Chapter 163
After things were done, Xiao Zhuang bent down and returned to the shed, sealing the door again.
Wu Shuang was tired, wrapped in the blanket, his eyes half-open, half-closed, looking over this way.
He was small and thin, his body slender. He lay there with his chin buried in the blanket. If not for his particularly prominent big eyes, one might not notice there was a person under the blanket.
Xiao Zhuang felt soft and sentimental seeing him like this. He lifted the blanket and joined him, lying down beside him.
The bedding was thick, but there was still cold and dampness seeping up from the ground. Xiao Zhuang was young and strong, so sleeping like this for a night was fine, but Wu Shuang’s body was too delicate. Xiao Zhuang didn’t dare let him sleep in such conditions.
So, as soon as he got into bed and settled, he pulled the nearly asleep Wu Shuang over, letting him lie on top of him, acting as a cushion for him to sleep on.
Wu Shuang was very tired and just let Xiao Zhuang handle him. He lay with his cheek pressed against the warm, strong chest of the other person, and even his bare feet tangled together. Listening to the steady thumping of the heartbeat, he quickly fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, there was no wind outside, but the temperature dropped even lower.
Both of them woke up feeling cold in the latter half of the night.
Xiao Zhuang got up, dragged over the jar of liquor, poured a bowl, and drank it down. He also fed Wu Shuang a small bowlful.
After drinking, they felt considerably warmer.
They hugged each other and lay down again.
Wu Shuang had just woken up, his voice hoarse, and asked, “Have you been awake this whole time?”
Xiao Zhuang said, “I dozed off for a bit, but I didn’t dare sleep deeply.”
Wu Shuang took his hand out from under the blanket, touched Xiao Zhuang’s face, and said, “It’s really cold.”
Xiao Zhuang held his hand, squeezing it in his own, and asked, “Still cold?”
Wu Shuang replied, “It’s okay.”
The two looked at each other face to face for a while, the faint scent of alcohol lingering as they spoke.
Wu Shuang leaned forward and kissed Xiao Zhuang on the lips.
Somehow, this kiss made Xiao Zhuang’s heart beat faster and more irregularly than any previous ones.
After kissing, Wu Shuang grabbed Xiao Zhuang’s hand and slipped it under his cotton jacket.
Xiao Zhuang understood he wanted to warm his hands. As soon as he touched the warm skin, his fingers couldn’t help but move.
After restraining himself for a while, he moved again a bit later.
Wu Shuang felt it, raised his eyes to look at him, and said, “If you want to touch, just touch.”
In the darkness, Xiao Zhuang blushed, stammering, “No… not…”
Wu Shuang tugged at his cotton jacket, giving him more room to maneuver.
Xiao Zhuang didn’t argue anymore and reached in with his big hand, stroking back and forth inside the cotton jacket.
The feeling was warm and soft, so delicate that he couldn’t bear to remove his hand.
Although his fingertips were calloused from rough work throughout the year, Wu Shuang didn’t complain at all and let him do as he pleased.
After exploring for a while, Xiao Zhuang was still unsatisfied, but his body had warmed up. Wu Shuang yawned, and Xiao Zhuang, still quite awake, withdrew his hand, brought him closer, and let him sleep well.
Because he had to keep watch, Xiao Zhuang didn’t dare sleep too deeply and listened to the sounds outside.
Despite having someone pressed against him, he didn’t feel weighed down at all. Listening to the other’s breathing and feeling their body temperature, he felt secure and at ease, like soaking in warm water, very comfortable.
As the dark night gradually gave way to dawn, before long Xiao Zhuang felt drowsy and finally couldn’t resist and fell asleep.
When they woke up in the morning, the two were still embracing each other like stacked logs.
When Xiao Zhuang thought about getting up, he discovered that he didn’t know when both his hands had slipped into Wu Shuang’s waistband, each hand grabbing one side.
Wu Shuang didn’t say anything, just tidied up a bit and got up.
When Wu Shuang went to the cornfield for convenience, Xiao Zhuang, feeling uneasy, followed him in.
Xiao Zhuang saw two fingerprints still visible on his chest and suddenly felt his heart pounding wildly.
…
The harvest wasn’t very good this year for San Yao’s land. He had rented out a lot of land, and half of it was flooded in the summer. Although it didn’t lead to financial loss, the year overall wasn’t very profitable.
But Qiuniang’s income was able to support the household, so it didn’t have a big impact on the family. However, San Yao inevitably felt disheartened, feeling he had let his wife down.
Farming depends on the weather, and there are times of profit and loss.
Qiuniang advised him to take it easy, reminding him that even business ventures can’t guarantee profits every year, and mutual support between husband and wife is common.
San Yao understood this in his heart, but after working hard for a year with such results, he needed some time to recover.
Fortunately, there was a major happy event in the family soon that made San Yao forget his worries.
Nian Sheng passed the imperial examination this year and even ranked among the top scholars. He no longer needed to kneel when he met the county magistrate, and from now on, he wouldn’t have to pay taxes and could receive some grain and silver as subsidies for household expenses.
Such a big event naturally had to be celebrated.
Qiuniang and San Yao hosted a day-long feast in the village. The courtyard of their home was lively all day long.
Nian Sheng was not young anymore. After passing the imperial examination, on the day of the feast, many people asked Qiuniang about Nian Sheng’s marriage. Qiuniang said it wasn’t urgent, but in fact, she was a little anxious.
However, Nian Sheng had his own ideas.
After the autumn harvest, winter vegetables were stored away, leaving only their family and close relatives at dinner. Qiuniang mentioned to Aunt Li and Qingyan that she wanted them to help inquire and find a suitable match.
