In this era, being divorced and abandoned by a husband is very serious, especially when it's due to theft and decided by the elders to sever ancestral ties. Even if she were to return to her parents' home, they wouldn't dare to accept her. She would either have to sell herself in a distant place or face the possibility of starving to death.

Li San didn't go too far when he saw Li Man Cang pleading, and he only demanded that Wu Guihua compensate Li Wang's family with twelve taels of silver. If she couldn't produce silver, she could use an equivalent amount of grain as compensation.

"What? Twelve taels of silver? Their junk isn't worth that much!" Wu Guihua wanted to haggle when she heard the amount.

Li San didn't want to argue with her and straightforwardly said, "Either you give twelve taels of silver to Yong Ge, or I'll gather the Li family elders and sever ancestral ties. You can choose."

"We'll pay, we'll pay…" Li Man Cang ingratiatingly looked at Li San, with a mouth full of black and yellow teeth. While speaking, he didn't forget to pull Wu Guihua, urging her not to say anything.

Li Chang Sheng also blushed and stood there unable to speak.

Yong Ge didn't see Feng Ge. When he turned his head, he noticed that Feng Ge had somehow hidden back inside the house. With a pair of eyes filled with resentment, he stared at Yong Ge from below the window sill. The look in his eyes was eerie, as if Yong Ge had committed some heinous crime and had deeply wronged their family…

Yong Ge felt that Feng Ge seemed a bit abnormal, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

Of course, Wu Guihua was unwilling to give silver. Their family still had debts. She dared to say that as soon as they took out real silver and gold for Yong Ge, relatives would come knocking on their door asking for loans.

Fortunately, they had surplus grain from previous years. Under Li San's supervision, Li Man Cang weighed beans, sorghum, corn, and other grains worth twelve taels of silver as compensation for Yong Ge.

These grains were already inexpensive. Beans cost three wen per catty, sorghum two wen, and corn was slightly higher but still not exceeding four wen.

So, Li Man Cang ended up weighing two to three hundred catties of grains. Wu Guihua felt a heartache and couldn't help but scoff. Unfortunately, the eldest son actively helped to make up for it, which made Wu Guihua want to scratch him!

Cheng Duo had no idea what was happening in the village. He slept soundly and woke up the next day when the sun was already high in the sky.

Cheng Duo boiled a large pot of hot water and cleaned himself from head to toe: he shaved off his messy beard, washed his body and hair twice with pig pancreas soap, and then changed into the same assault suit and black pants he wore when he arrived.

His hair had grown below his shoulders. Although this outfit looked strange, he didn't plan to go out today. Following Yong Ge's example, he boiled a pot of pork bone soup and, while washing clothes, waited for his wife to come.

Speaking of washing clothes, wasn't there a small mountain stream next to Cheng Duo's house? He had expanded it a bit, turning it into a small pond. He no longer used water directly from it but instead carried water back in buckets to keep it clean.

Although using water frequently would quickly deplete the water in the pond, it was enough for Cheng Duo, a bachelor, to use.

Cheng Duo's leg had improved a lot, but he didn't force himself. He used a bucket to fetch water back and forth, considering it as exercise since it was only a dozen steps away.

After washing the clothes, Cheng Duo cleaned the house. The bones in the soup were almost cooked and he still hadn't seen Yong Ge.

Cheng Duo was helpless, so he boiled a pot of vegetables and ate it with the pork bone soup and steamed buns. When night fell, he secretly went to Yong Ge's house.

When Yong Ge saw him, his first reaction was not that Cheng Duo had come to find him in the middle of the night, but reflexively looking outside the courtyard. "Were you seen by someone?"

After speaking, he pulled Cheng Duo into the house and quickly closed the door.

"Why are you so scared? Is someone outside?" Cheng Duo frowned after listening to Yong Ge's incomplete sentence.

He felt that Wu Guihua was really repulsive, always jumping out and disgusting people. They hadn't settled the matter of her wanting to reclaim the land last time, and now she was causing trouble for his wife. Did she really think he had a good temper?

Yong Ge tactfully said, "I just caused trouble, so it's better to behave…"

He didn't dare to tell Cheng Duo how much attention he attracted with his current appearance. He regretted restoring his looks. But he didn't want to face Cheng Duo with his previous appearance.

Cheng Duo had finally started to like him, and don't think he didn't know. That night in the mountains, Cheng Duo was stunned when he saw him.

"Why are you here?" Yong Ge changed the topic and asked.

"Didn't we agree that you would bring me medicine? I cleaned myself up and waited for you, but you never came…" Cheng Duo sounded a bit aggrieved.

Don't be fooled by how calm and fierce he was when killing zombies. Everyone experiences their first time in love! Finally, after confirming a relationship with someone he liked, he naturally wanted to stick with them.

Yong Ge felt sorry when he heard this. "I told you to go back home and take the medicine right away…"

While speaking, Yong Ge led Cheng Duo into his room, intending to have him undress so he could apply the medicine.

However, with Cheng Duo, such a tall and big man standing in front of his bed, it seemed like the previously spacious room had become cramped, and there was a familiar scent in the air, belonging to Cheng Duo…

Yong Ge felt his heart racing, and the words urging Cheng Duo to undress couldn't come out of his mouth.

Cheng Duo, on the other hand, was very conscious of it. He didn't say a word and simply took off his clothes. Then he turned his head to look at Yong Ge and said, "What are you staring at? Apply the medicine."

"Mmm…" Yong Ge felt his cheeks getting hot, but fortunately, he was standing with the oil lamp behind him, so Cheng Duo probably couldn't see it.

At this moment, Yong Ge had forgotten that Cheng Duo could see everything in the pitch-dark underground chamber. He just subconsciously felt that the dim light was safer.

Both of them were inexperienced in love, not to mention that they were currently engaged in intimate actions like applying medicine. There was an indescribable sense of tension in the air. As Yong Ge touched Cheng Duo's body, he also felt a slight warmth in his lower abdomen…

To avoid embarrassing himself, Yong Ge quickly finished applying medicine to Cheng Duo's last wound. Feeling a bit unsure of what to do, he pushed Yong Ge away and stretched his arms to retrieve his clothes from his waist, saying, "That should do it. No need to apply more."

Yong Ge wasn't applying medicine at all. It was simply tempting him!

Yong Ge also breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't dare to be too bold earlier, afraid that Cheng Duo would suddenly turn around and push him onto the bed… Although he didn't want to refuse, they hadn't even gotten married yet. He had worked hard to build this relationship, and if they did something like this before marriage, would Cheng Duo look down on him?

In fact, people in ancient times were more open-minded than everyone imagined. The poorer the place, the more chaotic things were. Yong Ge had learned this quite early on. On one hand, the men and women in the village dared to talk about anything. During their chats, they often embarrassed unmarried girls and boys. On the other hand, there was his two older brothers and Zhao Widow's unclear situation. He had even seen a book with two little figures drawn inside their room…

Thinking of the book with those two little figures "fighting," Yong Ge's cheeks turned even redder.

