Author Archives: Thingyan

NSFW Begins.

Xu Qing’s entire body was pressed down by Li Changfeng, their hands intertwined and raised above their heads. In the faint light, Li Changfeng could clearly see the two crimson spots on Xu Qing’s chest. Just by looking at them, he felt his mouth dry. Xu Qing’s eyes shimmered with a watery glow, and he slightly lifted his chest, bringing those two points closer to the man’s mouth.

Li Changfeng loved Xu Qing’s sudden burst of passion. He opened his mouth, and his lips and teeth slowly traveled down from the person beneath him, with his tongue touching the small red spot on the left side. He sucked it into his mouth and indulged in wanton play.

The moist and tickling sensation on his chest made Xu Qing involuntarily tilt his head back. Li Changfeng followed his movement and sucked the entire red spot into his mouth, biting it forcefully. Xu Qing bit his lips to suppress the almost escaped moans. The man, who had been paying close attention to his expression, intensified his actions, repeatedly teasing the tip with his tongue and intentionally making “tsk tsk” sounds, as if he wanted to force Xu Qing to make some satisfying sounds.

Gradually, Xu Qing became unsatisfied with the stimulation on one side. He looked at Li Changfeng and silently expressed his desire. Li Changfeng’s eyes flickered, and his other hand moved up from Xu Qing’s waist, gently covering the vacant spot on the other side, softly kneading it. Xu Qing tightly closed his eyes, his lips forming a line, clearly already immersed in the sea of desire created by Li Changfeng.

However, Li Changfeng seemed somewhat unsatisfied with this level of intimacy. He used his other hand to undo his own clothes, pressing against Xu Qing’s body. The sudden contact of their bare skin made Xu Qing even more aroused. He could feel every part of the person on top of him, unlike the softness of Xu Qing’s own body. Li Changfeng, who had been doing farm work for years, had a strong and firm body, not to mention the eight-pack abs that made Xu Qing yearn for them.

It wasn’t until the foreplay was nearly complete that Li Changfeng spread Xu Qing’s legs, encircled his waist, and pressed his hardened member against the already wet entrance. He only entered a little, then pulled back, and then went in a little more. This repeated teasing was driving Xu Qing to the brink of madness.

Xu Qing exerted force with the leg wrapped around Li Changfeng’s waist, pulling him towards himself when Li Changfeng was entering a little further. The satisfaction and slight swelling brought by Li Changfeng’s full penetration made Xu Qing completely forget the fear and loneliness from his dream. This man inside him, the man who merged with him, was heaven’s gift to him, his redemption and solace.

Li Changfeng watched Xu Qing’s face, slightly reddened with desire, as his chest heaved forcefully. He thrust vigorously while leaning in to kiss his lips. “What’s wrong? Can’t wait any longer?” Then, his large hand also slipped under the covers, caressing Xu Qing’s “proud” little brother.

Xu Qing let out a moan and couldn’t help but squeeze Li Changfeng tightly with the leg wrapped around his waist, pushing himself into Li Changfeng’s hand.

Li Changfeng skillfully stroked Xu Qing, gradually and deeply merging with his body. Xu Qing held onto Li Changfeng’s broad shoulders, alternating between tightening and loosening his grip, until he couldn’t resist raising his hand and sliding his fingers into Li Changfeng’s slightly disheveled hair.

Li Changfeng maintained his posture, targeting the sensitive areas inside Xu Qing as he remembered, noticing Xu Qing’s body tensing up. He knew he had found the right spot. With a seductive smile towards Xu Qing, he continued to vigorously thrust into that place.

Xu Qing felt momentarily lost in the presence of the person before him with that wicked smile and lifted his head to plant a kiss on his lips.

Li Changfeng took the opportunity to passionately kiss Xu Qing, layering one intense sensation upon another. The one who was lost in the moment was Xu Qing alone.

NSFW Ends!

***

Ma Fugui woke up in a daze, feeling as if there were tens of kilograms pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

But where was that snoring sound coming from?

“Hmm hmm hmm hmm hoo! Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hoo…” The thunderous snoring sound came from beside Ma Fugui’s ear.

“Did I sleep in a pigsty? Wait, this color doesn’t seem right!” Ma Fugui struggled to open his eyes, and indeed, everything appeared red. “It looks somewhat like the room where I consummated my marriage with Xiaoyu.”

With a “slap,” Ma Fugui let out a miserable scream and sat up, covering his face. “Who are you? Why are you hitting me?”

He saw a big man with excessive flesh, um, no, there was a red birthmark on his forehead. This… was a ger? Turning over, causing the heavily decorated red bed to shake, the person impatiently complained with his voice ringing like a bell, “If I don’t hit you, who else should I hit? It’s early in the morning, and you won’t let people sleep! If you don’t want to sleep, get the hell out!”

Hearing the familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Ma Fugui, who was startled by the ger’s bulky body, felt a strong sense of unease. Stiffly, he lowered his head and tentatively pulled back the covers, looking at his own naked body, then stiffly glanced at the “massive” ger beside him and the surroundings of this unfamiliar room.

Ma Fugui swallowed hard, his trembling hand pushed the person next to him. “You… Ah!!!”

Before Ma Fugui could finish his sentence, an impatient Yang Xiaochun picked him up and threw him out, slamming the door shut. “Get out! Stop dilly-dallying! Useless wimp!”

Naked and thrown to the ground, Ma Fugui winced in pain, gritting his teeth. The Ma family couple, who hadn’t slept all night, heard the commotion and hurriedly rushed out.

“Fugui, my poor Fugui!” Ma Ama helped Ma Fugui up with a pained expression. “That damn Yang Xiaochun! He’s really crossing the line!”

“Yang Xiaochun?!”

Ma Fugui heard the name, and all the pain in his body was forgotten. This name… It couldn’t be that fat, ugly, stingy, and quick-to-violence Yang Xiaochun he was thinking of, right?!

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Old Man Ma covered Ma Fugui with the clothes he had brought and gestured for Ma Ama to get up. He helped Ma Fugui to their room and said, “It’s none other than Yang Xiaochun from the Yang family! I’m telling you! How could you get so drunk and confused like this?” Ma Ama sat down and angrily slapped his thigh, “What kind of misfortune has our family fallen into! Our innocent son didn’t marry well! Instead, he was forcefully wedded to a piece of junk! It would have been better if he remarried that infertile Xie Yu!”

Ma Fugui looked around their room as he made his way back, what was there to be confused about? But now, he couldn’t believe that he had actually married the abandoned Yang Xiaochun! And he still didn’t know how it happened! How he got married! No one had informed him beforehand! How could this be happening?!

“What is going on here? I just went out for a drink, and how did this… sigh!”

Ma Fugui was so angry that he didn’t know which language to use to express it.

Ma Ama yelled after listening, “Don’t mention drinking to me! If you hadn’t drunk! You!” He was struggling to catch his breath, and Old Man Ma hurriedly came forward to comfort his chest. Ma Fugui had a face full of grievances. He was the one kept in the dark about this!

After catching his breath, Ma Ama looked at Ma Fugui’s appearance and felt even more frustrated. What is all this? “If you hadn’t been drunk, how could you, how could you climb into the bed of that fat ger, Yang Xiaochun? You’ve always liked good-looking people! How is it that when you’re drunk, you end up…”

“Me?! I climbed into Yang Xiaochun’s bed?!! Me! I…” Ma Fugui looked incredulous. He knew where the Yang family lived in town, but he didn’t even know where Yang Xiaochun’s bed was! How did he end up in Yang Xiaochun’s bed?!

“What is going on here?! How did I end up in his bed?! And how did I become married to Yang Xiaochun in just one night?!” Ma Fugui’s furious roar couldn’t erase the reminder of the red color that filled the room. He had already become married to the unsightly ger, Yang Xiaochun.

***

Brother Xie was outside the courtyard, drying the laundry. Uncle Xie, who had returned from the market, had a joyful expression on his face.

With a big smile, he opened the courtyard door and came back, “Father, did something good happen here? You’re smiling so happily.”

Uncle Xie put the basket on his back into the kitchen and felt relieved and content after clearing some things. From the moment Brother Xie left home until now, he truly felt at ease.

“Your son is asking you a question! All you do is smile!” Xie Ama held freshly collected eggs in his hands. He intended to take them to the market to sell.

Uncle Xie wore a smile, sat on a stool under the eaves, and slowly began rolling a dry cigarette. “Ma Fugui got married!”

Upon hearing this, Brother Xie paused for a moment in his actions but quickly resumed what he was doing. Xie Ama, on the other hand, gave Uncle Xie a stern look. “What does our family have to do with it? Don’t mention the Ma family to me! Disgusting!”

Uncle Xie took a drag of his dry cigarette and shook his head at Xie Ama. “He really did it this time. He rejected our good son and married that stingy and violent Yang family son from the town. Tsk tsk, unusual taste!”

“The Yang family son?! You mean the one that recently divorced, chubby Yang Xiaochun?” Xie Ama became interested upon hearing that Ma Fugui had married such a person.

Uncle Xie smacked his lips and nodded. “I heard that Ma Fugui got drunk yesterday and somehow ended up sleeping with the Yang family son. The Yang family came to demand an explanation. You know Ma Ama’s personality. He refuses to admit anything and even invited that… that officer from the yamen!”

“You mean Wu San’er!” Xie Ama said with hatred. If it weren’t for him supporting the Ma family from behind, their son wouldn’t have to divorce!

“Yes, yes! That wretched dog! And guess what happened!”

“What is there to guess? Just tell me!”

Uncle Xie rubbed his nose. “Well, it turns out that the Yang family had some connections with that officer from the yamen. In front of Wu San’er and Ma Fugui, the officer directly declared that today was a good day and it’s better to get married sooner rather than later! So, they proceeded with the wedding. Ma Fugui was still asleep while being married off to the Yang family ger.”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Ma Ama: What the hell did their family do to deserve this?

Thingyan: LOL B***h, you did a plenty. Where’s my list of Ma family’s good deeds? Someone take it out, thank you.

“Tomorrow, I’ll go to the town with Lin Fangliang. If there’s anything you want to eat, I’ll bring it back,” Li Changfeng said as he embraced Xu Qing, discussing their plans for tomorrow. He had already discussed it with Lin Fangliang today to eliminate the Ma family’s troubles as soon as possible. Lin Fangliang had been wanting to deal with Ma Fugui for a long time, especially for the sake of Xie Yu. In just two days, he had gathered information about Ma Fugui’s daily routines. There were plenty of ways to deal with him!

Xu Qing shook his head. “There’s nothing to bring back. Why are you thinking of going to the town?”

Li Changfeng tightened his embrace on Xu Qing, and his hands and feet began to wander mischievously. “To help him overcome some small obstacles, wife…”

“Forget about it and go to sleep!”

Xu Qing also needed a day of rest. It wasn’t fair to take advantage of him every day and tire out. Lately, his lack of sleep had caused him to extend his daytime nap.

Li Changfeng reluctantly stopped his hands and slowly massaged Xu Qing’s waist. Surprisingly, this action didn’t provoke any further objections from Xu Qing. Instead, he shifted to the side, making it easier for Li Changfeng to continue.

***

After having breakfast, Ma Fugui headed to a noisy tavern. Today was market day, and he was supposed to go directly to the grocery store. However, during breakfast, one of his good friends came to find him, saying that he had something to discuss and suggested meeting at this tavern they often frequented.

Ma Fugui approached a table where a chubby man was already seated. “Wang Wu, what’s the matter? Why do you have to talk at this time? You better speak quickly. I still need to go to the shop later, and my father alone can’t handle everything.” Due to some rumors, more and more people were gathering at their shop just for the fun of it, without buying anything. Watching a group of gers was also a kind of enjoyment.

Wang Wu grinned, and his round face looked even plumper. “It’s been a while since we gathered like this. The stories about you have been spreading far and wide. Come on, tell me, what’s going on?” He casually filled the cups on the table with alcohol and pushed one in front of Ma Fugui.

Ma Fugui looked at the drink in front of him, feeling tempted. It had been a while since he had enjoyed a proper drink. He thought to himself that with Old Man Ma present in the shop, it wouldn’t be a problem if he had a little. The alcohol wasn’t strong anyway. “When did you become such a gossip-loving guy, just like those gers who enjoy spreading rumors!”

Ma Fugui drank up a bowl of alcohol with gusto. “Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve enjoyed drinking like this! Another one!”

Wang Wu, with his small eyes squeezed in his plump face, watched Ma Fugui finish the bowl of alcohol without leaving a drop, his eyes shining with excitement.

“I’m just concerned about my brother! Come on, come on! Keep drinking!” Wang Wu refilled Ma Fugui’s cup and handed it to him. Ma Fugui was in high spirits and took it directly, drinking it down without noticing that Wang Wu hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol from start to finish.

After a few consecutive bowls, Ma Fugui was already feeling dizzy. “This is strange. On regular days, I can drink several large jars without a problem. But why today, hiccup~, I can’t handle it anymore…”

Wang Wu stood up and pushed Ma Fugui, who was already lying on the table. “Old Ma! Old Ma!” Seeing that Ma Fugui still didn’t react, Wang Wu chuckled and leisurely sat back down. He took out the bulging money pouch from his pocket and kissed it. He had made a fortune this time!

Li Changfeng returned home in the afternoon. He bought some snacks that Xu Qing liked and also prepared a piece of pork belly and a slab of pork. The oil in the house was running low, so they needed to make some more.

Xu Qing ate the snacks and watched Li Changfeng cooking the oil. “Tell me, what did you do in the town? You’re in such a good mood.”

