amaotonovel Chapter 438 Cement (2)
Chapter 438 Cement (2)
As Shen Yanzhou watched Shi Wanxia continue writing with her head down, a strange emotion suddenly arose in his heart.
She's always like that; she always manages to come up with something unexpected, yet she never flaunts it, only thinking about how to solve the immediate problem.
Such a woman is so rare and so captivating.
No wonder Huai'an was captivated by her; however, his Crown Princess is no less impressive!
Before long, Shi Qing finished organizing the recipe written by Shi Wanxia, copied it, and handed it to Shi Wanxia.
Shi Wanxia took it, looked it over, and made sure nothing was missing before turning to hand it to Shen Yanzhou: "Your Highness, take a look. If it's feasible, we can find a place to build a temporary workshop now and make a batch to try it out. It will be perfect for repairing the embankment of Liuhe Bridge."
Shen Yanzhou reached out to take it, and his fingertips inadvertently touched hers.
Her fingertips were a little cold, as if they had been wet with rainwater. He felt a sudden tremor in his heart, and his fingertips paused slightly before he took the paper.
The handwriting on the paper was clear and neat, the recipe steps were written out clearly, and even the precautions were clearly marked.
Shen Yanzhou looked at the word "cement" on the paper, then looked up at Shi Wanxia. Her brows had relaxed, and her eyes were filled with expectation, as if she was waiting for his reply.
"very good."
His voice was softer than usual, and he held the paper between his fingers as if it were a rare treasure.
"Immediately arrange for people to build workshops and follow the recipe. If there are not enough raw materials, go to nearby prefectures and counties to get them."
"Zhao Hu, you will personally oversee the workshop and ensure the quality is guaranteed. No mistakes are allowed."
Zhao Hu immediately responded, "This subordinate obeys!"
He looked at the formula in Shen Yanzhou's hand, then at Shi Wanxia. The shock in his heart had not subsided, but he felt a little more admiration—such a woman was probably better than even a man.
Seeing that things were settled, Shi Wanxia breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around to go outside the tent to check on the distribution of food and medicine to Cui Zhihao. Just as she reached the curtain, she heard Shen Yanzhou's voice behind her: "Miss Shi."
She paused, turned around, and looked at him.
Shen Yanzhou stood in front of the table, still holding the formula in his hand. His gaze fell on her, carrying a deep meaning she couldn't understand: "There's still a future for the workshop. If you're tired, take a break."
"Disaster relief is not something that can be done in a day or two; your health is the most important thing."
Shi Wanxia was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I'm fine."
"Lord Cui is still outside watching over the grain and medicine; I'll go check on him."
After saying that, she lifted the curtain and stepped out of the tent, only to be met with a familiar gaze.
Choi Ji-ho stood under a shed not far away, holding a packet of medicine in his hand. His gaze was fixed on her. When he saw her come out, he subconsciously took a few steps closer to her, his voice very soft: "Finished talking inside? Did you find a solution for the road?"
Shi Wanxia nodded, looking at his mud-stained sleeves and the bloodshot eyes, and suddenly felt a little warmer: "Yes, we've found a way to repair the road, and it will be open soon."
"How are things on your end? Do you have enough food and medicine?"
"That's enough. Wenzhu just delivered two more truckloads."
Choi Ji-ho looked at her, wanting to say "Don't overwork yourself," but the words came out instead.
"I asked the kitchen to make ginger soup. I'll bring it to you later. It's getting chilly, so don't catch a cold."
Shi Wanxia smiled and nodded in agreement.
Not far away, the disaster victims were still receiving food and medicine. The children's crying had stopped. Someone had lit a fire under the shed and was preparing to brew medicine. The wisps of steam mixed with the aroma of medicine wafted over and actually dispelled a lot of the chill.
Shen Yanzhou stood inside the tent, lifting the corner of the curtain to look at the two figures standing side by side outside. He held the piece of paper with the "cement" formula written on it between his fingertips, and his eyes darkened.
He knew Cui Zhihao's feelings for Shi Wanxia, just as he himself knew that since going south for disaster relief, his gaze towards Shi Wanxia had long since gone beyond mere "admiration".
The journey ahead is long and arduous, and there may be even more difficulties ahead, but with such a woman by my side, perhaps it won't be too bitter.
Shen Yanzhou thought to himself and gave his confidant a wink—not only should they keep the secret of the cement, but they should also protect this woman who always brought surprises, and not let someone else get there first.
Just as Cui Zhihao and Zhao Hu finalized the patrol route for tomorrow, he turned to head back to his tent.
The evening breeze carried the scent of distant grass and trees, and the coolness of his pen still lingered on his fingertips. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and gently and deftly grasped his sleeve.
The touch was slightly cool, and the knuckles had a delicate, girlish quality, yet the grip was quite strong, causing him to abruptly stop in his tracks.
When Cui Zhihao turned around, he met Shi Wanxia's bright eyes—she was wearing a moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a light blue short jacket over it, and a small velvet flower pinned to her temple, the style he had brought back from the street a few days ago.
In the past, she always maintained a composed demeanor, either helping to sort medicinal herbs in the military doctor's tent or sitting and thinking. Even when speaking to the soldiers, she maintained a gentle distance. This was the first time she had ever pulled his sleeve in public like this.
"Late night?"
Choi Ji-ho spoke softly, and before he could ask "What's wrong?", a series of orderly footsteps came from not far away—it was the patrolling guards passing by in formation.
The guards, with their sharp eyes, had barely noticed the commotion when they paused. Then, as if under a spell, they all lowered their heads in unison. Some stared at the tips of their shoes, while others pretended to adjust the swords at their waists. One of the younger guards even coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.
The refugee camp has strict rules, and everyone understands the principle that men and women should not touch each other. Moreover, Cui Zhihao is a meticulous person, and Shi Wanxia is a woman. Such public pulling is bound to cause discussion.
Cui Zhihao's heart tightened, and he instinctively tried to pull his hand away from hers, whispering, "Let's talk inside the tent, not here..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shi Wanxia suddenly tightened her grip, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him toward the tent beside her.
That was her temporary resting place, close to the military doctor's tent, and rarely visited by anyone on ordinary days.
As she pulled him along, his feet followed involuntarily. The faint fragrance emanating from her body mingled with the scent of grass and trees in the evening breeze, making his heart beat faster for no apparent reason.
The curtain was flung open with a "whoosh" and then quickly fell back down, shutting out the light, shadows, and footsteps outside.
The tent was simply furnished with a wooden table, two chairs, and some strange writings she had put on the table.
A small incense burner was burning in the corner, her usual orchid scent, light and refreshing, which calmed the restlessness in one's heart.
Choi Ji-ho stood in the center of the tent, somewhat at a loss.
He secretly glanced at Shi Wanxia and saw her turn around. Her face didn't have any special expression, but her ears were slightly red.
His heart was pounding, like a rabbit was running around in his hand—this girl was usually so composed, but these past few days, with poisoning and plague, she hadn't slept for three days straight, brewing and feeding medicine, without even frowning.
Back in the capital, I didn't dare touch him even a little bit. Why am I suddenly being so...reckless today?