Free Web NovelChapter 35: Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Yueqian, upon hearing the words of the man known as her husband, smiled faintly. Her slender fingers tenderly touched his cheek. Men of this era were like this—responsible and dignified, unlike the men from the era she came from. Back then, men who thought they had to provide for their wives were becoming rare as gender equality increased, leading some to believe that women were not weak and did not need care. Yet, while they thought this, their wives still had to manage the household and care for the children.
Of course, those were just the minority. There were still good men who loved their wives and children. And to speak from another point of view, not all women from her time were good.
Different values shaped people’s thoughts, but Yueqian truly preferred a husband like hers.
"I know, after this winter ends, I will rely on your strength. Until then, rest well and eat well. Remember, after winter, you’ll have to work in the 100 mu of fields as the main laborer of our home, not to mention building and maintaining the chicken coop. It’s going to be quite busy," Yueqian told her husband, encouraging him to stop thinking he was incapable.
"But in the meantime, isn’t it better if there are things I can do?"
"Of course, it’s good, but don’t overexert yourself. You make me feel guilty if I’m not useful to you after winter," Yueqian feigned a thoughtful frown.
Mu Heng quickly waved his hands.
"I don’t think like that. I am a man, and it’s my duty to work hard. You don’t need to do hard labor," Mu Heng spoke, seeing his wife’s unhappy face made him restless.
"Then, my duty is to take care of our home. Now is not the time for heavy work. If you keep brooding, I’ll worry alongside you," Yueqian crossed her arms, her tone firm.
Mu Heng scratched the back of his head, feeling uneasy. He then eventually conceded.
"Alright, I won’t think about it, and neither should you," he said, gazing at her who was still crossing her arms like an elder. However, he still found her incredibly charming and beautiful.
"Fine. Then, can you join us for some noodles now? The children are waiting," Yueqian took his hand, her touch soft, making Mu Heng feel immensely happy. He almost holds her in his hands and cherish her forever.
It’s a pity she opened her heart to him, but he couldn’t fully become a part of her life yet. Mu Heng could only look at the beautiful woman’s nape with love and desire.
Their barriers were slowly breaking down, a process that truly couldn’t be rushed.
After the water pulley project was successfully completed, the harsh winter weather intensified daily. The snowstorm made them reluctant to leave their house; even indoors, they had to wear fur coats all the time. Luckily, they had gotten back the blanket they lent Aunt Liao to take care of Uncle Liang, so they didn’t have to crowd under a single blanket anymore.
The children learned to write very quickly, probably because they had no other tasks. Their focus was solely on practicing their characters. They were diligent and not stubborn at all, seemingly determined to be able to read by the end of the winter.
Mu Heng seemed to have progressed the most. He could already read simple texts thoroughly and transcribe characters to earn a small amount daily. The young man felt a growing sense of pride in staying at home idly.
While other families must venture into the woods to gather forest goods during this harsh winter, often returning injured, Mu Heng did not particularly worry about those unconnected to him. The dangers of foraging in the woods were common, the risk they had to take, and he too had once ventured into the woods at this time of the year, faced life-threatening risks for his siblings’ survival.
After a misfortune, one must accept it as fate.
After Yueqian finished transcribing another novel from another dimension, her small frame twisted from fatigue. She looked at the two children intently focusing on their writing, then at her husband, who was busily transcribing characters for sale with a gentle gaze.
The small woman stepped outside to prepare food. She frowned upon seeing the firewood they had stockpiled before winter. It seemed unlikely to last through the winter easily. With the winter already 30 days in and showing no signs of stopping, she had initially thought a harsh winter would last at most two months, but it now seemed it could extend to three.
Yueqian assessed the woodpile, which might last another 20 days at most. In a typical year, it would have been sufficient, but not this one. With the weather as it was, they might lack firewood for months, since collecting new firewood was challenging—they would have to trek deep into the woods.
Winter forest was the most terrifying thing, where stirring hibernating animals could mean death. freewēbnoveℓ.com
She glanced around once more before retrieving smokeless coal briquettes from the department store. These briquettes would last about four hours, much longer than regular wood, which burns out in one to two hours.
Yueqian placed them in the fire to avoid raising suspicion and immediately started boiling water to cook. If possible, she would use store-bought coal instead of the collected wood each time she cooked herself.
