”Here’s the wedding money—three taels and half. Three bolts of cloth are in that chest over there. The rest is still outside. My sister-in-law asked me to check with you—should we take it to the mountains or what?”

Everyone at home had worked up a sweat today. That evening, they set up a pot to boil water, and all took a thoroughly satisfying bath.

When Huo Ling entered, a cloth towel was still draped around his neck. As he drew near, Yan Qi caught the scent of soap nuts—refreshingly clean.

“Take what you need. Leave the rest at home for now.”

He thought for a moment. “Take the money. It’ll be safer in the mountains. Just bring one bolt of fabric. Leave the live chickens and geese behind—we can hunt game up there. Better to save them for my brother and sister-in-law.”

As for other provisions, they could discuss that before heading to the mountains. There was no rush.

“Then tomorrow, I’ll cut some hemp rope, thread it, and store it away.”

Yan Qi carried away the heavy copper coins wrapped in cloth. He’d never handled so much money before.

But wedding gifts were simply an exchange—you give, I give. No one gained or lost in the process.

After finishing the last task at hand, both had washed themselves clean. Gazing at the lit red wedding candles on the table, they fell silent for a moment.

Sometimes, knowing exactly what comes next can feel awkward until it’s explicitly stated.

Finally, Huo Ling flung aside the cloth and cleared his throat. “We’ve been busy all day. Let’s turn in early.”

“Mhm, okay.”

Yan Qi knew full well that tonight’s “sleep” would be different from any other night. Having walked the open path before the villagers, he was now Huo Ling’s husband, set in stone. On the night of their wedding, consummation was inevitable.

He wasn’t sure exactly what consummation entailed, only vaguely recalling hearing that the bride should take the initiative—men preferred it that way.

The more he thought about it, the more his heart pounded. He’d assumed Huo Ling meant to extinguish the lamp when he suggested sleep, but instead, he circled the table without turning it off. His fingers clenched together, as if holding something.

Little did he know that Huo Ling’s mind was equally occupied. With his back turned to the young man, he had just reached into the lining of another garment and pulled out a small porcelain jar.

He’d bought it on a whim while purchasing osmanthus oil. At checkout, he’d given the shop assistant a knowing glance, and the jar had been slipped over without a sound—the ger remained completely unaware.

Truth be told, at his age, though unmarried, he understood what he needed to know. He’d bought this item specifically for such occasions, having heard it brought comfort to the young man’s family. Yet, when the moment came to produce it, he still felt a flush of embarrassment.

Holding the jar steady, he turned back to find Yan Qi kneeling on the bed, his eyes hazy with confusion.

“Shall we extinguish the lamp?”

“Later.”

He knew Yan Qi feared the dark. Truly extinguishing the lamp would leave them in utter darkness, which might actually make things more awkward.

Yan Qi didn’t understand either. Whatever Huo Ling said, he obeyed. Once they were both on the kang, Yan Qi, his face flushed crimson, went to help Huo Ling undress.

But what followed wasn’t what he’d expected. The moment the sash of his upper garment came undone, Huo Ling’s weight pressed him down.

A sudden chill washed over him as his own clothes were roughly pulled loose.

“Tonight… feels different from before.”

Huo Ling kissed his husband’s brow, then raised a hand to gently cover his eyes.

Yan Qi’s lashes fluttered, tickling the palm of that hand.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Candle wax dripped, falling onto the old wooden table.

Beneath Huo Ling, the ger’s eyes were equally tear-filled and blurred.

“Put out the light…”

Yan Qi felt his mind turn to mush. The initial pain had eased considerably, but now it had transformed into another indescribable sensation, making his entire body tremble slightly.

The current position felt too strange. He dared not open his eyes, only whispering for Huo Ling to extinguish the candle.

But where could Huo Ling possibly go at that moment? Some things couldn’t simply be stopped on a whim.

He leaned down, blocking some of the light, and wiped the tears from Yan Qi’s eyes with his fingers.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

When he woke up the next morning, Yan Qi’s eyes were swollen shut. He hid his face under the quilt, refusing to let Huo Ling see.