Li Changfeng smiled at the question. “I introduced a wife to Ma Fugui, someone who will manage and discipline him.”

“A wife? Do you know him?”

Li Changfeng shook his head. “I don’t know him. It was arranged by Lin Fangliang. He’s from the town and very good at managing a household. Since the Ma family is in business, they might need someone who is frugal and meticulous.”

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow. Don’t think that he didn’t understand the satisfaction in Li Changfeng’s tone. Frugal and meticulous? In other words, just stingy, right?

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

After Li Changfeng and Xu Qing finished their meal and rested, the Ma family in town was about to have a sleepless night.

“Look! Take a good look! Isn’t that your despicable Fugui from your family?” A stern middle-aged man with thick eyebrows grabbed a disheveled man reeking of alcohol and shouted at the Ma couple.

Ma Ama looked at Ma Fugui, who was being held in the man’s hand, and his vision seemed to darken. This was just too embarrassing! How could his good son get involved with such a worthless creature! Old Man Ma couldn’t speak, so he could only gesture and gesture towards the man.

“What? You want me to let him go? Fine! If you let your son marry into our family, then our families will be in-laws! This matter will turn into a joyous event for everyone!” the man proclaimed.

“Marry your abandoned son from your family?!” Ma Ama couldn’t care less about his darkening vision because the man’s words were even more unbelievable! Who in this town didn’t know that Yang Daniu’s ger son was big and burly, not to mention his fiery temper! He often beat up his ex-husband even in broad daylight, leaving the man bruised and swollen! And he was also stingy! How could such a ger be worthy of his outstanding Fugui?

Upon hearing Ma Ama’s words, Yang Daniu became displeased. He forcefully pulled the still snoring Ma Fugui. “What abandoned? It’s my son who has no interest in that guy! My son abandoned him! Hmph, you almost fooled us. Quick! Your son harassed my son. Give me a satisfactory explanation!”

Ma Ama trembled and pointed at Yang Daniu with his shaking finger. “What do you mean by harassing your son? My son, Fugui, is a respectable and literate man. He wouldn’t stoop to such filthy deeds!”

Yang Daniu also had a hot temper. After listening to this, he directly threw Ma Fugui in his hand with a loud thud, the heavy sound of Ma Fugui hitting the ground. There was no need to look at the Ma couple’s pained expressions on their faces. It was clear that they were not only listening but also feeling the pain. But strangely enough, despite being thrown like that, Ma Fugui didn’t show any signs of waking up.

“You disaster of a person! How dare you treat our Fugui like this! Are you asking for death? Go find Wu San’er! His cousin was bullied into this state! Hurry up!” Ma Ama ran over to check on Ma Fugui’s condition while shouting at Old Man Ma, who had followed him, asking him to find Wu San’er, who worked at the yamen.

Yang Daniu let Old Man Ma run out without any panic on his face. Instead, he turned around and sat confidently on a chair, looking at Ma Ama crouching on the ground and Ma Fugui held in his embrace. “What’s this? Your son has slept in my son’s bed, and now that the deed is done, you still have the audacity to deny it and want to leave just like that? This fucking thing you’re doing without mercy, you think only your family can do?!”

Ma Ama’s heart skipped a beat. The reason their family had managed to maintain a somewhat respectable image in town over the years was all thanks to Wu San’er working at the yamen. Everyone in the neighborhood had to give them some face. But why did Yang Daniu show no signs of panic? Something wasn’t right. Ma Ama hadn’t heard of any other connections the Yang family had.

“Spit, spit, spit! What vulgar language you’re speaking! My Fugui is innocent! Who knows, maybe it’s your son who couldn’t resist loneliness and forced himself on my beautiful Fugui!” Who was shameless? The Yang family was the epitome of shamelessness!

***

Lin Fangliang sat in the main hall chatting with a refined-looking man. “I’m entrusting this matter to you, brother! I, Lin Fangliang, owe you a favor!”

The refined man chuckled, “What are you saying? If it weren’t for your father saving my father’s life, I would have run off somewhere long ago to seek help. Leave this matter to me! It’s getting late, so I won’t bother you any longer. Goodbye!”

“Take care, brother! Let’s have a drink together when we have the time!” Lin Fangliang escorted the refined man to the door. After watching him leave, he closed the courtyard gate with a faint smile and walked briskly towards his own room.

“Fangliang.”

Lin Fangliang turned towards the voice and saw his father, Old Doctor Lin, returning from his shop. “I just saw that storyteller kid. What was he doing at our house?”

Lin Fangliang walked over and took the medicine box that Old Doctor Lin had slung over his shoulder, supporting him as they headed towards the main hall. “It’s nothing. He came to ask about his father’s condition and if there’s anything else to be aware of. You know how they have relied on each other for so many years. With his father suddenly falling seriously ill, it’s only natural to worry.”

Old Doctor Lin sat down on a chair, accepting the hot tea poured by Lin Fangliang. Thinking about that father and son, he couldn’t help but sigh. “That man is already approaching the end of his days. The medicine I prescribed only maintains a flicker of life within him.”

“Oh, by the way, let me ask you. Have you seen the Mongolian sweat medicine I kept in the third compartment of the right cabinet? I locked it up, and that medicine is not something to be taken lightly. Why is more than half of it missing? Speak up! What did you do with it?”

Lin Fangliang touched his nose. “I gave it to someone.” He poured it into wine and made Ma Fugui drink it. That counts as giving, right?

“Gave it to someone? Who did you give it to? Using it inappropriately is not a good thing!” Upon hearing that it was given away, Old Doctor Lin placed his teacup on the table and looked displeased at Lin Fangliang.

Lin Fangliang hurriedly tried to appease his father. “I gave it to Li Changfeng. He uses it for legitimate purposes. Don’t worry, I only gave him a little bit. I kept the rest. I’ll put it back in the shop tomorrow. It’s getting late now. Let me fetch some water for you to wash your feet!”

“This kid!”

Lin Fangliang slipped away quickly, leaving the Old Doctor Lin to look at his back and shook his head, alas, that storyteller’s father’s deadline is approaching, and his deadline is also not far away! He doesn’t know how this kid Fangliang is chasing people. If there is someone to accompany Fangliang, he can leave with peace of mind. When he goes to the underworld, he would have an explanation for his wife.

***

In the middle of the night, Xu Qing woke up from his sleep, and when he moved, Li Changfeng woke up, “What’s wrong, you’re sweating! Did you have a nightmare, I’ll go get you some water to wipe.”

Xu Qing nodded. He hadn’t dreamed of the apocalypse for a long time. How could he suddenly dream of the scene when he was crushed and killed!

“Are you all right?” After Li Changfeng wiped Xu Qing, he slipped into the quilt, hugged his wife. Xu Qing obediently nestled into Li Changfeng’s arms, “Changfeng, I want.”

Li Changfeng’s eyes lit up, but he was a little hesitant when he thought that Xu Qing had just had a nightmare, but his little brother had already raised his head high, just from Xu Qing’s initiation!

“No? If you don’t want to, let’s just go to sleep!”

Seeing that Li Changfeng didn’t move, Xu Qing deliberately instigated him. Li Changfeng hurriedly pulled Xu Qing back into his arms and pressed down hard, “You asked for it!”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thingyan: HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA MA POOPGUI HAHAHHAHAHAHA

“What are you doing?”

The sudden questioning voice startled Luo Jiao, who was engrossed in her own imagination. Startled, he forgot that he was eavesdropping and turned around, ready to shout with his hands on his hips. However, when he looked at the person speaking, he instantly retracted his hands and assumed a gentle and pleasant demeanor.

Lin Fangliang’s complexion wasn’t very good. Anyone would feel uncomfortable being stared at by eyes that seemed to want to undress them, except for a few individuals with peculiar preferences.

“Do you have any business with this family?” If there’s nothing, then leave quickly and stop staring at me! Considering this was Xu family gate, and he was unsure if Luo Jiao was a guest of Xu Qing, Lin Fangliang refrained from expressing his bad mood.

Luo Jiao didn’t mind Lin Fangliang’s expression and deliberately shifted his position, presenting his self-proclaimed most beautiful side in front of Lin Fangliang’s eyes. “I placed an order with the Xu family for something, so I wanted to see if anyone is home.”

This person is obviously not a villager. If he guessed correctly, this person is the Young Doctor Lin who previously helped the Xie family and the Xu family with spring farming. This was a big catch! He didn’t expect to encounter him today.

Having grown up in the town, Lin Fangliang naturally had a broader perspective. The disdain in his eyes grew stronger as he observed Luo Jiao’s behavior. If he wasn’t mistaken, this guy had pierced earlobes, indicating that he had become married. Yet here he was shamelessly displaying such a flirtatious appearance. Truly shameless!

Without responding to Luo Jiao, Lin Fangliang passed by him and prepared to knock on the door. But to his surprise, just as he raised his hand, the courtyard gate opened. “Who are you?” Opening the door was a handsome boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old. The bright red mole between his eyebrows added to his charm.

Lin Fangliang took a few steps back and carefully examined the appearance of the house once again. Yes, it was the Xu family, no mistake. He had stayed here for a few days last time. But why did this boy who opened the door look so unfamiliar?

“Second brother-in-law! Someone is here!”

It was Li Xiao’er who rushed to open the door upon hearing voices outside. He thought it was his second brother who had returned, but it turned out to be two unfamiliar individuals.

Upon hearing Li Xiao’er calling Xu Qing “second brother-in-law,” Lin Fangliang understood the identity of the person in front of him. “You must be Li Changfeng’s younger brother. I’m Lin Fangliang, one of his good friends.”

Li Xiao’er only knew that Chen Qi from the village was good friends with his second brother. “Second brother.” Li Xiao’er stepped aside to let Xu Qing out.

Xu Qing completely ignored Luo Jiao, whose face had already stiffened, and smiled lightly, inviting Lin Fangliang to enter the house. “He’s right, so let’s go with that address. You should call him Brother Lin.”

Li Xiao’er, being astute, didn’t need any reminders from Xu Qing. He immediately understood from Xu Qing’s words who was genuinely welcomed and who was an uninvited guest at the door.

“Brother Lin, please come in. Let me pour you a cup of tea.”

“Thank you.” After Li Xiao’er and the others entered the courtyard, Xu Qing looked at Luo Jiao with an expression that said, “So you’re here too.” “I apologize for not noticing you earlier. My eyesight must not have been good. I didn’t see that there was someone here!”

Luo Jiao was infuriated to the point of almost exploding! Did they all treat him like air?! And he never would have expected that Xu Qing was with another ger!

“It’s fine!” Xu Qing couldn’t be more satisfied hearing Luo Jiao’s gritted teeth. “Changfeng isn’t home, but we’ll deliver your items to you once they’re ready. If there’s anything you’re unsatisfied with, we can make improvements.”

Luo Jiao tried to speak several times but was continuously interrupted by Xu Qing’s statements. This only fueled his already boiling anger, dousing it with scalding hot oil!

“Now that I have guests at home and no time to entertain you, I apologize. But someone as considerate as you will surely understand my predicament! Next time, I’ll treat you well! Goodbye!” After saying this, Xu Qing gracefully closed the courtyard door, leaving Luo Jiao almost rolling his eyes in exasperation.

“Xu Qing! I’ll remember this debt!”

Luo Jiao spat fiercely towards the gate of the Xu family, then turned around in anger and left.

Xu Qing leaned against the gate, listening to the fading footsteps of Luo Jiao as he walked away, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Let you see how I can make you seethe with anger!

***

Brother Xie’s body had completely recovered, and now he could help with any tasks that weren’t too strenuous. Currently, there was a shortage of vegetables at home, so he had just brought some back from the field to prepare lunch.

Luo Jiao returned to the village seething with anger. Coincidentally, he ran into Xie Yu, who was returning home with vegetables. Seeing that the most popular ger in the village got divorced and returned home, Luo Jiao didn’t feel any pity or the like; for him, his own enjoyment is the most important thing.

“What happened? Who made you angry?”

Being fellow villagers and with Xie Yu being well-mannered and amicable, it was hard for one to harbor any resentment towards him. Even the infuriated Luo Jiao, upon hearing Xie Yu’s gentle voice and seeing his handsome face, unknowingly had his anger subside by half.

“Who else could it be? Apart from my own worthless husband, who else could make me so angry?” Even if someone did anger me, they won’t get off easily! Since everyone in the village knew about the close relationship between the Xu and Xie families, Luo Jiao didn’t foolishly mention Xu Qing’s matter to Xie Yu. If he did, it would be like telling Xu Qing directly!

“It’s normal for family members to have arguments. Come in and sit for a while.” Xie Yu opened the courtyard gate and called out to Luo Jiao, but Luo Jiao shook his head. “Maybe another time. I have something to attend to. Goodbye.”

Xie Yu watched Luo Jiao’s retreating figure without paying much attention. As he closed the courtyard gate, he failed to notice a pair of greedy and lustful eyes that were fixed on him from beginning to end.

***

The weather was gradually getting hotter. The villagers who had nothing to do either started making straw shoes or sewing summer clothes. Although it was a bit troublesome to make them oneself, it was still a great pastime to pass the time.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

After staying at the Xu family for a while, Lin Fangliang went to the back mountain. Since Li Changfeng wasn’t at home, and there were only two gers in the house, his presence could potentially invite gossip, so he decided to go to the back mountain. However, Xu Qing had also advised him not to go too far in case something happened. It wasn’t worth it. Lin Fangliang took this opportunity to explore. Last time, he was in a hurry and didn’t have a chance to go up the mountain, which resulted in a scolding from Old Man Lin when he returned home.

