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"We'll talk tomorrow. I'm going to fetch water. Are you coming or not?"

"Yes!"

Xie Ning tied his waist cord and strode toward the door, full of swagger. Whenever Zhou Jinian was away from his desk, he had to follow right on his heels. Zhou Jinian had grown used to it.

The young man was cooped up in the Zhou family courtyard every day and bored out of his mind. Only beside Jinian, who was his own age, did he feel completely at ease.

The main room was still lit, and the family members who had just returned from town were eating fish together. Lin Guihua was not one to secretly hide away meat. She had simply brought Rong-ge'er a bowl and chopsticks and let her son openly eat a second dinner, while she sat beside him stitching shoe soles.

Lin Guihua looked up and saw the newlywed husbands heading out one after the other with buckets. She teased, "Sifeng, look at those two. They really do get along well. Jin-ge has told me several times that Ninglang brings his husband good fortune. He likes him."

Zhou Sifeng picked out a piece of fish belly with few bones for his second son. "Really? That's good."

"He brings his husband good fortune, but none to him. How many days has he been here? And already he's bedridden." Zhou's Eldest Daughter-in-Law spoke snidely, then turned to her son, Zhou Wenshu. "When the time comes, I'll find you someone who brings good fortune to both you and your father-to our whole family. Son, hurry up and earn a scholarly rank."

Lin Guihua pursed her lips, not bothering to respond to her eldest sister-in-law.

"Rong-ge'er, do you like the fish?" Lin Guihua asked her son.

"Yes."

"Your second brother's husband caught it. Next time you see him, call him Ning-ge and thank him, understand? When you eat someone's food, you owe them a little gratitude. You must have a conscience."

After hearing that, Zhou's Eldest Daughter-in-Law could neither swallow the tender, delicious fish in her mouth nor bear to spit it out.

Zhou Wenshu, however, felt little about it and kept eating. Ever since he had begun his schooling, he and his sixth uncle had always been favored by the family. So long as things went his way and no one caused him trouble, he could disregard everything else.

The next day, Xie Ning rose early again. Before dawn, he dutifully went to knock on Grandmother's door. "Grandmother, I need to use the kitchen."

Old people slept little, and Grandmother Zhou was up early too. Her face fell the moment she heard him. She did not even want to open the door for Xie Ning, much less see him.

"What do you want to eat now? Didn't you make pancakes yesterday?"

"I'm going to decoct medicine for Father."

"From now on, do that in your own courtyard!"

Xie Ning pouted at the door, then returned to their little courtyard. He dug out the brazier used for warmth in winter and set it in a corner of the courtyard to decoct the medicine.

After breakfast, the two shouldered their bamboo baskets, took their tools, and headed up the mountain.

Mist still clung to the shrubs. The morning woods were damp and cool. Zhou Jinian cleared the way ahead, his trouser cuffs getting thoroughly wet, while Ninglang stayed dry and comfortable behind him.

When they reached the pitch-black cave entrance, Xie Ning watched him take off his basket and crouch slightly in front of him. "Get on."

"Hm?" Xie Ning raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Aren't you afraid of the dark?" When Xie Ning still did not climb onto his back, Zhou Jinian simply pulled his arms over his shoulders, crouched, and gave a bounce, lifting Xie Ning's feet off the ground.

In the darkness, Xie Ning grinned, showing his little white teeth. He comfortably relaxed his body, tilted his head to rest his cheek against Zhou Jinian's shoulder, and even swung his lower legs to express his delight.

Xie Ning gave directions as before. From a distance, Zhou Jinian saw that the light at the opening was much dimmer than the first time. Only when he came closer did he discover a large rock blocking it.

Xie Ning hopped off his back. "Tie the hemp rope around the rock. That's how I climbed up last time."

Last time? Zhou Jinian folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "You walked through here by yourself last time, yet you still made me carry you?"

Xie Ning bared his teeth in a snickering laugh, as adept as ever at acting spoiled.

With fond exasperation, Zhou Jinian reached out and pinched his rounded cheek. It felt springy and smooth.

Zhou Jinian pulled out the hemp rope and tied it around the rock, then tugged hard to make sure it was secure. He turned to speak to Xie Ning, only to find that Xie Ning had already stripped off his clothes and was jumping into the water before his eyes.

"Jinian, are you coming down?" Xie Ning asked, lifting his head in the water.

Zhou Jinian was willing to try. He tossed the empty bamboo basket down, then stripped as well and entered the water wearing only his underdrawers.

He kept himself afloat on the surface. Xie Ning swam over and looked him over from both sides before circling behind him and wrapping cool arms around him. He actually meant to carry him through the water to the rocky bank opposite...

Zhou Jinian felt helpless. This little fool doesn't know his own strength. But afraid that failing to cooperate would only tire the well-meaning little fool further, he relaxed his body and instructed him, "Go in front and lead me by the hand. You can't carry me."

Xie Ning floundered several times, even making Zhou Jinian swallow a few mouthfuls of pool water. Only when he truly could not carry him did he finally heed the advice.

Kicking his legs against the water, Zhou Jinian was led by the hand and at last reached the rocky bank safely.

Wherever there was water, Xie Ning was as happy as an immortal. He plunged in, caught fish in his arms, and tossed them ashore, nimble and utterly at ease.

At first, Zhou Jinian kept watching him, observing how he moved through the water and trying to learn to swim by the bank himself.

Pool Cave was rich in aquatic plants, a natural fishpond, so its fish were fat and large. After teaching himself to swim for a while, Zhou Jinian climbed ashore to gather the fish into the basket. Seeing that they had about enough, he set the bamboo basket in the shallows so the fish remained submerged and called to Xie Ning, "Ninglang, that's enough. Come rest a while."

Xie Ning swam over happily and lifted his head from the water to smile at Zhou Jinian.

Zhou Jinian sat down with his lower legs in the water. "Come here. Let me see your face."

Xie Ning drew closer and let him hold his chin to examine him. He remembered how, when he first entered the water and went to hold Zhou Jinian, Zhou Jinian's body heat had felt especially comfortable in the cool water.

He wanted to be close to him, so he wrapped both arms around his husband's lower legs and rested his chin on Jinian's thigh. Then he saw the corners of his husband's mouth lift slightly...

The way Xie Ning drew close to him, so naturally and as a matter of course, softened Zhou Jinian's heart. He leaned down to look at Xie Ning's face.

"Jinian smiled." Xie Ning smiled in delighted surprise, as though he had discovered a secret.

Looking at the radiant smile before him, Zhou Jinian's heart brimmed with affection. The more time they spent together, the more he was drawn to Ninglang, cheerful and kind as a little sun.