Thinking back to how he’d cried himself to sleep last night, Yan Qi wished he could vanish into a crack in the ground. Later, when Huo Ling helped him wash up, he kept his eyes shut, pretending to sleep.

No matter how Huo Ling coaxed him, Yan Qi wouldn’t come out. Finally, Huo Ling went out to boil two eggs, bringing them back to peel for the ger.

Hiding wasn’t a solution. Yan Qi finally took the eggs, raising them several times with his eyes shut. Seeing his expression, Huo Ling couldn’t help but smile faintly. Worried the ger might notice and get upset, he quickly smoothed his lips back into place as he lowered the eggs.

“How about… the rest of you?”

Yan Qi clutched the eggs, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

Truthfully, every part of him ached. Sitting up had made a certain spot feel peculiar, too, but he couldn’t bring himself to mention it.

“It’s okay.”

He murmured softly, then asked Huo Ling, “Do my eyes still look bad?”

“Better than before.”

Huo Ling knew he was worried about being seen by his elder brother and sister-in-law when they came out. “I’ll wring out a cool cloth for you to apply. No need to rush to get up. On a day like today, sleeping in a bit longer is perfectly acceptable.”

If Yan Qi hadn’t understood before, he certainly did now. No wonder they say newlyweds don’t have to rise early on their wedding night—after all that happened in the bridal chamber, it felt like they’d wrestled on the kang. After the battle, his back ached, his head spun.

Huo Ling assured him it was only like this the first time; it would be better later. Such things were meant for pleasure, not suffering.

He couldn’t appreciate that yet; he’d just have to wait for next time.

“Is Qi in the room?”

Ye Suping rose in the morning and saw only Huo Ling moving about the courtyard. Glancing toward the west room, she asked him.

“He’s in there. Let him sleep a little longer.”

Huo Ling answered without a flicker of embarrassment.

Who hadn’t been through this? Ye Suping understood perfectly well.

Plus, with no elders to attend to in the Huo household, life was far easier than for those wives living with their in-laws.

She nodded. “I’ll make breakfast—a few bowls of noodle soup with yesterday’s leftovers.”

This weather could hold out a little longer, but come April, without a well at home, cooked food left out overnight would surely spoil.

By then, the busy farming season would begin, and no household would have time for banquets. Thus, the timing of this wedding feast was perfect.

Huo Feng had already left his room, dressed, and called out to Huo Ling to fetch water together. The evening banquet had drained both water jars in the house, leaving nothing even for breakfast. Only a few sips remained in the kettle atop the low stove.

“We should dig a well someday, install a wheel. When water’s scarce, your sister-in-law or Qi could pull it up alone.”

Huo Feng hurried off with his water jugs balanced on his shoulders. Huo Ling agreed, “Our area isn’t far from Shuangjing Village, where sweet-water wells are common. None of the village wells have bitter water, so I expect ours won’t be any different.

Huo Feng chuckled, “When it comes to fetching water, the mountains are still more convenient. Our grandfather chose a good spot for the courtyard—just a few steps out the door and you’d find mountain springs, cool and sweet.”

Building houses in the mountains prioritized feng shui, not for superstitious luck, but purely for practicality.

Places sheltered from the wind stayed warm in winter, while spots near water made daily fetching easy—no need to trek long mountain paths to haul water, which were far more treacherous than the village roads below.

“Mountain water is delicious. Old Uncle Yang always asks me to bring him spring water to brew tea.”

Old Uncle Yang was Yang Qingsheng’s father, a connoisseur of tea. His home held wide expensive varieties, and whenever he found a particularly fine brew, he insisted on using the best water to steep it, lest it be wasted.

Bringing water down from the mountain was no easy task, even with just two water skins. Plus, Huo Ling always added various mountain goods to the water each time, exchanging gifts back and forth. Because of this, the oil-paper umbrellas at home never ran out, and Yingzi got a new little flowered umbrella every year.

At yesterday’s banquet, Uncle Yang and his son arrived separately from Yang Qingsheng’s family. Among their gifts was a new oil-paper umbrella adorned with red tassels—clearly intended for Huo Ling and Yan Qi, festive and beautiful.

