The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 59 You Haven't Returned

"Grandma's dear grandson, are you starving?" Liu brought over two sweet egg soups, looking at Tiedan with eyes full of heartache. "Eat up, Grandma specially added two spoonfuls of sugar, it's so sweet."

Tie Dan took the bowl and wolfed down the sugar water, leaving not a drop.

Chen Guifang secretly grimaced. Er Ya gets beaten for eating candy, but Tie Dan gets sweet egg soup as soon as he comes back. Mother is too biased.

She raised her hand and touched Lin Jianshui's arm, gesturing towards the porcelain bowl with her lips, hoping her man would be more mindful.

Lin Jianshui didn't understand her meaning and said bluntly, "If you want to eat, then cook it yourself. Do you expect your mother to cook for you?"

Chen Guifang: "..."

How could she have married such a blockhead?
"What are you eating?" Liu's face fell. "All you do all day is eat! Go wash the dishes!"

Doesn't she do all the housework?

Chen Guifang was so angry that she wanted to smash the porcelain bowl in her mother-in-law's face, but thinking about the consequences, she swallowed her anger and left with the porcelain bowl and chopsticks, feeling resentful.

Lin Jianshan helped the village chief over and said to his younger brother, "It's late. You still have to work in the fields tomorrow. Go back inside and rest."

Lin Jianshui agreed and went back inside.

Zhou went over, closed the door, and stood by the door with her head down.

Village Chief Lin sat down at the table. "Tiedan, Grandpa's asking you, where did you go today?"

"Up on the mountain," Tie Dan replied obediently, a little afraid of his grandfather. "There are lots of wolves."

"Wolves?" Village Chief Lin was taken aback, looking Tie Dan up and down. "Those wolves didn't bite you?"

Tie Dan shook his head.

Village Chief Lin then asked, "Who dragged you up the mountain?"

"Monkeys," Tie Dan said, "They stole my silver and beat me. It hurt so much."

Mrs. Liu said with concern, "Quickly, let Grandma see where it hurts?"

Tie Dan covered his buttocks and shook his head. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"The monkey dragged you up the mountain, how did you end up in the wolf's den?"

"A big monkey threw me there." Tie Dan pouted, his butt almost splitting in two.

Lin Jianshan asked urgently, "Where's the money? Did you lose it to the wolves too?"

Tie Dan shook his head. He was in pain and scared at the time, so he didn't remember the money at all.

"Speak," Village Chief Lin said sternly. "Didn't you see it, or did you not throw it in?"

Tie Dan shrank his neck. "I...I didn't see it."

"Don't frighten the child." Liu hurriedly hugged Tiedan to comfort him, calling him her precious grandson.

Zhou came forward and said, "Father, it's late. Ask me about it tomorrow. I'm taking Tiedan back to his room to sleep."

Before Village Chief Lin could speak, Liu said, "Hurry up, can't you see the child is so sleepy he keeps rubbing his eyes?"

Zhou hugged Tiedan into her arms, glanced at Lin Jianshan cautiously, and seeing that he didn't seem to mind, she carried the child back into the house.

Village Chief Lin looked exhausted and sighed heavily. "Eldest son, you should go back inside too. Be vigilant at night and keep an eye on Tiedan. The child has been frightened and might develop a fever at night."

“Father,” Lin Jianshan stood still, “that jade pendant…”

Village Chief Lin glared at him, "Just pretend this never happened, and don't mention it again!"

Lin Jianshan was unwilling to accept it. "Our family suffered such a huge loss at the hands of that Shang guy, and he emptied our savings. Are we just going to let it go like this?"

"What's the rush?" Village Chief Lin's tone was meaningful. "They'll come begging to me eventually." On the other side, Shang Wan returned to the wooden shed through the night dew, thinking that everyone in the family was asleep, but unexpectedly, there was still someone sitting by the fire.