This strategy would extend their wood supply significantly, reducing the need to collect more from the woods.
"Place that next to the firewood pile. If the kids start a fire, I’ll tell them to use the wood you brought out," a man’s deep voice said. The small figure startled slightly, thinking she had been alone and unseen while fetching the firewood from the department store. Who would have thought that just as she turned her back, Mu Heng would come out?
He had just seen his beloved bring something out of thin air.
In fact, Mu Heng had long suspected his wife had secrets she kept hidden; he just never pressed for details or wished to know what she was hiding.
Now, having witnessed it himself—initially pretending not to see to spare her discomfort but catching her pensive expression—he understood she might be struggling with how to utilize what she had brought out. To make her feel more at ease at home, he revealed that he knew her secret.
He hoped this would make her feel comfortable sharing more with him, ready to help her keep her secrets hidden.
Yueqian squinted at her husband, seeing no surprise, fear, or astonishment in his eyes, which surprised her instead. But since he said nothing, she chose to remain silent as well.
The petite woman continuously took out coal briquettes from the interdimensional space, and Mu Heng showed no confusion. He walked over and helped her arrange the coal briquettes without any hesitation, warming Yueqian’s heart considerably.
This man, from an ancient era, should not have been so open to new things, yet he was different. Whatever she did, he stood by her side, supporting her quietly. This made Yueqian feel grateful for her new life, fortunate to be Yueqian, and glad that she had chosen this path for herself.
The couple seemed as one, each protecting and sparing the other from any dangers. They were indeed fortunate.
"These are called coal briquettes. They are much more efficient than wood because they last up to four hours, and you use fewer pieces—just three briquettes per stove. I’ll bring out 100 pieces to start, and then more as they run low." Yueqian explained to Mu Heng. The man nodded, showing he understood.
"Did you exchange something valuable for these? If so... you needn’t spend so much. I can gather wood myself." The large man said, not really caring what coal briquettes were or where they came from, only concerned if they caused any trouble for his little wife.
"No, these are magical items of mine. I can bring out one thing every day. I brought out pork and beef before, and today it was these coal briquettes," Yueqian lied smoothly, planning to tell him the truth when he was financially able to help her cover the costs.
"Magical items that produce one thing daily?" Although Mu Heng was skeptical, he did not press further, fearing he might make Yueqian uncomfortable with his curiosity.
"Did you come out here to see me, or is there something else you need?" The beautiful lady swiftly changed the subject, not wanting him to dwell on her lies. She did not want to continue lying.
"I just saw you come out, thought you were cooking and thought I’d come help. The children are busy studying, and I didn’t want to disturb them."
"Oh, in that case, what would you like to eat today? We still have plenty of pork and vegetables at home," Yueqian asked for his opinion, but Mu Heng shook his head; he was not particular and would happily eat whatever she prepared.
"Then let’s make steamed pork with lime. It’s an easy recipe. Can you help me cook the rice?" Since he was willing to help, it would be rude to refuse. Yueqian let him help her cook the rice.
Mu Heng nodded. He was quite adept at cooking rice himself, having been responsible for preparing food before his siblings grew up, while waiting for their parents to return from work.
Together, they quickly prepared the steamed pork with lime. Yueqian also boiled six eggs, thinking they might want more since the only menu was steamed pork with lime.
It seemed the children had a keen nose for smelling foods; they nearly rushed out when the meal was ready. Their little hands were skilled at setting the table swiftly, they brought out bowls and put rice in those, then placed them on the dining table. The lunch was another appetizing meal indeed.
The meal began, but their peace was soon disturbed.
The voices of several men and women called out. Yueqian looked at her husband, who appeared so mentally exhausted, and at his younger sibling who lost their appetite with a pitiful expression.
These selfish people seemed never to stop causing trouble.
All four of them left their meal and went to the front of the house. Despite the deep snow, they braved through, even brought their whole family. This caused Mu Heng to frown, displeased.
"What now?" he asked with a stern voice, unpleasant to hear. Normally, such a tone would have earned their scoldings for disrespecting the elders, but today they reacted differently.
"Xiao Heng, we just came to visit. With the snow so high, may we come in and talk inside your house?" Grandmother Zhu asked with a tone sweeter than Mu Heng had ever heard before, but for them, it was more frightening than the previous by thousandfold.
