Chapter 23

When he entered the courtyard, he happened to see Lin Guihua hanging out the laundry. He smiled and greeted her. "Fourth Aunt."

"Oh, Ninglang's back! Come inside and have some tea." Lin Guihua led the two of them into her little courtyard.

Zhou Jinian went along and sat with them for a while.

It had been over half a month, and Lin Guihua was full of curiosity about their life in town. "How is it? Have you gotten used to living in town?"

"It's quite nice, except even firewood costs copper coins, and it's much hotter at night. But the house is big and very comfortable. Fourth Aunt, you're welcome to come stay with us in town for a few days whenever you like." Xie Ning felt very close to Lin Guihua, probably because his dad was close to Fourth Uncle's family.

"Oh dear, why waste money on that? From now on, Sifeng can bring you firewood when he goes to town. There's more on the back mountain than we can gather." Lin Guihua frowned at the expense. She could not understand why dry wood that could be picked up anywhere should cost money.

"It's not expensive. It would be too much trouble to have Fourth Uncle bring it."

"What trouble? He goes to town to sell grain now and then, so it's on his way. Even one or two copper coins are still money. You ought to save what you can for living expenses."

Xie Ning nodded, accepting his elder's kindness.

As they warmed to their conversation, Lin Guihua smiled a little sheepishly and thickened her skin to tell her nephew, "When you go back this time, pass a message to your dad for me. Tell him I'm sorry for troubling him with that matter. Our family isn't picky, as long as they're good-natured and kind. Just tell him exactly that. He'll understand."

Lin Guihua felt rather embarrassed. Her Rong-ge'er would be thirteen by the end of the year, and ever since she had learned that Jin-ge's family was moving to town, she had been asking Jin-ge to help look for a suitable family for her son to marry into.

Her eldest daughter had married into a wealthy family in the neighboring village, but her husband was inconsiderate and immature, drinking, womanizing, and beating his wife. It broke her heart. So for Rong-ge'er, she did not ask for great wealth or status. She only wanted a family who would treat her son as their own. As long as they were kindhearted, it did not matter if they were a little poor.

Zhou Jinian nodded. "All right, don't worry, Aunt. You get some rest. We'll go see Grandmother."

"Oh, this head of mine!" Lin Guihua stood and clapped her hands together. "Don't bother. She isn't home."

Xie Ning asked, "Where did she go?"

"Sixth Sister-in-law had a fit and took the baby back to her parents' home. Mother dragged Sixth Brother along to apologize and bring her back." Lin Guihua could not help laughing at the thought.

"Huh?" Xie Ning's eyes widened, and he asked curiously, "What happened?"

"She got too used to having things easy. All of a sudden, she had to tend the fire, cook, wash clothes, sweep, and clean. How could she stand it? Sixth Brother has his mind set on his studies, but she went to his study every day to bother him, asking for recipes and secret formulas. She wanted to make a fortune and become a wealthy lady, but unfortunately, Sixth Brother doesn't know anything about those things."

"The other day, we heard her crying and shouting that she'd been married into this family for six years, and Sixth Brother had never earned the household a single copper coin. She said all his years of studying hadn't made him as capable as our nephew Jinian. Sixth Brother got angry, kicked her, and drove her out..."

As she spoke, Lin Guihua stopped smiling. Thinking back on it, she did feel sorry for Sixth Sister-in-law. Her spoiled, overbearing nature was one thing, but she had never let Sixth Brother down all these years. She had waited on him like a maid serving an official, only to be treated like this.

After listening, Xie Ning pursed his lips too, unsure what to say for the moment.

"All right, enough of that. Go about your business. If you need your aunt's help, just ask."

"Then we'll head to the back mountain. We'll leave you to your work, Fourth Aunt." Zhou Jinian took his leave.

They returned to their old little courtyard, picked up a carrying basket, packed their tools, and headed up the mountain together. It was the autumn harvest season in the ninth month, and the farming households were busy in the fields, so they saw few villagers along the way.

Xie Ning felt that something was off about Jinian today. Even now, he was practically flying up the mountain. Xie Ning took a great stride and still could not keep up, so he called out in annoyance, "I can't keep up!"

You little handful. Seeing that they were almost at the cave entrance, Zhou Jinian simply went back and hoisted his little husband onto his back. After all, he had carried him home on their wedding day, so naturally, it ought to be the same when they consummated their marriage.

With the basket on his own back, Xie Ning lay against his husband's back and laughed happily. "Jinian, you're so good to me. I definitely won't take after Sixth Aunt. Even if you don't do well in your studies, I won't make a fuss."

Zhou Jinian gritted his teeth and quickened his steps, wishing they could reach their destination immediately so he could leave his little husband unable to open his mouth, with no strength left to speak.

Author's note: I have to work overtime during the National Day holiday, so I'm taking the 29th off. I hope my little angels approve. When I come back, I'll have them consummate their marriage for you to see.

Thank you to the little angels who cast Overlord votes or watered me with nutrient solution between 2020-09-26 22:09:42 and 2020-09-27 17:00:46~

Thank you to the little angels who watered me with nutrient solution: Liaoli, 16 bottles; Dujiaoshouy, 10 bottles; Fengzhonglingluan and Haibukuaiqumazi!, 2 bottles;

Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep working hard!

Chapter 23

Xie Ning flipped about like a carp in the pool, having long since forgotten that he had come to catch fish. Zhou Jinian sat on the bank, tossing the little porcelain bottle in his hand. Clearly, he had not come to catch fish either.

"Ninglang, come here." Zhou Jinian took the initiative.

His little fish swam over with a couple of swishes, his two fair, tender legs kicking happily in the water like a fish's tail.

"Jinian, I'll teach you to swim. Then you can swim with me from now on." Xie Ning reached out to pull him in.

Zhou Jinian raised an eyebrow. The opportunity had come right to him after all. He followed the pull into the water, kicking his legs and relaxing his upper body to float on the surface.

Xie Ning put his arms around his waist, and Zhou Jinian sighed in comfort. With his little husband offering himself up, who could resist? Following his instincts, he wrapped his arms around Ninglang, pulled him into his embrace, and lowered his head for a kiss.

Dazed, Xie Ning opened his mouth and let himself be kissed. When the hand at his waist covered his tailbone again, his waist went limp. "Mm... Jinian?"

Zhou Jinian pulled him into the shallows, lifted him onto the bank, and sat him down. With only his own body above the waist out of the water, Zhou Jinian leaned down and replaced his hands with his lips, setting him alight...

"Your husband will teach you how to consummate our marriage."

Xie Ning finally learned what that little porcelain bottle was for. His upper body lay against a huge rock while his lower body remained submerged, held tightly by Jinian as he moved without stopping.

Caught between the stimulation of icy water and burning heat, whenever he tried to crawl away, Zhou Jinian would pull him back into his arms...

Zhou Jinian cradled Xie Ning in his arms. As Xie Ning's heart stopped pounding so fiercely, his breathing gradually steadied too.