Jiang Ji rubbed Ye Li’s knee again.

The startling red marks on his knee wouldn’t fade.

He lay down, wrapping his arms around Ye Li’s waist. “We won’t need this position lately. Save it for winter.”

Winter quilts are thick—it won’t be like this.

Ye Li, who had been drifting off, heard this and replied lazily, “Use it in winter? Won’t that freeze us silly? Should we just wrap ourselves in big cotton jackets instead?”

“…True. Then let’s sleep.”

Jiang Ji pursed his lips.

He sat up, leaning over Ye Li to blow out the oil lamp on the table.

Ye Li’s eyes half-closed as he caught a glimpse of his lean waist flashing past. Instinctively, he reached out and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt. You’ve got marks on your legs, too.”

“My skin is thick.” With those words, the room plunged into darkness.

Immediately after, Jiang Ji lay back down on the kang. With a sweeping motion of his arms, he drew Ye Li into his embrace.

It wasn’t the hottest part of summer, and the room was cool and shaded. Sleeping in each other’s arms wouldn’t make them hot.

One of his hands slipped beneath Ye Li’s neck, circling his shoulder, while the other groped around, finding Ye Li’s hand.

His large hand closed around his, and finally, their fingers intertwined.

Now he was satisfied.

He didn’t mind the awkward position, closing his eyes contentedly.

In the darkness, Ye Li’s eyes fluttered slightly.

It wasn’t because of his dear husband’s little gesture.

He was pondering serious matters.

Truthfully, he was already contemplating preparations for winter.

The Jiang family’s house was too old. He had his eye on several new houses.

Then they could build a large heated bed and install a heated alcove.

He wasn’t afraid of heat, only of cold.

Even this old house, despite having a heated bed, would surely be bitterly cold in winter.

But that would require considerable money.

Just this courtyard alone had cost Father Jiang over ten taels back in the day.

He’d been here for over forty days, running his business for forty days straight. Originally, he’d earned just over a hundred wen a day selling tofu puffs and skewers. After adding noodle cakes, he was making a hundred and sixty or seventy. Plus, there were profits from preserved eggs, milk tea, and orders for Jiang Tong noodle cakes.

It seemed like a lot, but he spent just as much.

A single meat meal easily wiped out sixty wen.

After all, he bought several jin at a time.

And it had to be finished within two meals.

Stone mills, tofu molds, and other tools also cost several hundred wen.

Add to that daily necessities like bath beans—those things were pricey, costing several wen per bean.

But they worked better than soap liquid and smelled nice.

After the original owner’s supply ran out, he kept buying more.

A couple of days ago, he had Ye Liang help him buy a small iron pot.

Jiang Ji was coming back soon, and one pot wouldn’t showcase his culinary skills.

Then there were the labor costs.

Jiang Liu earned ten wen per day, totaling three hundred wen monthly.

The two little ones’ wages were one wen each per day, amounting to sixty wen monthly.

His beloved husband’s tuition was non-negotiable—thirty wen daily, nine hundred wen monthly.

After all these days, his savings dwindled to just over four taels of silver.

The grand house remained a distant dream.

His good husband was a scholar, spending without earning. Bringing this up would only add to Jiang Ji’s troubles.

To boost daily income quickly, Bao Beiyuan was his only hope.

Once Bao Beiyuan settled in, he’d come over in the next couple of days to learn how to make soy milk rice cakes.

Additionally, he planned to make more preserved eggs.

He had already told the villagers that if they wished to sell their eggs, they should come to him—he would buy them.

But the wheat harvest was upon them.

This matter took precedence now; everything else would have to wait.

Thinking of tomorrow’s busyness, he closed his eyes, refusing to dwell on it further.

Sleep!

Rest up!

Both slept deeply.

At cockcrow, it was Jiang Dahu who roused them once more.

Jiang Ji splashed water on his face, grabbed his sickle, and followed Jiang Dahu out the door.

Liang Erxiang had already prepared breakfast. After eating, they headed to the fields.

Jiang Liu turned the millstone while Ye Li cooked breakfast.

Ye Li urged Jiang Liu to eat breakfast. Afterward, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya slung small baskets filled with flour cakes and jasmine tea onto their backs and followed Jiang Liu out.

The two of them went to gather wheat ears.

Ye Li fed the pigs and chickens, then picked up a basket and two large wicker baskets. Locking the courtyard gate, he headed out to cut pig grass.

He fed the two piglets soybean pulp twice daily, occasionally adding bran. Compared to grass, grains naturally fattened them faster.

Faster growth meant they ate more.

