A Man's Pride Took a Hit

Lin Xiuqing saw what he was doing and understood what he wanted. She immediately turned her back on him.

Ye Yaodong rested a hand on her waist and whispered into her ear, "Qing? Go to sleep a little later. It's only just past seven. It's still early."

"Early? I have to get up early to work tomorrow. Go to sleep."

She was his own wife. Surely she wouldn't refuse to sleep with him?

Ye Yaodong went straight to work with his hands.

Having eaten what he had brought her, Lin Xiuqing found it hard to refuse him. She bit her lip, wanting to say no but not quite managing it. If only she hadn't eaten it!

Ye Yaodong nibbled her ear and teased her for a while before turning her onto her back and leaning over her.

"You... make it quick."

"Got it!"

After a little rustling and fumbling, they had only just gotten started when Ye Yaodong's brow tightened. His expression looked caught between pain and pleasure, and he couldn't help cursing inwardly.

Fuck!

"You're done?"

Faced with his wife's incredulous gaze and startled tone, he flushed with embarrassment. "You told me to make it quick!"

Lin Xiuqing was speechless for a moment. "If you're done, get off. Go back to your side."

He felt he needed to explain. "I've been a little tired lately. Let me rest, and we'll go again in a bit!"

He ate and drank all day without doing a lick of work, and he had the nerve to say he was tired? She couldn't even be bothered to answer and shoved him off.

Ye Yaodong felt his pride take a hit!

He hadn't done it in over a decade. Suddenly being young again, surely it was normal to get excited and finish in seconds just this once...

While he was still brooding over his poor performance, his wife had already cleaned up, put on her tank top and shorts, and lain down beside their two sons.

"Why are you lying over there? Come here. Let's sleep together."

"Huh? Come over. It's been ages since we slept together."

"Did you hear me? Come lie here."

"Was it because I didn't do well? Weren't you the one who told me to hurry?"

Lin Xiuqing's head ached listening to him. What kind of nonsense was he spouting?

"Shut up and sleep!"

"I can't sleep. Come over here. Let's talk!"

"We can talk during the day!"

"You never have time during the day. You're either looking after the kids or making fishing nets, and tomorrow you're going shore gathering again. Come on..."

He made it sound as though it were her fault. Who was the one who was never home?

"Come on. Come over here."

"If you won't come over, I'll come to you."

When she remained silent and gave him no response, Ye Yaodong had no choice but to crawl over himself.

"What are you doing? Can you stop being annoying? Isn't it cramped enough? Just sleep over there. Why do you keep moving around?" She glared at him impatiently.

So annoying. Had he taken the wrong medicine tonight? Why did he insist on talking to her this late? What was there to talk about? Couldn't he give her a moment's peace?

Grinning shamelessly, Ye Yaodong lay on his side and drew her into his arms. The faint scent of soap on her made him feel at ease.

"Aren't you hot? Isn't it cramped? You insist on snuggling up in this heat. Fine, you can have this spot. I'll sleep at the other end."

"No. It's nice and cool with the window open. It's not that hot."

There was no air-conditioning back then, and their home didn't even have an electric fan. But the countryside was cool enough that, at most, they only needed to wave a palm-leaf fan.

Lin Xiuqing slapped the large hand around her waist, but Ye Yaodong refused to let go. He even draped a leg over her, pinning her in place so she couldn't crawl away.

"What's gotten into you tonight? Are you going to let me sleep or not?"

"Sleep a little later."

"You don't work, but I have to get up early to work. Stop bothering me!"

"I do work. Tomorrow I'll go shore gathering with you and look after the kids. How about that?"

Like she'd believe him! That afternoon, he had slipped away after watching them for barely any time at all, and he still had the nerve to bring up looking after the kids!

"Where are you touching? Stop it!" Lin Xiuqing caught his wandering hand. She had known he wasn't simply trying to cuddle and talk.

"Come on, be good. Don't wake the kids. If they wake up, you'll have to spend ages settling them again!"

That made her afraid to struggle. It had taken so much effort to get them to sleep; if they woke again, she would fall apart. She could only let him have his way, thoroughly disgruntled.

Ye Yaodong was very pleased that her fear of waking the children held her back. Pushing his luck, he added, "Let's change places and lie at the other end so we don't wake the kids."

She didn't want to move!

When she wouldn't move, he tugged at her to get her up!

Lin Xiuqing slapped his paw away. Seeing their son wriggling and turning over, she had no choice but to glare at him and reluctantly shift down to the foot of the bed.

He got his way again!

But the bed boards creaked and creaked, much to his annoyance...

Turning over was all right, but during this sort of exercise, the noises became rather rhythmic...

Lin Xiuqing bit her lip. "Keep it down!"

"I'm already being as gentle as I can..."

That was just how this old framed bed was. Every movement made it creak. A single creak when they turned over was tolerable, but this was driving him mad!

He could only bring things to another hasty end...

Fucking hell!

He was going to earn enough money to buy a bed!

If this kept up, he felt it would affect his ability to perform!

"All that dragging it out. You nearly woke the kids!" Once he was finished, Lin Xiuqing couldn't help grumbling.

"You complain when I'm too quick, you complain when it's too noisy, and then you complain when I take too long. You really are hard to please." Ye Yaodong gave her a squeeze, his tone lecherous.

"Get off. You sleep at this end. I'm going to sleep with the kids."

"Let's sleep together!"

Held tight in his arms and unable to get free, Lin Xiuqing was furious. She opened her mouth to scold him, only for him to silence her again by reminding her not to wake the children.

Thoroughly unwilling, she could only lie down and sleep beside him.

Ye Yaodong, however, felt quite content!

In his previous life, he had only come to his senses after his wife died. At fifty, he hadn't even had two hundred yuan in his pocket. With neither the means nor the inclination to remarry, he had remained single for over a decade.

He had spent his days out at sea anyway, only returning to the village for the three-month fishing moratorium. Being without a wife hadn't mattered much. He was getting on in years, after all.

Now, though, he felt the satisfaction of having regained something he had lost.

"Qing, once the family splits into separate households, let's make a good life together!"

Lin Xiuqing rolled her eyes. "So you don't intend to live properly until then? Stop making excuses for being lazy."

"No, I mean it."

She closed her eyes, unwilling to discuss this with him.

After all these years, she had long since lost all hope in him. Good or bad, this was how her life had turned out. She would just make do!

Seeing that she didn't seem interested in talking, Ye Yaodong didn't push her. Time would reveal his sincerity. He believed that, no matter what, he wouldn't make their lives any worse this time around.

He stroked her face and said gently, "Go to sleep."

He closed his eyes. It felt as though he had barely slept before, through his drowsiness, he heard a child crying for his mother. The woman in his arms got straight up.

Soon, his wife tossed the children's sheet onto the table by the window. She took the sheet covering him as well and spread it over their two children.

"Wet the bed?"

"Mm."

"That little rascal. I'll spank his bottom raw tomorrow!"

His wish to hold his wife all night until dawn fell through on the very first night.