Xu Lang and Murong Yanran walked one after the other on the road back to the village. The air between them felt strangely tense.
“Don’t ever do something so foolish again,” Xu Lang said first.
“Who did something foolish?” Murong Yanran shot back stubbornly. Yet her steps unconsciously moved a little closer to him. She snorted and added, “I was… I was just afraid you’d mess things up and we’d all end up suffering because of you!”
Xu Lang did not argue with her. It was only when they reached the courtyard gate that the exhaustion he had held back all night finally rushed over him.
The door creaked open.
“Husband!”
A petite figure rushed out first. It was Xia Zhiruo.
She threw herself straight into Xu Lang’s arms, rubbing her little head against his chest, her voice trembling with tears. “You’re finally back! I was scared to death! I thought… I was so afraid you wouldn’t come back…”
Hua Yourong and Li Xiuzhi hurried out as well. Both of their eyes were red, clearly from staying up the entire night.
Hua Yourong said nothing. She simply stepped forward and carefully examined Xu Lang from head to toe. Only after confirming he had no injuries did she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Li Xiuzhi stood timidly to the side, her large eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at him. The sight made one’s heart ache.
“All right, all right. Didn’t I come back safe?” Xu Lang patted Xia Zhiruo’s back, warmth spreading through his chest.
Xia Zhiruo lifted her head from his arms and noticed Murong Yanran standing behind him. Her little mouth immediately pouted. “Hmph! You were the only one who followed Husband out and left us at home worrying!”
Murong Yanran’s pretty face flushed red. She wanted to argue but could not find the words, so she simply turned her head away.
“Enough. Let’s all go inside.”
Xu Lang took Xia Zhiruo’s hand and led the women back into the house.
Wang Erniu’s death had cast a shadow over the courtyard that had only just begun to feel like a home.
Xu Lang did not want that atmosphere to linger.
He took out a small cloth bundle from his chest. Inside were several black, unremarkable seeds.
[Super Seeds]
“Don’t just stand around. Come help.”
Xu Lang walked to a corner of the courtyard and used a shovel to turn over a small patch of soil.
“Let’s plant these. From now on, we won’t have to worry about running out of food.”
“Husband, what kind of seeds are these? They’re so dark.” Xia Zhiruo leaned closer curiously.
“Something good.”
Xu Lang smiled mysteriously and carefully placed the seeds into the soil.
The women followed his lead and came to help.
Hua Yourong moved skillfully. It was obvious she was used to farm work.
Li Xiuzhi also crouched down and earnestly helped water the soil.
Murong Yanran hesitated for a moment before rolling up her sleeves. Although her movements were awkward, she worked diligently.
Only Xia Zhiruo was clumsy. Either she poured too much water or stepped too hard on the soil, making Xu Lang laugh.
“Silly girl, come here. I’ll teach you.” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Xu Lang took her hand and guided her step by step on how to loosen the soil and how to cover it properly.
Under the sunlight, the women busied themselves around that small patch of land, chatting lively. At last, the courtyard felt alive again.
Watching this scene, the wound in Xu Lang’s heart left by Wang Erniu’s death seemed to be slowly soothed by the warmth before him.
…
Night fell.
The atmosphere at the dinner table felt even more peculiar than during the day.
Xia Zhiruo fidgeted in her seat, her little face flushed. From time to time, she secretly glanced at Xu Lang, then quickly lowered her head and poked at the rice in her bowl.
Murong Yanran wore a cold expression, even her movements while eating carrying a hint of anger.
Hua Yourong and Li Xiuzhi exchanged a look, then silently lowered their heads and continued eating, not daring to speak.
After dinner, Xu Lang cleared his throat.
“Well… Zhiruo.”
Xia Zhiruo’s body trembled. She nearly dropped her bowl.
“According to our agreement, tonight…”
“I… I know!”
Before he could finish, Xia Zhiruo sprang to her feet. With a red face, she mumbled something barely audible and then fled into the main bedroom as if escaping.
“Hmph. Shameless lecher.”
Murong Yanran muttered under her breath, tossing her chopsticks aside before returning to the side bedroom.
Xu Lang rubbed his nose and followed into the main bedroom.
Inside, Xia Zhiruo sat nervously at the edge of the bed, her small hands twisting the corner of her clothes.
“Husband…”
“What are you afraid of?”
Xu Lang sat beside her and pulled her into his arms.
Her body was stiff, yet there was a faint tremor of anticipation.
“Husband… they said… it will hurt…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”
Xu Lang lowered his head and kissed her.
The little girl responded awkwardly, her body going soft in his embrace.
When Xu Lang’s hand slipped into her clothing, he paused slightly.
This girl looked so petite and delicate, yet… she was surprisingly well-endowed.
Truly deceptive with that youthful face… This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Soon, the bed began to creak again.
…
In the side bedroom, the three women lay awake, none of them able to sleep.
The sounds from next door carried over clearly.
First came Xia Zhiruo’s suppressed gasp, then intermittent pleading tinged with tears.
Murong Yanran irritably turned over and pulled the blanket over her head. “Bastard! Zhiruo is still so young! Can’t he be gentler?”
She cursed in frustration, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Yanran, lower your voice.”
In the darkness, Hua Yourong let out a soft sigh. “Husband’s stamina… isn’t something one person can handle.”
She paused, then spoke in an extremely soft tone that still made Murong Yanran and Li Xiuzhi’s hearts skip a beat. “In the future, perhaps we sisters will need to be together to satisfy Husband.”
“As if he deserves that!”
Murong Yanran huffed angrily.
Yet deep down, a strange thought flickered…
“No, Yanran, what are you thinking? Together? That would just make that bastard too happy!”
Murong Yanran scolded herself inwardly.
Li Xiuzhi, lying at the outer edge, felt her entire face burn hot enough to fry an egg. She quickly buried her head under the blanket and even held her breath.
…
Early the next morning.
Xu Lang stepped out of the main bedroom looking refreshed, silently praising the benefits of his eightfold physique.
He walked into the courtyard and stretched broadly. His joints cracked crisply.
Turning his head, he saw Hua Yourong, Murong Yanran, and Li Xiuzhi standing in the courtyard, each with dark circles under their eyes, listlessly boiling water.
A wave of pride rose in Xu Lang’s heart. He deliberately walked over.
“Oh? What’s wrong with you three? Didn’t you again and again and again sleep well last night?”
Hua Yourong and Li Xiuzhi simply flushed red and avoided his gaze.
Only Murong Yanran lifted her head and glared at him fiercely.
With her resentful expression and those dark circles, she looked more amusing than frightening.
Xu Lang chuckled. Leaning close to her, he lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. “Why so angry, my dear?”
“Are you jealous?”
“How about… tonight, the two of us together?”
“In your dreams!”
Murong Yanran instantly exploded. Without hesitation, she swung her delicate fist straight at Xu Lang’s face.
“You shameless bastard! Go to hell!”