Having said this, Qi Yuze could only shake his head, but Mu Simiao’s earlier words had given him some comfort, so much so that his attitude toward Liu Haoxuan had improved considerably.
However, Qi Yuze was not one to let himself be bullied. He looked at Liu Haoxuan, his words laced with sarcasm: “Since you’re a younger brother, it’s only right to visit more often. But our humble alley and shabby room don’t seem to have an extra bed to spare.”
Mu Simiao had forgotten this detail. There was only one Qingzhuan Caofang (Blue Brick Cottage) in the house, and naturally, only one bed. Fortunately, the temperature wasn’t too low, so she took the initiative to say, “Yuze, help me find a mattress. I’ll sleep outside the room. You two can sleep on the bed with Yue’er.”
In Mu Simiao’s view, men sleeping together was perfectly normal, but the expressions on their faces were quite telling.
“Mu Jiejie, let the older brother sleep inside with the little girl. I’m young and full of energy; it’s no problem for me to sleep in the yard.” Liu Haoxuan’s words sounded considerate, but as a guest, Mu Simiao couldn’t let him sleep in the yard.
“Mu Niang, how about I clear a space inside the room for the younger brother to stay?” The single room was small, and though Mu Simiao felt it was somewhat inappropriate, there was truly no other way, especially since the two seemed reluctant to sleep together.
“Then I’ll trouble you, Yuze.” Mu Simiao smiled at Qi Yuze. As he entered the room, Liu Haoxuan leaned in closer, clutching her sleeve. “Is the older brother angry? I didn’t mean to cause trouble between you and him.”
“He’s not that petty. He genuinely wants you to stay in the room, and he’ll set up a partition, so don’t worry.” Mu Simiao thought Liu Haoxuan was concerned about privacy. Qi Yuze was gentle and considerate and would surely think of that.
After finishing a plate of fried pancakes, Mu Simiao washed and put away the used plates and bowls. When she looked up, Liu Haoxuan was playing with Yue’er, and for a moment, the yard was filled with laughter.
As Mu Simiao finished washing the bowls and walked into the yard, Qi Yuze happened to step out. She looked up and asked, “Is it done?”
Qi Yuze nodded to her, and Mu Simiao immediately patted Liu Haoxuan’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go inside and take a look.”
In the spot where the table had been, a layer of bedding was spread out. The table was set upright, blocking the bedding completely. Just as Mu Simiao had thought, Qi Yuze was indeed very thoughtful.
“How is it? Are you satisfied?” Mu Simiao looked at Liu Haoxuan. His expression was normal, not particularly excited, but after her question, he forced a smile. “Yes, it looks comfortable.”
“As long as you’re satisfied.” With one worry resolved, Mu Simiao left the room, went to the kitchen to fetch a shovel, and then crouched on the ground to dig up the sprouted vegetable seedlings and transplant them to another spot.
Qi Yuze was busy organizing the account books, so Liu Haoxuan took the opportunity to move closer to Mu Simiao and crouch beside her, trying to take the tender sprouts from her hand. “Mu Jiejie, can you teach me how to transplant them?”
Transplanting wasn’t difficult, and with free labor offering to help, Mu Simiao didn’t refuse. “It’s quite simple. Let me demonstrate first.”
She took the tender sprouts to the other side. The soil, watered a few days earlier, was soft and easy to dig. She made a hole, placed the sprout with its soil into the hole, covered it with dirt, and then scooped water from the bucket to pour over the roots.
“Can you understand how to do it this way?” Mu Simiao brushed the soil off her hands and looked at Liu Haoxuan, who nodded vigorously. When taking the sprout from her, he deliberately brushed his knuckles against her hand.
Mu Simiao didn’t pay much attention to it, as incidental contact when passing objects was unavoidable. She watched as Liu Haoxuan skillfully dug holes, dropped in the sprouts, and watered the soil—his movements fluid and seamless.
“Not bad, you seem quite proficient,” she praised. Hearing this, Liu Haoxuan narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Yes, I often help my mother with vegetable planting at home, so I’m quite familiar with these tasks.”
It seemed Liu Haoxuan was quite capable. After that, they worked in silence, focusing on transplanting the remaining sprouts. Working together was indeed faster than working alone—in less than two hours, the soil on the other side of the yard was filled with vegetable sprouts.
As the sky gradually darkened, it was time to start preparing tomorrow’s Sour Jujube Drink in advance. However, the recipe for Sour Jujube Drink was her secret formula and couldn’t be revealed to Liu Haoxuan. Yet he lingered by her side, claiming he wanted to help.
“No need, it’s just one bucket. I can manage on my own,” Mu Simiao said, waving to Qi Yuze. When he approached, she gently pushed Liu Haoxuan toward him. “The fish pond in the field needs more fish food. Yuze, take Haoxuan to feed them. I’ll stay home to prepare the Sour Jujube Drink.”
Worried he might not catch her hint, Mu Simiao deliberately winked at him and glanced at the dried jujubes in her hand.
Qi Yuze understood her meaning. He bent down to pick up Yue’er and turned to Liu Haoxuan. “Indeed, Haoxuan probably hasn’t seen how fish fry are raised. Why don’t I take you to have a look?”
Liu Haoxuan wasn’t foolish—he could tell Mu Simiao was intentionally sending him away. Instead of stubbornly clinging to her, he turned to Qi Yuze. “Then I’ll trouble you, brother.”
Only after the two had left did Mu Simiao feel at ease to prepare the Sour Jujube Drink. Her movements were much more skilled than last time, with far fewer mistakes.
By the time the two returned to the yard, Mu Simiao had already finished making the Sour Jujube Drink. She had left the pot open to cool while she prepared ingredients for dinner.
Hearing movement outside the door, she looked up and happened to see Qi Yuze hurriedly carrying Yue’er into the inner room, his emotions unclear. Puzzled, she was about to step forward when Liu Haoxuan blocked her path.
“Mu Jiejie, feeding the fish was so fun! Can I go feed them again tomorrow?”
Mu Simiao’s gaze was fixed on the inner room, with no attention to spare for Liu Haoxuan’s words. Hearing him, she merely nodded twice in a perfunctory manner, then gently pushed him aside. “Wait a moment, I need to check inside.”
With that, she bypassed Liu Haoxuan and stepped into the room. Qi Yuze was using a handkerchief to wipe his tears. Hearing her enter, he nervously turned away, trying to hide his emotions.
Mu Simiao’s brow furrowed deeply. Her first action was to close the door and bolt it shut. She hurried to the bedside but, afraid of waking Yue’er, moved quietly. She pulled Qi Yuze’s arm, drawing him aside. “What’s wrong?”This servant is fine,” he said, though the sob in his voice was unmistakably real. Mu Simiao tightened her grip on his arm, leaning closer to study his face. “Tell me the truth.”
Qi Yuze stole a glance at her, remaining silent for a long moment before whispering, “Haoxuan said… you’ve already spoken with his mother about marrying him. He said we need to learn to get along well…”
“I only mentioned taking him home to recuperate, but I never expected Liu Haoxuan to misunderstand so deeply, even saying such things to Qi Yuze,” Mu Simiao sighed heavily and explained to him, “Haoxuan misinterpreted my intention. I merely brought him home to recover. Once he’s fully recuperated, I’ll send him back. In this lifetime, I only have you and Yue’er.”