Chapter 389: Chapter 389

“Is my physical condition okay?” Zhu Zongyu asked.

“If you feel like you can’t go on, just tell me.As long as you take things step by step and don’t force yourself, there’s no problem.” Wei Ruo replied.

“Alright.”

So Wei Ruo rose and led Zhu Zongyu toward the farmland in the manor.

The narrow path along the fields was fairly level, and Wei Ruo’s pace was unhurried, just enough for Zhu Zongyu to barely keep up in his current state.

Zhu Zongyu looked at the wide fields, the occasional people working in them, and then at the person walking in front of him.

For some reason, his heart felt unusually calm.

He had seen farmland and peasants working before, but he'd only ever observed them from a distance.. Today, walking beside Young Master Xu, the perspective was entirely different.

Along the way, everyone they met greeted Wei Ruo warmly, smiling as they called out “Master.”

Just from the tone of their voices, Zhu Zongyu could sense the respect and esteem this master held in their hearts.

One woman sat on a ridge holding a toddler of about two or three years old, while her husband toiled in the nearby field.

The man’s hands were flushed from the cold, his nose red, and white puffs of breath escaped his lips as he worked, yet a smile stayed on his face. From time to time, he turned to glance at his wife and child.

When Wei Ruo approached, the man stopped and bowed. “Master.”

The little boy in the woman’s arms also grinned at Wei Ruo, chirping in a childish voice, “Good Master.”

The soft, milky voice and rosy cheeks were unspeakably adorable.

That smile was infectious. Not only did Wei Ruo respond to it, but Zhu Zongyu’s gaze also softened involuntarily.

Moreover, he noticed that neither the boy nor his parents showed any fear when they saw him, a stranger with his face wrapped in bandages.

He understood that it was likely because he was walking by Young Master Xu’s side—out of trust for Wei Ruo, they instinctively believed that this frightening-looking stranger was no threat.

Wei Ruo walked up to the little boy and handed him a piece of dried sweet potato.

-dried sweet potato

The boy held the dried sweet potato but couldn’t bear to eat it himself; he first tried to feed it to his mother.

The mother pushed the sweet potato back to the boy’s mouth, smiling as she said she wouldn’t eat it.

Only then did the little boy begin to nibble on it, bite by bite.

Wei Ruo smiled and placed two more pieces of dried sweet potato into the mother’s hand, then turned and continued walking.

Seeing Wei Ruo’s smile, Zhu Zongyu felt that his smile was even warmer than the little boy’s.

Zhu Zongyu slowly caught up. “A few days ago, I heard Steward Yu say that you protected them, allowing them to survive through this particularly cold winter. Seeing it with my own eyes today proves it true.”

“I’m not that noble. I hire them; they’re here to work for me. If they slack off, I won’t hesitate to drive them away. We take what we each need—this isn’t me doing charity,” Wei Ruo replied.

“But you are more capable than most and more willing to help those in need. If one only has the intention but no ability, to me that is nothing but futile worry; if one has the ability but no heart, that would be like Master Fan. But Young Master Xu has both,” Zhu Zongyu said, evaluating Wei Ruo.

“You’re thinking too highly of me, Young Master Zhu. I only love money and only think about maximizing profit. I’m the same type of person as Master Fan,” Wei Ruo said.

“If Young Master Xu only loved money, you wouldn’t have saved me,” Zhu Zongyu said with certainty.