While he wouldn't mind if something happened to Lu Lizhi himself, he didn't want Jiang Yueming to become too arrogant. Chasing after Lu Lizhi, Jiang Baiye observed him walking unsteadily with a wooden bucket for fetching water. Instead of heading to the village's public well, Lu Lizhi proceeded towards the riverbank where villagers often washed their belongings. However, Lu Lizhi chose a secluded spot, the same place where he had always done his laundry. A single stone slab hung above the water, its edges sharp and corners steep, with most of it submerged and posing a significant danger. Amused by Lu Lizhi's struggle to retrieve water, Jiang Baiye remarked, "Is this guy sick or just confused?" In the next moment, a loud splash echoed, and the slender figure vanished into the water. Jiang Baiye was filled with alarm. Lu Lizhi had a fear of water, if he remembered correctly. But Lu Lizhi should know how to swim, right? Jiang Baiye sprinted towards the river, shouting urgently, "Uncle Luo, come quickly! Someone has fallen into the water! Help save him!" The middle-aged man, who was in the midst of leading his cow to drink, heard someone calling out to him. Upon recognizing the caller, he abruptly released the rope in his hands, causing the cow to wander off. Startled, he exclaimed, "Help, help! Jiang Baiye killed someone! He pushed them into the river!" "It's not me, Uncle Luo!" Jiang Baiye protested. "Ahhhhhh!" The middle-aged man, who had initially intended to guide the cow away, paid no attention to it anymore. Jiang Baiye was at a loss for words. With the water almost reaching Lu Lizhi's head and his struggles growing feeble, Jiang Baiye felt a surge of frustration. Without hesitation, he cursed, hastily tore off his clothes, and plunged into the water to rescue Lu Lizhi. It wasn't that Jiang Baiye didn't know how to swim. In fact, he had been a swimmer in his elementary school's junior team. However, he had once drowned before. An old man who analyzed his fortune claimed that in a previous life, Jiang Baiye had caused a flood and should avoid water at all costs. Although he initially dismissed the notion, he experienced several near-drowning incidents that left him with a psychological aversion to water. This time, when Jiang Baiye leaped into the river, his body stiffened, almost forgetting how to swim. He involuntarily swallowed a few mouthfuls of water before gradually regaining control of his limbs and paddling rapidly. It was a chilly March day, and the water had not yet warmed up. The river remained deep and unfathomable. The cold water seeped into Jiang Baiye's skin, momentarily numbing his mind. However, the thought of Lu Lizhi's life propelled him forward, urging him to accelerate his rescue efforts. As the large group of men hurried to the river, they discovered that there was no one in the water. "Old Luo, could you have been mistaken? Did that kid really have the audacity to harm someone in broad daylight?" one of the men questioned. "Yes, it's true! Look, these are his clothes!" The middle-aged man pointed at something on the ground with a horrified expression, as if he had found evidence of a heinous crime. "Believe me, he really harmed someone!" "How dare he act so boldly?" The men, women, and children on the field were momentarily terrified, contemplating reporting the incident to Village Officer Wang as soon as possible. However, they first needed to retrieve the supposed body from the water. But before they could utter another word, there was a loud splash on the surface of the river. Emerging from the water was a young man with jet-black hair and dark eyes, nearly reaching adulthood. He emerged from the water with his bare upper body, holding another person in his arms. Everyone stood still, as if they had witnessed a river monster. The young man's serene eyebrows and eyes, combined with his tall figure, created an aura that remained unaffected even as he carried someone in his arms. As several women caught sight of Jiang Baiye's disheveled appearance, their faces flushed, and they quickly averted their gaze. Soon after, exclamations filled the air. "Jiang family's boy, what are you doing!" "How can two men...you, you..." Jiang Baiye paid no attention to their remarks. He firmly held Lu Lizhi's chin and pried open his lips, blowing several times, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. As he saw Lu Lizhi slowly regain his breath, Jiang Baiye collapsed beside him, overcome by fear and exhaustion. He felt weak. "He was trying to save someone. Look, Lu Tongsheng is awake!" After coughing a few times, Lu Lizhi attempted to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt heavy and refused to cooperate. Anxious, he curled his fingers, only to feel pain and coldness coursing through his body. Discomfort overwhelmed him... There were voices around him, but he couldn't discern who they belonged to. What had happened? Vague memories resurfaced, and he recalled suddenly seeing darkness and falling into the river. The relentless river surged around him as he struggled helplessly. Even in that critical moment, as a man who had been born mute, he was unable to cry out for help. Gradually losing his strength, Lu Lizhi's thoughts drifted