Su Qianqian met Lu Ye’s gaze and felt as if she had been scalded, hurriedly lowering her head in a fluster to avoid his eyes.
Lu Ye had originally only intended to tease Su Qianqian, hoping to ease her constant worries and help her relax, while also testing the waters.
However, upon seeing Su Qianqian’s reaction, he felt a pang of disappointment, and the fiery look in his eyes instantly dimmed.
Still, he didn’t blame Su Qianqian. Instead, he felt he had been too hasty.
A man in his early twenties, yet he had gotten carried away just because Su Qianqian was no longer as afraid of him as she had been at first.
Just as he was feeling dejected, wondering how to steer the conversation away from this topic, he heard Su Qianqian softly utter an “Mm.”
Her voice was so faint it was almost inaudible. If not for Lu Ye’s sharp hearing, he would have missed it entirely.
The dimness in Lu Ye’s eyes immediately brightened, and as if afraid Su Qianqian might change her mind, he quickly sealed the deal.
“Alright, it’s settled then. Once I return, we’ll consummate our marriage!”
Su Qianqian…
Suddenly, she felt a twinge of regret. What was going on?
Naturally, Lu Ye wouldn’t give Su Qianqian a chance to regret it. After saying those words, he cheerfully picked up the wooden basin and went outside to clean the wild rabbit.
Left alone in the kitchen, Su Qianqian was momentarily dazed. But after glancing at the empty little kitchen, she collected herself and began preparing the meal.
Although she had memories of how to use the earthen kitchen stove, Su Qianqian still ended up in a bit of a mess. Fortunately, she managed to light the fire successfully and steam the rice.
By the time Lu Ye returned after handling the rabbit meat, he saw Su Qianqian squatting nearby, peeling potatoes.
He first placed the rabbit meat on the kitchen stove, then went to help Su Qianqian. But as he approached, he realized that his once fresh and lovely young bride had now turned into a pitiful little thing with ash smeared all over her face.
He couldn’t help but chuckle, wiping the ash from Su Qianqian’s face as he said:
“What have you been doing? How did you get it all over your face?”
Su Qianqian blushed in embarrassment. Afraid that Lu Ye might notice something amiss, she quickly explained:
“I’m still not very familiar with this kitchen, so things aren’t going smoothly. It’ll get better after a few more tries.”
Lu Ye didn’t think much of it. Glancing at their makeshift little kitchen, he pondered for a moment and said:
“Now that I have a wife, this kitchen is a bit too small. When I have some free time in the coming days, I’ll rebuild a bigger one so it’ll be more convenient for you.”
Su Qianqian hadn’t expected Lu Ye to think in that direction and wanted to explain that she hadn’t meant it that way. But before she could speak, the half-peeled potato in her hand was taken by Lu Ye.
“You must be tired from walking so much this morning. Don’t squat here anymore—go rest for a while. Your husband will take care of this.”
Su Qianqian was indeed quite tired, but in this era, women were expected to support their husbands and raise children, while men typically stayed out of the kitchen.
Now that she was someone’s wife, and he provided for her food and shelter, she ought to cook and wash for him. How could she slack off just because she had walked a bit?
But Lu Ye gave her no chance to refuse. Seeing her unmoved, he smiled and asked:
“Are your legs numb? Do you need me to carry you to rest?”
As he spoke, he made a move as if to pick her up.
“No, no need!”
Su Qianqian hurriedly stood up in a fluster. Seeing Lu Ye still staring straight at her, his gaze making her feel uneasy all over, she quickly turned and ran to sit at the wooden dining table.
Lu Ye watched Su Qianqian dart away like a startled rabbit and couldn’t help but chuckle. However, he didn’t tease her further, instead quickly handling the ingredients in his hands.
After the two finished their meal, Lu Ye explained the location of the house keys and various items to Su Qianqian.
Then, under Su Qianqian’s worried gaze, he picked up his hunting tools and left the house.
Before leaving, he pulled Su Qianqian, who had come to see him off, into a fierce kiss, reminding her not to forget what she had promised him—he would make good on it when he returned.
Su Qianqian naturally knew what Lu Ye was referring to. With his antics, even her worries were momentarily forgotten.
She only wished Lu Ye would leave faster. If he didn’t go soon, her little heart wouldn’t be able to handle the overload.
After Lu Ye left, Su Qianqian found herself with nothing to do. Following memories from her past life, she went inside to look for the clothes Lu Ye had changed out of but hadn’t yet washed.
Lu Ye’s worn clothes were all placed in a large bamboo basket in the small room. Most of his clothes were made of coarse or hemp cloth, simple and rough in craftsmanship, lacking any aesthetic appeal—this was what most farmhands here typically wore.
However, Lu Ye had a good physique. Even in such ordinary hemp clothing, it couldn’t hide his hormone-filled charm.
Now, the clothes still carried the faint scent of sweat from the man.
Back in school, Su Qianqian had occasionally passed by male classmates after basketball games and caught whiffs of their sweat. Most of it smelled unpleasant, even a bit overpowering.
But the scent on Lu Ye’s clothes didn’t disgust her. Instead, it felt rugged and masculine.
Su Qianqian couldn’t help but recall Lu Ye chopping wood shirtless in the morning, the sweat droplets sliding from his chest muscles down to his abs, and then…
Realizing what she was thinking, Su Qianqian quickly shook her head, silently scolding herself for being such a fool.
After tidying herself up a bit, she picked up the wooden basin filled with Lu Ye’s clothes and headed out.
Daoxiang Village was nestled within Mangbei Mountain, where several streams and rivers flowed. Not far from their home was a small stream.
The upper reaches of the stream were used for fetching water for cooking, so no one went there to wash clothes.
The lower reaches, however, were where women usually washed clothes and men processed animal hides.
By the time Su Qianqian arrived alone at the stream with her wooden basin, several women were already there washing clothes and chatting.
When they saw Su Qianqian, their laughter paused slightly, and their gazes turned scrutinizing.
Although Su Qianqian had memories from her past life, she still felt somewhat uneasy.
People in this era strongly believed in ghosts and spirits, and with Lu Ye not home, she felt less secure.
Worried that someone familiar with her might notice something off and label her a demon, she kept her head down, lips pressed together, and silently found a secluded spot for herself.
The others, seeing this, began whispering among themselves again, all the while glancing over at Su Qianqian and occasionally letting out a few laughs, which made her even more uncomfortable.
She gritted her teeth, silently steeling herself, trying to ignore their presence as she kept her head down and scrubbed her clothes vigorously.
But just as she tried to pretend they weren’t there, they insisted on striking up a conversation with her.
A woman called out to her and asked:
“I say, Su girl, you just got married yesterday, how come you’re already out here washing clothes today?”
Before Su Qianqian could grasp what the woman meant, another chimed in:
“That’s right! I thought your man looked so rough and wild, I figured you’d have a hard time during the consummation of marriage. But now it seems like maybe he’s all looks and no substance, huh?”