HE With the Cold Male Protagonist C31

Chapter 31: Afternoon Nap, Tears

With a swift reaction, Jiang Baiye lunged forward, covering several large strides, and kicked the man squarely in the back, sending him sprawling face-first to the ground. The moneybags in his hands split open with a loud crash, spilling coins everywhere.

The people of Lijia Village stared blankly at the silver ingots and copper coins scattered at their feet, swallowed hard, and suddenly shouted: “Quick, grab them!”

Several of them instantly scrambled to act, their movements unbelievably fast as they snatched up the scattered money.

“You bastards! Stop, that’s robbery!” The people of Qingshui Village rushed up in fury, grappling and brawling with them.

Some grabbed the money and ran, others lost all sense of restraint. Picking up one or two was not enough—seeing the ground covered with coins, they simply scooped up fistfuls of dirt along with it. Someone punched one of them hard in the back, making him grunt in pain, yet he still hurried to stuff the money into his crotch.

Some of the women, witnessing the chaotic scene, broke into tears out of sheer outrage. “Is there no law left? You’re openly robbing us!”

Jiang Baiye did not concern himself with the coins being picked up. Instead, he seized the very first thief by the collar.

It turned out to be Jiang Dashan!

At this moment, his clothes were in disarray, his appearance disheveled, like a madman. His eyes were bloodshot, and he cackled wildly, his face brimming with twisted satisfaction.

Lately, he had lost everything—money, reputation, work. Beaten until he had not yet recovered, worst of all, the woman he loved had run off with another man, taking his child with her.

Dispirited, unable to return to town, shunned and pointed at in the village, scolded and berated by the old patriarch at home, even chased out of bed by Li-shi brandishing a knife at his throat, how could Jiang Dashan not go mad?

He had long known that Jiang Yueming, his son, was heartless. That was why he had wanted to sire another child. Li-shi’s body was damaged and could no longer bear, so what was wrong with him finding another woman?

What was wrong!

“It’s you, you ruined me! Everything is your doing!” Jiang Dashan’s expression suddenly turned vicious. From his hand flashed a knife, which he aimed to stab viciously toward Jiang Baiye.

“Changshou!” Madam He paled with horror.

But Jiang Baiye had been wary of him all along. He flung him down like a sack and, with one heavy kick, sent the blade clattering away.

Yet Jiang Dashan was not resigned. He scrambled up again to snatch for the knife. Jiang Baiye clicked his tongue and stepped down hard on his neck. “Do you really think I don’t dare kill you?”

He pressed only slightly, but Jiang Dashan immediately heard his own neck creak and crack, terrifying him so much he froze on the spot. His reason swiftly returned, and under the suffocating murderous aura pouring down on him, cold sweat streamed all over his body.

“Good… good nephew, I… I didn’t know what I was doing, perhaps your uncle was sleepwalking…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Dazhu charged up wielding a wooden staff. With a resounding thwack, he struck his head, knocking him unconscious.

“To dare pull out a knife—he must have gone mad!” Jiang Dazhu said with lingering fear and couldn’t resist striking him a few more times.

Meanwhile, the men from Lijia Village had already been subdued by the people of Qingshui. Seeing Jiang Baiye’s gaze sweep toward them, they hurriedly surrendered their coins with trembling hands. “I—I was wrong, the money is all here…”

Jiang Baiye gave a smile, then turned to the women present and spoke gently: “Ladies, please step back a bit. I have something to deal with.”

The women were curious, but they withdrew a little distance. Before they could fully prepare themselves, screams like slaughtered pigs erupted in succession—

“No, don’t strip me, I’ll give it back, I’ll return it all!”

“Don’t take off my trousers, ahhh!”

“Spare me, leave me some dignity, please!”

Jiang Baiye stood with hands behind his back. “Strip them. Strip until nothing is left. Hang them upside down on the trees. I want to see where else you can hide anything!”

The men of Qingshui Village felt supremely vindicated. They gritted their teeth, sparing no mercy. Even their socks were taken. Once they had hung them stark naked in the trees, shaking them so that coins and scraps of silver tumbled from their hair and headscarves, they counted.

Jiang Dazhu checked the total—there was even more than before. Naturally, there was no reason to return the excess.

“That’s mine, my own money, sob sob!”

No one admitted to anything. Before leaving, Jiang Baiye ground his foot heavily into Jiang Dashan’s leg, shattering his kneecap before walking away.

Those hanging in the trees fell silent with fear, no longer daring to beg anyone to let them down.

So they dangled there, bare as newborn pigs, for all passersby to see. Embarrassed beyond words, they howled and bawled, desperate to flee home.

Later, when the scene had moved to another place, the wages were finished without further disturbance. Everyone voiced their thanks and asked, “Now that the workshop is complete, will your family host a banquet? This time you must, surely?”

Madam He at once beamed. “On the eighth day of the sixth month, please come and support us, to celebrate the opening of the workshop. You must all come!”

“Of course, my boy will be working here from now on. No matter what, we’ll be there to help.”

“If you’re short on tables and benches, don’t be shy. We’ll bring our own!”

“I’ll send my wife to help with the cooking, or any other chores needed.”