Lately, he had to make two trips, hauling back four baskets of grass to supplement the soybean pulp, just to keep the piglets well-fed.

Fortunately, pigs aren’t picky eaters. The wild grasses by the river and in the ditches required little sorting—just a quick scoop with the shovel.

Soon, he had filled both baskets and the two large ones.

Shouldering the baskets and carrying one in each hand, he set off for home.

The grass weighed nearly a hundred pounds altogether. He walked a bit, then rested, and by the time he reached home, he was drenched in sweat.

He drank a bowl of cool boiled water. Once the sweat subsided, he rolled up his sleeves to prepare lunch.

Today’s work was heavy, so he needed something hearty.

He picked two green eggplants from the vegetable patch, cut them into chunks, coated them in batter, and deep-fried them.

Once golden brown, he scooped them out. Leaving a little oil in the wok, he tossed in green peppers to stir-fry.

Soon, a dish of braised eggplant, rich in color, aroma, and flavor, was ready.

He then stir-fried a plateful of green peppers and eggs, using plenty of oil.

After that, he steamed the rice.

This time, he mixed in some corn kernels.

Rice alone felt too extravagant; he needed some coarse grains to go with it.

Just as the rice finished steaming, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya returned.

Following behind them was Bao Beiyuan.

They had run into Bao Beiyuan while entering the village. He was carrying a slab of pork belly—roughly estimated, it weighed at least five pounds.

“Why did you bring so much meat?” Ye Li asked reproachfully. “It’s not your first time here. Why be so generous?”

Bao Beiyuan handed the pork belly to Jiang Mai, explaining with a smile, “Learning the trade today, opening shop tomorrow. But I won’t be coming tomorrow, so consider this an early celebration.”

“You haven’t even made a penny yet, and you’re already spending a hundred wen.”

Ye Li still felt the weight of that meat.

He wasn’t giving away the recipe for free.

He was entitled to his cut.

“It’ll definitely sell well. This morning I went to see Brother Sheng, and the moment he saw me, he asked when I’d be selling soy milk rice mochi again.”

Bao Beiyuan sounded carefree.

It was true.

He wasn’t the least bit worried about unsold inventory.

Seeing this, Ye Li could only say, “Then stay for dinner. I’ll stir-fry this pork.”

“No need, no need, Brother Li. Teach me how to make soy milk rice mochi first. I ate before coming.”

That was the real business.

With Bao Beiyuan being so polite, Ye Li had no choice but to bring out the stove, set up his newly bought small iron pot, and begin demonstrating the most crucial step: the rice mochi.

Bao Beiyuan quickly furrowed his brow.

“So I have to grind glutinous rice and soybeans into flour first, then buy sweet potato starch, and cook it all in goat’s milk?”

This process is way too complicated.

“A bit of hassle is good—it makes it harder for others to copy. If you have the energy, you could also cook some sweet red beans, mung beans, or pearl-sized glutinous rice balls as toppings.”

Ye Li offered a few more suggestions.

This not only enriches the texture but also boosts profits.

Bao Beiyuan nodded solemnly: “Alright.”

If it meant making money, he’d gladly embrace the busyness.

The real fear was working for nothing!

Once he’d mastered the rice mochi recipe, Ye Li didn’t need to demonstrate the rest. Bao Beiyuan scooped up the bowl of rice mochi and hurried off before Jiang Ji returned from the fields.

He needed to get back and study.

Not long after Bao Beiyuan left, Jiang Ji returned.

He’d gone out to the fields in the middle of the night and was only coming back now. His handsome face bore obvious signs of fatigue.

Ye Li happened to be squatting by the well, chopping pig feed. Seeing him return, she smiled and called out, “Back already? Come wash your face. Dinner’s ready.”

“Alright.” Jiang Ji strode toward the well.

But when he caught sight of the two large baskets behind Ye Li, he paused, startled, before continuing onward.

Squatting beside the well, he asked, “Where are Xiao Mai and Ya-ger?”

“I sent them back to the house to rest,” Ye Li replied, nodding toward the east room. “I told them to eat early, but they refused. They insisted on waiting for you.”

“Then don’t let them work in the fields this afternoon.” Jiang Ji scooped water from the bucket and began washing his hands.

But upon hearing this, Ye Li paused his work and asked, “Why?”

Jiang Ji replied, “We don’t need them out there. Let them help you instead.”

Last night, he had simply followed his old habit of instructing Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya to work in the fields.

But now, the two large baskets of grass behind Ye Li were more glaring than the red marks on his knees from last night.

It was bad enough that he was rarely home, but now that he’d finally returned, he’d taken Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya with him, leaving all the household chores to Ye Li.

It was his fault.

