Chapter 175: Their Eyes Filled with Emotion
“The new clothes are inside. My father will bring you some hot water in a moment—wash off the mud and change into dry clothes.”
Hearing this, Tao Ming and the others were startled and immediately waved their hands in refusal.
They were still warming themselves around the fire, the cold barely leaving their bodies, but the idea of stepping into a young lady’s private chamber left them too afraid to move forward.
“Miss, we can’t! That’s your personal room—we must not enter.”
“What does it matter at this point? My father is here too, isn’t he? Just go in and change! Afterward, drink some ginger soup to warm up.”
Yu Luo looked at the rough but honest men and sighed.
She understood that in ancient times, this might have been considered inappropriate, but who had the luxury of worrying about such things in their current situation?
Back when they were on the road during exile, she had to sleep squeezed between her parents to avoid freezing in the bitter winter nights.
Even in shared tents, men and women had no choice but to huddle together for warmth.
“No, no! Rules must be followed. Miss and Madam, please step aside while we change. We apologize for the inconvenience…”
Tao Ming was grateful for the kindness of Yu Luo’s family, but he couldn’t allow her reputation to be ruined because of them. After much hesitation, he hardened his resolve and spoke up.
“That makes sense. Besides, it’ll be troublesome to clean the cave if it gets wet. There’s a fire out here, and fetching water is easier too. Xiao Luo, let’s go inside.”
Ye Jiamei stood up and spoke. She then stepped into Yu Luo’s room, grabbing another pile of fresh clothes. Seeing this, Yu Luo had no choice but to follow her mother’s lead and bring out more clothing for them.
Previously, when dividing supplies, most of the warm cotton clothes from the bandits were given to Yu Family’s third branch. Today, however, all the clothes Yu Luo brought out were brand new—purchased from two different towns.
These clothes had cost real silver, but the silver itself was stolen money, so Yu Luo didn’t feel any loss.
Besides ready-made clothes, she had also stockpiled bolts of fabric and raw cotton. Even if her family never bought clothes again for a lifetime, they wouldn’t run out.
More importantly, after witnessing these men’s loyalty and dedication, Yu Luo had already decided to recruit them as trusted aides.
Giving them some warm clothing? That was a small price to pay.
But for Tao Ming and his group, these were priceless treasures—they were shocked and overwhelmed by her generosity.
“Cotton clothes? And they’re all new? Made from fine cotton fabric?! This… this feels so soft and warm! It’s a hundred times better than those stiff, crude fur garments. Miss, are you really giving these to us? What if we get them dirty?”
Zhang Xiaoliang was completely soaked. He hesitated to reach out, but after quickly washing his hands in the hot water Yu Haojie had prepared, he couldn’t resist touching the fabric.
The moment he felt the soft, warm texture, his eyes turned red with emotion.
How many years had it been since he last wore something this warm?
During harsh winters, he could barely manage, but his brothers who lacked inner strength often suffered so badly they couldn’t even get out of bed.
The worn-out, hardened cotton coats they currently wore had been handed down for years. To keep warm, they had layered them with animal pelts from their hunts in the wilderness.
Seeing Zhang Xiaoliang’s red-rimmed eyes, the other men were equally overwhelmed with emotion, quickly washing their hands so they could receive the clothing.
“Of course, they’re for you! From now on, you are our family’s long-term workers. How could we let you freeze? Don’t worry—you don’t have to repay us.”
Ye Jiamei’s voice was generous and straightforward, her heart softening at the sight of these hardened men moved to tears.
“Thank you, Madam! Thank you, Master! Thank you, Miss!”
As soon as Ye Jiamei finished speaking, Zhang Xiaoliang and the others immediately bowed deeply in gratitude.
Yu Haojie quickly stepped forward to stop them, urging them to sit by the fire instead.
“Father, prepare more hot water for them. Let each of them wash properly—they’re already drenched anyway. A hot bath will warm them up. I’ll bring out some clean towels.”
“Miss, there’s no need to trouble yourself! We’ll handle it ourselves. We’ve already used up so much of your firewood…”
Tao Ming spoke apologetically, feeling guilty for putting such a burden on Yu Luo’s household. They hadn’t even helped much today, yet they were receiving all this kindness.
“It’s just a little firewood. If we run out, we can always gather more. What matters is that you all stay healthy.”
Yu Luo dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand.
Just then, Ye Jiamei came out carrying a small clay pot filled with herbal cold medicine and handed it to Yu Zhengqing.
“This is a medicinal powder for colds. Brew a pot of hot water and make sure they all drink it. We can’t risk anyone falling sick.”
Ye Jiamei’s words confused Tao Ming and his group—they didn’t understand what the medicine was, but Yu Haojie did.
Nodding in understanding, he headed into Yu Luo’s cave and carried out a large wooden bath barrel.
Given how rare it was for these men to bathe properly, it took the entire afternoon to scrub them all clean.
The fire stove kept boiling hot water, while the water jar was constantly refilled from the well—a tiring, endless cycle.
Fortunately, a shelter had already been built over the well, protecting the water from dust and bird droppings. Otherwise, even with straw raincoats, going back and forth in the storm would have left them soaked all over again.
Yu Luo and her mother stayed inside the inner chamber for the entire afternoon, while the rain outside showed no signs of stopping.
By nightfall, the sky was already pitch black due to the heavy storm clouds.
Inside the cave, a group of freshly bathed men, now dressed in warm, thick cotton clothes, sat around the fire, drying off completely.
Feeling clean for the first time in ages, they couldn’t hide their relief and comfort.
Yu Haojie even handed them sharp knives so they could shave their beards.
As a result, their youthful faces were finally revealed.
“So you all were this young?!”
When Ye Jiamei and Yu Luo finally stepped out, Ye Jiamei stared in shock.
Seeing ten clean-shaven, handsome young men sitting neatly around the fire, she gaped for several seconds before blurting out her surprise.
The moment the words left her mouth, the men’s faces instantly flushed red with embarrassment.
Yu Luo, already accustomed to her mother’s blunt remarks, chuckled awkwardly and turned toward the cave entrance.
“Why is this rain still so heavy? Is it not planning to stop today?”
[Ding-dong! Answering the host: The system does not know when the rain will stop. It was originally scheduled for two days, so check again in the morning. However, if the rain lasts longer, it might actually help improve the soil of the wilderness. Once the rain stops, the host will receive a special surprise.]
She had only been talking to herself, but the system’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind again.
Hearing this, Yu Luo felt even more excited and eager.
