Chapter 31

The next day.

It was rare for the family to go to the town together, and the two little ones were eagerly looking forward to it as they woke up early.

Luo Ge cooked some corn porridge and then brought over the clothes she had made for them the night before to change them into.

"How about it, do you like them?"

Looking at the two little ones, Luo Ge smiled and patted their little heads, asking.

Older Baby carefully clutched his new clothes, nodding repeatedly: "Older Baby likes it very much!"

"Second Baby also likes it very much, thank you Auntie."

Their contented joy, combined with their carefulness to not damage the clothes, was truly heartwarming.

Gu Jinchen had also changed into new shoes, leaning against the door frame and looking at the two little ones with a slight hint of disdain.

Hmph, these good-for-nothing brats.

He looked down at his own shoes, his micro-expression carrying a trace of pride.

They couldn't compare to his!

As if sensing their uncle's smugness, the two little ones exchanged a glance and simultaneously turned their heads away.

"It's good that you like them. Quick, go eat breakfast, and then we'll set off after."

Luo Ge didn't notice the little situation between the men of the household, feeling quite pleased that they said they liked the clothes.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Okay!"

The three of them answered in unison, as if trying to outdo each other in speed.

...The market day was indeed lively, with many people from the city gate onwards.

As they walked further in, the clamorous, bustling noise only grew louder and more boisterous.

Luo Ge held Older Baby's hand, while Gu Jinchen carried Second Baby on his shoulders. The little one was extremely excited.

"Wow! So many people!"

"Uncle, look over there, that long-tailed little animal!"

Second Baby's eyes were wide open, not blinking as he scanned the street. Suddenly, his gaze brightened with excitement as he pointed somewhere.

Gu Jinchen turned his head to look, only to find that it was a little monkey doing a performance, skillfully juggling a few woven bamboo balls in its hands.

Its agile, long tail could even hook and loop things, earning cheers from the surrounding villagers.

Luo Ge had heard the commotion, but her short stature and the crowd prevented her from seeing anything.

Older Baby could only look in the direction his younger brother was gazing at, seeing nothing but rows of legs.

"I'll take you over to see."

Gu Jinchen noticed his wife's curiosity and reached out to take her hand, leading the way and squeezing a path through the crowd for them.

Looking at his large palm and then the people around them, Luo Ge lowered her head shyly, her little face blushing slightly.

This was her first time holding hands with him in public, and it felt a bit unfamiliar.

But when she saw the little monkey, she instantly put aside her shy feelings.

"Auntie, Brother, look at its long tail!" Second Baby grew even more excited at the close proximity.

Although the village folks often said the children were like little monkeys, the little ones had never actually seen a monkey before, nor any illustrations of one.

So they didn't recognize it as a monkey, simply coming up with a temporary name based on its long tail.

"This is a little monkey," Luo Ge smiled and explained upon hearing his words.

"So this is a monkey? This little monkey is so amazing!"

Older Baby's eyes lit up as well, watching the little monkey skillfully looping its tail with rings, his gaze filled with envy.

Gu Jinchen smiled as he watched the three of them, unable to help feeling happy seeing their enjoyment.

After the performance ended, the little monkey went around with a wooden bowl to collect tips from the villagers who had watched the show.

The monkey's owner made a living this way, and since Luo Ge and her family had enjoyed the show, they each contributed a copper plate like the rest.

After watching the performance, the family strolled along the street, and the little ones, who had rarely been to town before, found everything novel and fascinating.

Most children love sweets, and the two little ones were immediately drawn to an old man's stall selling sugar figurines molded into various small animals when they saw it.

However, they didn't ask Luo Ge to buy any for them, only staring longingly. Finding it amusing, Luo Ge bought one for each of them to have and eat.

After buying the sugar figurines, they walked a bit further until they reached a dried fruit and pastry shop. Luo Ge glanced at the basket of dried fruit on Gu Jinchen's back.

"Should I go in and check it out first?"

Perceiving her thoughts, Gu Jinchen asked.

"Hmm... no need, let's all go in together."

"Alright then."

With that, the family stepped into the shop. On market days, there were many people coming to buy goods, but not many visiting this pastry shop.

Everyone knew that the items here were relatively expensive, and ordinary families could only afford to buy them for gifts or banquets, not regularly.

Wealthy families, however, would frequent the shop, as they were the main clientele.

"What would the guests like to purchase?"

Although the shopkeeper saw that their clothing was ordinary, he didn't neglect them, immediately greeting them with a pleasant and appropriately friendly smile when he saw them enter.

"Candied fruits, dried fruits, any recommendations?"

The kind of leadership manifests in the kind of employees. Observing the attentive service from the shopkeepers and assistants, she had a good feeling about the place.

"Yes, this way, please follow me."

The shopkeeper led them to the candied and dried fruit section, just as Luo Ge had expected – mostly sweet preserves, with only sour-sweet options like preserved plums and raisins.

Similar to the salted plums, there were honeyed plums made with a method akin to honey dates, the plums themselves quite sour but with a sweet-and-sour taste when candied.

"These honeyed plums are our signature item. Would you like to try some?"

Noticing Luo Ge's gaze linger on the honeyed plums, the shopkeeper suggested.

"Are these the only preserves you have?" Luo Ge pursed her lips slightly and asked in a soft voice.

The shopkeeper clearly paused, then nodded.

"Yes, this is all we have."

"Then may I trouble you to call your proprietor? To be honest, I've made a kind of dried fruit myself, and the taste is quite nice.

So I was wondering if you would be interested in procuring it, in which case I could trade it for some silver."

Luo Ge smiled lightly, appearing sincere and a bit bashful.

As she spoke, she took out a jar of dried lychees from the basket, and as soon as the lid was opened, a sweet-and-sour fruity aroma wafted out.

The proprietor, who had turned his attention this way when Luo Ge asked if there were only those preserves, instantly brightened upon smelling the fragrance.

Seeing his reaction, the shopkeeper glanced at the proprietor, and after receiving a nod, agreed.

"Certainly, this way please."

It wasn't appropriate to discuss business directly outside, so they led Luo Ge and her family into a private room.

The shopkeeper introduced the two parties, served them tea, and then went back out to attend to customers.

"Pardon me, but how should I address you both?" The proprietor Lee looked at the husband and wife and asked.

"My husband's surname is Gu." Luo Ge smiled and replied, placing the dried fruit on the table and pouring some onto an empty plate.

"These are the dried fruits I made myself. Proprietor, please have a taste and let me know what you think." She was quite direct in getting to the point.

Seeing Luo Ge's straightforwardness, Proprietor Lee smiled: "Very well, let me try them then."

This sweet-and-sour fruity aroma had already whetted his appetite. Just the scent alone made his mouth water.

The translucent fruit flesh also looked appetizing, and without further ado, he began tasting it.

In the next instant, his eyes lit up.

It's always hard to resist wanting more when it comes to sweet-and-sour foods, and before he knew it, he had eaten several pieces, quickly polishing off the small plate of dried fruit.

Seeing this, Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen exchanged a smile, realizing that the business deal was basically settled.

"Ahem, these dried fruits are indeed excellent." After finishing, Proprietor Lee finally realized his lack of decorum, clearing his throat and remarking.

"May I ask what price you were considering?"

He had tasted the dried fruits, and the flavor was indeed superior to the honeyed plums, with a better overall quality as well.

Such a thing, if sold in a shop, would certainly not have trouble selling. But if the price was too high, it wouldn't be worthwhile for him to buy it and resell it.

Luo Ge smiled when she heard this: "To be honest, this is our first time selling this. The fruits were picked by my husband and I from the mountains, and there weren't many loquat fruits that could be found up there.

We couldn't make more than a hundred pounds of dried fruit from them, so this is the only batch we produced.

I really don't know how to estimate the price myself. Why don't you, the shopkeeper, take a look and give me a price?"

Upon hearing Luo Ge's words, the shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but take a closer look at her.

Although this young woman said she would let him decide on the price, her words reflected the hard work involved in making the dried fruits, as well as their rarity.

By emphasizing these two points, he couldn't just give her a low price.

But her gentle, smiling demeanor made it impossible for him to get upset with her words.

She really was an intelligent woman.


Chapter 32

In truth, Luo Ge spoke no lies. After picking three lychee trees, they had harvested a total of over three hundred pounds of fresh lychees, but the lychee preserves they made came out to only thirty-odd pounds.

(Note: This is a fictional story, with the setting that the units of measurement are the same as we use today, 10 taels to a pound.)

"If that's the case, then would 270 wen per pound of dried fruit do?" After pondering for a moment, Li Shopkeeper spoke.

He had already factored in the costs of dehydrating the fruits, labor, and ingredients into this price.

Fruit preserves used a lot of sugar, and sugar was expensive. Normally, they would sell the preserves by the tael, and selling at this price per pound was about the highest they could go.

This was a small town, not a major county seat. If the prices were too high, no one would be willing to buy.

The flavor of these dried fruits was quite good, so the price could be raised a little.

This was the highest price he could offer now, a very fair price. If it didn't work out, there was nothing he could do.

After all, they needed to make a profit too.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinchen was momentarily taken aback. 270 wen per pound... they had made around thirty-seven pounds, so that would be earning 10 taels of silver?

Disregarding the costs of sugar, salt, and jars, that was a net profit of 9 taels?

Thinking this, he turned to look at his wife, suddenly feeling that she was quite capable of making money!

"Alright." This price was within Luo Ge's budget, so she readily agreed.

Seeing Luo Ge's swift agreement, Li Shopkeeper also smiled.

He had someone weigh the dried fruits they brought and directly settled the account with Luo Ge.

At 270 wen per pound for 37 pounds, it should have been 9,990 wen, but to make a good deal, Li Shopkeeper rounded it down to an even 10 taels of silver.

Upon seeing this, Luo Ge also gifted him the small jar they had used for tasting.

This transaction netted them 10 taels of silver in one go.

When they had set out, Gu Jinchen had said to just bring a small amount to test the waters first, before deciding further. But unexpectedly, they had sold everything in one trip, thanks to Luo Ge insisting on bringing it all.

And what he didn't know was that Luo Ge hadn't spent any money on the sugar and salt - this was pure profit!

"If Lady Gu wants to make dried fruits again in the future, you can bring them to me as well," Li Shopkeeper said.

It was very comfortable doing business with such an amiable person, and Luo Ge's craftsmanship was excellent. Needless to say, Li Shopkeeper would be more than happy to deal with her again.

Moreover, he had a feeling that establishing a connection with Luo Ge would bring even more benefits in the future.

