Take Me Away, My Love - Chapter 7 - Living Arrangements

Perhaps it was because the half-pearl of Millennium Leaf Sand that Li Minchun gave to the doctor had taken effect. The next day, someone came to inform them that “the patriarch has found a house in the village where they can temporarily stay.”

After all, Zhenmu Island is a place of no return. Whether you’re an outsider or an insider, coming and going freely is simply impossible.

Since Jian Yiqing and Li Minchun had already entered Zhenmu Island and were temporarily safe, the patriarch had to arrange housing for them.

Following the patriarch’s son to the front of the house, both Jian Yiqing and Li Minchun were pleasantly surprised.

The structures in this area are mostly the same, all built with round logs, pointed roofs, and high foundations.

The houses are generally built around the trunks of trees. This kind of structure has many advantages; at least there’s no worry about dampness at ground level, and when the sea level rises suddenly, there’s no fear of it flooding into the house.

There are long wooden stairs on the outside of the house.

Though not as luxurious and bright as a villa, these wooden houses have their unique charm.

The interior of the house is simple as well, with basic necessities for living and not much else.

The patriarch’s son is named Zhang Qiu, a young man with a round face and dark skin, appearing quite honest and sincere.

He never dared look directly at Li Minchun. Even a fleeting glance would cause him to shyly lower his head. This behavior did not escape Jian Yiqing’s notice. He couldn’t help but feel a bit troubled; it seemed that having such a beautiful wife could be a source of concern.

“If you need anything else, you can find my father and we’ll help you with it.”

After saying this, the shy young man turned and left.

But seeing his bashful demeanor, Li Minchun couldn’t help but be reminded of Zhang Yuhua. Both were similarly shy, making her unconsciously draw parallels between them.

However, she wondered if, in this entirely different world, he knew that his brother was now standing on the same side as her.

“What are you thinking about?” Jian Yiqing asked as he quietly hugged Li Minchun from behind, softly breathing into her ear.

“I was wondering how things are back home during the time we’ve been missing.”

Thinking about the ambush and assassination attempts, a sharp glint flashed in Jian Yiqing’s eyes. He didn’t want to provoke anyone, but given that others repeatedly wanted him dead, it made him furious.

If people don’t trouble me, I won’t trouble them; if they trouble me, I will destroy them!

This was Jian Yiqing’s life philosophy.

“It’s a pity, really, that in such a high-tech era, there’s a place so isolated and peculiar. We can’t communicate with the outside world at all. What should we do?”

Knowing Li Minchun was likely worried about Gu Xing and the others, Jian Yiqing reassured her, “Don’t worry. Once we’ve recovered, we’ll find a way out. I believe it; if we could get in here, there’s no way we can’t get out.”

“Exactly, with your strength and mine, it shouldn’t be difficult!” Li Minchun agreed confidently. Although she still had lingering fears about the massive vortex they had encountered, she remained steadfast in her belief.

Unfortunately, they greatly underestimated the harshness of the surrounding environment.

Unlike their own relief at surviving, others like Ru Long, Zhang Mi, Cheng Mo, and Cheng Duo were busy searching for them.

Madam Li soon received news about Li Minchun and Jian Yiqing.

Upon hearing the news, Madam Li angrily slammed her hand on the stone table beside her.

“Bang!”

The originally intact stone table cracked massively upon impact, and the fissure spread outwards until the table collapsed into a pile of debris on the floor.

This scene shocked the intelligence officer.

He had long known that Madam Li was formidable, but he hadn’t fully grasped the extent of her strength.

“Go investigate thoroughly for me; you must find out the current status of Li Minchun and Jian Yiqing. Remember, I need them either alive or dead!”

Madam Li radiated authority even without raising her voice. Although she maintained her composure, the fury within her chest continued to surge.

One was Jian Yiqing, the other Li Minchun.

Both of them mattered greatly to her. Now, both were missing and presumed dead, a tremendous blow that left her heartbroken.

“Yes!”

After the intelligence officer left to carry out her orders, Xian Cheng, who had been hiding, appeared before Madam Li, nervously asking, “Has something happened to Li Minchun?”

Madam Li seemed to have aged considerably in an instant, nodding weakly as she sat back in her chair.

Xian Cheng volunteered enthusiastically, “Let me go. I’ll find Li Minchun and bring her back!”

The thought of never again seeing that angelic face, that innocent, trusting smile filled Xian Cheng with anxiety.

It couldn’t be true; she was Li Minchun. She couldn’t have perished so easily. He absolutely had to find her, at all costs!