"What are you thinking? Why is your face so red?" Cheng Duo knowingly asked.

Yong Ge glanced at him anxiously and turned to walk out. "Let's go outside."

He felt uncomfortable in his own room.

Not only did Yong Ge leave, but he also took the oil lamp with him. Cheng Duo had no choice but to put on his clothes and follow him outside. "Have you eaten?"

Yong Ge nodded. "I have."

Cheng Duo already knew the answer. Yong Ge must have had a meager meal with plain soup.

"Then, can you accompany me to eat a little? I'm hungry again."

Yong Ge hesitated for a moment. "You eat, and I'll accompany you."

He knew that Cheng Duo had a big appetite lately. With his way of eating, even if there were mountains of gold and silver in the space, it wouldn't be enough. It was fine when they were on the mountain, but now that they were back down, Cheng Duo didn't need to eat too much at night. So Yong Ge decided to help Cheng Duo save some food.

Cheng Duo noticed and glanced up and down at Yong Ge. He said seriously, "I like my wife a little plump. It feels better when I hold her."

Yong Ge misunderstood, thinking that Cheng Duo was dissatisfied with him. After all, when they slept together on the mountain, Cheng Duo had always been proper and didn't make any inappropriate moves. Even just now, he didn't do anything…

Even if Yong Ge didn't fully understand, he had seen the banter between the men and women in the village. Those men always liked to take advantage of others. Zhao Widow had even complained in a seemingly true or false manner in front of many people. In reality, it was more like showing off, because the expressions on the faces of the other women and wives became angrier after listening. But that sense of pride in her tone, Yong Ge still remembered it to this day…

At that time, he didn't understand, but now he had a bit of an idea. He wanted Cheng Duo to like him more!

"In that case, let's eat together a little bit." Yong Ge stammered as he looked at Cheng Duo.

Cheng Duo smiled. "You're so good!"

He had finished the pot of soup he made at noon, and now he was cooking another pot. It was pig trotters stewed with dried bamboo shoots. All four trotters from the big white pig were in the pot.

Yong Ge only ate one, and Cheng Duo finished the other three.

After finishing his meal, Cheng Duo burped and sighed. "I'm getting a little tired of eating stewed soup."

Yong Ge felt sorry for him, but he didn't say anything. They had already eaten two large pots of pork soup on the mountain, and Cheng Duo had probably eaten a lot for lunch and dinner today, not to mention the late-night snack now… How could he not get tired of it!

Just as he was thinking that, Cheng Duo took out a can of fruit. "Here, have some canned fruit to relieve the tiredness!"

Yong Ge took a bite of the sweetened pear from Cheng Duo's hand and suddenly realized, "Are you able to get things so quickly now?"

When they were on the mountain, Cheng Duo often struggled with it.

"Of course. Do you want to see what's inside?" Cheng Duo winked at him.

Yong Ge hesitated and nodded. He was indeed curious. But if Cheng Duo didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't ask.

Cheng Duo waved his hand, and suddenly a pile of things appeared in the main hall. Most of them were food: bags of rice, flour, noodles, steamed buns, and mantou; there were also buckets of oil, salt, and various seasonings.

In addition, there were a small number of canned fruits, some cigarettes, and five or six bottles of white wine.

Cheng Duo felt that Cheng Zhao's team must have gone to the base cafeteria and stocked up on supplies. These people didn't seem to trust him much because he only found crystal nuclei, guns, ammunition, and a small amount of medicine in Cheng Zhao's personal belongings.

In fact, Cheng Duo was a bit disappointed.If there was a gold bar or a gem necklace, watch, or flashlight inside, he could sell just one of them and have enough to eat for a lifetime!

Moreover, the space was a bit small, only about two square meters. When living things went in, they came out as lifeless objects.

Cheng Zhao:Sorry about that, huh?


Yong Ge felt dizzy and reached out to touch the bag of rice. After hearing Cheng Duo say what was inside, he carefully felt it and then looked up at Cheng Duo, saying, "This bag is so sturdy. Can we use it to make clothes after it's empty?"

Cheng Duo hurriedly said, "Better not. Clothes made from this type of plastic bag are uncomfortable to wear. Let's keep it for storing food. Besides, we're not short of money to buy fabric!"

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, some people might have done that when they were very poor, but even they knew that this material didn't breathe and wasn't suitable for wearing close to the body. Yong Ge seemed to have the mindset of a poor person, thinking similarly to those in the 1960s and 1970s.

Cheng Duo's use of "us" in his words made it sound like they had already been living together and had a certain understanding.

"Oh." Yong Ge was not disappointed, but rather happy.

Cheng Duo's words gave him courage. Originally, he didn't dare to reach out, but encouraged by Cheng Duo, he became interested and started to examine the items one by one.

The first thing that caught his attention were the shiny labeled cigarettes and white liquor: "Are these words? How did they put them on? They're so beautiful!"

Cheng Duo immediately understood, "Those are all made of paper. They dissolve when they come into contact with water."

He didn't want his future clothes to have "XX Cigarettes" printed on the front and "Special Brew" written on the back. Just thinking about it was awkward.

"What's this?" Yong Ge saw several irregularly shaped stones about the size of fingers and reached out to pick them up.

"Don't touch those!" Cheng Duo quickly held him back. "Those were dug out from the bodies of zombies. They might carry viruses, and nobody except me should touch them."

Upon hearing that they were dug out from the bodies of the undead, Yong Ge immediately became scared and said, "Then you should get rid of them quickly. Just thinking about such things is unlucky."

Cheng Duo smiled and said, "I need them for my body to recover."

"Really?" Yong Ge no longer minded. He looked at the dozen or so stones as if they were treasures, his eyes shining. He even carefully counted them, "One, two… thirteen, fourteen. Is that enough?"

"It's enough. The largest one is a third-level crystal nucleus, and there are five second-level ones as well. It's enough for me for a long time." Cheng Duo actually planned to keep three to five more as emergency supplies for dangerous situations. For example, like the situation in the sinkhole, if he could find and obtain a crystal nucleus earlier, Yong Ge wouldn't have had to carry him.

"Is it dangerous for you to use this? How do you use it?"

To demonstrate it to Yong Ge, Cheng Duo absorbed a first-level crystal nucleus on the spot and then circulated the energy in his dantian for a while. When he opened his eyes again, Yong Ge next to him was already holding his arm and dozing off.

Cheng Duo carried Yong Ge back to the room, but unexpectedly, his body became increasingly stiff. Just a few steps, and when he put Yong Ge down, he almost stopped breathing.

Cheng Duo suppressed his laughter and kissed Yong Ge on his smooth forehead. Then he pulled up a blanket to cover him up to his chest. "Sleep, I'll be in the main room. Don't be afraid."

