Chapter Bonanza (9/10)

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Xu Village lies to the southwest of Fengyuan City.

Although it is said to fall under the jurisdiction of Fengyuan City, its location is actually closer to the dense forests and mountains of Shijing Prefecture.

Tang Xianling sat in the carriage, gazing at several distant, connected “small hills.” Because they were so far away, the mountains appeared small. His cheeks were flushed—partly from the sun and partly from embarrassment—and he suddenly changed the subject: “Doesn’t that mean we’re very close to Third Sister’s home?”

“Behind Xu Village lies a vast mountain range that’s difficult to cross; it’s uninhabited. Shijing Prefecture lies directly west of Fengyuan City, bordering the neighboring Tai’an Prefecture.” Huangfu Tieniu knew his husband was changing the subject out of shyness, so he didn’t press the matter. He merely let the corners of her mouth turn up slightly, revealing her good mood.

Tang Xianling looked northward. There were no skyscrapers in sight, though trees and wild grasses obstructed his view. Since he wasn’t at the highest point, he couldn’t see much of the distant landscape.

“If you’re curious, once we reach the village, we can take a walk down to the foot of the mountain, and you’ll be able to see it. Tai’an Prefecture is a vast plain—a major grain-producing region. Shijing Prefecture, bordering the dense forests and high mountains, is home to many silk farmers and silk reellers. The prefecture bordering Tai’an is filled with rapeseed flowers and is a major producer of rapeseed oil.” Seeing Xianling’s curiosity, Huangfu Tieniu explained each point in turn.

This was Tang Xianling’s first time stepping outside his “home,” and he was indeed curious about the three prefectures and counties beneath Fengyuan City.

“And what about the other one? Tingjiang Prefecture?”

“Tingjiang Prefecture has many waterways; it produces rice and grows a lot of peanuts,” Huangfu Tieniu said.

“So my second sister’s town, Cuilin, is right up north?” Tang Xianling speculated after listening.

Huangfu Tieniu nodded. Cuilin Town lies north of Fengyuan City, right between Tai’an Prefecture and Fengyuan City—making it the most convenient location for grain trading.

The two had an impromptu “geography lesson” along the way, and Tang Xianling’s shyness had completely faded.

Earlier, seeing no one driving by in a beat-up car, he’d thought that in broad daylight, the conservative and innocent young man Huangfu Tieniu surely wouldn’t dare to kiss him—yet he’d ended up getting a full-on kiss.

This was a real kiss, not just a fleeting touch of lips like the first time.

Tang Xianling was so dazed by the kiss that he could barely speak, yet Tieniu kept kissing him!

He kissed him several times.

They’d been having a proper conversation about geography, crops, and the scenery—talking the whole way seriously. Tang Xianling didn’t dare to get cocky or let his guard down, and he felt they were almost there!

Because those “little hills” had grown towering, behind the graceful hill ahead lay an even more massive range, forming a verdant barrier. Tang Xianling pointed toward the mountains and asked, speechless, “Is Shijing Prefecture just over there?”

“Right.”

“How do we get over there? From where I’m standing, it looks like a set of Russian nesting dolls—behind every small hill, there’s just more mountains.”

Huangfu Tieniu: “Hunters familiar with the mountains can manage it, but even the villagers of Xu Village wouldn’t dare go in. The further you go, the more dangerous beasts roam.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Xianling raised an eyebrow and asked with certainty, “Have you been there?”

“I have.” Huangfu Tieniu smiled. “The tiger skin at home was hunted by my foster father when he took me deep into the mountains.”

“Were you afraid?”

“Yes.”

Tang Xianling didn’t believe him: “You’re lying. You said that too quickly.”

Huangfu Tieniu reached out to shake Xianling’s hand, then paused before saying, “I was scared at first, but mostly I was excited. Later, when my foster father and I won the hunt, he said he felt a bit of lingering fear afterward, but I thought it was thrilling. He saw right through me, and after that, he wouldn’t let me go deep into the mountains alone.”

Tang Xianling: I knew it!

Just now, when Tieniu said he was “scared,” his eyes were sparkling.

This guy isn’t as “straight-laced” as he seems on the surface. He knows the little schemes going on in his mind and can even play along with him. Neither of them likes “Father,” and in fact, Tieniu is a bit of a “rebel” himself.

Finally, they arrived at Xu Village.

