Chapter 21

After taking a hot bath, her body felt much more comfortable. When she went out, she found that the two little ones had come back from picking wild vegetables and were now squatting on the ground washing the vegetables in a basin.

"Older Baby, Second Baby." Seeing their surprisingly well-behaved appearance, Luo Ge couldn't help pinching their little cheeks.

Over this period of time under her feeding, the two little ones had also gained some weight. Their soft little cheeks felt really good to touch.

"Auntie." The two little ones' faces turned red from embarrassment from being pinched lightly twice.

"Mm, auntie's good cubs, shall we have potato soup today?" There was hardly any ingredients at home, so it's better to make something quick and good to eat.

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

The two little ones answered in unison. Children who are not picky eaters are easy to raise.

Potato soup was simple to make, so Luo Ge shooed Gu Jinchen who had bustled in enthusiastically to help out of the kitchen. She took some eggs out of her storage space and simply made a potato egg drop soup for lunch with the wild vegetables.

"There are still eggs at home? When I checked the cabinet earlier it seemed there were none left." While the two little ones ate with great relish, Gu Jinchen asked doubtfully instead.

He had wanted to make red sugar eggs for his wife to eat earlier, but found that there were no more eggs in the cabinet. He was thinking of going to the village later to ask someone to exchange for some.

While he couldn't do much else, he could still cook eggs with red sugar syrup boiled together.

Oh no!

Hearing his words, Luo Ge's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged as she nodded.

"Mm, I brought back a few yesterday and put them under the cabinet."

Hearing Luo Ge say this, Gu Jinchen didn't think much of it and nodded before letting the matter rest.

Luo Ge secretly heaved a sigh of relief. The matter of her storage space was too mystical and unbelievable. People at this time tended to believe in monsters, ghosts and spirits, and she really didn't know how to tell him about it.

She would also be afraid. She didn't know if he could accept it, and she really didn't want to be tied up and burned as a monster or drowned in a pig cage.

"I want to go up the mountain this afternoon, do you want to come along?" Just as she was lost in thought, Gu Jinchen suddenly spoke up.

She had been here for quite some time now, but it seemed like he hadn't taken her around much. There was a scenic spot on the back of the mountain that had nice scenery that he wanted to take her to see.

Wild beasts hid deep in the mountains. The back of the mountain only had some rabbits, birds and the like, with no danger.

But there would sometimes be snakes too, which was why he didn't dare let the two little ones run up there alone.

With him accompanying and protecting his wife, he had truly noticed that she was bored these days, propping up her chin spacing out with nothing to do.

Being free these days, it seemed she was indeed a little bored cooped up at home all day. He was afraid that she would feel stifled, so bringing her out for some fresh air would be good too.

Hearing his words, Luo Ge's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Seeing how sternly he had admonished the two little ones, she didn't dare set her sights on the back of the mountain.

But having read so many novels, she was really curious about the 'treasure hidden behind the mountain' trope.

Seeing her delight, Gu Jinchen laughed and nodded. "Of course."

The two little ones didn't know when they had stopped eating. Their eyes were fixed longingly on the two adults.

"Uncle, we want to go too." Older Baby said in a small voice, full of anticipation.

Second Baby looked at Gu Jinchen with his watery big eyes in an attempt to sway him with his cuteness.

Gu Jinchen had to say he was successfully attacked this time. Faced with such longing looks identical to his wife's just now, his heart felt itchy. If not for the two little ones around, he really wanted to pull his wife into his arms and kiss her soundly.

After some hesitation, looking between the expectant little ones and his wife, he finally nodded.

"Then let's go together."

"Yay!" As soon as Older Baby heard, he cheered loudly.

"I want to catch rabbits like uncle caught so many." Second Baby said excitedly, clapping his hands.

To them, the person they admired the most was their uncle. In their eyes, their uncle was the most amazing person, so they also wanted to become as amazing as their uncle.

The smile on Luo Ge's face was unrestrained. Looking at Gu Jinchen, her eyes were bright with specks of light.

Seeing her like this made Gu Jinchen's heart feel itchy. If not for the two little ones present, he really wanted to pull his wife into his arms and kiss her thoroughly.

After the meal, everyone quickly took their little back baskets in great anticipation, wearing conical hats on their heads to block the sun. They lined up eagerly looking at Gu Jinchen.

Gu Jinchen smiled helplessly with a sigh: "Alright...let's go."

It was already September in this mid-autumn season. The leaves on the trees in the woods had started turning yellow.

The light breeze gently blew past, bringing the refreshing scent of trees and nature's freshest air that made one want to breathe in deeply a couple more times.

The land around Gu Family Village was relatively high. The back mountain gradually sloped upwards into tall peaks. By the time Gu Jinchen had brought them halfway up the hillside, they could already overlook the entire village below.

"Wow! So many houses!" Older Baby pointed at the scenery below, gasping in wonder with his mouth agape.

They had never tried looking at the village this way before. Their eyes were filled with novelty.

"Look! That's Brother Tie Dan." Second Baby suddenly yelled while pointing at a spot.

From here, they could clearly see each other's courtyard. Tie Dan happened to be in the courtyard chatting with Old Master Wang when they spotted him.

"That's Grandpa Han's house." Older Baby looked at the village, pointing at a house as he spoke.

Gu Jinchen and Luo Ge stood behind them as they watched this scene. At some unknown point, Gu Jinchen had already come to her side. Since the wind was quite strong now, afraid that she couldn't hear clearly, he leaned in slightly and brought his head near her ear.

"It's even more scenic at the mountaintop if we go further up."

His voice was gentle and his breath tickled her ear. His tone was as if sharing a little secret, and Luo Ge's ear reddened slightly as she unconsciously shrank her neck.

"Then...let's walk further up." A little shy with a red face, even her speech became clumsy, just like how he would get nervous.

Oblivious to how alluring he was being, Gu Jinchen didn't understand why his wife suddenly became shy. But seeing her like this, he truly liked it.

"Okay." Carrying one little one, a basket on his back carrying the other, and holding his wife's hand, he headed up towards the peak.

Soon, they reached their destination.

"Are you tired? Have some water first." Luo Ge had brought water along, intending to pass her water flask to him from her basket.

"No need, I'm not tired." Gu Jinchen shook his head, setting the two little ones down. After carrying the little ones on his back for so long, his forehead didn't even have a sheen of sweat.

Seeing this, Luo Ge had to admire his stamina. The two little ones' legs were short and couldn't walk fast. From the start of going up the mountain, he had simply carried them up like this the whole time. Even after walking for so long, he wasn't even out of breath or breathing heavily. His stamina was truly enviable.

Before she could finish marveling, Gu Jinchen already pulled her along to one side of the peak.

Following his line of sight, Luo Ge was instantly stunned by the sight.

In the distance, endless undulating green hills extended as far as the eye could see. Meandering rivers circled below.

Dimly, one could still see the smoke rising from households. Birds cried loudly as they flew past over the mountains, surrounding one's ears together with the crisp winds.

"So beautiful." Luo Ge said softly. Without any pollution, everything was the most pristine natural scenery with lush green hills, emerald waters and azure skies.

Seeing her happy expression, Gu Jinchen also smiled. "You can see the sunrise here when it just comes up. It looks even better then. I'll bring you here again next time."

"Okay."

The two little ones also came over, clinging onto Gu Jinchen's legs while looking up at him longingly. They were so short that bushes obstructed their view so they couldn't see anything.

Amused, Luo Ge picked up Second Baby.

"Do you like the sight?" Seeing the little one's bright expression, she laughed as she asked.

"So many mountains." Second Baby turned his head towards her upon hearing her words, pointing at the front.

"You can also see other villages," Older Baby was also picked up by Gu Jinchen, holding Gu Jinchen's neck and looking at the scenery below.

The little one didn't have many adjectives to describe if it looked good or bad, anyway his eyes were shining brightly.

Seeing this little couple smiling at each other, after enjoying the scenery, they started looking for things in the mountains.

Under Gu Jinchen's guidance, the two little ones made several traps to catch prey.

After they were done, they eyed the traps expectantly, seemingly eager for the prey to come running over.

Luo Ge watched them and walked around to see if there was any yield.

It could be said that she was quite lucky. Not far away, she discovered two nests of wild chicken eggs. When she came over, she also saw a big fat chicken that had just flown away.

However, there weren't many eggs. One nest had two eggs, and the other nest only had one.

"Older Baby and Second Baby, come quickly. Auntie found two nests of wild chicken eggs." Finding wild eggs in the wild brought as much happiness as opening a blind box and discovering treasures. Sharing this happiness was quite nice.

Sure enough, soon after she spoke, two little figures came trotting over, with Gu Jinchen following behind.

"Wow, there really are chicken eggs!"

"Is it hot?" Older Baby touched it with his hand, looking confused.

"The wild chicken had just run away when Auntie came over, so these eggs were probably just laid. A chicken's belly is hot, so the chicken eggs that just came out of the chicken's belly are also hot."

Seeing the little one's appearance, Luo Ge said with a smile.

"Oh, that's how it is." Only then did the little one nod his head. He carefully picked up both nests of eggs and handed them to Luo Ge.

"Auntie, take them. Let's go back and cook brown sugar chicken eggs to eat." He remembered that little uncle said he would cook them this morning.


Chapter 22

"Alright, Auntie, take it back and cook red sugar eggs. We can all eat together," Luo Ge smiled as she took it from her.

"No, it's for..."

"Look, a bird's nest."

Da Bao opened his mouth, about to say it was for his little aunt to eat, but Second Bao suddenly exclaimed.

The whole family was attracted by their words and turned their attention to the tree where the little ones were pointing. Sure enough, there was a bird's nest that looked freshly built.

Gu Jinchen quickly climbed up the tree pointed out by the little ones and soon took out the bird eggs inside, totaling five.

"Here," like the little ones, they handed them to Luo Ge.

"You took the whole nest?" Luo Ge asked after seeing this, as birds would abandon the nest if it had human scent. If there were any remaining eggs, the snakes and mice would probably benefit.

"Yes, I took them all."

Upon hearing this, Luo Ge nodded. "I remember you mentioned earlier that there are plum trees on this mountain. Can you take me to have a look?"

Sour plums can be made into sour sauce and are delicious when made into dried fruits.

"There are a few trees, but they are too sour. The people in the village don't like them. If not, should I go and find some of the fruits we had yesterday for you?"

These wild plums are really sour, much more sour than the yellow ones. So even though the yellow plums are slightly sour, the people in the village would still pick them and only a few would be left.

"It's fine. We can add some ingredients and make them delicious." Thinking about the sour taste of the plums, Luo Ge couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

This scene looked extremely tempting to Gu Jinchen, and he quietly led the way for his little wives and the little ones behind him.

"Be careful, the leaves here are slippery." He reminded as they walked, not forgetting to look back.

"Yes, we know."

The plum trees were on the mountainside, facing away from the mountain. On the way down, Gu Jinchen also managed to catch two wild chickens.