"Sure," Luo Ge smiled in agreement.

This was exactly her intention. As far as she knew, this confectionery shop called Fuxin was quite renowned nationwide.

Although their selection of dried fruits wasn't extensive since they mainly focused on pastries, they had branches almost everywhere in the country.

The fruit tree forest in her space wouldn't take too long to bear fruit. Making dried fruits to sell to them would be a good sales channel.

"Mm, take care," Li Shopkeeper also smiled and nodded at them in farewell.

This trip had yielded a considerable profit, and Luo Ge was all smiles on the way back.

Seeing her like this, Gu Jinchen also secretly felt happy.

"Husband, do you know where else there are lychee trees? Let's make some more," she truly loved this feeling of earning money.

This was the lychee growing season, so they should earn as much as they could.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinchen searched his memory: "There's still one tree on the back of the mountain, and a few on Mount Dayao. I'll go pick them tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll go with you."

Seeing his wife's bright and shining eyes, Gu Jinchen nodded.

"Okay."

Afterwards, the family strolled around town for a bit. As promised earlier, they bought some cloth for Gu Jinchen to make new clothes.

Then they went to buy some meat, with Luo Ge returning to the same stall as before.

Perhaps Wang Sister-in-law's unintentional sharing had an effect, as the stall that had previously cheated them was evidently struggling with dismal business and hardly any customers.

Luo Ge bought a piece of meat and took two bones. Seeing some water spinach that had been tossed aside and unwanted, she spent a few copper wen to buy that as well.

"Wife, that... doesn't taste good," Gu Jinchen hesitated for a while but still couldn't help but say.

"Don't you trust my cooking skills anymore? Do you want it braised or stewed?" she asked.

For a stew, she would need to buy some spices, but braising didn't require that.

She had a bit of a dilemma choosing, as she felt both would be delicious, so she asked them.

"Hmm... let's try both? Yeah, let's make a bit of each since we bought plenty," she answered herself before they could respond.

Only children had to choose, she wanted both.

Gu Jinchen: "..."

The two little ones: "..."

They couldn't even say they didn't want to?

... Very clearly, no.

Having achieved her main goal for the day, Luo Ge returned home with a basketful of earnings and began cleaning the pork offal.

She took some wood ash from the stove and went to rinse it by the river, while Gu Jinchen went to water the vegetable plot and millet field, so he didn't accompany her.

The riverside was dangerous, and she didn't allow the two children to follow either, telling them to go play with Li Qiao and Tie Dan instead.

When Luo Ge arrived, there were some women washing things by the river as well. Not wanting the offal's smell to disturb others, she went further downstream to a more isolated area.

"Hmm? What's that awful stench?!"

But even so, she still drew someone's displeasure. An old woman, upon seeing Luo Ge pass by, pinched her nose in disgust and complained exaggeratedly.

"Hey, isn't that Gu Second's wife? What's in that basket that smells so bad?"

She got up to peek into the basket Luo Ge was carrying the pork offal in. Upon confirming its contents, her expression became even more dramatic.

"Ugh? Why are you eating such a disgusting thing? Doesn't your husband Gu Second usually go hunting? Didn't he get you any meat to eat? How did you end up eating this stuff?"

"This stuff stinks so bad, even dogs won't eat it."

"..." Hearing these words, Luo Ge paused in her steps and turned to look at the woman. Noticing the malicious aura emanating from her, Luo Ge lightly pursed her lips.

"From what you're saying, Auntie, it seems you don't eat it either?" Her voice was very calm, gently and softly spoken without any emotion.

Zhu Auntie had intentionally tried to pick a fight, but seeing Luo Ge remain so amiable despite her words, failing to provoke the reaction she wanted, she frowned.

Without thinking, she blurted out: "Of course I don't eat it, unlike you."

"Pfft." Upon hearing this, Luo Ge laughed directly, nodding repeatedly.

"I see, something that even dogs won't eat, Auntie doesn't eat either."

"Pfft hahaha..."

The other women initially didn't understand either, but upon hearing this line, they immediately realized the implication and burst out laughing.

Something that dogs won't eat, Zhu Auntie also doesn't eat - wasn't that comparing Zhu Auntie to a dog?

And she had even admitted to it herself.

At first, Zhu Auntie herself didn't catch Luo Ge's meaning. Something dogs won't eat, of course she wouldn't eat it either! What was wrong with that?

But seeing everyone laughing at her, her face darkened even further.

"What are you laughing at?! What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing, hahaha..." Hearing her words, the others only laughed harder.

Seeing this, Zhu Auntie felt something was amiss, so she pondered it for a moment. After a while, she finally realized, and her eyes widened in anger as she glared at Luo Ge.

"You little wench, how dare you make a fool of me, your elder? Have you no manners?!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Ge's smile faded: "Manners? In my limited experience, manners are only extended to those who are courteous."

"And respect begets respect - how others treat me is how I treat them in return. I've merely responded to Auntie in the same manner she addressed me. What's wrong with that?"

Her words were gently and softly spoken, as if she had no temper at all, but they made Zhu Auntie burn with humiliation nonetheless.

But she did not know how to respond to Luo Ge's gentle and soft words.

"You, you little bastard." After pointing at Luo Ge for a while, that's all she could say as an insult.

Zhu Auntie had a son about the same age as Gu Jinchen. Earlier, she saw that Gu Jinchen and Li Qiao often went to the mountains and could hunt for things to earn money.

So she had the idea of asking Gu Jinchen to take her son along, but Gu Jinchen and the others refused.

They said the mountains were dangerous, and it was not suitable to frequently bring people along on regular days. However, when the village gathered together to clear the mountains, they could bring him along.

Clearing the mountains meant maintaining the safety of the few mountains near the village by periodically gathering people to remove dangerous wild animals and such.

There was basically no prey in the nearby mountains. To have a good catch, they had to go deeper into the more distant mountains, where the danger was greater.

Gu Jinchen and Li Qiao had martial skills, so they were fine, but bringing others along would be more troublesome. Since many people asked them this, they naturally could not agree.

If they agreed to one person's request but not another's, that would not be fair. So Gu Jinchen and the others gave this explanation to everyone in the village.

But Zhu Auntie felt that Gu Jinchen looked down on people and was stingy, so she harbored resentment towards him.

She often saw Gu Jinchen returning from the mountains with his catches, which made her even more envious and resentful.

Since she disliked Gu Jinchen, she naturally would not like Luo Ge and the others either.

So now, she found an excuse to pick a fight with Luo Ge.


Chapter 33

But unexpectedly, Luo Ge was not easy to deal with, especially with that plain and simple demeanor that made Zhu Auntie look annoyed.

"I still need to wash the vegetables, so I won't chat too much with Auntie. I've heard that those long-lived elders are always in a cheerful mood and don't like to meddle in other people's business. It's not good for Auntie to be so nosy about what others eat even when it has nothing to do with her."

The little brat's words, which she had heard a lot from Qian Momo before, didn't faze her at all.

Moreover, Zhu Auntie had said something quite true. Although she was not part of the Gu family, she was considered an elder in this village due to her age. Provoking Luo Ge further would do no good.

Luo Ge didn't want to waste any more time on such a meaningless matter, so she left those words and walked away directly, ignoring whatever insults Zhu Auntie hurled at her.

But this exchange also made it clear to those present that Luo Ge was not someone to be bullied.

Although her tone was soft and she appeared to be good-tempered, every word she said struck a nerve.

Compared to those who flared up easily, this soft and gentle approach was far more difficult to deal with.

Luo Ge's indifference only infuriated Zhu Auntie more, and she spewed out all sorts of foul language, as if trying to provoke Luo Ge into an argument. Even the other women nearby could hardly bear to listen anymore.

"Zhu Auntie, you should say less," one of the aunties couldn't help but remark.

"Mind your own business! I'm an old lady, and I'll say what I want! I'm an elder, and disrespecting elders will get you drowned in saliva and stars!"

"That little brat actually dared to compare me to a dog! I'll curse her to death!"

Zhu Auntie was like a machine gun, her face flushed red as she rattled on, while Luo Ge merely treated it like a dog barking and didn't bother to respond.

Let her vent her frustration.

"What did you say?" Gu Jinchen happened to come over to check on his wife while fetching water, overhearing Zhu Auntie's outburst.

Upon hearing his icy tone, Zhu Auntie's back stiffened, and she immediately fell silent, grabbing her basin and leaving.

She could only dare to talk about Luo Ge, but not Gu Jinchen, or else she would certainly be reprimanded by the men in her family.

This was also the reason why she hadn't dared to cause trouble for the Gu family all this time.

"I didn't say anything!" she muttered.

"Is everything alright?" Seeing Zhu Auntie's retreating figure, Gu Jinchen approached his little wife, his eyes filled with concern.

He knew he shouldn't have left her alone, or else she would be bullied.

He would have to talk to Uncle Zhu later and find out why his little wife had incurred Zhu Auntie's dislike.

"Hmm?" Luo Ge looked puzzled, but smiled when she saw his concern.

"I'm fine. I didn't take her words to heart. She's not important, so why would I care?"

She spoke lightly, but Gu Jinchen felt distressed and sighed quietly.

"Let me help you wash." The village aunties were so gossipy, so it was better to finish quickly and let his wife return home.

"No need, I'll be done soon." With so many people around, if he squatted by the river to help her wash like the other women, it would surely attract gossip.

At this time, men generally held a higher status, while women held a lower status.

Chores like washing clothes and cooking were typically done by women. If people saw a man helping with these tasks, he would be looked down upon and become the subject of idle talk.

Luo Ge didn't mind what others said, but she couldn't let him lose face as a man.

They could cooperate as husband and wife at home, but in public, it was better not to undermine his status as a man.

Besides, there wasn't much left to do, so there was no need for his help.

"You go take care of your tasks. I'll be done soon and head back. Don't worry, I'm not easy to bully, you know that." Seeing that he wasn't going to leave, she added.

By now, he had already rolled up his sleeves, about to lend a hand, but he froze upon hearing her words and looked at his little wife.

"..." It was clear that the previous over-the-shoulder throw was still fresh in his mind.

"Go on, there's not much left. You go handle your own tasks first."

Seeing her repeatedly ask him to leave, he finally understood her consideration.

He sighed lightly and stepped back. "Then I'll wait here for you until you're done before we leave."

"...Okay."

It didn't take long for her to finish, and he helped her carry the items back.

Since he was only helping to carry things, Luo Ge didn't say anything further.

