Hearing Lin Suhe suddenly ask such a question, Jiang Wangchuan stumbled and nearly swung the buckets off his shoulder pole.
“W-Why… why are you asking that?”
Looking at Lin Suhe’s innocent face, Jiang Wangchuan had no idea what was going on inside her little head.
“Aunt Li mentioned children just now… so I was just curious.”
In ancient times, it was common for people to get married and have children at fifteen or sixteen. Someone like Jiang Wangchuan, who was already twenty and still unmarried, was considered an older bachelor.
Jiang Wangchuan adjusted the shoulder pole on his shoulders as they walked.
“I’ve never really thought much about it. Sometimes, when I see the friends I grew up with all having children, I do feel a little jealous. But I’m too poor. I don’t own any fields or land. I couldn’t afford a wife, and I couldn’t afford to raise children either, so I never thought about having any.”
After hearing his answer, Lin Suhe felt sorry for him.
This tall, strong man had lived such a hard life. No wonder he had insisted on sending her away before.
“Brother Jiang, I think you’re a very good person. I’m sure you’ll become a wonderful father someday.”
Jiang Wangchuan looked at the little girl walking beside him.
She had both hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, tilted her head, and stared at him with bright, curious eyes.
The warm spring sunshine reflected in her large round eyes, making them sparkle like brilliant stars.
After hearing her encouragement, Jiang Wangchuan suddenly found himself looking forward to the day he would become a father.
Of course, that would have to wait until his little wife truly grew up.
After making two trips to fetch water with Jiang Wangchuan, Lin Suhe was already too tired to keep walking.
She bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.
Jiang Wangchuan sighed helplessly.
“I told you to stay home, but you insisted on coming with me. Why tire yourself out?”
Lin Suhe pouted.
“I was worried you’d get bored making all those trips by yourself. I just wanted to keep you company.”
Jiang Wangchuan could not help pinching her soft cheek.
“I appreciate your kindness, but stay home and rest from now on.”
Lin Suhe’s legs were aching. She knew she would only slow Jiang Wangchuan down if she kept following him, so she reluctantly stayed home alone.
Still, she did not let herself sit around doing nothing.
The honey locust pods had soaked long enough. She took the brown pods out of the water and spread them across bamboo trays to dry.
Fortunately, they had bought several extra bamboo trays in town the day before. Otherwise, there would not have been enough trays for both the sprouting wheat and the drying pods.
The honey locust pods filled three bamboo trays.
Lin Suhe gathered some dry grass from beside the courtyard wall and spread it on the ground before placing the trays on top. That way, dust from the ground would not pass through the gaps in the trays and dirty the freshly washed pods.
Jiang Wangchuan’s courtyard was quite small. With several bamboo trays spread across the ground, it already felt crowded.
Without Lin Suhe following him, Jiang Wangchuan moved quickly and made three more trips.
Before long, he had completely filled the large clay water jar.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he smiled at Lin Suhe.
“Girl, is there anything else that needs to be done?”
Ever since he had a wife, Jiang Wangchuan felt full of energy.
He wanted to make their little home look more comfortable and complete.
Lin Suhe rested both hands on her slender waist and looked around the courtyard before asking,
“Brother Jiang, do you know how to make a wooden rack?”
“What kind of rack?”
“The kind that can hold bamboo trays.”
Lin Suhe picked up a piece of firewood from beside the stove and began drawing on the ground.
She drew a simple four-legged rack with two crossed support bars in the middle. By adding several levels, the bamboo trays could be stacked neatly on it, making it both convenient and space-saving.
The moment Jiang Wangchuan saw her drawing, he understood exactly what she wanted.
“Oh, that kind of rack. I can’t make anything fancy, but I can definitely make a simple one.”
Lin Suhe clapped happily.
“That’s great! A simple one is enough as long as it can hold the bamboo trays. We’re almost running out of space in the yard.”
Jiang Wangchuan walked toward the room where they ate. Looking back over his shoulder, he teased her,
“You little girl, are you already complaining that my place is too small?”
Lin Suhe stamped her foot and hurriedly protested,
“Of course not! I just want to make the courtyard feel bigger!”
“Hahaha! I was only teasing you. Look how anxious you got.”
Jiang Wangchuan’s laughter came from inside the house.
Lin Suhe pressed her lips together and puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.
This man is so irritating. All he ever does is tease me. I even said he was a good person earlier.
A moment later, Jiang Wangchuan came back out carrying a chopping knife.
Lin Suhe was still quietly sulking, looking just like an angry little kitten with its fur standing on end.
He grinned and walked over, gently poking her puffed-up cheek.
“What are you hiding in your mouth? Why are your cheeks so puffed up?”
“Hmph!”
Lin Suhe turned away with a snort, refusing to look at him.
Jiang Wangchuan walked in front of her, crouched down, gently rubbed her head, and coaxed her softly.
“Alright, don’t be mad anymore. I was wrong. Be a good girl and come with me to the back of the house to cut some bamboo.”
“Cut bamboo?”
Lin Suhe’s anger disappeared as quickly as it had come. The moment she heard something new, her attention was completely distracted.
“That’s right. It’s easier to make the rack with bamboo than with wood.”
Behind Jiang Wangchuan’s house was a small bamboo grove, making it the perfect place to get the materials.
The bamboo was lush and green. As the mountain breeze blew through the leaves, they rustled softly.
Jiang Wangchuan picked out a suitable stalk, bent down, and chopped at the base with his knife.
After about ten strikes, the bamboo fell to the ground.
While Jiang Wangchuan cut the bamboo, Lin Suhe wandered nearby, pushing aside the dry bamboo leaves with her shoes.
She guessed that there should be spring bamboo shoots growing at this time of year.
Sure enough, she found one.
Among the dead leaves, the pointed tip of a bamboo shoot, brown and pale white, was sticking out of the ground.
“Brother Jiang! There’s a bamboo shoot!”
Lin Suhe excitedly called out.
Jiang Wangchuan straightened up and looked toward her voice.
The little girl was crouching on the ground, brushing away leaves and dirt with her hands, looking as if she had just discovered buried treasure.
“Hey! Don’t dig with your hands. I’ll go home and get you a small hoe.”
“I know where it is!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Suhe jumped up and ran toward the house.
Jiang Wangchuan smiled and shook his head.
This girl acts as if she’s seeing bamboo shoots for the very first time.
Lin Suhe quickly ran home, grabbed the small hoe, and hurried back.
Of course, this was not the first bamboo shoot she had ever seen.
But it was the first time she had seen one still growing in the ground, and the first time she could dig one up herself.
Naturally, she was excited.
Holding the small hoe, Lin Suhe carefully dug away the soil.
She worked very gently, afraid of damaging the bamboo shoot buried underground.
By the time Jiang Wangchuan had finished cutting all the bamboo, she still had not managed to dig out her single bamboo shoot.
Tiny beads of sweat formed on the tip of her nose.
She wiped them away with the back of her hand, accidentally smearing dirt across her nose without even noticing.
Jiang Wangchuan walked over and crouched beside her.
“Girl, how about I do it instead?”
Without even looking up, Lin Suhe firmly refused.
“No, I can do it myself!”
Seeing how determined she was, Jiang Wangchuan said nothing more and quietly stayed beside her, helping clear away the soil.
Suddenly, Lin Suhe let out a startled scream.
“Ah! A bug!”
She threw the little hoe from her hand, wrapped both arms tightly around Jiang Wangchuan’s neck, and buried her face against his broad, sturdy chest.