Meanwhile, Li Changfeng was sitting in the main hall with the elders of the Li family.

Li Ama frowned with regret in his eyes. “If the Ma family is really like that, this marriage won’t work out. Forget it, it’s just that our Xiao’er’s fate hasn’t arrived yet. When you go back, tell him to come back soon. He’s running around everywhere before finding a suitable match!”

“I understand. Ama, Father, I’ll go back first.” Li Changfeng saw that Li Ama had taken his words to heart, so he wasn’t too worried. When it came to the marriages of the Li family children, as long as Li Ama spoke, regardless of agreement or disagreement, as long as he expressed his attitude, things would work out.

Old Man Li shook his tobacco pipe and wasn’t pleased when he heard that Li Changfeng wanted to leave. “Why the rush? Eat lunch first before leaving!”

Li Ama also persuaded Li Changfeng, “Exactly, it’s been such a long time, and you’re in a hurry to leave without thinking about having a meal and chatting with us.”

Helpless, Li Changfeng had lunch in the Li family’s courtyard before leaving.

Li Laosan didn’t go home for lunch. He has been visiting several families in the village for the past few days. The imperial examination is in next month. The younger generation of some families who has all been admitted as Tongsheng were looking for someone who was admitted as Xiucai to give some pointers.

(T/N: The following is the breakdown of scholar rankings, from lowest to highest, per wikipedia.

Tong sheng – child student; an entry-level examinee who had passed the county/prefecture exams.

Shengyuan / Xiucai– student member; an entry-level licentiate who had passed the higher level (like college) exam.

Juren – recommended man; a qualified graduate who passed the triennial provincial exam.

Gongshi – tribute scholar; a recognized scholarly achiever who passed the triennial national exam.

Jinshi – advanced scholar; a graduate who passed the triennial court exam.)

Similarly, in the Zhou family, the old Zhou couple who have exactly this intention to let someone tutor their son, he was reluctant. “The master has already said the rules to be followed for the exam, so there is no need to go to the trouble of inviting others to come and give me pointers, delaying their time.”

Zhou Ama, who had insisted on continuing to invite people, was a little moved, and said, “Then we’ll listen to you, I’m confident you can study by yourself.”

Zhou Wen nodded quickly. This was the best solution. After all, he already knew everything he needed to know. Why bother burdening others by repeating the same information?

By the time Li Changfeng returned home after sending Li Xiao’er to the village’s outskirts on a donkey cart, it was almost evening. The slanting sunlight bathed the village, giving it an especially beautiful and leisurely atmosphere.

“So you’re saying that as long as Ama expresses his stance, this matter won’t be brought up again?” Xu Qing and Li Changfeng arrived near the house, each carrying a basket. Li Changfeng was gathering pigweed while Xu Qing was looking for vegetables.

Li Changfeng nodded. “That’s right. This matter can be considered settled.” But Li Changfeng felt increasingly uneasy as the Ma family had yet to find a suitable match. He needed to come up with a way to prevent Ma Fugui from causing harm to the innocent unmarried gers in the village.

Li Changfeng was efficient and quickly harvested a basket of pigweed. He also checked the growth of the seedlings. Xu Qing had already found vegetables and went home to boil water. After running around for so long today, Li Changfeng felt it was time to take a hot bath and relax.

Lin Fangliang went to stay at Second Wei’s house again, saving Xu Qing a lot of trouble. They didn’t need to prepare a big meal, so they simply ate something and went to bed.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thingyan: Changfeng ah, I was thinking the exact same thing. We need to unite and stop Ma Poopgui.

Xiaoyou was poking the ants on the ground with a small stick when he heard the voices of Li Xiao’er and another man at the courtyard gate. Shortly after, Li Xiao’er closed the gate with an unpleasant expression. Xiaoyou asked, “Uncle, what’s wrong?”

Li Xiao’er forced a stiff smile at Xiaoyou and said, “Nothing, come on, Xiaoyou, let’s go inside.”

Saying that, he pulled the bewildered Xiaoyou back into the house. Although Xiaoyou was an unmarried young ger, he knew why Xia Ama had come knocking at the door. He had heard from a few of his good friends about what happened between Xia Ama and Chen Hong. If Chen Hong, one of the most outstanding young gers in the village, could end up in such a situation because of Xia Ama’s matchmaking, then who knows what could happen? He needed to stay away from Xia Ama!

However, later in the evening, Xiaoyou accidentally let slip what happened with Xia Ama. “Ama, today Uncle Xiao’er and Xia Ama had an argument!”

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao’er panicked and tried to cover Xiaoyou’s mouth, but the crafty little fellow slipped away and even made a face at him while running off.

As soon as Li Ama heard that Xia Ama had come and argued with his youngest son, he immediately took the matter seriously. Li Xiao’er hadn’t even explained properly, and this could be a grave offense to the matchmaker. It was not something to be proud of.

“Tell me, what happened exactly?” Li Ama’s tone made Li Xiao’er extremely uneasy. He had to quietly and meticulously explain the events of the afternoon. Unexpectedly, Li Ama became more delighted as he listened.

“Ah, you lad, how can you treat your elders like that!” After scolding Li Xiao’er in a hushed voice, Li Ama turned to the two sons-in-law who had recently returned and instructed them, “The eldest son’s wife, prepare an extra dish for dinner! The third son’s wife, go to Xia’s house and invite Xia Ama for dinner. Tell him it’s a small gesture of apology from our family to his youngest son!”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Li Ama understood everything. He said it was an apology, but in reality, he wanted to find out if Xia Ama was really the matchmaker the village had been talking about, the one who arranged marriages for the men in town!

“Ama!” What is all this mess! How will he face people from now on, Li Xiao’er thought.

“It’s none of your business. Go to the kitchen and help,” Li Ama said, but he saw Li Xiao’er standing still in place. “What, do I need to invite you as well?”

Li Xiao’er had no choice but to suppress his frustration and rush into the kitchen.

***

It rained again at night, but Xu Qing and Li Changfeng were playing “Human Tower” and were not bothered by the sound of rain outside. The subdued voices inside the house blended perfectly with the rhythmic sound of raindrops, creating an undulating melody.

“Awake?”

Xu Qing blinked his eyes, sensing the light coming in from the window, and knew that a new day had begun. “Don’t want to get up.” He lazily yawned and snuggled into Li Changfeng’s embrace, who held him tightly.

“Then sleep a little longer.” After all, it rained last night, and there was nothing much to do today. The wardrobe was sent to Second Wei yesterday, so they could take this opportunity to rest.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“Someone is knocking on the door?” Xu Qing stuck his head out and listened carefully. “There really is someone knocking on the door!”

Li Changfeng gently pressed down Xu Qing’s head as he tried to get a better listen. He quickly put on his clothes. “You sleep, I’ll go check.” It seemed like having a good nap with his husband was impossible now.

Watching Li Changfeng leave, Xu Qing completely lost his sleepiness. He sat up slowly and dressed himself, wondering why there was no movement outside.

When Xu Qing entered the main hall, he saw Li Changfeng looking at Li Xiao’er, who had a bit of wet mud on him from rushing over.

“Second Brother-in-law, good morning.”

Li Xiao’er looked at the slightly blushing Xu Qing, who had just woken up, and timidly called out. He, well, he had come uninvited.

Xu Qing was still rubbing his eyes when he heard this rabbit-like voice. He focused his gaze and said, “Xiao’er is here! Oh, why are you all wet? Quick, come to my room and change clothes! Be careful not to catch a cold later!”

Li Xiao’er had sneaked out early this morning. It wasn’t even bright yet, but he had the courage to come alone. The road was muddy due to last night’s rain, and naturally, his clothes got dirty. When he heard Xu Qing’s words, Li Xiao’er was tempted but dared not move. Instead, he cautiously glanced at the gloomy-faced Li Changfeng.

Li Changfeng was well aware of Li Xiao’er’s gaze. He nodded slightly and said, “Go.”

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao’er smiled and followed the puzzled Xu Qing into the room. Meanwhile, Li Changfeng’s heart was filled with anger. The Ma family didn’t form a marriage alliance with the Chen family, yet they dared to make a move on his Xiao’er. It was truly infuriating!

Sitting on the bed, Li Xiao’er watched as Xu Qing rummaged through the wardrobe to find clothes for him. His heart felt warm. The reason he came here was because his second brother doted on him the most in the family.

“Second Brother-in-law, I came empty-handed. Are you not mad?” Li Xiao’er felt a little anxious in his heart, but he didn’t show it on his face. He asked Xu Qing with a cheerful smile.

Handing the clothes he had found to Li Xiao’er, Xu Qing noticed the cautiousness in the other’s eyes and couldn’t help but find it amusing. “What are you saying? If we want to buy something, it will be me and your second brother buying it for you. Hurry up and change, I’ll go make breakfast.”

Li Xiao’er took the clothes and gave Xu Qing a sweet smile. After Xu Qing left, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. When he was about to change his clothes, he realized that these clothes were new! Clever-minded Li Xiao’er understood everything and could only feel touched as he changed into the clothes Xu Qing gave him.

“What’s wrong? Why do you have such a frown early in the morning?” As Xu Qing walked into the kitchen after washing his hands, he saw Li Changfeng sitting in front of the stove with a serious expression.

Li Changfeng saw Xu Qing and slightly composed himself. He then explained the whole story of what happened.

“Seems like the Ma family is really something. Aren’t they afraid of stirring up trouble with all these rumors and gossip?” Xu Qing still couldn’t understand why they were in such a hurry to get married.

Li Changfeng smiled sarcastically. “I heard that many people have been listening to these rumors and specifically going to the Ma family’s grocery store to join in the fun. They even sell more things now compared to before.”

This left Xu Qing speechless. So, business could be done like this!

Li Changfeng reached out and rubbed Xu Qing’s cheek. In a low voice, he said in a discussing tone, “I need to go back and clarify things with them. You stay at home with Xiao’er. This matter is not suitable for your involvement.”

Xu Qing nodded. “Finish breakfast before you go. There’s no rush at this moment. I’ll prepare dinner at home and wait for your return.”

Li Changfeng kissed Xu Qing’s forehead, nodded, and didn’t say anything else. However, the atmosphere was filled with warmth.

Even standing outside the kitchen, Li Xiao’er could feel the cozy atmosphere between the two inside the house. It’s great that his second brother finally found someone who understands him.

After Li Changfeng finished breakfast and carried a bundle of pigweed on his back, he rushed to Jixiang Village. Xu Qing stayed at home with Li Xiao’er, making cloth shoes. However, it was Li Xiao’er who was teaching, and Xu Qing was learning.

“You’re really amazing. You’re so good at everything at such a young age!” Xu Qing admired the dexterity of Li Xiao’er’s needlework, which was like a hidden weapon in his hands. But when it came to his own hands, it felt more like a black tool resembling an iron hammer.

“It’s nothing. You haven’t seen what Chen Hong from our village can do. He’s amazing. Not only can he replicate other people’s embroidery patterns, but he can also come up with his own patterns and sell them!” Li Xiao’er felt that chatting with Xu Qing was a pure enjoyment. He didn’t need to worry about how to continue the conversation. It felt so relaxed.

This was the first time Xu Qing heard the name Chen Hong from somewhere other than Li Changfeng and Chen Qi. He was also curious about what kind of person Chen Hong was, to knowingly understand the other party’s character and still be willing to bet his own happiness.

Listening to Li Xiao’er’s admiring tone, Xu Qing became even more curious. “What’s he like as a person?”

Li Xiao’er paused his work and thought for a moment. “Well, he’s good-looking, but that’s not all. He embodies all the qualities that my mother and grandmother like! I really admire him. We’re about the same age, and since my brother and his brother are good friends, we’ve grown up together.”

After saying that, Li Xiao’er smiled apologetically at Xu Qing. “So, the two of us are often compared by my mother and grandmother.” Of course, he was the one being talked about, but Li Xiao’er genuinely felt that he couldn’t compare to Chen Hong.

Talking about comparisons reminded Xu Qing of the eccentric person he met—Zhonghua!

“It’s not about comparisons. He has his own strengths, and you have your own. Maybe he even secretly admires what you’re good at, thinking he can’t compare!” Xu Qing’s words made Li Xiao’er laugh happily. No one had ever said that to him before. It was really interesting.

The two in the courtyard were laughing freely, but the one who came specifically to inquire about the situation became more thoughtful.

Luo Jiao cautiously pressed his ear against Xu Qing’s courtyard gate, wanting to listen carefully to the sounds inside. And what did he hear? It was the sound of Xu Qing laughing and joking with a man! Luo Jiao had seen Li Changfeng leaving from the end of the village. He straightened his body, took out a pink handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the sweat off his face, and had a self-satisfied look on his face.

It seemed that this “ugly ger” wasn’t a serious person either. His own man hadn’t gone far yet, and he already brought in a wild man.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thingyan: Lousy Jiao, not everyone is like you sheeesh

The morning air is the freshest, and everywhere is filled with the beauty of spring. A new day has begun, and slowly, the rural household becomes lively again.

“Slap!”

Chen Hong fell to the ground, covering the side of his face that had been slapped, looking at Chen Ama in disbelief.

“Ama…”

Chen Ama’s chest heaved with anger. “Don’t call me Ama. I don’t have a shameless son like you!”

