Splendid Twins

The wind was biting cold and the snow was falling heavily.

Heavy snow had been falling for two days. The cold air made it difficult to breathe. The breath you exhaled immediately turned into wisps of white smoke. The thick snow creaked when you stepped on it. You had to be careful with every step. The roofs of the houses, every corner of the village, and even the air were filled with a cold yet fresh breath.

Si Qing and others took advantage of the light snow to return to the academy. Hongying helped Liu Niang cut a few sets of clothes and left with them. The house suddenly became much quieter. Si Yao lay on the edge of the bed waiting for Si Laoer to roast sweet potatoes for her.

"Yaoyao, what do you want to eat for dinner later? Mom will make it for you."

Since having a new kitchen, Liu Niang has become more and more enthusiastic about cooking. She has successfully made several recipes that Si Yao told her, and even figured out several new dishes herself. In previous winters, her family worked during the day. Although there was not much work to do in winter, Mrs. Si would not let them be idle. At night, they would squeeze into the cold bed, cover themselves with a tattered quilt, and wait until dawn before continuing to work.

Now the family lives alone in a warm new house, with full and good meals every day. Everyone is in good shape. There is rice and noodles in the backyard warehouse, not to mention meat. There is never a shortage of meat as Si Yao is at home.

Si Yao was a little drowsy in the warm room. Hearing about the food, he became more energetic. He yawned and said lazily:

"Let's make braised chicken with rice."

"Okay, I just happened to have two frozen pheasants."

Si Lao Er had two sweet potatoes in the stove. When the time was almost up, he took them out, swept off the layer of black ash on them, wrapped them in a towel, brought them in and handed them to Si Yao:

"Eat it while it's hot."

"Dad, do you want to eat?"

"I don't want to eat it. I'll go help your mother chop up the chicken."

Si Lao Er turned around and walked out. Liu Niang was sewing clothes nearby. She leaned closer to Si Yao and whispered:

"Your father has learned to be considerate now. Yaoyao, you are really your mother's lucky star."

Si Yao bit the sweet potato meat and chuckled:

"This is a good thing. Dad was also helpless before."

"That's right. I remember that the old woman started to torture me at the beginning. Your father said a few words for me, and then the old man whipped your father until I cried and admitted my fault. Then he stopped. Now, even though they were fierce, we were also weak. In the final analysis, we didn't have the confidence."

Si Yao sighed softly:

"No one will bully you anymore."

She couldn't criticize her parents' characters. She could only say that people should be kind, but they also have the courage to slay a dragon!

While eating sweet potatoes, Si Yao inexplicably thought of Lu Yuan. When was the last time she saw Lu Yuan?

About ten days?

"Mom, have you seen Lu Yuan recently?"

"Lu Yuan? No, why do I feel like I haven't seen this person for a long time?"

Si Yao suddenly wanted to go to Lu Yuan's house, so she stood up and put on a thick coat:

"I'll go to his house and have a look."

"It's freezing outside, let your father go."

Liu Niang was worried about Si Yao going out alone as the snow was so thick outside. Although they were the only two families living at the end of the village, there was still some distance between them.

"No, I'll be back in a minute."

Si Yao wrapped her clothes tightly and went out. It was white outside and the cold wind made her face hurt. Lu Yuan lived not far away. Si Yao walked about two hundred meters and saw the deserted courtyard through the low courtyard wall. The place was desolate and dilapidated, full of loneliness and coldness.

Si Yao went forward and knocked on the door, shouting, "Lu Yuan? Are you home?"

After tapping a few times and not hearing Lu Yuan's voice, Si Yao said again:

"I'm in."

Pushing the door and entering the yard, there were only two rooms in the yard. Si Yao noticed a noise in one of the rooms. She reached out and lifted the curtain. As soon as she entered, she saw Lu Yuan lying on the bed wrapped in a quilt!

"Lu Yuan?"

When I got closer, I saw that the man's cheeks were flushed. I put my hand on his forehead and felt the palm of my hand was hot!

Looking down again, he had his eyes tightly closed and was breathing rapidly. Si Yao shouted:

"Lu Yuan, wake up?"