His archery skills were indeed excellent. As soon as he spotted the wild chickens, the little wives and the little ones hadn't even reacted yet, but he had already shot them down to the ground.

He didn't let her touch anything stained with blood and carried them himself.

"We're here." As they walked, Gu Jinchen suddenly stopped and whispered to her.

Luo Ge held the two little ones and instantly looked delighted at his words.

"There are still many fruits, and they're quite big." There were two or three trees that were not very old, but they had a lot of fruits.

She thought the wild plums would be small, but she didn't expect them to be quite large and juicy.

"They're very sour, and the villagers don't like them, so they're left behind."

Upon hearing this, Luo Ge's eyes lit up. Nobody wanted them, which suited her just fine.

"Then let's pick more and take them back. I want to make dried plum fruits."

Dried plum fruits? Did his little wife even know how to make such things?

"Sure."

With his permission, Luo Ge didn't hesitate and started picking them. Looking at the tree full of fruits, she couldn't resist tasting one that should have been a bit sweeter.

"Phew!" In an instant, her face wrinkled up. It was indeed very sour, almost comparable to a lemon. No wonder no one picked them.

"Drink some water to rinse your mouth," Gu Jinchen wanted to stop her but couldn't in time, so he silently handed her some water.

"Uncle." The two little rascals who sneaked to eat didn't escape the consequences and frowned, looking for water to drink.

Although there seemed to be plenty of fruit, because the trees were not big, by the time they finished picking, they had just filled the few baskets they brought with them.

But this was already a great harvest, so they headed straight back home.

"Let's go, let's go home. Auntie will make delicious food for you."

"Okay."

"Okay."

Because Gu Jinchen had to carry the fruits and wild chickens, he couldn't bring these two little rascals along.

Luo Ge led them back slowly. Since there was no well in their house, it was inconvenient. So they washed the fruits clean by the riverside at the foot of the mountain before going home. They would rinse them again with clean water at home.

At this time, it was the time for work, and few people came to the end of the village. No one noticed them.

Drying the fruits took a while, so Luo Ge first made them some pickled sour plums to taste.

She cracked the cleaned plums and mixed them with some salt, stirring well to remove excess moisture and enhance the sour taste. It could be done by making a cut with a knife, but cracking them made the flavor more intense.

These plums were indeed very sour, so they needed a bit more time to soak. Taking advantage of this time, Luo Ge went to a corner outside the courtyard and picked some small spicy chili peppers.

She had transplanted them from the space and watered them with well water from the space courtyard. She didn't expect them to survive overnight.

It was because of this that she noticed the small characters next to the well mouth that said, 'Yizhi: can resolve all toxins, strengthen the body, and beautify the appearance.'

It seemed that she had depleted a lot of energy from running on an empty stomach all the way here, and she recovered so quickly because she drank the water from the space.

Although it couldn't bring people back from the dead, Yizhi could resolve all toxins, strengthen the body, change one's physique, and improve one's appearance. It was quite powerful.

Since she discovered this, she had replaced all the drinking water in the house with this.

"Xiang, Xiang Gong."

Just as she finished picking the chili peppers and was about to discreetly bring some water from the space to water the chili pepper tree, she habitually turned her head to look around and saw Gu Jinchen standing behind her. She was startled.

"Ah, did I scare you?" He had just come out of the house and didn't see her in the courtyard, so he came out to take a look. He didn't expect to frighten her.

But why did she seem so flustered? Thinking about this, he furrowed his brows slightly.

"Yeah, you walked so quietly." She swallowed her panic and looked at him with a gaze full of reproach.

It had to be said that Gu Jinchen couldn't resist that look in her eyes. He couldn't help but shift his attention back to her and gently rubbed her little head to comfort her.

"I'll pay attention next time and won't scare you."

"Yeah, I just found a chili pepper tree in this corner. I picked some and made pickled plums. How about we make spicy chicken for dinner with the fresh chili peppers?"

By now, she had calmed down, and her voice carried a hint of intimacy and reliance that she herself hadn't noticed.

"I'll follow your lead. You decide."

It was normal to discover a chili pepper tree in this corner that no one usually paid attention to. Gu Jinchen didn't think much of it.

Hearing this, Luo Ge raised an eyebrow and said, "Then can you help me peel the plums?"

It was still early, and it wouldn't be too late to make dinner in another hour or so.

Peeling the skin and flesh off a plum is a bit troublesome.

"Okay." Gu Jinchen responded without hesitation. It was only natural for him to help his wife with the work, so there was no need for hesitation.

Together with Gu Jinchen, they spent some time peeling the plums, and the plums that had been soaked in saltwater were also ready, so they rinsed them with clean water.

The little ones couldn't handle too much spiciness, so she only added two chili peppers and shook them together with some sugar to mix well.

They let it soak for a while, and after about half an hour, it would be ready to eat. The taste would be even better if they added plum powder or chili flakes.

But they didn't have those ingredients now, so this was not bad either.

There were a lot of fruits, and the two of them worked quickly and didn't finish until it was almost dark.

The fruits were extremely sour, so the peeled flesh needed to be soaked in saltwater to remove the sourness and make it softer.

When she was about to use the salt, Luo Ge glanced at Gu Jinchen. Seeing that he didn't react, she mustered up the courage to use it.

"We can take these dried fruits to the town and sell them. We should be able to earn some money." She thought for a moment and said, at this time, salt was a rare commodity, and she was afraid he would say she was wasting it.

When she was in town, she had observed this. Nowadays, dried fruits were already available.

But the variety was pitifully small, mostly those heavy and sweet dried jujubes, persimmons, longans, and so on, which were sold in pastry shops along with snacks like melon seeds and peanuts.

She didn't see any dried plums with a sweet and sour taste. If they made them, they should be able to sell them as a fresh novelty. They shouldn't lose money on the labor and materials.

Gu Jinchen was taken aback by her words. He obviously hadn't thought that she wanted to sell these, thinking that they were just snacks for home.

"I can support you all." After thinking for a moment, he said in a muffled voice. He didn't want her to worry about making a living.

Luo Ge was stunned, but when she saw the slightly melancholic expression on the man's face, she couldn't help but smile.

"I know my husband can support me, but there's no harm in having more money, right? Besides, whether it's for our future children going to school or getting married, we'll need money."

"We can earn more if we have the opportunity. Moreover... in the future, we might not just have these two little ones, right? We should be prepared..."

As she spoke, her face blushed slightly, and her voice became softer.

But Gu Jinchen, with his keen hearing, caught every word clearly. His deep eyes lit up.

He reached out and held her hand, then pulled her into his arms with a strong embrace. His eyes, filled with brightness, looked at her eagerly.

"You said it yourself, no backing out."

Not just raising these two children, but also implying that they would have their own children together.

Even though it was still a long way off, he was already looking forward to it.


Chapter 23

"What did I say? I still have salt on my hands, don't cause trouble," Luo Ge said decisively, pretending to be confused and leaving quickly, her little hand subconsciously touching her slender waist as she saw the increasingly dangerous look in the man's eyes.

Gu Jinchen watched his petite and delicate wife running away, his smile full of indulgence.

Whether she pretended to be confused or not, he had already taken note of it in his heart.

After taking care of one of the two pheasants first today, Gu Jinchen swiftly bled and plucked it within three or two moves, chopping it into pieces.

Luo Ge went straight to the kitchen to cook. The taste of fresh chili peppers is different from that of dried ones. Luo Ge felt that the fresh chili peppers tasted more fragrant than the dried ones.

However, it was miserable for the two little ones whose eyes were brought to tears by the spiciness. They refused to go out when asked to, so there was no other way.

Before adding chili peppers, she had set aside a portion for the two little ones.

"So delicious."

"Er Bao is so full."

The two little ones touched their little bellies and murmured after eating their fill.

"Take a rest first, then go wash up later. Do you want to bathe together or separately?" Gu Jinchen and Luo Ge were washing the pickled lychees when they heard the murmurs and asked.

The two little ones looked at each other, "Little uncle, Dabao (Erbao) wants to bathe separately."

"Alright, I'll carry water for you to the partition. You can wash yourselves today." The little brats were growing up gradually, they had to slowly get them to do things themselves.

Whenever the little ones took a bath, they had to avoid Luo Ge. Luo Ge could only stay cooped up in the kitchen or room. Hence, Gu Jinchen simply built a partition with wooden boards beside the courtyard wall.

"Okay."

After cleaning, the pickled lychees were marinated with sugar. They would be marinated for about an hour before using a winnowing basket lined with gauze to dry the moisture.

"That's it for today. There's not enough sugar at home. I'll go buy more from town tomorrow."

They would need to steam it again after it had dried somewhat tomorrow. More sugar and honey would be added then, so using less today would not affect anything.

"Alright, do you want me to accompany you?" Hearing that, Gu Jinchen nodded slightly and asked in a low voice.

"I know the way, I can go by myself. Aren't you busy with the field of glutinous millet?" After resting for a while, it was time for the farming season again.

They still had two to three acres of land waiting to be planted with glutinous millet. It was time to plant glutinous millet now. Looks like they would be busy again for a period of time.

"Then be careful on your own." Hearing that, Gu Jinchen didn't say much more, only glancing at her one more time when her little fingers unconsciously stirred.

"Mm."

After preparing the dried fruits, Luo Ge went to wash up too. Gu Jinchen came back from the outside with a body full of water vapor after she had just finished washing.

"Wash at home from now on. Washing with cold water all the time is not good for your health." Knowing that he was back from washing at the riverside, Luo Ge couldn't help but frown and say.

The wife was showing concern for him. Gu Jinchen felt warm in his heart. He took the red sugar egg from his hand and placed it on the table, then went forward to take the towel from her hands and hug her into his arms.

"Wife is right. Let me wipe you. Why didn't you use it when those two little brats did?" He said while carefully wiping her hair.

Hearing that, Luo Ge turned her head slightly to look at the red sugar syrup egg on the table, "I've eaten mine. This is left for you."

Left for him? Isn't this something for nourishing women and girls? What would he, a grown man, eat this for?

"Hurry and eat it before it gets cold and doesn't taste good anymore."

Luo Ge said it very casually, but it sounded more like urging 'your health is not good, hurry and eat some nourishing food' to the overthinking man.

His handsome face stiffened slightly, and his eyes darkened a little.

"I don't like sweet food." He replied dryly.

Luo Ge looked up slightly, "Is that so?"

"Mm."

Well, since that's the case, she could only take advantage of it herself.

By the time her hair was almost dry, she had used the bowl and was about to put it down when Gu Jinchen kissed her before she could react.

The sweet, sugar-coated lips tasted very sweet. It turned out that he did like sweet food, but this 'food' had to be categorized.

... In the end, dazed by the kisses, all that was left in her mind was a sentence.

'A momentary escape, but a lifetime of marriage.' She had pretended to be muddled and escaped earlier, but would still be ravaged thoroughly at night.

He was proving with his actions that he did not really need these things to nourish him.

...The next day.

Her body ached badly and she felt extremely tired. But urged by her strong biological clock, she still managed to rush to town to sell the eggs before Zhao Daming and Zhao Ermin left town.