Early in the morning, Chen Ama had called Chen Hong to come out for breakfast after several days of refusal. However, when Chen Hong said, “I won’t eat with you until you agree to my request,” it infuriated Chen Ama. He immediately approached Chen Hong, who was unprepared, and gave him a resounding slap. Chen Hong’s face showed a mixture of confusion and disbelief. No one in the family had ever laid a hand on him since he could remember!

“Why?”

Chen Hong held his stinging cheek and stood up, looking at Chen Ama.

“Why? You’re asking me why?!” Chen Ama felt absurdly infuriated. Even the fact that the person being slapped didn’t understand the reason for the assault made him even angrier.

“From your childhood until now, have your father, elder brother, or I ever mistreated you? Did we deprive you of food or clothing? For the sake of a man, you disregard the feelings of your father and me in such a despicable manner. You stubbornly insist on your own path, only thinking about yourself. You! You! You should seriously reflect on yourself!” This was simply outrageous! Chen Ama immediately locked Chen Hong’s room.

“What are you doing?! You’ve already hit and scolded him, now you’re locking up the child too!” Old Man Chen, who had been listening to the commotion inside Chen Hong’s room, looked at Chen Ama locking the door and quickly intervened to stop him.

Chen Ama pushed away Old Man Chen’s hand, trying to stop him, and shouted, “It’s because we’ve spoiled him too much all these years! We’ve let him have his way, that’s why he acts so recklessly! Don’t stop me. If you have nothing to do, go to Anle Village and bring back Chen Qi and his wife. They’ve been gone for several days, why haven’t they returned yet?”

Old Man Chen had no choice but to watch as Chen Ama locked the door and left. Chen Qi and his wife had a misunderstanding, and it had been several days since they left without returning. “Xiao Hong, it’ll be fine. Your Ama has a quick temper, but once he calms down, things will be alright.”

“I know, Father. Please go about your business,” Chen Hong replied in his usual calm tone. Hearing this, Old Man Chen felt relieved and left. Little did he know that Chen Hong in the room was already in tears, a complete mess.

He was wrong, terribly wrong. He was delusional to think that Li Changfeng would still have feelings for him. He was so wrong, wrong to the extreme, disregarding his family’s feelings, making them worry and feel sad.

***

These days, Li Changfeng had been busy making a wardrobe for Second Wei. He even worked on it at night, which made Xu Qing worry about him. He had dark circles under his eyes. It was Second Wei who suddenly informed them that the wedding date was set for the 15th of this month. They were running out of time! They had no choice but to prepare some delicious food to reward themselves for their hard work.

The spring rain had just passed, and the bamboo shoots were sprouting one after another, attracting Xu Qing’s attention. Bamboo shoots were one of the most delicious and tender delicacies of the year. They were crisp, sweet, and tender, whether in cold salads, stir-fries, or soups. So, eating bamboo shoots had to be done early; if neglected, they would turn old, and the taste would be completely different.

Xu Qing went to dig up the bamboo shoots early in the morning. Stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat was a great dish! For this dish, he had specifically bought meat from the market yesterday.

“Changfeng, come on, it’s time for lunch. Finish your meal and then continue working!” After Xu Qing carefully served the specially made dish in a small bowl for Xiaobao, watching him enjoy the delicious food, he finally felt relieved and returned to the table to have lunch with Li Changfeng.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Eat more. Look at how busy you’ve been these past few days. You even have stubble growing!” Xu Qing kept putting food into Li Changfeng’s bowl. “These are bamboo shoots that I dug up specifically. They’re tender. Do you like them?”

“They’re delicious. Don’t just feed me, you should eat too. Once I finish the wardrobe, I’ll go dig up some more in the afternoon.”

Xu Qing felt relieved when he heard that it was almost finished. After all, it was their first project, and it was good to see it nearing completion. “Okay, then I’ll pickle a couple of jars of bamboo shoot pickles so we can make even more delicious dishes. We can cook fish or stir-fry the shoots; they’re delicious no matter how we prepare them!”

Li Changfeng ate the delicious food Xu Qing made and nodded in agreement with his words. If his wife said it was delicious, then it must be delicious!

After finishing their meal, before they could go out to dig bamboo shoots, someone came to their door. It was someone Xu Qing didn’t recognize, but felt like he had seen before.

With a smile on his face, Luo Jiao looked at Xu Qing and Li Changfeng, who was working. “I’m Luo Jiao. My family is in Anle Village, and my husband’s family name is Zhang. Well, Wei Ama told me that your family also works with wood, so I came to bother you. I happen to want a dresser, but I’m not sure if you have the time?”

The more Xu Qing listened to Luo Jiao, the more familiar he seemed, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen him before. “We have time, we have time. I just don’t know what kind of style you want or if you have any specific requirements. And when would you like it roughly?” After all, he was a customer, and they couldn’t neglect him.

Luo Jiao lazily waved his hand. “I don’t have any specific requirements. Just carve some patterns on the top. I’m not in a hurry. Whenever you finish it, let me know.”

As he spoke, his peach blossom eyes, filled with spring-like affection, couldn’t help but gaze at Li Changfeng. Tall and muscular, doing it with someone like him must be enjoyable. With this thought, Luo Jiao’s gaze towards Li Changfeng became bolder and more provocative in front of Xu Qing.

“Ahem! Alright, then please pay a deposit first. That’s the rule, and we can’t break it.” What are you looking at, you guy? Didn’t you say you have a husband?!

Luo Jiao was straightforward. After he left, Xu Qing looked at the money in his hand and couldn’t believe that their first official business came so quickly!

“But I still feel like I’ve seen this person before. Who could it be?” Xu Qing couldn’t figure it out, and it made him uncomfortable.

“It’s one of the wild lovebirds we encountered in the mountains a few days ago!” Li Changfeng didn’t want to see Xu Qing frowning, so he kindly reminded him.

Xu Qing was shocked. It was the voice! No wonder the person seemed vaguely familiar.

“Only Second Wei and Xie Ama know about our woodworking business. How could Luo Jiao find out so quickly?” Even if they knew their family did woodworking, it’s unlikely they would come directly to place an order, right? After all, there’s also the Zeng family in the village who has been doing woodworking for years. Normally, people would wait and observe the newbies’ work before making a decision, instead of coming over and paying a deposit right away to start.

“Could it be that this person knows what happened back then?” Xu Qing keenly sensed that Luo Jiao’s visit was not just about furniture. If the other party knew about their presence at that time, it would make more sense for them to come and probe.

After Li Changfeng finished his last task and tidied up the mess, he said, “If they know, they know. It’s their own headache. So what if we encountered each other? They just want to test if we’re loose-lipped.” It would be best if the other party behaved, or else he wouldn’t let them off easily!

“Let’s go. Aren’t we going to dig bamboo shoots?” After Li Changfeng put the bamboo basket on his back, he pulled Xu Qing, who was still lost in thought. Xu Qing snapped out of it and looked at the increasingly strong and handsome Li Changfeng. “You better behave yourself these days!” The thought of Luo Jiao’s gaze towards Li Changfeng made him angry.

Although Li Changfeng didn’t understand the meaning behind Xu Qing’s words, he still obediently nodded, “I’ll behave, I’ve always been behaving.”

“Yes, I hope you continue to behave!” Keep pretending to be a lamb while devouring the tiger!

***

Li Xiao’er was taking care of Li Laosan’s little nephew at home when someone knocked on the courtyard door. “Xiaoyou, be good here. I’ll go and open the door.”

Xiaoyou wrinkled his little nose and nodded obediently at Li Xiao’er. It was an endearing sight.

“Oh, Xia Ama? What brings you here?”

As soon as Li Xiao’er opened the door, he saw Xia Ama’s joyful face. Xia Ama looked at Li Xiao’er who opened the door and thought to himself, not bad. Although he can’t compare to the one from the Chen family in terms of appearance, his figure is quite good. He must come from a good background!

Li Xiao’er felt uncomfortable under Xia Ama’s overt gaze. “Xia Ama, do you need something?”

Xia Ama quickly put on a smile. “Look at you, Xiao’er. You’re growing more handsome every day. Is your Ama at home? I’ve come with good news this time!”

Li Xiao’er didn’t particularly like Xia Ama’s demeanor. How did he become so different from the previous Xia Ama? “He’s not home. If you have something, come back later. I’m busy right now and can’t spare the time. Please excuse me!” With that, he closed the courtyard door in front of Xia Ama.

Xia Ama felt his smile becoming stiff, but he didn’t want to show his frustration. Once this matter is settled, it will bring a substantial amount of money. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have failed to match the Chen family and then make promises to find an unmarried ger for the Ma family one after another.

This Li Xiao’er is smart and articulate. Moreover, his third brother is a scholar, while the cousin of the Ma family holds a position in the government office. It’s a heaven-sent opportunity for a prosperous union!

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thingyan: I’m starting to feel the Ma family is targeting those around Li Changfeng. Does anyone think that Ma Poopgui might have impure thoughts on our ML? Poopy being a pig, it’s so totally possible.

💗SPECIAL THANKS💗 to Kyu for their Ko-fi. Thank you so much for your support 😀

“It feels so good, so good! Come on, let’s do it again!”

Following that were waves of sounds that made Xu Qing blush and turn red. “What’s wrong?” Li Changfeng held Xu Qing gently, removing his hand from covering his mouth.

Xu Qing turned his head to look at Li Changfeng and silently said, “Let’s go back.” Li Changfeng glanced at the other side and shook his head at Xu Qing. “No, if we leave now, they will notice. I’ll cover your ears, just don’t listen.”

Helpless, Xu Qing buried his head in Li Changfeng’s chest, trying to avoid the sounds that could reach his ears with the wind. But the more he tried to escape those sounds, the louder they seemed to become!

Li Changfeng watched Xu Qing, with his head buried like an ostrich, and his eyes glinted with a dangerous light as he looked at the couple in front of them.

Before long, the sounds from the other side ceased. Xu Qing sighed softly in his heart, thinking it would take much longer. But it ended before even half of Changfeng’s time had passed.

“It’s almost over.”

Xu Qing listened to the rustling sound of them getting dressed, and soon heard the footsteps of the two leaving. “Finally, they’re gone!” Xu Qing stood up and stretched his muscles, while Li Changfeng carefully brushed off some grass dust from Xu Qing’s body. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Xu Qing rolled his eyes and turned around to look at Li Changfeng, who was still brushing off the dust for him. “Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve seen something like this,” he said, a bit short-lived.

“Are you disappointed?” Unable to say anything else in the face of Li Changfeng’s dangerous gaze, Xu Qing could only smile awkwardly and laugh it off. “We still need to find the rosewood, let’s hurry!”

As Li Changfeng and the others had just left the spot where the couple had engaged in their tryst, a familiar figure appeared behind them. It was one of the “performers” from earlier, Luo Jiao. He had only come back to see if there was anything he had carelessly left behind, but unexpectedly, he found someone he shouldn’t have found.

“Oh, it’s the two from the back mountain, and that man has a good physique,” he said. However, now that he had seen what he saw, he wouldn’t let it go so easily.

Finally, Xu Qing and Li Changfeng brought back a medium-sized sour branch tree to their home. Xu Qing took the initiative to let Li Changfeng tidy up, while he started washing their clothes soaked in the basin.

“Is anyone home? It’s Xie Yu.”

“Brother Xie!” Xu Qing opened the courtyard door and saw Brother Xie, who had already recovered, holding something and smiling at him.

“Come and take a look. Do you like it?” Brother Xie brought the thing in his arms closer to Xu Qing. “A puppy!”

Xu Qing was ecstatic and almost jumped up. It was a black little puppy! “I love it! I love it so much! Thank you, Brother Xie!” Xu Qing carefully took the puppy from Brother Xie’s arms. It had just opened its eyes not long ago, and his eyes were filled with love. He adored cats and dogs the most among all animals.

Seeing that Xu Qing genuinely liked it, Brother Xie also breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that Xu Qing wouldn’t like it. “It’s one of the neighbor’s dogs who recently gave birth to puppies. They sent one to our house. Since your house is in the back mountain and there’s usually no one at home, this dog can also help keep an eye on your house when it grows up.”

Xu Qing nodded happily. “Brother Xie, you’ve thought of everything! Come in quickly. I was so happy that I forgot to invite you in.”

Brother Xie shook his head. “No need. I still have to go back and cook. Ama and Uncle went to work in the fields today, and I can’t help much. I need to prepare a good meal. I’ll leave now, come over to play when you’re free.”

“Okay, goodbye, Brother Xie!” Xu Qing closed the courtyard door, holding the puppy, and ran to Li Changfeng to show off. “Changfeng, look! Look! It’s so cute!”

Li Changfeng looked at Xu Qing’s joyful smile and then glanced at the little puppy that kept snuggling into Xu Qing’s arms. He felt somewhat dissatisfied. “Let me hold it. You go make a warm nest for it.”

“Yes, yes, yes! Be careful when holding it. I’ll go find something to make a cozy nest!” After Xu Qing excitedly left.

Li Changfeng looked at the puppy in his arms and gently poked its wet nose with his slender finger. “You little rascal, daring to take advantage of my wife!”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Woof woof… woof woof!” The black puppy, who had just been born a few days ago, desperately tried to avoid the rough hands of its owner. Little did it know that its cute and puppyish barks only amused Li Changfeng even more, making his actions faster and stronger!

When Xu Qing came over to pick up the puppy after setting up the nest, he saw Li Changfeng’s wicked large hand ruthlessly poking the puppy. “What are you doing? It’s still so small!” Xu Qing quickly snatched the whimpering little puppy from Li Changfeng’s hand, glaring at him.

Li Changfeng shrugged, spreading his hands. “I wanted to see if it would bark.”