Lu Chengjing added two pieces of dry firewood to the fire, and as he listened to the crackling sound of the burning wood, his mind gradually drifted away.

Under the orange firelight, that always pale and sickly face gained a touch of warmth, like a smooth and lustrous piece of jade.

As the saying goes, a beauty is seen under a lamp, and a gentleman is seen under the moon. Shang Wan felt that Lu Chengjing's face was handsome from every angle, as long as there was light.

She took a clean handkerchief from the wooden pole, dried her half-dry long hair, and walked over to sit down next to Lu Chengjing. "It's late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

These words sounded familiar; Lu Chengjing remembered that Shang Wan had said something similar when she visited him in prison. It felt like an eternity, even though only a few days had passed.

“You haven’t returned.” Lu Chengjing turned his head to look at the person beside him, noticing Shang Wan’s rough movements as she wiped her long hair, his gaze paused slightly, “I’ll help you.”

Shang Wan glanced at his immobile right hand and refused, "No, just rest."

Soon the fox's hands will get sore, and she'll have to rub them for her; it's better for her to rub them herself.

Lu Chengjing sighed softly, put his left hand on his right arm, and lowered his head dejectedly, looking like a pitiful little thing who had been wronged.

Shang Wan: "..."

You even installed it, huh? You've spoiled them rotten!

"Here, here, here." She sat closer and draped her long hair and handkerchief over Lu Chengjing's lap. "Wipe for as long as you want, okay?"

A faint smile flickered in Lu Chengjing's eyes. He gently smoothed the hair on his knee with his left hand, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and slowly rubbed and dried it.

"How much longer?" Shang Wan tilted her head uncomfortably, so she leaned on the thin shoulder of the person next to her and lazily yawned.

"In a moment." Lu Chengjing looked down at her, his gaze sweeping over her delicate features and landing on the long dress that Shang Wan was wearing, which was different from the one she had left in. His eyes deepened slightly.

Shang Wan didn't notice because her eyes were closed. She only opened her eyes after Lu Chengjing said he was done. She washed the handkerchief and hung it on the wooden pole to dry. Then she turned around, picked up Lu Chengjing, and went back to the wooden shed to sleep.

Although the wooden shed is a simplified version, there is enough space inside.

Shang Wan originally planned to divide the room in half with a wooden board, intending for men and women to sleep separately, and then further divide it after returning from the county town.

After Xiao Huan tidied up, it was divided into three sections. The left side was separated by a curtain, with Xiao Huan sleeping on one side with Yuan Yuan and Shi Tou sleeping on the other.

The large space on the right was naturally reserved for Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing, where soft bedding had already been laid out for them to sleep.

Shang Wan: "..."

Xiao Huan's feelings shouldn't be too obvious.

She placed Lu Chengjing on the inside of the blankets, then turned around and closed the door.

A few dim rays of moonlight shone through the cracks in the wooden planks overhead, allowing Lu Chengjing to barely make out the approaching figure. He couldn't help but hold his breath.

Shang Wan glanced at Lu Chengjing's long robe and teased her fox, "Waiting for me to help you take off your clothes?"

"No." Lu Chengjing lowered his eyes, first took off his boots, then raised his left hand and slowly untied his belt. When he took off his outer shirt, it got stuck on his shoulder, and he blushed slightly in embarrassment.

Shang Wan chuckled softly and stepped closer to help.

Lu Chengjing felt his nose filled with Shang Wan's faint fragrance, and his whole body stiffened so much that he didn't know where to put his hands and feet, and he dared not look at Shang Wan.

"Alright, go to sleep." Shang Wan pulled another blanket over them and covered them with it, then brushed Lu Chengjing's long hair aside to prevent it from pressing on them later.

Lu Chengjing closed his eyes, listening to the shallow breathing of the person beside him. He was clearly sleepy but couldn't fall asleep.

Just as he was forcing himself to fall asleep, a warm hand suddenly reached out and grasped his cold left hand.

(End of this chapter)