Zang Dashu was much stronger than Yu Huishui. With one kick, Zang Liujiang grimaced in pain and quickly jumped away, but he still held onto Yu Huishui tightly, refusing to let go.
A woman came out from inside the house. She had a round face and round eyes, her hair was tied into a round bun with a velvet ribbon, and she wore a thick padded jacket. Her hand was being pulled by a child who had just run back inside.
“Liujiang is here! Dashu, don’t be so fierce, you’ll scare the girl.”
The woman scolded Zang Dashu with a hint of blame, then smiled warmly and invited the two inside. She had a round dimple at the corner of her mouth, which made people feel a sense of warmth and friendliness.
Yu Huishui’s gaze fell on the curve under her black velvet jacket, and it was clear she was pregnant.
“Why did you come out?”
Zang Dashu quickly placed the cleaned chicken on the stove, washed his hands, and changed his rough demeanor to gently support the woman’s arm, tiptoeing and bending over carefully.
“I heard some noise outside and came out to take a look.”
Qin Xiaoyuan seemed to have a gentle and timid nature. She secretly glanced at Yu Huishui standing beside Zang Liujiang and couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle when she saw how protective Zang Liujiang was.
Zang Liujiang wasn’t very old and had grown up following her around. Seeing him with a family now felt quite strange to her.
With Zang Liujiang sticking so close, Yu Huishui was almost unable to stand properly. But with the brother and sister-in-law right there, he couldn’t just push Zang Liujiang away and make things awkward. Helplessly, Yu Huishui straightened his back and stood there, letting Zang Liujiang lean on him.
“Why is there good news again? Didn’t sister-in-law just have a little girl for our family last year?”
Zang Liujiang looked surprised at Qin Xiaoyuan’s round belly, which was clearly a few months along.
“Don’t just stand outside, come inside and talk. Your big brother killed a chicken to welcome you.” Qin Xiaoyuan’s gaze fell on Yu Huishui, lightly patting her swollen belly.
“Call her.” Zang Liujiang nudged Yu Huishui, reminding him not to forget the earlier instructions, then looked at him expectantly, almost ready to call out for him.
Yu Huishui cleared his throat and tried to soften his voice: “Hello, sister-in-law.”
“Oh my…” Qin Xiaoyuan exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth. She exchanged a glance with Zang Dashu, who bluntly said, “Did the girl not sleep well last night? Her voice is as rough as a boy’s…”
Zang Liujiang couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, getting a secret pinch from Yu Huishui.
“Rough is fine, it’s not like you need to sing. Why make it so soft?” Qin Xiaoyuan quickly tried to smooth things over, afraid Yu Huishui would feel embarrassed.
The group went inside, and the mischievous little boy wasn’t shy at all, coming over to ask Yu Huishui for some snacks.
“Yunyang, you can’t just eat snacks for free. Say something nice.” Zang Liujiang grinned, breaking off a piece of the snack and winking at the child, prompting him to greet Yu Huishui.
Zang Yunyang, being quite clever, immediately stood up straight, his dark face serious, and respectfully cupped his hands towards Yu Huishui: “Hello, Auntie!”
Yu Huishui had never encountered such a warm scene before and didn’t know how to respond. He quickly grabbed the snack from Zang Liujiang’s hand and handed it to the eager child to cover his own awkwardness.
“Hello… you too, go ahead and eat.”
A whole pack of snacks fell into Zang Yunyang’s hands. The half-grown child, usually tightly controlled, immediately cheered and ran out like the wind with the paper-wrapped snacks.
“Sister.” Qin Xiaoyuan softly called out to Yu Huishui, her eyes bright, clearly eager to learn more about the newlywed couple.
Qin Xiaoyuan, being pregnant, couldn’t easily go up the mountain, and after all, it was a bandit stronghold, which made her a bit fearful. However, she had always seen Zang Liujiang as a good kid, and hearing about his sudden marriage made her naturally curious.
“I heard from the aunties in the village that you two fell in love at first sight?”
