267 Catch Up on Sleep
When he returned home, he saw Sun Jiyan sitting at the door.
“Zhao Zhan, were you looking for me?” Sun Jiyan stood up and picked up his bag when he saw him. “Madam Qin asked me to wait for you. If I had known that I would have to wait so long, I would have slept a little longer before getting up.”
“I got caught up in the mountain.” Zhao Zhan didn’t even bother to go into the house to unload his basket. He took out the ginseng and handed it to the other party. “Take this. I just dug it up in the mountain.”
Sun Jiyan had dealt with medicinal herbs all year round, so he could tell at a glance that this ginseng was old and in excellent condition.
If it was processed well and cut into pieces, it was exciting to know how many lives this herb could save. This kind of thing was impossible for a doctor to refuse.
Sun Jiyan took a step back and looked at Zhao Zhan. He cupped his fists and bowed slightly. His tone was sincere. “Thank you for this.”
“You don’t have to be so polite,”
“If that was what you wanted me for, I’ll be taking my leave now.” Sun Jiyan turned to look at the house behind him and felt a little lost. “Could you take care of that old man for me?”
As he spoke, he did not wait for Zhao Zhan to reply. He waved his hand and carried the bag and medicine box on his back without looking back. Zhao Zhan stood at the door and watched as his figure completely disappeared.
“Haih…” Doctor Sun had appeared beside Zhao Zhan at some point in time and wiped his tears with his sleeve. “My apprentice doesn’t even know the basic level of combat. After this, I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again.”
“Doctor Sun…” Zhao Zhan wanted to comfort him, but he didn’t know where to start. “Sun Jiyan is kind. He will definitely be safe.”
“Oh right, he left something for you in the room. Go and take a look for yourself.”
Zhao Zhan placed the basket on his back and washed his hands. He first went to check on Yue Jiaojiao, who was still sleeping, before he went to Sun Jiyan’s room.
On the paper were all the records of the pickled vegetables in the book, as well as ingredients that could ensure that the pickled vegetables would not go bad and have their taste maintained.
Zhao Zhan felt grateful and silently put away the piece of paper.
“Sir Zhao,” Madam Qin carried the tray all the way to Sun Jiyan’s door. “Please eat something to fill your stomach. It’s important to fill your stomach with nutrients.”
“Thank you, Madam Qin. Please put the food in the backyard. I’ll have it there.”
“Alright.”
Zhao Zhan finished the rice in his bowl in two mouthfuls. Then, he washed the plates and put them away. He also left some soup stock in the clay pot, mixed the dough, and placed it in the pot. He then covered it with bamboo strips.
“What are you doing?”
“Jiaojiao is asleep, so I’ll take this time to prepare the food first. She has to eat something good when she wakes up. I’ll make her a bowl of her favorite noodles.”
“You’re always meticulous in your work.” Madam Qin really couldn’t pick out any of Zhao Zhan’s faults. At this moment, she loved how well-behaved Zhao Zhan was. She even treated him like her own son. “You should quickly go back to your room to sleep. You haven’t had a good sleep since the Lantern Festival. Go back and make up for it.”
Even a man made of iron couldn’t keep up without sleep. Moreover, Zhao Zhan had not slept for more than a night. The only reason he had been able to hold on until now was because of his strong body.
“If there’s anything, just call me, Madam Qin.”
“Leave it to me and Doctor Sun. Go, rest.”
Since the matter was almost settled, Zhao Zhan immediately went back to his bedroom.
Yue Jiaojiao didn’t sleep very well. In her daze, she felt a familiar aura beside her and subconsciously followed the warmth. She held Zhao Zhan’s arm tightly in her arms, then curled her legs and rubbed her head against the crook of his arm.
Zhao Zhan felt his heart melt from this gesture.
When he woke up, it was already dusk.
When Yue Jiaojiao opened her eyes, she realized that she was in Zhao Zhan’s overbearing embrace.
She struggled a little, and the man who was still asleep immediately patted her back subconsciously and leaned closer to her, trying not to leave a gap between the two.
This person’s true nature was revealed even after he was still asleep. It was enough to show how hard he had been working these past few days.
Yue Jiaojiao estimated that Zhao Zhan would wake up immediately once she got off the bed, so she simply turned around in his arms with her back facing him. She took out a book from under the pillow and started to read it quietly.
She didn’t move until her stomach growled a few times.
Zhao Zhan sat up instinctively and reacted in a daze for a moment before looking at Yue Jiaojiao. “Are you hungry? I made some noodles for you.”
Yue Jiaojiao pressed her stomach, her face a little shy.
She sat up and wrapped her arms around Zhao Zhan’s neck before lying back down with him. Her voice was very soft, afraid that it would startle away any remaining sleepiness in him. “You heard it wrongly. Go to sleep.”
Zhao Zhan’s eyes were bloodshot.
Yue Jiaojiao’s heart ached as she stared at him. She covered his eyes with her hands and made him close them. She said softly, “Zhao Zhan, can you sleep with me for a while longer? I’m still sleepy.”
Zhao Zhan nodded his head.
The stubble pricked Yue Jiaojiao’s delicate wrist, causing her to lightly flinch.
The woman held back the grumbling that spilled out of her stomach. When she felt that Zhao Zhan’s eyelids were no longer open, she gently moved her hand away. This time, she shrank into Zhao Zhan’s arms and didn’t even dare to look at the storybook. She kept brainwashing herself to quickly fall asleep.
Zhao Zhan suddenly came to his senses when the sky had already turned completely dark.
Zhao Zhan was worried about Yue Jiaojiao’s stomach after sleeping for the whole day, so he got up quietly and wanted to go to the kitchen.
Before he could get out of bed, he heard her crying.
“What’s wrong?”
Zhao Zhan was flustered and hurriedly lit the oil lamp. He knelt on the bed and said, “Are you okay?”
“I’m having a cramp,” Yue Jiaojiao was immediately awoken by the pain. The moment she opened her mouth, tears rolled down from the corners of her tightly shut eyes. “My leg is having a cramp.”
Cramps?
Zhao Zhan was at a loss. He didn’t even know what cramps meant or what illness she had.
“S-stay there.” Zhao Zhan’s voice trembled, but he still gently wiped her tears with his fingertips. “I’ll go and get Doctor Sun to check up on you.”
He got out of bed in a panic.
“Don’t go.” Yue Jiaojiao grabbed his finger. “Try your best to hold onto my right leg. I’ll be fine after a while.”
The pain of her calf twisting was really unbearable. Fortunately, Yue Jiaojiao had experienced this before and knew what she needed to do.
Zhao Zhan immediately did as he was told. He pulled and rubbed her calf while looking out for any strained expressions on his lover.
“I feel better now.”
The cramps were gone, but the pain was still there, just not as intense.
“Really?”
Zhao Zhan had not yet recovered from the shock. He wiped his hands with a wet handkerchief and pulled her back into his arms. “Does it still hurt?”
“Zhao Zhan, lower your head.”
Yue Jiaojiao had not expected to cause such a scene at such a critical moment. She did not want Zhao Zhan to be too worried.
When he lowered his head, Yue Jiaojiao raised her head and gently pressed her lips against his. Then, she pulled him back to lie flat.
The temperature in the room gradually rose.