Xu Village is nestled against a mountain, perched on slightly higher ground. To the east lie gently sloping fields. They’d set out just as the city gates opened; it was only around nine or ten o’clock now, and white smoke was rising from every household’s chimney.

The village paths and fields were deserted; everyone had likely gone home for lunch.

Unlike the meal schedule in Fengyuan City, villagers here generally ate two meals a day: a dry meal in the morning or at noon, and another just before sunset. This second meal was usually a thin porridge—a mixture of coarse grains served with small flatbreads and pickles. During the busy farming season, when people were exhausted from hard labor, the porridge would be thickened into a hearty congee.

Huangfu Tieniu climbed down from the cart and led the mule toward Uncle Zhang’s house.

Tang Xianling’s eyes lit up: “There’s a river! There’s a river!”

“Slow down,” Huangfu Tieniu said, pulling on the reins to stop the mule. Once his husband had dismounted and steadied himself, he explained, “It’s mountain water flowing down to supply the villagers with drinking water and irrigate the fields.”

Tang Xianling: “Once we put our things down, let’s go play in the river!”

“Sure!” Huangfu Tieniu agreed immediately. “I’ll take you there. Upstream, the current is quite swift, but there’s a spot with clear water—that’s where the villagers do their laundry, and the kids play.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Xianling urged Tieniu to hurry.

The mule’s hooves clattered as it picked up speed.

“Uncle Zhang’s place is close to the river, but a bit farther from the village,” Huangfu Tieniu said.

Tang Xianling noticed, “It’s also far from the fields.”

They reached the end of the dirt road, where two wooden doors stood. Huangfu Tieniu knocked on the door and called out loudly, “Uncle Zhang, Uncle Wang, it’s me, Tieniu. I’ve brought my husband back.”

“Tieniu?”

“He’s here? And he brought his husband.”

“The ‘best husband’ he was talking about?”

“Don’t talk nonsense in front of the child. I’ll go open the door.”

After hearing those few brief exchanges from inside, Tang Xianling whispered, “What do you mean, ‘the best husband’?”

Before Huangfu Tieniu could answer, the wooden door creaked open. Standing inside was a couple. The husband looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. The man was tall and burly, with a beard; he looked about forty and had a rugged appearance, with a scar running from his brow to his cheek. The husband was gentle and soft-spoken, not very tall, reaching only to the man’s shoulders.

The burly man, Zhang Huai, said, “Him? Saying you’re the best husband? That’s nonsense. My Susu is the best—”

The husband, Wang Susu, glared at the man. What if Tieniu scared them on his first visit with his husband?

Tang Xianling wasn’t shy; he laughed and said, “Hello, Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang. That must be my Tieniu—beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He thinks I’m the best.”

The two husbands froze for a moment, then one burst into hearty laughter while the other smiled with pursed lips, inviting the young couple inside to sit. Zhang Huai said, “I never would’ve thought a block of iron would come to its senses. The new husband is a cheerful, bold fellow. But then again, all the young men in the village are afraid of Tieniu.”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Wang Susu said with a smile, looking at the young groom.

Tang Xianling immediately introduced himself: “My name is Tang Xianling. I’m the fifth son, so my family calls me ‘Wu-ger.’ Uncle Wang can call me Xianling or Wu-ger—either is fine.”

After speaking, he asked with great curiosity, “Does everyone in the village fear Tieniu?”

“It’s not exactly fear. With a face like Tieniu’s, he rarely ventures down the mountain. Whenever he does, someone always wants to strike up a conversation or set him up on a match, but he just turns them down coldly,” Wang Susu explained.

“I told you he’s a block of iron—he doesn’t pay anyone any mind,” Zhang Huai chimed in.

Huangfu Tieniu explained earnestly to Xianling, “I didn’t mean to scare anyone; I just hadn’t thought about getting married before.”

He wasn’t a bad person. When others tried to be friendly with him, he genuinely wasn’t in the mood for it. He’d just say a few words—apologizing that he wasn’t interested—and they’d run off.

Later, word spread that he’d been cold and hostile toward people.

Zhang Huai: “He didn’t want to before, but it hasn’t been that long—just over half a month ago, he knocked on my door saying he wanted to get engaged. I hesitated for ages, trying to ask for details, but I couldn’t even catch him. He hopped on his mule, loaded up his stuff, and rode off.”

Tang Xianling smiled broadly: “It wasn’t an engagement.”