Yong Ge slowly pulled the blanket up, covering half of his face, and then turned over, leaving the outer side of the bed empty.

Cheng Duo: "…"

Because their house was poor, the bed was actually quite narrow, with a wooden board underneath and thick straw on top. Since it was summer, they only put a half-worn mat on top of the straw.

However, Yong Ge was very clean. The straw had a natural scent from being dried in the sun, and the mat was wiped clean.

Cheng Duo couldn't bear to refuse Yong Ge's goodwill, but he also felt a bit challenged to lie on the same bed as his future wife. It was a hot and dry season, and he was at the age of vigorous blood. It was easy to lie down, but not doing anything was difficult.

He didn't have the conditions back in the mountains, but now he had all the necessary tools…

After thinking for a moment, Cheng Duo found a compromise: he sat halfway at the head of the bed, with one leg hanging over the edge, and leaned against the cabinet behind him.

Yong Ge, who had been listening for movement behind him, turned his head back and saw Cheng Duo sitting next to him, secretly pulling the blanket and smiling.

Cheng Duo felt a round object rolling over his leg and saw the fair and handsome face hidden in the blanket. From Cheng Duo's perspective, he could only see a pair of reddened ears.

Cheng Duo rubbed the head, and in the quiet night, his voice sounded a bit low, "Sleep."

Cheng Duo absorbed three crystal nuclei during the night and felt refreshed. While Yong Ge was still asleep, he went to the main room and gathered the scattered supplies, leaving only enough breakfast for two, including steamed buns and mantou.

As for the grains and rice, he definitely intended to keep them for Yong Ge, but he would change the packaging before Yong Ge woke up.

At this time, it was still very dark outside, around four o'clock in the morning, when most people were in their deepest sleep. Even the most diligent villagers would not wake up and go to the fields for at least another half hour.

Cheng Duo quietly went out of the house and when he returned, there was already a dead hen in the space. This wasn't exactly stealing; after all, didn't Wu Guihua like taking advantage of others? This time, let her taste the feeling of "finding money"!

"You're back?" Yong Ge saw Cheng Duo and thought that Cheng Duo had left before he woke up, so he stopped his steps, and his eyes couldn't help but show joy.

He thought Cheng Duo didn't wait for him to wake up…

The coldness on Cheng Duo's face instantly melted away, and he looked kindly at Yong Ge. "Hmm, I went home to get some things." He changed the subject, "Let's have some rice porridge for breakfast, with steamed buns and mantou, some pickled vegetables, and stir-fried fresh lettuce?"

After eating rich and heavy meals, it's good to have a light breakfast to cleanse the stomach.

"Hmm, I'll go pick the vegetables!" Yong Ge agreed and quickly ran to their vegetable garden without even hearing Cheng Duo remind him to wash up first.

On the other side, at Li Mancang's house, Wu Guihua also woke up early. It wasn't because she was diligent, but because ancient people didn't have many entertainment activities at night, so they slept early and naturally woke up early. Plus, she was getting older and needed less sleep, so she got up early.

As mentioned before, Li Mancang's house was located in the middle of the village, which meant they could only grow some onions, ginger, garlic, and seedlings nearby. To get vegetables, they had to walk a distance to pick them.

Wu Guihua took a basket and went out of the house to their vegetable garden. As soon as she pulled out a lettuce plant, she suddenly noticed three copper coins scattered in the nearby area!

The placement of these copper coins was quite clever, exactly tucked between a lettuce plant and the weeds beside it. If it weren't for someone coming to pick vegetables, it would be difficult to notice.

At first, Wu Guihua thought someone had come to steal her vegetables at night and accidentally dropped the coins. But when she turned around, she found that none of the vegetables in her garden were missing. Without any hesitation, she quickly picked up the coins.

After picking them up, she wasn't satisfied and looked around. To her surprise, there were more coins ahead!

Wu Guihua picked up five or six coins along the way until she reached a crevice in a cliff, where she found five more coins inside!

Wu Guihua was overjoyed and without thinking, she squeezed into the crevice to pick them up. The placement of the coins went from near to far, and it was easy for her to pick the first one. But when she reached for the third one, she realized that the crevice seemed to be getting narrower. However, in order to get the money, she struggled to squeeze in.

As mentioned before, Wu Guihua was a big and strong woman, especially her arms and, particularly, her upper body. It was quite spectacular…

Moreover, the crevice had a bottleneck shape, starting from large to small, and then from small to large, giving the illusion of spaciousness inside, as if one could squeeze in.

The reality was indeed like that. Wu Guihua was stuck in the crevice and managed to pick up all four coins. However, when she reached for the fifth coin, she startled a group of scorpions that were feeding in the gap. They crawled out in a frenzy, and one even crawled over her hand.

"Ah!" Wu Guihua was horrified. She struggled to get out, but because she was stuck tightly, her body didn't move. Instead, her head hit the front wall due to inertia, and she immediately lost a tooth!

Wu Guihua's mouth was full of blood, but she couldn't move in the crevice. Her hair became disheveled, and her clothes were torn open. She looked completely disheveled.

Moreover, some protruding parts of the rock wall had been deliberately polished, making them sharp. The more she struggled, the faster those sharp edges cut through her thin summer clothes, causing her pain all over.

Unable to do anything, Wu Guihua had to call for help.

The first villager to arrive was Wang Shen. She had previously praised Wu Guihua because of Feng Ge's wedding. When she saw Wu Guihua stuck in the crevice and unable to move, she burst into laughter, "Oh, Wu Guihua, what are you doing stuck in a hole? You're not a dog!"

"Pull me out quickly!" Wu Guihua shouted in frustration.

Fortunately, Wang Shen was just teasing her. After laughing, she went to help Wu Guihua. However, Wu Guihua was stuck tightly, and every time Wang Shen pulled, she would cry out in pain.

Wang Shen couldn't do much, so she called a young woman who happened to pass by. The two of them managed to pull Wu Guihua out together.

The young woman curiously looked at the scattered coins in Wu Guihua's hand, "Auntie, did you… hide the money in this hole?"

With such a large house, wasn't there a hidden corner to stash money?

Thinking about how Wu Guihua was caught stealing grains from Li Wang's house the day before, the young woman instinctively took a step back, "Is this money stolen again?"

That's why she didn't dare to hide it at home, fearing it would be discovered!

"You're the thief, not me! I found these!" Wu Guihua, with her bloodied tooth, glared fiercely at the young woman. Can't she speak properly? How come she wasn't beaten to death for talking like that!

The young woman, who had been trying to help, gave up, "Who do you say is stealing? You're already so old, yet you were caught as a thief in your own home. Shameless old thief!"

Wu Guihua had just gone through such an ordeal, and she was already simmering with anger. As soon as she heard the young woman pointing at her and calling her an old thief, she immediately got up and pounced on the young woman, trying to hit her.

"Oh, why are you fighting!" Wang Shen, who had been watching the spectacle, stepped in to separate them. By now, a group of villagers had gathered to watch the commotion.