Three hundred eggs were exchanged for 600 wen.

"Ow!" Holding the money pouch, Luo Ge rubbed her sore waist and gasped.

The old adage was indeed true, a new groom was extremely ravenous!

On her way back, she found a safe place to flash into her space.

The first thing she did after entering was to find well water to drink, then she went to her little study to rummage around.

In order to be a food blogger, she had found a lot of recipes for cooking and information on traditional cuisine, various foods, etc.

She basically had all kinds of food information. She remembered that she had also bought a book explaining how to make preserved eggs.

She had tried giving Zhao Daming and the others a few hundred eggs, but any more would be too much for them to finish. Plus she had a lot of duck eggs accumulated in her space too. She still had to find more outlets.

Although making preserved eggs was quite time-consuming, she could utilize the time difference in her space and need not worry.

"Aha, this is the book." After rummaging for a long time, she finally found it and couldn't help showing joy on her face. She read the contents of the book carefully before putting the book aside.

Then she turned and went to the kitchen again to look for white sugar, old rock sugar, honey, salt and other things, changing them into cans and bags to put in her back basket.

She had tried it before. The private household items in her small courtyard in the space would automatically replenish when used up, but they could not be taken out to sell.

Rice, flour, salt and other things were all unavailable. They could only be for her own household use.

But she was already very satisfied with this. If there were too many loopholes, life would lose its meaning of striving.

Moreover, she also roughly understood the rationale behind this space setting. Apart from the rice, flour, oil, salt, grains, farm, chickens, ducks, fruit trees, etc.,

Most of the other things in her space were thousands of years more advanced than this era. If all these things could also be endlessly replenished for her to take out and sell,

It would disrupt the original progression of this world.

Every world had its own original trajectory that it should follow. It should not be arbitrarily disrupted.

So she could understand why the generator in her farm could not be used, the things in her yard could not be sold.

She was not that greedy anyway.


Chapter 24

After taking her things, Luo Ge hurried back home, afraid that they would worry if she stayed out too long.

As she passed through the village center and was nearing home, she slowed down when she saw two figures, but then continued walking with her head down as if she hadn't seen them.

"Stop right there!" Seeing Luo Ge about to leave, Qian Momo quickly called out to stop her.

"..." Why should I stop just because you told me to? Do I know you? Or are you just too arrogant?

Knowing that the other party stopping her would lead to no good, Luo Ge didn't want to pay any attention and pretended not to hear.

But she didn't expect the other party to be unrelenting. Seeing Luo Ge ignore her, she actually ran up to try and block her way.

"Are you deaf? I'm telling you to stop, can't you hear me?"

Qian Momo stared fiercely at Luo Ge, her eyes full of unfriendliness, resentment and criticism.

With her huge body standing in front of Luo Ge, it made Luo Ge seem much smaller and more delicate. That woman alone could match three of her.

"Miss, I don't know you," hearing Qian Momo's words, Luo Ge was speechless for a moment, but still spoke politely.

As she spoke, her eyes glanced at the young woman following Qian Momo. She knew this woman was from their same village. Auntie Wang had told her she was Qian Momo's cousin.

She had married into the village six years ago and had two daughters. She was often ridiculed by the villagers for not having sons, and her mother-in-law also disliked her.

The fact that Qian Momo was able to come to the village to block people must mean she had brought her over.

"Cousin," noticing Luo Ge's gaze, Li Zhaodi pressed her lips together and called out to to Qian Momo.

She wasn't afraid of Luo Ge but was afraid of Gu Jinchen. Before joining the army, Gu Jinchen was known in the village as a vicious wolf cub. When she had just married into the village, Gu Jinchen hadn't left to join the army yet.

She had seen Gu Jinchen's vicious and violent side before. Her husband had offended Gu Jinchen in the past and been badly beaten, leaving psychological trauma even now.

Having heard that Gu Jinchen treated this bought-in daughter-in-law very well, she was afraid that if Qian Momo injured Luo Ge, Gu Jinchen would come seeking accountability from them. So she wanted to call out a reminder.

"What are shouting about!" Hearing her shout, Qian Momo yelled back very impatiently.

"You cheap hussy, how dare you steal my man!" As she spoke, her thick palm swung towards Luo Ge's face to slap her.

She had been holding in anger these days. Having been doted on by her family since she was little, Qian Momo had never failed to obtain something she wanted before.

And now, just when she finally set her sights on a man, he was snatched away by this whore who wedged her way in!

How could she not be angry!

Luo Ge frowned and dodged to the side: "I don't understand what you're talking about. My husband and I were properly married with three bows and nine kowtows, registered at the government office. There is no question of stealing anyone!"

"You dare dodge me! Gu Jinchen was clearly the man I noticed first. I got to know him and felt we were well matched first. Yet you still say you didn't steal him!" Since one slap didn't connect, Qian Momo raised her arm again to strike.

Being well-matched should require both parties to have met and felt they could be together, right?

But as far as she knew, Gu Jinchen had not met this woman before her.

"Hey! What's going on over there?"

It was noon time now. The villagers had just finished work and were preparing to return home for lunch.

As this was the village center, there were more passers-by. They could see clearly from afar what was happening.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's happening? Attacking someone?!" Recognizing from afar that it was Luo Ge being bullied, Wang Sister-In-Law cried out in alarm and rushed over.

Seeing that someone they didn't recognize bullying Luo Ge, the other villagers were also shocked. One of the men turned to run back to the fields where he knew Gu Jinchen was still working.

Hearing the shouts, Qian Momo's actions paused momentarily. But seeing Luo Ge's beautiful and delicate face, she still lashed out fiercely to slap her. Seeing her target dodge again, she directly reached out to push Luo Ge.

"Thud." With her heavyweight push, although said in jest, Luo Ge really was caught unprepared and landed on her bottom. But her opponent didn't fare much better either.

An eye for an eye. As she fell, Luo Ge also tripped the other.

"Thwack." Qian Momo fell face down, her large chin hitting the stone ground heavily, the surrounding ground vibrating from the impact.

Luo Ge's maneuver was concealed. To onlookers, it seemed Qian Momo had simply lost control when pushing Luo Ge and fallen herself.

"Luo Ge! Are you alright?" Wang Sister-In-Law had her hands outstretched, just narrowly failing to catch Luo Ge. She quickly helped pull Luo Ge to her feet.

Luo Ge shook her head, then turned to Qian Momo: "I don't know you. Why did you attack and hurt me?"

This sentence explained the situation to the villagers gathering around.

"Qian Momo! What are you doing in our village? Not satisfied with bullying people in your own village, now you've come to ours too? Where's your conscience?" Recognizing Qian Momo's face, Wang Sister-In-Law's expression instantly darkened.

This Qian Momo was simply outrageous. Bullying people in Qian Family Village was bad enough. Now she even dared run to their village and bully people!

This wasn't her territory of Qian Family Village under the Qian Family Small Landlord.

Hearing Qian Momo's name, the expressions of those around subtly shifted, instantly grasping the situation.

It was that girl from the Qian family who had her sights set on Second Son Gu. She had even offered to add five taels to her dowry in order to marry into their family. And now she had come to bully Second Son Gu's wife.

"So it's her!" The women loved to gossip. Every household in the village basically knew all the big and small going-ons.

"We've always heard that the young Miss Qian is an ill-bred, pampered and overbearing girl. No wonder she's so arrogant. But isn't this going too far?"

One of the aunties who had attended Gu Jinchen's wedding banquet had her face darken with anger upon hearing this. She truly had never seen such a shameless girl.

With Luo Ge standing next to her, no matter how one looked at it, Qian Momo was just an eyesore.

At this time, several of Gu Jinchen's maternal aunts had already pulled Luo Ge to her feet and shielded her behind them, including Auntie Luo.

"Miss Qian, why did you attack and hurt someone for no reason? No matter your reasons, making the first move to harm someone is never justified. Please apologize and offer compensation to Second Son Gu's wife first." Auntie Luo coldly said to Qian Momo.

In any case, with something happening to Luo Ge, she could not turn a blind eye. And now it had become a case of an outsider coming to their village to bully people, so she was even less able to ignore it.

Although they had still been at a distance when arriving earlier, she and the others had seen clearly Qian Momo's vicious expression and actions in beating someone.

"She stole my man! And I'm not allowed to vent my anger?"

If it had been anyone else in this situation, they would have long bowed their heads to apologize and end the matter. But this was Qian Momo. She had never apologized for bullying others in the past.

Moreover, she felt she had done no wrong.

Her tone was so righteous that the villagers really could not stand watching any longer.

"Second Son Gu and his wife were properly married husband and wife. What stealing is there to speak of?"

One of the aunties who had attended Gu Jinchen's wedding banquet was angered to the point her face turned black. She really had never seen such a shameless girl.

"What do you mean no stealing? If not for her interfering, Gu Jinchen would have married me long ago!" Speaking to this point, a hint of bashfulness appeared on Qian Momo's face.

She had provided such a large dowry. And she herself was a lucky-buttocked girl who could give birth to many children for him. She had even agreed to let Gu Jinchen raise those two inauspicious wild seeds.

The Gu family was so poor and Gu Jinchen had such difficulty finding a wife. No matter how one looked at it, with her conditions Gu Jinchen would have had no reason to reject her.

If not for this cheap hussy wedging her way in, they would have long been married already!

"Shameless girl. Would Second Son Gu even look your way?" Hearing this, the auntie rolled her eyes and spoke bluntly.

Without comparison there would be no harm done. With Luo Ge standing next to her, no matter how one looked at it Qian Momo was just hard on the eyes.

"Old lady, what do you mean!"

Qian Momo's face froze. She had hated it the most when someone commented on her looks ever since she was little. Due to her parents, no one from Qian Family Village dared say that to her.

Now that someone was saying this in front of so many people, her expression turned extremely unpleasant instantly. Taking advantage of her physique, she shoved away the people blocking her way and pushed that auntie.

Now she had provoked public outrage. Pushing and bullying people repeatedly was really intolerable.

"I'm telling the truth and you still can't accept it? You even dare to push me? I, Ma Feng, don't eat vegetarian food!"

That auntie was also caught off guard by the push. When she came to her senses, she yelled and lunged at Qian Momo.

Other aunties who were shoved away also took the opportunity to join the fight. Wang Sister-In-Law was itching for action while Luo Ge was completely dumbfounded.

Li Zhaodi, who had brought Qian Momo over, watched the scene and was on the verge of tears.

She had to say, Luo Ge really admired Qian Momo's courage to be so arrogant and take on many people alone in someone else's village.

"Li Zhaodi, why are you standing there blankly? Can't you help?" Before Li Zhaodi could cry, Qian Momo shouted from the side.

With her physique, she had the advantage at the beginning, but she soon started to suffer losses when outnumbered.

These aunties who were used to farm work were quite strong. Each grab and pinch was enough to make Qian Momo hurt.

Very well, this shout made it clear that Li Zhaodi was on the same side as Qian Momo.