“I knew it—it couldn’t have happened that fast—” Zhang Huai turned to Susu. At the time, Susu had been worried that Tieniu was being tricked.

Tang Xianling’s smile widened. “We’ve already gone through the wedding ceremony and become husband and wife!”

Huangfu Tieniu saw the mischievous grin on Xianling’s face and couldn’t help but laugh along. He gave a soft “Mm-hmm,” then, noticing Uncle Zhang’s stunned expression, added, “That’s right.”

Zhang Huai’s mouth fell open. He turned to look at Susu. Hadn’t they just announced their engagement half a month ago? How could they be married already? Well, I suppose it’s possible—from engagement to marriage, half a month is just enough time.

“So is this the ‘three-day return visit’?” Zhang Huai asked instinctively.

Wang Susu: “Tieniu is a man; the return visit doesn’t work that way.”

“No, Xianling and I got married on the very day we were engaged,” Huangfu Tieniu explained.

Zhang Huai and Wang Susu: Huh?

“It’s probably a long story,” Wang Susu said, inviting the two inside to sit down and have a sip of mung bean soup to cool their bodies. They were in the middle of their midday meal—chilled noodles that had been soaked in cold water—and had already eaten most of it.

“Why did you bring things with you?” Zhang Huai furrowed his brow; he’d told them not to.

Tieniu: “Xianling made these pastries himself, and there’s some salt and oil.”

Upon hearing the word “salt,” Zhang Huai accepted the gifts. The village was far from both the town and the city. While he didn’t mind the long walk, every time he left home to buy salt, he worried about his husband and children back home and dared not delay.

“…Then I’ll take them. If I come back later, I’ll pay you for the salt. Let’s not worry about it this time.”

“Alright,” Huangfu Tieniu replied.

Tang Xianling reminded Uncle Wang that aside from the peanut brittle, the other three items wouldn’t keep well; with the heat, they should be eaten as soon as possible, especially the meat floss pastries and the red bean cheese cakes.

Just as they were speaking, a frantic, shrill cry of “Daddy! Daddy!” rang out from outside the door, urgent and deafening.

Zhang Huai snapped, “Zhang Hainiu, what are you yelling about! We have guests here. Watch out, or I’ll beat you.”

The wooden door swung open, revealing a five- or six-year-old boy. He was bare-chested, with his pant legs rolled up high. He held a waistcoat in his hands, which was wrapped around something, and a trail of water dripped down from beneath it.

Zhang Hainiu first spotted Brother Tieniu and happily called out to him. But when he noticed a strange uncle standing beside him, his face instantly turned bright red. He clutched his vest to cover his stomach and wailed, “Ahhh, I’m not wearing any clothes!”

“You’re just now getting shy? Hurry inside and change your clothes. What are you holding?”

Zhang Hainiu ran toward the house, but upon hearing this, he turned back, tossed his waistcoat to his father, and scampered back inside to hide his embarrassment.

When the waistcoat opened, inside were palm-sized, wriggling—loaches.

Zhang Huai quickly picked them up, afraid they might scare him. As a city ger raised in Fengyuan City, he likely had never seen such a thing before.

Tang Xianling wasn’t afraid of them and asked, “Are these edible? What do they taste like?”

“…Roast them over a fire, sprinkle some salt on them, and they’re delicious,” Zhang Huai said.

Tang Xianling: !

Huangfu Tieniu: “Let’s roast a few. I’ll ask Hainiu for some.”

“Sure, sure, sure,” Tang Xianling agreed, then added with a touch of reserve and shyness, “Is that okay with Uncle Wang and Uncle Zhang?”

The two husbands laughed together.

Tieniu’s husband had a charming personality. No wonder—in just a few days apart, Tieniu had already mentioned both engagement and marriage. Now that he’d brought his husband home, he smiled more often than before; he wasn’t just a block of iron anymore.

That’s how it should be—now that he’s married and has a husband, he’s finally acting like a real person.

Zhang Huai was about to take the loaches to clean them, but Huangfu Tieniu asked for them, saying he’d handle it. Zhang Huai: ?

“Xianling wants to go play in the river, so we might as well go together.”

Zhang Huai laughed heartily. “Alright, take them. You two go play. We’ll meet up later. I’ll have Hai Niu call you both back for dinner.”

“Got it.”

“No rush. Uncle Zhang, Uncle Wang, we’re heading out.” Tang Xianling greeted them with a beaming smile.