Ye Li shook his head. “It’s fine. My work is light. Let them gather the wheat ears instead.”

“No. You need help.” Jiang Ji’s tone was firmer.

Ever since his relationship with Ye Li had thawed,

He rarely spoke to Ye Li in such a tone.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Feeling sorry for me?”

Jiang Ji didn’t answer. Instead, he used his damp, large hand to roll up Ye Li’s sleeve, wanting to see if the basket had left marks on his elbow.

Of course, there were none.

Because Ye Li had carried the basket back by hand.

But Ye Li understood his meaning.

This time, Ye Li was amused.

His heart felt sweet too.

Truth be told, with today’s schedule, Ye Li really did feel like a beast of burden—after lunch, he fried tofu puffs, saw Ye Liang off, and still had to gather firewood!

But if Jiang Ji understood his plight, he could endure this hardship.

“Second Uncle’s place doesn’t have much wheat either. It’ll be gone in two days. Just bear with it.”

Jiang Dahu’s family grew mostly corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Wheat was mainly for paying taxes; they rarely ate white flour in daily life.

Such days were limited.

He ran his finger lightly over Jiang Ji’s sharp jawline, teasing him like a married man flirting with a respectable wife. “I won’t test your stamina today,” he murmured, “since you didn’t test my oral skills last night. You can make it up to me the day after tomorrow.”

Jiang Ji: “…You’d better test me tonight.”

He’d only been home a few days.

He couldn’t bear to waste a single night.

He was only eighteen. Day and night, double duty—he could handle it.

“Fine, fine, fine. Test me, test me.”

Ye Li’s eyes twinkled before he agreed with a smile.

Jiang Ji relaxed when Ye Li agreed.

But when it came time to eat, he didn’t sit at the table like before. Instead, he carried his rice bowl to the stove, leaning against the wall to eat—bending over to harvest wheat all day had left his back aching.

He didn’t want to embarrass himself later.

Ye Li understood his little thoughts perfectly well, but out of consideration for his pride, he held back his amusement and focused on eating.

Today’s lunch had no meat, yet it remained delicious. The rice, mixed with corn kernels, tasted even better than plain rice alone.

Of course, the sweet-braised eggplant, with its subtle sweetness, was so fragrant that none could put down their chopsticks. Everyone ate until their bellies were full and round before setting down their bowls with satisfaction.

After eating his fill, Jiang Ji didn’t rest.

He was fortunate to have returned in time to see Ye Li.

Jiang Dahu, Liang Erxiang, and Jiang Liu hadn’t come back at all; Jiang Yu brought them their meals.

Prosperity, indeed—yet the common folk still suffered.

After exchanging a few words with Ye Li, he took a jar of jasmine tea and led the two little ones out to the fields.

Ye Li began frying tofu puffs, large skewers, and fried dough sticks.

Just as they were nearly done, Ye Liang finally arrived.

The Ye family started harvesting wheat yesterday.

Ye Liang also had to work in the fields, which was why he not only came late but also splurged on a cart ride.

He hurriedly departed with the three dishes on his back.

Not a moment longer did he linger.

Ye Li, meanwhile, grabbed some hemp rope and went out to gather firewood.

Summer days were long. Compared to the two little ones, he was tall and had long legs. So, when he returned carrying a large bundle of firewood, the sun was about to set, but it wasn’t yet dark.

But Jiang Ji and the two little ones were still nowhere to be seen.

After this hectic day, he sighed, savoring the memory of their intertwined fingers from last night and the heartache from noon, before finally starting dinner.

With that piece of pork belly from lunch, dinner was easy to prepare. He made a large pot of stir-fried pork belly with green peppers, enough to last until tomorrow morning.

After dinner, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya dashed off to brush their teeth and bathe without needing Jiang Ji or Ye Li to remind them. Then they eagerly climbed onto the kang—exhausted, they were ready for bed!

Jiang Ji, meanwhile, pulled Ye Li into the shower with him.

Last night, in the small shed, Jiang Ji had thoroughly demonstrated his strength, holding Ye Li aloft as he thrust fast, hard, and deep—leaving both of them thoroughly satisfied.

Tonight, he was feeling a bit tired.

But if Ye Li leaned against the wall, letting it bear some of his weight, he could still reenact last night’s positions.

So he wanted to finish showering quickly and get back to the room.

But once inside the shed, Ye Li slipped out while he was undressing. When he returned, Ye Li was carrying a high stool made by Jiang Tong.

“What are you doing with a stool?” he couldn’t help asking.

“You sit down, and I’ll move,” Ye Li declared with righteous conviction.

Jiang Ji: “…”