143 Strength Of Words (1/2)

Over the last week in Su Village, Rin had grown accustomed to the general routes and civilians within the market. Rin learned as extra work, Jia volunteered to wash a few fishermens' clothing.

Considering all the work the girl had done for her, Rin volunteered to lend her hand.

That evening, carrying two bundles of fishermens' clothing, Rin and Jia walked to the cove. Their long skirts gathered and tied, the two crouched by the stream as Jia set up the washboard. The icy water froze her hands, the skin on them thickened and rough from years of work.

Jia looked up from her work and saw Rin folding the wet shirts on the side.

”You don't have to help me with this, you know. You're still recuperating, especially with your injury.” Jia helplessly said, remembering the girl's arrow injury.

Rin shook her head while neatly gathering the clothes. ”I don't mind.”

After that, Rin turned to the side and tackled a pair of dark trousers, stained with fish blood and guts. Without complaints, Rin continued scrubbing the clothes in the icy water.

Jia had been observing Rin's actions from the side. Jia sank into silence and went back to washing clothes.

After the two finished, they took the bundles of clothing and walked back to the hut. While walking, Jia would occasionally steal glances to the girl beside her.

Unconsciously, her mind went back to the sight she saw in the woods that day.

When they had found Rin, she was covered in blood – an arrow wound.

Who could have done that?

Jia had been taught from young to help those in need and was less fortunate. Possibly because she had habitually taken the intuitive to speak to Rin, she hadn't noticed it until now.

She didn't know anything about Rin.

Besides small conversations, the girl was reserved, polite and would occasionally display a sincere expression.

Apart from her name, there was no other information.

It was clear from her mannerisms and appearance, she was raised in a well-put household, perhaps a young miss.

Jia's eyes glanced down at the girl's small white hands. Her young hands showed work; they were not the soft, knowing hands of a highborn young miss.

Who exactly was she?

Just as Jia parted her lips to ask, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure sitting in front of their hut. Upon a closer look, Jia's eyes widened.

”Aiguo! What happened to you?!”

Upon seeing his sister, the spike-haired boy quickly lowered his gaze and rushed to enter the house. However, before he could pass through the door, his robe collar was tugged, pulling him backward.

Jia kneeled and peered into his face. ”What happened? Who did this to you?”

The young boy's face was covered in bruises and his spiky hair was slightly disheveled.

It was clear just by looking, the boy got into a fight of some sort.

”What did I tell you about fighting with the other kids? Being a man doesn't mean to throw your fists whenever you meet a conflict!”

Aiguo retracted his gaze and the corners of his lips stiffened indifferently. Jia frowned at his silence and took a deep breath to keep calm. She reached her hand out to touch his cheek, but the boy quickly evaded her touch.

Jia irritably twitched her brow and stood up.

”Stay right there, I'm going to go get a cloth with cold water. Hopefully, we can suppress the swelling.”

Aiguo pretended not to hear her and averted his sister's gaze. Jia shook her head and turned around to see Rin watching on the side quietly. She looked at her with a complicated expression and compressed her lips together.

”Could you watch him for me?”

”Mm.” Rin nodded her head slightly.

As Jia retreated to collect cold water, Rin shifted her sight to the young boy in front of her.

The two were silent.

The boy's head lowered slightly, his eyes looking down. Without a word, Rin collected the bundle of clothes in her hands and walked inside the hut, ignoring the young boy.

Aiguo was somewhat surprised by her muteness and turned to see her setting the clothes on the wooden table. Rin suddenly shifted her head and looked at the boy standing at the entrance.

”Come here.”

Rin's voice was soft, but it caused Aiguo to feel slightly startled. Oddly enough, he listened to her commands and walked over.

Rin was still silent as she went to the kitchen and reached for a wet rag. Walking back to the boy, she kneeled and began to wipe the dirt and sweat off his face.

Aiguo was slightly dazed for a moment and felt a blush creep on his cheeks. Observing the lovely girl's face up close, he suddenly felt nervous, his heart pounding fiercely inside his chest.

Though Rin wasn't ignorant of the boy's unusual interest in her, she acted as she hadn't noticed and continued to wipe his face.

Rin was silent for a moment before she suddenly asked: ”Do you get into fights often?”

Aiguo raised his head to look at Rin before he shrugged his shoulders.