"Lu Yuan?"

Lu Yuanren was already delirious from the fever. He only heard a voice beside his ear and forced himself to open his eyes. Was it the little fairy?

"Small………"

Si Yao saw that he woke up and seemed to want to say something, and when she got closer, she saw that his teeth were chattering. She thought that if she didn't give him medicine, he would die!

She took out two ibuprofen from the space and prepared to feed them to him, but Lu Yuan seemed to feel the heat from Si Yao's body and grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest. Si Yao didn't notice it at first, but after another test, she realized something was wrong. Lu Yuan's mattress was wet!

Si Yao touched the quilt with her other hand, and sure enough, it was wet. It was very difficult for a person to wake up after having a high fever and sleeping on a soaked mattress...

"Lu Yuan, do you have any other mattresses?"

Si Yao asked while looking around the room. She hadn't noticed it before, but now she saw that there was only a bed and a wet mattress in the room, and not even a wardrobe!

The room was empty without any furniture, only a lot of sweet potatoes piled on the ground. The outer layer was black as if they were burnt. Si Yao suddenly shuddered. The roasted sweet potatoes Lu Yuan gave her last time were sweet and soft. Was he probably using these for an experiment?

Si Yao saw the thermos she gave him beside him, stuffed next to his pillow. The case was solved!

I was afraid that he would feel cold all over, so I held the thermos in my arms, and in a daze I pulled the cork out and the hot water spilled all over the bed. But I let it go because he had roasted sweet potatoes for me!

Si Yao stuffed a pill into Lu Yuan's mouth and coaxed him in a low voice:

"Swallow it and I'll give you roast chicken. I'll take you to eat hot pot. It's really delicious..."

Lu Yuan closed his eyes and frowned, almost spitting out the bitter pill on his tongue. Under Si Yao's impatient coaxing, he swallowed it down with force, opened his eyes and looked at Si Yao with some condemnation.

"Don't sleep yet, get up and follow me."

Lu Yuan didn't hear clearly what the fairy said. He felt that she had left in a daze, and he felt a sense of grievance for no reason in his heart...

Si Yao did leave and ran back to find her father:

"Dad, Lu Yuan has a high fever."

Si Lao Er had just finished chopping the chicken and washed his hands. He was startled when he heard this:

"Fever? Then bring him home. It would be pitiful for him to be alone."

Liu Niang also said: "You and your father bring him back, I will boil some Erbao vine water for him to drink."

After Si Yao and Si Lao Er left, Liu Niang tidied up a guest room in the outer courtyard, laid out a soft and warm mattress, and then went straight to the kitchen to get busy.

Lu Yuan was carried back by Si Laoer, and Si Yao followed behind him holding his wet clothes.

As soon as Si Lao Er entered Lu Yuan's room, he was shocked by the dampness and coldness inside. He became nervous when he touched Lu Yuan's forehead. Si Yao said beside him:

"Can you see if his clothes are wet?"

Si Laoer reached his hand into Lu Yuan's quilt. As soon as he touched him, he felt Lu Yuan's body trembling. His clothes were half dry and half wet. He was afraid that they were all dried up by his body heat!

"Yaoyao, go out first. Dad will change his clothes for him."

Si Lao Er was still concerned about his daughter's reputation. After Si Yao left, he pulled back Lu Yuan's quilt and saw Lu Yuan curled up and shivering, occasionally mumbling something.

Si Lao Er stripped off Lu Yuan's wet clothes and then found a thin shirt to put on him. Lu Yuan's teeth were chattering from the cold and goose bumps appeared on his skin. Seeing this, Si Lao Er said:

"You're lucky you've gone far away. If it weren't for my girl who missed you, you would have died here and no one would have known!"

Si Yao stood outside bored, and soon she heard her father panting:

"Yaoyao, come in for a moment, we're getting ready to go home."

Si Yao heard the sound and entered the house, and saw her father carrying Lu Yuan on his back and changing his clothes. Si Lao Er said with some difficulty:

"Dad is carrying him on his back. Yaoyao, please help lock his yard to prevent anyone from getting in again!"

"okay."