The Little Fox Spoils Her Blind Husband - Chapter 4

When Li Ting finished tidying the kitchen and stepped outside, the sky had cleared. The sun flickered lazily through the clouds, and the weather was much warmer than it had been the day before. Li Ting wiped his hands and patrolled the courtyard. Some of the items his father had left behind were still usable, and there was no need to buy new flowerpots. In addition to sowing the flower seeds, he planned to find time to explore the nearby area. His father had once mentioned that the mountains behind East Xu Village grew herbs with a unique fragrance, which he might find useful.

Since it was midday and not the busy farming season, the village was quiet as families stayed indoors. The tranquility of the small courtyard made Li Ting feel drowsy. He intended to take a short nap, so he locked the front gate. Being cautious, he left a few small protective spells along the top of the wall. He suspected that the spiteful children who had suffered at his gate might try to climb over.

With the sound of the door closing, Li Ting shut the bedroom door behind him. He turned toward the bed but found the little blind boy nowhere in sight. The little fox was stunned for a moment until a sudden movement beneath the covers caught his eye. A head of messy hair poked out from beside the pillow. It was the little blind boy.

Xu Yanqiu was so thin that the quilt barely looked raised even when he was tucked inside. Li Ting let out a silent sigh of relief upon seeing him. He had almost thought someone had stolen the boy away. He had worked hard to save this life, and he did not intend to let him vanish. Relaxing, Li Ting stayed back. He decided to observe the boy’s reaction just as he had done that morning.

Li Ting leaned silently against the door. He saw a look of confusion and uncertainty on the boy’s face. Xu Yanqiu’s vacant gaze turned toward the door, searching for a point of focus. He was certain he had heard the door click, but perhaps it was only the wind moving the frame.

He waited quietly, but there was no further sound. His years of experience with blindness told him that there was no movement nearby and that the door remained closed. He wondered if Big Brother Li had decided not to come in.

Xu Yanqiu pursed his lips, entirely unaware that Li Ting was watching him from only half a bed’s distance away. The boy was confused. He had been trying his best to warm the bed, but because he was small, the bed could easily fit three of him. He had been crawling around, warming one spot before carefully feeling for the edge to move and warm another.

Since his father’s passing, he had not known such peace. He never imagined he would sleep in such a warm, comfortable bed, let alone meet such a kind person. He felt he must do everything in his power to repay the favor. He did not know how much his life mattered to Li Ting, but he wanted to honor the kindness he had received.

Li Ting found the subtle changes in the boy’s expression amusing. Just as he was about to make a sound to avoid startling him, Xu Yanqiu whispered, “Big Brother Li, is that you?”

The sixteen year old boy’s voice sat between childhood and maturity. It trembled with uncertainty as he spoke toward the empty air. Li Ting answered before he could even think, “It is me.”

The tension left Xu Yanqiu’s face instantly. He began to smile but then lowered his head quickly, worried that he might look strange. He could not see himself, but he knew Big Brother Li could.

The sound of rustling clothes grew closer as Li Ting sat on the edge of the bed. The little blind boy gave him plenty of room. He felt around to pull back the quilt and patted the mattress to show he had been obediently warming the spot. “Big Brother Li, come in quickly. It is still warm.”

Li Ting looked at the boy’s hand and then at his own. He was only three or four years older than Xu Yanqiu, but because the boy had clearly suffered, Li Ting felt he could enclose both of the boy’s hands in one of his own. He cleared his throat, removed his outer robe and shoes, and took the corner of the quilt from Xu Yanqiu. He pulled the covers over himself and lay down. The bed was indeed very warm. Li Ting glanced at Xu Yanqiu and then remembered the boy could not see him. There was no need to look at him secretly, so he decided to look openly.

The little fox felt a bit annoyed with himself and turned his head to watch the boy properly. His mother always said that one should look at beautiful people as much as possible, otherwise it was a disservice to oneself. That was why his mother spent all her time staring at his father. Following his mother’s advice, Li Ting watched as the boy moved carefully to lie back down.

The boy seemed worried that Li Ting was not used to sharing a bed, so he tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Li Ting noticed the boy was breathing so softly he could barely hear him, so he reached out and poked his shoulder. “Move a little closer.”

“What?” The little blind boy was startled. He instinctively obeyed and moved toward Li Ting but stopped halfway. “Big Brother Li, is something wrong?”

“If you do not move closer, the middle of the quilt is empty and I will be cold,” Li Ting said seriously. He was right. If there was a gap between them, the cold air would seep in, making the warmth pointless.

Xu Yanqiu found the logic sound and scurried closer to Li Ting, terrified of letting his benefactor catch a chill. He believed every word Li Ting said. After all, Li Ting had jumped into a frozen river to save him. It would be terrible if the man fell ill.

Once their shoulders touched, Li Ting lifted the quilt and tucked it in tightly. “Alright, let us sleep.”