Yu Huishui caught a glimpse of Zang Liujiang beside him, who seemed eager to speak, and thought it was bad. Just as he was about to stop him, Zang Liujiang slapped his thigh.
“Yes! We fell in love at first sight!”
Zang Liujiang’s eyes sparkled, and he wore a pure yet reserved smile. Noticing Yu Huishui’s discomfort, Zang Liujiang considerately patted his arm and whispered in his ear:
“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of what to say.”
Qin Xiaoyuan, touching her belly, looked expectant: “Oh, that’s such a wonderful story, tell me more.”
“At that time,” Zang Liujiang tilted his head back, looking mysterious.
“At that time, the north wind was howling on the mountain, and snow was flying everywhere. Huishui’s family’s caravan was braving the wind and snow, traveling on the mountain road.”
Yu Huishui showed a doubtful expression, but Qin Xiaoyuan was captivated, her eyes widening even more.
“Just then, a few… bears appeared in the wind and snow!”
“Bears!?” Qin Xiaoyuan exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock, looking worriedly at Yu Huishui.
“… Huh?” Yu Huishui was incredulous, wanting to stop Zang Liujiang. He reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing a smile: “Bears… you must be mistaken?”
With Yu Huishui holding his hand, Zang Liujiang became even more enthusiastic: “At that time, Huishui’s family’s brothers… no, the servants, ran away, leaving him alone in the carriage. Just when he was calling for help to no avail!”
Zang Liujiang, like a storyteller, slapped the table, almost knocking over the teacup beside Yu Huishui.
“I descended from the sky and with a few slashes, beheaded the bear leader! Huishui came out and saw such a heroic figure, and immediately fell in love with me at first sight!”
The room fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling sound of the stove in the corner.
“And then?” Qin Xiaoyuan didn’t understand why Zang Dashu looked so fierce. The story was so exciting, she quickly asked.
“Then he was woken up by a slap from me. Sister-in-law, don’t believe him.”
Yu Huishui hurriedly interrupted Zang Liujiang. If this story about slashing bears got out, it would be truly embarrassing.
“Zang Liujiang.” Zang Dashu’s gaze was cold and stern, full of big brotherly authority: “Don’t tell me you forcibly took someone and are now making up stories?”
His guess was too accurate, and Yu Huishui’s hand trembled slightly as he held the teacup.
“Big brother.” If he didn’t speak up now, it would be impossible to hide. Zang Liujiang might be muddle-headed, but Zang Dashu was not. Yu Huishui quickly spoke to draw their attention.
“Liujiang exaggerated a bit. I didn’t encounter bears, but I did encounter wolves.”
Qin Xiaoyuan immediately nodded, pulling Zang Dashu: “That’s true, people in the village suffered, but luckily no one lost their life.”
“At that time, I got separated from my family’s caravan and was lost in the forest. Somehow, I encountered two wild wolves. If I hadn’t met Liujiang, I might have ended up in the wolves’ bellies.”
“Liujiang even said he would use those two wolves to make me clothes.”
This explanation was reasonable and well-founded. Yu Huishui, with his gentle and humble demeanor, naturally gained three points of trust when he spoke. Zang Dashu’s expression softened.
“I was grateful to Liujiang and had nothing to repay him with, so I offered myself. If anything happens in the future, don’t blame him.”
Yu Huishui thought, secretly planting a seed for his departure in a few months.
“What could happen? If Zang Liujiang doesn’t treat you well, just tell me, and I’ll deal with him for you!”
Zang Dashu assumed Yu Huishui, like Qin Xiaoyuan, was concerned about Zang Liujiang’s bandit leader status and quickly reassured him.
“Liujiang isn’t a bad person, and our stronghold never does anything bad.”
Yu Huishui knew he had managed to cover it up and nodded repeatedly, secretly relieved.
Laughter came from the doorway, and Zang Liujiang, being close, lifted the thick curtain. Outside, Zang Yunyang and a group of kids were munching on snacks while eavesdropping. When Zang Liujiang lifted the curtain, the kids screamed and ran away in a panic.
