The Sisters Qiuye and Qiuyu (I)

Zhou Yao could tell that the twin sisters were not from an ordinary family. Though their clothes were in tatters, their bearing and the impression they gave were unlike those of ordinary girls.

The twins were slender and petite, yet their granaries were full, their waists could be spanned in a single hand, and their bottoms were like peaches. Zhou Yao was absolutely delighted with them.

He turned to the constable with a smile. "My lord, I'll take these twin beauties. I'll marry them both and take them home as my wives."

When the constable heard Zhou Yao say he would marry the twin beauties and take them home as his wives, his face nearly split from smiling. He hurriedly nodded and said, "Zhou Yao, congratulations, congratulations! Congratulations on marrying such beautiful young brides and taking them as your wives. Congratulations..."

Zhou Yao walked up to the constable and handed him the red envelope he had prepared in advance. The constable hefted it, and his face immediately blossomed into a chrysanthemum of a smile.

Zhou Yao smiled and said, "My lord, the next time you bring wives around, it would be best if you could bring me two more slender, petite, delicate women like these to be my wives."

"Do you think you can find slender, petite, delicate women like these every time? Still, I'll keep an eye out for you. When I find some, I'll bring them straight to your home next time," the constable replied with a smile.

The constable was happy now because his team's assignment was complete. As long as they found someone to take these frail twin sisters, they wouldn't have to worry about finding men to take the other women.

When he returned this time, he could collect another silver reward. That would make it two rewards in a row, and if he could complete the assignment next time too...

Hahaha...

Not only could he collect a silver reward next time, but if he completed three assignments in a row and collected the rewards, there would be an additional silver bonus. Just thinking about it made the constable so happy he wanted to dance, and the way he looked at Zhou Yao changed.

This Zhou Yao was his lucky star! He continued, "Little Brother Zhou, rest assured, your big brother will keep an eye out for slender, petite, delicate women like these. If I come across any, I'll do my best to get them into my team of men delivering wives to the countryside at once, and then I'll bring them straight to your home."

"Then let me thank you in advance, Big Brother."

"Not at all... not at all... It's only what we should do. All right, I won't waste any more of your time. I have to go; now that the assignment is done, I still have to report back! I'll keep your request in mind."

"Thank you in advance, Big Brother," Zhou Yao said, then saw the constable off.

Zhou Yao turned to the twin sisters. "Come on, let's go inside."

The twins followed Zhou Yao inside. Zhou Yao closed the courtyard gate behind them, then went into the main room, and the sisters followed him in.

Zhou Yao told the sisters to sit at the dining table, then turned and went to the kitchen. He brought out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, along with the porridge he had cooked, pickled vegetables, and a basket of white-flour steamed buns, and set them before the twins.

Then he said to them, "I imagine you sisters are hungry! Eat first. Everything else can wait until you've finished."

The twin sisters stared at the porridge and white-flour steamed buns before them, their eyes glowing green as they swallowed their saliva again and again. This was porridge and white-flour steamed buns! They hadn't tasted porridge or white-flour steamed buns in years.

Isn't this a drought-stricken famine year? Here in this remote countryside, halfway up a mountainside, the man we sisters have married actually has porridge to drink and white-flour steamed buns to eat at home. Oh my heavens! This... this...

"Don't just sit there in a daze. Go on and eat!" Zhou Yao said.

With that, Zhou Yao turned and went into the kitchen.

Zhou Yao did things just as he always did, exactly as he had when the sisters Yang Aijin and Yang Ailian first arrived: eat first, then bathe, and then learn about the two sisters' circumstances.

The twin sisters looked at each other after seeing what Zhou Yao had done. Just then, their stomachs growled rather loudly: "Gurgle... gurgle... gurgle..."

So the sisters couldn't concern themselves with anything else. They grabbed the buns from the basket and began biting into them. The white-flour steamed buns were truly delicious. Then they ladled out some porridge and drank it. The porridge was so good, really so good. Then they ate the pickled vegetables. Delicious... delicious... Everything was far too delicious.