Everyone was smart enough to know in a flash of thought that an outsider like Qian Momo would not randomly come to the village, and must have been brought here by someone.

Hearing Qian Momo's yell, they instantly understood that it was Li Zhaodi who had brought her.

Li Zhaodi really cried now, looking at everyone with tears streaming down her face. She didn't dare to go up and help, and had to endure Qian Momo's scolding.


Chapter 24

After taking her things, Luo Ge hurried back home, afraid that they would worry if she stayed out too long.

As she passed through the village center and was nearing home, she slowed down when she saw two figures, but then continued walking with her head down as if she hadn't seen them.

"Stop right there!" Seeing Luo Ge about to leave, Qian Momo quickly called out to stop her.

"..." Why should I stop just because you told me to? Do I know you? Or are you just too arrogant?

Knowing that the other party stopping her would lead to no good, Luo Ge didn't want to pay any attention and pretended not to hear.

But she didn't expect the other party to be unrelenting. Seeing Luo Ge ignore her, she actually ran up to try and block her way.

"Are you deaf? I'm telling you to stop, can't you hear me?"

Qian Momo stared fiercely at Luo Ge, her eyes full of unfriendliness, resentment and criticism.

With her huge body standing in front of Luo Ge, it made Luo Ge seem much smaller and more delicate. That woman alone could match three of her.

"Miss, I don't know you," hearing Qian Momo's words, Luo Ge was speechless for a moment, but still spoke politely.

As she spoke, her eyes glanced at the young woman following Qian Momo. She knew this woman was from their same village. Auntie Wang had told her she was Qian Momo's cousin.

She had married into the village six years ago and had two daughters. She was often ridiculed by the villagers for not having sons, and her mother-in-law also disliked her.

The fact that Qian Momo was able to come to the village to block people must mean she had brought her over.

"Cousin," noticing Luo Ge's gaze, Li Zhaodi pressed her lips together and called out to to Qian Momo.

She wasn't afraid of Luo Ge but was afraid of Gu Jinchen. Before joining the army, Gu Jinchen was known in the village as a vicious wolf cub. When she had just married into the village, Gu Jinchen hadn't left to join the army yet.

She had seen Gu Jinchen's vicious and violent side before. Her husband had offended Gu Jinchen in the past and been badly beaten, leaving psychological trauma even now.

Having heard that Gu Jinchen treated this bought-in daughter-in-law very well, she was afraid that if Qian Momo injured Luo Ge, Gu Jinchen would come seeking accountability from them. So she wanted to call out a reminder.

"What are shouting about!" Hearing her shout, Qian Momo yelled back very impatiently.

"You cheap hussy, how dare you steal my man!" As she spoke, her thick palm swung towards Luo Ge's face to slap her.

She had been holding in anger these days. Having been doted on by her family since she was little, Qian Momo had never failed to obtain something she wanted before.

And now, just when she finally set her sights on a man, he was snatched away by this whore who wedged her way in!

How could she not be angry!

Luo Ge frowned and dodged to the side: "I don't understand what you're talking about. My husband and I were properly married with three bows and nine kowtows, registered at the government office. There is no question of stealing anyone!"

"You dare dodge me! Gu Jinchen was clearly the man I noticed first. I got to know him and felt we were well matched first. Yet you still say you didn't steal him!" Since one slap didn't connect, Qian Momo raised her arm again to strike.

Being well-matched should require both parties to have met and felt they could be together, right?

But as far as she knew, Gu Jinchen had not met this woman before her.

"Hey! What's going on over there?"

It was noon time now. The villagers had just finished work and were preparing to return home for lunch.

As this was the village center, there were more passers-by. They could see clearly from afar what was happening.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's happening? Attacking someone?!" Recognizing from afar that it was Luo Ge being bullied, Wang Sister-In-Law cried out in alarm and rushed over.

Seeing that someone they didn't recognize bullying Luo Ge, the other villagers were also shocked. One of the men turned to run back to the fields where he knew Gu Jinchen was still working.

Hearing the shouts, Qian Momo's actions paused momentarily. But seeing Luo Ge's beautiful and delicate face, she still lashed out fiercely to slap her. Seeing her target dodge again, she directly reached out to push Luo Ge.

"Thud." With her heavyweight push, although said in jest, Luo Ge really was caught unprepared and landed on her bottom. But her opponent didn't fare much better either.

An eye for an eye. As she fell, Luo Ge also tripped the other.

"Thwack." Qian Momo fell face down, her large chin hitting the stone ground heavily, the surrounding ground vibrating from the impact.

Luo Ge's maneuver was concealed. To onlookers, it seemed Qian Momo had simply lost control when pushing Luo Ge and fallen herself.

"Luo Ge! Are you alright?" Wang Sister-In-Law had her hands outstretched, just narrowly failing to catch Luo Ge. She quickly helped pull Luo Ge to her feet.

Luo Ge shook her head, then turned to Qian Momo: "I don't know you. Why did you attack and hurt me?"

This sentence explained the situation to the villagers gathering around.

"Qian Momo! What are you doing in our village? Not satisfied with bullying people in your own village, now you've come to ours too? Where's your conscience?" Recognizing Qian Momo's face, Wang Sister-In-Law's expression instantly darkened.

This Qian Momo was simply outrageous. Bullying people in Qian Family Village was bad enough. Now she even dared run to their village and bully people!

This wasn't her territory of Qian Family Village under the Qian Family Small Landlord.

Hearing Qian Momo's name, the expressions of those around subtly shifted, instantly grasping the situation.

It was that girl from the Qian family who had her sights set on Second Son Gu. She had even offered to add five taels to her dowry in order to marry into their family. And now she had come to bully Second Son Gu's wife.

"So it's her!" The women loved to gossip. Every household in the village basically knew all the big and small going-ons.

"We've always heard that the young Miss Qian is an ill-bred, pampered and overbearing girl. No wonder she's so arrogant. But isn't this going too far?"

One of the aunties who had attended Gu Jinchen's wedding banquet had her face darken with anger upon hearing this. She truly had never seen such a shameless girl.

With Luo Ge standing next to her, no matter how one looked at it, Qian Momo was just an eyesore.

At this time, several of Gu Jinchen's maternal aunts had already pulled Luo Ge to her feet and shielded her behind them, including Auntie Luo.

"Miss Qian, why did you attack and hurt someone for no reason? No matter your reasons, making the first move to harm someone is never justified. Please apologize and offer compensation to Second Son Gu's wife first." Auntie Luo coldly said to Qian Momo.

In any case, with something happening to Luo Ge, she could not turn a blind eye. And now it had become a case of an outsider coming to their village to bully people, so she was even less able to ignore it.

Although they had still been at a distance when arriving earlier, she and the others had seen clearly Qian Momo's vicious expression and actions in beating someone.

"She stole my man! And I'm not allowed to vent my anger?"

If it had been anyone else in this situation, they would have long bowed their heads to apologize and end the matter. But this was Qian Momo. She had never apologized for bullying others in the past.

Moreover, she felt she had done no wrong.

Her tone was so righteous that the villagers really could not stand watching any longer.

"Second Son Gu and his wife were properly married husband and wife. What stealing is there to speak of?"

One of the aunties who had attended Gu Jinchen's wedding banquet was angered to the point her face turned black. She really had never seen such a shameless girl.

"What do you mean no stealing? If not for her interfering, Gu Jinchen would have married me long ago!" Speaking to this point, a hint of bashfulness appeared on Qian Momo's face.

She had provided such a large dowry. And she herself was a lucky-buttocked girl who could give birth to many children for him. She had even agreed to let Gu Jinchen raise those two inauspicious wild seeds.

The Gu family was so poor and Gu Jinchen had such difficulty finding a wife. No matter how one looked at it, with her conditions Gu Jinchen would have had no reason to reject her.

If not for this cheap hussy wedging her way in, they would have long been married already!

"Shameless girl. Would Second Son Gu even look your way?" Hearing this, the auntie rolled her eyes and spoke bluntly.

Without comparison there would be no harm done. With Luo Ge standing next to her, no matter how one looked at it Qian Momo was just hard on the eyes.

"Old lady, what do you mean!"

Qian Momo's face froze. She had hated it the most when someone commented on her looks ever since she was little. Due to her parents, no one from Qian Family Village dared say that to her.

Now that someone was saying this in front of so many people, her expression turned extremely unpleasant instantly. Taking advantage of her physique, she shoved away the people blocking her way and pushed that auntie.

Now she had provoked public outrage. Pushing and bullying people repeatedly was really intolerable.

"I'm telling the truth and you still can't accept it? You even dare to push me? I, Ma Feng, don't eat vegetarian food!"

That auntie was also caught off guard by the push. When she came to her senses, she yelled and lunged at Qian Momo.

Other aunties who were shoved away also took the opportunity to join the fight. Wang Sister-In-Law was itching for action while Luo Ge was completely dumbfounded.

Li Zhaodi, who had brought Qian Momo over, watched the scene and was on the verge of tears.

She had to say, Luo Ge really admired Qian Momo's courage to be so arrogant and take on many people alone in someone else's village.

"Li Zhaodi, why are you standing there blankly? Can't you help?" Before Li Zhaodi could cry, Qian Momo shouted from the side.

With her physique, she had the advantage at the beginning, but she soon started to suffer losses when outnumbered.

These aunties who were used to farm work were quite strong. Each grab and pinch was enough to make Qian Momo hurt.

Very well, this shout made it clear that Li Zhaodi was on the same side as Qian Momo.

Everyone was smart enough to know in a flash of thought that an outsider like Qian Momo would not randomly come to the village, and must have been brought here by someone.

Hearing Qian Momo's yell, they instantly understood that it was Li Zhaodi who had brought her.

Li Zhaodi really cried now, looking at everyone with tears streaming down her face. She didn't dare to go up and help, and had to endure Qian Momo's scolding.

OnGoing

The Fake Heiress and Her Five Villainous Brothers

OnGoing


Chapter 25

Li Zhaodi had always been timid and easily scared. Since childhood, she had been afraid of her fierce cousin. Now, after being yelled at like that, her fear only intensified.

Considering that they were all from the same village, if she were to help Qian Momo, it would be seen as taking sides with an outsider against her fellow villagers. She simply didn't dare to help.

But if she didn't help, it would mean allowing outsiders to bully her own cousin. She watched coldly from the sidelines.

Neither helping nor not helping, at this moment, she truly regretted bringing Qian Momo here, who was now crying uncontrollably.

"Wife, are you okay?"

It was at this moment that Gu Jinchen hurriedly rushed over, perspiring because he had come in a hurry, and his eyes were filled with worry as he looked at Luo Ge.

Luo Ge shook her head. "I'm fine, no injuries."

Just squatting down and hitting the ground didn't hurt much. After all, she didn't suffer any losses.

"Second Young Master Gu, help me, quickly separate them!"

When Qian Momo, who was being surrounded, saw Gu Jinchen appear, her eyes instantly brightened. She deliberately softened her voice while calling for help, which made Luo Ge couldn't help but glance at her.