A middle-aged woman, seeing Wu Guihua fighting with her daughter-in-law and her daughter-in-law's face scratched, immediately shouted angrily and also joined the fray.

In no time, Li Mancang and Li Changsheng heard the commotion and rushed over, but they were beaten up by the men from the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's family.

Before, they had been afraid to do anything to Li Mancang because of his two bullying nephews, but now that Li Da and Li Er had been missing for so long, there were rumors that they had met their doom.

Therefore, when the Liu family trio beat them up, they showed no mercy, venting all the frustrations they had suffered under Li Da and Li Er!

It has to be said that this turn of events was beyond Cheng Duo's expectations. He only wanted Wu Guihua to suffer a bit, but he never expected her to lose a tooth.

You see, in ancient times, there was no advanced dental technology to fix teeth. From now on, whenever Wu Guihua opened her mouth, people would immediately notice her prominent missing tooth. It could be considered retribution for her lack of moral character!


Li SanYe, who arrived upon hearing the fight, turned black-faced when he heard that it involved Wu Guihua: "Tell me, what is this fight about again?"

"Yeah, why did she hit my daughter Chunxi for no reason!" Aunt Liu, a fierce woman, took advantage of Wu Guihua's injured state and scratched her face, leaving bloody fingerprints.

Wu Guihua hesitated, "She accused me of stealing money… But the money I found was clearly mine!"

When it came to the topic of "stealing," Wu Guihua naturally lost her momentum. She dared to make a scene in front of Aunt Wang and Aunt Liu, but she didn't dare to deny it in front of Li SanYe. Because of the previous incident of stealing, her husband almost divorced her and sent her back to her mother's house.

Wu Guihua couldn't explain clearly, but Aunt Wang was a gossipy person and vividly recounted what happened just now, looking gleeful.

Aunt Liu felt a bit embarrassed but quickly said, "Our Chunxi is just straightforward with her words. Wu Guihua, at your age, why bother arguing with an immature girl? The older you get, the more childish you become!"

She pushed the responsibility back onto Wu Guihua while glaring at her own daughter-in-law in secret. Chunxi had been in the family for more than a year and hadn't brought any good news. She always caused trouble!

The young daughter-in-law, Chunxi, with an expression of defiance, said, "I was just trying to help. Who knew she would hit someone? If I knew, I wouldn't have helped!"

The Liu family originally felt a bit embarrassed, but after hearing the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law speak, they instantly felt justified. After all, Wu Guihua had hit someone, and it wasn't their fault. It was impossible for Wu Guihua to blame them!

"But what about my husband and Changsheng? Why did you hit them?" Wu Guihua asked.

"We were just trying to help because we couldn't stand seeing you hit my daughter-in-law…" the younger son of the Liu family explained.

Wu Guihua was taken aback, "So you think it's acceptable to hit my husband and Changsheng?"

"We only helped because you hit my daughter-in-law first…"

Both sides started arguing again, each refusing to back down.

Li SanYe's head was spinning from listening to the arguments and realizing that both sides were at fault. He compromised and said, "Wu Guihua, you were wrong to hit someone first; Xiangzi's wife, you can't accuse someone of stealing money without evidence…"

Li SanYe suddenly reacted, "Wu Guihua, you said you went into the hole to find money? How could you find money in such a place?"

"That's right, who would leave money in such a place!" Chunxi, seeing that Li SanYe seemed to agree with her, quickly echoed.

She had unexpectedly come into some money, and her head got hot. But now she had calmed down a bit and thought about what she had said. Suddenly, she felt a chill down her spine. "I told you… that devil intentionally placed the copper coins in my yard to lure me into that hole and embarrass me! SanYe, you don't know, there was a nest of scorpions in that hole. I almost got bitten!"

"Oh, is that so?"

"Who would simply give money to others for no reason?"

Wu Guihua's words were not believed by the people present. Eleven wen was a significant amount of money for them, and who would deliberately give someone copper coins just to play a trick on them?

If drilling a dog hole could result in money, they would be willing to do it too!

While others didn't believe her, Wu Guihua became more convinced that it was true. Just as she was about to continue arguing, Feng Ge, her eldest son, pushed through the crowd and rushed in, anxiously saying, "Mother, something bad happened! One of our hens is missing!"

But when he got a clear look at Wu Guihua's appearance, Feng Ge was taken aback. "Mother, did you get into a fight with someone?"

Then he turned his gaze toward his father and older brother, who had swollen faces and bruised noses, and exclaimed, "Father, elder brother, what happened to you both?"

Li ManCang had no time to explain and hurriedly approached Feng Ge, asking, "What? You said one of our hens is missing? How did it happen? Is the chicken coop damaged?"

Feng Ge opened his mouth in a daze and said, "No, the chicken coop is fine. When I opened the door to let the chickens out, I realized one was missing…"

They only had these five chickens left, and they relied on them for eggs. So, the first thing Feng Ge did upon waking up in the morning was to go to the chicken coop and let the chickens out, then collect the eggs.

Since their house was located in the middle of the village, it was unlikely for rats, wild cats, or dogs to come and steal from them. Therefore, their chickens and ducks had never gone missing before.

"Alright, I know who did it. It must be that little devil from the Li Wang family! Not only did he steal our chickens, but he also put copper coins to lure me into drilling that dog hole!" Wu Guihua slapped her thigh and without hesitation placed the blame on Yong Ge, Li Wang's son.

This was quite understandable. Although Wu Guihua lacked morality and liked taking advantage of others, Yong Ge was the only one who had recently caused trouble with their family for the past three days.

She was so focused on confronting the Liu family that she didn't care anymore and dragged Li SanYe to Li Wang's house to find their missing chickens.

Li SanYe was unwilling, but Wu Guihua reminded him of Yong Ge's previous mischief and demanded that he search their house, stating that it would be unfair if he didn't.

Li SanYe was cornered by her persistence and the encouragement of the onlookers, so he reluctantly agreed to take a look.

Meanwhile, the porridge had just been cooked at Yong Ge's house. Cheng Duo quickly put away things that shouldn't be seen in his home and instructed Yong Ge, "Just say you haven't left the house and don't know anything. Don't be afraid."

It wasn't that Cheng Duo didn't want to stay and help, but it wasn't appropriate for him to be at Yong Ge's house at that moment. He left first, and if he found that Yong Ge couldn't handle the situation later, he would return and pretend to be passing by.

"I'm not afraid…" Yong Ge felt puzzled as he looked at Cheng Duo's long legs striding over the low earthen wall and quickly disappearing into the trees behind the house.

Yong Ge knew something must have happened, so he gathered himself and, in no time, saw Li SanYe leading a large group of people into their yard.

"Uncle SanYe, what's going on?" Why were there so many people?

"Little devil, don't pretend you don't know. Return the chickens you stole from our house!" Wu Guihua tried to pounce on Yong Ge, but Li SanYe and the men from the village stopped her.

