The little one in his arms was simply too adorable to resist. After cuddling him to his heart’s content, Ye Li pinched his tiny cheeks and smiled, “Xiao Ya, I actually want some bone broth too.”

“From now on, I’ll set aside two coins every day. Save up for seven days, and we can buy a big bone. How about that?”

A marrow bone weighed just over a pound and cost twelve coins per pound.

Drinking it once every seven days wasn’t extravagant.

But who would have guessed that Jiang Ya’s big eyes would blink twice before he lowered his head, stretched out two tiny fists, and began counting fingers two by two.

Ye Li didn’t understand at first, but quickly caught on.

Was he counting?

The thought barely formed in his mind when the little one wailed, “Brother Li, that’ll cost fourteen coins! Way too expensive!”

“You know how to count?”

Ye Li was astonished.

“I do. Big Brother taught Second Brother, and Second Brother taught me.”

Jiang Ya answered with utmost seriousness.

Ye Li couldn’t help but smile, cupping the little one’s cheeks and rubbing them affectionately. “So clever!”

These past days since his journey here, Ye Li had been busy making tofu, frying bean puffs, and handling various chores.

The two little ones were equally occupied—cutting pig grass in the morning and gathering firewood in the afternoon.

He hadn’t really noticed this.

Jiang Ya felt a bit embarrassed by Ye Li’s praise. He turned around in Ye Li’s arms, his big eyes immediately locking onto his older brother’s gaze.

He tilted his little head: “Big Brother, you should thank Li-ger, too. He spent so much money, and the soup he made is so delicious.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

Ye Li couldn’t help but curve his lips upward.

He reached out to ruffle Jiang Ya’s little head.

This little one truly was worth all the affection.

Jiang Mai, standing nearby, spoke up first: “Thank you, Brother Li.”

“Good boy, Xiao Mai,” Ye Li replied with a warm smile.

Then his gaze shifted to the cheap husband sitting across from him.

Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai both stared at him, too.

The kitchen was eerily quiet. Jiang Ji’s narrowed eyes finally met Ye Li’s.

Ye Li met his gaze with interest.

He paused for a few seconds before saying in a deep voice, “Thanks. You spent a lot today.”

Earlier that afternoon, he’d listened as Xiao Mai and Ya-ger detailed the household’s recent circumstances.

Ever since his change of heart, the good-for-nothing had genuinely treated Xiao Mai and Ya-ger well.

And today, he’d certainly spent a considerable sum.

The meat he’d bought had ended up in the bellies of all three brothers.

Of the eight small marrow bones, the three brothers had taken six.

Jiang Ji’s “thank you” carried a hint of sincerity.

Ye Li felt not only relieved but also satisfied.

Indeed, he wasn’t an inflexible, stubborn mule.

When choosing a partner, looks were only one factor—the other person’s temperament had to be good too.

As for that “possessed” remark at noon, considering the original host’s terrible behavior, he chose not to dwell on it.

His tone remained calm as he replied, “No need to thank me. I ate the Jiang family’s grain, yet I never thanked you for that, did I?”

Jiang Ji: “…”

That was a clever retort.

He was momentarily at a loss for words.

So this dimwit not only knows how to make tofu, but his brain works, too?

Seeing him silent, Ye Li said, “Eat up. Finish early and get some rest. Tomorrow morning, help me grind the beans. Twenty pounds—I can’t manage it alone.”

“Alright.” Jiang Ji nodded.

He lowered his gaze and continued sipping his soup.

Though not as rich as the noon broth, it still tasted excellent.

After the meal, Ye Li tidied the kitchen.

Jiang Ji sent Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya to wash up. He fed the pigs and chickens before heading to the kitchen to prepare for his own ablutions. At that moment, Ye Li was squatting by the kitchen entrance, brushing his teeth.

He scooped water into a bowl and squatted by the well to brush his own teeth.

Night had now completely shrouded the sky. The moon had just risen, its light still faint.

Ye Li could only make out his tall, blurry silhouette.

Ye Li quickly averted his gaze.

No rush—it was only the first day.

Gurgling as he rinsed, he turned back into the kitchen, set down the bowl and toothbrush, scooped hot water from the iron pot, then sat by the kitchen door to wash his feet.

Moments later, Jiang Ji entered the kitchen.

He too fetched hot water, but upon leaving the kitchen, he carried the wooden basin into the east room.

Ye Li instantly rolled his eyes. What, is he a prude?

Was he afraid of losing a piece of flesh if they washed together in the courtyard?

He snorted twice, quickly washed his feet, and headed to the west room to sleep, carrying a hint of resentment.

He’d expected insomnia, but the moment his back touched the kang, drowsiness instantly enveloped him.

He surrendered to the soft quilt, drifting effortlessly into the arms of the Dream Lord.

At the first crow of the rooster, Ye Li woke precisely on schedule.

The sounds of water splashing and footsteps in the courtyard snapped him awake. Surprised, he wondered—did his husband get up this early?

He dressed, climbed off the bed, and stepped outside.

The kitchen glowed with faint light. Just as he was about to enter, Jiang Ji emerged carrying an oil lamp.

“Up so early?” he asked without thinking.

The question flowed naturally, as if no past grievances existed.

Jiang Ji paused before replying, “It’s a habit.”

He held the oil lamp toward Ye Li. “Wash up. I’ll fetch the lamp from the east room and grind the tofu first.”

“Ah, I usually wash after grinding the tofu.”

Ye Li waved his hand.

Truthfully, he used to wash immediately after waking, but grinding tofu left him drenched in sweat, necessitating another face wash afterward.

