The General Under the Skirt - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
After dinner, Shen Roujia went to help Huo Zhao clear the table. But before she could move, he had already efficiently cleared everything away. Feeling awkward standing there doing nothing, she asked, “Brother Yu, is there anything I can do?”
Huo Zhao didn’t even look at her. “Go sit on the bed.”
Shen Roujia blinked. “…Ah?“
“Wait for me to bring you medicine,” he said.
Shen Roujia said quickly, “I-I can drink it myself.”
Huo Zhao called out, “You’re practically crippled. Don’t overdo it. Go sit down.”
His voice came from the courtyard, mingled with the splashing of water. “Just wait for me to serve you,” he added.
Shen Roujia blushed and lowered her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Her voice was too soft for Huo Zhao to hear.
Shen Roujia returned to her room and sat obediently on the bed, pulling the covers up to her waist.
Brother Yu’s house wasn’t big, but it was tidy. There was a small courtyard with a few fruit trees. She had noticed a peach tree on the west side, its fruit almost ripe. Her room was on the west side, and she had glimpsed Brother Yu’s room across the courtyard. Neither room had a door, just a cloth curtain, but it was enough. Between their rooms was the main room where they had just eaten.
Brother Yu was truly kind. He cooked, looked after her and didn’t seem to mind her presence.
But then she thought of her family, so far away, and her spirits sank. She had been gone so long, they must be worried sick. The imperial edict for her marriage had been issued, and she had disappeared. How would the Shen family explain this to His Majesty?
Su Qin was waiting for her at home, and she had simply disappeared. Su Qin must be frantic.
She had argued with her father before she left. If she had known, she wouldn’t have disobeyed him. He only wanted what was best for her, for the Shen family.
If she had known that they would be separated, she would have treasured their last moments together. She hadn’t even apologized to her father.
She had suffered so much.
When she returned home, she would obey her father. She would tell Su Qin everything that had happened, and she would ask Aunt Sun to cook her favorite dishes. But it seemed that she and Huo Zhao were truly destined never to meet. She would probably never see him again.
“Here’s your medicine.”
A familiar voice startled her. Brother Yu stood there, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms, holding a bowl of steaming medicine. The scent of herbs filled the room. Huo Zhao handed her the bowl and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Shen Roujia took the bowl quickly.
“I was thinking about the past.”
Huo Zhao clearly wasn’t interested in her past. He just hummed and replied, “Just leave the bowl on the table when you’re done.”
Shen Roujia nodded, her eyes bright, watching him leave.
It was evening, time for a wash up and sleep.
Living alone, Huo Zhao was used to a simpler routine. He didn’t plan to stay here long, so he didn’t have many possessions.
Summer had arrived and the temperature was rising every day. He was used to cold baths, even in winter, from his time in the military camp. He fetched a bucket of water from the well. He grabbed a ladle and went to the simple bathing place he had set up in the courtyard. He stripped and began to wash.
Women were delicate and curvaceous, with an alluring quality, but some men possessed a similar allure.
Like Huo Zhao.
He was lean and muscular, not bulky, but his physique was honed and powerful. In the military camp, surrounded by burly men, he seemed almost slender.
But no one dared underestimate him.
The last person to underestimate him was a southern barbarian Chief.
Huo Zhao had easily disarmed and incapacitated him, then hanged him from the city walls and forced him to shout “Dachang’s men are strong and mighty!” all day long.
Huo Zhao was lean, with a youthful appearance, but he was tall and powerful, his muscles well defined. His reputation as a war god was not undeserved. No one knew his true limits.
And he was undeniably handsome.
Someone had once said that if the enemy army was made up entirely of women, they wouldn’t need to fight. They could just send General Huo Zhao to undress.
Of course, no one dared say that to his face. The fearsome general was not known for his patience.
As he finished washing, Huo Zhao poured the remaining water over himself. Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something.
He had finished washing up, but what about the girl he had picked up today?
