Chapter 47: Divine Intervention

Unless the driver slammed on the brakes at the last second, Mu Chenze had zero chance of coming out unscathed.

If, in this lifetime, Mu Chenze were to die unexpectedly because of her again, she’d be too ashamed to go on living—following him in death would be her best ending.

With that thought, she ran toward Mu Chenze. She was bigger, after all—maybe she could take the brunt of the impact!

The screech of emergency brakes rang out.

The car stopped with its front bumper almost touching Mu Chenze.

Chu Xuan grabbed Mu Chenze and yanked him to the side of the road.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

Before Mu Chenze could answer, the driver had already jumped out to apologize. “I’m so sorry! My mother had a heart attack—I’m rushing her to the hospital…”

Mu Chenze glanced at the back seat, where a silver-haired old lady was half-reclined in pain. “I’m fine. Hurry and get your mom to the hospital!”

“Thank you!”

The driver bowed, quickly got back in the car, and sped off…

Chu Xuan, not caring about propriety, put her hand on Mu Chenze’s knee. “Did you get hurt at all?”

She didn’t even ask for the driver’s contact info—what if Mu Chenze was hurt but didn’t say anything?

Mu Chenze jerked in shock, immediately pulling away. “No. And don’t touch me!”

His tone was bashful, his face red to the tips of his ears.

Only then did Chu Xuan realize she’d gone a bit overboard, her hand left awkwardly in the air. “Sorry! I was just really worried about you! You idiot, why did you push me away and leave yourself to get hit? I’m bigger than you—wouldn’t I be better at taking a hit? You’re my buddy, what’s there to be shy about? I was just checking your knee for injuries!”

Mu Chenze quickly composed himself, pretending to be relaxed. “If I get hurt, my family will take care of me. If you get hurt, who in your family will look after you? We’re buddies—if something like this happens again, I’ll still do the same.”

Chu Xuan started crying even harder. “I don’t want to see anything happen to you! Mu Chenze, promise me—as my buddy, you have to outlive me, okay? Wuwuwu…”

Seeing Chu Xuan crying her heart out, Mu Chenze was at a loss. He could only say, “Alright! I’ll definitely outlive you! Stop crying, fatty! Wipe your tears.”

He handed her a handkerchief.

Chu Xuan didn’t take it. Instead, she pulled one from her own pocket and wiped her tears and nose.

Mu Chenze looked at her in disgust. “Don’t cry anymore, snot monster! That’s gross!”

“If you think I’m a gross snot monster, why did you save me, you dummy!”

“You’re the dummy! I already pushed you to safety—why did you run back like an idiot? Did you want to get hit with me?”

“That’s right! In that moment, I thought if the car didn’t stop, I’m bigger, so if I got hit with you, maybe you’d be less hurt.”

Hearing this, Mu Chenze fell silent for a long time before speaking again.

“Chu Xuan, just for what you said, from now on I’ll do anything for you as your buddy, no complaints.”

“Alright, alright! You’d better take that back, or your future wife will get jealous if she hears it!”

“My wife? Who knows where she is. Let her be jealous if she wants!”

“You’d better take care of yourself! You’re your mom’s precious baby—if anything happened to you, do you think she could go on? Next time, think of your mom before you act!”

“You’re right! From now on, I’ll always think of my mom before I do anything.”

Mentioning Qin Mahua made Mu Chenze a little headachey. He continued, “My mom’s going to your house today to gut fish for money.”

“What?” Chu Xuan was shocked, her attention successfully diverted and her tears forgotten. “How did your family agree to that?”

“At first, only my sister-in-law supported her. But who could’ve guessed my mom would be so stubborn? She threatened that if they didn’t let her go, she’d dry fish at home and steal your business, and keep all the skinned fish from our daily catch for herself…”

Chu Xuan couldn’t help but cover her face. Just how much face did she have, to make Qin Mahua so determined to work with her?

“Alright! I’ll remind the others to watch what they say and not mention our partnership.”

“My mom is really capable. You should set a rule—no more than 500 jin per person per day. Otherwise, she’ll gut over 600 jin and her old injury will flare up.”

“Okay.”

As they talked, the two of them arrived at the bus station.

A bus was just about to leave, so they hurried on, found seats separately, and, since it was crowded, didn’t talk further. Each took out their packed meal and started eating…

A little after 9 a.m., Chu Xuan arrived home.

Everyone was already in the yard gutting fish.

Qin Mahua was there too.

But Er Leng hadn’t come.

Liu Zhaodi probably figured with Qin Mahua helping, there was no need for him.

Chu Xuan would have to find another chance to remind Gao Meijuan and the others to be careful what they said.

She greeted everyone, washed up a bit, took her herbal medicine, and went to her room to catch up on sleep.

Meanwhile, Qin Mahua chatted with Gao Meijuan as she gutted fish.

“Meijuan, how did Chu Xuan get to the city in the middle of the night? Did she rent a car or a tractor?”

Gao Meijuan was sharp—she couldn’t mention Mu Chenze, since clearly Qin Mahua didn’t know her son was close with Chu Xuan. “Sometimes she rents a car, sometimes a tractor. She handles all the sales herself, so I haven’t really asked.”

“She’s just a young girl, going out alone at night. We should help her find someone to go with her. When she wakes up, ask her if she’d be willing to go with my second son? He’s already booked a truck, and as long as it’s not raining or a typhoon, he goes every night. She’d just have to split a bit of the fare.”

Qin Mahua was being kind, so Gao Meijuan played along. “Mahua, thank you! I’ll definitely ask! That’s a great idea. I just don’t know if your second son would be willing?”

Qin Mahua gutted fish deftly. “Of course he’d be willing!”

Gao Meijuan was surprised. “Huh? You haven’t even asked him yet…”

Qin Mahua suddenly looked a little embarrassed. “I mean, as long as I say so, he’ll do it. If he refuses, I’ll scold him until he gives in!”

Gao Meijuan gave her a thumbs up. “You’re really something! Actually, what happened between Xiao Xuan and your Xiao Ze wasn’t her fault.”

“I know. It’s all that old hag Feng Chunhua’s fault! She wanted Chu Xuan to marry into my family to help her own. Chu Xuan didn’t marry in the end for our sake. So I never held it against her. Otherwise, would I be here gutting fish today?”

Mentioning Feng Chunhua, Qin Mahua started chopping fish heads with extra force, as if the fish were Feng Chunhua herself—she wished she could twist off Feng Chunhua’s head and kick it like a ball.

Gao Meijuan was also annoyed at Feng Chunhua. “Good thing Xiao Xuan and her brother were alert, or they never would’ve found out the truth about their father.”

“Exactly. That old witch Feng Chunhua is no good!”

With Qin Mahua’s help, all the fish were cleaned and salted before 11 a.m.

Chu Feng asked Qin Mahua to stay for lunch, but she refused and insisted on going home.

Aside from Miao Dacui and Chu Feng, who stayed to watch the stove, everyone else went home.

When Qin Mahua got home, Mu Chenze was still sleeping.

He didn’t wake up for another two hours.

As soon as he was up, Qin Mahua brought it up.

“Son, let Chu Xuan go with you in the truck to the city every night to sell grilled fish, okay?”

Mu Chenze stared in shock. Why was his mom suddenly suggesting this? Did she find out something?"