"Wait for me at home for a while. I'll come back after watering the fields. If you need anything, just call me, and I'll be able to hear you from not too far away."

After sending Luo Ge home, he didn't forget to remind her.

Luo Ge nodded. "Okay, got it. You go take care of your tasks."

"Mm."

After Gu Jinchen left, Luo Ge first put some water in the large wok for cooking and lit the fire.

Then, she rinsed the large intestine with clean water, and also cleaned the bones and other ingredients needed.

After washing, she put the bones and added the ingredients and water into a small pot to simmer and make the broth.

By then, the water in the large wok had boiled, so she directly put the sliced large intestine into it, along with wine, green onions, ginger, and other seasonings from her spatial pouch.

She planned to first boil the water to remove the gamey smell, then scoop it out and stir-fry it.

During the break, she chopped some chili peppers, green onions, and pickled vegetables that Sister-in-law Wang had given her a few days ago.

Gu Jinchen had returned to the courtyard at some point, staring in shock at the scene in the kitchen, watching items appear and disappear from his wife's hands as if by magic.

He was so stunned that he couldn't utter a word.

The courtyard gate was open, and the sounds of the firewood and boiling water in the kitchen had covered up some noise, so Luo Ge hadn't noticed that he had returned.

It wasn't until she had chopped a couple of times that she sensed something was amiss and turned her head sharply, only to see Gu Jinchen's stunned expression. It was as if she had been struck by lightning.

A thought echoed in her mind, "He just saw that!"

"I, I..." She hurriedly put down what was in her hands, opening and closing her mouth, not knowing how to explain.

A profound sense of panic and anxiety welled up within her.

Seeing her state of distress, Gu Jinchen also came to his senses, clenched his fist, and put down what was in his hands in the corner of the courtyard.

As usual, he returned to the kitchen to tend to the fire, never saying a word from start to finish.

"You saw that just now?" Although Luo Ge was extremely uneasy, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

It was now or never.

Upon hearing her question, Gu Jinchen visibly froze for an instant, raised his head to look at her, and gave a low response, "Yes."

Luo Ge held her breath, quickly explaining, "...I'm not a monster."

This was the key point. Yes! She didn't want to be burned at the stake, let alone drowned. She didn't want to die, aah!

Hearing this, Gu Jinchen was taken aback, but then felt relieved and nodded solemnly.

"I believe you." Perhaps sensing her fear and unease, he spoke earnestly.

He only wanted to protect her, not make her afraid.

"No matter what, you are my wife. Even if you truly were a monster, I would still accept you."

At this moment, he could confirm that the person before him was the one he had identified from the very beginning, and not some monster that had possessed her halfway through.

As long as it was her, he would accept her.

Upon hearing his words, Luo Ge froze, blinking her eyes a couple of times, clearly showing that his response was completely unexpected.

She had thought...


Chapter 34

Her heart felt warm as she watched the determined look on the man's face, and the heavy stone of worry in her heart seemed to have been lifted.

"Aren't you afraid that I might be deceiving you?"

Gu Jinchen decisively shook his head, then thought for a moment and nodded again, before slowly opening his mouth in response to Luo Ge's puzzled gaze.

"...Even if it is a deception, I'll accept it."

"Pfft." Luo Ge genuinely laughed at this, feeling reassured in her heart by his attitude. She fished the large intestines out of the pot and placed them in a basin, setting aside her task at hand.

Closing the courtyard gate, she took his hand and led him back to the room: "Let me take you somewhere."

She knew he needed an explanation.

"?" Under Gu Jinchen's bewildered gaze, the two instantly changed realms.

Looking at the unfamiliar scene before him, Gu Jinchen glanced down at his little wife, whose hand he gripped tightly in return.

Even though he believed she was not a demon, witnessing her extraordinary abilities firsthand still made his heart race with panic.

He was afraid that at some point, she might just disappear with him like this.

Then, he wouldn't even know where to cry or how to search for her.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not really a demon, but a person from another world thousands of years in the future..." She pulled him along, gently explaining as they strolled through her spatial courtyard.

The more Gu Jinchen heard, the tighter he held her, as if afraid that if he loosened his grip, the person before him would run away.

"The things in this space are what I possessed in that world. When I had an accident in that world and opened my eyes again, I found myself in this world..."

"It just so happened that I encountered the refugees fleeing the famine in the northwest, and I came here with them... After you brought me home, an accident led me to discover this space."

At this point, she stopped walking and looked up at Gu Jinchen.

"Thank you, husband."

"If you hadn't brought me home, I might have starved to death or been sold to an undesirable place by those people... Perhaps I wouldn't have had the chance to discover this space's existence..."

"Coming here and meeting you, I'm very fortunate."

She was truly grateful to Gu Jinchen and felt lucky to have met him.

Looking into her eyes, Gu Jinchen bent down and held her tightly, embracing her close as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"...Meeting you is also my fortune."

Hearing this, Luo Ge smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes as they leaned against each other.

"Will you... return to that original world of yours?" Gu Jinchen asked hesitantly after a long while, opening his arms to let her go.

He felt uneasy, afraid that one day she might accidentally return and abandon him here.

Luo Ge shook her head decisively: "No."

"...I was an orphan with nothing in that world. Now I have you, and our children, these loved ones. I cherish them and feel very happy."

"In this life, I'll stay by your side." She added a playful remark at the end.

When she first arrived in this world, she did want to go back because the unfamiliar world made her feel insecure.

But now that she had her lover and family, she no longer wanted to leave, not at all.

Moreover... she had no reason to abandon the warmth she had here for loneliness.

Besides... she couldn't go back anyway.

Thinking about it, she suddenly recalled the lies she had told him before, like her fake family background.

"I'm sorry, what I told you before about my family was a lie. I just wanted to settle down quickly."

"The things I know, I actually learned them in that world..."

She lowered her head, her small face a little embarrassed and full of remorse, as she honestly explained to him.

The anxious life of a little illegal immigrant was truly not a pleasant one.

Gu Jinchen stroked her head and held her in his embrace: "It's alright."

If possible, he would have preferred if what she had lied about before was true.

He could now understand the loneliness of having no family. If she had at least experienced the warmth of family for ten or twenty years, it would have been better.

But to have never had that from the beginning, she had endured loneliness for most of her life.

That sense of being alone and helpless was something she had experienced since childhood, how could one not feel heartbroken for her?

Perhaps sensing his intention to comfort her, Luo Ge nestled against his chest, nuzzling him gently.

"Let's go out?" While basking in the cozy warmth, she suddenly remembered that they had been inside for quite a while.

"Okay."

Seeing him nod, Luo Ge ran to the kitchen and grabbed some soy sauce and other seasonings, having removed their outer packaging so as not to arouse suspicion.

After all, she would put them back when they were used up.

On the way, she also grabbed a few apples from the refrigerator.

"Here, eat these. These two are for the little ones." She munched on one apple herself and handed another to him.

Her refrigerator didn't have much, just a few apples, a few bananas, a few bottles of milk, and two bottles of drinks... and that was it.

But once they finished, she would restock, and the items wouldn't expire, so it was no problem.

With the truth out, Luo Ge felt relieved, no longer needing to be cautious and uncomfortable.

"Help me pick a few bunches of scallions and garlic from the doorway." For cooking.

"...Alright." A bit resigned, but seeing his wife visibly relaxed, he was still very happy in his heart.

While he was picking scallions, Luo Ge brought out a bag of eggs, along with a few potatoes, cucumbers, lotus roots, and some leafy greens, big green and red peppers.

Her blogger's kitchen was definitely stocked with produce, but not much, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to the market to buy groceries and gotten into that accident.

"Let's go, let's go." She carried half the items while he carried the other half, and she pulled him along.

As soon as the words left her mouth, they opened their eyes to find themselves back in the room.

Due to the time difference between the space and the outside world, they hadn't actually been gone for too long.

Gu Jinchen looked around the familiar room, then down at the items in his hands, taking a while to confirm that everything he had just experienced was real.

Seeing Luo Ge run back to the kitchen, he followed her and set down the items.

Looking at the eggs, he suddenly remembered something: "So the eggs from last time also came from that space?"

He hadn't forgotten or misplaced them; the eggs at home had indeed run out because his little wife had taken them from that space.

Luo Ge smiled sheepishly and nodded: "Uh-huh."

"..." Alright then.

But with more seasonings available, she could better showcase her cooking skills.

Seeing that the pot of simmering bone broth had come to a boil, she added sliced lotus root.

This season, there weren't many vegetable varieties or people growing them, so when she had simmered the bone broth before, it was just plain broth with a few red dates and broth seasonings.

Now that she had access to her space, she could add more ingredients.

She heated up some oil in a pan and started stir-frying the large intestines until they had a slight char, then added green and red peppers, followed by soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water to braise them. After that, she added chicken bouillon powder, salt, and gave it a final stir before garnishing with scallions and taking it off the heat.

Next, she smashed some cucumbers, mixing them with chili, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, and cilantro to make a cool and refreshing spicy cucumber salad.

On hot days, having this tangy and spicy smashed cucumber dish was truly delightful.

For the little ones, it would just be plain vinegar, as they couldn't handle spice. No choice there.

Once everything was prepared and the soup still wasn't ready, she thought for a moment and steamed a bowl of egg custard for the little ones.

She first minced some meat into a paste, added salt and chicken bouillon powder, and mixed it well before putting it in a bowl. Then she beat two eggs with water and a pinch of salt until smooth, and poured the mixture directly into the bowl with the meat. She then steamed it in a pot for 5-8 minutes.

When it was done, she took it out, garnished it with scallions, and drizzled some soy sauce over the top for color. And there it was, ready to be served.

"Let's eat first, the soup will be ready in a bit. We'll have it after the meal."

The braised dish can be prepared later, as it needs to simmer slowly. No rush.

Gu Jinchen looked at the fragrant and appetizing stir-fried tripe, and his throat moved slightly as he nodded.

In his memory, this dish wasn't particularly tasty, but now it seemed incredibly tempting.

The aroma wafted over, making it seem quite delicious.

The two little ones had returned just as Luo Ge began cooking, and upon hearing her, they obediently went to wash their small hands and helped bring the bowls and chopsticks to the hall.

This time, Luo Ge steamed white rice, and seeing the eager looks on the little ones' faces, she amusingly scooped some egg drop soup into their rice bowls and mixed it in.

"Stop staring and let's eat," she said with a smile.

It had been a while since she'd had stir-fried tripe, and she couldn't wait to give it a try, squinting her beautiful eyes slightly.