Xu Qing took a deep breath. “It’s so small, how can it bark properly?”

Li Changfeng nodded obediently. “I understand. There won’t be a next time.”

“Well, that’s better! Xiaobao, let’s go and see your new home!”

“Xiaobao?”

Xu Qing gestured to the little puppy in his arms. “I named it Xiaobao. Isn’t it a nice name?”

Li Changfeng: “…It’s a nice name. As long as you like it.” And so, this little black puppy affectionately named “Xiaobao” became the first member of their family.

***

In a slightly shabby thatched house in Jixiang Village, a middle-aged man was bending over and sweeping the yard. “Ama, let me do it. Take a rest.” A gentle-looking man took the broom from the middle-aged man’s hand and skillfully started sweeping.

Zhou Ama watched his son take over the task meticulously, a mix of satisfaction and concern in his heart. He was satisfied because his son, Zhou Wen, was not only a talented student but also filial, never neglecting his responsibilities at home due to his studies. The concern arose from the fact that this excellent child was already twenty years old and had no intention of getting married yet. A few days ago, Xia Ama from the village came to inquire, and Zhou Ama was pleased, but Zhou Wen insisted that he had other things on his mind and planned to focus on the provincial examination this year.

Uncle Zhou, Zhou Ama’s husband, approached and saw their son working nearby while his wife wore a conflicted expression. “What’s the matter? What’s with that expression?”

Zhou Wen looked up at Zhou Ama and helplessly said, “Ama, what are you thinking about now?”

Zhou Ama glared at Zhou Wen in anger. “What am I thinking? Isn’t it about wanting to have grandchildren sooner?” Zhou Wen felt even more helpless. He was about to prepare for the provincial examination next month and had no time or energy to think about these things. Even if he wanted to, the other person might not be willing.

Every time Zhou Wen heard the rumors and gossip about Chen Hong circulating in the village, he felt uneasy. He had liked Chen Hong since childhood, but as he grew older, he noticed that Chen Hong had feelings for Li Changfeng. Zhou Wen admired Li Changfeng and genuinely wished them happiness. However, after Li Changfeng’s engagement, military service, and subsequent visits, Zhou Wen finally felt that he had a chance. But unexpectedly, the Ma family from the town appeared.

To support Zhou Wen’s education, his family had spent a considerable amount of money. They made ends meet by doing farm work, which barely provided for their basic needs. Fortunately, Zhou Wen achieved the title of *Tongsheng, which exempted him from military service. Otherwise, the burden on the family would have been even heavier.

*(T/N: “Tongsheng” (童生) refers to the title or rank given to a child prodigy in imperial China. It was a prestigious title bestowed upon exceptionally talented and intellectually gifted young scholars. The term “tongsheng” literally means “child student” or “child sage,” reflecting the exceptional knowledge and abilities of these young individuals.)

“What are you saying? Xiao Wen will be taking the provincial examination next month. Why are you bringing up these things now?” Uncle Zhou wasn’t a short-sighted person. If his son passed the imperial examination, he was confident that matchmakers would come knocking on their door for marriage proposals.

Only then did Zhou Ama close his mouth. If this truly affected Xiao Wen’s examination, he would regret it deeply.

“It’s alright, Ama. I feel like eating the dish you make.” Zhou Wen quickly changed the topic when he saw the self-blaming expression on Zhou Ama’s face. As expected, when Zhou Ama heard that his son wanted to eat the dish he made, he immediately regained his spirits and went energetically to the kitchen to cook.

Uncle Zhou smoked his pipe, looking at Zhou Wen with a smile. “Your Ama has always been like this, forgetting everything quickly. Don’t worry too much. Prepare well and even if you don’t become a high-ranking official, if you can bring back the title of a talented scholar for your father and Ama, I will truly be at ease.”

Zhou Wen put the broom away, washed his hands with some water, and said, “I understand, Father. Don’t worry.”

Uncle Zhou nodded in satisfaction. He was very pleased to have a son like Zhou Wen. It was as if the ancestors’ graves were emitting auspicious smoke.

In the evening, Li Changfeng waited in the room for a while, but he didn’t see Xu Qing coming in. Helpless, he went out and called Xu Qing again, “It’s cool outside at night. Come inside quickly and be careful not to catch a cold.”

Xu Qing was playing with little Xiaobao in the main room, and the puppy kept licking his fingers. Xu Qing had spiritual spring water on his hands, and Xiaobao loved it. After drinking it, he kept sniffing around. The little guy was extremely adorable.

“It’s warm in the main room. Look, how cute he is.”

Li Changfeng leaned over and looked at Xu Qing’s fair fingers being licked by Xiaobao’s pink tongue, feeling uncomfortable in his heart. He reached out and pulled Xu Qing’s hand away. Xiaobao, who lost the pleasant scent, protested with a whine. Li Changfeng found it annoying. Xiaobao hadn’t smelled enough yet!

“Don’t let him develop bad habits. Dogs should behave like dogs! Let’s go wash our hands.”

Poor Xiaobao was still in his nest, wanting to jump out and follow Xu Qing’s scent. But his short legs were too short, and he couldn’t even climb out of the nest. He could only “woof woof” inside the nest.

Standing by the well, washing their hands, and listening to the various sounds coming from the nearby village, it was quite lively. Li Changfeng said, “If you think the village is lively, when we rebuild our house, we can move to the village. It would be best to live near Xiao Ama’s family. Then you won’t find it boring.”

Xu Qing took the handkerchief from Li Changfeng and wiped off the water stains on his hands, shaking his head upon hearing this. “Forget it, I still prefer it here. It may be quieter, but it’s more comfortable. We can do anything without feeling watched or listened to.”

“Is that so? I feel the same way, especially at night. We can do whatever we want.” Li Changfeng pulled Xu Qing back to the room while talking.

“You’re daydreaming!” Xu Qing didn’t know what Li Changfeng was thinking in his heart. This guy was too mischievous!

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you tonight. Let’s sleep.” Li Changfeng tucked Xu Qing in, his big hand holding him, sniffing Xu Qing’s unique scent, and contentedly rubbing against him. He loved these days.

“Why are you behaving like Xiaobao, always rubbing against people?” Xu Qing was tickled by Li Changfeng’s fuzzy head, and he rubbed his head with one hand while teasing him incessantly.

“I’m not just going to rub against you, I’ll also…” Li Changfeng leaned close to Xu Qing’s ear and whispered, causing Xu Qing to keep pinching him to stop his words. Laughter and joy filled the room.

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Thingyan: OMG, Chen Hong, listen listen, this guy sounds decent.

Visitors

On the official road outside the city, a young boy was holding an oiled paper umbrella and carrying a basket, hurrying along with an old man.

Today’s weather was exceptionally hot, with the scorching sun threatening to sear the ground. The blinding sunlight pierced through people’s eyes, making it difficult to keep them open. It was intensely fierce.

“Hey, this weather is scorching hot,” the old man said, wiping the sweat off his face with a cloth. He sighed, “That Boss Yu’s place is really far away.”

A small snake basking in the grass by the roadside heard their voices and quickly slithered away.

“Yeah, Uncle Fu, are you tired? Shall we take a break?” Mi Ge’ger’s forehead was covered in sweat, and his cheeks were flushed. Despite shielding himself with an umbrella from the direct sunlight, the heat radiating from the ground was suffocating, to say the least.

Uncle Fu glanced up into the distance and replied, “No need to rest. It’s getting late, and we should arrive early. It wouldn’t be right to trouble them if we arrive too late for their meal.”

Mi Ge’ger nodded in agreement.

Earlier that morning, they had gone to Beida Street to find Yu Qingze, but they couldn’t find him at his usual food stall. They searched the entire street, but that familiar snack stand was nowhere to be found. Later, they asked the seller of tea eggs next to Yu Qingze’s stall and learned that Boss Yu had been injured during a robbery and was resting at home. They weren’t sure when he would come back, if he would come back at all.

Hearing this, both of them were taken aback. How could they encounter such a situation? Then it dawned on them, “Oh no! If Boss Yu doesn’t come back, what will the young master eat? And where will we find someone who knows such a wide range of delicious foods?”

Uncle Fu had also been eager to discuss cooking techniques with Yu Qingze. After learning from him about making seafood congee, he had tried it a few times at home, and the results had been much better. Even their young master enjoyed it.

They hurriedly returned to the master’s residence, reported the situation, and obtained permission. They then went to the kitchen to pack some food and prepared some gifts before setting off to visit Yu Qingze and inquire about his health.

However, Niu Tou Village was quite far away!

It was not an easy task for Yu Qingze and the others to travel such a long distance every day to set up their food stall in the city.

Mi Ge’ger and Uncle Fu made their way, occasionally asking for directions from passersby. After walking for over half an hour, they finally arrived at the home of Chang Le, where Yu Qingze was temporarily staying.

To their surprise, they discovered that Yu Qingze was just renting a place from Chang Le’s family.

“Whom are you two looking for?” Grandpa Chang asked as he walked out of the courtyard gate.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Mi Ge’ger stepped forward and asked, “Excuse me, sir, is this the home of Boss Yu Qingze?”

Grandpa Chang nodded and replied, “Yes, it is. And who might you two be?”

Mi Ge’ger smiled and said, “Grandpa, I am Mi Ge’ger, a servant from the Cai family in the southern part of the city. This is Uncle Fu. We were fortunate to learn a few congee recipes from Boss Yu, and our young master enjoyed them very much. Today, we heard that Boss Yu was injured, and our master instructed us to come and visit him.”

Grandpa Chang hadn’t met Mi Ge’ger and Uncle Fu before, but he had heard about them from Chang Hao and the others. Upon recognizing them, he quickly invited them inside and said, “They went to the mountains, but they should be back soon. Please come in and have a seat. It’s a hot day, and you’ve gone through the trouble of coming all the way here.”

Mi Ge’ger and Uncle Fu entered the house.

Mi Ge’ger smiled and replied, “Grandpa, you’re too kind. Boss Yu is injured, and it’s only right for us to visit. This is a small token of appreciation from our master. Please accept it.” As he spoke, Mi Ge’ger handed over the basket containing the gifts and some fish-based food they had brought.

“Oh, you coming here is already enough. Why bring gifts?” Grandpa Chang said warmly. “Please have a seat. Let me pour some water for you to drink.” He placed the basket on a nearby stool and went to the kitchen to pour two glasses of cold water for them. After they had their drink, he served them two bowls of chilled jelly.

“Come on, have a bowl of chilled jelly. It’ll cool you down,” Grandpa Chang urged.

“What is this?” Mi Ge’ger looked at the crystal-clear chilled jelly in the bowl, amazed. Another new and refreshing food!

Uncle Fu’s eyes also lit up when he saw it.

“This is chilled jelly. Give it a try; it helps beat the heat,” Grandpa Chang explained.

Curiously, both of them took spoons and tasted it. The cool sensation instantly spread from their mouths to their brains, providing a refreshing feeling. After finishing a whole bowl, they felt refreshed, their overheated minds became clear, and the fatigue from the long journey was alleviated.

“Delicious! Old Chang, what is this chilled jelly made of?” Uncle Fu couldn’t help but ask, driven by his professional curiosity.

Grandpa Chang smiled and said, “It’s made from some things in the mountains, prepared by Aze. You can ask him about it when he comes back.”

Whether this could be taken to the streets for sale or not was a decision solely in the hands of Yu Qingze. Grandpa Chang was well aware of that.

Although he didn’t get a direct answer, Uncle Fu wasn’t disappointed. With such a special food, it’s possible that Boss Yu was planning to sell it, and the recipe naturally needed to be kept secret and not disclosed casually. However, his curiosity grew even stronger.

He replied with a smile, “Alright.”

Grandpa Chang chatted with the two for a while and then started to rinse the rice and prepare the meal. Uncle Fu initially wanted to help with the cooking, but Grandpa Chang quickly stopped him, saying, “How can I let you do that? Just sit and wait for them to come back and taste different flavors.”

Uncle Fu’s mind stirred, “But what about Boss Yu’s culinary skills?”

Grandpa Chang laughed heartily, “We’ll find out when the time comes. Just wait patiently, my friend.”

In the mountains, Chang Le watched anxiously as Yu Qingze plucked the pale yellow white fungus resembling chrysanthemums from the withered tree. He gestured urgently.

Chang Hao translated, “Brother Yu, my brother says this thing is inedible. Some people tried it before, and they ended up with a whole-body rash, itching, and blisters. It’s poisonous.”

Yu Qingze smiled and asked, “Did he pick them and eat them directly?”

Chang Le nodded.

Yu Qingze said, “This thing is called silver ear fungus (Tremella mushroom). It needs to be dried before consumption. If you eat it directly, you need to soak it in water for at least thirty minutes; otherwise, exposure to sunlight after consumption can cause itching. But trust me, it’s a good thing. It nourishes the yin and moistens the lungs, very nutritious. It’s even better than matsutake mushrooms and black fungus.”

The two brothers were astonished.

Chang Hao widened his eyes and asked, “Is it really that good?”

Yu Qingze nodded, “It’s that good. So, hurry up and help me pick these, so we can go back earlier.”

Upon hearing this, they quickly started picking. Whether it was poisonous or not didn’t matter anymore. Since Brother Yu said it was good, it must truly be good.

“Pick the bigger ones, leave the smaller ones for later when they grow bigger,” Yu Qingze instructed.

Chang Hao asked again while picking, “Can we sell this too?”

Yu Qingze nodded, “We can. But we won’t sell these. We’ll keep them for ourselves.”