He looked at the bucket and wondered if he should just give her cold water as well. But he had heard that women were delicate, and that little girl was injured. He didn’t want to make her condition worse and had to travel to town again for medicine.
He should probably boil some water for her.
Damn.
In his twenty-one years, he had never imagined that one day he would be preparing bathwater for a girl.
The medicine was bitter, so bitter that it made Shen Roujia’s face crinkle. In the past, when she was ill, a servant would stand beside her with a tray of candied fruit and sweets to counteract the bitterness.
This was the first time she had taken medicine without anything to sweeten it.
The bitterness made her grimace, but then she heard steady footsteps approaching. Her expression immediately returned to normal, and she even managed a sweet smile as Huo Zhao entered.
“Brother Yu.”
Huo Zhao looked at the empty medicine bowl and said, “I’ve boiled some water for you. Wash up later.”
Raised as a sheltered young lady, Shen Roujia had little contact with men. Having him prepare bathwater for her was embarrassing enough.
The tips of her ears turned slightly red. Shen Roujia nodded quickly and whispered, “Thank you, Brother Yu.”
Huo Zhao didn’t notice. He scanned Shen Roujia’s body. Thinking of the wounds on Shen Roujia’s feet and body, Huo Zhao asked without any expression, “Is it convenient for you to wash yourself?”
As soon as the words came out, there was a moment of silence in the room.
…. What if it’s inconvenient?
Would he help her wash up?
Shen Roujia knew Brother Yu had no other intentions, but her face flushed almost instantly. Just a moment ago, only the tips of her ears were red, but now her neck and cheeks were tinged with a faint blush that Huo Zhao could hardly ignore.
Realizing that his words had been inappropriate, he offered a feeble explanation.
“Don’t think too much. I didn’t mean anything else,” he said.
Shen Roujia couldn’t control the blush on her face. She waved her hand and said, “I know, I know.”
“I- I can do it myself, Brother Yu. Go ahead. I wasn’t thinking of anything!”
Her words, coupled with her flushed face, sounded unconvincing.
“…Alright then,” Huo Zhao replied.
Shen Roujia’s injuries were alarming. The dark purple bruises stood out against her pale skin, looking worse than they actually were.
The water was pleasantly warm, almost hot. The conditions here were far from what she was used to, there wasn’t even a proper bathtub, but she was grateful.
Six months wasn’t long. But it was enough to make her forget the comforts of her former life and remember the suffering she had endured.
She had no hair ties or pins, so her long hair had been loose since she arrived. It was a bit inconvenient while washing, but it didn’t matter.
The warm water was soothing. It was the first time she had bathed outside. Even though there were walls around her and she knew no one would enter, she felt self-conscious. She washed quickly and dressed.
She had no other clothes, just the ones the fat woman had given her.
After Shen Roujia went out, she happened to run into Huo Zhao who was about to lock the courtyard gate. She hurriedly stopped and stood in front of Huo Zhao like a young bride. She secretly looked up at Huo Zhao and whispered, “I… I’m done washing.”
The little girl’s hair was damp, clinging to her clothes. Her long, dark hair hung loosely down her back, drops of water still dripping from the ends. Her pale neck seemed to glow in the dark. The clothes were too big for her, hanging loosely, but the fabric draped beautifully, revealing the curve of her collarbone.
She was incredibly alluring.
Huo Zhao’s eyes swept over her, lingering briefly on her hair before asking, “You washed your hair too?”
Shen Roujia hadn’t expected him to ask that. She paused and replied, “No, it just got wet while I was washing.”
Huo Zhao nodded, a noncommittal hum.
His indifference was remarkable, devoid of any typical male reaction.
Shen Roujia returned to the main room and entered her room. She kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bed, feeling refreshed.
Her body still ached, but she ignored it.
Her bed was dry and warm, with a faint scent of cleanliness. The covers were soft and cozy. The window was open, moonlight streaming in, a cool breeze carrying the scent of grass and trees.
After eating, the feeling of being full also made her happy. There was a kind-hearted, upright, and tall savior next door, and no one would bully her.