As soon as Xu Lang opened his eyes, he saw two pairs of bloodshot eyes on the other side of the partition.
Xia Zhiruo had heavy dark circles under her eyes, her face full of drowsiness.
Murong Yanran looked even worse. Her hair was disheveled, and her whole body radiated irritation, as if nothing pleased her.
Especially when she saw Xu Lang walking out refreshed and full of energy, her resentment deepened even further.
This bastard.
He had been at it all night, so how was he completely fine?
Xu Lang was secretly delighted.
Serves you right for eavesdropping.
He ignored Murong Yanran’s murderous glare and walked to the corner. With a thought, he took out half a pot of rice and a few eggs from the storage space.
He lit a fire and began washing the rice to cook porridge.
Soon, the light fragrance of rice porridge filled the entire hut.
Hua Yourong came out from behind the partition, supporting her sore waist. When she saw Xu Lang busy at work, her pretty face flushed red, and she hurried forward.
“Husband, let me do it.”
Her walking posture was still slightly unnatural, her legs a little weak.
Xu Lang pressed her shoulders down and made her sit, leaning close to her ear with a mischievous smile. “Worn out from last night? Be good and rest. I’ll handle this kind of rough work.”
Hua Yourong’s face turned red all the way to her neck. She was so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the ground.
She lightly tapped Xu Lang, her strength soft and weak, more like a coquettish gesture.
“Husband, you… aren’t you tired?”
“I’m not tired. I can still go again tonight!”
Xu Lang said cheerfully.
On the other side of the partition, Murong Yanran heard every word clearly, grinding her teeth in anger.
Shameless.
So early in the morning, already acting so intimate. What kind of propriety was this?
Xia Zhiruo also ran out with a flushed face. She did not think too much and simply wanted to help.
“Husband, I’ll help you tend the fire!”
She crouched by the simple stove, adding firewood with surprising seriousness, her bright eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Xu Lang.
For a moment, inside the small thatched hut, Xu Lang cooked porridge, Xia Zhiruo tended the fire, and Hua Yourong watched gently from the side.
There was even a hint of warmth, like a home.
Only Murong Yanran sat alone in the corner. Her stomach growled uncontrollably, while her heart was filled with irritation and awkwardness.
Go help?
She could not bring herself to do it.
Just sit there?
Then she would seem like a useless extra.
Her mind waged an intense battle.
Soon, the white porridge was ready, and the eggs were boiled.
Xu Lang served each of them a bowl of porridge and gave each one an egg.
In this famine year, this was supreme delicacy.
Hua Yourong and Xia Zhiruo sipped their porridge in small bites, their faces filled with happiness.
Even Murong Yanran, after smelling the aroma, could not resist hunger and silently picked up her bowl to eat.
Her movements, however, still carried a hint of pride.
After a few bites, Hua Yourong set down her bowl, picked up the egg in front of Xu Lang, and carefully peeled the shell with her slender fingers.
A smooth, tender egg was placed near Xu Lang’s lips.
“Husband, you eat first.”
Her actions were natural, filled with genuine care.
Xu Lang felt warmth in his heart.
This feeling of being taken care of was truly good.
Instead of taking it with his hand, he opened his mouth and took the egg directly, lightly brushing Hua Yourong’s fingertip in the process.
Hua Yourong pulled her hand back as if shocked, her face turning red again.
“An egg peeled by my wife tastes especially good,” Xu Lang said, praising as he ate.
“Smooth talker,” Hua Yourong said softly, though her heart felt sweet.
[Ding! Hua Yourong Favorability +20! Current Favorability: 60 (Deeply Fond of You).]
[Ding! Xia Zhiruo Favorability +10! Current Favorability: 50 (Admiration and Dependence).]
Watching their intimate interaction, Xia Zhiruo’s small face filled with envy. She imitated Hua Yourong, clumsily peeling her own egg, seemingly wanting to give it to Xu Lang as well.
This scene made Murong Yanran even more furious.
Traitors.
Both of them were traitors.
In less than a day, they had already been won over by this rogue.
She angrily stuffed her egg into her mouth and chewed fiercely, as if she were chewing Xu Lang’s flesh.
[Ding! Murong Yanran Favorability +5! Current Favorability: -15 (Disgust Lessened).]
Hm?
Even this proud woman’s favorability increased?
Xu Lang was slightly surprised, then quickly understood.
It seemed that stable food and a secure environment were far more effective than sweet words.
He checked the system panel.
Favorability:
[Hua Yourong Favorability: 60.]
[Xia Zhiruo Favorability: 50.]
[Murong Yanran Favorability: -15.]
Still far from the 1000-point grand draw.
But the 100-point reward was already within reach.
It seemed relying on Hua Yourong and Xia Zhiruo alone was not enough. He had to deal with Murong Yanran, this tough nut.
Just as Xu Lang was thinking about how to deal with his proud third wife, the already shaky wooden door of the hut was kicked open.
“Bang!”
With a loud crash, several unruly villagers barged in, led by Zhao Erhu, the same ruffian who had harassed the women the day before.
They had followed the aroma, wanting to see if Xu Lang had stumbled upon some stroke of luck and found food.
But the moment they entered, they froze.
Inside the hut, three stunning women sat around a man, eating breakfast.
In their bowls was snow-white rice porridge, something they did not even dare dream of.
On the plank lay eggshells already eaten.
Zhao Erhu’s eyes instantly turned red, a mix of jealousy, greed, and hunger.
He stared at Hua Yourong and Murong Yanran’s graceful figures, then at the white porridge in their bowls. His throat bobbed, saliva nearly dripping out.
Why?
Why could Xu Lang, skinny as a monkey, enjoy such fortune?
Not only did he have three fairy-like wives, he even had white rice to eat.
“Xu Lang!”
Zhao Erhu’s voice became sharp and shrill with extreme jealousy.
“You bastard, eating well and living well here, hiding three little beauties, enjoying yourself quite a lot, aren’t you?”
The ruffians behind him surrounded them, their murky eyes roaming shamelessly over the three women, filled with undisguised lust and desire.
The warm atmosphere in the hut shattered instantly.
Hua Yourong and Xia Zhiruo turned pale with fright and instinctively hid behind Xu Lang.
Murong Yanran’s expression turned cold. She stood up abruptly, taking a defensive stance.
Xu Lang slowly put down his bowl and wiped his mouth unhurriedly.
He raised his head and looked calmly at Zhao Erhu, then spoke.
“What is it?”
“Of course there’s something…” Zhao Erhu sneered, pointing at Hua Yourong and Murong Yanran. “I had my eye on these two yesterday! You can’t handle them all alone. How about… sharing them with us brothers for some fun?”
“Hahaha!”
The ruffians burst into laughter.
“If you want to play with women, go home and play with your mother,” Xu Lang replied with a grin, completely unbothered. “Oh, right… you don’t have a mother. My apologies.”