Huangfu Tieniu carried a wooden basin filled with loaches and a pair of scissors, leading Tang Xianling toward the riverbank. They arrived in no time. The riverbank was deserted—the children had all gone home for dinner. Tang Xianling asked, “Can we go swimming downstream over there?”

“Not there—that’s where the villagers upstream get their drinking water.”

“You can swim, but don’t take your clothes off.”

“I know, I’m not some exhibitionist!” Tang Xianling grumbled. He only occasionally drove his beat-up car, and only with Tieniu.

Huangfu Tieniu: “You’re good-looking. I’m just afraid people will see you—I’d get jealous.”

“……” Tang Xianling couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at his lips; his earlier sarcasm had turned into a raised eyebrow. “Tieniu, you’ve got quite the repertoire of sweet talk.”

With that, he rolled up his pant legs, took off his shoes, and waded into the river.

The river water gurgled gently, shallow and ice-cold. After baking in the sun all morning, wading in now felt so refreshing—Fengyuan City had a lake, but Tang Xianling had never gone in it; the water looked deep at a glance, with only pleasure boats, and it was far from his home.

How could he go play in the lake?

Things were different now. The river water was clear and slow-moving, safe and refreshingly cool.

Tang Xianling scooped up a handful of water—

“Don’t drink it—it’s untreated water. You’ll get a stomachache.” Huangfu Tieniu was cleaning loaches by the riverbank, but his eyes kept darting toward his husband playing in the water.

Tang Xianling splashed the water in his hand at Tieniu, drenching his face. He stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily, “Got you, didn’t I!”

“Hmm.” Huangfu Tieniu laughed too, “That’s refreshing.”

As the two played in the water and chatted, Tang Xianling remarked that Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang had such a close bond. Uncle Zhang looked older, but he never would have guessed he was so thoughtful and considerate.

Huangfu Tieniu glanced at his husband and said, “Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang are the same age.”

Tang Xianling: ???

“You’re pulling my leg!”

“I think he’s a year or two older—I can’t quite remember.” After saying this, seeing Xianling’s curiosity, Huangfu Tieniu explained in detail: “Uncle Zhang and my foster father were both newcomers who settled here. Back then, Uncle Wang tried to drown himself in the river, but Uncle Zhang saved him.”

“Huh? That’s serious. Why did he do that?” Tang Xianling asked, furrowing his brow.

Huangfu Tieniu said, “Because the Wang family treated Uncle Wang badly. They had a lame younger brother who couldn’t find a wife, so they wanted to trade Uncle Wang for a marriage alliance with another family—a family that was terrible, absolutely terrible.”

Tang Xianling was furious and gritted his teeth, muttering, “How despicable.”

“Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang ended up getting married. Don’t be angry.” Seeing that he had dampened Xianling’s spirits, Huangfu Tieniu deliberately brought up Uncle Zhang’s age: “How old do you think Uncle Zhang is?”

Tang Xianling: “Just over forty?” Then, remembering that Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang were the same age, he quickly backtracked, “No, no, maybe thirty-two or thirty-three?”

Huangfu Tieniu chuckled.

“So I didn’t guess right.” Tang Xianling scooped up some water and splashed it on Tieniu. “Hurry up and tell me.”

“Uncle Zhang is thirty, and Uncle Wang is twenty-eight.” After saying this, Huangfu Tieniu coaxed Xianling, “Your guess was pretty close.”

Tang Xianling: “…Huangfu Tieniu, don’t grow a big beard in the future.” He had guessed Uncle Zhang’s age wrong, and the culprit was Uncle Zhang’s big beard.

It really is misleading.

“Alright, I won’t grow one,” Huangfu Tieniu agreed. He had long noticed that Xianling liked his clean-shaven face; trimming his eyebrows would be fine.

When he came out of the shower for the first time, Xianling saw that he had trimmed his eyebrows, and his eyes lit up.

The two chatted and splashed around while cleaning the loaches. Tang Xianling played in the water while Huangfu Tieniu cleaned the loaches. The loaches’ innards had attracted a few fish; Tang Xianling had spotted them first. Since he was in the river, his movements caused a splash that scared the fish away.

He couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“I scared the fish away.”

“It’s okay, come up and dry your feet.” Huangfu Tieniu picked some large leaves from a tree and spread them on the grass. He helped Xianling up first, letting him step on the leaves to dry his feet so he could put his shoes back on in a moment.

