Chapter 236: Spokesperson for Heartache

Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Spokesperson for Heartache

After seeing Xin Ziqi off, Ji Huan went back into the house, crossed her arms, and sized up the tramp.

Anyone who knew her knew that when she looked at someone that way, it meant things were bad. Very bad.

The tramp, however, acted as if he hadn’t noticed. With his good hand, he slowly lowered the sleeve and pant leg that Xin Ziqi had rolled up for the examination.

Even Ji Huan had to admire his unhurried manner and composure.

"Hey," Ji Huan said, squatting down to look up at him.

The tramp was sitting on a stool, and when he lowered his head, his gaze met hers directly.

Ji Huan’s gaze was frank and open, but his eyes flickered.

After a moment, his gaze steadied, and he met hers without flinching.

"You’re pretty brazen, aren’t you?" Ji Huan was so exasperated she had to laugh.

"Let me ask you, you know who saved you, right? Do you know who performed your surgery? It was Doctor Xin, the man who was just here. He’s been nothing but dedicated and meticulous, and he even makes house calls. And that’s not all. Since your surgery, he’s come to check on you at least five or six times. But the most important part? You got this treatment on credit, you know that? I still owe him money. And how do you repay him?"

Every time Xin Ziqi came for a follow-up visit, he would ask the standard questions a doctor asks, all out of a sense of responsibility.

But what about the tramp? It was as if his mouth was glued shut; every single time, Ji Huan had to answer for him.

"Am I your spokesperson? Are you paying me for it?" Ji Huan rolled her eyes right in his face.

"If you were mute, that’d be one thing, but you’re not, and Doctor Xin knows it. You can talk, but you refuse to speak to him. What’s he supposed to think? Anyone would assume you have something against him. All his hard work, and for what?"

’If this were the modern era, I’d have to give him props for daring to treat his surgeon this way.’

"Say something." Seeing him start to play deaf and dumb again, Ji Huan nudged the toe of his shoe with her foot.

The tramp glanced at the dusty mark on the toe of his shoe and said impassively, "He’s just here to check the results. To see what kind of effect those things have when used on me."

Ji Huan understood what he meant.

The tramp believed Xin Ziqi was just using him as a test subject, so he felt he owed him nothing and had no reason to be grateful.

’His way of thinking is a bit skewed,’ Ji Huan thought.

’But considering everything he’s probably been through... his distrust and distance toward strangers isn’t completely incomprehensible.’

So she couldn’t bring herself to blame him too much. Instead, she tried to reason with him.

"Even if he has ulterior motives, he still healed you—that’s an undeniable fact. I’m not asking you to be grateful to him. I just hope that the next time he asks you questions about your injuries, you’ll try to give him an answer. After all, it’s your own body. Only you can tell the doctor what you’re feeling firsthand. It’s based on your feedback that he can determine how well you’re recovering and whether he needs to take further..."

The tramp suddenly cut her off. "You can do that."

Ji Huan froze for a moment before she processed what he meant.

’He figures he’s mostly fine now, so Doctor Xin can be let go. All he needs is for me to wait on him hand and foot until he’s fully recovered.’

’So he’s treating me like a maid, and he’s gotten used to it?’

The part of Ji Huan’s heart that had just softened instantly turned to stone, and she looked ready to explode.

"I just don’t get it! You won’t even talk to him, so why are you telling me? Because I’m an easy target? Because it’s my job to wait on you?"

The tramp stared at her indignant face and said coolly, "You told me to."

"You!" Ji Huan was so stunned she was speechless.

She shot to her feet, hands on her hips, and glared at the tramp.

"Well, let me tell you the truth! I’m using you as a test subject, too! The medicine, the sutures, this plaster cast on you—they’re all things I can use to make money. I was afraid to use them on anyone else in case something went wrong, so I’m trying them out on you first. So? Are you angry now? Do you regret ever dealing with me?"

After her tirade, she stared at the tramp, not blinking for a second.

Because of the scars on his face, it was impossible to see the subtle shifts in his expression, but she could clearly feel the atmosphere grow heavy.

’The tramp was not happy.’

They glared at each other for a full minute before the tramp finally broke eye contact.

Ji Huan gloated inwardly.

His gaze returned to her face, his momentary loss of composure vanishing as if it had never been there.

"I want to take a bath," he said calmly.

Ji Huan thought she must have misheard.

So the tramp repeated himself in an utterly unapologetic tone.

"..."

Ji Huan gave him a thumbs-up. "Alright, pal. You win."

This just went to show that a chatterbox wasn’t guaranteed to win an argument against someone who barely spoke a word all year.

Arguing, it turned out, really was a matter of talent.

She once thought she had it, right up until she met the tramp.

Ji Huan desperately wanted to regain the upper hand, but she was so angry her chest ached.

"Just you wait!" she huffed, spinning around and storming out.

’Dabao is home alone, and I’ve already wasted enough time here. He expects me to help him bathe? In his dreams!’

After Ji Huan left, the room fell silent once more.

No, not just silent—deathly still.

This was a stillness he was long accustomed to.

The tramp stared out the door at the fading daylight, and the slight curl at the corners of his mouth slowly flattened.

The glimmer of light that had just been in his eyes dimmed along with it.

「As dusk fell」

Hu Dacheng showed up right on time, his hair sopping wet.

Ji Huan knew at a glance that he had just come back from bathing in the river.

"Your mom didn’t catch you?"

Hu Dacheng grinned. "She couldn’t catch me."

The village boys loved nothing more than jumping in the river come summertime, and every one of them was an excellent swimmer.

The adults couldn’t stop them if they tried; some even took their own children in for a dip.

Especially now, during the busy farming season, plunging into the river after a hard day’s work was the perfect way to cool down, wash away fatigue, and get a bath all at once. What wasn’t to like?

"You still shouldn’t go, especially not alone into the deep parts."

Ji Huan knew he wouldn’t listen, but she gave him the usual warning anyway.

"I know, don’t worry, Sister Wan. I’m a fantastic swimmer. No one in the village is better than me."

Hu Dacheng snatched the food basket and ran out, shouting, "I’m off to bring the tramp his dinner!"

Ji Huan started to follow, but she turned back and saw Dabao standing in the doorway of the main room. "Dabao," she said, "go get into bed. I’ll be back in a bit."

Whenever Ji Huan went to the earthen hut, she would take Dabao to the Hu Family’s house if she was going to be long. If she was only going for a short while, he would stay at home.

Dabao didn’t like this.

Ji Huan took him with her everywhere she went—everywhere except the earthen hut.

Dabao’s mouth moved as if he wanted to go with her, but in the end, he said nothing.

It was true; he really didn’t like that place.