Xiao Shan stepped out the door. Xue Niang clenched her fists, bit her lip, and pulled the quilt over her head.
She didn't rely on him at all; perhaps she mistook him for her father in her dreams.
That was it.
The candlelight flickered, and the bedroom door opened again. Xiao Shan entered, carrying the quilt.
"Still scared?"
Xiao Shan pulled the quilt away from Xue Niang's face. Seeing her eyes closed, her fan-like eyelashes trembled.
"From now on, let's not sleep in separate beds. I'll feel more at ease watching over you."
He was now certain Xue Niang was awake and not sleepwalking. Seeing that Xue Niang didn't object when he said this, he couldn't help but feel delighted.
Although there were two quilts, his long arm reached over and rested on Xue Niang, patting her gently.
Now, two people lay on the bed, no longer empty. She no longer had to sleep facing the door, nor would she be startled by every little sound.
Xue Niang turned over and closed her eyes peacefully.
This man was born to be relied upon, otherwise, it would be a waste of his large frame.
After sleeping in separate rooms for several days, they finally shared a bed again. Both slept soundly. Unbeknownst to them, when Xiao Shan woke up in the morning, they were lying face to face, very close. His arm was also extended, with Xue Niang's head resting on it.
Was this his involuntary action, or had Xue Niang crossed the boundary herself?
"Isn't this testing me?"
Xue Niang was not yet awake, her cheeks flushed from sleep, her tender lips pouting like pastries, exuding a fragrance that was exceptionally tempting.
A man who has just woken up in the morning is the most energetic of the day.
Xiao Shan's gaze was burning, and he drew closer and closer.
His mischievous lips brushed across her smooth and delicate face, pressing onto her pink lips that he had long coveted.
This was the second time. He still couldn't control himself, just like the sensation that repeatedly appeared in his dreams. It was so delicious he wanted to swallow her whole.
Xue Niang "mumbled" and opened her eyes, unable to see anything clearly. Her mouth was already being pried open, her tongue was being entwined, and her flailing arms were pinned above her head.
Her nostrils were filled with the familiar scent of the man.
She instantly went limp, feeling as if her strength had been drained away. Stars exploded in her mind, making her dizzy and unaware of the time.
The chickens outside began to cluck.
Xue Niang's body stiffened. Xiao Shan had already raised his head, quickly concealing the lust that rose in his eyes, suppressing his heavy breaths, and his rough hand wiped the moisture from her lips.
"She laid an egg."
Xue Niang was dazed, her eyes misty, still not fully awake. Her pink lips had turned a vibrant red, looking娇艳欲滴.
Laid an egg?
Xiao Shan licked his lips, rubbed his thumb and index finger together fiercely, his captivating tiger eyes shining brightly. "I'll go make breakfast."
He suppressed the excitement that was about to overflow, dressed calmly, and left the bedroom.
As soon as he closed the door, he grinned and laughed silently, punching the air a few times like a young boy.
Damn it, I finally got the goose that lays the golden eggs!
Xue Niang didn't resist at all!
Xue Niang, coming to her senses later, touched her slightly numb lips. Her mouth was filled with a taste that wasn't hers. Had his tongue entered just now?
Good, disgusting.
Not too disgusting.
Just a little dizzy.
"You stinky Xiao Shan, taking advantage of the situation."
Did he have her permission to touch her? If he dared to do this again, she would bite off his tongue.
Xiao Shan was particularly energetic today. After eating, he fetched water and then tidied up the wood in the yard.
"Xue Niang, I'm going to the village chief's house to ask him to help find a few people so we can start building the house."
Xiao Shan's voice was high-pitched. He closed the fence gate and walked away with a powerful stride, full of spirit.
Xue Niang snorted. Crouching in the pen, she tied a strip of cloth to the hen that had laid the egg.
"Thanks to you today, otherwise I would have been bullied by a hooligan."
She patted the hen's head and grabbed a handful of coarse rice, throwing it in front of it.
"This is your reward."
Xue Niang stepped out of the pen, her mind on Yutou's money, wondering when he would come to find her.
"Hey—"
Xu Da Niu stood outside the fence, looking at Xue Niang standing by the chicken coop. Her well-fitting dress made her look exceptionally beautiful, and her figure was more slender than the village women.
If her face weren't ugly, she would probably be much better than Chen Dong's wife.
Xue Niang walked to the door and looked at Xu Da Niu.
She didn't like this girl much because she had spoken ill of her and wanted to marry Xiao Shan.
Xu Da Niu opened the bag in her hand and took out a pile of mushrooms.
"You saved me. I know these things aren't valuable, but my family doesn't have anything good, so I can only collect these from the mountains to repay the debt."
She wasn't ungrateful. These mushrooms weren't worth a life, but she could collect them more often.
Her family was poor and couldn't afford anything good. Even if they could, her parents wouldn't part with it. When Xiao Shan saved her last time, didn't they just give him a few pounds of coarse flour to settle the matter?
When she jumped into the river, her family didn't offer any comfort, nor did they even cook a good meal for her. Instead, she was scolded.
Sometimes she really felt that her closest relatives were not as good as a stranger.
And this stranger was a woman she had once insulted.
"Before, I was wrong. I shouldn't have scolded you. I hope you don't blame me."
"Didn't you already send some?" Xue Niang looked at the mushrooms still covered in mud on the ground.
She really liked eating them. She wondered where she had picked them.
Xu Da Niu thought her voice was really pleasant, crisp like a small stream flowing in the mountains. She boldly glanced at Xue Niang's face.
It wasn't that scary after all, and she was really fair-skinned, as if all the sunlight shone on her face.
She was much prettier than Chen Dong's wife.
If her left cheek weren't dark.
Looking at her own dark fingers and the dirt under her fingernails, Xu Da Niu felt ashamed.
She stammered, "I only sent them once, how could that be enough?"
"It's enough. Thank you." Xue Niang thanked her. Seeing that Xu Da Niu was still standing there for some reason, she thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you know where Yutou's house is?"
Yutou? Which Yutou?
Xu Da Niu didn't know who she was talking about and couldn't help but show a confused expression.
"He's a boy about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing somewhat tattered clothes, with hair like a bird's nest..." Xue Niang couldn't continue.
It sounded like she was speaking ill of someone.
"Are you talking about that little scamp in the village?"
"Little scamp? What does that mean?"
"Ah, uh." Xu Da Niu blushed a little. Her voice was pleasant, and her demeanor was elegant, making her feel even more crude. "Yutou, yes, that Yutou. I know where he lives."
"Can you take me there? I need to find him."
What did she want to find him for? He was a little beggar everyone disliked, good at stealing chickens and dogs. Everyone in the village was annoyed by him. She looked so clean and tidy, how could she know that little scamp?
Xu Da Niu was full of doubt, but she still nodded.
"I'll take you."
Xue Niang picked up the mushrooms and took them to the kitchen, closed the fence gate, and followed Xu Da Niu into the village.
They chatted a few times on the way. Xu Da Niu also learned Xue Niang's name. She increasingly felt that Xue Niang was different from the villagers. She walked particularly beautifully, her waist swaying lightly, unlike Chen Dong's wife who deliberately swayed her hips.