Chapter 38: Illness and Care - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

Chapter 38: Illness and Care [At this moment, you choose?] [Option 1: Rebuke her and drive Guo Lin away, telling her not to come back.] [Option 2: Call her over to set some rules, letting her know that she must listen and work if she wants to eat, otherwise, she shouldn't come back.] [Option 3: Invite her over for a meal and offer your shelter for her to stay, caring for her attentively.] Faced with these unexpected choices, Su Mo found it quite intriguing. The frequent occurrences of options likely stemmed from his dominant position in the current scenario, granting him almost absolute power. That would explain the plethora of choices. With this in mind, Su Mo pondered over the three options. He couldn't fathom why there was always an option that involved catering to Guo Lin. He was certain he wouldn't choose the first or the third. Thus, Su Mo straightforwardly opted for the second choice. [You chose the second option.] [You called Guo Lin over, and she mistakenly thought you'd had a change of heart, rushing over excitedly.] “Have you finally figured it out? Don't worry, I won’t speak ill of you to my mother once we’re back.” “As long as you keep me well-fed and rested, I'll surely reward you generously.” [You ignored Guo Lin’s empty promises.] “I’ll say it again, if you want to eat, you need to work!” [Hearing your unwavering words, Guo Lin’s expression shifted, her pride eventually succumbing to her growling stomach.] “Fine, I agree... I agree, alright?” [Observing Guo Lin's compliance, you nodded in satisfaction, then handed the grilled fish to her.] [Faced with the tantalizing aroma of the grilled fish, Guo Lin abandoned her facade and devoured it greedily, her cheeks puffing up but she couldn't stop.] [Starved for so long, tasting the expertly prepared fish was like savoring a heavenly delight, almost making her swallow her own tongue.] [Perhaps it was the prolonged hunger, but Guo Lin consumed three large pieces of grilled fish before stopping, her small belly slightly rounded.] [Having her first full meal in nearly a month, Guo Lin felt so content she wanted to sleep.] “I'm full. Su Mo, your cooking is amazing. You could make a fortune opening a restaurant, but I’ve never seen you make bamboo tube grilled fish before.” [Hearing Guo Lin’s praise, a faint smile tugged at your lips. As a divine chef, nothing pleases you more than a diner’s compliments.] [However, you quickly suppressed the smile.] [You don’t want Guo Lin to see your enjoyment, lest she causes more trouble.] “Are you full? If so, stand watch outside the shelter tonight. Don't wander far. I'm going to sleep.” [Seeing your attitude, Guo Lin felt you lacked any sense of tenderness.] [But she dared not voice her anger, obediently sitting by the fire outside the shelter.] [As it was late spring, the nights remained cold. She had been sleeping in a cramped corner lately, inevitably catching a cold.] [In the night, you suddenly heard a “thud.” Stepping outside, you discovered Guo Lin had collapsed by the fire.] [Upon closer inspection, you found her burning with fever and shivering lightly.] [Seeing you approach, Guo Lin forced herself up, attempting to appear better.] “I’m fine. You can go back. I just need to sit by the fire a bit longer.” [You looked at the struggling Guo Lin.] [At this moment, you choose?] [Option 1: Bring Guo Lin into the shelter and care for her attentively.] [Option 2: Ignore her and return to the shelter to continue sleeping.] [Option 3: Throw Guo Lin into the river to prevent her from infecting you.] ... Witnessing this scene, Su Mo finally understood why there were consistent options to care for Guo Lin—this little girl had been sick for some time. He was reluctant about the second choice. The third option was outright cruel. Although previously he had wanted to make Guo Lin cry to vent some frustration, Su Mo simply couldn’t bring himself to be that ruthless. There was no helping it. He had a kind heart. Besides, leaving her there unassisted might result in her burning to death by morning. Hence, Su Mo chose the first option. [You chose the first option.] [You inquired if Guo Lin had a fever or was sick.] [Guo Lin stubbornly insisted, her expression tinged with defiance.] “I’m fine, just feeling a bit chilly. Sitting by the fire is enough.” [Just as you were about to question further, Guo Lin’s barely supported body finally gave in, collapsing towards you.] “You still insist you're fine?!” [Seeing Guo Lin collapse, you became frustrated.] [Then, concerned, you carried her into the shelter, draping your own outer garment over her.] [The immediate task was to reduce her fever.] [Tearing a strip from your clothes, you continuously dampened it to wipe down Guo Lin's body, helping her cool down.] [Though Guo Lin regained some consciousness during this, she soon fainted again.] In the visuals, Guo Lin’s ribs were starkly visible, yet her skin glowed a deep pink... [You cared for Guo Lin throughout the night. By dawn, her fever had finally subsided.] [Relieved, you ventured into the valley in search of foods that could treat her cold.] [With your celestial culinary gift, you knew the properties of every ingredient and how to combine them to heal and nourish.] [You gathered perilla, wild onions, Chinese toon, and wild angelica.] [The leaves and stems of perilla can be boiled to help dispel cold and regulate qi. Wild onions can be eaten raw to treat cold and headache. Chinese toon is for alleviating cold pain. Wild angelica helps with chills and fever.] [Finding these plants reassured you; once Guo Lin consumed them, her illness would swiftly improve.] [But with no pots available in the wild, you relied on bamboo tubes to boil water.] [Soon, you used the ingredients to concoct numerous herbal soups, heating them in the bamboo tubes over the fire.] [Additionally, you thickened the soup with some kudzu root, turning the broth quite viscous.] [Guo Lin ate heartily, then drifted back to sleep. You continued wiping her down until she was entirely clean and refreshed.] [Yet Guo Lin’s weak constitution led to her relapse repeatedly.] [Caring for her took more than ten days.] [During this time, Guo Lin’s gaze shifted from resentment, defiance, and disdain to warmth, admiration, and starry-eyed wonder.] [She became less resistant when you wiped her down, and even when you couldn't resist stealing a kiss, she showed no reaction.] [You noticed Guo Lin’s gaze, but pondered your next steps.] [You couldn't stay in this valley forever.] [You considered your formidable culinary talent wasted in the general's household; opening your own restaurant seemed promising.] [By the fifteenth day of Guo Lin's illness, her health had fully returned, her spirits much brighter than before.] [Due to your nutrition from fatty fish, her sunken cheeks filled out, and her ill-fitting clothes became snug once more.] [She began to revel in this new life.] [It was an experience she never had in the general’s household.] [Between you, no differences in status or family background existed, only shared survival experiences in the wild.] [You noticed that after recovering, Guo Lin shed her spoiled demeanor and adeptly handled tasks.] [Her gaze was one of admiration mixed with longing.] [With early summer setting in, the valley's resources grew more abundant. You trapped a deer, delighted to see meat other than fish for the first time, which gladdened both you and Guo Lin.] [That evening, you savored a sumptuous venison feast, accompanied by plenty of deer blood.] [Lying on the bed made of straw and leaves in the shelter, the invigorating deer blood kept you awake, your thoughts filled with Guo Lin’s graceful figure.] [After bathing by the river, Guo Lin slipped into the shelter, her damp hair trailing, and lay beside you.] [In that moment, the two of you huddled together for warmth.] (End of Chapter)