to his parents who had left him behind. For so many years, he had been alone, eating alone, doing everything alone... he yearned, truly yearned to see them again. That's it, give up, and then you can be reunited with your parents... As Lu Lizhi sank to the river's depths, he cynically believed that his life of bringing misfortune to others was finally reaching its end. But he didn't want that. Just when his consciousness was on the verge of fading completely, a pair of hands suddenly appeared, embracing him tightly... In that moment, a warm breath brushed against him once again. "Rest well for now." Lu Lizhi's damp eyelashes, which had been fluttering, gradually stilled. Observing that he had ceased struggling to stay awake, Jiang Baiye covered him with his own clothes, offering some comfort. However, the person in Jiang Baiye's arms continued to tremble uncontrollably. The villagers, who had been in a state of shock for a while, snapped back to reality and urgently advised, "He's shaking, we mustn't let him freeze!" Despite the belief that Lu Lizhi's parents had been unfortunate, there was still a level of respect for a scholar. Especially in this situation, where it was clear that Jiang Baiye was not a murderer but rather the one who had saved Lu Lizhi, no one blamed him anymore. With swift action, Jiang Baiye rose to shield the trembling individual and carried him home. He then summoned the barefoot doctor from the neighboring village to attend to Lu Lizhi's condition. Jiang Baiye, shirtless and soaked, couldn't help but feel uneasy and uncomfortable as he held the cold and limp body of a grown man. Despite his shamelessness and thick skin, the situation made him tense. "Jiang'er!" He Shi was startled upon seeing him in such a state. "What happened? Did you fall into the river? Where are your clothes?" Feeling even more embarrassed, Jiang Baiye lifted his long legs and kicked open the door to Lu Lizhi's house. He carried him inside and gently placed him in his room before heaving a sigh of relief. "Quickly boil a pot of hot water for us. We'll take a hot bath later. Perhaps it will help us shake off the cold." However, as the water was boiled and Jiang Baiye prepared to undress Lu Lizhi, he discovered that the man tightly clutched his chest with both hands, refusing to let go. If he applied force to remove Lu Lizhi's hands, his delicate eyebrows would furrow in pain. "Such a big man, yet so conservative!" Jiang Baiye sighed helplessly, unsure of what to do. He was then pushed aside by his mother, who said, "Go wash up first, don't catch a cold. I'll take care of him." Jiang Baiye turned back to look three times every step, and even after going back to take a bath, he just hastily wiped his body, and within a quarter of an hour, he strode over while tying his clothes. "How is he?" he inquired. The barefoot doctor had arrived and had just managed to release Lu Lizhi's grip. Without lifting his head, the doctor replied, "Cold air entered his body, his spleen and stomach are weak. I'll prescribe some medicines for him to take. It should be fine." With that, the doctor retrieved several packets of medicine from his medical kit, evidently the kind that was commonly available but quite costly, it cost a hundred yuan. He Shi exclaimed in astonishment. Jiang'er had never fallen ill since childhood, and they were not accustomed to seeking medical help, thus unaware of the high cost of herbal medicine. Jiang Baiye wasn't taken aback by the high cost of medicinal herbs in this world. The processing methods used affected the potency of the active ingredients, and there were limited individuals knowledgeable in herbal cultivation. As a result, herbal medicine was quite expensive, especially for rare medicinal herbs, which were considered priceless. Arriving prepared, Jiang Baiye brought a money pouch with him and promptly withdrew two hundred yuan. "Give me a few more packets. This might not be sufficient, and it will be even more challenging to treat if the illness worsens," he requested. The barefoot doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise. Others accused him of being money-hungry, but this young man disregarded the standard and immediately purchased two packets of medicine. However, the medication was needed to be taken gradually over time, until it became almost tasteless. How could impoverished families afford the expenses of medicinal treatment? After the doctor left, He Shi felt distressed. "Why were you so foolish to buy so much medicine? Does Lu Tongsheng have the means to repay you? It's more than what we owe him, isn't it?" Despite her concerns, He Shi promptly began preparing the medicine. Due to the incident involving the stolen chicken, she carried a sense of guilt towards Lu Lizhi in her heart. Jiang Baiye also started to worry about the money. While he didn't mind investing so much in the male protagonist, viewing it as a lucrative venture in the future, without money, he felt limited in his abilities. Making money had to be prioritized on his agenda!
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[T/N]: He Shi almost had a heart attack there.
NOTICE: Next update on Monday.
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