Hearing this, the socially awkward Jiang Dazhu couldn’t hold back. “At that time, my son Changshou will be the head chef. You must taste his cooking—it will be unforgettable!”

The crowd looked in surprise at Jiang Baiye. He could cook? A grown man who cooked that well?

Many grew eager with anticipation. No matter what the food tasted like, they would praise it. After all, from now on this man was their employer, the one paying them silver.

The villagers dispersed in joy.

After receiving word, Wang Lizheng immediately went to Uncle Luo’s house with hands clasped behind his back. “Let’s visit the other villages. I plan to invite their lizhengs to join in celebrating this joyous occasion!”

Uncle Luo twitched his mouth. Was this not simply going to anger them to death? With days still left until the eighth, even notifying them the day before would not be late. To go now, deliberately riling them up—did he even want them to sleep in peace?

Though grumbling in his heart, Uncle Luo was more than willing to join, and together with Wang Lizheng, they practically swept through all the villages under Baishi Town. Now not only the other lizhengs but also many villagers knew of the imminent opening of Jichun Medicinal Workshop. An uproar ensued.

“Jichun” was the Jiang family’s ancestral brand, short for “benefiting the world, healing the people, hands of miraculous spring.” Since he had inherited so much from his ancestors, carrying it forward in this world was part of his responsibility as a descendant.

But it had been a long time since he practiced calligraphy. Without hesitation, Jiang Baiye picked wild loquats from the mountain, ground them into pulp, and chilled the juice in fresh, cold well water.

He topped it with salted roasted peanut crumbs, steamed red beans, diced candied fruit, and dried berries, sprinkled on bright red goji berries, drizzled with a ladle of specially made brown sugar syrup, and finally garnished it with two dried flower petals. Thus, a cooling, refreshing bowl of ice jelly was complete.

Jiang Baiye made another bowl for himself, then packed a basket of fresh fruit he had picked the day before in the mountains—wild grapes, golden pears, wild peaches, bayberries, sour plums—washed clean with icy well water, and hurried eagerly to Lu Lizhi’s home.

Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since he’d visited properly.

Lu Lizhi was taking an afternoon nap. Drowsily, he seemed to hear knocking outside, tried to wake, but having burned the midnight oil after Granny Li’s words yesterday, he had studied until dawn. Now he was sunk deep in sleep. His mind told him to rise, but his body would not obey.

He didn’t even notice the footsteps drawing near…

Seeing him lying in bed in broad daylight, Jiang Baiye was startled. “Lu Lizhi, are you all right?”

He pressed his hand against his forehead.

Not feverish? Jiang Baiye was uncertain. He gazed at the faint flush on his pale face, the long dark lashes casting quiet shadows, his eyes closed in gentle arcs. Without his usual cold, distant aura, he looked instead sweetly docile.

Jiang Baiye’s heart softened. Seeing the fine sheen of sweat on his smooth brow, and that he was wearing the thick inner robe suited for spring and autumn, sweat soaking the fabric, Jiang Baiye did not hesitate to undo his sash, to let him cool.

“In this heat, why wrap yourself up so tightly?”

Jiang Baiye himself wished he could go bare-chested every day. If not for the presence of women in the village, he would have gone about in only shorts. Even so, he wore only one loose garment, usually hanging open to show his bronzed muscles.

Yet just as he tugged at Lu Lizhi’s robe, a sleeping hand instinctively clutched at it, accompanied by a low, protesting murmur.

Sticky-soft, sweet and tender, the sound tickled Jiang Baiye’s ears. He wickedly wanted to hear more, so his fingers grew rougher, deliberately pulling open the robe.

Before his eyes appeared a chest white as jade with a hint of pink, beaded with sweat—like a piece of soft, glutinous white cake, which when bitten into would yield sweet filling, stirring desire to devour…

Another unhappy whimper escaped him. The sleeper’s brows furrowed handsomely. Jiang Baiye nearly exploded, his body blazing, heat surging from his chest to every limb, an urgent need for release overwhelming him!

Doomed, the old affliction was acting up again. In near panic, Jiang Baiye thought to flee, only to have his hand suddenly seized!

Guilty, he shuddered all over, not daring to look back at Lu Lizhi’s face.

But then, a soft cheek nuzzled against his hand, filled with closeness and reliance…

Jiang Baiye’s eyes darkened. Slowly turning, he saw that Lu Lizhi’s eyes remained shut. Still fast asleep, he unconsciously rubbed his face against Jiang Baiye’s hand, leaving Jiang Baiye oddly disappointed.

Before long, hot tears splashed onto his hand. Jiang Baiye forgot all stray thoughts. Seeing his reddened nose, realizing he was crying even in his dreams, tears streaming down accompanied by muffled sobs, Jiang Baiye was thrown into utter chaos.

“Lu Lizhi, I’m your father—cough, no, wait… You must be mistaking me for your father, right? Lizhi, be good, father’s here!”

The more he tried to soothe, the more flustered he became. Seeing that he would not stop crying, Jiang Baiye simply cupped his face with rough hands, wiping away his tears, his heart aching fiercely.

Lu Lizhi was trapped in a nightmare, torn apart by endless visions, his chest aching and seizing, to the point he could hardly breathe…

No, don’t go, don’t leave him behind again…

Jiang Baiye.