Although there were many matchmakers visiting their home, Qiuniang was uneasy about those she didn’t know well. Nian Sheng had grown into a young man, dressed in a blue robe with neatly combed hair bun, exuding an air of elegance that was as refreshing as a spring breeze when he spoke.
Listening to his mother’s words, Nian Sheng kept his head down, peeling an orange in his hands. He carefully separated the segments and removed the white veins before feeding them to Jindou, who was lying on his lap waiting eagerly.
Jindou happily said, “Thank you, brother.”
Nian Sheng smiled and patted his head, saying, “No need to thank me.”
Then he asked, “What have you been learning lately?”
Jindou thought for a moment and replied, “Teacher talked about Kong Rong*, and also about Sima Guang*, and…”
*T/N: Kong Rong (Politician and poet during late Eastern Han Dynasty); Sima Guang (Chinese historian and politician during Song Dynasty)
Jindou listed each topic one by one, and Nian Sheng patiently listened, occasionally praising him, which made Jindou jump with joy.
Watching this, Aunt Li remarked from the side, “He loves children so much, you should hurry up and marry to have your own.”
Qingyan covered his mouth, smiling.
Nian Sheng’s lips curled into a smile, “It’s not as simple as that. I haven’t said anything yet; I don’t even know if she would be willing.”
Qiuniang looked surprised and glanced at Qingyan and Aunt Li. Qingyan smiled and said, “It seems another joyful event is not far off.”
Qiuniang pulled Nian Sheng aside to ask for details.
Sanmao and Qiu Henian sat together drinking tea. Qiu Henian was not in a hurry, saying, “There’s no rush with this matter; he doesn’t listen to us anyway.”
Qiu Henian added, “Nian Sheng has always been independent and sensible since he was young. He knows what can be done and what cannot be done. As parents, you can rest assured.”
After the mother and son finished their conversation, Nian Sheng informed the elders in the house and went back to his room to study.
Qiuniang sat at the table, picking up sunflower seeds absentmindedly, clearly preoccupied.
She pondered, “The elder brother is a classmate of his, a few years older than Nian Sheng. Their parents passed away in the last few years, and he hasn’t married yet because he’s been supporting his younger brother’s education.”
Aunt Li said, “Three years older isn’t much. Someone like him who is considerate is a good match.”
Qiuniang hesitated, “I trust Nian Sheng’s judgment, but in a few days, I’ll sneak a peek and see.”
…
Since that night they stayed together in the hut, although there seemed to be no change in appearance between Xiao Zhuang and Wu Shuang, there were subtle changes beneath the surface.
Xiao Zhuang’s mother was eager for a grandchild but was open-minded and didn’t press them. Occasionally, she would send the young couple out for a walk to relax.
When they went out now, Wu Shuang didn’t remain silent when she saw something she liked; instead, she would speak up, and they would buy it together.
The money was still in Wu Shuang’s hands; before, he might have been afraid of spending it and upsetting Xiao Zhuang. Therefore, even if he spent just a copper coin a day, he would inform Xiao Zhuang and occasionally take out the purse to count it in front of him.
Despite Xiao Zhuang’s repeated insistence that this was unnecessary, Wu Shuang continued to do so. However, since that night in the hut, Xiao Zhuang had not tried to dissuade him, yet Wu Shuang had stopped doing so and instead would remind him once a month of how much money they had saved.
Another change was that in bed, Wu Shuang would still let Xiao Zhuang have his way. Even if he had been hurt by Xiao Zhuang’s impatience in the past, he would still endure without a word.
But now, if Xiao Zhuang were to open his robes in a hurry, Wu Shuang would use one foot to kick him off his shoulders.
Xiao Zhuang was almost knocked off his feet by the kick, but instead of getting angry, he was delighted and reached out to stroke his feet.
After the autumn harvest, the winter vegetables were also preserved. The family suddenly became idle, with only Xiao Zhuang needing to go to the shop every day.
After dinner, Xiao Zhuang’s mother no longer rushed them, and the brothers and sisters sat together to play card games.
Occasionally, the eldest sister and her husband, who had married out of the family, would also come over, making the whole family lively.
Before the end of the year, Wu Shuang bought new robes for his mother-in-law and sister-in-law. They were so happy when they put them on.
Wu Shuang remembered the rouge and other items his stepmother had given him and went to get them from his room for them to try.
Xiaoling happily took the rouge and lip color to apply. The fragrant scent made her intoxicated.
Xiao Zhuang’s mother was initially hesitant but was persuaded by Wu Shuang and happily sat down to apply it as well.
After they finished applying it, Xiaoling looked at Wu Shuang, grabbed his hand to make him sit down, and said, “Sister-in-law, you’re so beautiful. You’ll look even prettier with this on.”
Before, no one had ever praised him for his appearance. After getting married, Xiao Zhuang occasionally stared at him blankly, saying he was handsome. Wu Shuang didn’t take it seriously, thinking it was just a moment of passion.
But in the past two months, his stepmother also praised him for his good looks, Qiyiulan also said he was becoming more and more attractive, and his in-laws also said he was handsome. Looking at himself in the mirror, Wu Shuang realized that his face was different from before.
Not only had he gained some weight, but more importantly, his eyes were brighter, making his facial features come alive.
There was a sound at the door, and Wu Shuang subconsciously turned to look, locking eyes with Xiao Zhuang, who had just entered.
Seeing his husband’s faint rouge and the more beautiful shape of his lips, Xiao Zhuang’s heart skipped a few beats. His lips couldn’t help but stretch into a foolish and joyful smile.