Hmm, her skills were still on point.

Gu Jinchen and the two little ones secretly watched her expression, and seeing her enjoyment, they hesitantly started eating as well.

The red and green peppers weren't spicy at all, so the little ones could eat them without issue.

Initially, Gu Jinchen only intended to take a small taste, after all, it was his wife's cooking, but unexpectedly, he couldn't stop himself.

In the end, he even scooped up the soup at the bottom of the bowl to mix with his rice.

The cold cucumber salad was refreshing, and the egg drop soup was smooth and tender—they didn't leave a single bit behind.

After the meal, a bowl of lotus root and pork bone soup helped cleanse their palates, truly satisfying.

The big one and the two little ones patted their full bellies with content: "Wife, shall we do this again next time?"

The two little ones also looked at her expectantly, clearly a bit addicted to the flavors.

"Heh, sure," Luo Ge chuckled.


Chapter 35

After finishing the meal, she prepared the braised ingredients and put the pig trotters into the pot for braising.

First, she would finish these, and the meat she bought would be left for tomorrow, stored in the spatial room to keep it fresh.

The refrigerator would also work, although there was no electricity, the temperature inside was always maintained at a balanced level, and the fresh-keeping layer could keep things fresh.

The freezer layer below could still freeze things.

It's just that her refrigerator wasn't big, so she couldn't store too many things in it.

"Husband, let's go pick some lychees while we have some free time."

After finishing planting the buckwheat, they would have some free time again, and there wasn't much to do today, so it would be better to go and pick some fruits.

Gu Jinchen heard this and reached out to pinch her nose, his expression full of indulgence: "Why are you so restless, don't you know how to let yourself rest?"

This doting action made her slightly stunned, as she curved her eyes and hugged his arm with a hint of coquetry.

"I can't sit still." She didn't know if it was because of her true nature, but she felt that the relationship between them had become more intimate.

No phones, no novels, no games, she was really bored, unable to sit still.

She thought that next time she went to town, she should get a few storybooks to read.

And she quite liked going up the mountain to play.

"...Okay." What else could he do with his wife, he indulged her, as he would definitely not let her get too tired.

"Mmm." Seeing him agree, Luo Ge smiled and kissed him lightly on the face, then immediately ran away.

Leaving him standing there with a flushed handsome face, lost for a while.

"Tease." Hearing her laughter fading away, Gu Jinchen smiled helplessly and muttered softly.

There was only one lychee tree on the back mountain, so they planned to go to the Great Cliff Mountain first. Since the Great Cliff Mountain was farther away, they didn't bring the two little ones, letting them go play with Iron Egg first.

...

"Be careful of your footsteps."

Without the two little ones as their guiding lights, Gu Jinchen held his wife's hand effortlessly, never letting go on the way.

"Is it still far away?" By then, they had already circled halfway around the mountain.

"It's just ahead, are you tired? Shall we rest for a while first?"

"No, I'm not tired, let's go." She was just curious and asking.

Seeing that she was indeed fine, Gu Jinchen nodded.

Sure enough, after not walking too far, they found a small patch of lychee trees, estimating that there were about eight or nine lychee trees, both big and small.

"The trees are all laden with fruits, and so many have fallen on the ground, don't the villagers know about this place? It's such a pity that so many have fallen."

The lychee trees here might have ripened earlier, and by now, quite a few ripe ones had fallen to the ground.

Looking at the fallen fruits on the ground, Luo Ge felt a pang of regret, after all, these were money.

"They know, the edible things on the nearby mountains have long been explored by the villagers.

But these wild lychees are too sour, so no one bothers with them, and they've just been left here."

Perhaps infected by Luo Ge, Gu Jinchen thought of the money these fruits could bring, and then of the fruits that had been left to rot on the mountains over the years, he also felt a twinge of regret.

"You rest for a while, and I'll pick them."

He placed a backpack upside down for Luo Ge to sit and rest, saying that he was about to climb the tree to pick the fruits.

Luo Ge quickly reached out to stop him: "No need for such trouble."

"I'll do it."

Hearing this, Gu Jinchen frowned, just about to say something, but then he saw her wave her hand, and all the lychees on the tree instantly disappeared in front of them.

Then, with another wave, they were all packed into the backpack.

Luo Ge did this and smiled at him, tilting her little face up at him as if waiting for praise.

"I can store things into the spatial room, and I can also take things out from the spatial room." With this convenience, she could simply collect all the fruits from the trees.

Hearing this, Gu Jinchen rubbed her head helplessly: "My wife is very capable."

"But next time, don't do this outside, it's very dangerous if others see it."

Seeing her smile grow wider, he couldn't help but add another reminder.

Hearing his reminder, Luo Ge obediently nodded, looking compliant: "Yeah, I know."

She knew the score, and just now she had made sure there was no one else around before taking action.

"Mmm." Seeing her obedience, Gu Jinchen also smiled.

Since they had estimated it would take some time to pick the lychees, they had come quite early, but Luo Ge's action was clearly beyond his expectations.

In an instant, she had picked all the fruits, so there was nothing else to do.

"Husband, why don't you take me around the area? If we're lucky, we might have some other gains."

After throwing a few lychee seedlings into the spatial room to grow, Luo Ge looked at Gu Jinchen and said.

According to the previous transmigrators, the big mountains at this time were treasure troves, and the last time they wandered around the back mountain, they didn't gain anything except lychees, but she wasn't discouraged.

This time, they would just wander around, and if they didn't gain anything, it would be for fun. If they did gain something, it would be an unexpected bonus, right?

After all, they had time now.

"...Alright." Seeing her enthusiasm, Gu Jinchen didn't want to dampen her spirits.

Since they were going up the mountain, he had also brought his hunting gear, in case they encountered any dangerous situations without anything to deal with it.

This time, it would come in handy.

Setting up a few traps was his routine habit when going up the mountain, so this time he naturally did a few with Luo Ge.

Although the traps he had made with the two little ones last time didn't catch anything, Luo Ge was still very expectant, just like their reactions.

After setting the traps, she wanted to stand by and wait for the prey to come, just like them.

Unaware that this wasn't something that would happen immediately after setting traps, and that it also depended on luck, not that you would catch something right after setting them.

But the feeling was like buying a lottery ticket and waiting to win, she couldn't help but feel excited, with no way to control it.

In the end, it was Gu Jinchen who had to helplessly use the excuse that there were still many places they hadn't explored to persuade her away.

The two had barely gone far when they encountered a willing victim.

A grayish rabbit, for some unknown reason, saw the two of them there and actually charged straight at them.

Seeing it running into the range where Luo Ge could store it in her spatial room, she didn't hesitate to collect it.

On this side, Gu Jinchen had just drawn his bow, but seeing his wife act like this, he could only sigh helplessly and put the bow down.

"Quick! Up there!"

But suddenly, he seemed to have noticed something, his expression tightening, and he hurriedly pulled Luo Ge behind him. After scanning the surroundings, he chose a relatively sturdy tree and pushed Luo Ge to climb up.

Luo Ge was startled by his demeanor, though confused, she obediently listened to him and climbed up the tree to avoid causing trouble due to her ignorance of the situation.

Seeing his serious expression, she could roughly guess that there must be some kind of dangerous disturbance.

"Aren't you coming up?" But seeing him standing guard below the tree, she couldn't help but worry.

"Roar!" Just as her words fell, a tiger's roar echoed near them.


Chapter 36

Upon hearing the sound, Luo Ge's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the stout, massive creature. She could now understand why the little rabbit had fled without a second glance.

From afar, it seemed that the tiger was still chasing something and was approaching in their direction.

"Husband!" Luo Ge looked at Gu Jinchen with concern, about to suggest that he enter the space.

"Brother Jinchen!"

A panicked voice suddenly rang out from a distance, seemingly belonging to Li Qiao.

Taking a closer look, it was indeed Li Qiao, who was evading in a peculiar manner to shield his escape, making it difficult for them to discern him clearly at first.

His sweat-drenched appearance suggested he had been running for some time. However, upon seeing Gu Jinchen, his eyes lit up with a sudden surge of confidence, as if the sight had instantly bolstered his resolve.

Hmm... it seemed like he had regained his composure in an instant.

Gu Jinchen nodded slightly upon hearing the call.

After working together for so long, Gu Jinchen understood Li Qiao's intentions from his gaze.

Seeing Gu Jinchen nod, Li Qiao visibly relaxed. Noticing Luo Ge in the tree, he glanced at Gu Jinchen before turning and leading the tiger away in another direction.

"Stay here and don't move. I'll be back soon, behave," Gu Jinchen instructed Luo Ge before instantly vanishing from the spot.

"Okay, just be careful," Luo Ge responded, only to pause mid-sentence as she watched him leverage the tree branches to leap through the air.

...Is that lightness skill? He can actually use it!

Meanwhile, Li Qiao, upon seeing Gu Jinchen employ lightness skill and approach, immediately raised his hunting bow and swiftly climbed onto a nearby large tree within a couple of leaps.

"Roar!" Enraged at seeing its prey escape into the tree, the tiger let out a furious roar, bracing itself on its forepaws and craning its neck upwards, as if contemplating whether to follow and leap into the tree.

Seizing the moment, Gu Jinchen wasted no time in releasing an arrow from his bow.

"Swish!"

"Sizzle!"

The sharp arrow flew directly toward the tiger below the tree, piercing through its neck and burying deep into its flesh.

However, due to the tiger's thick, robust hide, it was not instantly killed, but a substantial portion of its fighting prowess had been diminished.

Without pause, in the next instant, before the tiger could retaliate, two more arrows swiftly followed, penetrating through the initial wound and embedding themselves into the tiger's throat.

The final arrow pierced straight through, achieving a clean through-and-through shot.

Blood continuously flowed from its neck, and the massive tiger's body swayed a few times before its raised forepaws struck the ground, completely losing its ability to move and leaving it barely clinging to life.

Seizing the opportune moment, Li Qiao leaped down from the tree onto the tiger's back and plunged his long hunting knife deep into its heart, ultimately ending the tiger's life.

"Thud!" The tiger collapsed to the ground.

"Brother Jinchen, your archery skills have improved again!" Li Qiao finally relaxed and smiled at Gu Jinchen.

To be able to pierce the same spot with three consecutive arrows, completely penetrating the tiger's throat, was truly impressive.

Previously, it would have required considerable effort, with the two of them having to inflict at least seven or eight major wounds on the tiger's body to fully subdue it.

