The Little Fox Spoils Her Blind Husband - Chapter 10

“Brother Li, I am ready.”

Li Ting was squatting in front of several flower pots, carefully counting the number of sprouted seeds. It had only been three or four days since he planted them, which was a day or two earlier than they usually sprouted back in his hometown. It seemed East Xu Village was indeed a suitable place for growing flowers.

Two days had passed since the conflict on the street. During this time, besides Gao Ke acting like a changed person—finding every opportunity to come over and help feed the chickens or fetch water—no one else had come looking for trouble.

Perhaps due to Gao Ke’s warnings, the group of children who used to cause mischief had not returned either.

“To catch the bandits, first capture their leader.” This was the first lesson his father had ever taught him, and Li Ting carried it out to the letter. However, he had not expected to turn Gao Ke into his little errand boy. His original plan was simply to use Gao Cheng’s authority to scare Gao Ke enough so he would not dare try anything again.

Looking at Gao Ke in the corner of the yard, using small fish and shrimp he had caught to feed the chickens, Li Ting could only conclude that Gao Ke was still young and had repented in time. Gao Cheng was delighted by this outcome. He had wanted to curry favor with Li Ting to leave a lasting impression on Li Dongtang; seeing his younger brother get close to Li Ting was the best possible development.

Li Ting understood Gao Cheng’s motives. On the surface, his father was a common teacher who loved wandering the countryside, but many officials in the Great Chen court were actually his students.

Hearing Xu Yanqiu’s voice behind him, Li Ting snapped out of his thoughts and stood up to look toward the bedroom door. Yesterday, he had personally cut Xu Yanqiu’s hair. If it were not trimmed, the little fellow’s hair would have become a tangled mess.

Now, Xu Yanqiu’s hair reached just past his shoulders. Li Ting had specially asked him to change into the new clothes the tailor had delivered yesterday. Since Li Ting had been busy, Xu Yanqiu insisted on dressing himself. Li Ting did not argue; as long as the boy did not put them on backward or incorrectly, it was fine.

“How do I look?” Sensing Li Ting walking toward him, Xu Yanqiu asked nervously in a small voice. “Does it look strange?”

When Li Ting gave him the clothes, he had described the style and color: a pale purple waistcoat over a lighter thin robe and trousers, paired with jade-white boots. Xu Yanqiu could only listen and try to imagine what he looked like in his mind.

His father had been good to him, but in his old age, he could not earn much money. Though the clothes his father provided were clean, they were often patched. This was the first time Xu Yanqiu had ever worn such fine clothing.

“It is very good, though the collar is a bit crooked.” Li Ting stood before him and reached out to straighten the garment. As his fingertips brushed against the soft skin of Xu Yanqiu’s neck, the little blind boy could not help but shiver. “It tickles.”

Li Ting looked down at him. The little fellow had gradually opened up lately, finally willing to share his thoughts and express his emotions. Though he was still cautious at times, Li Ting did not interfere, allowing him to slowly regain his confidence.

Unaware that he was actually quite skilled at raising a child, Li Ting lifted a lock of Xu Yanqiu’s hair and had a sudden idea. “Come here, I will do your hair.”

Xu Yanqiu was used to not refusing him. He let Li Ting lead him to a small stool in the yard and sat down. Seeing this, Gao Ke announced that he was going home for lunch. Li Ting nodded. Both men looked at Xu Yanqiu, and the little blind boy waved in the direction of Gao Ke’s voice. “Stay safe on the road.”

Only then did Gao Ke leave the small courtyard, quietly closing the gate behind him. Hearing the latch click, Li Ting began to comb through Xu Yanqiu’s hair with just the right amount of pressure. Hearing a soft sound from the boy’s throat—like a cat purring—Li Ting felt a sense of satisfaction. Suddenly, Xu Yanqiu spoke. “Brother Li, Gao Ke was not actually like that before.”

“I know. You grew up together,” Li Ting said, lifting a lock of dark hair and letting it flow through his fingers. “People change. Whether for better or worse, it is normal.”

Xu Yanqiu gave a low hum. “He seems to have changed back to how he used to be, yet he feels a little different now.”

Li Ting thought to himself that it was certainly different because he was here now. Gao Ke was a few years older than Xu Yanqiu, but his mind was not as mature as the little blind boy’s. Influenced by the villagers, he had nearly cost Xu Yanqiu his life, yet because of a meal and a “stay safe” wish, he had turned back into a “good person.”

People were not only fickle but also complex.

However, Li Ting was confident that as long as he was here, Gao Ke might have the intent but would never have the nerve to cause trouble again.

Xu Yanqiu’s hair was not yet long enough, so Li Ting tied it into a small bun at the back. He had learned the art of braiding from his mother. When Xu Yanqiu reached up and felt a few small braids, he was stunned. “Brother Li, you braid so well.”

