A ray of sunlight slipped into the room, carrying the crisp freshness of morning. Outside the window, birds chirped cheerfully, filling the air with lively songs.
Inside, Qiao Zilin slowly opened her bright, clear eyes and stared at the unfamiliar canopy above her bed. For a brief moment, she was disoriented. Then everything came rushing back, she had married Long Zhenting yesterday. It had already been more than half a month since she arrived in this world.
She lifted the blanket to get up, only to realize she was completely unclothed. That was not even the main issue. The real problem was her aching waist.
She clenched her teeth inwardly. Animal. It’s like he hasn’t seen a woman in centuries. That stamina is terrifying.
At that moment, she finally understood that the saying about a man capable of going at it endlessly was not just a rumor. Memories from the previous night surfaced in her mind, making her blush so hard she felt she could not face anyone.
It had all started like this.
“Wife, things like this aren’t meant to be read, they’re meant to be practiced.” Long Zhenting had waved that little illustrated booklet in front of her, his lips curling into a teasing smile.
She had completely forgotten about it. Qing Mei had slipped the booklet into her robes, and she had not taken it out. When Long Zhenting undressed her, it had fallen right out.
After flipping through it, he had said, “Wife, we should try every single one of these tonight. And in the future, don’t look at this alone. It’s only interesting if you look at it with your husband, understand?”
What followed was one round after another. That shameless man had insisted on trying everything. It was utterly embarrassing.
As if summoned by her thoughts, the culprit himself appeared.
The door creaked open, and Long Zhenting walked in, carrying a bucket of water in one hand and a food container in the other. “Lin’er, you’re awake. I’ve prepared breakfast and hot water. Soak for a while, it will help ease the soreness.”
The moment Qiao Zilin saw him, her temper flared. “Animal.”
Long Zhenting was not offended at all. He sat down at the edge of the bed with a playful grin and leaned closer. “Didn’t my wife enjoy this ‘animal’ last night? I seem to remember someone calling out until her voice turned hoarse.”
Qiao Zilin immediately raised her fist to hit him, but he caught her wrist effortlessly.
“Trying to beat your husband? Since you still have the strength to fight, perhaps we should continue where we left off before lunch.”
Her eyes burned with anger. “Get out!”
This time, Long Zhenting stopped teasing her. He stood up and quickly left the room.
Only after he had gone did Qing Mei enter. “Miss, let me help you to the bath.”
Qiao Zilin truly needed assistance. The soreness made every step awkward. With Qing Mei supporting her, she finally eased herself into the tub. As the warm water enveloped her, her body gradually relaxed, and the lingering discomfort slowly faded.
She soaked while eating a meat bun and sipping chicken soup. Standing nearby, Qing Mei said softly, “Miss, the Master really cares about you. But I do hope he’ll be gentler next time. Look at all these marks… anyone who didn’t know better would think you were bullied.”
Qiao Zilin glanced at the faint bruises on her skin and thought of Long Zhenting. He likely was not in much better shape. She had not exactly been gentle either.
After soaking for about fifteen minutes, she got dressed and stepped outside.
When she arrived yesterday, she had only caught a brief glimpse of the manor. Now, she wanted to properly look at the place she would be living in.
The first word that came to her mind was desolate.
Their residence was built of grey bricks halfway up a mountain. The courtyard was large, around six hundred square meters, but aside from the weeds being cleared, it was still quite messy. She made a mental note to redesign it later.
Outside the courtyard was a patch of grassland, about three hundred square meters. Looking further down, she saw fruit trees scattered across the slopes, while the flat land below, nearly ten acres, lay completely barren.
She had not understood why her mother-in-law built such high walls around such a large area, but she would later realize it was for protection. The mountains behind were home to wild animals.
As someone from the modern world, Qiao Zilin did not feel discouraged by the emptiness. Instead, her mind immediately began planning how to make use of it.
Then, a crucial memory surfaced.
A disaster.
In her previous life, a massive flood had struck. Around August next year, the southern region would be devastated, forcing countless refugees to flee toward the capital. The greatest shortage would be food. She remembered clearly that grain stores had run completely dry.
Food had to come first. As the saying goes, food is the foundation of life. Since there would be a shortage, she would grow rice. Based on what she had learned from the books, it should be manageable.
Once she made up her mind, she acted immediately.
During dinner that evening, she brought up the idea of planting rice to Long Zhenting.
He had never farmed before and knew nothing about crops. But if his wife wanted to do it, then they would do it. If they lacked knowledge, they could simply hire someone who knew.
“Alright. Shiyi, go buy ten pounds of rice seeds tomorrow.”
Qiao Zilin corrected him at once. “Husband, it’s already June. The rice in the fields is almost ready for harvest. Seeds might not be available. We can go to the village and buy unhusked rice, then select the best grains to use as seeds.”
“Fine. Tomorrow, go to Zhang Family Village and buy ten pounds.”
“Yes, Master,” Shiyi replied.
“And one more thing,” Qiao Zilin added. “Tomorrow we need to prepare a small plot first to grow the seedlings.”
“Wife, leave that kind of work to the men. You only need to give instructions.” Long Zhenting had no intention of letting her suffer. In his mind, she was meant to live comfortably, not toil in the fields.
She glanced at the four men behind Shiyi, named Shier through Shiwu. The naming was unimaginative, but she did not comment. She had already learned that Long Zhenting had saved them, and they had chosen to follow him ever since.
“Husband, what about the large stretch of land below the courtyard? If there are no plans for it, we should use it all to grow grain.”
Long Zhenting nodded. “Have you forgotten, Wife? This is your territory now. You decide everything. If you need manpower, just use them.”
Qiao Zilin did not hesitate. “Then starting tomorrow, the four of you will prepare the fields. Clear the weeds and let them dry, build the ridges, and then flood the land.”
“Yes, Madam!”
The men had no objections. Following their Madam meant good food, and farm work was nothing new to them. They had been helping in the fields since they were children.