"This pelt is valuable," Gu Jinchen remarked with a smile, his eyes filled with tenderness.

His wife loved earning money, and if he could bring back more, she would undoubtedly be delighted.

"Yeah, for sure," Li Qiao nodded in agreement.

An intact, glossy tiger pelt was indeed valuable, as their previous kills had often damaged the pelts, much to his chagrin.

He hopped off the tiger's back and cut down a few tree branches to construct a simple makeshift sled.

"I saw Sister-in-law up there earlier too. Shall we head back together? The usual three-seven split?"

His skills were still inferior to Gu Jinchen's, and in the past, whenever they encountered such formidable prey, the bulk of the effort had always fallen on Gu Jinchen. Li Qiao's agile physique made him more suitable for luring and delivering the final blow.

If Gu Jinchen hadn't been there today, Li Qiao might have been able to escape, but he would undoubtedly have returned empty-handed.

He was well aware that he lacked the capability to take down this tiger with just three arrows.

If he had to subdue the massive beast alone, it would have certainly come at a great cost.

Gu Jinchen nodded slightly. "Let's go back, skin the tiger, and then head to the town."

"Got it," Li Qiao agreed.

Selling the tiger pelt separately would fetch a higher price, while the rest, including the meat, could be sold together without issue.

After finalizing their plan, the two men went to find Luo Ge, and the three returned home together.

...After properly removing and preserving the tiger pelt, Gu Jinchen and Li Qiao headed to the town, while Luo Ge remained at home, peeling lychee fruit.

Gazing at the tiger pelt and recalling the sight of Gu Jinchen employing lightness skill, her eyes sparkled with delight.

Who hasn't dreamed of experiencing the wonders of wuxia? From a young age, she had always yearned for the freedom of flying through the air with lightness skill, but reality had convinced her that such a thing might not exist in this world.

Yet, to her surprise, she had now witnessed it firsthand, and the one possessing this ability was none other than her husband!

How could she describe her feelings? She was completely overwhelmed with joy and excitement!

Reminiscing about the exhilarating sensation of being carried down from the tree by him, it was truly thrilling.

If only she could experience the feeling of leaping from one tree to another, that would be even better.

"Little Auntie?" The two little ones called out as they returned, finding Luo Ge adding salt to the lychee fruit and stirring absentmindedly while lost in thought.

Following their little auntie's gaze, the two children's faces instantly froze, and they hurried over, clinging to Luo Ge's legs.

"Auntie, big bug," they exclaimed.

"Scary, big bug, eats little kids."

"Big bug" was their way of referring to tigers.

In the past, Gu Jinchen and the others had also brought back tigers to be processed at home, so the children recognized them.

Children naturally feared such ferocious animals.

Moreover, in the village, many people would scare their children from wandering into the mountains by warning them that the "big bugs" would eat them.

As a result, the children inevitably developed a fear of these fierce creatures. In fact, even adults would be terrified upon hearing of tigers or wolves appearing in a particular area.

"Don't be afraid. This big bug has been killed by your Uncle. There's nothing to worry about," Luo Ge reassured them, amusedly caressing their little heads with the back of her clean hand.

"In the future, if Older Baby and Second Baby learn martial arts diligently from your Uncle, you'll also be able to defeat big bugs."

"Really? Can Older Baby and Second Baby defeat big bugs like Uncle in the future?" Older Baby asked with anticipation, with Second Baby mirroring his expression as they looked at Luo Ge.

In their minds, "big bugs" were formidable and fearsome creatures that only someone as powerful as their uncle could defeat.

But if their Auntie said that they could one day be like their uncle and defeat big bugs, did that mean they could also become incredibly powerful in the future?

"Of course. If Older Baby and Second Baby work hard, you might even become more powerful than your Uncle," Luo Ge said seriously.

Encouraging children was crucial for their growth and development.

Moreover, she genuinely believed the two little ones had great potential, as Gu Jinchen often praised them to her.

Hearing her words, the two children's eyes lit up, instantly filled with determination.

"Yeah, we'll definitely work harder. When we grow up, we'll be more powerful than Uncle!" Older Baby declared.

"Second Baby will be more powerful than Brother and Uncle," the younger one chimed in.

"Haha, good, Auntie believes you two will indeed become more powerful than your Uncle," Luo Ge laughed, amused by their enthusiasm.


Chapter 37

"???"

Gu Jinchen, who had just returned to the courtyard gate, happened to hear those words from his little wife.

"What are you two talking about?" There must be something more impressive than him.

Are these two little ones trying to outshine him?

No way, in his wife's eyes he must be the most impressive, the one and only!

"Nothing, how did you come back so soon? Weren't you going to the county town?" Hearing his voice, the two turned their heads.

"I happened to meet an old client on the road, so the client took everything directly. That's why I came back earlier," Gu Jinchen said as he pulled her back into the room and took out a large purse patched with many patches from the bundle.

"This is the silver from the sale that went to my share. You keep it," he said.

Looking at the purse, Luo Ge blinked twice. Does this guy have some obsession with patches?

Why do both his purse have several patches on them?

Actually, this can hardly be called a purse anymore. Filled with silver ingots of ten taels each, it's more like a small sack, just with a drawstring opening like a purse.

"You've exchanged it for silver ingots?"

"Yeah, didn't you say silver ingots are better than silver notes last time?" She did mention it before, so when he got silver notes, he went straight to the money house to exchange them.

"That's natural. Nowadays, with so many changing situations, how can one feel at ease leaving it in a money house? It's safer to keep it in one's own hands."

Nowadays, the money houses are all privately run by wealthy merchants, with basically none being run by the government.

She had often seen in novels and TV shows about wealthy merchants going bankrupt and people being unable to retrieve their silver from the money houses.

How could she feel at ease? Since she has her space to store things, it's better to keep it in her own hands.

"So much? Didn't we say we'd sell the tiger skin ourselves later? Did you give Li Qiao a bigger share this time?" She counted and found there were actually 180 taels.

The tiger skin alone, if sold at a normal price, should fetch around 100 taels. The tiger bones, tiger penis, and tiger meat would probably be over 200 taels.

For such a robust, big tiger, it should fetch around 330 taels in total. Divided into three shares, deducting 100 taels for Li Qiao, who led the tiger from the deep mountains at risk to his life, is not unreasonable.

If they could sell it for 230 taels this time, deducting Li Qiao's share, there shouldn't be this much left.

"Bai Shopkeeper said there was a nobleman in need of tiger bones and tiger penis, so it was a perfect coincidence. He gave us 300 taels in full."

"Is that so? Then we're really lucky!" Luo Ge was delighted to hear this, feeling her husband was really fortunate.

"It's clearly the blessings you've brought me," Gu Jinchen smiled and ruffled her hair.

In fact, he really felt his luck had improved a lot since marrying Luo Ge. It's worth knowing that in the past, he and Li Qiao had also hunted tigers before.

But that tiger, because of its damaged skin and relatively small and thin build, didn't even sell for half of what they got this time.

But this time, going to the mountains with Luo Ge, the tiger was much more robust, not to mention they happened to meet Bai Shopkeeper halfway, who had a nobleman in need of those items, allowing them to seize the opportunity. It was truly good luck.

"Really?" Hearing her husband say so, Luo Ge smiled with her eyes curved.

"Of course."

"Then can you take me flying a few more times? With your lightness skills, flying from tree to tree, can you take me along for a flight? It would be great."

She did want to learn to fly herself, but it was too late to start at her age now. It was completely unrealistic.

It would be better to just enjoy what's readily available.

"Okay." Seeing her expectant look, how could he refuse?

He just didn't expect she would enjoy lightness skills so much.

"Mwah, you're so good." Luo Ge was delighted and even happier than getting the money pouch. She put the silver back into her space and happily pecked him on the cheek, letting out a sound unintentionally and feeling a bit embarrassed.

Gu Jinchen was stunned for a moment, but this time he reacted quickly. Before she could run away again, he pulled her back into his embrace.

"You kissed the wrong place." With those low words, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

"Mmm..."

Including making up for the time she kissed him and ran away, he didn't let her go until she was breathless and limp. Only then did Gu Jinchen release her.

"Next time, if you want to run away again, I definitely won't let you off so easily," the man said, though his heart was overjoyed.

To make his little wife happy and receive such an active reward, he was truly delighted.

He made up his mind to work harder and earn more of these rewards.

No, a few times wouldn't be enough! He wanted it continuously!

"Hmph." Luo Ge lay softly in his embrace, catching her breath, and let out a soft hum at his threat.

Gu Jinchen found it amusing and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Wife, are you being defiant?"

"No, I'm not."

"Is that so? But I feel there should be consequences, what do you think?"

"!!!" Dage and the others are still outside, and I haven't prepared the cured meat yet." Seeming to sense something, she hurriedly said that to avoid a certain someone from taking drastic action.

Hearing this, Gu Jinchen swallowed, suppressing the tingling feeling that was arising.

"You little tease," he said in a deep voice as he pressed her head against his chest.

Luo Ge stuck out her tongue where he couldn't see, smiling like a little vixen.

Since a certain someone had taken advantage, she was naturally satisfied and would keep her promise.

So Luo Ge happily enjoyed the fun of jumping from tree to tree, and even the two little ones got to tag along for two rides.

Until they finished playing and returned, Luo Ge and the two little ones were still greatly excited.

When Gu Jinchen returned, the remaining cured meat had also been taken care of.

Luo Ge took out the hand-cranked peeler and peeling knife from her space, which was much faster than using a dagger or kitchen knife before.

Now, the pork belly that had been curing earlier was also ready.

Luo Ge tried a small piece first and felt it wasn't bad.

"Husband, you try some?" She scooped some into a bowl and took it out for Gu Jinchen and the two little ones to taste.

Given the previous meal precedent, Gu Jinchen had no reluctance at all.

Seeing his hands stained with salt and the sourness of the cured meat, Luo Ge picked up a piece and fed it to his mouth for him to try.

Gu Jinchen looked at her, stealing another glance at her slightly swollen lips as he opened his mouth.

After he ate it, she also let the two little ones standing next to him try some.

"How is it?" She asked expectantly after they had all tasted it.

Then she received three nodding heads in response: "Very delicious!"

The one adult and two children spoke in unison, their eyes bright as they looked at the bowl in Luo Ge's hands.

"Then you all go wash your hands, and I'll dish some out for you to eat first." She smiled, and as soon as the words left her mouth, she saw a few figures running to the water barrel to wash their hands.

Amused, she dished some out for them, then took another bowl and brought it over to the neighbors.