Even Liu ShuSheng was among them, his face flushed as he glanced at Yong Ge, then turned to Wu Guihua and said, "Capturing a thief and recovering stolen goods. You don't have any evidence, so how can you accuse someone recklessly?"

Yong Ge found Liu ShuSheng's words incomprehensible. What did he mean by capturing a thief and recovering stolen goods? He didn't understand a single word!

But since he never liked Liu ShuSheng, he shifted slightly to the side and looked at Li SanYe, saying, "Uncle SanYe, I didn't steal their chickens!"

In fact, Yong Ge found it a bit amusing. When Wu Guihua spoke earlier, he saw her missing a piece of her front tooth and her face scratched. If the timing had been right, he couldn't help but want to gloat.

Li SanYe explained the situation and then said, "Wu Shi insists that you stole their chickens, Yong Ge. What do you think we should do?"

Yong Ge felt a bit conflicted. If he didn't allow them to search, it might seem like he had something to hide. But if he allowed them to search, with so many people present, wouldn't they all have to enter his house and look around?

Initially, Yong Ge didn't care, but when he saw many single men staring at him intently, he felt it wasn't appropriate.

Yong Ge didn't care initially, but with so many single men staring at him intently, he felt uncomfortable.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid to let us search?" Feng Ge, seeing Yong Ge's alluring face, became angry and sneered, "You fox spirit, always seducing men everywhere! I think you're actually a fox spirit in disguise. Don't foxes like to eat chickens?"

"Feng Ge, that's enough!" Yong Ge felt that he couldn't remain silent anymore. Since the incident three days ago, many people had already started thinking that he changed too quickly. If he didn't explain now, it might further solidify the accusation of him being a fox spirit.

Yong Ge no longer concealed the truth and explained how his father taught him to apply the herbal potion to change his skin color. He even took out the unused herbs and applied them on his hands to show everyone.

"Look, when this potion is applied, it turns black. I suddenly turned white because I didn't apply it… Now Auntie and Feng Ge, you can't call me a fox spirit anymore, right?"

Li SanYe and the others were surprised to see this, but considering how Li Wang had been running up the mountain before his incident, they found it understandable.

"Why did your father…" Liu ShuSheng asked, but halfway through the sentence, he already understood. Yong Ge was so good-looking, and if his father didn't keep him hidden, his two useless older brothers might have already sold him!

Once Liu ShuSheng had this thought, his gaze toward Yong Ge became even more pitying. Scholars couldn't help this flaw – when they saw a beautiful person, they naturally believed in their innocence. At this moment, Liu ShuSheng had completely forgotten how he had lectured Yong Ge when he was unattractive.

Yong Ge continued to ignore him. "Uncle SanYe, I don't want to make it difficult for you. If Auntie wants to search, she can, but if she doesn't find anything, she not only has to compensate me with a chicken but also apologize to me. And Auntie and Feng Ge can't call me a fox spirit anymore! I am born of my mother and raised by my father. If they call me a fox spirit, it means they are also insulting my parents."

Although he didn't know who his fickle-hearted father was, he couldn't let anyone insult the father who raised him!

Liu ShuSheng interjected, "Yong Ge's words make sense. Insulting someone's parents is unacceptable…"

Before Liu ShuSheng could finish his sentence, Wu Guihua interrupted, "Compensate you with a chicken? You must be dreaming! You already stole a chicken from my house, and now you want me to give you one? No way!"

"Why are you in such a hurry, Auntie? I'll give it to you only if you can't find anything. If you accuse me of stealing your chicken, why are you afraid to agree?" Then, Yong Ge turned to Li SanYe. "Uncle SanYe, are my demands unreasonable?"

Li SanYe hadn't finished speaking, but the single men from the village had already started to join in, cheering Yong Ge on. "Not unreasonable at all! It's not at all excessive!"

"No evidence, why should they search for no reason?"

"Yong Ge's demands are reasonable!"

Yong Ge suddenly felt uneasy. One Liu ShuSheng was enough, but why were these men getting involved? What if Cheng Duo saw them?

"Mother, agree to him. I don't believe we won't find anything!" Feng Ge, feeling envious and jealous, now wanted to prove that Yong Ge stole the chicken. How could these clueless men speak up for him?

Wu Guihua glanced at her husband, Li ManCang, and saw him slightly nodding. She quickly agreed.

Considering that Yong Ge was an unmarried young man, Li SanYe only allowed Wu Guihua and Feng Ge's mother to enter the house for the search. He also had Wang Sheng and Da Zhuang's wives accompany them throughout the process.

As for Li ManCang and Li ChangSheng, they checked the woodshed, water tank, and even the water ditch behind the house.

Li ChangSheng didn't find anything and apologized to Yong Ge with a grumble. However, before he could finish speaking, Yong Ge interrupted, "Eldest brother ChangSheng, you don't need to apologize. It should be Auntie and Feng Ge who apologize. Did you ask them?"

Seeing that Li ChangSheng was about to speak, Yong Ge continued, "And even if they are willing, I don't agree!"

They had repeatedly slandered him as a monster. If the villagers started believing them, how would he face it? Since they were so ruthless, he didn't need to be polite either.

Li ManCang's family ultimately didn't find anything. Wu Guihua was still dissatisfied and shouted that she wanted to search the woods behind the house!

Yong Ge felt a tightness in his heart as Li SanYe scolded, "Enough! You haven't found a single chicken feather. You made a bet and lost. Come over here and apologize."

Wu Guihua retorted, "So, he caused me so much trouble with those copper coins, and we just let it go?"

Li SanYe became impatient, "If you can provide witnesses or evidence, I will mediate. If not, keep your mouth shut!"

Wu Guihua only had eleven copper coins, how could she have any evidence? She could only reluctantly, with a disgruntled expression, mumble and approach Yong Ge alongside Feng Ge.

As for Li ManCang, Li SanYe considered him Yong Ge's elder, and seeing him hide within the crowd with a thick-skinned face, he had no choice but to turn a blind eye.

Reluctantly, Wu Guihua and Feng Ge apologized, and Yong Ge didn't nitpick. He only said, "If you ever call me a fox spirit or monster again, I will come to your house and take a chicken, as promised."

To everyone's surprise, Li SanYe nodded, "Reasonable. Apology comes first, apology comes first. There's no logic in just opening your mouth without giving anything in return!"

With Li SanYe's support, Yong Ge openly went to Li ManCang's house, seized a chicken, and returned home with great excitement.


Yong Ge walked into the yard, and Cheng Duo was already waiting for him. Seeing him holding a chicken in one hand and smiling mischievously, like a cat that had stolen something, Cheng Duo casually joked, "Are you that happy?"

"Yeah!" Yong Ge quickened his pace and approached Cheng Duo, showing off his spoils while eagerly proposing, "How about I make braised chicken for you?"

