Qin Xian grew alert. “Who’s going to make it?”
“Me, of course.”
Qin Xian said flatly, “Let’s see it done first.”
Li Yingtang frowned in displeasure. She didn’t believe her? Fine—if it sold, he wouldn’t get a share of the money anyway!
Nearly an hour of busy work passed.
Li Yingtang was freezing all over and had no choice but to climb down from the tree. She saw Qin Xian had already packed the hawthorns into a bag. She walked over and grabbed a handful—each one round and fragrant—just about to praise him.
A faint “gag-gag” sound drifted over.
“I set a trap by the lake. It must be something caught,” Li Yingtang said, turning and running toward the lakeside.
Qin Xian couldn’t help reminding her, “Be careful not to fall.”
Li Yingtang’s eyes lit up. “Are you worried about me?”
Qin Xian: “…” Silence.
At the trap, Li Yingtang eagerly pushed aside the dry grass and found a wild duck with gray-brown feathers caught by its leg. It flapped its wings desperately, trying to escape.
She crouched down and yanked it out, lifting it high in triumph. “Xian, look! It’s so fat. Tomorrow we’ll make hot pot. I catch it, you kill it—we make a great team. Work won’t feel tiring.”
Then she lowered her voice. “Duck duck, make sure you see clearly who kills you—it’s him, not me.”
Qin Xian’s hearing was sharp. His eye twitched at her words. So the dirty work was all pushed onto him—what kind of wife was this?
Li Yingtang continued, “If there’s one duck, there must be eggs. Don’t rush off yet—let’s follow its tracks and look around.”
Qin Xian said meaningfully, “You know a lot. Not like an ordinary village girl.”
Li Yingtang tilted her head. “Huh? That counts as unusual? Isn’t that common sense?” Probably only this bookish guy didn’t know.
At such a young age, he had already finished his studies and started working—he must have spent all his time studying.
Qin Xian: “…”
Not long after, Li Yingtang found a duck nest hidden in a grass hollow covered by snow.
She counted them—nine eggs in total.
She said happily, “We’ve got good luck. So much food in one night. Tomorrow, cook noodles and give me a poached egg.”
Qin Xian’s face darkened. “Give you? Who’s serving who?”
Li Yingtang quickly adjusted. “You’re the head of the family, my pillar, and a top student. Capable people do more work.”
Qin Xian: “…”
Such pretty words—but in the end, wasn’t he still the one serving her?
Back at their place, they buried the persimmons and hawthorns in the snow for storage and put the duck in the kitchen.
“Where do we put the eggs? Won’t they freeze?” she asked.
“There’s a cardboard box under the bed. Put some straw inside.”
Li Yingtang rubbed her stiff, frozen hands. “I’m a bit sleepy. I want to rest. Are you sleeping with me?”
She had observed that the house had several rooms and beds, but not enough bedding.
Qin Xian’s pupils shook. “Unmarried people cannot share a room. I’ll sleep in the clinic.”
“When are we getting married? We can just live together first and register later.”
Qin Xian: “…What? Marriage isn’t child’s play. There’s no rush.”
But Li Yingtang was rushing. If he returned to his hometown and exposed her, she’d be finished.
Without an identity, what would she do?
Would he drive her away?
“I’m worried you’ll catch a cold. If you get sick, who will I rely on? Or are you afraid I have ulterior motives? Don’t worry—I won’t touch you without permission.”
Qin Xian: “…”
What kind of logic was that? Wasn’t she the one at a disadvantage?
“This is not open for discussion,” he said firmly.
Li Yingtang secretly pouted and mimicked him under her breath, “This is not open for discussion. Who’s even discussing with you?”
“What are you muttering about?”
“Nothing. I’m going to wash up.”
She shamelessly used his spare toothbrush. While rinsing, she met his eyes and smiled. “Found it in your box, hehe.”
A thought flashed through Qin Xian’s mind. He suspected she had rummaged through his belongings while the door was closed, possibly learning his private information.
Not wanting him to question her, Li Yingtang yawned. “I’m so sleepy. If you’re not staying, I’ll sleep first.”
She quickly washed up, crawled into bed, and covered her head. The rustling sound soon faded.
She peeked out—everything was dark. The light was off. Had he left?
Really gone?
Not staying?
So proper, huh.
She liked that even more.
Smelling the faint soap scent on the bedding, she thought over the day’s events and tossed and turned until deep into the night before falling asleep.
She was awakened by knocking on the door.
“Li Yingtang, wake up.”
She opened her eyes. The room was completely dark, only faint moonlight leaking through the window.
Damn it.
Using her feelings for him however he wanted.
“Waking people up in the middle of the night—are you a thief?”
After a moment of silence outside, a cold young voice came through. “Aren’t we going to the market?”
“…Huh? Isn’t it too early in the middle of the night?”
“Are you coming or not?”
“I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”
After dozing for five minutes and realizing she couldn’t fall back asleep, Li Yingtang got dressed and went out.
Qin Xian was already gone.
Remembering she had spoken to him harshly earlier, she nervously knocked on the clinic door next door.
“Xian… are you mad at me? I wasn’t targeting you. I was just half-asleep and spoke badly. I’m sorry. You’re still coming with me, right? I’m new here and don’t know the way. What if I get tricked on the road and then you won’t have a wife anymore?”
In truth, she could go alone and ask for directions, but she didn’t know if she had enough money from selling persimmons to buy a new padded coat.
If he didn’t go, who would she rely on?
A soft sigh came from inside. “Cooking in the kitchen.”
Li Yingtang felt ashamed. She had scolded him, and he was still making breakfast for her.
She really hadn’t misjudged him.
She walked in quickly. Qin Xian was frying the duck eggs they had picked up last night, with a vegetable pancake beside them.
Just the smell was appetizing.
She praised him generously. “You’re so capable. Meeting you is the blessing I earned in my past life.”
“Eat your food.”
Li Yingtang: “…”
Not impressed?
After breakfast, Qin Xian cleaned the kitchen while Li Yingtang secretly watched him and packed persimmons into a sack. Under his cold gaze, she said softly, “I don’t have a job. I live off you and eat your food, so I want to do something within my ability to lighten your burden. Selling persimmons is the best option right now.”
Qin Xian said nothing.
Taking that as permission, she picked out the best persimmons, loaded them onto a handcart from the storage room, and boldly told him to push it.
They walked against the cold wind southward until dawn, finally reaching the market.
It was lively—stalls everywhere, people coming and going.
Li Yingtang stared at the simple sign reading “Changkou Township Farmers’ Market” in disbelief.
They had walked three hours just to reach the township.
How far was the city, then?
Qin Xian glanced at her. “If you had come ten minutes earlier, there wouldn’t have been so many people.”
She really was slow—brushing her teeth, washing her face, eating at a snail’s pace, and delaying everything.
Li Yingtang thought for a moment and made a decision. “Wait for me here.”
She went into the market to check prices.
Frozen persimmons were all priced at one cent each, most of them inferior to hers in quality.
Candied hawthorn skewers were two cents each, hawthorn cakes three and a half cents for a palm-sized piece.
Vegetables were cheap—cabbage and radish cost almost nothing.
Meat and eggs were expensive and required ration tickets.
After memorizing the prices, she walked out calmly. “Xian, do you know where the residential area is?”
“Just past the market.”