"Luo Ge? Did you come to play?" Wang Sister-in-law's voice came first before she appeared.

During this period, everyone had been busy planting millet or other grains, so they hadn't had much free time. The Wang family had just finished their work today as well.

Wang Sister-in-law seemed to miss Luo Ge since they hadn't seen each other for a while. Before seeing her, she called out happily.

"No, Sister-in-law, I made some cured meat and wanted to let you all taste my cooking too." Seeing Wang Sister-in-law, Luo Ge smiled.

"Cured meat? Why did you bring things over again? I feel bad always taking advantage of you." Wang Sister-in-law frowned.

But Luo Ge pushed the bowl into her hands. "It's nothing valuable, just something I was messing around with. I think the taste turned out alright, so I wanted you all to try it too."

"I cleaned and processed these ingredients myself, so please don't turn your nose up at them." In case they were reluctant to try something she handled, Luo Ge explained.

"Grumble..." Before she could finish speaking, they heard that sound, and Wang Sister-in-law felt embarrassed when she turned to look.

"How could I dislike it? Let me tell you, I smelled the fragrance of this dish in the afternoon, and it went straight up my nose, making me crave it terribly.

I was wondering what it was. Everyone in my family was craving it for a while too. You brought it to me, how could I dislike it? I should thank you instead," Wang Sister-In-Law said sincerely, her face showing embarrassment.

Hearing this, Luo Ge also smiled: "That's great, I'm glad you all like it."

"Well, I should get going now. There's still work to be done at home." Seeing Zhang Auntie come out as well, it seemed the Wang family was about to have dinner, so Luo Ge politely said goodbye.

"Hey, since the daughter-in-law is here, why don't you come in and have dinner with us before leaving?" Zhang Auntie wanted to invite her to dinner, but Luo Ge had already hurried away.

"No need, Auntie. We've already cooked at home. Next time, maybe." With that, Luo Ge had returned to her own courtyard.

Seeing this, Zhang Auntie and Wang Sister-In-Law exchanged a glance and smiled: "This girl."

What Wang Sister-In-Law said was true. The kitchen of the Gu family was adjacent to the Wang family, and they had indeed smelled the fragrance of the braised meat all afternoon.

As soon as the dishes were served, they were quickly emptied.

When there were only a few pieces left, everyone in the family looked at each other and hurriedly picked up their chopsticks.

In the end, Uncle Wang, Zhang Auntie, and Wang Sister-In-Law all managed to get a piece.

Only Tie Dan and Wang Big Brother were still fighting over the last piece.

"Ahem." Wang Big Brother cleared his throat.

Tie Dan hesitated for a moment, then put down his chopsticks.

Father was an adult and needed to work, so he should eat more meat to replenish his body. It didn't matter if Tie Dan, a young boy, ate one piece less. Yes!

"Dad?" But the next moment, he saw his father put that last piece of braised fatty sausage into his bowl.

"What's wrong? Do you really think I, your father, would fight with a little kid like you over food? You like this braised dish, right? If the food is delicious, remember to thank your Uncle Gu's family."

"I'm not going to fight with you over it. I'll just have some rice with the soup broth!" Before anyone could react, he poured the soup broth into his bowl and mixed it with the rice, cleaning it up in a few bites.

The others: "!!!!!!" They had all been eyeing that broth!

That broth was the most fragrant and had the most meat bits.

The whole family had pained expressions, except for Tie Dan, who looked touched.

His father was so good, giving him the meat and only drinking the broth himself.

He would definitely listen to his father and treat him well in the future.

Wang Sister-In-Law looked at her son, then at her husband, and shook her head with a smile.

Tie Dan was still too young.


Chapter 38

"It's a pity that the braising sauce was wasted," Luo Ge muttered as she looked at the remaining sauce in the pot after the braised dishes had been devoured.

"Dear wife, why don't we braise the remaining tiger meat and rabbit meat? That way, nothing will go to waste," said someone from the Gu family.

Indeed, their side had not fared much better, and this evening meal had turned into a competition to claim the braised meats.

"Can these be braised?" Gu Jinchen asked, rubbing his stomach as he leaned back on the chair with the two little ones after they had eaten their fill. He asked this additional question, fearing that the tiger meat might not be suitable for braising.

Before leaving, he had left a piece of tiger meat at home, intending to let Luo Ge taste its freshness.

"...Tiger meat... should be fine, I suppose?" Luo Ge thought, echoing Gu Jinchen's question. After all, the saying goes that anything can be braised with the right sauce.

However, she had never tried braising tiger meat before, so it would be an experiment.

"Alright, I'll go clean up the dishes."

"Okay." While Gu Jinchen was cleaning up, Luo Ge took out some lotus roots from her space and added them to the braising pot, as braised vegetables are also quite fragrant.

The little ones never paid much attention to such details – they ate whatever was given to them. With Gu Jinchen's help in distracting them, they wouldn't notice anything amiss.

Before going to bed, she would let the ingredients braise for an hour or two, then turn off the heat and leave them in the pot overnight. They would be ready to eat the next day.

In the evening...

"Drink some water before you sleep," Luo Ge said, as she always did, pouring Gu Jinchen a cup of water from her space before bedtime.

Working in the fields was physically demanding, so every night, she would have him drink some well water from her space before going to sleep.

The two little ones and Luo Ge herself would also drink the water, as it was beneficial for their health. Over time, it had become a habit.

"...What's wrong?" Luo Ge asked, puzzled as to why Gu Jinchen, who would usually obediently drink the water before sleeping, had not moved.

"Dear wife, is this water... also from that space of yours?" Gu Jinchen asked hesitantly after a moment.

Previously, he had simply accepted the water without much thought, believing that his wife was just being considerate. However, now that he knew about the existence of her space, he couldn't help but ponder.

Moreover, earlier in the mountains, he had suddenly felt that his agility and stamina were significantly stronger than usual.

So, he couldn't help but wonder if this had something to do with the water.

As far as he knew, his training methods hadn't changed much lately – they were the same as always. The only difference was this water that his wife insisted he drink every day.

Therefore, he had started to connect the dots, suspecting that his recent physical enhancements might be related to this water.

Upon hearing his question, Luo Ge paused briefly. She hadn't expected him to be so perceptive as to make the connection.

"Yes, drink it. It's good for your health, and I won't harm you," she said, nodding in acknowledgment after a moment's thought.

Hearing her words, Gu Jinchen chuckled and pulled her into his embrace, downing the water she had handed him.

"Of course, I know you would never harm me."

"If I can't even trust my own wife, how can I be your husband? How can I be worthy of you sharing your secrets with me?"

Luo Ge froze for a moment, then smiled and snuggled contentedly into his embrace, closing her eyes to sleep.

"As long as I'm here, you need not worry about anything," Gu Jinchen said softly, gazing down at her. "I will protect you until the end of our days."

He was a man of his word, and once he made a promise, he would see it through.

From then on... this also became his excuse to strictly watch over her.

They slept soundly that night.

...When Luo Ge woke up, the three of them – the one big and two small – had just returned from their outdoor training, drenched in sweat.

"You're all sweaty and dirty little rascals. Go wash up quickly. I've boiled some water for you," she said, having prepared hot water for them while cooking breakfast. "Wash first, then come back for your meal."

"Okay."

After the little ones had bathed, she handed them the apples she had taken from her space earlier.

"Eat some pastries first, then have the fruit. Your uncle bought these from the county town; there aren't many, so don't tell others, okay?" she said, turning to Gu Jinchen, who was carrying a pot.

Gu Jinchen simply nodded in agreement with his wife's words.

The two little ones looked at the fragrant apples in their hands, then back at Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen.

"What about Auntie and Uncle? Do you have fruit too? These apples are so big, Older Baby can't finish them all. Can Older Baby share with Little Auntie?" the older one asked, clearly catching the "not many" part of Luo Ge's statement.

"Uncle, Second Baby will share with you. Let's eat together," the younger one chimed in, enticed by the red, fragrant apples that looked sweet and delicious.

They wanted to share the fruit with their aunt and uncle.

Luo Ge found the two little ones to be very considerate. The sweet apples she had bought were a smaller variety, no bigger than a fist, so she knew they wouldn't have trouble finishing them.

She patted their heads, then took out two more apples from the cupboard – actually retrieved from her space, using the cupboard to conceal the action – and handed one to Gu Jinchen.

"No need to share. Auntie and your uncle have their own apples too. Eat up."

"Have some pastries first, then the fruit." For breakfast, she had made egg pancakes, so it would be perfect to have the apples afterward.

"Okay." Seeing that everyone had apples, the two little ones obediently agreed to eat without further comments.

"The vegetables we planted earlier have sprouted. You should go take a look later," Gu Jinchen suddenly mentioned while they were eating.

He had returned home unexpectedly that day at noon because he noticed that the vegetables in the garden were growing too quickly. He remembered that just a few days ago, they had barely sprouted.

However, when he checked on them yesterday, they were already a couple of fingers tall, growing at an astonishing rate. He had thought they might be ready to harvest in another couple of days.

At the time, he had assumed it was because his wife had bought a new variety of seeds.

But now, he suspected that it might have been due to his wife's mysterious space.

"Oh? Okay, let's go take a look," Luo Ge replied, having also wanted to check on the vegetable garden, as she hadn't seen it for some time. It had been about ten days since she planted the seeds, so they should have sprouted by now.

"Um..." However, when she opened the garden gate and saw the situation inside, she fell silent in astonishment.

To her surprise, the green onions and garlic she had planted along the edges were already ready to be harvested. Even the ginger had grown to a considerable size.

The tender, white ginger could be dug up and used to make pickled ginger or ginger sauce.

The young bok choy was ready to be picked, and the lettuce and spinach were nearly there too. The vines of the bitter gourds and loofah had spread far, so she would need to set up trellises for them to climb on soon, or else she might have to search all over the ground for the gourds later.

Even the chili and tomato plants had begun to flower.

Gu Jinchen was equally stunned by the sight for a moment. "I'll go chop some long branches and bamboo poles later," he remarked, referring to the vines and the need for trellises, but his expression was puzzled as he looked at Luo Ge.

"This isn't your doing?"

Luo Ge shook her head three times. "No, I don't know why they're growing so fast either."

She remembered buying ordinary seeds online at the time.

This rapid growth of plants seemed almost like sorcery at this point, and she would have been courting disaster if she had done it intentionally.

Aside from sowing the seeds, she hadn't really touched the plants much. She had intended to water them with her space's water in the next couple of days, once they had sprouted, to help them survive better.