Turning to matters of the mountain, Huo Feng asked Huo Ling when he planned to depart.

“This time you’ll need to carry the chests up. Even with both of us, it won’t be enough. We’ll definitely need two more hands to help. We’d better find them ahead of time.”

Huo Ling already had a plan.

“I’ll leave the day after tomorrow. I’ve arranged for Changsui to help, and he found two young men from the Zhao family. Thirty coins each will cover the trip. He says those boys are incredibly strong, but he himself won’t accept payment.”

The Huo and Lin families had only been nodding acquaintances before, with little interaction. Now, because of Yan Qi and Xiao Mingming, they’d grown much closer.

“Changshui’s a decent lad—no nonsense in his head. Yesterday, when he helped you fend off Miao Laosan’s drinking challenge, bowl after bowl, he downed it all straight up. That kid can really hold his liquor.”

Huo Feng said, “Since he won’t take payment, we can’t let him work for free. Once we’re back down the mountain, I’ll find an excuse to cut two pounds of meat and send it to his family. I’ll make sure he accepts it.”

Huo Ling nodded.

“I’ll remember the favor of covering for him. Later, I’ll properly treat him and Yang to a meal.”

He’d heard from Yan Qi that Xiao Mingming once mentioned Lin Changshui had a drunkard for a father, so he normally wouldn’t touch a drop. Clearly, attending this banquet was a rare exception.

As they spoke, they reached the village well. People were already there, so the brothers set down their buckets and waited.

The man at the front filled his bucket and, spotting them, gave Huo Ling a knowing wink.

“Hey Ling, what’s with the early start, kid?”

“What’s the big deal? I didn’t sleep a wink last night, but I still got up early.”

Huo Ling raised an eyebrow at him. “Brother Xiangzi, if you feel weak, next time I’ll bring you some kidney grass. We can talk price.”

“Pfft! I’m young and strong—I don’t need that stuff!”

Their banter drew a burst of laughter from the surrounding crowd.

A nosy fellow in line chimed in, “Miao Laosan got pretty wasted last night. He threw up all the way home, and his mom yelled at him for ages at the door.”

This guy lived next door to the Zhengs, so it made sense he knew the details.

Before Huo Ling could respond, a man who’d shared a table with Miao Laosan blurted out, “He can’t hold his liquor—who else is to blame? He wasted a whole jar of wine from our table yesterday.”

The Huo family was generous, buying only the finest wine. But Miao Laosan had his issues. Later on, unable to keep up with Yang Qingsheng and Lin Changshui, he secretly poured half the wine into the ground, infuriating his tablemates to the point they wanted to punch him.

Huo Ling ignored the quarrel. At village banquets, anyone who wished to attend could come. You couldn’t blame the host family for a drunkard who couldn’t hold his liquor. Anyone listening knew the other party was in the wrong.

Speaking up would only make him seem petty. Better to pretend not to hear.

Anyway, his face darkened, and he dared not say another word.

Back home, Yan Qi was draped in a robe, about to climb down from the heated bed. His thin skin made him feel increasingly guilty—the whole family was awake at this hour, yet he remained lying down.

Especially since he faintly heard Huo Ying at the west room door, asking why her aunt hadn’t gotten up yet.

Huo Ling, however, had insisted on staying with him after returning, forcing him to rest a little longer. He’d massaged his waist and legs, easing some of the stiffness.

The ger thought back to last night’s events. At first, his arms and legs felt stiff and uncooperative, as if Huo Ling’s hands were still trying to go where they shouldn’t.

But Huo Ling’s touch was just right, and soon he was kneaded like a beaten egg, unable to gather his strength.

Resigned, he spread himself out in a sprawled position, burying his face in the pillow as he listened to Huo Ling speak.

During their conversation, they agreed to visit Ma’er Village the next day to take the his pulse and inquire whether more medicine prescriptions were needed. Then, the day after tomorrow, they would rise early and head into the mountains together.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Note: Reupload since chapters 20 and 21 were uploaded last week instead of 18 and 19