Gu Jinchen's face turned dark, and he didn't even spare a glance in Qian Momo's direction. He just carefully protected Luo Ge behind him, avoiding accidental injury.

"Newlyweds are different. Back then, I didn't stick to my wife like this. Hahaha."

It's not appropriate for men to intervene in women's fights. Anyway, he knew that his wife had the upper hand in numbers and wouldn't suffer any losses. The men were just watching from the sidelines.

Seeing Gu Jinchen protecting his wife like this, they couldn't help but laugh.

Gu Jinchen remained composed, while Luo Ge blushed even more.

"You little bitch!" Qian Momo's face looked extremely ugly, unable to help but curse.

Ma Feng Auntie became even more unyielding and grabbed her hair with one hand.

"You still dare to curse! You little bitch! Do you think I've been too gentle with you?"

Wang Sister-In-Law saw Gu Jinchen coming over and immediately squeezed into the crowd, and Luo Ge wanted to pull her but couldn't.

With no one helping, Qian Momo was simply no match for Auntie and the others. Soon, she was at a disadvantage, being suppressed and subjected to all sorts of verbal attacks.

"Pah! You think you can resist me with just that little bit of strength!"

"Thinking you're so arrogant, do you really think people from our Gu Family Village are easy to bully?"

"Let go of me! Let go of me!" Qian Momo had never endured such humiliation before. Her face turned red, and her voice became hoarse.

"Pah! If you ask me to let go, I'll let go? Quickly apologize to me and make amends." Auntie dared to lay hands on her, someone from their village. If she didn't make her suffer, her name wouldn't be Ma.

"You... you all... fine, fine! I apologize, okay?" Qian Momo was frustrated, but looking at the group of people around her, she could only grit her teeth and raise her voice to shout.

Only then did Auntie let go of her hand, but she still hadn't released her grip on Qian Momo's hand.

"Oh, is a simple apology enough? That push you gave me earlier was not light at all. My chest still hurts! Don't you think you should compensate me for the medical expenses?"

"?????" How could her push compare to the ruthless hands of these fierce women? She had to apologize and pay money on top of that?

"I... I don't have any money!" She gritted her teeth, determined not to give them a single cent.

Upon hearing this, Wang Sister-In-Law didn't hesitate and reached straight into her embrace.

"You're lying! I clearly felt a money pouch just now. After hitting someone, don't you think an apology is enough?" She admitted that she had some intentions of seeking revenge.

The bitterness of being falsely accused in the past was not easy to bear, and today she would seize the opportunity for some retaliation.

Sure enough, after a while, Wang Sister-In-Law pulled out a money pouch.

"Take a look! You said you didn't have any money. Could it be that this money pouch doesn't belong to you and it belongs to my sister Qian?" Wang Sister-In-Law's original surname was Qian, a common name for a girl from a rural family.

"You... despicable..." Qian Momo wanted to curse, but when she turned her head and saw the expressions of Wang Sister-In-Law and the others, she held back her words.

Ma Feng Auntie took the money pouch and glanced at it. Oh, there was a considerable amount of money inside, around two hundred wen.

"Well, it's quite a sum of money. Consider this as your compensation. Hurry up and leave. Don't come to our Gu Family Village barking like a stray dog anymore! Do you think every village belongs to your Qian Family Village?"

After taking the money pouch, Ma Feng Auntie got up to leave.

Qian Momo looked at the money pouch with a heartache. It was her hard-earned secret stash of money, intended for buying things in town later.

Seeing her standing still, Ma Feng Auntie's face darkened.

"Don't want to leave? Do you want me to loosen your bones for you?"

Qian Momo shrank her neck and quickly clumsily got up, running towards the village entrance. Li Zhaodi took a glance at the others and hurriedly chased after her.

"Your name is Qian Momo, right? I've remembered you. If you dare to come and cause trouble in our Gu Family Village again, I'll make sure to bring my black dog with me!"

Watching their figures, Ma Feng Auntie couldn't help but shout.

"Tsk." Luo Auntie listened to her words while holding her handkerchief, shaking her head with a smile.

With this, the matter was resolved.

They didn't show mercy with their actions, so Qian Momo probably wouldn't dare to come to their Gu Family Village again for the next two or three months.

They weren't afraid if Qian Momo came to argue. In this matter, Qian Momo was clearly in the wrong. She went to someone else's village and bullied them. Did they look like pushovers?

From their perspective, Qian Momo had no grounds to stand on.

After saying that, Ma Auntie turned her head and looked at Luo Ge, gently touching the money pouch, feeling somewhat reluctant.

"Here, take this silver. It's the compensation she gave you on behalf of the Gu family."

In reality, Luo Ge was the one who was truly bullied. Ma Feng Auntie intentionally provoked Qian Momo and let her push her, but she herself didn't feel any pain from it.

There was no other choice. The people of the Gu family were just protective. Even if someone had clearly crossed the line, they always had to find a reason to give it back.

Upon hearing this, Luo Ge blinked twice in confusion, quickly waved her hand, and shook her head.

"No need, no need. I'm fine. But just now, Aunties stood up for me, and they put in quite an effort. You can split this among yourselves; I don't need it."

She truly wasn't harmed, but as a young bride, she felt warm inside seeing Aunties stand up for her.

"Thank you, Aunties, for speaking up for me today." With that in mind, she bowed respectfully and thanked the Aunties.

Hearing Luo Ge's words, everyone was surprised. After all, it was a considerable sum of two hundred silver coins, and who wouldn't desire that?

However, the way Luo Ge put it was genuinely appealing, making them feel a bit embarrassed.

Their impression of Luo Ge was already favorable, and now it became even better.

"Come on, we're all of the same clan. No need to thank me. According to seniority, you should call me Fifth Auntie! It's only natural for the older ones to protect the younger ones, right?"

It was Ma Feng Auntie who said this in a straightforward manner. It was quite a coincidence that, apart from the Wang family, everyone witnessing this scene belonged to the Gu clan.

Luo Ge smiled upon hearing her words but resolutely refused to accept the money. She stood there looking fine, but the Aunties had engaged in a physical tussle with Qian Momo, who had a robust build, so they ended up with some bruises.

Their hair was disheveled, and they appeared quite disheveled.

They had stood up for her and done her a favor, so it wouldn't sit right with Luo Ge if she took the money directly.

In the end, Luo Auntie spoke up and gave her fifty coins to accept, while the rest was evenly divided among the Aunties.

This solution was just right, so she didn't say much more, and the Aunties were all delighted.

Originally, they had just wanted to join in the commotion and teach Qian Momo a lesson, but they hadn't expected to receive some silver coins as well.

Including Wang Sister-In-Law, who had joined in later, there were six people. With one hundred and fifty silver coins, each person got more than twenty coins, enough to buy a pound of meat and enjoy a good meal with some leftovers.

They also felt that Luo Ge was capable, and if they could help her a couple of times in the future, it wouldn't be a problem.

Although Wang Sister-In-Law had only joined in later, she had played a significant role in finding the silver coins. Moreover, her immediate instinct was to protect Luo Ge, which was heartwarming. Therefore, she naturally deserved a share.

"This daughter-in-law of the Second Son is truly clever and sensible." Even Ma Feng Auntie couldn't help but praise Luo Ge while going home with Luo Auntie.

Remembering the delicious chicken that Gu Jinchen had sent to their home last night, Luo Auntie nodded.

"Indeed, he's fortunate to have married into the Second Son's family."

That girl's cooking skills are genuinely excellent. Gu Er Lang is truly fortunate. Luo Auntie even felt a bit envious of her skills.


Chapter 26

After everyone dispersed, Luo Ge was whisked away by Gu Jinchen back home.

Ignoring the two little ones anxiously waiting in the courtyard, he brought her into the room.

Without saying a word, he carefully examined her, leaving Luo Ge confused.

"I'm fine, just a sore butt, really not injured."

Regardless of the injury check, the man's actions felt like igniting a flame, and when he tried to undress her, she quickly protested.

Blushing, with a hint of nervous mist in her eyes.

Gu Jinchen paused at her reaction, his concern not fully alleviated.

"Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! I dodged her attack, and I even tripped her afterward. Her chin probably took a hit." She had seen Qian Momo's bleeding chin.

Afraid he wouldn't believe her, she hopped around a bit, displaying her agility without any signs of discomfort.

Seeing this, Gu Jinchen finally relaxed, but the mention of her sore butt made him frown.

"Let me check. Even if it doesn't hurt now, it might bruise later. We should apply some medicine."

"No, no, please!" What? No way, without a second thought, she shielded her little behind with her hands.

This injury, how embarrassing! Even though they were already open with each other, it still felt awkward.

"Be obedient," Gu Jinchen's tone was just like coaxing a child.

But seeing Luo Ge vehemently shaking her head, he sighed and stepped back.

Fetching the ointment he used for swelling and bruises, he handed it to her. "Apply it yourself."

Leaving those words, Gu Jinchen went outside, giving her some space.

Despite his concerns having some validity, her delicate constitution made the touch a bit swollen and slightly painful.

Emm... dutifully applying the ointment.

... Meanwhile, at the village entrance.

"Cousin, cousin!"

"Slap!" Li Zhaodi, who had just caught up with Qian Momo to help clean the blood on her chin, received a solid slap.

Her mind buzzed, staring at Qian Momo, speechless.

"Do you still have the nerve to shout? Are you happy seeing me being bullied? You didn't even bother helping when you saw me in trouble! A useless hen that can't lay eggs! I'll definitely tell Aunt about this when I get back!"

"No, it's not like that. I couldn't do anything...," she couldn't help, and not helping was beyond her control.

"I don't care whether you can or not! Since you've behaved like this today, don't expect any favor from my family in the future!"

But Qian Momo paid no attention to all that, leaving behind these words and walking away.

Li Zhaodi's mother and Qian Momo's mother were sisters, both residing in the Qian family village.

However, Li's family was not well-off, with a lazy father and four daughters before finally having a son, all of them as unreliable as their father.

These years, the Li family has been relying on the support from Qian Momo's family to get by, or by having their married daughters contribute to their family. But mainly, their livelihood hinges on Qian Momo's family.

Now, with Qian Momo's words, it's almost like cutting off the Li family's lifeline. Li Zhaodi can already imagine what she's going to face next.

Once her mother learns about this, she won't let her off easily.

Life in her husband's family was already tough, and if her mother comes, it would be even more agonizing.

"Why is my fate so unlucky?" Thinking this, she sat on the ground and burst into tears, with a mix of sorrow in her choked sobs.

If Luo Ge hadn't taken Qian Momo's man, she wouldn't be here causing trouble. If Luo Ge had let Qian Momo vent her anger back then, the village wouldn't have witnessed the subsequent events. Ultimately, it's all Luo Ge's fault.

Luo Ge: ... I'm speechless. Whom did I provoke? I did nothing wrong and yet attracted trouble. Is it all my fault?

Li Zhaodi cried at the village entrance for a while, then returned home in a daze. Her mother-in-law, hearing about today's events, scolded her once again.

