Perhaps because they lived at the foot of the mountain, they occasionally came across wild game and other animals.
Lu Mosheng lunged at the two rabbits but missed, tumbling to the ground with mud smeared all over her face.
Just as she was getting angry, she heard Song Jiayan’s deep laughter.
Turning around, she saw that the man had somehow managed to catch both wild rabbits and was holding them in his hands.
His eyes were filled with amusement, making him look quite different from his usual quiet, taciturn self.
Lu Mosheng wiped the mud off her face. “What are you laughing at?”
The moment she said that, Song Jiayan laughed even harder.
She got up and walked toward him, conveniently smearing some mud onto his face with her hand.
“Go on, keep laughing!”
Song Jiayan stopped laughing. Instead, he pulled her directly into his arms.
With the rabbits still dangling from his hand, his embrace was rather uncomfortable. Just as she was about to struggle free, Song Jiayan lowered his head and kissed her.
“Mmm!”
Was there any need to kiss her like that? He was still holding the wild rabbits!
It took quite a while before Song Jiayan finally let her go.
His gaze eventually settled on the wound at the corner of her forehead, where the blood had already dried.
“Does it hurt?”
Lu Mosheng shook her head. “No, it doesn’t.”
Song Jiayan was about to tend to the wound on her forehead when he heard her looking at the two rabbits in his hands and saying, “I want to raise these two rabbits.”
“You can keep them as pets if you want. Whatever makes you happy,” Song Jiayan replied.
Of course, Lu Mosheng wasn’t planning to raise them just for fun. She intended to start a small-scale rabbit farm. Whether it was rabbit fur or rabbit meat, both offered promising ways to make money.
She didn’t bother explaining her plans in detail. Instead, she nodded and said, “We’ve planted so many fruits and vegetables. We can just pick some leftover leaves every day and feed them in a cage.”
…
Meanwhile, the weather grew hotter with each passing day.
Lu Mosheng’s belly also grew bigger by the day.
All the fruits and vegetables had ripened. Looking around, she saw an abundance of produce, with lush green leaves everywhere.
Since moving around had become inconvenient for her, Lu Mosheng simply set up a little stall by the roadside to sell watermelons and other produce.
She had to admit that watermelons grown with spiritual spring water were exceptionally sweet. Once cut open, their flesh was bright red, and every bite was refreshing, sweet, and thirst-quenching.
Lu Mosheng wasn’t afraid of losing money. She simply cut open several watermelons and displayed them at her stall. Anyone passing by could pay a few coins for a piece. Those who wanted to buy some could do so, and she wouldn’t pressure anyone who didn’t.
Some people even asked whether they could exchange grain for watermelons. Lu Mosheng was naturally happy to agree. After spending her money to sever ties with the Song family, she was rather short of cash for buying grain.
Late that night, Lu Mosheng lay on the bed while Song Jiayan slept on a bedroll on the floor.
She glanced at the several sacks of grain piled in the corner of their little hut and said to Song Jiayan, “Let’s keep one sack for ourselves. Take the remaining sacks to town tomorrow and sell them for cash.”
Song Jiayan acknowledged her suggestion.
Lu Mosheng then took out the few banknotes she had earned from selling watermelons, which she had tucked beneath her pillow. After thinking for a moment, she handed one to Song Jiayan.
“Since you’re going to town tomorrow, buy yourself a few sets of clothes while you’re there. Yours are all worn out, and with my current condition, I can’t mend them for you. Go and buy some new ones.”
Song Jiayan accepted the banknote she handed him and said, “Mosheng, I don’t regret it.”
Why was he suddenly bringing that up?
“Don’t regret what?”
“Marrying you,” Song Jiayan replied. “Everyone in the Song family says you’re no good, but I’m the only one who knows how wonderful you are. You’re better than any other woman.”
Why had this man, who never knew how to sweet-talk anyone, suddenly become so eloquent tonight?
“Really?”
“Mm.”
“Then swear it.”
Song Jiayan said solemnly, “I swear.”
Satisfied with his answer, Lu Mosheng felt completely content.
For some reason, she suddenly thought of Bai Xing. But it didn’t matter. In this lifetime, no one would ever be able to break apart her marriage to Song Jiayan.
Early the next morning, Song Jiayan carried the sacks of grain to town.
Lu Mosheng picked a good amount of leftover vegetables from the ground and took them to the rabbit cage to feed the wild rabbits.
As luck would have it, the two rabbits were a male and a female. After she began raising them, the female rabbit became pregnant.
Lu Mosheng had originally been wondering whether she should find a mate for them. Now, she no longer had to worry about it.
Looking at the female rabbit’s round, heavy belly, she had a feeling that it was carrying several babies.
After feeding the rabbits, she returned to the vegetable garden. Looking at all the vegetables that they couldn’t possibly finish eating and that were on the verge of rotting in the field, Lu Mosheng began wondering what she could do with the surplus.
While she was thinking, someone called out to her.
“Mrs. Song!”