After saying that, Xu Lang was about to let them eat first while he went off to get busy.
“Husband, aren’t you eating?” Hua Yourong quickly asked when she saw Xu Lang about to leave.
“It’s specially for you all.” Xu Lang glanced at the bowl of the best meat on the table, then at the four pairs of beautiful eyes fixed on him in perfect unison. His heart felt warm.
Seeing that none of his four wives had picked up their chopsticks yet, he urged, “Why are you all staring at me? Eat.”
Hua Yourong was the first to speak gently. She pushed the bowl toward Xu Lang and said, “Husband, you eat first. You worked the hardest leading everyone today.”
“Yes, yes!” Xia Zhiruo nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick. “If Husband doesn’t eat, we won’t either!”
Although Li Xiuzhi and Murong Yanran did not speak, their meaning was obvious.
Xu Lang felt both amused and moved. He deliberately put on a stern face and said, “Have you all grown rebellious? Not even listening to my words anymore?”
He pointed at the bowl of meat and said in a tone that allowed no argument, “All of you, hurry up and eat! Don’t wait for me. I still have to watch them dig the well. Later I’ll just grab something outside with Wang Erniu and the others.”
“This meat is too good. It won’t taste as good once it gets cold.”
Looking at Xu Lang’s domineering yet caring expression, the four women’s hearts softened completely.
Especially Murong Yanran. She turned her head aside, unwilling to let Xu Lang see the faint redness on her cheeks, yet she still muttered softly, “Who needs you to care…”
Xu Lang ignored her and strode out.
In his heart, he calculated silently.
Murong Yanran’s favorability had reached 95. Li Xiuzhi’s had also reached 95.
Just one final push remained.
Two more big gift packs would be coming soon.
“Please don’t let it be Constitution Enhancement again…” Xu Lang wailed inwardly.
If he became any stronger, forget one Murong Yanran. Even if all four wives came at him together, they would probably be defeated and end up crying for mercy.
…
Digging a well was much faster than building a house.
With Xu Lang, this so-called “God-Level Engineer,” pinpointing the location accurately and directing properly, and with Wang Erniu and the other men full of meat and brimming with strength, progress was swift.
In just over half a day, accompanied by a loud cheer, a stream of spring water bubbled up from the bottom of the well.
At first, the water was muddy.
As it continued to flow, it gradually became clear.
“It’s water! There’s really water!”
Wang Erniu and the others threw down their tools, jumping and shouting in excitement.
After lunch, everyone left in satisfaction.
He poured the remaining rabbit heads and wild vegetable soup from the pot into a broken clay jar and stuffed it into Wang Erniu’s hands. “Erniu, take this back for your wife and children to taste.”
Wang Erniu looked at the steaming clay jar, and his eyes instantly turned red.
Xu Lang then stuffed another one kilogram of white flour into Wang Erniu’s hands.
“B-Brother Lang… this… I can’t take this. Your family also…”
“Cut the nonsense!” Xu Lang slapped him on the back. “We grew up together running around in open-crotch pants. Why are you being polite with me? Take it!”
Over the years, Wang Erniu had helped him a lot.
If Wang Erniu had not been starving down to skin and bones himself with nothing to eat, he would never have let Xu Lang go hungry.
Xu Lang paused, then added, “Tomorrow I’ll head into the mountains again. You come with me and learn some hunting skills.”
Wang Erniu could not hold back any longer. A man nearly 2.3 meters tall burst into tears.
He said nothing more, only nodded heavily, hugged the clay jar tightly, and walked away, turning back again and again as he left.
…
Night fell.
After a long day of work, Xu Lang returned to the newly built wooden house and immediately smelled an enticing aroma of meat.
He walked into the main room and saw a dim oil lamp lit on the table. His four delicate and beautiful wives were sitting upright, waiting for him.
In the center of the table sat the bowl of chicken from noon.
The two plumpest drumsticks had not been touched at all.
“Why haven’t you eaten yet?” Xu Lang asked, half annoyed and half amused.
“We waited for Husband to come back so we could eat together.” Hua Yourong stood up gently and pulled out a stool for Xu Lang.
The softest part of Xu Lang’s heart was struck hard.
This was what home felt like.
He sat down and did not refuse again. “Alright, then tonight we’ll eat together.”
He picked up one drumstick but did not put it into his own bowl. Instead, under the astonished gazes of the four women, he held it up to Xia Zhiruo’s mouth. “Come, Zhiruo, you take the first bite.”
Xia Zhiruo’s face instantly flushed red. She glanced shyly at her elder sisters and shook her head like a rattle drum. “No, no… Husband, you eat…”
“If I tell you to eat, then eat!” Xu Lang said with feigned anger.
Only then did Xia Zhiruo timidly open her small mouth and take a gentle bite. A happy blush spread across her face at once, and her eyes curved into crescent moons.
Xu Lang smiled and then handed the drumstick to Hua Yourong, then to Li Xiuzhi, and finally to Murong Yanran.
Murong Yanran originally wanted to refuse, but under Xu Lang’s unyielding gaze, she still flushed red and awkwardly took a bite.
One drumstick, five people sharing bite by bite, was quickly finished.
The other drumstick was shared the same way.
The atmosphere was warm and tinged with intimacy. New chapters come out on g.com first.
After the meal, Xu Lang cleared his throat. His slightly mischievous eyes moved back and forth between Murong Yanran and Xia Zhiruo. “According to yesterday’s agreement, shouldn’t it be our Zhiruo’s turn tonight?”
Boom.
Xia Zhiruo’s face instantly turned so red it seemed it could drip blood. She nervously twisted the corner of her clothes, lowered her head, and let out a soft “Mm,” her voice barely louder than a mosquito’s hum, yet filled with expectation.
“Shameless. All you think about all day is this sort of thing!” Murong Yanran spat lightly, though a faint sourness rose in her heart.
Last night, this man had tormented her until she felt half-dead, and today he was already lively and thinking about someone else again.
Was he made of iron?
“The men of our empire all died in battle. The royal authority distributes wives to encourage childbirth, right?” Xu Lang said seriously. “So your husband is not vulgar. I am willingly exhausting myself for the sake of our empire!”
“Bah!” Murong Yanran spat again, not believing him at all, her face red down to her neck.
Hua Yourong was the same.
Li Xiuzhi’s cheeks were as red as if they could bleed.
Only Xia Zhiruo looked at him with admiration, her pretty face lifted and eyes sparkling. “Husband is so great. I want to give Husband children…”
Just as the warm and ambiguous atmosphere deepened—
Knock. Knock knock.
A hurried and forceful knock at the door shattered the quiet inside the house.
Everyone in the room froze.
Who would come at this hour?
“I’ll go take a look.” Xu Lang frowned and stood up, walking toward the door.
He pulled back the latch and opened the wooden door.
Outside, a dark figure collapsed straight into his arms.
A thick smell of blood rushed into his nose.
Xu Lang instinctively caught the person and looked closely. His pupils shrank sharply.
It was Wang Erniu.
He was covered in blood. A deep knife wound on his chest exposed bone, and half of a blood-soaked wooden stick was embedded in his abdomen. He looked like a walking mass of blood.
“B-Brother Lang…”
Using his last bit of strength, Wang Erniu gripped Xu Lang’s arm tightly. Blood kept spilling from his mouth.
“Run… hurry… run…”
“Zhao Dahu… he wants to kill you…”
After saying that, his head tilted to one side, and he completely lost consciousness.