"Li Zhaodi, you're quite bold, actually bringing outsiders to bully the villagers. Who is this Auntie Ma Feng? She's your elder, and you actually let your cousin sister attack Auntie Ma Feng?"

Listening to these scoldings, she remained silent, ran back into the house with red eyes, and both daughters anxiously looked at her.

"Mom."

"Mom, don't cry."

The two sisters, one at the age of five and the other a little over three, consoled her sensibly.

But seeing these two daughters, Li Zhaodi felt a pain in her chest again, directly pushing the two girls away.

"Go away! Don't touch me!" It had to be these two girls. Why couldn't they be two sons? If they were two sons, she wouldn't have to endure this daily humiliation.

If they were two sons, she wouldn't have to lower her head in both her husband's and her family!

"Li Zhaodi! Did San Ya and Si Ya offend you that you're yelling at them? I can't criticize you anymore, right? When I mention you, you vent your anger on our children?"

Li Zhaodi's mother-in-law heard the commotion in the house, her expression turning dark.

She loves her grandsons, but that doesn't mean their children should be treated as punching bags! Did she say something wrong? Li Zhaodi brought people to the village to bully elders, and she can't criticize her?

At this moment, Li Zhaodi's mother-in-law barged in, seeing Li Zhaodi's actions and directly pushing her while pulling San Ya and Si Ya down.

"You're eating human flesh! You don't even lay eggs, yet you blame the children? Besides venting on the kids, what else can you do? Useless!"

"Both of you, the stupid ones, get out of here. The little one will help me watch the fire, and San Ya, go find your dad and bring them back for dinner!"

Before taking San Ya and Si Ya away, she gave Li Zhaodi a fierce look.

When Li Zhaodi's husband returned and heard what his wife said, seeing the two girls in such a state, he couldn't help but scold Li Zhaodi.

"What kind of heartless mother are you? No wonder you can't give birth to a son! San Ya and Si Ya are your own daughters! How can you be so cruel? A son wouldn't want a mother like you."

Li Zhaodi remained silent throughout, only catching the words 'can't give birth to a son.'

Watching her two girls crying and trying to stop her husband, her eyes intensely red, the resentment in her heart grew deeper.

... After the wind and sun, Li Zirou's meat dried up. After the meal, Luo Ge steamed it for half an hour.

When done steaming, the lid was lifted, and a unique fruity fragrance filled the air. One big and two small ones eagerly followed.

"Aunt, can we eat now?" Second Baby asked, eyes filled with anticipation.

Luo Ge shook her head, "Not yet, wait for two more days."

She reached out and tapped the little one's upturned nose, "Little glutton, you just ate, and you're already thinking about food?"

"It smells so delicious; Second Baby is a little greedy."

The familiar intimacy of Luo Ge's actions had become a habit for the little ones. The two children made a gesture with their thumbs and index fingers, expressing eagerness.

"Little glutton, you can't eat this dried fruit yet, but there's still some pickled plums from yesterday. Want to eat?"

She made a lot yesterday, and since they hadn't finished, she discreetly stored them in the space. Now, after soaking for a while, the flavor was even better.

Since taking over the kitchen and managing expenses, Gu Jinchen rarely paid attention to these matters. She took advantage of him not being in the kitchen and took things out; he wouldn't notice.

"Yes!" Both little ones replied in unison, even Gu Jinchen's eyes lit up a bit.

In this hot weather, having something sweet, sour, and spicy was genuinely comfortable.

Seeing them like this, Luo Ge silently turned to the cupboard and took out the pickled plums, "Go and enjoy."

After the two little ones left, Luo Ge continued making dried fruits. She placed the steamed dried fruits into a clean, water-free basin, added sugar and honey, stirring it evenly.

The sugar ratio was not fixed; she tested it and adjusted the taste according to personal preferences.

She tasted it and found it good, but if she planned to sell it, she needed to try other people's preferences. So, she took a bit to feed Gu Jinchen.

She just wanted him to taste it, not thinking too much. Seeing his handsome face instantly turn red, she was puzzled for a moment.

"How is it? Is it too sweet?"

Gu Jinchen shook his head silently, "Just right."

Feeling intensely sweet inside, his wife unexpectedly fed him, making him feel like he was in a honey jar.

"Then it's settled." Hearing this, Luo Ge gave a little to the two little ones, gaining unanimous approval before feeling reassured.

Covering the dried fruits with gauze, letting them marinate for an hour, then picking them up to sun-dry.

The weather has been good during this period. Steaming them again tomorrow and sprinkling some sugar, two more days of sun-drying should do the trick.


Chapter 27

Because of the incident with Qian Momo, Gu Jinchen came back earlier than usual. After finishing his chores, it was only around 12:30 pm.

Considering they still had to work in the fields that afternoon, she asked Gu Jinchen to take a short rest.

When she retrieved items from her space, she also brought out some mung beans. In this weather, it's easy to get heat stroke while working outside, so having some mung bean soup to cool down would be helpful.

Once the mung bean soup boiled and the beans split open, she turned off the heat, leaving just enough embers to keep it warm. That way, it would be ready for them to take when they left.

After preparing everything, she went to rest as well.

She also sent the little ones to take their afternoon nap. It wouldn't be worth it for them to run around outside and get sunburned in the midday heat.

When they woke up, the fruit had been marinating for long enough. Together with Gu Jinchen, they spread the fruit onto trays to sun-dry.

Bringing the mung bean soup along, the whole family headed out.

"Oh, Luo Ge, you're here too?"

The field they were working on today was right next to Wang Sister-In-Law's family's plot. Seeing Luo Ge, Wang Sister-In-Law greeted her with a smile.

"Yes, Sister-In-Law, you and Auntie arrived quite early."

"Well, there wasn't much to do at home, so we figured we'd come early to finish early."

After exchanging greetings, Luo Ge took out the gloves she had prepared and handed one to Gu Jinchen, then put on gloves for the two little ones as well, before they all started weeding.

"Hey, those gloves of yours are nice!"

Wang Sister-In-Law's eyes lit up when she noticed the gloves in Luo Ge's hands. Why hadn't she thought of making something like that? Wearing those, she wouldn't hurt her hands anymore.

A woman's hands are like her second face - most women care about keeping them nice.

"I made them myself when I had free time. I stuffed some old quilt and grass in them so they cushion your hands and don't scrape them."

The gloves were simple to make. Take a piece of coarse linen with a non-slip texture, cut it into the shape of a hand, leave a gap in the middle like a coat, stuff some material inside, then sew it up.

She could only make basic gloves like these. As for specialized ones meant for rough work, she didn't know how.

This kind of easily made item, she hadn't planned on selling anyway. If she wanted to sell them, she'd have to consider comfort as well.

Just stuffing them with grass wouldn't provide enough protection against cuts and scrapes.

She'd need to use cotton, but cotton is so precious that the cost wouldn't be worth it.

So when Wang Sister-In-Law asked, she simply explained how to make them.

"I see, you're really clever."

Wang Sister-In-Law said, a hint of embarrassment on her face as she looked at the men of her family toiling away, and thought of how her husband's hands often cracked from the rough work.

After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Could I learn to make a couple as well? Don't worry, I promise I won't teach others how to make them."

Hearing Wang Sister-In-Law's assurance not to spread the technique, Luo Ge was quite surprised. She really hadn't expected her to say that.

But Wang Sister-In-Law's words and actions were truly comfortable to be around.

"Of course, it's easy enough to see how they're made. It's not a secret, so go ahead."

To be honest, gloves were the wisdom of their ancestors. Luo Ge was simply a beneficiary.

She had no reason to claim credit or prevent others from learning.

"Oh, thank you so much, Luo Ge."

Delighted by Luo Ge's ready agreement, the smile on Wang Sister-In-Law's face grew even wider. She truly felt she hadn't misjudged their friendship.

"No need to thank me. You stood up for me earlier today, I haven't forgotten."

Luo Ge shared the sentiment - Wang Sister-In-Law was truly a good friend to have.

At their words, the two women laughed.

Seeing the warm interaction between their two daughters-in-law, the Gu and Wang families couldn't help but smile as well.

"Husband, have some mung bean soup."

After a busy stretch of work, Luo Ge poured Gu Jinchen some mung bean soup to drink.

Seeing her flushed red face from the heat, Gu Jinchen frowned slightly.

"You drink first, then go rest over there for a bit." He didn't want her overdoing it. If she got too tired, he would worry.

"Okay." Seeing his concern, Luo Ge didn't argue, drinking some soup first before pouring him a cup.

"You..."

Whether intentionally or not, the scoundrel drank from the very spot her lips had touched, leaving a smear of soup.

This... This was an indirect kiss.

With the family and children nearby, Luo Ge's already reddened face instantly turned even redder.

"What's wrong?" Gu Jinchen raised an eyebrow, all innocence and bewilderment.

"Nothing!" This man... Luo Ge shot him an exasperated look, leaving it at that.

Seeing Wang Sister-In-Law's family sweating profusely from their hard work, she called Older Baby and Second Baby over to bring them each a bowl of the mung bean soup as well. She had brought quite a lot.

The mung bean soup was meant for cooling down, so she had made it quite thin, just to be refreshing to drink.

After accepting Luo Ge's favor, the Wang family felt a bit embarrassed, but in this heat, they didn't make a fuss over it either.

Under Gu Jinchen's watchful eye, Luo Ge obediently went with the little ones to rest by the side for a while.

...With Wang Sister-In-Law's company, Luo Ge didn't feel bored at all. Chatting and working together, the afternoon passed by.

There was just a small portion of the field left to do.

The Gu family's land had been left untended for over a year. Previously, when Gu Jinchen was away, it was his grandparents and older brother who managed it. But after one mishap after another befell them, the land was abandoned.

For a period after that, it was rented out to villagers to farm. But later when Gu Jinchen returned, he took it back.

However, shortly after his grandparents passed away, Gu Jinchen had been consumed by grief over the loss of nearly his entire family. Caring for the two little ones, his days were a hazy blur.

So the land remained untouched until now when they finally started tending to it again.

The weeds and such had over a year's worth of growth, making it quite a challenge.

But with men and women working together, it wasn't too tiring. Taking it bit by bit, they made steady progress.

"Older Baby! Second Baby! Little Auntie!"

They had worked quite hard today, so Luo Ge didn't bother making an elaborate meal. She simply made noodle soup using the leftovers from lunch.

Just as the noodles were served, they heard Tie Dan's voice calling from outside. The whole family found it rather strange.

Tie Dan often came to play with the little ones, but the well-behaved child never visited during their mealtimes.

It was quite unusual for him to come today.

At the call, the two little ones ran out, and seeing he had called for Luo Ge as well, she followed behind.

As soon as he saw Luo Ge, Tie Dan held out a bowl filled with meat he was carrying and instinctively wiped his mouth.

"Little Auntie, this is for you all. My mom asked me to bring it over for you to try her cooking."

Hearing this, the two little ones immediately looked up at Luo Ge, their eyes asking if they could have some of that precious meat.