But she hadn't expected this situation to occur. Just ten days, and they had grown so fast? Could it be that the inanimate objects from her space had also undergone some kind of mutation?

Recalling the fridge that could maintain a constant temperature without electricity... this possibility seemed quite plausible...

Hearing her explanation, Gu Jinchen fell silent as well.

"Don't worry. Let's just harvest the matured vegetables for now.

The fences around this vegetable garden are quite tall and dense, so it's not easy to see inside from the outside. If anyone asks, just say you got some new varieties from a Western merchant, and you don't know anything else."

"Don't worry, I'm here for everything," Gu Jinchen said in a low voice, seeming to notice her concern.

"Okay." Hearing this, Luo Ge nodded slightly.

Fearing that these vegetables would keep growing at this rate, Gu Jinchen decided not to water them anymore.

He wanted to try first and see if less watering would slow down their growth.

It turned out that without watering, their growth indeed slowed down significantly. These mutant seeds seemed to rely heavily on water.

Once they understood this, the young couple felt somewhat reassured.

Luo Ge discovered that after taking these seeds, her space didn't replenish, so these few types of seeds were the only batch.

That's why she didn't have the heart to pull them all out at once, to avoid others seeing the abnormality.

Unless she never wanted to eat these vegetables openly again, she could uproot them freely.


Chapter 39

While working on finding materials and building a trellis for the melon vines, Gu Jinchen also chopped down a few bamboo poles to make winnowing trays.

Originally, there were only two trays for sun-drying fruits. Now, with more fruits to be dried, those would not be enough.

With time on his hands, he casually made a few new winnowing trays.

But this time, with the increased quantity of fruits, it took almost two days to sun-dry them all.

"Husband, are you free now? Let me take your measurements."

The fabric she had bought previously was set aside, and now she planned to use this free time to make his clothes.

July had already passed for several days, and the intense summer heat had subsided. Soon, it would start to cool down, so she might as well make his autumn clothes directly.

"I'm free!"

Hearing this from outside, Gu Jinchen immediately stopped what he was doing and ran inside, obediently spreading his arms for her to measure.

"I noticed that your clothes often get torn at the armpits and shoulders. This time, I'll make the sleeves and sleeve joints wider. Does that work?"

He probably moved his arms a lot while hiking in the mountains, practicing martial arts, and hunting, which caused these areas to easily tear.

Every piece of clothing had patches in those two spots.

"Yes," Gu Jinchen nodded repeatedly.

"Umm...what I'm saying is, this is the first time I'm trying to cut clothes by myself. If I don't do it well, don't blame me."

Previously, she had always asked Wang Sister-In-Law for help with cutting, but it wasn't convenient to keep bothering her. She had to learn herself.

So this time, she decided to do it herself and set his expectations first.

"No problem, I'm not picky about these things. As long as I have something to wear, it's fine."

Hearing Luo Ge's words, the joy on his face was evident. He didn't expect that this would be her first time! He was the first to receive something made by his wife's own hands.

Hearing him say that, Luo Ge felt reassured.

"Okay, I've got your measurements. You can go about your work now. I should be done in a couple of days."

"Mm."

The trellis for the melon vines in the vegetable garden was completed, and the dried lychee fruits were also done. But Luo Ge mentioned that in the future, fruits from her space might also need to be dried, so many more winnowing trays would likely be needed.

Therefore, Gu Jinchen took the opportunity to make some more.

The slanting sun shone into the small courtyard. Luo Ge sat by the door, sewing clothes, while Gu Jinchen wove winnowing trays in the yard.

The two little ones played in the corner, entertaining themselves with the chicks they had caught the previous day from Auntie Luo's place. Everything painted a picture of peaceful tranquility.

Looking at his petite wife, then at the two carefree little ones, Gu Jinchen felt an overwhelming warmth in his heart.

This was his small family, filled with coziness...

"Oh, by the way, you mentioned going to check on the rice seedlings today. How was it?" While fiddling with her needle and thread, Luo Ge suddenly remembered this matter.

They still had two or three rice paddies that hadn't been planted yet. Without elders to guide them, the two of them lacked experience, and the rice seedlings were sown a bit late.

Now, other families had already planted their rice seedlings, but theirs were still not planted. If it weren't for watering them from her space, they would have had to delay even further.

"I've looked at them, and they're ready to be planted now. I've already plowed the paddies. Tomorrow, I'll borrow Brother Wang's harrow and rake, and then we can plant after leveling the fields."

"Mm, okay."

She had seen those few paddies, and they weren't too large. At most, it would take two days to plant them all. Many other families had also just finished planting within the past couple of days, so they wouldn't be too late.

"Knock, knock!"

Just as they finished speaking, someone suddenly knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Who is it?" Luo Ge asked in puzzlement. The two little ones also turned their heads towards the gate.

Their home was located at the end of the village, and it was rare for anyone to come by. If it were Wang Sister-In-Law or Auntie Luo visiting, they would call out from a distance.

Generally, they wouldn't knock on the door like this, so Luo Ge found it strange.

"I'll go take a look." Gu Jinchen also set down what he was doing and walked towards the courtyard gate.

The two little ones obediently ran behind Luo Ge and hid, a bit fearful that it might be other villagers who often said unkind things about them.

"Creak."

With the creaking sound of the gate opening, Gu Jinchen saw who the visitor was and couldn't help but look surprised.

"Young Master Gu, sorry for disturbing you." Seeing that it was Gu Jinchen who opened the door, Li Shopkeeper finally felt relieved.

Last time, they had only told him that the person was from the Gu Family Village with the surname Gu, but they didn't mention the full name. In this Gu Family Village, almost half the villagers had the surname Gu. He had searched through half the village before finally finding them.

"Li Shopkeeper?"

Hearing the commotion, Luo Ge also came out and looked just as surprised as Gu Jinchen upon seeing Li Shopkeeper.

"Ah, Lady Gu." Seeing Luo Ge, Li Shopkeeper smiled brightly.

"I searched through half the village before finally finding you."

Hearing this, Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen exchanged a glance. "Li Shopkeeper, you've worked hard. Please come in and have some tea."

"Yes, yes." Li Shopkeeper nodded, along with a shop assistant.

Seeing the sun-dried fruits in the courtyard, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't know if Li Shopkeeper has some important business with us today?" After Li Shopkeeper and his assistant had some tea, Gu Jinchen finally asked.

Luo Ge sat beside him, listening, with the two little ones behind her.

Hearing this, Li Shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, "Young Master Gu, Lady Gu, we're acquainted, so Mr. Li won't beat around the bush."

"I came today to ask about these dried lychee fruits, and I also want to discuss something with the two of you."

To be honest, he was truly surprised.

Initially, when he accepted the dried fruits from the young lady, it was simply because her craftsmanship was good, and he wanted to try selling them.

But he didn't expect such a great response. Among the regular customers at his shop, whenever there were new products, they would always want to try them. But he never imagined that after trying these dried fruits, one after another, they would all want to buy two or three pounds to take home.

It wasn't for gifting purposes but for entertaining guests or other such reasons. In less than two days, his shop was completely sold out.

As usual, he had sent some to the main family, but unexpectedly, yesterday, the main family also sent a letter saying that those dried fruits had caught the eye of some noble in the capital, and they wanted him to send more over.

But the dried fruits in his shop had already been snatched up by customers, so where could he get more to send?

That's why he had no choice but to hurry over and ask Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen for more.

Hearing this, the young couple looked at each other, then turned their gazes back to Li Shopkeeper.

"Please go ahead, Shopkeeper."

"Lady Gu's craftsmanship is truly exquisite. To be honest, the dried fruits you left at the shop the other day were snatched up by customers in less than two days.

Now, there are still customers constantly urging me to restock. I saw that you've dried some in your courtyard, so I don't know if I could take some with me today?"

Luo Ge fell silent for a moment before nodding, "You can take some, but not much. Those being dried outside haven't been fully processed yet."

"Then about how long until the remaining ones are ready? I'll have someone come to pick them up at that time. Here's a deposit." Hearing this, Li Shopkeeper quickly asked and placed a silver ingot weighing ten taels on the table.

"I estimate two or three days, maybe. Is the Shopkeeper in a hurry?" Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen only glanced at the silver indifferently before calmly asking.

"Yes, I am in a bit of a hurry." Seeing their indifference towards the silver, Li Shopkeeper felt a bit uneasy about what he wanted to say next.

"If Lady Gu has such exquisite craftsmanship, do you have any plans for the future?" Seeing his hesitation, Luo Ge spoke.

Hearing Li Shopkeeper's question, Luo Ge smiled and stroked Older Baby's little head.

"I'm just an ordinary farmer's wife. Serving my husband and raising my children are my main responsibilities.

For now, I'm just taking advantage of this season to make some wild fruit preserves to earn a bit of pocket money. How could I have any major plans?"

"The reputation of our Fuxin Shop must be something Young Mistress Luo Ge has heard of. Young Mistress Luo Ge's culinary skills are truly admirable.

To be honest, our proprietor has the intention of inviting Young Mistress Luo Ge to work as a master chef in our shop, specifically overseeing preserved fruits and candied fruits. The monthly salary would be 20 taels of silver. I wonder what Young Mistress Luo Ge thinks of this?"

Seeing Li Shopkeeper's indirect probing of her thoughts, Luo Ge pondered for a moment and then spoke frankly.

20 taels of silver per month was indeed a very high price. If it were not for him emphasizing to the proprietor that aside from making dried lychees, Luo Ge also had other culinary skills, this price would not have been offered.

Regarding having other skills, Luo Ge had previously mentioned it to Li Shopkeeper when they were selling dried lychees. At that time, she did so to pave the way for the fruits from her space in the future.

Upon hearing this, Luo Ge was not too surprised. From his earlier build-up, she had already guessed this matter roughly.

Under Li Shopkeeper's expectant gaze, she gently shook her head.

"This young wife knows that this must be Shopkeeper's kind overestimation of me. To refuse like this is to turn down your good intentions, but this young wife truly does not wish to do so."

"However, if Shopkeeper trusts my skills, this young wife would still be very willing to continue our cooperation in the future. For example, your shop can provide the fruits, and I can process them into dried fruits, candied fruits, and the like.

In that case, I can also sign a contract with you."

Learn from our predecessors and sell recipes? Only profit once?

No, no, no, that would be too much of a loss. It's better for her to start a kind of processing plant and earn the price difference.

If they're willing to share the profits, selling the recipes is also fine!