He went to the side to look for a branch, pulled a dagger from his bosom, and sharpened one end.

As soon as Tang Xianling saw this, he knew Tieniu was going to spear a fish, and his eyes lit up instantly. “Will it work?”

“It sounds like you’re saying it will,” Huangfu Tieniu laughed. Xianling’s tone was full of certainty when he asked if it would work.

“Then I’ll trust your skills.”

“Watch this.”

Huangfu Tieniu tossed the guts he’d gathered aside into the river. After a moment, fish began to gather; the river water gurgled and swirled, the wind rustled through the grass, and sunlight refracted across the water’s surface, creating a shimmering glint—

After a long while, in the blink of an eye, the stick plunged toward the river’s surface.

Tang Xianling didn’t dare breathe a word. Only after the thrust was complete did he whisper, “Did you get one?”

The stick was pulled out, its sharp end impaling a fish. The fish thrashed twice, its tail slapping the water. Tang Xianling: !

“Awesome!”

“Wow, wow, wow!!!“Brother Tieniu, you’re so awesome.”

Tang Xianling: Who could brag better than him!

He turned his head and saw a chubby boy wearing a waistcoat not far away.

“Zhang Hainiu,” Tang Xianling said with a smile.

Hearing this, Zhang Hainiu looked a bit shy and reserved. “Hello, Uncle Tang.”

“Hello, hello.”

Huangfu Tieniu asked Hainiu what was up. Only then did Zhang Hainiu remember, “The noodles are ready. My dad told me to call you guys back for dinner.”

“Wait a sec.” Huangfu Tieniu finished cleaning the fish, washed his hands, and saw that Xianling had put his shoes on before saying, “Let’s go back.”

Back in the courtyard after eating the noodles, Uncle Zhang grilled some loaches and sprinkled a little salt on them. Tang Xianling reached out directly, grabbed one, and held it to his mouth. It was a bit too hot for his hands, but he didn’t let go. Huangfu Tieniu, standing nearby, took it from him and held it out, saying, “Go ahead.”

Tang Xianling puffed out his cheeks to cool it down, then took a bite. His eyes lit up instantly.

The loach meat had a more delicate texture; just a pinch of salt made it exceptionally flavorful.

“It’s delicious. You should try some too.”

Huangfu Tieniu took a bite, said it was good, and then let Xianling have the rest. While eating, they chatted about how the two had met, their marriage, and some matters concerning the Tang family. Upon hearing that Father Tang had passed away, Uncle Wang thought of his own parents and offered a dry, perfunctory consolation, telling Xianling not to be too sad and to look forward.

Tang Xianling mumbled, “…My father passed away peacefully, without much suffering. You could call it a joyful funeral.”

“Revenge for wrongs, settle grievances—now it’s just an ordinary day. I’m not sad.”

Wang Susu heard this and said, “That’s good.” Then he added, “Very good.”

Shortly after noon, Tang Xianling had eaten and drunk his fill, and the two were about to leave.

Uncle Wang suddenly remembered something and hurried into the house to fetch an item. Zhang Huai took a look and remarked from the side, “Right, right, I almost forgot. About half a month ago, Tieniu knocked on my door and gave me a deer hide, saying he didn’t have the heart to do this himself and needed to go into town to find you.”

“I prepared it. It just so happened that I finished it right before you returned. Now I’m returning it to you—consider it a small token of goodwill from us elders to celebrate your marriage.”

“I didn’t hunt the deer myself; I just prepared it.”

Huangfu Tieniu ran his fingers over the deer hide. This was the gift he’d promised to Xianling, and he was truly moved, so he didn’t refuse. “Thank you, Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang.”

“You rascal, you’re finally not being so formal with me anymore. That’s how it should be.” Zhang Huai was delighted. He and Susu had bought fields and land when they married, and had even borrowed money from his good brother. After his good brother passed away, he should have taken care of the child, but Tieniu had holed up in the mountains and rarely came down, nor did he come to his house for meals.

Now that he’s married and settled, he can finally rest easy.

No matter how capable Tieniu was, venturing deep into the mountains alone was always dangerous.

Huangfu Tieniu took the deer hide and fastened it to the cart. Just before leaving, Tang Xianling ruffled Zhang Hainiu’s hair. The little boy blushed bright red—a deep, dark red—which looked rather amusing. He waved and said, “See you next time.”