So he simply skipped the first wash and cleaned up after grinding.

Jiang Ji merely replied, “Then I’ll grind the tofu.”

“Let’s do it together.”

Ye Li felt his way into the kitchen, quickly washed his hands, and then entered the pantry.

In the pantry, Jiang Ji set the oil lamp on a nearby stool.

He had already brought the soaked soybeans over. When Ye Li entered, he was scooping beans into the mill’s hopper with a ladle.

Ye Li walked over and took the ladle: “You push, I’ll feed the beans.”

Jiang Ji hummed in acknowledgment, gripping the mill’s handle with his large hands and slowly starting to turn it.

The two millstones ground against each other, transforming the plump beans into a white, grainy pulp.

The pulp flowed slowly through grooves on either side of the millstones into a wooden barrel.

Ye Li used a wooden scraper to push any pulp that wouldn’t flow into the barrel.

Their tasks were clearly divided, yet both remained silent.

The only sound in the storeroom was the sharp grinding of the millstones.

As the pulp neared filling the first wooden barrel, a second sound filled the room:

Jiang Ji’s heavy panting.

He hadn’t paused once, grinding continuously for a full quarter-hour. Even in the dim lamplight, his flushed cheeks and the fine beads of sweat on his forehead were clearly visible.

But not greasy.

Ye Li actually detested men sweating—it was not only filthy but stinky too.

Yet this bargain husband, before him, even drenched in sweat, remained clean and fresh.

Ye Li’s gaze flicked over his handsome face as she offered, “Let me take over for a bit. You rest.”

“…No need.”

Jiang Ji refused in a muffled voice.

The fool was a young master. With him present, how could this task fall to the fool?

Ye Li had anticipated his refusal and smiled sweetly. “Then let’s have tofu pudding for breakfast? Corn porridge is too cloying. While the iron pot sits idle, I’ll whip up some savory braised sauce.”

This peaceful, homely exchange left Jiang Ji momentarily stunned.

Suppressing the urge to glance at Ye Li, he kept his head down and continued grinding, muttering a quiet “Okay.”

Ye Li said nothing more, only stealing occasional glances at him, his mood exceptionally cheerful.

Soon, two buckets were filled with the milky bean liquid, and the beans were ground.

The bean pulp was coarse and lumpy, needing another grinding.

Jiang Ji was sweating buckets when Ye Li returned from the west room with a fresh cloth, handing it to him. “Wipe your sweat.”

Jiang Ji froze again.

The hemp cloth they used at home for wiping his face was worn nearly to shreds, but this one before him was dry, stiff, and still carried a faint scent of soap nuts—clearly brand new.

Wh-what was going on?

On their wedding day, the west room was meant to be their bridal chamber. But that good-for-nothing had despised his incompetence, not only barring him from the west room but also flinging all his belongings and clothes out!

Yet now he was proactively offering him a new cloth?

Ye Li understood what his cheap husband was stunned by, but after yesterday and this morning’s brief interactions, he’d already determined Jiang Ji was a decent young man.

Since that was the case, they might as well consummate the marriage these next few days.

As for whether this seemed too hasty, or if they might discover incompatibility afterward and seek a divorce, Ye Li couldn’t care less.

What? Should he abandon this lawful husband before him and remain chaste for some second husband who might be lost to the world?

As if!

His mind wasn’t wrapped in feudal bandages; he wasn’t about to indulge in such sentimental surprises.

Whether he could make it work with Jiang Ji or not, the bedchamber must be shared!

Ahem. After twenty-three years of singledom, his curiosity about marital affairs had long been piqued…

Back in school, he had the desire but not the courage to seek a boyfriend.

After graduation, he returned to his hometown to run a farmstay, leaving even less chance for romance.

After time-traveling and getting this gorgeous husband dropped from the sky, he’d been itching to act.

He had to try.

He absolutely had to try!

So now he needed to lay the groundwork, letting his husband-for-a-day experience his thoughtfulness.

With that in mind, he snapped Jiang Ji back to reality: “What are you spacing out for? Keep scrubbing. I’ll head to the kitchen to prep breakfast.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

He grabbed the cloth and quickly wiped the sweat from his face.

Then he picked up a spoon and scooped the slurry into the grinder.

Ye Li entered the kitchen.

By now, the night had largely faded, and dawn was approaching.

Too lazy to light the lamp again, he washed the spinach Ye Liang had delivered yesterday by the faint natural light. Then he lit the fire and scrambled four eggs.

Chopping the eggs with a spatula, he added two bowls of water to the pot.

Once the water boiled, he mixed cornmeal into a paste and poured it in—without starch for thickening, cornmeal would have to suffice.

Once the sauce in the pot came to a boil, he added the spinach, salt, pepper, and the dried shrimp Ye Liang had brought earlier. The sauce was now ready.

Hmm, he’d have to make sure his husband drank a couple extra bowls later.

The young man was far too thin.

If not for his large frame, he’d look like a skinny little dog.

He certainly didn’t want to be a turn-off after taking off his clothes.

Just then, the two little ones, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, woke up.

Learning they’d have tofu pudding for breakfast, with a sauce of eggs and dried shrimp, both children were delighted.

Jiang Ya exclaimed “Oh!” several times, his little face beaming with unstoppable joy. He bounded into the pantry: “Brother! Brother! We’re having eggs and shrimp later!”

Jiang Ji glanced over without stopping his pace. Seeing the boy’s excited, flushed face, a smile instantly spread across his own handsome features.

How wonderful.

The dimwit… well, he’s a bit strange, but… but he’ll do for now.