Of course, all of this would depend on their willingness.

To become their master chef is pretty much the same as selling her recipes, so she naturally doesn't want that.

Although the method of making these dried lychees seems simple, the time management and other details are crucial.

If any single step is done incorrectly, it would be impossible to achieve these results, which is why it can be considered a real skill.

It must be said that upon hearing Luo Ge's words, Li Shopkeeper's heart wavered. When she refused to become a master chef at Fuxin Shop, his mood dropped.

But when he heard her subsequent words, he felt delighted again.

Since she was willing to help with the production, and he had witnessed the customers' positive reactions, he naturally trusted Luo Ge's skills and thought it was quite feasible.

However, he could not make this decision himself and would need to report back to the proprietor first.

With this in mind, he spoke plainly to Luo Ge.

"No problem. I'll go and discuss it further, and Young Mistress can await my good news."

She knew this was a significant matter, and it would not be resolved so quickly.

Moreover, she had only provided the dried lychees so far. They would still need to evaluate her other skills to see if they met their standards before making a decision, right?

"Very well, then Mr. Li will take his leave first."

"Alright."

Luo Ge gave Li Shopkeeper around ten pounds of the earliest batch of dried fruits, and Li Shopkeeper paid her two taels and seven maces of silver separately.

She said to count it as part of the deposit and not accept payment, but Li Shopkeeper insisted, leaving her no choice.

After seeing him off, Gu Jinchen pinched Luo Ge's nose playfully.

"Wife, how did you become so capable?" After Li Shopkeeper's visit, he knew their dried fruit business would be stable in the future.

"Is that so? But isn't it all because of you helping me, Husband?" Luo Ge tilted her head and smiled.

Hearing this, Gu Jinchen also smiled, and the two young ones looked at each other with a clueless expression.


Chapter 40

The next day.

Gu Jinchen had gone out to work in the fields early, while Luo Ge had injured her lower back and couldn't get up.

How did she get injured? Oh, Gu Jinchen had hurt her.

When did it happen? Yesterday, but it wouldn't be appropriate to go into more detail.

By the time Luo Ge woke up, it was almost noon already. She hurriedly prepared some dishes and sent them over to him.

The braised meat had already been finished by them over the past two days, but there was still a piece of pork left in the space, preserved and not yet cooked.

"Older Baby, can you and your younger brother go to Granny Dou's place and help your aunt buy two blocks of tofu?" She took out a few copper coins and gently said to the little one.

Granny Dou's family sold tofu, and their tofu was very fresh and tender. People in the village usually bought tofu from her.

Although the weather had turned a bit cooler these past few days, it was still quite hot, especially when working in the fields, which would make it even hotter.

Fearing the heat might spoil their appetites, she planned to make a flavorful mapo tofu dish to go with the rice.

"Okay, Older Baby will go right away," Granny Dou's place was right next to Han Grandpa's house, they went there often.

"Good, be careful."

After reminding the two little ones, she took out the meat, red and green peppers, and some lettuce from the space once they had left.

While the little ones were out, she first stir-fried the peppers with the meat, leaving a small portion to be minced for the mapo tofu later.

The lettuce was washed and prepared, and she added some crushed garlic to the wok with the oil leftover from stir-frying the meat, sautéing it until fragrant, then adding the lettuce and stir-frying it.

Once the lettuce had changed color and softened, she added some chicken bouillon and salt before taking it off the heat.

Seeing that the two little ones still hadn't returned, she first added the seasoning for the mapo tofu and stir-fried the minced meat.

"Little Auntie, we've brought the tofu back," the two little ones returned just as the aroma started to come out.

"Good, wipe off your sweat first, your auntie will make the tofu and then we can eat."

The two little ones must have been worried that she would be anxiously waiting for them, as they had run all the way back, drenched in sweat.

"Okay."

She washed and cut the tofu into small pieces, putting it into the wok with the minced meat to simmer for a while.

Once it boiled, she could add soy sauce, salt, sprinkle some scallions, and dish it up.

"Little Auntie, Granny Dou charged two coppers for two blocks of tofu, here's the change."

While Luo Ge was portioning out the food for Gu Jinchen, Older Baby returned the remaining two copper coins to her.

"This is a reward for Older Baby and Second Baby, keep it. You can use it to buy something for yourselves when we go to town later." She divided the copper coins between the two of them.

Hearing this, Older Baby and Second Baby exchanged a glance, staring wide-eyed at Luo Ge, as if they wanted to keep the coins but were also hesitant. After thinking about it, they still gave the copper coins back to Luo Ge.

"Little Auntie, Older Baby doesn't want to buy food. Let's keep it for household use, let's save it to repair the courtyard."

"Yeah, Second Baby doesn't want food either."

They knew their family was poor, their uncle and aunt always wore patched clothes, and the courtyard had been in disrepair for a long time without any repairs.

Many people said their family was poor.

They were still young and didn't have anything they wanted to buy, so it was better to save the money to repair the house.

Upon hearing this, Luo Ge couldn't help but turn her head to look at the dilapidated little courtyard: "..." It did seem like it needed some repairs.

But she still resolutely put the copper coins back into their little pockets: "Keep it, we have the money to repair the courtyard, you don't need to worry about that."

Children still need their own pocket money.

Back when she lived in a small farmhouse courtyard, she used to hear those villagers gossiping, saying things like the children in her family were misbehaved and stole money and so on.

She believed that these two little ones were very sensible and would never do such things, but this kind of situation also reflected the fact that children didn't have any personal allowance.

So it was better to give them a little allowance from the start, even though it wouldn't be much. She could slowly reward them bit by bit, and they could save it up.

This could also help train their initiative.

Besides, everyone needs private money for personal matters, there will always be occasions when pocket money comes in handy.

Hearing Luo Ge say this, the two little ones widened their eyes: "Really? Do we really have money to repair the courtyard?"

"Yes, really, why would your auntie lie to you? We'll discuss it with your uncle later and have him find someone to do the repairs."

They definitely had the money for courtyard repairs, let alone rebuilding an entire courtyard or buying a new one.

"Okay then, thank you Little Auntie."

"Second Baby will save it, and get something yummy for Little Auntie later!"

Seeing Luo Ge say this, the two little ones were reassured and obediently took back the copper coins.

"Good, your auntie will wait for Second Baby's yummy treat."

"And Older Baby's too!" Older Baby chimed in from the side, of course he couldn't be outdone by his younger brother as the elder one.

"Yes, your auntie is waiting for both of you."

"Do you want to eat at home or go join your uncle? Why don't we all take it and go accompany your uncle to eat together?" After looking at the dishes on the table, Luo Ge suggested.

"Okay."

"Alright, let's go find your uncle then."

"Okay."

She packed all the dishes into a food container, along with a pot of rice with more beans and less grains.

She carried the things behind, while the two little ones walked hand-in-hand in front, leaving a trail of laughter and chatter.

"Little Auntie, Uncle is over here!" The two little ones suddenly called out when they reached the fields.

"Husband!" Hearing their voices, Luo Ge called out from afar and saw the person in the distance faintly freeze for a moment in her peripheral vision.

She had thought their family was the only one that hadn't finished planting yet, but it seemed there was another family nearby who hadn't finished either.

Looking at the back view of that woman over there, Luo Ge felt like she seemed quite familiar.

Hearing the voice, Gu Jinchen's originally cold expression instantly melted into a smile, but then he frowned slightly.

"Why did you come out in this scorching heat?"

"I was afraid you'd be too busy to remember to come back, so we came over."

Hearing Luo Ge's words, Gu Jinchen felt a pang in his heart, he had indeed almost forgotten the time.

"Come on up, I brought some food, let's eat together." Finding a shady and level spot, Luo Ge said.

"Okay." Since his wife had said so, what else could he say? He washed his hands and feet clean in the small stream by the field ditch before coming over.

"I made mapo tofu, it's very filling, want to try some?" Seeing him approach, Luo Ge opened the food container, and a fragrant aroma immediately wafted out.

Li Zhaodi's family couldn't help but turn their heads to take a look.

"Jinchen's wife has even come, why hasn't our mother-in-law come yet?" Seeing this, Li Zhaodi's uncle muttered.

"Not to mention, that aroma really smells good. Jinchen is truly blessed." Li Zhaodi's husband Gu Dawei also commented after hearing his elder brother.

Li Zhaodi heard this and her face instantly darkened, even though her brother-in-law Gu Dayong had also chimed in.

"Yeah, I feel like just smelling that aroma would be enough for me to finish three bowls of rice."

Li Zhaodi's in-laws were also part of the Gu clan, her father-in-law was called Gu Tiesheng, and Gu Jinchen had to address him as Uncle Sheng.

Uncle Sheng's eldest son was Gu Dayong, and his second son was Li Zhaodi's husband Gu Dawei.

Ever since that incident last time, Li Zhaodi had started to dislike Luo Ge. Now hearing her own husband and brother-in-law praise the other woman, she felt even more infuriated.

She angrily threw the seedlings in her hand onto the ground, splashing water all over the two men, and without a word, she buried her head back into the field.

Uncle Sheng, who was working in the fields, furrowed his brow upon seeing this.

Li Zhaodi's mother-in-law and Gu Dayong's wife had arrived just in time to witness this scene: "Li Zhaodi! What are you doing!"

"Did our Dayong and Dawei, or even these seedlings, offend you somehow?"

Gu Dayong and Gu Dawei were equally bewildered.

Seeing the expression on his wife's face, as if someone owed her a few hundred thousand taels of silver, Gu Dawei's face darkened.

But considering they were out in public, he didn't say much else.

"Mom, perhaps we've come too late? The younger sister must be hungry?" Gu Dayong's wife, a simple-minded and straightforward woman, said innocently upon seeing the situation.

She herself would feel grumpy when hungry.

"How could she be hungry at this hour? She's the only one working, while I still have to handle so many chores at home?" The more Uncle Sheng's Mother spoke, the angrier she became.

As they were on the same path, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were now standing next to Luo Ge, Gu Jinchen, and the others, who could only look on awkwardly.

"Uncle Sheng's Mother, Sister-in-law." Luo Ge greeted them when the conversation paused.

Upon seeing Luo Ge and the others, Uncle Sheng's Mother immediately suppressed her angry expression and revealed a smile.

"Are Jinchen and Jinchen's wife having a meal?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mother, I didn't notice you earlier. Please, you all eat first. I've already sent food to Dayong and the others at their field."

Without waiting for Luo Ge and the others to respond further, she led Gu Dayong's wife towards their family's field.