He savored it, twisting and turning, Xiao Shan utterly unrestrained.
This was a spring of honey, inexhaustible, and he drank greedily.
His iron arms encircled Xue Niang's waist, preventing her from slipping away. She whimpered softly, unable to escape.
When they finally parted, Xue Niang's lips were swollen and full, almost to the point of dripping water. Her eyes were misty, her body weak, unable to stand.
Xiao Shan, his body tense, carried her to the bed.
He said in a husky voice, "I'm leaving."
After he left, it took Xue Niang a long while to recover. She rolled over, burying her face in the soft pillow. It was his pillow, carrying his scent. She couldn't describe the smell, a little like wood, with something else added, faint, not as strong as his scent, nor enough to make her dizzy.
Her hands clutched the bedding beneath her, a difficult-to-describe pleasure slowly invading her entire body.
"Xiao Shan..."
Xiao Shan went to the new house site. Only Zhu Zi and Liu Cheng Shan were working. Seeing him approach, Zhu Zi's expression turned somewhat unnatural. "Brother Xiao, Da Shuan Zi and the others have family matters. They said they're stopping work for now. You can pay them if you wish, or not."
Xiao Shan understood immediately. After this incident, the village feared him even more than a tiger.
He didn't mind, but he wondered if Xue Niang would feel sad.
"Aren't you two afraid of me?"
Liu Zhu Zi scratched his head, a somewhat honest smile on his face. "Brother Xiao is a true man. What is there to fear? If my wife were bullied, I'd also draw my knife. Sadly, I don't have a wife."
Liu Cheng Shan chuckled beside him. "I don't either. I'm just working hard to earn money to get married!"
Xiao Shan's lips curved upward. "Don't worry, I'll add another five wen to your wages. It's just that with fewer people, you two brothers might have to work a bit harder. As for their wages, you can take them back to them later."
Liu Zhu Zi and Liu Cheng Shan were both delighted. "What's a little extra work? We don't feel tired even if we work without rest. We did harder work in town before, and earned less than you, Brother Xiao. Those rich folk didn't even treat us like people!"
"Exactly. It's comfortable working for you. Brother Xiao, don't worry. We'll both extend our working hours and finish the house as soon as possible."
"Then thank you."
As the three were talking, Yu Tou arrived, bringing someone with him.
"Brother Xiao, on my way here, I happened to meet Uncle You Liang. He wanted to see you."
Meng You Liang appeared a bit flustered. He was short, only slightly taller than Yu Tou. Years of labor had tanned his face a dark hue, making him look particularly aged.
"Xiao, Brother Xiao, I came to ask if I could work for you."
Xiao Shan remembered him. He was the one who had gone to the yamen with his wife that day. It sounded like he had a grudge against the Tian family.
Zhu Zi chimed in, "Brother Xiao, don't mind that Brother You Liang looks thin. He doesn't have much strength, but he's known in our village for his meticulousness. He cultivates crops better than others."
Liu Cheng Shan also chimed in his agreement.
Meng You Liang cast a grateful glance at the two.
His family situation was difficult. After his son became lame, his temper worsened. He was almost twenty and still unmarried, not working. It was he and his wife who toiled for their livelihood.
He had heard that Xiao Shan was short of hands and had come. Originally, he thought he would focus on his own fields, as they were busy now, but his wife insisted he come and inquire.
"Alright then, let's work together! The wage will be twenty wen a day. If you do well, it will be twenty-five wen, just like Zhu Zi and the others."
Xiao Shan saw that he was an honest man, and he was short of hands. His arrival was a great help.
Meng You Liang initially thought he had misheard. Working in town for similar labor only paid fifteen wen a day, and Xiao Shan was offering twenty, even twenty-five.
Wasn't he getting a great deal? He wasn't helping at all.
He tried to decline, but Xiao Shan stopped him.
Zhu Zi smiled. "Brother You Liang, don't say that. Just work hard. Brother Xiao is a man of his word, and his promises are firm. Just listen to him."
"Yes, yes, yes." Meng You Liang nodded repeatedly, his heart filled with excitement.
He would certainly put in his utmost effort for this job.
After making the arrangements, Xiao Shan joined them in their work. Yu Tou's face was still a little swollen, and the torn wound at the corner of his mouth had just scabbed over.
Xiao Shan saw that Yu Tou worked diligently and was quite satisfied with how he had defended Xue Niang that day. He secretly resolved to teach him more in the future, so that he wouldn't be bullied by others, having neither father nor mother.
The sun had risen high. It was the heat of summer, and soon everyone's throats began to feel parched. Zhu Zi and Liu Cheng Shan were prepared, taking sips from their water skins. The others had not prepared.
Xiao Shan called Yu Tou over. "Go help your Sister Xue boil some water and bring it over."
"Yes, Brother Xiao!"
Yu Tou's face was flushed from the sun as he ran towards the foot of the mountain.
He used to wander around the village all day, and in the heat, he'd run into the woods. He had never experienced such hardship, working under the scorching sun. It was too uncomfortable.
However, he also felt a sense of fulfillment.
After a short while, Yu Tou returned with a bucket of water, followed by a woman.
"Brother Xiao, Brother Zhu Zi, Brother Cheng Shan, Uncle You Liang, come and have some soup. It's mung bean soup that Sister Xue brewed."
Hearing Yu Tou's enthusiastic announcement, Xue Niang let out a soft laugh.
Xiao Shan walked over in surprise. Seeing Xue Niang glance at him, he shifted his gaze to the house, whose foundation had just been laid.
"Xue Niang, you've already brewed it?"
A full large bucket of