Originally, stewing the young hen in soup was the best option, but Cheng Duo said he had gotten tired of soup, so Yong Ge thought of trying a different method on his way back.

"Being so generous, not leaving it to lay eggs?" Cheng Duo was a bit surprised. The chicken was still alive, and he thought that Yong Ge, being frugal, wouldn't be willing to eat it.

Yong Ge sheepishly lowered his eyes. "Well, it's more important to nourish your body…"

Cheng Duo had become so thin, and Yong Ge couldn't bear to see him like that. Besides, he always ate Cheng Duo's food. Finally obtaining a chicken, he naturally wanted to give it to him.

Hearing this, Cheng Duo's heart softened. Before the apocalypse, his father used to love buying roasted chicken from a certain shop at the street corner. Whenever he made some money, he would buy one. But when the roasted chicken was served on the table, the best parts, like the wings and legs, always went to Cheng Zhao and Cheng Wei. Even if he tried to take a bite, his father would educate him, saying that as the eldest brother, he should let his younger siblings have them.

Was it because his father couldn't afford roasted chicken? No, that wasn't the case at all. He just felt it wasn't necessary to buy it exclusively for him.

However, Yong Ge's family didn't raise chickens, which meant this chicken was the only one he had. Yong Ge didn't even hesitate to give it to him.

Cheng Duo helped Yong Ge tidy up the stray strands of hair floating in front of his eyes, smiled as he looked down at him, and said, "Silly boy, your uncle's chicken is still in my space. Let's eat that one, and let this live chicken stay to lay eggs." Worried that Yong Ge might not agree, he added, "I also really like eating eggs."

"Oh." Yong Ge felt a bit disappointed, but when he heard Cheng Duo say he liked eating eggs, he calculated in his mind how much money he had and planned to buy another hen. That way, even if one chicken laid an egg every other day, he could still make it for Cheng Duo.

After a while, he reacted and asked, "Was it really you who did that with Uncle's chicken?"

Yong Ge was both surprised and unsurprised. After all, Cheng Duo had mentioned it before he left, and it was clear that he knew what would happen next.

"Yes, is that satisfying?" Yong Ge nodded vigorously, and a cunning gleam flashed in his eyes. "How did you come up with it? Aunt… I mean, Wu Guihua, broke all her front teeth and now speaks with a lisp!"

Not only did Cheng Duo feel warm in his heart, but Yong Ge also felt delighted. No one had ever gone out of their way to seek revenge for him and do so many things. Although his father treated him well, he always taught him not to provoke others on his own. They were too honest and always got bullied by others.

This was the first time he had gained an advantage from Wu Guihua!

Yong Ge smiled beautifully, his eyes curved like crescent moons, his gray-blue irises sparkling, and his long eyelashes curled upwards. Cheng Duo unconsciously leaned in a bit closer, looking at Yong Ge's eyes, his voice gentle. "I didn't expect her to break her teeth."

Yong Ge's heart suddenly started beating faster. With Cheng Duo so close, was… was he going to kiss him?

They had kissed only twice before. The first time was in the underground cave when Yong Ge asked Cheng Duo not to feed him blood anymore, and Cheng Duo said they should make it official. The second time was when Cheng Duo found the way back, and in his excitement, he kissed Yong Ge… Each time, it ended quickly, and Yong Ge hadn't even had time to react.

Just as Yong Ge was thinking about it, Cheng Duo suddenly straightened up and looked outside the yard. "Someone is coming. Let's go inside."

"…Okay." Yong Ge suddenly felt deflated. But when the visitor knocked on the door, a young man named Sha Yang, who greeted him warmly and asked if he was afraid to be home alone or needed any help… Yong Ge's disappointment turned into anger, and he slammed the door shut. "No!"

It wasn't that Yong Ge had become better-looking and his temper had grown, but it was because Sha Yang was one of the young men who kept staring at him. They weren't familiar with each other, and he had never spoken to him before today…Cheng Duo noticed something and thought for a moment before calmly saying, "Actually, I saw it. When Wu Guihua came to cause trouble before, many men stood up for you."

Yong Ge felt empty inside. "I… I can handle it myself. I don't need their help…"

"I feel a bit sad. You're so popular. When your father returns, will you still want to marry me?"

"I won't!" Yong Ge quickly came over, grabbing Cheng Duo's arm in a flustered manner. "We made a promise, didn't we? You said you would propose once my father returns…"

Towards the end, Yong Ge wore a mournful expression, looking as if he was about to cry.

Cheng Duo couldn't bear to see his future wife upset and quickly changed his tone, "Alright, I was just teasing you. Yong Ge, you're hardworking and have a good personality. Now that you've become fairer and more attractive, anyone with eyes can see how good you are."

Cheng Duo held Yong Ge's hand. "We've experienced life and death together. Don't you believe in me? You haven't done anything wrong, so you don't need to be so cautious."

Cheng Duo knew that Yong Ge had always been submissive in their relationship, and he didn't expect him to change immediately. But he still needed to clarify things and praise Yong Ge as much as possible to build his confidence.

"Cheng Duo, why are you so good…" Yong Ge truly started crying this time. The incident with Wei Gongzi was one thing, and now, with Liu Shusheng, Sha Yang, and others, Cheng Duo easily believed him every time.

Although Yong Ge also believed he hadn't done anything wrong, the upbringing he received told him that behaving like this would only invite trouble and that he was being restless, especially since Cheng Duo had caught him in the act… he was genuinely afraid.

Is everything okay now?

Cheng Duo found it amusing. With a gentle lift, he pulled Yong Ge onto his lap. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and then, to Yong Ge's astonished gaze, lowered his head and kissed his soft lips—just as he had wanted to before they were interrupted!

Cheng Duo had never kissed anyone before. He started by gently touching his lips and then teasingly nibbled and rolled them. Warm breath sprayed into Yong Ge's nose, filled with a hint of aggression. Yong Ge was so scared that he almost stopped breathing.

"Relax," Cheng Duo chuckled and patted the person in his arms. It had to be said that Yong Ge's performance gave him full confidence. Compared to Yong Ge, who was as white as paper, he may have lacked experience, but he had seen plenty of techniques.

In this post-apocalyptic world, where there was no tomorrow, some people didn't care whether others were present, even during a temporary rest.

Cheng Duo slowly pried open Yong Ge's lips. Although the person in his arms was stiff, they were willing to cooperate. The trembling long eyelashes looked like startled rain butterflies, appearing on the verge of collapse.

However, Cheng Duo didn't show mercy. His tongue imitated the scenes he had seen before, slipping into the mouth and teasing and rubbing… He was patient, like an experienced hunter, bringing himself pleasure while also sharing the same intimate sensations with his beloved partner.

Cheng Duo had never known that kissing could evoke such intense feelings. At this moment, he had forgotten his initial intentions and simply followed his instincts, enticing the other soft tongue to dance with his, over and over again.

