Li Zhichen originally wanted to explain, but seeing the furtive look in the cloth shopkeeper's eyes, she finally chose to stay silent.
Li Zhichen selected several bolts of currently popular fabrics. After determining the styles of the clothes, she paid the deposit and made an appointment to pick them up in a few days.
On her way back, Li Zhichen happened to pass by the pharmacy. She thought she might as well pick up Qi Lixiao's medicine by the way.
The doctor in the pharmacy was already familiar with Li Zhichen. When he saw her, he nodded warmly and then turned around to prepare the medicine for her.
Li Zhichen looked around and heard a lot of noise from the rouge shop next door. It was extremely lively.
The young pharmacy apprentice explained with a smile, "The rouge shop launched the Ice - Skin Pills today. I heard that they can brighten the skin after use, so everyone has flocked there to snatch them. I'm afraid they'll be out of stock soon!"
The system, relying on the fact that others couldn't see it, flew around the room and complained, [What's so great about these Ice - Skin Pills? The beauty - enhancing items in my newbie gift package are much better!]
The moment the words fell, a cold look suddenly shot over.
A chill ran down the system's back. It suddenly turned around and saw Li Zhichen staring at it with a half - smile.
"Newbie gift package? Why have you never mentioned it to me?"
The system trembled reflexively and stammered an explanation, [Host, when I was bound to you, my programming was set for a harem - intrigue style. Naturally, the corresponding items were those that increased beauty points. But who could have expected...]
Who could have expected that Li Zhichen would burn down the wedding chamber and run away with her husband to set up their own household, turning the harem - intrigue plot into a farming - themed story!
Even if it wanted to give the newbie gift package, it couldn't find a suitable opportunity!
Naturally, the system didn't dare to say the second half of the sentence. Knowing it was in the wrong, it could only bite its little handkerchief and feel aggrieved on its own.
Li Zhichen smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I'll let it go this time. But since you're with me, don't hide anything from me in the future, or..."
Li Zhichen didn't finish the second half of the sentence. Instead, she reached out her hand with a smile. The system trembled reflexively and then frantically rummaged through its internal space.
If Li Zhichen got angry, she would really take action!!
A moment later, Li Zhichen heard the system let out a long sigh of relief.
[Found it!]
A pale blue light flashed, and three icons suddenly popped up in front of Li Zhichen. There was a small line of words below each icon, reading "Ice - Clear Skin and Jade - Like Bones", "Silken Tresses", and "Willow - Thin Waist" respectively.
[Does the host want to claim the newbie gift package now?]
Li Zhichen was silent for a moment. She had seen the "Ice - Clear Skin and Jade - Like Bones" item last time. She could roughly guess the functions of the other two items just from their names. They should all be items that increased beauty points.
Li Zhichen felt a bit regretful for a moment. Increasing beauty points was certainly good, but her top priority was to earn money and pay off the points. These items were a bit useless.
But it was better to have them than not. Maybe they would come in handy one day.
So she said calmly, "You can keep them for me first."
............
After her shopping, Li Zhichen returned to the dilapidated temple. It was noon, and she decided to make a pot of braised pork ribs for Qi Lixiao.
Li Zhichen took out the pork ribs from the spatial bracelet and soaked them in clean water for half an hour to drain the blood from the meat.
Then she put the ribs into a pot of cold water, added scallions, ginger, and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell. She simmered the water on low heat until the blood came out. When the water boiled, she skimmed off the foam, fished out the ribs, and washed them with warm water.
After all this, Li Zhichen put the ribs into the pot again, added hot water and seasonings, and boiled them for an hour.
Finally, she cut the carrots into pieces and the corn into segments and put them into the pot to cook for more than ten minutes.
Before long, steam seeped out from under the pot lid, and the aroma of the meat filled the whole room.
This dish seemed to suit Qi Lixiao's taste very well. Although he didn't say anything, he ate two more bowls of rice today.
In the afternoon, when she was free, Li Zhichen thought of tidying up the dilapidated temple. After all, if the living place was clean and spacious, one's mood would also be more comfortable.
In the firewood shed outside the yard, she neatly stacked the bundles of firewood.
The slender girl climbed up and down the ladder. Before long, she had patched up the leaky roof.
Li Zhichen noticed that there were cracks in the walls outside the room where she and Qi Lixiao lived, and the bamboo strips used when ramming the walls were faintly exposed. So she searched in the library of the spatial bracelet for how to repair the walls.
There were only two materials for building walls: stones and mud, but it was quite tricky to operate.
If too much mud was used when building the wall, it could play a role in keeping out the cold. But if in the future there were rats burrowing holes in the wall or the house was washed by rain, it would be very easy to collapse.
Li Zhichen thought for a while and filled the cracks in the wall with clay of moderate viscosity. She also surrounded the yard with a fence made of mountain bamboo.
After all this was done, Li Zhichen carried Qi Lixiao on her back, placed him steadily in a wheelchair, and pushed him around the small yard.
Qi Lixiao was sitting in a wooden wheelchair, wrapped in a thick cloak. Li Zhichen covered his knees tightly with a quilt.
Even so, Li Zhichen still felt worried. She filled a hand - warmer with charcoal fire and put it in Qi Lixiao's arms.
In the empty mountains, one loses track of time. As they chatted and laughed, dusk had already fallen.
There was an old bodhi tree in the middle of the yard. Li Zhichen stared at it for a while and said to Qi Lixiao with a smile,
"When the weather gets a bit warmer and this old tree sprouts green leaves, we'll install a swing in the yard and put a deck chair. We can just sit in the yard and soak up the sun when we're free."
The small yard was extremely quiet. Li Zhichen brewed a pot of tea and placed it in the middle of the table between them. Most of the time, Li Zhichen was talking and Qi Lixiao was listening.
Little did Li Zhichen know that Qi Lixiao's eyes had never left her. Looking at her, he felt that the long - standing burdens in his heart were gradually melting away.
..........
After dinner, Qi Lixiao went to bed early. But in the middle of the night, he suddenly broke out in a sweat. He felt a wave of heat surging in his chest, and he suddenly woke up with a start.
Maybe it was just Qi Lixiao's illusion, but he felt a faint numbness and pain in his arm.
Li Zhichen also woke up when she heard the noise. She reached out and poked Qi Lixiao's arm, and saw him frown.
Li Zhichen was a bit surprised. Although Qi Lixiao hadn't completely lost his sense of touch before, he had never had such a strong reaction.
Li Zhichen immediately felt Qi Lixiao's pulse and was surprised to find that the previously somewhat chaotic pulse was much more stable!
Li Zhichen's eyes immediately lit up. Could it be because of the special energy she had transmitted to Qi Lixiao the other day?
The more Li Zhichen thought about it, the more excited she became. She hardly slept all night. But when she felt Qi Lixiao's pulse again the next morning, the pulse had returned to its previous weak state.
Li Zhichen was a bit disappointed but not discouraged.
As the saying goes, getting rid of a disease is like pulling out silk. One couldn't rush such things.
From that day on, when Li Zhichen massaged Qi Lixiao's arms and legs, she would always transmit some special energy to him.
Although there was no sign of improvement in Qi Lixiao's arms, Li Zhichen still wanted to give it a try.
Since she had promised Qi Lixiao that she would help him stand up, she wouldn't give up easily.
Maybe one day Qi Lixiao would suddenly recover.