Although there seemed to be plenty of silver ear fungus in this forest, it couldn’t be sold in large quantities continuously. It was better to keep them for personal consumption. Moreover, the locals didn’t know how to eat it, and its value was still unknown. It probably wouldn’t fetch a good price yet. The eating method needed to be spread for it to have an effect.

However, once they finished picking from this mountain, they could consider mobilizing the villagers to search for it. They could come to purchase it since the locals believed it was inedible, and there shouldn’t be much competition.

Yu Qingze silently contemplated his plans for the future. He couldn’t help but feel grateful that he came to the mountains today. Not only did he dig up two bamboo shoots, but he also discovered the immortal leaves. Chang Le even found a small basket of mushrooms, and they also picked a handful of black fungus. But the biggest surprise was undoubtedly finding this silver ear fungus!

This area of the forest was near a stream, with many dead trees and damp conditions, making it an ideal environment for various fungi to grow.

He stumbled upon the silver ear fungus while picking black fungus. He was overjoyed and asked Chang Le if there was more. Chang Le then led them deeper into this part of the forest.

Here, there is a large patch of silver ear fungus growing!

Yu Qingze felt as if he had suddenly won five million yuan, a tremendous surprise.

In his previous life, silver ear fungus was mostly cultivated, and wild silver ear fungus like this was extremely rare. If any wild ones were found, they would be sold at exorbitant prices.

The group picked all the larger silver ear fungus in this small forest. Seeing that it was getting late, they headed back. Chang Le’s large basket was already filled with forest delicacies.

Upon returning home, they were surprised to find Mi Ge’er and Uncle Fu there.

Upon learning their purpose, Yu Qingze expressed his gratitude, saying, “Mi Ge’er, Uncle Fu, thank you, and please convey my gratitude to Elder Tai for his thoughtfulness.”

Mi Ge’er responded and asked, “How did you get robbed?”

Yu Qingze replied, “We encountered a few hooligans on the official road, and they started a fight.”

Mi Ge’er frowned.

Chang Hao exclaimed angrily, “Mi Ge’er, Uncle Fu, you have no idea how unlucky we’ve been lately.”

Mi Ge’er asked, “Why? Isn’t your business doing well?”

Chang Hao began counting on his fingers and said, “Let me tell you, ever since we opened our snack stall, first, there were thieves who came to our house and stole our liangpi. Then a few days ago, we had troublemakers who put insects in our noodles and claimed our cold noodles were unclean. Isn’t that despicable? And then the next day, when we returned home, we were robbed. Yu Big Brother got injured while protecting us. He was beaten with many sticks, his back is covered in bruises, and his shoulder was slashed. It’s such a long wound that he can’t even lift his arm.”

As he spoke, Chang Hao gestured with his hand, indicating its length.

Yu Qingze was washing his face and, upon hearing Chang Hao’s words, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Chang Hao, this little rascal, had his own advantages. During critical moments, he always managed to bring some unexpected surprises.

Just like now.

The various news on the street were well-informed. After chatting with Mi Ge’er and Uncle Fu for a while and hearing information from customers and neighboring vendors while doing business, Yu Qingze had a basic understanding of the Cai family in Chengnan. It was an unexpected character for him.

However, if he could establish a good relationship with them, it would bring unexpected help for future business endeavors.

Upon hearing this, Mi Ge’er and Uncle Fu exchanged glances. Mi Ge’er said, “You’ve only been open for about ten days, right?”

Chang Hao nodded and said with frustration and seriousness, “Exactly! We encounter strange things every few days. It’s so difficult to run a small business properly!”

At that moment, Yu Qingze walked over and lightly slapped a wet towel on Chang Hao’s face, laughing, “Go wash your face. You look like a mud monkey.”

The three of them had been crawling around in the mountains, indeed resembling mud monkeys.

Chang Hao chuckled and walked off with the towel. Yu Qingze said to the two of them, “Uncle Fu, Mi Ge’er, you came at the right time. You’re in for a treat.”

Uncle Fu was most concerned about culinary skills and immediately asked, “What fresh dishes are you going to make?”

Yu Qingze replied, “I’ll let you taste my cooking skills.”

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Translator has something to say: This chapter is twice as long as a regular chapter (over 4,000 words) so, I split it into two ^__^

Mountain Treasures and Business Opportunities

Jelly figs, scientifically known as Ficus pumila, are the fruit of the climbing plant Ficus pumila. They can be used for medicinal purposes, but they are also a great food item.

Yu Qingze looked at the large patch of jelly figs climbing on rocks and nearby trees in front of him, feeling extremely delighted. These were excellent food items for relieving summer heat and dampness!

He still remembered when he was a child at his grandfather’s house. Every summer, several trees in the village would be covered with these jelly figs. The villagers would pick them and make them into a jelly-like dessert, adding honey or sugar to it. It was cool and refreshing, similar to jelly, and incredibly delicious.

The method of preparation is also very simple, and he remembers it.

After discovering this good thing, Yu Qingze didn’t care about his reputation for being “visually-challenged” anymore. He directly picked a large, plump fruit of the Liangfen fruit.

With his left shoulder injured and unable to lift his left arm, he could only use one hand to pick. Fortunately, the Liangfen fruits on the vines weren’t high up on the trees; some were even on nearby rocks, which weren’t too high. He easily plucked them.

Not far away, the equally “visually-challenged” Chang Hao found another mushroom and excitedly picked it, wanting to show off again. But when he turned around, he realized that Yu Qingze had already stopped looking for mushrooms and was picking something else instead.

“Big brother Yu, what are you doing? I found another mushroom, making it two!” If you don’t hurry and find more, you won’t catch up to me. Chang Hao walked over to Yu Qingze, holding the two mushrooms he found, and curiously looked at the small pile of fruits on the ground.

“We can eat these. I’ll make them for you this afternoon, I promise you’ll like it!” Yu Qingze didn’t even turn his head and stood on his tiptoes to pluck the jelly figs from the top branch. It had a greenish color, was plump and large, and surely contained a lot of fruit jelly inside.

“We can eat this? Isn’t it medicine?” Chang Hao was quite surprised. He had known about this fruit for several years but never knew it was edible. He had only seen the Doctor pick it for medicinal use.

Yu Qingze finally plucked the fruit from the top and explained with a smile, “Many medicinal ingredients can be eaten as well.”

“Oh, is it delicious?” Chang Hao was most concerned about this question. “Will it taste medicinal?”

Yu Qingze tapped his forehead and jokingly scolded, “You little foodie, if it tastes medicinal, you won’t eat it?”

Chang Hao smiled and rubbed his forehead, shamelessly saying, “If it’s delicious, I can tolerate a slight medicinal taste!”

Yu Qingze laughed and turned to continue picking fruits.

Chang Hao also stopped looking for mushrooms. Since they couldn’t find any, it was better to pick these wild fruits. They were all around them, and they didn’t have to make an effort to search.

The two of them picked a bunch of fruits. When Yu Qingze felt they had enough, they used their clothes as makeshift bags and went to find Grandpa Chang and Chang Le together.

Grandpa Chang and Chang Le were also surprised when they picked these fruits, but since Yu Qingze said they were edible, they probably were. Anyway, when Yu Qingze pointed at the grass on the ground and said it could be made into something delicious, they didn’t doubt it and happily ate it.

Grandpa Chang and Chang Le picked a lot of mushrooms, totaling about three or four catties, and poured them into one bucket. Yu Qingze and Chang Hao put the harvested jellyfruit into another bucket.

The group returned home with a full harvest.

During the Ghost Festival here, there’s no need to avoid certain foods, and there’s a custom of eating duck, which sounds like “press” in Chinese, implying the act of suppressing ghosts.

Grandpa bought a duck from a neighbor’s house yesterday.

After returning home, it was already close to noon, and the family started to prepare lunch.

Chang Hao cooked the rice, and Grandpa Chang prepared the duck.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Yu Qingze first had Chang Le chop the chicken into pieces and blanch them. Then they put the chicken and matsutake mushrooms into a large sand pot, added ginger and garlic, and placed it on a small stove for Chang Hao to simmer. Chang Le went to wash the vegetables, while Yu Qingze started plucking the duck feathers with Grandpa Chang.

After processing the duck, they opened it up. Half of it was reserved for dinner, while the other half, according to Yu Qingze’s plan, was prepared for Ginger-Braised Duck.

“Brother Le, why don’t you make it today?” Yu Qingze said.

Chang Le looked at him and waved his hand, indicating that he had never made Ginger-Braised Duck before, hadn’t even heard of the dish, and had never seen Yu Qingze make it either, so he didn’t know how to do it.

Yu Qingze pulled down his wrist and said, “It’s alright, I’ll teach you. Just follow my instructions.”

Chang Le hesitated for a moment.

Yu Qingze pointed to his left hand and said, “I can’t lift my arm yet.”

Chang Le nodded immediately. He realized he was being careless. Yu Ge was still a patient now, how could he let him cook? He felt a bit guilty about it.

Yu Qingze smiled. In fact, his right hand was fine, and he could easily cook with one hand, but he just wanted to see Chang Le do it.

Moreover, if you want to have good cooking skills, it’s essential to practice regularly. But given the current conditions in this world, they couldn’t afford to let Chang Le practice cooking with food that was meant to be eaten. So Yu Qingze could only teach him step by step, guiding him while he learned and practiced at the same time, killing two birds with one stone.

Starting from chopping the duck meat, Yu Qingze didn’t lift a finger throughout the process. He only gave verbal commands and instructions, letting Chang Le do everything.

Meanwhile, the chicken being stewed in front of the stove had begun to emit a fragrant aroma. It simmered and bubbled, mingling with the rich scent of the matsutake mushrooms, making one’s mouth water just from the smell.

“Smells so good!” Chang Hao, tending to the fire, leaned closer to the sand pot and took a deep sniff of the tantalizing aroma, with its fresh and sweet flavor.

Chang Le licked his lips, feeling hungry.

“Xiao Hao, the fire is too high. Lower it a bit, or the soup will dry out later,” Yu Qingze noticed that the soup had pushed the lid aside and quickly reminded Chang Hao.

“Oh, okay.” Chang Hao quickly took out two pieces of firewood. His brother loved soup, and if there was no soup left, his brother wouldn’t have anything to drink.

On the other side, under Yu Qingze’s guidance, Chang Le first chopped the duck meat into pieces and sliced the ginger and red chili peppers. Then they boiled water, blanched the duck pieces, rinsed off the blood, and drained them. In another pan, they sautéed the ginger and garlic until fragrant, then added the duck pieces and stir-fried until golden. They added the sliced ginger and stir-fried it evenly, followed by soy sauce, white vinegar, and cooking wine, stirring well. Finally, they added enough water to cover the duck meat, brought it to a boil, then simmered it over low heat. When there was a small amount of remaining broth, they added salt and sliced red chili peppers, stir-fried until the sauce thickened, and sprinkled it with chopped green onions. And it was done.

After plating it, Chang Le looked at the Ginger-Braised Duck in the bowl. The duck meat was golden and shiny, the ginger soaked in the broth, and the vibrant red chili slices and green onions added richness to the colors. It looked very appetizing.

This was made by himself. Chang Le had a smile on his face as he picked up a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Yu Qingze, asking him to taste it.

Yu Qingze took the chopsticks, picked up a small piece of duck meat, chewed it a few times, swallowed, and then extended his thumb, saying, “Mmm, it tastes great.”

In fact, there was a difference in taste compared to when he made it, but for someone making this dish for the first time, it was really good. He was happy to see Chang Le’s satisfied expression and wanted to make him happy.

Chang Le’s eyes brightened at his words, and a smile curved on his lips. He placed the bowl of food on the nearby table.

Being acknowledged by his master made him happy.

“You should have a piece too.” Saying that, Yu Qingze switched the chopsticks to the other end and picked up another piece of duck meat, naturally bringing it close to Chang Le’s mouth.

Chang Le looked at the chopsticks in front of his mouth, hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should eat it.

“What’s wrong? Eat it. You made it yourself. Ahhh—” Yu Qingze urged, even coaxing him.

Chang Le’s face flushed, and without thinking too much, he quickly opened his mouth and took a bite of the meat.

“How is it? Does it taste good?” Yu Qingze asked with a beaming smile.

Chang Le nodded with his head lowered, his ears turning red. He didn’t even know the taste of the duck meat in his mouth; all he knew was that his face and ears were burning, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Yu Qingze looked at his reaction and smiled, pursing his lips.

Chang Hao, the young boy, lowered his head and suppressed his laughter.

By the time the duck meat was ready, the stewed chicken with matsutake mushrooms was also almost done. Yu Qingze added some salt for seasoning and then asked Chang Hao to take out the firewood.

Chang Le also stir-fried some greens, and lunch was ready.

With chicken and duck, they had the delicately flavored stewed chicken with matsutake mushrooms and the rich and satisfying ginger-braised duck. They also had a plate of vibrant green vegetables. For a rural family, it was a plentiful meal.

Everyone started by having a small bowl of chicken soup. The soup perfectly blended the rich aroma of the chicken with the sweetness of the matsutake mushrooms, leaving everyone wanting more. The pot of chicken was barely touched, but the soup was already almost finished.

Then they started eating.

Chang Le paid special attention to his grandfather and younger brother’s reactions to the duck meat. Seeing that they both said it was delicious, his heart blossomed with joy, feeling particularly satisfied.

After the satisfying lunch, everyone felt full, their bellies round.

However, for a little food lover like Chang Hao, he still couldn’t forget about the wild fruits they had picked in the morning. Yu Qingze had promised to make something delicious with them for him to eat.

