Living on a Mountain with my Husband

Chapter 55: Silent World

By the time Zimo woke up again the sky was dark. He couldn't hear or see anything, but he felt the warmth from LongWei and the three wolf pups. Snuggling in closer into LongWei's chest his felt a tickle in his throat.

Cough... cough...

LongWei was woken up by his little birdie's movement. Hearing him cough LongWei leaned over and grabbed a cup full of water. He placed his long thick finders under Zimo's chin letting it up. In the dim lit from the moon shining through the window, Zimo's eyes sparkled wet from the tears formed when he coughed.

"Baby, drink some water." He said as he moved the cup over to his pale lips. Zimo had complete trust in LongWei showing no resistance and allowing LongWei to feed him water.

Looking at the water slowly drip from the corner of Zimo's lips LongWei leaned in and kissed him.

"Ha... ha... cough..."

Breaking LongWei from his desire was Zimo's cough. Followed by the wolf pups hoping up to Zimo's face to also give him a face full of puppy kisses.

Unable to quench the fire. LongWei said, despite no one listening, "Just wait baby, the day you recover, will be the day I completely devour you." Followed by him getting up to go to the toilet.

...

Living in complete silence wasn't easy. At first Zimo didn't think it would be much different from usual. He was wrong. Being unable to hear even the slightest sound made the world like a whole new place full of danger at every turn.

Zimo spent the first three days in the room or in bed. At first, LongWei had no complaints. Zimo was sick, rest was an important part of his recovery.

By the third day, LongWei started making attempts to bring Zimo out into the yard. Taking Zimo over to the animal pen to milk the goat and look for eggs.

Zimo stared at the chickens. He had gathered eggs many times. "Chickens aren't that scary." He thought as he entered the chicken coop. Suddenly he felt a smack in his back leg. It was a chicken which had decided today she would protect her eggs. The hit itself didn't hurt, but it terrified Zimo.

"Where did you come from?! He thought. Then came another smack from the other side. Before Zimo could get his bearings he was surrounded. Suddenly, the chickens changed from noisy birds to silent assassins. Without gathering a single egg, Zimo rushed out of the pen.

Watching everything take place from the side. LongWei approached Zimo wrapped his arm around him and started patting his back in comfort. "It's okay baby."

After the chicken incident Zimo went back inside again. In the room he wasn't idle. He attempted to try his hand at bamboo weaving. He had learned how to make simple baskets while living at the Yuan house. Now, he wanted to challenge himself with making beds for the three little wolf pups.

He sat by the window for light with the wolf pups by his feet as he weaved a large shallow basket. In the beginning it seemed easy, but the change in shaped proved harder than imagined.the first two were failures. By the third the shape was passable. To finish it Zimo embellished the rim with silk.

"This one would be Chen's." Zimo thought as he added the green thread. Zimo had previously braided thin collars in different colours for each of the wolf pups. Dark green was for Chen. The next passable basket was Chong's embellished with  dark blue. The last was Chu's in a beautiful teal.

LongWei hadn't given up on getting Zimo out of the house. Every morning noon and dusk he would take Zimo out. In the morning they would milk the goat. After their afternoon nap, LongWei would take Zimo further to pick fruit or plants growing in the forest. Finally at dusk they would wander through the yard hand in hand enjoying the cool breeze.

It seemed very mundane and simple, but for Zimo it was difficult. The moment LongWei left his sight he would start to panic. Panicking caused a coughing fit, which would lead to Zimo feeling drained of all his energy.

...

Six days after visiting the doctor, Zimo woke up to a buzzing sound in his ear.

"What's that annoying sound?" Thinking it might be an insect Zimo started swatting the air by his head.

"Baby, what's wrong?" LongWei asked. He had gotten up first and was sitting by the edge of the bed.

"Loud." Zimo said without registering the fact he could hear again. Zimo was still half asleep and didn't notice the problem, but LongWei was wide awake.

"Baby, can you hear?" LongWei said as he pulled Zimo out from under the covers.

Zimo not wanting to wake up wiggled out of his grasp and back under the quilt. "Tired, shh." He said before promptly falling back asleep.

LongWei couldn't help but stare at the bundle of quilt. His little birdie was truly special.