After all, she was old and had been living a comfortable life, so it was only natural that she suffered backaches after being out in the yard for too long.
She was clutching her waist while sitting limply on the bamboo chair in the yard, frowning in pain.
After clearing away the few weeds left in the yard, I washed my hands and handed her the pain-relieving medicine.
She frowned, unwilling to accept it.
I pursed my lips. “These are painkillers. They are not harmful.”
Having said that, I put the medicine in her hands. Then, I went inside and fetched a cup of warm water for her.
She seemed stunned. Perhaps unable to bear the pain, she accepted the cup of water and took the medicine.
As I kept the rest of the medicine aside, I said, “This medicine has few side effects. If the pain is intolerable, you can take one or two tablets to relieve the pain.”
She glanced at me with her lips pursed and turned her eyes upon the yard, saying, “Your voice sounds so nasal. If you have a cold, please don’t pass it to me.”
I couldn’t help letting out a laugh. She was obviously concerned about me, but she just had to put up a mean front.
Forget it.
She is, after all, an arrogant lady of a privileged upbringing.
Being childless and way past half her life, perhaps she was thinking of spending her twilight years alone in peace.
“Yeah, I’ll go back and take some medicine.” It was commonplace to get the flu during the winter months.
She then got up and went into the house. When she came out, she held a bag of Isatis tinctoria root in her hand. “Make drinks with this using hot water, twice a day. You’ll get better in a couple of days. It’s not bitter.”
Nodding, I took it and smiled, saying, “Thank you, Aunt Sally.”
She grunted in reply without saying anything.
It had stopped snowing in K City. The sun was out, and most of the snow had melted. With the sun high in the sky, it was not very cold.
Besides, Sally had started a fire in the yard, which warmed up the place.
At noon, she looked at me and asked, “Would you like to stay for lunch? It’s been snowing for a few days, so I only have some dry rations.”
I nodded. “Anything would do!”
A person’s life could be refined or simple. Although it was only dry rations, it wasn’t going to stop us from enjoying ourselves.
There was already a fire in the yard, so she brought out some potatoes and sweet potatoes for me to peel. Then we cut up some meat and washed some vegetables.
In no time, we were having a barbeque in the yard.
I always felt that a barbeque for two was too quiet. However, when she brought out some red wine from the cellar, the atmosphere of the meal was elevated.
Silence was the best way of interaction for some people. Although there was not much conversation between Sally and me, some things need not be said as long as we understood each other.
Lately, I had not taken any proper meals, so my tummy felt bloated as I had eaten a lot of snacks today.
When Ashton arrived, fresh charcoal had been put into the fire. Seeing the cutlery, his handsome face displayed a smile as he held my hand, asking, “Did you enjoy the food?”
I let out a faint smile. Truth be told, I did not really like it, but I ate some nonetheless since I was in a good mood.
“Why don’t you try it?” My taste buds were not the same as his, so he might not enjoy what I liked.
With a smile, he took the half-eaten baked potato from my hand. After taking a bite, he raised his eyebrows and said in amazement, “Good cooking skills!”
I laughed. “Aunt Sally barbecued it.”
Sally looked at him and said, “Okay, there is some more. Go home quickly after eating. You guys are causing a racket here.”
When people get old, they tend to keep their true thoughts to themselves.
Both of us understood that.
Exchanging glances, we smiled. Ashton took a chair from the house and sat by my side, holding my hand. Then, he asked Sally about her health.
Sally gave curt replies while passing the barbecued meat to him. While handing over the sauce to him, I explained, “It tastes better with this sauce.”
He smiled and did as he was told., then nodded and appraised, “Yes.”
As dusk approached, Sally asked us to leave, “My home is too small to accommodate the two of you, so please leave when you’re done.”
Ashton merely let out a faint smile and after bidding her goodbye, he led me by my hand to his car.
On the way back to the villa, I stared mindlessly at the passing scenery outside the windscreen.
Before I knew it, I blurted out, “Ashton, thank you.”
As he drove along the dimly lit road, he smiled. “That’s not good enough. Can I have something more affectionate?”
I laughed. As I tilted my head to come up with the right words, my eyes fell on his face, which was illuminated by flashes of light.
I have to come up with something better, or he won’t be satisfied.
Soon, the car stopped at the door of the villa.
After I got out, he turned off the engine and walked toward me. “Got it already?”
I smirked. “No, not yet. I always feel that you’re making things difficult for me. You know I’m not poetic.”
“Just try!”
I thought for a while and looked up at the sky before shifting my gaze to him. “In the journey of my life, Mr. Ashton is my steadfast dream.”
He was stunned for a moment, and then he grinned and took me by the hand into the villa, overwhelmed with emotions.
“Where did you pilfer that from?”
Obviously, he was asking me about that cheesy line I just said. I looked up and pointed at the starry sky as I replied, “From the sky.”