After taking a nap, he went to the kitchen to find Yu Qingze and started pleading, “Brother Yu, when are we going to make the jelly?”

“Now!” Knowing that Chang Hao had been looking forward to it for a long time, Yu Qingze agreed.

He had originally been making cold noodles with Chang Le in the kitchen, but when he saw the eager little food lover, he washed his hands and started making the jelly.

Chang Le also paused and watched him make the jelly.

First, they cut open the fruits and removed the seeds, placing them on a clean cotton cloth and wrapping them up, tying the opening securely. Then they immersed the end with the seeds into the pre-prepared cold water.

Yu Qingze had a lot of fruit seeds, so he used the wooden basin they used for cooling noodles and filled it with a large amount of water.

After a few minutes, Yu Qingze firmly held the cloth while Chang Le washed his hands and vigorously rubbed, kneaded, and squeezed the bundle of fruit seeds, extracting the milky fruit gel. The entire process was done in the water.

When there was nothing left to squeeze out, Yu Qingze took out the cloth bundle and set it aside, removing any fruit seeds that had accidentally entered the water. Then he left the basin of water as it was.

Chang Hao watched the entire process without blinking, and now seeing Yu Qingze walk away, he asked, “Brother Yu, is it done?”

Yu Qingze nodded. “Yes, just leave it there. We can eat it in a little while.”

Chang Hao pointed to the basin of water, wide-eyed. “Drink this water? Is that it?”

Yu Qingze laughed and said, “It won’t be just water in a little while. Hey, don’t touch it. Let it sit there. It will surprise you later.” Seeing that Chang Hao wanted to shake the water, Yu Qingze quickly stopped him.

There was no honey at home, but there was a small jar of sugar syrup. Yu Qingze scooped out some and added a bit of water to dissolve it. They would use it later.

Chang Hao stood motionless by the basin of water, waiting to be surprised by what would happen later. But after watching for a while and seeing no changes, his legs became numb, so he stood up and went to help his brother cook cold noodles.

However, after helping for a while, he couldn’t resist running over to take a look.

After he ran back and forth five or six times, he suddenly noticed that something seemed different about the water.

“It’s frozen! Brother, come and see, it’s frozen!” Chang Hao exclaimed, pointing to the basin, calling his brother to come and look.

Curious, Chang Le walked over and saw that the water in the basin had disappeared, and it had frozen into a solid block, transparent in appearance!

Yu Qingze came over and said, “It’s ready to eat!”

He took four small bowls and spooned the frozen jelly into them, then poured the dissolved sugar water into the bowls. He handed them to Chang Hao and Chang Le, saying, “Try it.”

The two took the bowls, and the frozen jelly inside was sparkling and transparent, resembling gemstones. But as soon as the spoon touched it, it could be easily cut, very tender.

Chang Hao scooped up a piece with a spoon and put it in his mouth. It was cool and refreshing, and he felt a surge of energy. The frozen jelly had a sweet taste, and he was about to chew it when it slid down his throat.

Chang Hao: …Oh, no need to chew!

“It’s delicious!” Chang Hao immediately scooped up a large spoonful and quickly “drank” it down.

Chang Le took a sip and also had a pleasantly surprised expression. He initially thought liangfen was similar to liangmian and liangpi, but it turned out to be like this. It should be considered a type of dessert.

But it was really delicious, cool and refreshing, smooth and tender. He had been busy making liangpi and felt hot, but now he felt comfortable all over. He had never eaten this kind of dessert before, made from “frozen water.”

Seeing their expressions, Yu Qingze smiled contentedly and then carried a bowl of liangfen to the main room for Grandpa Chang, who was repairing a hoe.

After tasting it, Grandpa Chang also highly praised it. He abandoned the hoe for now since it was so hot outside and decided to have a couple more bowls of liangfen in the kitchen first.

“Big brother Yu, can’t we sell this liangfen too? There are so many fruits in the mountains, and it tastes so good. The recipe is also simple. It would be a waste not to sell it. And I’m sure it will sell well!” Chang Hao, while eating, didn’t forget to explore business opportunities. Lately, he had been working at the stall and thought about whether every food item could be sold for profit.

Grandpa Chang and Chang Le nodded in agreement.

Yu Qingze said, “We can sell it. I’ve been thinking that we should make and sell it in a few days. It will definitely be more popular than mung bean soup, and the recipe is simple. We just need to buy some sugar, but it would taste even better with honey.”

Having made up their minds, they discussed going to the mountains the next day to gather some ingredients.

Since picking jelly figs and pine mushrooms in the mountains, Yu Qingze had developed a keen interest in the mountains. There were many mountain delicacies, and who knows what other good things they might discover if they explored more?

The next day, Yu Qingze went to the mountains with Chang Le and Chang Hao. Grandpa Chang stayed home alone. Around mid-morning, when it was almost noon, unexpected guests arrived at their house.

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Translator has something to say: Sorry my lovely readers for the delay in updating. I was super busy last week with work so, this week I had to catch up on school. Barely managed to finished this chapter just now.

“Changfeng, come and bring the dishes!”

Xu Qing’s voice came from the kitchen, and Li Changfeng quickly stood up. “Let’s eat first, we can talk later.” Chen Qi nodded. He could smell the aroma of the food in the air, and he was starting to feel a bit hungry. He hadn’t had much appetite for breakfast this morning, and after walking so much, he was indeed feeling hungry now.

“What happened?” Xu Qing asked Li Changfeng as he poured water into the pot. “The marriage between the Chen family and the Ma family was called off, but Chen Hong insists on marrying Ma Fugui.” Li Changfeng really couldn’t understand what Chen Hong was thinking.

Xu Qing was also stunned. He never expected that Chen Hong would actually listen to the news about Ma Fugui and still want to marry him. “Forget it, it’s their family matter. Let’s eat first. Today, I made braised fish, your favorite.”

By now, it was already noon, and smoke was rising from the chimneys of the rural households. However, the Chen family’s kitchen remained cold and empty. Old Man Chen returned after finishing his work and saw his wife sitting expressionless in the courtyard. “Still angry? Did you cook?”

“Cook? What’s there to cook? I’m so angry, none of them are easy to deal with!”

Old Man Chen placed the hoe aside and listened to his wife’s words. He glanced at the room where Chen Hong stayed. “Hasn’t Xiao Hong come out yet?”

Chen Ama was furious. “Not only him, even Chen Qi and his wife have disappeared! It’s already this late, and they’re still quarreling. They are all so troublesome!”

Chen Hong sat in the room, facing a vibrant red garment. His slender fingers skillfully moved through the red fabric, and there was calmness in his expression. He was making his wedding dress. Actually, when he agreed to the marriage with the Ma family, he did have some thoughts of disillusionment. He didn’t care much about breaking off the engagement with the Ma family either.

But… but Big Brother said so … that it was Li Changfeng who told him. If Li Changfeng deliberately informed Big Brother about this matter, then maybe in his heart, he still held a special place. If that’s the case, he was willing to make mistake after mistake, just to gain a trace of concern from Li Changfeng.

After finishing lunch, Chen Qi went to Anle Village. He wanted to find his own wife. As a husband, there shouldn’t be anything they couldn’t talk about. He needed to figure out what was bothering his wife so much that he returned home.

After pouring some fine pig feed for the piglet, Xu Qing looked at the fifteen chicks hopping around in the chicken coop and suddenly noticed that one of them seemed a bit lethargic. Carefully avoiding the other chicks, Xu Qing picked up the sluggish one.

“What’s wrong?” Li Changfeng turned his head and saw Xu Qing crouched on the ground fiddling with something. He approached and saw Xu Qing trying to keep hold of the chick that was desperately trying to escape. “I noticed it wasn’t looking too well, so I took a look. Could you bring some water?”

Once Li Changfeng brought the water, Xu Qing carefully placed the chick down and held its little head, bringing it closer to the water. But the chick didn’t cooperate at all; it struggled even harder. “Let me do it.”

Li Changfeng directly placed a basin filled with water, which was not commonly used, into the chicken coop. Then he released the chick that Xu Qing was holding, letting it join the other chickens. “With more of its kind around, its fear will dissipate.”

Xu Qing watched as the chick returned to the group and started drinking water with the others. He listened to Li Changfeng’s words and thought it made sense. “Don’t you still have unfinished work? Go and take care of it.” While Li Changfeng was occupied with his task, Xu Qing took the opportunity to drop a drop of spiritual spring water into the basin. The chicks sensed that the water was different and soon the basin was surrounded by the little chicks, eagerly drinking the water.

“Changfeng, after you finish this, let’s go to the mountain.” Xu Qing remembered that there were quite a few redwood trees on the outskirts of the mountain. They were excellent materials for making furniture. The wood had a uniform color, with orange-colored heartwood and light reddish-brown to dark reddish-brown colors. The dark grain patterns were distinct, and the wood had a glossy texture. The grains were interwoven and clear, the material was hard, with high strength, wear resistance, and durability.

Li Changfeng, with his head buried in sanding the wooden board, nodded. “Okay!” After all, there wasn’t much farm work to be done at the moment, and occasionally going around with his wife to explore was also a kind of pleasure.

This season was the perfect time for wild fruit trees to bloom in the mountains. The pink blossoms were apricot flowers, peach flowers, and wild cherry blossoms. Wild cherries had a slightly bitter taste but were one of the favorite fruits among the village children. With limited resources in rural households, few families would specially bring snacks for their mischievous children. Only some fruit trees on the outskirts of the mountain provided the children with yearning year after year.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Li Changfeng and Xu Qing arrived at the back mountain, and Xu Qing was dazzled by the patches of red and pink throughout the mountains. “I have to admit, it looks really beautiful.” Li Changfeng nodded and added, “The fruits they bear are also delicious.” He planned to pick more when the time came. Li Changfeng remembered that Li Ama and Li Xiao’er loved eating wild fruits. As for him and his brothers, they used to have a sweet tooth when they were young, but as they grew older, their interest diminished.

Zeng Ama was accompanying his husband, who was dragging and chopping pine logs. He heard the voices of the two behind him and exclaimed, “Oh, isn’t this Brother Qing and the new Xu family member!”

Upon seeing Zeng Ama, Xu Qing recognized him. It was through this person that he spread the story of his “treatment” at the Lin family pharmacy. “Changfeng, this is Zeng Ama from the village. Their family also works with wood.” Li Changfeng nodded politely to Zeng Ama and remained silent.

“Zeng Ama, what are you doing here?” Xu Qing looked at the pine logs in front of Zeng Ama and felt a bit envious. Zeng Ama’s husband was involved in woodworking, so it seemed like they had come to the mountain to find wood.

Zeng Ama smiled and stopped his work, adjusting the perfectly placed silver hairpin on his head. “Uncle Zeng took on a few more projects! We ran out of wood at home, so here we are, checking it out.”

“Why, can’t handle it anymore? I should have come instead!” A short and chubby middle-aged man holding a knife said to Zeng Ama. His tone was quite gentle. This was Zeng Ama’s husband.

“How can that be! I just stopped to chat with Brother Qing and the others!” Zeng Ama let his husband take what he was holding. “Sorry for making you laugh. My husband, he just can’t bear to let me do more work! It’s really annoying!”

Listening to Zeng Ama’s exaggerated tone, Xu Qing’s mouth twitched slightly. This person…

“We’re just strolling around the mountain, so we’ll go ahead. Feel free to visit our place sometime. Our sons have all gotten married, so it’s not as lively as before!” Zeng Ama’s husband, with his round face and a gentle smile that resembled a laughing Buddha, seemed to be engaged in a small business at home. With his appearance and demeanor, it was hard to dislike him.

Zeng Ama and his husband only had two sons, both of whom got married and left. Now, only the two of them remained in the house. Zeng Ama wasn’t used to the days without gossiping. It wasn’t as lively as when he was with Sun Ama.

“Yeah, don’t find us annoying when the time comes,” Xu Qing said, feeling a bit embarrassed. Among all the households in the village, only the Zeng family worked with wood. People in the village often sought their services. If Xu Qing’s family started their own woodworking business, they would become competitors!

Watching the old Zeng couple walk away, Li Changfeng looked at Xu Qing thoughtfully. “Do you really want to visit their house?” Xu Qing: “…………”

Rosewood was just a general term for a type of wood. Xu Qing was specifically looking for Sourwood, which could be classified into three types: Black Sourwood, Red Sourwood, and White Sourwood. The trees they found in front of them were Red Sourwood.

Xu Qing remembered that the teacher mentioned in class that Sourwood was the primary material used in redwood furniture during the Qing Dynasty. Furniture made from Sourwood, even after several hundred years, would still look new as long as it was properly polished and coated with lacquer. This showcased the excellent quality of Sourwood and garnered attention from people throughout the ages.

Sourwood came in two colors, deep red and light red. It had a superior quality with distinct and varied patterns. Sourwood furniture, after being polished and lacquered, appeared smooth and lustrous, exuding a modest and understated beauty. Not only was it abundant in quantity, but the wood quality was also excellent, and the craftsmanship was exquisite. In the modern perception, it was considered genuine redwood furniture.

“Changfeng, make a mark on these trees.”

These trees were relatively old and had better wood quality. Xu Qing could envision their future home, and he didn’t want furniture that wouldn’t match the house.

Following Xu Qing’s instructions, Li Changfeng made marks on the designated trees. Afterward, the two ventured further into the outskirts of the mountain. While Xu Qing was looking around for the trees he desired, he suddenly had his mouth covered by Li Changfeng’s large hand, and Li Changfeng held him from behind, crouching down.