Earlier, Wang Sister-In-Law had split over twenty copper coins, the money she had forcibly taken from Qian Momo. Of course Wang Sister-In-Law would want to spend that money properly.

So she went to the village butcher's to buy a jin of meat to make a nice meal tonight.

Luo Ge understood that Wang Sister-In-Law must be expressing her gratitude for teaching her how to make the gloves, as well as for sharing the mung bean soup with them.

She glanced towards Gu Jinchen in the courtyard, uncertain if she should accept the meat which was such a rarity.

She knew the Wang family had always been quite frugal. In the past when Gu Jinchen thanked them for looking after the children by gifting wild pheasants or rabbits, they would keep those to sell for money instead.

One could say they hardly ate meat more than a few times in an entire year.

"Go ahead and take it," Gu Jinchen nodded, seeing Luo Ge look to him.

With his approval, Luo Ge accepted the bowl from Tie Dan and patted his head affectionately.

"Thank you for the trouble, Tie Dan. Please thank your mother for me as well."

As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and took out a handful of sugar candies, tucking them into Tie Dan's little shirt pocket.

"I bought some sugar candies in town today. Have these, but don't eat too many at once or you'll get cavities, understand?"

"Yes, Tie Dan understands!" Clutching his little pocket, Tie Dan smiled sweetly.

"Goodbye, Auntie. Goodbye, Older Baby and Second Baby." She waved her little hand at them, then skipped happily back home.


Chapter 28

"Grandpa, Grandma, have some candy! Little Auntie Zhang has some for you!" As soon as Tie Dan returned home and saw Old Master Wang and Aunt Zhang in the courtyard, he rushed over to them.

He took out two pieces of candy from his little pocket, split them up and shared them, then turned to share with his own parents as well.

At last, he peeled one for himself, intending to eat it, but Wang Sister-In-Law grabbed his hand.

"Why are you always taking Auntie's candy? Didn't I tell you not to keep taking advantage of your aunt's family?" Seeing her gluttonous son, Wang Sister-In-Law lamented how he turned out.

Tie Dan blinked a few times: "Auntie put them in my pocket."

If she put them there, he couldn't give them back, right? Delicious is delicious!

Before Wang Sister-In-Law could say anything, Aunt Zhang and Wang Big Brother each tapped his little head.

"Greedy! Your little aunt's family doesn't make money easily. Uncle Gu going up the mountain to hunt is very dangerous.

Little Auntie bought the candy to appease the Older Baby and Second Baby. How can you, as the older brother, keep taking food from your younger brothers?"

This little brat always plays with the Older Baby and Second Baby, and Luo Ge has given him food more than once or twice. They really feel bad that he keeps taking advantage.

This smelly little kid is really greedy, he'll take whatever people give him and keeps taking from the Older Baby and Second Baby. He has no sense of being an older brother.

Hearing his own father's words, Tie Dan's little face reddened in rare embarrassment.

"Then should I go back?" Based on what his father said, it seems he was taking food from the Older Baby and Second Baby.

Aiya! How embarrassing, he's supposed to be the older brother.

Saying this, Tie Dan wanted to run over to the neighbor's house, but Aunt Zhang stopped him.

"Where are you going? Your aunt's family is eating now, if you go over won't you be taking their food again? Remember this for next time, don't keep taking advantage of others, okay?"

"If you want to eat, wait for your mother to go to town to buy some for you next time."

Hearing Aunt Zhang's words, Tie Dan's eyes lit up, but then he shook his head after thinking about something.

"I don't want to eat anymore, we should save money to buy medicine for Grandpa so he can recover soon. Then he can take me out to play."

Hearing this, the adults in the family were stunned, feeling a warmth in their hearts at Tie Dan's thoughtfulness, their eyes unable to hold back tears. Wang Big Brother couldn't help but tap his head again.

"Smelly little brat!"

When Old Master Wang heard his little grandson's words, he felt exceptionally warm inside, but at the same time remorseful that his poor health was burdening the whole family.

If it weren't for his useless body, their family wouldn't be living in such poor conditions...

Thinking about this, his expression grew more and more gloomy. Aunt Zhang seemed to sense what he was thinking and grasped his hand.

"Alright, let's not just stand around, let's eat." Wang Sister-In-Law and her husband also noticed Old Master's mood and quickly changed the subject.

As for Tie Dan, he looked puzzled, but upon hearing his mother's words, he immediately ran to help serve the food.

...On the other side, at the Gu family.

"Wang Sister-In-Law's cooking is really good." Luo Ge couldn't help but praise as she tasted Wang Sister-In-Law's cuisine.

This braised potato and meat dish is really hearty, perfect when eaten with noodles.

"Eat more." Seeing that she liked it, Gu Jinchen quietly added more meat to her bowl.

He noticed that his little wife tended to eat very little meat.

She needed to eat more, how could she grow taller if she didn't eat meat?

Luo Ge nodded, then turned her attention to caring for the two little ones.

In the end, most of the meat still ended up in the stomachs of the three males (boys).

Gu Jinchen could only sigh helplessly.

After the meal, Luo Ge gathered the dried fruit from outside, as the night mist would dampen it if left out, so she brought it inside to air-dry.

"Let me see." That evening, after Luo Ge had washed up and lay on the bed, as soon as she heard the sound of the door, her husband spoke.

"See what?" Hearing him, she didn't immediately understand.

Gu Jinchen closed the door and immediately moved to turn her over. "To see where you were hurt, what else?"

Thinking it over, he still needed to take a look to be at ease.

His little wife was very concerned about the phrase 'broad daylight', and would get terribly shy during the day, so at night when they were alone as husband and wife, it should be better.

Luo Ge realized his meaning and her eyes widened, but before she could react, a chill ran through her.

"...!"

"Do your bones hurt?"

Gu Jinchen was only concerned about her injury and had no improper thoughts. Seeing that there was no bruising or swelling, he was much more relieved, but he remembered cases in the village of auntie's injuring their bones from falls like this.

"No, not hurting."

Luo Ge was numb, her pretty face burning hot.

With his serious tone and this embarrassing posture, she wanted to drop dead on the spot.

After confirming that there were no issues, Gu Jinchen turned her over, and by the lamplight, he saw his little wife's flushed face and couldn't help but smile.

"Why are you being so shy? You and I have already..."

Before he could finish, Luo Ge covered his mouth with her hand.

"Stop talking, let's sleep." Her little wife's blushing, muffled stubborn tone only made his heart itch more.

"Pfft." He pulled her soft hand away and leaned down to kiss those pursed, rosy lips.

"Mmm, let's sleep." It wasn't until she was dazed from his kisses that his husky voice reached her ears.

But this "sleep" was not that "sleep."

"Why must you still bully me after a long day's work?" Before falling asleep, she asked the question in her heart with a trembling, tearful voice.

The man heard her words and showed a smile, leaning down to gently kiss her fair forehead.

"I'm not bullying you." There was no harm done yet.

Yes, to him, this was not bullying her.

They had just gotten married, it was normal for him to crave her so much that he couldn't control himself.

"Mmm, hmph." Hearing this, she wanted to say something else but was too sleepy, so she only let out a grumbling hum before nestling into his embrace and falling asleep.

Gu Jinchen lightly held his little wife until she was deep asleep, then gently got out of bed and put on his clothes, sneaking out under the cover of night.

His little wife was not someone just anyone could bully.

...The next day.

"Aah! Big Brother!"

Early that morning, a shrill cry of alarm rang out from the Qian family home.

"Aah——!" Before the first cry had faded, another wail followed.

Qian Momo ran out from the room, hair disheveled, her face deathly pale.

"Mother, Mother there are snakes, there are snakes! —Brother!" Waking up to find two dead snakes, it almost scared her heart out.

Panicking, she ran outside stuttering for help, but then saw her badly injured brother lying in the courtyard and was shocked again.

Hearing these shouts, Qian Big Brother groggily woke up and saw Qian Momo's hands trembling violently.

"Child, what happened to you? Are you alright? Mother, go call a doctor for her." Qian's Father and Qian's Mother doted on their daughter, but compared to her, their son's condition was naturally more important now.

"Marry her off! Marry her off immediately, right away!" Without heeding Qian's Mother's words, Qian Big Brother pointed at Qian Momo and shouted hoarsely.

He couldn't keep such a troublemaking sister around anymore!


Chapter 29

"Some time ago, someone came to propose marriage, and I agreed. Today, I'll get married!"

Qian Momo had been spoiled by her parents since childhood. They had cleaned up after her countless times, she had lost count.

Previously, her parents always said she was still young and didn't understand, so he endured it. But now, at twenty-eight, she had caused someone to come to their home in the middle of the night to beat him up!

Eating more than a pig each time and having a terrible temper, she completely disregarded him as her brother and didn't even consider her sister-in-law and nephew.

No, he couldn't keep her here anymore.

If he did, he feared he wouldn't just get beaten up like last time. That person had warned him to 'control' Qian Momo, or else he would suffer the consequences.

If he hadn't begged for mercy last night, he might have lost a leg.

With their parents around, he really couldn't control Qian Momo. He could only marry her off, so she wouldn't cause trouble at home anymore, bringing peace to their lives.

"What? Why? What happened? Aren't you the one who always dotes on your sister the most? How could you bear to hastily marry her off like this?"

His daughter was also flesh and blood, how could she bear to marry her off to a widower and live a widow's life?

"What happened? Can't you see my injuries? This is all caused by your beloved daughter!"

"A widower is just a widower. Back then, when he was a fine young man, she refused to marry him. Whose fault is it now? Blame me? Isn't it all her doing?"

Although Qian Momo had a bad reputation and wasn't a good person, the Qian family's conditions were not bad.

A few years ago, when times were tough, even poor families earnestly sought to marry her.

But she looked down on them for being poor and thought too highly of herself, no matter what he said, she wouldn't listen. What could he do?

Now, besides settling for a widower, what else could he do?

This was already considered good, at least he hadn't heartlessly married her off to those older men who liked to beat their wives and gamble.

He had done enough.

"What do you mean!?"

Since the moment Qian Momo heard her brother wanted to marry her off to that widower, she was stunned, and now hearing his words, she was furious.

"You can't pretend anymore, can you? I'm your own sister, and you want to treat me like this?

Our parents raised me, I haven't eaten or drank anything of yours, why do you have the right to treat me like this?

You actually want me to marry a widower? You might as well just let me die!"

Seeing that Qian Momo couldn't endure any longer, Gu, her sister-in-law, who had been watching with her son by the side, spoke up.

"It's only because you're our own sister that we haven't given up on you! Our parents raised you? Our parents are already old now!

These years, if it weren't for us, this family wouldn't have been able to hold on!

You didn't rely on us, but you caused trouble everywhere in the village for these years. How many times did my husband and I have to clean up after you?

Yesterday, you caused trouble again. Can you compare to that petite and pretty girl?

"You look down on me because I'm from a humble family, so you go to the village and bully someone else's legitimate wife?"