As they left the village, they ran into some villagers. Someone greeted Tieniu, and he nodded and called out to them. Tang Xianling followed suit, smiling brightly. When someone curiously asked, “Are you…,” Tang Xianling replied cheerfully, “I’m Tieniu’s husband. We just got married and came back to visit.”

“That’s right. We’re living in Fengyuan City now, in the Baxing District.”

Someone complimented Tieniu’s husband on his handsome looks, saying he was a cheerful fellow.

Tang Xianling didn’t quite catch it, so he nudged Tieniu’s arm. “What did those ladies just say? They were smiling at me—they must’ve been complimenting me.”

“They were indeed praising you—saying you’re handsome and that I’m a lucky man,” Huangfu Tieniu chuckled.

Tang Xianling: … Hehe.

The two of them left Xu Village in their mule cart, traveling farther and farther away. The sun was blazing hot, and the heat was intense. Tang Xianling held an umbrella, standing close to Tieniu and shielding his head as well, saying, “Next time my sisters come back home, let’s make another trip—head into the mountains to visit my foster father and burn some joss paper for him.”

Because Mother is timid, living alone in such a big courtyard, she’s afraid at night.

His foster father’s grave is in the mountains; they definitely won’t make it there today.

Huangfu Tieniu agreed, thinking they could stay at Uncle Zhang’s or Uncle Wang’s house when the time came. The houses in the mountains were dilapidated; left uninhabited for too long, they’re damp and moldy, unsuitable for living in.

He hadn’t minded it when he was alone before, but things were different now.

The two chatted and laughed. When Tang Xianling grew tired, he leaned against Tieniu and dozed off for a while. They put the umbrella away, as the sun had set and the heat had subsided. Huangfu Tieniu drove the cart with one hand, occasionally using a fan to shoo away mosquitoes for his husband.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

In the Zhang family courtyard.

Zhang Hainiu noticed an unfamiliar box in the house and asked his father what it was. Wang Susu only then remembered, “Your Uncle Tang brought it. He said they’re homemade pastries that don’t keep well—”

“Dad, can I eat them?”

“Go ahead.” Wang Susu wasn’t one to be greedy; he had practically severed ties with his maternal family, and Zhang Huai had no relatives in the village. Since there was no need to make the rounds to give the pastries away, he figured the kids might as well eat them.

Zhang Hainiu had never seen pastries like these before. He picked one at random and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out. Before long, the Zhang family courtyard was filled with Zhang Hainiu’s wailing cries: “Dad! Daddy! Come quickly! Come quickly!”

The couple thought something had happened and rushed over.

Zhang Hainiu’s mouth was smeared with crumbs as he exclaimed, “This is so delicious! There’s nothing that doesn’t taste good—it’s even better than loach! It’s so good!!!”

“Dad, Daddy, you guys should try some too.”

Zhang Huai: …

“Next time you scream like that and scare people, I’ll beat you, Zhang Hainiu. You hear me?”

“Dad, eat up, eat up! Daddy, you eat too, eat too.”

Zhang Huai cursed his son as he took a bite, but the words died on his tongue. He clapped his hands and said, “It’s not bad. You two should eat more; I don’t like sweets.”

“Here are some savory peanuts. You eat these.” Wang Susu picked up a peanut and fed it to the man himself—no way was he going to let himself have all the good stuff.

“We’ll all eat.”

Just before sunset, the couple arrived outside Fengyuan City.

“Xianling, we’re almost home.”

Tang Xianling rubbed his eyes, still a bit dazed from waking up, and mumbled in response. Huangfu Tieniu said, “Let’s skip cooking tonight. Shall we go buy something to eat on the street?”

“Sure, I’m not very hungry anyway.”

They arrived home and knocked on the door.

As soon as Jiang Yun pulled back the door latch and saw the two of them returning, a look of “great relief” spread across her face.

“Mom, have you eaten yet? Shall we buy some congee and side dishes to eat later?”

“I’ve cooked some congee and was just waiting for the two of you. Come on in—are you hot?” Jiang Yun moved to step over the threshold.

Huangfu Tieniu stopped her, saying, “Mother, I’ll handle it.”

“Nothing much happened today, did it?”

Jiang Yun: “No, no, nothing at all.” It was just her alone tending to such a large courtyard; she always felt uneasy, growing more anxious as the afternoon wore on, afraid that her Wu-ger wouldn’t come back.