“Shh, don’t speak. There’s someone!” Li Changfeng whispered near Xu Qing’s ear. Xu Qing was utterly confused. What’s the big deal if someone was there? Did they really need to hide like this? Just as he was about to remove Li Changfeng’s hand, Xu Qing heard some noises not far away.

“Be gentle, damn it!”

“What do you mean by ‘gentle’? Don’t you like it when I’m rough?”

“You’re annoying! Ah…”

They had clearly stumbled upon a couple engaged in outdoor intimacy! Xu Qing obediently stayed still in Li Changfeng’s embrace, afraid to make any noise. If they were to make any sound while leaving, it would be awkward for everyone involved.

Li Changfeng was concerned that Xu Qing’s legs would get tired from crouching, so he slowly sat down, allowing Xu Qing to sit on his lap. “Don’t look!” Li Changfeng used his hand to cover Xu Qing’s eyes, not wanting those things to taint Xu Qing’s vision!

Xu Qing’s attempt to steal a glance was mercilessly thwarted by being covered up. Just as he was about to use his hand to remove the obstructing hand, Li Changfeng, who understood him without a word, caught his hand. “Behave!”

Just as Xu Qing was about to struggle, they heard voices from the other side.

“How does it feel? Am I making you more comfortable than your man at home?” The voice sounded rather frivolous, but the implications of their conversation indicated that these two were engaging in a secret rendezvous?!

“Well, does your wife serve you better than mine does?” This voice was as shameless as the plump matchmaker who came to their doorstep back then!

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Thingyan: Damn, who could be so shameless doing such deeds in the open, especially in such feudal society

The busy spring farming didn’t last long. The lively and bustling period came and went quickly. The tasks in the hands of the rural folks became easier as well. They would go to the fields when they had free time, take care of the seedlings, and with the abundant spring rain, fresh and tender wild vegetables on the mountain were slowly growing.

After helping the Xie family with their farming, Lin Fangliang returned to town. He had been away for several days, leaving only Old Doctor Lin alone at home. Lin Fangliang was concerned about leaving his father alone, so even though he was busy with farm work, he often found excuses to talk and spend time with Brother Xie. This prevented him from having time to wander around the back mountains. Before leaving, Brother Xie gave Lin Fangliang a pair of grass shoes. In fact, Lin Fangliang had watched Brother Xie make them and specially requested a pair. Nonetheless, he was still very happy, carrying a sense of reluctance and longing as he returned home.

In the Xu family’s courtyard, occasional chirping sounds came from the little chicks, and the piglet in the pigsty occasionally echoed with a few sounds, adding a rural charm to the courtyard that was originally occupied by only two people.

Li Changfeng was making the wardrobe requested by Second Wei, while Xu Qing sat beside him, diligently making grass shoes. He had made three pairs in the past few days and had become addicted to it. His craftsmanship had also improved. Li Changfeng was currently wearing a pair of grass shoes made by Xu Qing that fit him well.

“Do you think it would be good if we have our own braised chicken in the future?” Xu Qing had already started considering using their slightly grown chickens for that purpose. It had been a while since they had eaten chicken, and seeing a group of small chicks running around in front of him every day made him crave it even more.

Li Changfeng pushed away a knot on the wooden board and replied, “Sure, we can braise all fifteen of them!”

“But I also want to eat eggs!” Xu Qing suddenly thought of the steamed golden egg custard with green onions on top. Oh, just thinking about it made his mouth water.

This request left Li Changfeng at a loss. The chicks were still so small; it would take a while for them to start laying eggs. It seemed like Xu Qing wanted to eat eggs, so he would have to see who in the village had some saved up.

“Knock, knock! Is anyone there?”

Xu Qing put down the half-finished grass shoe in his hand and dusted himself off. “Coming!” He wasn’t familiar with this voice.

“Hello, Little Brother Qing!” Xia Yu, with a bright smile on his face, stood at the courtyard gate with a basket, calling out to Xu Qing.

This title startled Xu Qing, reminding him inexplicably of the *Little Green Snake from the Bai Suzhen legend. “I’m sorry, who are you?” Xu Qing couldn’t recall who this young man was. It was rare for people to come looking for him, and even rarer for young gers to visit him.

*(T/N: The Bai Suzhen legend, also known as the Legend of the White Snake, is a famous Chinese folk tale that has been passed down through generations. It tells the story of a kind-hearted white snake spirit named Bai Suzhen and her love for a mortal man named Xu Xian. In the legend, Bai Suzhen has a companion, a small green snake, often referred to as the Little Green Snake.

Xu Qing’s name can be translated as “Clear/Transparent Jade” in English. The surname “Xu” means “clear” or “transparent,” while “Qing” means “jade.” Therefore, “Xu Qing” can be understood as a name that conveys the imagery of clear or transparent jade. Jade is green and calling Little Brother Qing reminded Xu Qing of the green snake.)

Xia Yu didn’t mind and introduced himself with a cheerful smile, “I’m from the Xia family, Xia Yu!”

The Xia family? Oh, the village head family! Xu Qing immediately realized. In this village, the village head family was the only one with that surname. “Come in quickly. Our house is a bit messy. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Xu Qing noticed Xia Yu looking around before even entering the courtyard gate. He thought maybe he had seen the things Xu Qing had discarded while making the grass shoes and felt a bit embarrassed. After all, it wasn’t good for guests to see his subpar work.

Xia Yu shook his head hurriedly, “No, no! Oh, by the way, this is a handkerchief I embroidered myself. It’s a gift for you!”

Xu Qing looked as Xia Yu took out several handkerchiefs from the basket and handed them to him. Xu Qing didn’t know how to react at this moment. He and Xia Yu had almost no connection whatsoever. What kind of medicine was he selling?

“Come in. Why are you standing at the courtyard gate?” Li Changfeng, not seeing Xu Qing enter for a while, called out loudly.

“I’m coming! Brother Xia, come inside first. This isn’t the place to talk,” Xu Qing responded.

The weather was perfect today, warm and not scorching. The sunlight felt pleasant on the skin. Xia Yu and Xu Qing sat facing each other in the courtyard, feeling a bit awkward.

“Ahem, do you have something to discuss with me? Just say it. We’re fellow villagers, so what is it?” Xia Yu saw Xu Qing gesture toward the basket and immediately felt his face grow warm. Well, he had come to visit without any prior interaction.

“Well, you see, I heard from Wei Ama that you know how to make the spiny fish, so I wanted to come and learn from you.” At first, Xia Yu didn’t believe that spiny fish could be made into a delicious dish. However, many people in the village now knew how to make it from Xie Ama advertising Xu Qing’s dish, and he wanted to learn from Xu Qing. He didn’t trust anyone else since the method was passed down by Xu Qing.

Xu Qing didn’t expect that Xia Yu’s purpose for coming was to learn how to make fish. “That’s no problem. Come, I’ll explain it to you. If there’s anything you don’t understand after listening, you can ask me.”

Li Changfeng listened as Xu Qing carefully explained the process. The sound of his voice inexplicably fascinated him. He looked up and happened to catch Xu Qing’s smile, which stirred something in his heart. Indeed, his wife was the best!

“Do you understand? Do you have any other questions?” Xu Qing asked.

Xia Yu immediately nodded. “I understand. Little Brother Qing, you’re really amazing to come up with such a way to cook fish.”

Xu Qing would have been even happier if it weren’t for the three words ‘Little Brother Qing.’ “You can call me Xu Qing, or Brother Qing is also fine.”

Xia Yu didn’t realize it was because of the ‘Little Brother Qing’ title and thought he simply didn’t like it. He immediately changed his words. “Brother Qing! I understand!”

A child can be taught, indeed. Xu Qing was becoming more and more satisfied with his teaching abilities. “Brother Qing, do you know Young Doctor Lin?” Xia Yu asked Xu Qing in a low voice, being cautious.

As soon as Li Changfeng heard this, he knew what the matter was. That Lin Fangliang guy had broken the hearts of several unmarried young gers in the village. It was not easy to have a man from town come here, but why did he have to leave after only a few days? Several young gers in the village caught a cold, and they liked to go to Lin Fangliang’s shop to “seek treatment.”

“Well, my husband Changfeng and Young Doctor Lin are good brothers. Why?” It seemed that even the young gers came looking for him.

Xia Yu bit his lip. “No, it’s just that I heard someone say that Young Doctor Lin from the town came to our village. I was curious why he wanted to come to our place and even helped with the work.”

Xu Qing was caught off guard by this question. He couldn’t exactly say that Lin Fangliang had ulterior motives for coming. “As a doctor, his thoughts are different from ours. It’s a common occurrence.”

Xia Yu realized that he couldn’t get any more information out of Xu Qing, so he sat for a while and then said his goodbyes and left.

“Tsk tsk, my little Brother Xie has a love rival!” Xu Qing keenly noticed Xia Yu’s thoughts and started to worry about Brother Xie. Now it was Li Changfeng who couldn’t understand. “They haven’t even become a couple yet, why is there already a love rival?”

After closing the courtyard gate, Xu Qing resumed working on what he had in his hands. “I was just thinking…”

“Knock, knock! Is anyone home? It’s Chen Qi!”

Xu Qing hadn’t finished his sentence when the courtyard gate was knocked again.

“Chen Qi! His visit definitely has something to do with his younger brother!” Xu Qing asked Li Changfeng, who was resting, to open the door. He himself tidied up and prepared to make lunch. Chen Qi came all the way here; he couldn’t let him go back on an empty stomach.

“Changfeng.”

“What’s wrong with you?” As soon as Li Changfeng opened the door, he saw Chen Qi’s tired face and a wry smile on his face. “Come in.”

Xu Qing placed the tea on the table in the main hall and was also surprised by Chen Qi’s spirited state. He remembered that this person, like Uncle Xie, always had a cheerful and straightforward personality. After Chen Qi called out to him, his face still had that same expression. Obviously, he was hiding something in his heart. “I’ll go prepare the meal. You guys talk.”

Li Changfeng pulled a chair and sat opposite Chen Qi. “Tell me, what’s going on? How did things turn out like this?”

Chen Qi rubbed his face with both hands. “After you guys told me about Ma Fugui’s situation, I went back and told my family the whole story. They were also surprised. At first, they didn’t believe it, but later they secretly inquired in town. Damn it, they really hid it from us! So that night, I went to the Ma family to break off the engagement. Who would have thought…”

But who knew that the Ma family would refuse to break off the engagement? They even called Ma Fugui’s cousin, who works in the yamen, in the middle of the night. They said that the Chen family couldn’t keep their word, and if this matter were brought to the yamen, someone would be punished!

“Don’t think that we farmers don’t understand yamen matters. In order to prevent Xiao Hong from marrying someone like that, I had to put in a lot of effort to persuade the Ma family to agree and cancel the engagement.”

Li Changfeng felt that this matter wasn’t so simple. If it had been canceled just like that, Chen Qi wouldn’t be in his current state. “Did they change their minds afterwards?”

Chen Qi wearily shook his head. “Even until now, I can’t believe it. Xiao Hong actually still wants to marry Ma Fugui. What kind of situation is this? We put in so much effort to persuade the Ma family, but Xiao Hong, he… sigh!”

Because Chen Hong insisted on marrying Ma Fugui, the Chen family found themselves in a deadlock. They had worked hard to convince the Ma family to break off the engagement, and now Chen Hong was causing trouble again by insisting on marrying him. However, the Chen family couldn’t trust sending Chen Hong over to the Ma family knowing what kind of person he was. Besides, they had already broken off the engagement. If they let him marry him now, wouldn’t it be like throwing themselves at a loss? But if they didn’t let him marry, Chen Hong would throw a tantrum at home, saying that if he couldn’t marry Ma Fugui, he wouldn’t marry anyone else!

“I’ve been going crazy these past few days. You tell me, what is Xiao Hong thinking? He wasn’t like this before!” Chen Qi couldn’t understand why Chen Hong would make such a decision. Moreover, since Ma Fugui was divorced and had no children, his wife had been feeling down these days as well.

“Did you go to the Ma family later and talk about it?” Li Changfeng frowned. He couldn’t imagine that things would turn out like this because of Chen Hong. In his memory, Chen Hong wasn’t the type of person to say that he wouldn’t marry anyone if it wasn’t Ma Fugui.

Chen Qi shook his head. “How could we go to their house to talk about this again? We insisted on breaking off the engagement. We canceled it and then went back to beg them. Isn’t that like slapping our own faces?!”

And even if the Ma family agrees, once Chen Hong marries into their family, won’t he be looked down upon? How will he live in the future?

Li Changfeng nodded. This matter was indeed difficult to handle, but it was a family matter for the Chen family, and he couldn’t directly help. “Why did you come here today?”

“Thank you for telling me about Ma Fugui’s situation. I was in a hurry last time and didn’t have a chance to thank you. Also, the atmosphere at home is too oppressive. I came out to breathe.”

Chen Qi’s wife hadn’t been talking much to him these past few days, and his communication with the Chen family had decreased as well. Chen Qi was busy with Chen Hong’s affairs and hadn’t paid much attention to his own wife’s reaction. After realizing this, he wanted to communicate with his wife, but unexpectedly, “My wife went back to his natal family this morning. I went to look for him, but my father-in-law said he should stay there for a few days. I had no choice but to leave.”

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UPDATE 10 June 2023: Dear readers, I’m currently retranslating the entire novel from the beginning, so if you see some discrepancies, please bear with me 😀 I’m retranslating the chapters as fast as I can to catch up with your speed lol