“The big boss is here! The big boss is going to feed us to the bears!”
“Hahaha! Yunyang, run! Your sixth uncle is coming to catch you!”
Zang Liujiang wouldn’t let the kids call him that, so he grabbed a fire stick from the stove and chased after them. Zang Dashu didn’t stop him, just gave Qin Xiaoyuan a few instructions before heading to the kitchen.
The fire in the earthen stove burned brightly, and soon the aroma of stewed chicken filled the kitchen. The warm sunlight filtered through the window paper, making the room cozy and warm.
Zang Dashu’s house wasn’t big, just two rooms and a courtyard, a modest setup in the village, but it was tidy and orderly, showing a harmonious couple.
With only Yu Huishui and Qin Xiaoyuan left in the room, Yu Huishui felt a bit awkward. Qin Xiaoyuan noticed his unease and casually asked about his family background. Hearing that Yu Huishui was adopted by a merchant family, she showed a bit of parental sympathy.
Outside, the kids who had been hit with a stick were noisy, but soon, under Zang Liujiang’s organization, they started building a snowman. Zang Liujiang’s deliberately fierce voice drifted into the room, inexplicably relaxing Yu Huishui.
“Go take a look outside, it’s snowing.”
Qin Xiaoyuan saw Yu Huishui listening intently to the commotion outside and knew he was thinking about Zang Liujiang. She secretly laughed at how sweet newlyweds were and tactfully suggested he go out and see.
Yu Huishui quickly got up, passing by the kitchen on his way out, just in time to see Zang Dashu bringing a bowl of hot chicken soup for Qin Xiaoyuan to taste.
It was truly a scene of deep affection, a model couple.
Turning his head, he saw Zang Liujiang already leading Zang Yunyang back inside. When they saw Yu Huishui standing there, they quickly gestured for him to stay quiet.
Yu Huishui looked down and saw Zang Liujiang leading a dirty Zang Yunyang. The child was covered in snow and mud, and if Zang Dashu saw them, they’d both get a kick.
“Is my big brother inside? Quick, take Yunyang to wash up, and dry off by the stove.”
Zang Liujiang, feeling guilty, glanced at the room and, seeing no movement, quickly called Yu Huishui to help wash the child in the kitchen.
Yu Huishui had thought Fu Cong and Fu Ming were the most unruly people he’d met, but in just a few days, he’d encountered someone even more unruly.
But he couldn’t just ignore it, so he followed Zang Liujiang into the kitchen.
The chicken was bubbling on the stove, and a pot of water was heating nearby. The three of them, like thieves, fetched water and squatted by the stove to wash Zang Yunyang.
“What were you doing to get so dirty?” Yu Huishui, who had grown up reading in the Fu family, had never played in the mud and couldn’t understand what they had been doing.
“Snowball fight, of course. That old snow is really dirty. If Yunyang hadn’t insisted, I wouldn’t have gone.”
Zang Yunyang, having been blamed, snorted and held his hands by the stove to dry his sleeves.
The child was quickly cleaned up, and Zang Liujiang sent him to the side to warm up by the fire. He and Yu Huishui squeezed together to clean the dirt off themselves.
“Why did you come out of the room?” Zang Liujiang, still cold, quickly rinsed his sleeves and held his hands by the stove, enjoying the warmth.
Yu Huishui, afraid Zang Dashu would hear, leaned close to Zang Liujiang and whispered: “After all, men and women shouldn’t be too close. I couldn’t stay.”
Yu Huishui was so close, his head almost resting on Zang Liujiang’s shoulder. The firelight illuminated their faces, and Yu Huishui’s eyes held a hint of reproach as he stared at him, making Zang Liujiang a bit dazed.
He was truly beautiful. Could there really be such a handsome man in the world?
Staring at Yu Huishui’s fair forehead, Zang Liujiang leaned in slightly, wanting to give him a kiss.