Chapter 53: The Ugly Ger’s Farming Story

Li Changfeng took out the bow and arrows that Xu Qing had used last time from his backpack. Right in front of Xu Qing, he set up his posture and aimed at the target. “Swish!” The arrow shot into the rabbit that was hopping around just moments ago, twitched a few times, and then fell silent.

Xu Qing stared in astonishment at the rabbit brought back by Li Changfeng. “You can hunt?!” Li Changfeng pulled the arrow out of the rabbit and placed the rabbit back into the backpack. “I had some training when I joined the military camp. I could only shoot small things. For larger game, you need traps.”

“Tsk tsk, I didn’t expect you to have some skills,” Xu Qing jokingly patted Li Changfeng’s shoulder. Li Changfeng continued leading Xu Qing forward without mentioning that he himself used to think that learning archery would allow him to hunt, but in the end, he resorted to begging for food. That’s why he secretly went to observe the formal military training after the short training period.

Not long after, Li Changfeng’s backpack gained an additional half-kilogram-sized peasant! It was truly an unexpected surprise. Xu Qing had been craving chicken for a long time. But what surprised him even more was that he accidentally stumbled upon a piece of ebony wood!

Ebony, possessing the elegance of wood and the hardness of stone, is known as the “Eastern Divine Wood” and the “Plant Mummy.” It is formed when plants and other organisms on the ground are buried in ancient riverbeds and other low-lying areas due to earthquakes, floods, and mudslides. The submerged trees, under anaerobic and high-pressure conditions, undergo thousands of years of carbonization due to the action of bacteria and other microorganisms, resulting in ebony, also known as “carbonized wood.” Throughout history, ebony has been used as a talisman to ward off evil spirits and to create crafts, Buddha statues, and amulets. As the ancients said, “Having half a square of ebony at home is worth more than a box of treasures.”

“Changfeng! We don’t need to look for anything else. Let’s bring this!” Xu Qing was overjoyed. This was genuine, untouched ebony! Li Changfeng walked over and took a look. He couldn’t understand why Xu Qing was so excited about this pitch-black piece of wood. Nevertheless, he obediently took out the rope from the backpack and tied it around the ebony. Xu Qing took the backpack and put it on his back, and the two of them headed down the mountain. It wasn’t too late in the day, and the nights were also relatively warm.

In the evening, after hesitating between the rabbit and the wild chicken for a while, Xu Qing decided to preserve the rabbit by putting it in the well and dealt with the peasant. He swiftly scooped up the hot water Li Changfeng had prepared and asked him to handle the peasant while he himself sliced the old ginger into thin strips and prepared some Sichuan peppercorns.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

After Li Changfeng finished handling the peasant, he gave the organs to Xiaobao to eat for dinner. He washed the cleaned peasant outside before carrying it into the kitchen.

“You have strong hands. Cut it into small, evenly-sized pieces. They should be roughly the same size, or else the cooking time might vary,” Li Changfeng instructed.

Li Changfeng took the knife and quickly cut the peasant into pieces slightly larger than the size of a thumb. Then he went to start the fire. Once the water in the pot was hot, Xu Qing placed the cut peasant pieces into the pot and boiled them for a few minutes. After removing the peasant and draining the water, Xu Qing heated the oil in the pot. He then added the cooked peasant pieces and stir-fried them until the meat became tender and slightly golden. Next, he added a little water, followed by ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns, continuously stir-frying. Finally, he covered the pot and let it simmer for a few more minutes before adding salt. The hot and fragrant braised peasant was ready!

Xu Qing and Li Changfeng enjoyed the meal, their mouths full of oil. Especially Xu Qing, his stomach was so full and round that he gently rubbed it. Leaning against the kitchen door, he watched Li Changfeng wash the dishes. Both his mind and body were filled with a sense of satisfaction.

After finishing the dishes, Li Changfeng prepared a foot bath for Xu Qing, squatting down to wash his feet while Xu Qing sat there. Xu Qing’s feet were tickled by Li Changfeng’s calloused hands, and he would occasionally lift his foot and dodge, only to be caught again by Li Changfeng. “Ah, these days, I feel like I’ve gained a lot of weight, and I’m eating more and more.”

With one hand rubbing his stomach and the other touching his slightly chubby chin, Xu Qing felt a little uneasy. It seemed like he was getting fat!

Li Changfeng carefully washed Xu Qing’s feet and upon hearing his words, his heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Xu Qing’s round belly, suddenly remembering something, and a glint appeared in his eyes! It had been over a month since they got married, so if there was any good news, it would be about time!

The thought that there might already be a result of their love growing in Xu Qing’s belly made Li Changfeng more and more excited. He became more cautious while washing Xu Qing’s feet, fearing that he might wash him too hard. But the gentler his touch, the itchier Xu Qing felt, and he laughed, saying, “It’s so itchy! It’s so itchy! Stop washing! Haha!”

