Chapter 88: The Young Passerby

“When I tell you to let go, you let go! Got it?” Lu Xiao Shu gritted her teeth as she gauged the distance between them. That was the moment she decided to put her martial arts into practice.

On the tip of her toes, Lu Xiao Shu leaped towards Zhou Yuan gracefully.

Poor Zhou Yuan only knew that the girl had a bad temper, was very strong, and could beat others up. However, he never imagined that she knew martial arts. Seeing it with his eyes, he was utterly shocked. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. He was completely stunned by it.

Lu Xiao Shu was thinking of using force to get them out of the situation. Her body swept over there as she shouted, “Let go!” As long as Zhou Yuan loses his grip, she could take the chance to drag him ahead and they should be able to get to safety.

Who knew that Zhou Yuan was so shocked that he forgot about her instructions. His hands were firmly held onto the ice and he was as grounded as a statue. Lu Xiao Shu tried to grab him, but she could not pull him up.

Even if Lu Xiao Shu had great martial art skills, was courageous, and definitely not heavier than Zhou Yuan, how could she take another step when she failed to grab him?

In spite of herself, she fell. Immediately, she could feel her body immersed in water. She forced her eyes closed and cursed silently: This bastard!

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yuan yelled loudly. It sounded like a painful and agonizing yell. Before she could open her eyes, someone held her waist and pulled her up. They were quickly brought to safety before the ice could break further.

Lu Xiao Shu’s heartbeat steadied when her feet touched steady footing. She slowly opened her eyes and her lashes fluttered. She could not help but be startled.

In front of her was a young lad around the age of fourteen or fifteen. He was wearing a dark gown. He had bright eyes, thick eyebrows, and a handsome face. Because they were standing very close, she did not dare to stare at him openly. Unconsciously, she looked away, but she could clearly see that his thin lips had turned into a gentle smile.

“You, you saved us?” Lu Xiao Shu stuttered.

The young lad chuckled and let her go before saying, “Little girl, you shouldn’t be playing here. You’ll turn into fish food if you fall inside! You should go home.”

Seeing that he talked as if he was speaking to a kid, Lu Xiao Shu could not accept it. She fumed, “I’m not a child! Can’t you even see? It’s all that bastard’s…”

Lu Xiao Shu glanced towards the bastard only to find him sprawled across the icy ground. He was probably scared out of his wits and could not move. Coincidentally, he raised his head slightly and looked over at Lu Xiao Shu. It was obvious in his eyes that his reply was “I know I was wrong.”

Just now, before the lad scooped Lu Xiao Shu up, he kicked Zhou Yuan out of the water. He was still in pain from the kick and had yet to recover, but that was the moment he remembered Lu Xiao Shu’s instructions.

Lu Xiao Shu wanted to curse him again, but seeing him so miserable, she doubled over into laughter instead.

The lad’s eyes twinkled as he smiled gently, “You’re quite a daring one. I didn’t expect you to go as far as to save someone’s life. Did you know that you might not even make it out alive?”

“Of course I know!” Lu Xiao Shu pursed her lips and puffed her chest. She said in a dignified tone, “How could I just stand there and watch when he might die?”

“Even if it costs you your life?”

“Of course! Besides, I’ve the confidence to pull it off!”

The lad was stunned, but he laughed out loud. He was just about to say something before an unintelligible shout from the other side of the lake grabbed his attention. He looked towards the source and smiled, “Help him up and go home. I should be going!”

He turned on his heels and ran off to the other side, speeding when he was on the ice. Soon, he was far away from Lu Xiao Shu.

Only then, Lu Xiao Shu realized that she forgot to thank him! She shouted on top of her lungs, “Hey! Thanks for just now!”

The lad stopped in his tracks as he turned to give her a smile. He continued rushing and got off the frozen lake quickly, joining his friends on the other side.

Zhou Yuan groaned in exaggeration, “Xiao Shu, can I move…”

Lu Xiao Shu was mad at him but it was kind of funny too. Why does this bastard never follow what everyone does?

“Get up! Why can’t you move? Be careful of your limbs getting stuck to the ice if you keep sprawling on the ground like this!” Lu Xiao Shu huffed, but she suddenly yelled, “Wait! Don’t move! I’ll help you up!”

He was already choked up with fear and he was so fat. What if he could not stand steadily and fall again, making the ice break? That would be a catastrophe!

Good luck won’t always side with us. Who knows if another man would come and save us? Oh gosh! I forgot to ask for his name. How should I ever repay him in the future? Oh, but then it isn’t necessary since he was just lending us a hand while passing by…

Thoughts raced across Lu Xiao Shu’s mind while she helped the anxious and poor Zhou Yuan up. Then, they got themselves onto the shore.

Zhou Yuan was truly terrified. He followed her every step closely and carefully.

Since the carriage could not make it to the shore of the lake, it was parked at a corner not far away. Lin Fang, Xiao Xue, and Cricket had just come back from collecting stuff. They had planks ripped from the carriage and long rattans in their arms as they rushed towards the shore.