“Um, Big Brother Li,” Xu Yanqiu said hesitantly. “This quilt seems a bit small. Do you have another one?”

Under the covers, their legs were pressed together. Li Ting had not given him any trousers because he could not find any that fit, and Xu Yanqiu did not own a single decent piece of clothing himself. It was a bit awkward. This was the first time he had been this close to someone.

Li Ting glanced at the cabinet where the new, neatly folded quilt he bought yesterday was stored. He said calmly, “This is the only one.”

The boy gripped the quilt tightly. “Oh.”

He assumed Big Brother Li’s household was also struggling financially and decided not to be a burden.

“By the way, is there anything from your home that you want me to bring here for you?” Li Ting asked just as Xu Yanqiu was drifting off to sleep.

Xu Yanqiu remained silent for a long time before saying, “No, thank you, Big Brother Li.”

Most of the things his father left him had been taken by his cousin and his wife. They had claimed they would take him in, only to kick him out shortly after. He had nothing left to bring.

Li Ting could see the loneliness on the boy’s face. He hummed in response and closed his eyes. Just then, they both heard a faint, muffled cry from the courtyard. The boy jumped, but Li Ting held him down. “Big Brother Li, what was that sound?”

“Probably just a stray cat,” Li Ting said while pressing him back down. “The doctor said you need to rest. Go to sleep.”

Xu Yanqiu said no more, but his ears remained alert. Being blind from birth, he had developed a sense of hearing much sharper than most, though he still wondered why he could never hear Li Ting’s footsteps. After that single cry, the courtyard went silent. Drowsiness eventually won, and the boy fell asleep. He did not notice when Li Ting finally got up.

Li Ting threw on his outer robe and looked at the sleeping boy before stepping outside. He jumped onto the top of the wall. A man was crouching by the wall, clutching his legs and moaning in pain. When a shadow fell over him, the man looked up and locked eyes with Li Ting. He froze in terror but managed to shout, “Are you a monster? I knew you were a monster, just like that dead blind brat!”

The man had tried to climb the wall but had been struck in both knees by pebbles from nowhere. The pain had caused him to fall backward. If not for a pile of straw breaking his fall, he would have been seriously injured.

Li Ting let out a yawn. He had only intended to take a short nap, but he really was tired now. “Your name is Gao Ke, right?”

Gao Ke was stunned that Li Ting knew his name. He tried to think of an excuse to get away. He wanted nothing to do with anyone associated with the blind boy. To his horror, the man on the wall jumped down. The wall was quite high, yet Li Ting landed perfectly. Gao Ke was convinced the man was a monster.

“Do not come closer! I am telling you, my brother works for the government. If you hit me, I will have him lock you up!” Gao Ke scrambled backward as Li Ting approached, but he was quickly hoisted up by his collar.

“I will not kill the blind boy anymore. I will not touch him. Please, show some mercy and let me go!” Gao Ke begged as he realized threats would not work. Li Ting shook him slightly and said, “Be quiet.”

Gao Ke shut his mouth instantly. Li Ting asked, “Were you not going to rid the village of a disaster?”

Gao Ke shook his head violently. “No more. I will stay far away from him.”

“Good,” Li Ting said. He decided not to hold back his words. “Remember this. That boy is under my protection. If you mess with him again, I will let you experience what it feels like to drown in a frozen river.”

Gao Ke nodded frantically. Li Ting dropped him to the ground. Gao Ke thought he was free to run, but Li Ting called him back. “You know where Xu Yanqiu lives. Take me there.”

“Why do you want to go there?” Gao Ke stopped his retreat and turned back, ignoring the pain in his knees. “There is nothing left but a pile of ruins.”

“Ruins?” Li Ting paused. “How is it ruins? Who burned it?”

He had assumed the boy at least had a house to go back to for memories.

Gao Ke could not help but squat down to nurse his knees. “His cousin and his wife burned it. They said the blind boy was a jinx and that everything he touched was unlucky, so they burned it all to be safe.”

Seeing Li Ting’s grim expression, Gao Ke continued hesitantly, “Actually, if Chang Shouye had not stopped them, they would have even dug up the boy’s father to burn him too.”

Gao Ke stopped talking as soon as he saw the look on Li Ting’s face. The man looked like he was ready to kill someone.

“Get out of here,” Li Ting growled. Gao Ke turned to run, but Li Ting called out one last question. “Who was the teacher of Xu Yanqiu’s cousin?”

“I heard he was a classmate of Chang Shouye, but he was stubborn and was eventually kicked out by the teacher.”

The little fox waved his hand for the man to leave. He felt a sense of relief. He knew his father could never have had such a student. Now he just needed to find time to meet this cousin.

Having decided to help the boy to the end, Li Ting, who now saw the little blind boy as his own protégé, did not realize that he was being a meddler.