“Is that so? Then you comb mine.” Li Ting did not stand on ceremony. He grabbed a stool and sat with his back to the boy, handing him the small comb. “I will tend to the flower pots while you help me with my hair. It is two birds with one stone.”

“But I do not really know how.” Xu Yanqiu panicked slightly. Li Ting tilted his head back and gave a light chuckle. “It is fine. Even if you comb it into a mess of weeds, it does not matter. Just be bold.”

Xu Yanqiu took a deep breath and stood up abruptly. The sudden movement startled Li Ting, but seeing that the boy had neither kicked over the stool nor tripped, he relaxed. Feeling those small hands touch the top of his head, Li Ting turned his attention back to the flower pots.

Over the past few days, Xu Yanqiu had not only gained spirit and a better complexion, but even the old scars on his body and hands had begun to heal.

The hair tie was gently removed. Xu Yanqiu turned around; Li Ting guessed he was placing the hair tie on the stool behind them. After a moment, Xu Yanqiu began to comb Li Ting’s hair smooth while confirming his position with his touch. The little fox glanced back and saw his hair tie placed neatly on the stool. Li Ting laughed inwardly; the little fellow was quite orderly.

Li Ting looked at the flower pots again. The little blind boy had heard him talk about gardening but did not know what kind of flowers he was growing. Having never seen the world, the boy could only imagine everything through the descriptions of others.

What did flowers look like? What about the sky, the stars, and the moon? What had the things his father left behind become? And what did Brother Li look like?

At that thought, Xu Yanqiu’s combing hand paused. The hesitation did not escape Li Ting’s notice. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing, it is nothing.” Xu Yanqiu softened his movements. Li Ting’s hair was much longer than his, reaching past the waist. The more Xu Yanqiu thought, the more he felt his blood rushing—just like the fever he had after being thrown into the icy river. His face grew hot.

Whenever the comb moved downward, his fingertips or the back of his hand would accidentally brush against Li Ting’s firm back muscles. He felt as though he could sense the movement of the flesh beneath, and even the long hair in his hands felt so soft. No, he had to stop thinking about it.

Li Ting had long noticed his unease. He pressed down on the small hand resting on his shoulder and turned around to face him. “Is something bothering you? Tell your brother.”

The heat in Xu Yanqiu’s heart was suddenly doused. Right, they were brothers—even if not by blood. The little blind boy lowered his head and whispered, “I am just a bit curious about what Brother Li looks like.”

“I will definitely find a way to heal your eyes in the future.” Li Ting patted his hand and tried to take the comb back, but for some reason, the little blind boy grew bold and snatched it away. The little fox was amused. “You have learned to snatch things now?”

Xu Yanqiu waved the comb, a look of pride on his face. “Did Brother Li not say I should do it? Let me bind your hair for you.”

“I am not yet twenty; I cannot wear a formal hair crown yet,” Li Ting laughed. “Besides, that is a task for my father. Why do you not just tie it up for me instead?”

It was the first time Xu Yanqiu had heard Li Ting talk about his age and family. Previously, he only knew from snippets of gossip that Li Ting’s father had been a teacher in East Xu Village a long time ago. Even Chang Shouye was from Li Dongtang’s final class of students.

He was curious but did not know where to start asking. Thinking about these things reminded him that he was alone in this world. No, at least Brother Li was with him now.

At that thought, Xu Yanqiu could not help but let out a small laugh. Li Ting, who was waiting for him to continue, was stunned by the sound. He looked up at Xu Yanqiu, whose smile had not yet faded, and his own lips curled upward. “Xiao Qiu, do you know what your father looked like?”

He intended to use this topic to lead into a surprise he was preparing. The little fox glanced at the red strings he had already half-wrapped around the yard. Once the strings were finished, he would hang small bells with different sounds on them. That way, as long as Xu Yanqiu memorized the sounds, he would know exactly where he was without needing to see.

He expected the boy to be a little sad so he could comfort him, but Xu Yanqiu nodded. “I know.”

Li Ting: “How do you know?”

“I cannot see, but I felt my father’s face.” Xu Yanqiu gathered the hair and combed it smooth, wondering if he should add a few small braids like Li Ting had done for him. “Father’s nose was a bit flat, but his eyebrows were very thick.”

“Who else have you felt?” Li Ting felt an inexplicable pang of annoyance. The thought that the little blind boy’s hands might have carefully touched other people’s faces made him feel stifled.

Xu Yanqiu shook his head and, remembering Li Ting might not be looking at him, added quickly, “No one else. Other people were not very willing to let me touch them.”

“Then feel my face,” Li Ting blurted out. He even turned around fully to face Xu Yanqiu, staring openly at the boy, whose expression had frozen in shock. “Do you not want to know what I look like?”