"You've really outdone yourself! You've brought shame upon us all! You've not only embarrassed yourself, but also your brother and me!"

Unfortunately, Gu's sister-in-law's family is from Gu Family Village. Yesterday, her own younger sister caused a scene there, and she feels like she's lost all face and can't even return home.

"Ma Feng Auntie is my real aunt! You've really gone too far! How can I face my family in the future?"

"You're a real disaster! Marrying into your family and encountering a sister-in-law like you, I must have been cursed for eight lifetimes!" Gu's face flushed with anger as she blurted out these words.

Upon hearing this, Qian Momo seized the opportunity, pointing at Gu and looking at Qian's mother.

"Mother, listen to her, listen to what this woman thinks of me! She dares to call me a disaster!?"

Qian's mother frowned upon hearing Gu's words, but seeing her son and daughter-in-law's reactions, she realized that the problem indeed lay with Qian Momo.

She raised her daughter, so would she not know her heart? But she was still her flesh and blood after all.

She exchanged a glance with Qian's father, and the couple fell silent together.

Looking at Qian's father, Qian's mother, and Qian Momo, and then at her husband, Gu clenched her fists, thinking of what her mother had told her yesterday, and said firmly, "I don't care how you decide, but from today on, either she stays or I stay! One of us will leave this house!"

With that, she grabbed her son and ran back into the house.

Qian Dalang was shocked to hear his wife's words and, looking at Qian Momo, who still looked angry and resentful, he sighed heavily. "My intentions are the same as Auntie Hua's. If you still want to keep her, then let's separate our households."

He was truly exhausted.

Upon hearing her son's words, the old couple trembled in their hearts. They watched their son's back for a long time and, after much consideration, finally made up their minds.

"Momo, listen to your brother and get married."

"Mother!" Qian Momo couldn't believe it!

She couldn't believe that her parents would actually make her marry that pockmarked widower.

But no matter how unbelievable it was, it was useless.

The old couple acted quickly. They sent a message to the widower's family that day, and the next day, the widower's family came to take her away.

Qian Momo hadn't even healed from the wounds she received in the fight.

In front of Gu, the old couple didn't dare to pack too many things for Qian Momo.

Apart from the clothes she usually wore, they didn't take anything valuable like dressing tables or wardrobes for her.

The dead snake that had scared Qian Momo awake was still in the room, but only its fresh skin was left, floating in the corner. Gu Jinchen hadn't been able to take advantage of the snake meat.

Qian's family affairs were unknown to Luo Ge in Gu Family Village.

When he woke up, he was surprised to see two snake meats in the house.

"I woke up early today and caught these from the mountain. I've already cleaned them to spare you any discomfort."

"Oh, the mountain?" Still a bit groggy, Luo Ge's reaction was a beat slow. She turned to get a clear look at what he held and paused.

"You went to pick sour plums?" Two large baskets – did he pick all the remaining plums?

"Yes, I got up early with nothing to do, so I went to pick them. I'm almost done peeling; I'll marinate them shortly. You go ahead and have your porridge." He remembered her words; once the porridge boiled, he reduced the heat and let it simmer, ensuring it didn't burn.

This was a significant improvement. His wife must taste it.

"!!!" Wow, her man was really capable! In the time she took a nap, he caught a snake, picked plums, peeled them, watered the vegetable garden, and cooked.

She was amazed!

"Husband, you're so capable." Watching him work diligently, she sincerely praised.

Gu Jinchen paused at her words, raised an eyebrow with a hint of a smile. "Is that so? I'm glad you think so."

"!!!" Hearing his words, Luo Ge quickly ran into the kitchen.

Did he just say something flirtatious? But she had no evidence.

Wasn't this man supposed to be reserved and taciturn? Why was he becoming more playful and teasing?

Watching Luo Ge's figure, Gu Jinchen momentarily froze, chuckled softly, and followed into the kitchen, holding the peeled fruit.

Seeing his blushing little wife, his smile deepened.

His wife was easily embarrassed.

Turning to open the salt container, he paused, looking a bit puzzled. "This salt seems finer than usual."

Luo Ge's heart skipped a beat. "Really? I didn't notice."

As far as she knew, there were plenty of salt mines domestically, and the imperial court also produced sea salt. With the conditions they had, their salt should be of good quality.

The coarse and fine salts were available for domestic use, unlike in other countries where only coarse salt was common.

In the past, when Gu Jinchen raised children, he bought fine salt, which, compared to the salt in her space, had only a subtle color difference.

But without comparison, it was hard to tell.

Now that the old salt was used up, this man could still observe such subtle details. His observational skills were indeed keen.

Gu Jinchen did have sharp observational skills; he even caught the fleeting nervous glance from his little wife.

His earlier question was just casual.

Was she nervous? Why? What was she hiding from him?

"I remember the shopkeeper saying this batch of salt is new. Could it be because of the difference between old and new salt?"

Seeing her silent, Gu Jinchen responded along with her words, maintaining a calm expression as he continued marinating the fruit.

Upon seeing Luo Ge, only then did a sigh of relief escape.


Chapter 30

Snake meat is a highly nourishing food. Luo Ge skillfully prepared a fragrant snake soup, ensuring none of it went to waste.

On such a rare occasion of making snake soup, she also sent a portion to the Village Chief's family to let them taste the delicacy.

Yesterday, if it weren't for Luo Auntie taking the lead and Ma Feng Auntie helping out, she might not have been able to so smoothly regain her advantage with Qian Momo.

The Village Chief's position might not be very significant, but in the village, he held the highest authority.

Those with connections in higher places could maneuver more freely and naturally had to maintain relationships accordingly.

Not to mention, the long-standing friendship between the two families was also at stake here.

With Gu Jinchen's hunting skills, wild game from the mountains was nothing special for them. However, it held great importance for other households. Why not use it to maintain relationships?

Moreover, since they often procured food from the mountains, if they had an abundance, others would inevitably become envious. Having the Village Chief's family on their side would help diffuse many issues.

Hunters from other villages followed this unspoken understanding. Some greedy village chiefs even demanded tributes from the hunters.

Luo Auntie and the others faced no such demands, so what harm was there in sending a few gifts as a token of goodwill?

...Next, they began preparing for planting foxtail millet.

The young couple, along with their child, toiled for seven or eight days before finally finishing the preparation and planting the foxtail millet fields.

With the major grain crop taken care of, they could breathe a sigh of relief.

After this period, the two batches of dried persimmons were also ready.

The tart-sweet dried fruit was indeed a beloved snack, not only for the little ones but also for Gu Jinchen.

"Husband, I was thinking of taking these dried persimmons to the town market to sell. What do you think?"

After setting aside two jars for home consumption, Luo Ge discussed with Gu Jinchen about first taking some to the town market to test the waters.

"Mm, good. I'll go with you."

After the incident with Qian Momo, he didn't feel at ease letting her go out alone.

And Qian Momo's case was relatively mild, as it happened within their own village.

If something were to occur in the town or elsewhere, he dared not imagine the consequences.

It would be safer for him to accompany her.

"Alright, let's bring Older Baby and Second Baby along too? We can go as a family and have a little outing."

Luo Ge understood Gu Jinchen's concerns, which was why she hadn't dared to resume her egg business lately.

She hadn't taken the two little ones to town since arriving, and tomorrow happened to be market day, so it should be quite lively.

"Okay."

"Yay!"

Upon hearing the news, the two little ones cheered with glee, following closely behind Gu Jinchen.

Luo Ge ruffled their heads before continuing to work on the clothes in her hands.

She had fallen behind on sewing during the recent busyness, only picking it up a couple of times since cutting the fabrics at Wang Sister-In-Law's place.

Taking advantage of this free time, she resumed her work, deciding to make clothes for the little ones first.

Children at this age were energetic, constantly running around and getting scraped and bruised, leaving most of their clothes patched up.

Gu Jinchen didn't care much about food but was even less particular about clothes, as long as he had something to wear.

Children's clothes didn't require too much effort. If she worked quickly, they might even be able to wear their new outfits to town tomorrow.

While the little ones didn't show it on their faces, their eyes gleamed brightly when they realized Luo Ge was making new clothes for them.

"..."

Looking at the two little ones and then at the half-finished garment in his wife's hands, Gu Jinchen felt an overwhelming sourness from the persimmons he had just eaten.

At the moment, Luo Ge was focused on sewing and hadn't noticed her husband's sour mood.

The two little ones, however, perceptively sensed their uncle's unusual demeanor and shrewdly retreated to maintain a low profile.

Observing Luo Ge's concentrated expression, Gu Jinchen pressed his tongue against his back teeth.

"This style looks nice," he remarked casually.

Without lifting her head, Luo Ge replied, "Mm, Wang Sister-In-Law helped me cut it. She's very skilled."

"..."

Inhaling silently, he didn't want to admit how sour he felt that his wife's first completed garment was for the two little ones, and it seemed... he didn't even have a share.

"The color of the fabric is nice too," he grumbled in a muffled voice.

This time, Luo Ge looked up and gave him a sweet smile. "Isn't it? I like the color too. It's the fabric you picked out for me before."

As the young woman tilted her head and smiled at him, her tone carrying a sense of happiness, the sullen Gu Jinchen was momentarily stunned.

The corners of his mouth curved upwards as he touched his nose.

"Is that so?"

"Mm-hm, husband has great taste." The simple solid color matched her preferences perfectly; he had chosen well.

Hearing her words, the smile on Gu Jinchen's face broadened further.

"There's not enough fabric to make clothes for the whole family, but I used some leftover scraps from home to make you a pair of shoes. Would you like to see?"

"We can go to town tomorrow and pick out more fabric. I'll make you a new outfit too, so our family can wear matching new clothes."

As she spoke, Luo Ge put down her work and went to retrieve a pair of neatly wrapped new shoes from the clothing trunk.

Upon hearing Luo Ge's words, Gu Jinchen's sourness had completely dissipated, his entire being now exuding a sweet fragrance as if he had fallen into a vat of honey.

"This is the first pair of shoes I've made. Try them on?" She had secretly made the shoes while he was away, intending to surprise him.

Since she had thought of the two little ones, how could she leave him out?

Although the shoes were not as substantial as the children's clothes, being the first item she completed was proof of her intentions.

"Do they fit?"

"Mm, very well. Do they look nice?"

From the moment Luo Ge finished speaking, the smile hadn't left Gu Jinchen's face as he eagerly tried on the new shoes his wife had made for him, exuding an air of confidence and vigor.

His wife hadn't forgotten him, she had him in mind, and his shoes were the first ones she completed - in fact, the first shoes she had ever made.

Claiming two firsts, he felt immensely delighted in his heart.

"Very dashing and handsome."

Though they were just ordinary men's shoes, seeing his confident and vigorous demeanor, Luo Ge wholeheartedly complimented him.

After all, his confident and vigorous appearance was truly captivating and handsome.

Hearing his wife's praise, Gu Jinchen's ears turned slightly red, but he felt an overwhelming sweetness in his heart, as if he had fallen into a vat of honey.

No, sweeter than falling into a vat of honey.