They were shocked to see the two of them walking from the lake.

“Xiao Shu! Xiao Shu!” Lin Fang dropped the things he was carrying and rushed forward, “You, you’re both fine?”

“Just now—”

Zhou Yuan was just about to explain, but Lu Xiao Shu interrupted him, “There was a passerby who lent us a hand just now, so we got out! You guys move too slowly!”

It was too embarrassing to admit that she almost failed. Of course, Lu Xiao Shu did not want Zhou Yuan to tell them what exactly happened.

“Thank god you’re fine! You almost scared me to death, Xiao Shu!” Xiao Xue came and held her hands, finally letting her worry go.

“Yup. We’re fine. Let’s go home!” Lu Xiao Shu smiled.

Although Lin Fang was not convinced, it was not a good time to interrogate them about it. On the contrary, it was Xiao Xue who noticed that Lu Xiao Shu’s shoes were all wet. She could not help herself from asking what happened.

Lu Xiao Shu merely brushed it off, saying that it was just a little wet on the outside and it was dry inside. She told them it would be fine as long as they get home soon. Xiao Xue tried to exchange shoes with her but she was reluctant and there was nothing Xiao Xue could do about it.

The only problem was that because they needed the planks and ropes, the carriage was destroyed. Now that they need to go home, the group looked at each other in dismay.

It was literally so frustrating that they brought it upon themselves! They struggled for a while before fixing the carriage and getting on it.

It was already dark out when the Lu sisters got home.

“Where did you go? Why are you back so late?” Miao Cui Lan chastised when she saw the sisters.

Usually, Xiao Xue was never one to lie to their mother and she would feel really bad about it. She almost exposed what happened today, but she kept quiet when Lu Xiao Shu nudged her as a hint.

Lu Xiao Shu grinned and explained, “Mother, we’re actually home early! It gets dark earlier because it’s winter!”

“Tsk! You and your sly little mouth!” Miao Cui Lan glared at her annoyingly. Since the sisters were already home, she stopped chastising them. Instead, she was worried that they might catch a cold, so she quickly ushered them in to sit by the fireplace.

They agreed and headed into the house. Coincidentally, a tall figure came out of their house and passed by them. Lu Xiao Shu watched curiously, “Mother, who’s that? I don’t think they’re from our village!”

Miao Cui Lan simply replied, “Oh, that’s just someone who moved into the village today. He’s living at the shabby grass shack west of our house. He came to borrow an ax and a sickle.”

“The shack west of our house?” Lu Xiao Shu thought about it, chuckled and mocked, “Isn’t that the shack that the mayor uses to pile straw? The mayor is so smart! Just like that, he got some extra help and he could earn some—”

The outsider got closer to them. No matter if one wished to stay permanently or temporarily, they need to get permission from the mayor. Perhaps it happened that the mayor sold the shack to them. Lu Xiao Shu would never believe it if someone told her that the mayor gave the shack away.

“That’s enough!” Miao Cui Lan scolded, “How can a little girl like you run your mouth like that? Get inside!”

Lu Xiao Shu stuck her tongue out and headed in.

Nothing else was said for the rest of the night.

After having breakfast the next morning, Lu Xiao Shu was at the yard, feeding their chicken. She saw a man walking into the yard as he smiled, “Aunt Lu, I brought your ax back!”

Lu Xiao Shu raised her head and she was immediately startled. The man who came to return the ax was also shocked.

As two pairs of eyes stared at each other, the two of them thought that it was such a coincidence. It turned out that this man was not just another random person. He was the lad who passed by the frozen lake and saved her and Zhou Yuan.

“Is that Xiao Zhou? We’re not using it at the moment, so you don’t have to return it so quickly!” Miao Cui Lan chuckled as she emerged from the house.

Zhou Si smiled and looked towards Lu Xiao Shu. “It’s—”

Before the “you” word was said, Lu Xiao Shu heard her mother and saw her coming out from the house. She gave a few signals with her eyes and turned to her mother with a smile, “Mother, who’s this?”

Zhou Si noticed her wink before innocently asking her mother a feigned question. He could not help smirking at her, but he obliged and kept her secret.

“He’s the one who moved in yesterday. The one who’s staying in the west!” Miao Cui Lan said before turning to Zhou Si to tell him something.

However, Zhou Si smiled and said, “Since Aunt Lu doesn’t need it now, I’ll borrow this for another two days. Oh, right. The roof beams of the shack are moldy, I wish to cut down two big trees in the forest to fix it. I’m not sure how much that would cost, but may I ask you to accommodate me with it.”

The vast stretch of forest was planted by the Lu family. Miao Cui Lan simply laughed, “It’s just two trees. There’s no need for any payment! It has already been so hard for you to move. If you need it, just go ahead and cut them down! Just be careful not to be squashed by the falling trees!”

Zhou Si thanked Miao Cui Lan with a smile before he left.