After that, they settled in. The mule had been working all day, so Huangfu Tieniu fetched a bucket of water and, using a coarse brush, scooped water over the animal to wash and cool it down. He then gave it some hay, filled the trough with water, and let the mule rest.

Tang Xianling brought a basin of water; after washing himself, he called out to Tieniu to wash up.

In the kitchen, Mother’s mung bean porridge had cooled down—just the thing to quench their thirst.

The family gathered in the courtyard and ate their meal as dusk fell.

Tang Xianling said, “Mother, the shop opens in three days. Tomorrow, Tieniu and I will start stocking up and buying supplies.”

Second Sister was quite far along in her pregnancy; there was no way she could come back in the next few months.

There weren’t any major matters at home now; it was time to get things in order and start making money.

In all the years Jiang Yun had been married to Old Tang, even when she was pregnant or had just given birth, things had never been like this. Back then, she’d rest for a few days after giving birth, but afterward she’d have to cook, look after the children, and run around like a top—though at least she didn’t have to go to the shop out front.

Now she had nothing to do all day long. Lunch was bought in, and Wu-ger cooked dinner. All she did was sweep the floor, wipe the tables, and wash the dishes. Idleness made her restless, so when she heard they were going to start a business and she’d have something to do, she was actually happy and agreed.

“We’ve had a lot of expenses lately; it’s about time we got busy again.”

Jiang Yun didn’t mention a word about Old Tang having been dead for less than a month or whether it was a good idea to start a business.

That day, after eating and washing up, she went to bed early.

The courtyard outside was pitch black, with the shadows of the persimmon trees dancing in the breeze. Tang Xianling, who had slept the entire way on the afternoon bus, lay in bed staring wide-eyed—he just couldn’t fall asleep!

“Tie~ Niu~” he mimicked a ghostly wail, dragging out the sound.

Huangfu Tieniu’s face was full of amusement; he pretended to be asleep, wanting to see what Xianling would do.

“Is he really asleep?” Tang Xianling muttered to himself. “I guess so. After driving all that way, he must be tired.”

He rolled over, sprawled out with his limbs spread wide, and stared at the ceiling.

Huangfu Tieniu: ? He’s gnoring me?

He should have responded.

A few seconds later, Tang Xianling leaned over, draping one leg over Huangfu Tieniu’s, and rubbed against him. Huangfu Tieniu’s heart, which had just begun to sink with regret, thumped back into place. This time, he moved his hand slightly; Xianling paused for a moment. After a while, seeing that he wasn’t making any other moves, Xianling’s hand slid down to his waist.

He muttered softly, “Is it soft when you’re asleep…?”

Huangfu Tieniu grew tense.

Tang Xianling: ?

“When you’re asleep, are your abs still hard? No way—I read online that chest muscles are soft too…”

So he slid his hand up from Tieniu’s abs.

Before he could reach them, his slender wrist was seized by a large hand.

Tang Xianling looked up, and Huangfu Tieniu looked down. One felt like a thief caught in the act, while the other had been pretending to sleep—originally just to see how his husband would tease him. But he hadn’t expected his husband to touch him like this. Instantly, blood rushed to his head, his face flushed, and his eyes grew bright and intense.

The two locked eyes in the still air.

“……”

“……”

“Haha.” Tang Xianling laughed awkwardly. “You’re awake? I was just checking—there’s a mosquito. Does it itch?”

Huangfu Tieniu spoke, his voice hoarse: “I heard you.”

Tang Xianling: …

Tang Xianling: !!!

“Then why were you pretending to sleep?”

Huangfu Tieniu lowered his head and rolled over, gazing at the slender husband beneath him. His eyes were clear, fixed entirely on him. Afraid of crushing Xianling, he propped himself up on his elbows. “Third Sister’s gone. There’s no one else in the house.”

“Mm-hmm.” Tang Xianling’s face flushed. The atmosphere felt off; he grew nervous and wanted to pull away, but then thought, they were husband and wife now—why should he hide? Still, what exactly was he supposed to do?

Huangfu Tieniu had already lowered his head and kissed him.

Tang Xianling’s hands nervously clutched the thin quilt, but then slowly relaxed. As the kisses moved to his neck and chest, he tensed up again, clutching the quilt tightly—yet his body betrayed him, arching his chest in response…