Yong Ge had long been lost in a daze. Unconsciously, he reached out and hooked his arms around Cheng Duo's neck. His movements seemed to want to pull him closer, yet at the same time, he seemed to want to push him away. He was torn with contradictions…

Fortunately, before Yong Ge could no longer breathe, Cheng Duo released him. Both of them had flushed faces, and their breathing was rapid.

Suddenly, Yong Ge seemed to realize something. With an exclamation, he quickly got off Cheng Duo's lap and stumbled into the kitchen, his legs feeling as if they were walking on clouds.

Cheng Duo didn't chase after him; he just covered his face with his hand, wearing a wry smile. What to do, the old house was really catching fire now. When would his father-in-law return? He was getting anxious!

When Yong Ge came out of the kitchen with the cooked dishes, fifteen minutes had already passed. He noticed that Yong Ge's cheeks were still as red as a monkey's buttocks, and his eyes were dodgy, not daring to look at him at all.

But now, he shouldn't be bothered by other men. Yong Ge should only be thinking about him at this moment.

The porridge had already been cooked earlier, and now it was just lukewarm. Cheng Duo directly brought out the steamed buns and mantou. "Let's eat."

Yong Ge almost forgot and hurriedly went to reheat them, but Cheng Duo stopped him. "Forget it, it's not necessary. Let's eat them as they are."

It was already warm in the early morning, so it was perfect to eat something cold.

While they were eating, Cheng Duo wanted to say some affectionate words to Yong Ge. However, when he saw the other burying his face in the bowl, with even the exposed neck turning red, he couldn't help but feel soft-hearted and amused. Moreover, he felt a bit embarrassed himself, so he decided to just focus on eating.

After finishing the meal, Cheng Duo had Yong Ge prepare some containers for rice and oil. He helped him make space. He also gave him some cooking oil, seasoning, steamed buns, mantou, and the chicken.

In addition, he left behind the pot that could be used for stewing, frying, and boiling. Yong Ge's family didn't have a pot, so they could temporarily use this one. When he had time, he would go find Niu the Blacksmith and have a normal pot made, then exchange it.

Yong Ge had just been bullied by him, so he was very obedient now. He accepted everything Cheng Duo said without any objections.

Originally, Cheng Duo wanted to stay and cultivate their relationship, but seeing Yong Ge's shy appearance, he decided to leave for now. "Ahem, I'll come back to have dinner with you tonight?"

Yong Ge glanced at another direction with difficulty, nodding slightly. "Mm."

Cheng Duo was also a bit reluctant to leave. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Give me the bow Wei Ling made for you, and I'll make another one for you separately."

He had observed the entire process when Wei Ling made the bow, so he had a good grasp of it. The feathered arrows were not troublesome either, but he needed to go to Niu the Blacksmith to have a batch of arrowheads customized. It just so happened that he needed to go buy a pot, so he could take care of it together.

Yong Ge didn't hesitate and immediately brought out the bow for him.

Afraid that Yong Ge would misunderstand, Cheng Duo explained seriously, "It's not that I don't have a say in this. Wei Ling is different. He…"

Cheng Duo suddenly choked on his words. He was about to say how Wei Ling was different from Sha Yang, but in fact, they were the same. They both had ulterior motives towards Yong Ge.

However, Cheng Duo was conflicted because he had allowed Wei Ling to flirt with Yong Ge right under his nose. He wanted to smack himself for his actions at that time!

Moreover, Wei Ling's methods were unmatched by the village men, and Yong Ge had obviously felt differently about him. If we were to rank the people who were trying to snatch Yong Ge away, people like Liu Shusheng and Sha Yang were just ordinary onlookers, while Wei Ling was an exceptional male second lead, always ready to take over!

"What about him?" Yong Ge asked when he saw Cheng Duo remaining silent for a long time.

"He doesn't have good intentions!"


Due to Wu Guihua and his son slandering Yong Ge as a fox spirit, Cheng Duo tried to take the back roads as much as possible when he returned home. He didn't want people to associate his own emaciation with Yong Ge.

Since that was the case, they would have to be even more careful in their future interactions, at least until his physique recovered. He couldn't openly reveal his relationship with Yong Ge.

Cheng Duo didn't want to hear rumors that he had been drained dry by Yong Ge…

Although Yong Ge had already explained it clearly, those bored people wouldn't care about the actual situation. They would still spread whatever they wanted.

Fortunately, Cheng Duo hadn't shown his face openly since he came down from the mountain. Even if someone happened to see him, they wouldn't be believed. Moreover, with his reputation in the village, he believed no one would have the audacity to come to his house to watch the commotion.

Cheng Duo returned home and continued absorbing crystal nuclei in the morning. With nothing to do in the afternoon, he planned to go up the mountain to find suitable materials for polishing the bow arm for Yong Ge. Suddenly, Li Erniu arrived.

He came to give Cheng Duo money. Previously, he had been sent by his own father to sell wolf meat. Because there was too much meat, he and Uncle Sha had made two trips. Fortunately, as expected, they managed to sell all the meat.

Actually, wolf meat was too tough, and it had a strong gamey taste. It couldn't compare to domesticated animals like pigs and cows. But in this day and age, meat was scarce. Cheng Duo had killed thirteen wolves in one go, so the money from selling the meat was quite substantial.

"A total of six taels and four hundred thirty-eight wen. My father asked me to bring it to you," Li Erniu said, patting his head.

Cheng Duo expressed his gratitude and took out a few coins from the money. "Take these four hundred wen and share them with Uncle Sha. Consider it payment for your hard work these past few days."

Li Erniu didn't dare to refuse and begrudgingly accepted it. Cheng Duo had indeed given them quite a lot for their efforts. Compared to toiling from morning to night on the twenty-li slope for forty wen, picking the meat was much easier.

After seeing Li Erniu off, Cheng Duo returned to his house and organized his money chest. He had leftover coins totaling a little over eight taels. Later, he and Yong Ge went to the twenty-li slope to sell some fur. After accounting for expenses and the money spent on buying pig oil and food, he had a total of seven taels and over five hundred wen left.

Combined with the seven taels he had from buying the land, Cheng Duo now had nearly twenty taels in his hands.

He casually threw the money chest into the storage space and went back up the mountain.

On the other side, Yong Ge was also counting money. Since he heard Cheng Duo say that he liked to eat eggs, he planned to buy another hen. However, he changed his mind and decided to buy a nest of baby chicks to raise instead.

The grains that Wu Guihua compensated him with were enough for him to eat for three to four months. In case his father came back with his two elder brothers, he would put the chickens in Cheng Duo's house. He believed that those two bastard brothers wouldn't dare to go to Cheng Duo's house to snatch them.

Yong Ge seemed to have heard Aunt Qian mention that he had bought baby chicks, so he took the money and a small jar of pickles and went to Aunt Qian's house.

"Yong Ge is here?" Aunt Qian found Yong Ge quite surprising. Previously, the two families hadn't interacted much due to Wu Guihua's incident.

