Chapter 149
When Xiao Zhuang and Wu Shuang returned home, it was dinner preparation time. Xiao Zhuang’s mother and younger sister Xiao Ling were busy in the outer room.
Seeing this, Wu Shuang rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and was about to help.
Xiao Zhuang’s mother waved him off, saying, “You just got back, take a rest. You don’t need to work today.”
Wu Shuang replied, “We’ve eaten at my adoptive parents’ home. I’m not tired at all.”
With that, he naturally took the kitchen knife from Xiao Ling’s hands and skillfully peeled and sliced two large potatoes into thin strips in no time.
Xiao Zhuang’s mother, who was originally stirring porridge in a hurry, looked satisfied when Wu Shuang stayed to help.
She quietly approached to watch him slice the potatoes. Seeing the neat and quick slicing, she couldn’t help but nod in approval.
It was strange. With just this little matter, the last bit of unease in Xiao Zhuang’s mother’s heart gradually dissipated.
Perhaps it was due to his poor appetite or Wu Shuang’s relatively short stature, he barely reached Xiao Zhuang’s mother’s eyebrows.
When she lowered her head, she saw a red half-moon mark on his neck from his loose collar, where the deepest part had almost broken skin.
She immediately understood what had happened, and her heart swelled with joy. In less than a year, perhaps she could hold a chubby grandson.
However, she glanced at Xiao Zhuang, who was staring at Wu Shuang. She thought to herself that she should have a private word with his father later, reminding his son to be more gentle and not to be so rough.
How could such matters only be for one’s own satisfaction?
If Wu Shuang became unwilling in the long run, where would her chubby grandson go?
But when Xiao Zhuang’s mother looked at Wu Shuang’s back, she realized that the child was still too thin and needed to be properly supplemented.
With this in mind, she went into the house and took out some coins, handing them to Xiao Zhuang’s father who was squatting at the door smoking dry tobacco, saying, “Go to the village butcher and get two pounds of lean pork. We’ll stir-fry it with melon slices tonight.”
Xiao Ling, being young, instantly became happy upon hearing they would have meat and grabbed her father’s arm, insisting on going with him.
Wu Shuang turned back to look at Xiao Ling and smiled.
This little girl reminded him of his own childhood, when his parents were still around before the war. He couldn’t quite remember those days anymore.
But he supposed it must have been like this.
Thinking like this, when Wu Shuang turned back, he saw Xiao Zhuang looking at him fixedly. Their eyes met, and he quickly turned his head away, pretending to be busy staring at the fire in the stove.
Xiao Zhuang’s mother shouted, “Can you start the fire just by staring at it with your eyes?”
Xiao Zhuang snapped out of his thoughts, his face turning red. He hurriedly continued to work the bellows.
Beside him, Wu Shuang couldn’t help but laugh.
With so many people in Xiao Zhuang’s family, they gathered around a table for dinner.
After finishing eating, Wu Shuang helped his mother-in-law clean up the table, washed the dishes and chopsticks, and wiped the stove clean.
Xiao Zhuang’s mother saw all this and thought the child was too straightforward. When she wanted to fetch the vegetables they would eat tomorrow from the cellar, she felt sorry for him and didn’t let him go.
Instead, she sent Xiao Zhuang and his younger brother.
After bringing back the vegetables, Xiao Zhuang’s mother urged them to go back to their room to rest.
Normally, after dinner, Xiao Zhuang would play with his younger brother and sister for a while, playing leaf cards or doing other activities.
He said, “It’s still early. There’s no rush to go to bed.”
Xiao Zhuang’s mother said, “You’re not tired, but isn’t Xiao Shuang tired? Go back to your room.”
But Xiao Zhuang still didn’t show any intention of leaving. His mother became anxious, pinching his arm and giving him a meaningful look.
Seeing that Xiao Zhuang still didn’t understand, his mother stamped her foot in frustration and pulled him aside, whispering, “You fool, hurry and take your husband back to the room. Don’t delay me from holding a big grandson next year.”
Xiao Zhuang’s face flushed red immediately. He subconsciously looked at Wu Shuang, who was waiting by the door, looking down at his toes, fiddling with a small stone on the ground.
For some reason, despite not having been with Wu Shuang for long, Xiao Zhuang clearly realized that Wu Shuang had heard what his mother said.
Feeling embarrassed, Xiao Zhuang’s heartbeat quickened.
He was afraid his mother might say something even more embarrassing.
He hastily muttered “Mm, mm” and quickly pulled Wu Shuang’s arm to leave the house and return to their own side.
When they built the house initially, Xiao Zhuang’s mother had thought that even though they shared the same fireplace, they shouldn’t connect the two sides. Each side should have its own door and courtyard.
This way, their side’s noisy children wouldn’t disturb the next door, and if the young couple next door wanted to talk or do something, they wouldn’t have to worry about this side overhearing.
When Xiao Zhuang and Wu Shuang returned to their room, the transition from noise on one side to silence on their side felt overly quiet.
Xiao Zhuang looked at Wu Shuang standing in the room, scratched his head, and awkwardly smiled, “I’ll go heat up some hot water. After washing up later, let’s rest.”
After saying this, he felt it wasn’t quite right.
His first reaction was to explain, “I meant lying down to sleep, nothing else.”
After explaining, it seemed even more inappropriate.
