Lin Suhe could not win against Jiang Wangchuan. Looking helplessly at the bowl full of meat, she could only let him have his way.
But she had her own plan.
She piled all the meat to one side of the bowl and ate the rice with vegetables and soup, only taking a bite of meat now and then.
She naturally had a small appetite. Before she even finished her rice, she was already full, and half of the meat was still left.
“Brother Jiang, I’m full. You eat the rest. Don’t let it go to waste.”
Jiang Wangchuan frowned as he looked suspiciously at her bowl.
“You’re full after eating so little?”
“I’m really full. I can’t eat another grain of rice. Hic.“
After hearing her tiny little burp, Jiang Wangchuan was sure she was truly full. Only then did he take her bowl and finish the leftover rice and meat.
Lin Suhe smiled, showing her two cute little tiger teeth. She thought she was quite clever. She had successfully made Jiang Wangchuan eat some meat.
After lunch, Jiang Wangchuan washed all the honey locust pods and soaked them in a large wooden bucket, just like the wheat. Unlike the wheat, however, the pods only needed to soak for about an hour.
Ever since Lin Suhe had come to live with him, the water in the house was being used up much faster.
A large clay water jar that used to last Jiang Wangchuan ten days or even half a month now ran almost empty in only two or three days.
“Girl, I’m going down the mountain to fetch some water. Will you be okay at home by yourself?”
Jiang Wangchuan placed a shoulder pole across his shoulders with two wooden buckets hanging from each end, ready to fetch water from the village well.
Lin Suhe did not want to stay home alone.
Although Jiang Wangchuan’s house was not far from the foot of the mountain, it was still surrounded by forest. There were no nearby neighbors. It was quiet except for the occasional sounds of animals in the mountains.
She was scared.
“Brother Jiang, I’ll go fetch water with you.”
Jiang Wangchuan carried the shoulder pole while Lin Suhe walked beside him.
“Where is the village? Is it far from our home?”
By now, Lin Suhe had completely accepted the house halfway up the mountain as her own home. The original owner’s father had never asked her to fetch water, so she had little memory of the village well.
“The nearest well is just a short walk after going down the mountain. It’s not far.”
Lin Suhe nodded and looked at the two wooden buckets hanging from the shoulder pole, silently estimating.
“Carrying two buckets at a time, you’ll need at least five or six trips to fill the water jar at home, right?”
“That’s about right. If you get tired later, don’t keep following me. Go home and rest.”
Making five or six trips was nothing to Jiang Wangchuan.
But he worried that Lin Suhe’s delicate body would not be able to handle it.
She pouted unhappily but said nothing.
When they reached the well, they saw two villagers already drawing water. A thick hemp rope moved up and down along the well wall.
“Uncle Sun, Aunt Li.”
Jiang Wangchuan set down the shoulder pole and greeted them before stepping forward to help pull up the rope and water buckets.
“Thank you, young Jiang.”
One of them, a man who looked to be in his forties or fifties, smiled warmly.
“Uncle Sun, it’s nothing. I’m just lending a hand.”
The other villager, a middle-aged woman, looked Lin Suhe up and down with a smile.
“Chuan, you’re a lucky fellow. Your new wife is really pretty.”
Lowering her blushing face shyly, Lin Suhe looked just like a bashful young bride.
She followed Jiang Wangchuan’s example and greeted them.
“Uncle Sun, Aunt Li.”
Her obedient and lovable appearance easily stirred a woman’s motherly instincts. Aunt Li immediately answered with a smile.
“That’s a good girl. You’ve had a hard life. Chuan is a dependable man. Live a good life with him from now on.”
Uncle Sun chuckled.
“So, when are you two planning to have children?”
It was the kind of question older people always asked newly married couples.
Lin Suhe blushed with embarrassment and secretly glanced at Jiang Wangchuan.
As he lifted Uncle Sun’s bucket out of the well, Jiang Wangchuan answered with a bright smile.
“Uncle Sun, she’s still observing the mourning period for her father. After it’s over and we’re officially married, then we’ll think about having children.”
Before Uncle Sun could reply, Aunt Li spoke first, sounding a little unhappy.
“We’re just a small country village. There’s no need to be so strict. Don’t listen to Zhao Qiuju’s nonsense about observing a full year of mourning. A little respect is enough. Lin Da would surely want his daughter to settle down as soon as possible.”
Observing the mourning period was Lin Suhe’s own decision. Jiang Wangchuan did not feel it was his place to argue, so he scratched his head, unsure how to respond.
Seeing his awkwardness, Lin Suhe spoke up.
“Aunt Li… I chose to observe the mourning period for my father.”
“What a filial child. But you two are a young man and woman living together every day. How can you keep holding back? If you end up pregnant, just have the baby. Chuan isn’t getting any younger. Having a child early will give you someone to rely on.”
Once Aunt Li started talking, she did not know when to stop. She spoke openly without worrying about embarrassing anyone.
This time, not only was Lin Suhe blushing, but even Jiang Wangchuan’s wheat-colored face grew warm.
Uncle Sun noticed how embarrassed they were and quickly waved his hand to stop his wife.
“Enough, enough. You never stop talking once the conversation turns to married life. Young Jiang has his own ideas. Stop worrying about other people’s family matters.”
“Oh? Old Sun, your wife talks about these things plenty when she meets me. Now you’re trying to stop me?”
Aunt Li was so quick with her words that even Uncle Sun’s old face turned red.
Lin Suhe stood there awkwardly while Jiang Wangchuan took the chance to finish drawing water for both of them.
“Uncle Sun, Aunt Li, your water is ready. You should take it home.”
Uncle Sun thanked Jiang Wangchuan again and hurried off with his buckets.
Aunt Li also lifted her buckets onto her shoulder pole, still talking as she walked.
“That old man ran away because he couldn’t argue with me. Chuan, listen to Auntie. Having children early is never a bad thing.”
Jiang Wangchuan smiled helplessly.
“I understand, Auntie. Walk carefully. Don’t spill your water.”
After Aunt Li had walked far away, both Jiang Wangchuan and Lin Suhe finally let out a sigh of relief.
They looked at each other and smiled before beginning to draw water for themselves.
The muscles in Jiang Wangchuan’s arms were strong, and he had great strength. Pulling up water was effortless for him. The heavy wooden bucket looked like a child’s toy in his hands.
After filling two buckets, he balanced them on the shoulder pole and walked back up the mountain with Lin Suhe.
On the way home, Lin Suhe hummed an unfamiliar tune and picked small wildflowers along the roadside.
“I’m going to put these into the soap that makes bubbles,” she said.
When they arrived home, Jiang Wangchuan poured the two buckets of water into the clay jar and prepared to make another trip.
Lin Suhe did not feel tired yet, so she followed him again.
Instead of walking properly, she skipped happily along the path like a little rabbit in the mountains.
Jiang Wangchuan thought her bouncing figure looked incredibly cute.
As they walked, Lin Suhe remembered what Aunt Li had said. Feeling curious, she suddenly asked,
“Brother Jiang… Do you want children?”