Later, Li Wang initially severed ties, and Yong Ge brought up Wu Guihua's theft. This morning, he made Wu Guihua compensate for a chicken. Aunt Qian now found Yong Ge more likable.

"Aunt Qian, thanks for your help the other day when we had the theft incident at our house. This jar of pickles is made by me. Please don't dislike it…" Yong Ge handed the jar of pickles to Aunt Qian.

"Ah, what's that? You're being too polite, my child." Aunt Qian declined for a while, but seeing Yong Ge's genuine intention to give, she accepted it readily.

Although the pickles didn't cost much, Yong Ge's attitude made her feel at ease. In contrast to Wu Guihua, who only took and never gave and would even strip someone's skin off, maintaining a relationship requires mutual give and take.

"Come in quickly." Aunt Qian held the jar of pickles and called out loudly, "Yu Ge, look who's here! Hurry up and tidy up, come out and talk to him!"

She called once but didn't hear any sound from the house, so she directly opened the door and led Yong Ge inside. Yu Ge stood by the window, holding a needle and thread, looking helpless. When he saw Yong Ge enter, he smiled somewhat awkwardly and quickly lowered his head.

Yong Ge was pushed to sit on the edge of the kang, feeling like he was the master of the house.

"You child, why are you standing? Welcome our guest!" Aunt Qian scolded while feeling a bit distressed. "This is Yong Ge. Don't you recognize him?"

Yu Ge indeed hesitated to recognize Yong Ge. At first glance, he was somewhat amazed, and now, as his own aunt held him down to sit opposite Yong Ge, he realized that his aunt was right—Yong Ge had indeed become handsome.

Yu Ge felt somewhat ashamed and lowered his head, calling out softly, "…Yong Ge."

He was extremely thin, but his thinness was different from Cheng Duo's. YuGe had a pale complexion and lifeless eyes. He spoke softly, as if lacking confidence.

Yong Ge didn't know what was going on and could only turn to look at Aunt Qian.

Aunt Qian said resentfully, "If it weren't for Wu Guihua spreading rumors everywhere, saying that our Yu Ge has high cheekbones and ruins people's marriages, why would he be afraid to leave the house?"

When Yu Ge heard the phrase "ruins people's marriages," he trembled, feeling even more embarrassed as he lowered his head.

Actually, Yu Ge wasn't ugly. It's just that his face lacked flesh, making his cheekbones appear high. His marriage had already reached the stage of exchanging betrothal gifts, but as soon as the rumors spread, the other party's parents refused. They quickly arranged a different marriage for their son. Yu Ge had been burdened by this, becoming even thinner and less willing to go outside.

He was afraid of people staring at his face…

Aunt Qian looked at her own son, who resembled a quail, feeling a mix of emotions. It was she who initially set her sights on the Huang family, so the failed marriage made her feel even more guilty.

Aunt Qian had the intention of keeping Yong Ge around and coaxed him, saying, "Yong Ge, our Yu Ge has been cooped up at home all this time without anyone to talk to. Why don't you chat with him?"

Yong Ge knew that Aunt Qian had misunderstood. She thought he had come today just to reciprocate the gift, so she had been pulling him along, asking him to talk to Yu Ge.

He was willing to make friends, of course, but he had come today to buy baby chicks… Yong Ge thought for a moment and decided to explain his purpose to Aunt Qian.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Qian said, "That's easy. Hu Lai's family in Yangshu Village is incubating baby chicks. Yu Ge went with me before to buy some. Let him take you there."

She seemed eager for Yu Ge to go out. Now that there was another companion, Aunt Qian gave a reassuring look to Yong Ge before urging Yu Ge to leave.

Yu Ge didn't talk much, but it was evident that he still wanted a friend of the same age. When Yong Ge spoke to him, although Yu Ge couldn't meet his gaze, he answered each question softly and attentively.

The two of them chatted aimlessly, and Yu Ge was no longer as reserved as before. However, Yong Ge noticed that he seemed to deliberately avoid other men. Whenever he encountered a stranger, he would quickly walk away.

When they arrived at Hu Lai's house in Yangshu Village, all the men from the Hu family were out in the fields. Only their son stayed behind to greet them. Yu Ge visibly relaxed.

Hu Lai's son seemed to be skilled in raising chickens. There were mother hens freely roaming inside and outside the courtyard, pecking at the ground for insects. Yong Ge bought fifteen baby chicks from him and calculated the price. He also asked for thirty eggs.

Hu Lai's son was a little surprised. "Are you planning to incubate the eggs yourself?"

"No, I'm buying them to eat. Just give me regular eggs," Yong Ge said somewhat sheepishly. Usually, they would only take three to five eggs when visiting relatives. Unless there was a patient or a woman in confinement at home, they wouldn't buy so many eggs to eat.

Hu Lai's son glanced at Yong Ge's face and didn't say anything. He went inside to count the eggs.

Yu Ge had been quiet all along, only offering to help Yong Ge when he couldn't carry the basket of eggs.

As they walked back together, the atmosphere was pleasant. However, on the way, Sha Yang suddenly appeared. "Yong Ge, how come you didn't call me when you went to buy baby chicks? This basket must be heavy. Let me help you carry it."

He said, reaching for the basket in Yong Ge's hands.

"No need, I can manage." Yong Ge certainly couldn't let him take it and swiftly evaded him, urging Yu Ge to walk quickly.

"Yong Ge, I convinced my parents already. They'll invite the matchmaker to our house in a few days!" Sha Yang shouted loudly, following behind them.

"What nonsense are you talking about? It has nothing to do with me!" Yong Ge was furious when he heard this. By saying so, wasn't he telling others that they had a private relationship, and that Sha Yang had influenced his parents to accept the proposal?

"Yong Ge, my parents really agreed. We've settled it. After the autumn harvest, I'll welcome you into our family, and you should hurry up and give birth to a chubby grandson for them. Then they'll accept you willingly."

"I'm not interested!" Yong Ge's face turned red. "You can propose to anyone you want, just don't involve me. It has nothing to do with me and you!"

This was the main road at the entrance of the village, and there were still people in the fields. Sha Yang was shameless, yet he still wanted to continue?

"Yong Ge, don't be shy. We're about to get engaged," Sha Yang said. He then tried to snatch the basket from Yong Ge's hands. Once again, Yong Ge evaded him and, feeling wronged, Sha Yang said, "What's the big deal if I help you carry it?"

"My father won't agree!" Yong Ge originally wanted to say he wouldn't agree, but as a filial son, he knew that his parents were the ones who had the final say in marriage matters. Saying such a thing would be shocking and unconventional.

When Sha Yang heard Yong Ge mention his father, he finally showed a troubled expression. He was eager to marry Yong Ge, but if his father didn't return home, would he never be able to marry?

Yong Ge was not young anymore, and his parents already had objections. If it continued to be delayed, they would surely have more to say…