Xiao Zhuang was at a loss, feeling utterly awkward and unsure how to even stand properly.
Wu Shuang, who had been standing there silently without speaking, now didn’t mock his clumsiness. He turned around, walked up to Xiao Zhuang, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips gently.
Xiao Zhuang stared blankly at him.
Looking up at Xiao Zhuang, Wu Shuang said, “You go boil water. I’ll make the bed.”
Xiao Zhuang replied, “Okay.”
Wu Shuang continued, “After washing up and making the bed, we can sleep together.”
A thunderous roar went off in Xiao Zhuang’s head. He wanted to say something, but Wu Shuang had already busied himself, not giving Xiao Zhuang a chance to speak.
Wait a moment, Xiao Zhuang thought.
First, boil the water.
This would give him time to figure out what to say.
He couldn’t take advantage of Wu Shuang like this anymore. At least until they truly understood each other’s feelings, they shouldn’t do that again.
Xiao Zhuang made up his mind and went about his tasks.
Their stove wasn’t used for cooking, only for heating and boiling water. The newly built house had a good chimney, and the fire burned brightly. The water on the stove started bubbling within a short while.
When the kettle emitted a steaming heat, Xiao Zhuang moved it to the side, covered the stove with coal cinders, closed the stove lid, and carried the kettle into the house.
Inside, Wu Shuang had already made the bed. He had taken off his outer robe and was sitting on the edge of the bed in his underclothes, waiting.
Xiao Zhuang glanced at him, cleared his throat softly, averted his gaze, and focused on pouring hot water into a basin.
He added some cold water, tested the temperature to make sure it wasn’t too hot, then looked toward the bed and said, “Done.”
After they both finished washing up, Xiao Zhuang didn’t go to bed immediately. Instead, he fetched a deck of leaf cards, turned his back to the bed, and sat at the table fidgeting.
Wu Shuang sat on the bed for a while without saying a word.
After a while, when Xiao Zhuang finally drafted a plan and was about to turn around to have a good talk with Wu Shuang, someone embraced him from behind, wrapping arms around his neck.
Xiao Zhuang instinctively turned to look and was kissed fervently on his forehead, eyelids, nose, lips, chin, and even his throat by warm and moist lips.
Xiao Zhuang was stunned for a moment before he reacted and hurriedly pushed the person away.
It was then he realized that Wu Shuang was completely naked, having already removed his clothes at some point.
Feeling something was off with his touch, Xiao Zhuang quickly withdrew his hand.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wu Shuang circled around to the front and sat on Xiao Zhuang’s lap.
Xiao Zhuang closed his eyes tightly and stammered, “Wait… wait a moment.”
“What for?”
Wu Shuang asked, not stopping his hands from unbuttoning Xiao Zhuang’s trousers.
“This… this isn’t urgent. Let’s… let’s talk first,” Xiao Zhuang said, grabbing at his own waistband.
Wu Shuang’s response was to lower his head and bite Xiao Zhuang’s lip. When Xiao Zhuang winced in pain, Wu Shuang’s grip slightly loosened, allowing Xiao Zhuang to gain control.
Xiao Zhuang suddenly opened his eyes wide. His lips were still being bitten by the other person, but the pressure had eased a bit.
They were now eye to eye, so close that they could hardly see each other clearly. But Xiao Zhuang could see the determination in Wu Shuang’s eyes.
After being stirred about a few times, Xiao Zhuang, unwilling to lose to his partner, finally betrayed himself.
Wu Shuang stared at Xiao Zhuang with almost fierce eyes, then leaned back, found the right position, and sat down mercilessly.
Xiao Zhuang groaned softly. Wu Shuang raised his head, finding his Adam’s apple rolling back and forth, his lips tightly bitten.
It hurt, but Xiao Zhuang didn’t flinch.
Just as Xiao Zhuang thought Wu Shuang would take some time to adjust, the other person moved quickly.
Xiao Zhuang tried a few times to push him away but couldn’t find a way.
In a short while, he couldn’t resist anymore.
He slumped in the chair, leaned against the back of the chair, his forehead veins bulging.
Wu Shuang had the experience from last time. He was very clever and had learned some techniques.
Push hard, then relax.
After a few back and forths, Xiao Zhuang’s eyes were almost red, his hands gripping the chair tightly.
He looked at Wu Shuang, who was trying so hard, and thought of how his mother had urged him to go back to his room earlier. He couldn’t help but feel like he was just a tool.
What his mother wanted was a chubby grandson, what Wu Shuang wanted was to quickly extract it from him, to conceive a child and stabilize the relationship with this family.
But Xiao Zhuang couldn’t refuse.
Because this feeling was too good, he couldn’t bear to refuse.
After a while, Wu Shuang finally tired out. Exhausted, he rested his forehead on Xiao Zhuang’s sturdy shoulder.
A large hand lifted from the edge of the chair, grasping his waist, lifting him up.
Wu Shuang gasped for breath. The strong and young man had already lifted him up horizontally, stood up, and walked to the bedside.
The curtains of the bed fell, and there was movement inside.
After a while, Xiao Zhuang suddenly groaned.
Wu Shuang’s voice was husky, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Zhuang said, “It’s nothing.”
But Wu Shuang persisted, “What’s really wrong?”
After a moment of silence, Xiao Zhuang spoke in a low voice, “Your bones are poking me.”