However, Madam Li refused his offer, saying, “No, you have other tasks to handle and can’t leave at the moment.”

“But-”

Xian Cheng started to protest but immediately felt two cold, piercing beams directed at him. As he tried to evade them, they embedded into his shoulders in an instant.

Together with the icy sensation, came excruciating pain.

Shocked, Xian Cheng fell to his knees. “Madam Li!”

“What I need from you is decisiveness in executing orders, not questioning or opposing me! Leave now! I’m tired!”

At this point, Xian Cheng didn’t dare voice any more objections and had no choice but to withdraw.

Yet, he was unwilling and desperate to find out what kind of predicament Li Minchun was currently facing.

Since he couldn’t investigate openly, he would look into it discreetly…

With the help of Xiao Ru’s mom, Li Minchun finally managed-with an enormous amount of effort-to learn how to spin thread and weave fabric.

Imagine, a top-tier mercenary like her struggling in front of a loom.

While spinning thread, she would end up tangling it all around herself. And when she tried weaving, she exaggeratedly left a series of various-sized holes in the fabric.

Xiao Ru’s mom found the scene rather helpless.

But Jian Yiqing cheekily “praised” her, saying, “Honey, you really have a special skill. Even your weaving is unique-perfect material for making clothes for beggars!”

As he spoke, this cheeky guy shook his head in mock approval.

Already feeling embarrassed, Li Minchun reached her boiling point and was determined to snatch the fabric from his hands and destroy the evidence.

Yet, Jian Yiqing was tall enough that no matter how much she jumped, she couldn’t reach him.

This made Xiao Ru and her mom laugh until they were doubled over.

“Alright, alright, from now on, just leave making clothes to me. Our family only has three people, so we don’t need much. Adding you three won’t be a problem.”

Li Minchun felt a bit embarrassed. “Isn’t that a bit too much to ask?”

Xiao Ru’s mom thought for a moment and said, “How about this: your cooking is better than mine, so in the future, our two families can eat together. I’ll make clothes for you, and you cook for us. How does that sound?”

It seemed like a fair trade indeed.

Li Minchun promptly agreed with a nod.

Jian Yiqing, however, was left a bit on the short end. It looked like this man would need to spend more time in the kitchen in the future.

Marrying a wife who couldn’t weave or cook meant he was responsible for most of the chores.

Yet he cheerfully said, “It’s only right. She saved my life, so taking care of her meals and clothes is the least I can do.”

With that, the whole room erupted in laughter.

Life here was simple yet fulfilling, although it could also be quite dull.

Whenever there wasn’t much to do, Li Minchun would often follow Jian Yiqing around, watching him cook or go out to sea to fish.

Because of his agility, he always managed to catch the largest and most fish.

Even Xiao Ru’s parents would jokingly praise him, “Thanks to you both, our family is living the good life. We’ve eaten better this past month than we did all of last year.”

Xiao Ru’s dad, a bit embarrassed, scratched his head and said, “I’m just a big guy; I’m not as quick, so I’m not great at fishing, but I can scoop fish up with a net.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ru’s mom added with mock exasperation, “Exactly, he just throws the net out and hauls it back in with all his strength. With his size, if nothing else, he has the strength to catch a lot.”

“That’s not bad at all,” Li Minchun laughed as she continued eating.

“Not bad, huh,” Xiao Ru’s mom said, giving her husband a sidelong glance. “He’s too generous. When people see him catching fish, they ask for some, and he actually gives it to them. Every time he comes back with a catch, he gives the big fish away, keeping only the small ones for us, which barely fill the gaps between our teeth.”

Xiao Ru’s mom’s words made Xiao Ru’s dad even more sheepish. This big man hung his head low, looking like a ripe apple with embarrassment.

Li Minchun smiled, placing a piece of fish on Xiao Ru’s plate, and said, “Our big brother is kind-hearted. Don’t worry; good deeds are always rewarded.”

Sitting with such genuine people, even mealtimes were joyful, filled with laughter and happiness.

However, neither Li Minchun nor Jian Yiqing realized that many eyes were secretly observing them, this new couple on the block.

Nothing else to it-seeing how capable this young couple was, others naturally felt envious and eager to benefit from it too.

Unfortunately for them, in the entire village, beyond Xiao Ru’s family, only the patriarch could really converse with them. They didn’t engage with anyone else.

This fact only fueled more resentment.

Why should it be this way? On Zhenmu Island, it had always been just our own people living self-sufficiently. Since when did these outsiders come here to enjoy life?

In secret, some had already begun plotting ways to exact revenge on them.