The Spirited Daughter-in-law and the Mountain Man

With every step he climbed, he called out, “Wife…”

She stood not far behind him, listening to his calls that sounded like someone on the verge of death.

A mix of compassion and sorrow deeply spread in her heart.

Seeing him struggle to climb, she remembered his brilliant smile in ordinary days.

She remembered his neatly-cleaned white teeth shining brightly when he smiled.

She remembered how he always provoked her anger with his teasing smiles, making her teeth itch with anger.

He was always flirtatious, and she had always thought he was an unreliable scoundrel. He either angered her with his cheap talk or pleased other women. Otherwise, why would so many women in the village like him?

But never had she imagined him like this…

As if he would die trying to find her.

As if he would use his last breath just to see her.

As if in his heart, nothing was more important than her…

She paused for a moment, then hurriedly ran up and shouted, “Xiao Yuchuan!” Upon hearing her shout, he stiffened.

He turned to look back at her, then, his body lying on the ground, he lost his grip and rolled down the hillside.

Thankfully, Su Qingyue had quick reflexes and immediately rushed forward to stop his rolling body. She grabbed and pulled him toward the side of the muddy path, leaning against the side of the mountain. Only then was his body stabilized.

His face was ashen and lifeless, but when he saw her, his eyes lit up, “Wife, is that you?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

“Finally, I found you…” He uttered weakly, then relaxed, his eyelids drooping as if about to close.

She thought he had passed out and hurriedly placed her hand on his wrist to check his pulse.

However, the heavy rain and water splashing on their hands made it impossible for her to feel his pulse clearly.

“Xiao Yuchuan, don’t you dare die!” she shouted anxiously.

“Not dead yet…just feeling faint…” He spoke groggily. Her face darkened, “If you’re feeling faint, then stop talking…”

“I’m about to faint…”

“Then hurry up and faint.”

She wiped the rain off her face and put the shoe she had picked up onto him.

“Wife…l’m done for…” His voice was filled with anguish.

She instinctively asked, “Are you about to die?”

“No…” He said miserably, “My face is ruined…”

She glanced at his face, which was covered in mud. The rain had washed away some of the mud, revealing a deep gash on his right cheek, “Your right cheek is indeed ruined.” He looked like he was about to cry, “Wife, don’t…”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t leave me…”

“Stop worrying about nonsense!” She tried to put his shoe on his foot, but it wouldn’t fit.

Her forceful efforts hurt his foot, and he weakly asked, “Wife, whose shoe are you trying to put on me?”

“Yours.” She replied.

He shrank his foot back, “Wife, this isn’t my shoe…” “But your shoe has a patch… I recognize it.”

“My shoe fell down the hill.” He complained.

“But I clearly recognized your shoe…”

“As you can see, the shoe you gave me is too small…”

‘ She was speechless. It really wasn’t his shoe. She didn’t know whose smelly shoe it belonged to. Angrily, she threw the shoe away, and it flew into the distance.

He was close to tears before fainting, “Wife, I’m almost dying, and you’re still trying to put someone else’s shoe on me…”

“What does it matter if I put someone else’s shoe on you?” She said calmly, “At least I didn’t put a green hat on you..”