Li Changfeng saw Xu Qing laughing so much that his body almost leaned back. Immediately, he wiped Xu Qing’s feet clean and didn’t bother putting on his shoes. He simply picked up the shoes, carried Xu Qing into the room, and placed him on the bed. Carefully, he covered him with a blanket and affectionately kissed Xu Qing’s cheek. “You stay here, I’ll go freshen up.” Li Changfeng decided to observe whether Xu Qing showed any symptoms of being pregnant before going to see a doctor. Otherwise, it would all be in vain. Li Changfeng didn’t want Xu Qing to be disappointed along with him. (Xu Qing: “…………”)

After Li Changfeng left, Xu Qing rubbed his belly in confusion. What’s wrong with this person? He feels strange all the time. Could it be… Xu Qing touched his chin again. Did he really gain weight?!

In the following days, Li Changfeng first used other pieces of wood to practice making the little wooden dolls that Xu Qing had taught him. After practicing for two days, he gradually began making them with ebony. Once the human figures were formed, Xu Qing asked Li Changfeng to carve some contours on them so that the two little dolls weren’t plain anymore. Instead, they wore a pair of wedding clothes, holding hands and smiling happily in front of them.

On the day when Brother Xie got married, it could be said that the village was bustling with joy. This celebration was even more festive than when Brother Xie married Ma Fugui. Uncle Xie and Xie Ama were filled with tears of joy as they were sent off their beloved son in the sedan chair that Lin Fangliang had brought.

Xu Qing stood by the side, also infected by the festive atmosphere. He looked around, as there were many things he had never seen before. It was Li Changfeng who stayed by his side all the time, shielding him from the crowd, afraid that Xu Qing might stumble.

Xia Yu stood behind Xia Ama with red eyes, watching the wedding procession depart. Even if he couldn’t understand it a thousand or ten thousand times, Lin Fangliang still married Xie Yu. And he, with this unrequited love, what did it mean?

“Why are your eyes red?” Xia Feng approached and glanced at Xia Yu’s red eyes, then smirked. “Is it because you see others getting married twice while you haven’t gotten married yet, and you’re anxious in your heart?”

Xia Feng playfully taunted Xia Yu, expecting him to retort as he had done in the past. However, to his surprise, Xia Yu’s eyes turned red, and tears silently streamed down his face, which startled Xia Feng.

Realizing that Xia Ama was engrossed in a conversation with someone next to him and hadn’t noticed their situation, Xia Feng immediately took the crying Xia Yu out of the courtyard and ran to a less crowded place. “What are you doing? Today is supposed to be a joyous occasion!”

Instead of stopping his tears upon hearing his words, Xia Yu cried even harder at the mention of a “joyous occasion,” leaving Xia Feng at a loss. “What’s wrong with you?” Although they often quarreled, they were still brothers, and Xia Feng felt uneasy seeing Xia Yu cry like that.

“Who told you to say that I won’t find a partner! I’m crying to show you!” Xia Yu sobbed, providing his reason. Xia Feng breathed a sigh of relief; he thought it was something else. “Alright, alright, I was wrong. Next time I come back from town, I’ll bring your favorite pastries!”

Xia Yu wiped his eyes with a handkerchief in a haphazard manner. “I’m going back home.” Xia Feng quickly nodded. Returning home in such a state, who knows how others might interpret it? It was hard for him to see his own brother crying, let alone a stranger. What kind of situation was this?

***

Xie Yu sat in the newly decorated room, wearing a red robe, patiently waiting for Lin Fangliang. Not long after, Lin Fangliang, with a strong smell of alcohol, opened the door to the new room. He looked at Xie Yu, sitting on the bed and waiting for him, and felt a strong surge of emotions. Despite missing each other for five years, they never expected to have the chance to continue their marital bliss.

Xie Yu watched as Lin Fangliang, dressed in wedding attire and looking even more handsome, stared at him without moving. However, when he smelled the strong scent of alcohol in the room, he furrowed his brows uncomfortably. Seeing his reaction, Lin Fangliang raised his sleeve to sniff and realized the intensity of the smell.

“I’m going to take a shower! Wait for me!” He hastily ran out, not even bothering to close the door. Xie Yu had no choice but to stand up, open the windows for some fresh air, and then close them after a while. He then took off his red robe and changed into the light and comfortable clothes specially made by Xia Ama for him.

Lin Fangliang finished showering and realized that Xie Yu hadn’t eaten anything all day. Suppressing his urgency, he went to the kitchen, heated up some food, and brought it into the new room. At that moment, Xie Yu was tidying up the wedding clothes that were taken off and placing them aside. The snow-white, lightweight, and loose-fitting clothes accentuated Xie Yu’s slender and enticing figure, making Lin Fangliang’s eyes heat up even more.

Xie Yu finished arranging the clothes and wondered why Lin Fangliang hadn’t made a sound after entering the room for a while. When he turned his head, he saw Lin Fangliang holding the food, staring at him in a daze!

Xie Yu blushed slightly. Although they had already completed the wedding ceremony, this way of interacting was indeed a first for them.

Lin Fangliang snapped out of his trance and realized that he had been acting foolishly. He quickly placed the food on the table. “Have something to eat. You must be starving after today.” Xie Yu was indeed a bit hungry and nodded. He picked up the chopsticks and started eating. Lin Fangliang, seeing Xie Yu enjoying the food, felt hungry as well. He returned to the kitchen, got another bowl, and had a warm meal together with Xie Yu, their first meal as a couple.

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Thingyan: YESSSSS!!!! Finally got the beauty. Great job!