If you don't consummate the marriage for three years and then marry a successful educated youth

As he spoke, he clenched his fist, the bones cracking, and held it up in front of her. Seeing her face turn pale with fright, he chuckled, "Tch, what are you yelling for if you can't handle it?"

"What a coward. He can't do bad things openly, so he only dares to mutter these things behind people's backs. He's a joke."

Lin Qingqing looked at her muscles and realized she looked like a man, not a woman at all. She knew it would hurt when she hit her. Just you wait.

Seeing that she had calmed down, Chen Yuting withdrew her fist and turned to go back into the house.

*

The two entered the courtyard one after the other.

Wen Yao looked around. In the middle was a one-meter-wide stone path, which was very flat. On both sides were vegetable plots, which were separated by bamboo and looked very neat.

Seeing her looking at the vegetable garden, Jiang Lie slowed down and walked beside her, saying, "I... like things to be neat, so I separated the vegetable garden with bamboo. If you don't like it, I can remove it."

"No, no need. I think it looks great this way. The bright green bamboo tubes separate each vegetable patch, so whatever you plant won't look mixed up and messy. It must be a lot of work to do all this."

"They have to be cut into sections one by one and then fixed to the ground one by one. It would take several days to finish."

"Actually, it's not too bad. I do it at night, so it doesn't take much time."

Back then, he slept on the floor every day. Lin Fengjiao wouldn't let him go up on the kang (a heated brick bed), saying that he smelled too much sweat and no matter how clean he washed, it wouldn't work. His wife could see him but couldn't have him, and he felt too hot and uncomfortable at night.

I just worked on these bamboo stalks one by one to distract myself, so that I could fall asleep when I was exhausted at night.

Wen Yao looked at the man whose expression suddenly darkened and felt a little puzzled. She didn't understand why he was like this all of a sudden. He worked and hunted in the mountains during the day and did these things at night. Wasn't he tired?

She looked at him tenderly: "But you do all this at night, don't you get tired without time to rest?"

Jiang Lie shook his head: "I'm young and energetic, I have inexhaustible strength, I won't get tired."

"Let me take your pulse. Don't be careless when you're young, or those hidden injuries will come out when you get older, and that's when you'll really suffer and it will hurt a lot."

"Take my pulse? Okay, take my pulse in a bit."

Wen Yao hummed in agreement, glanced at the clean and tidy yard, and the firewood neatly stacked in the corner, and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Were you a soldier? The firewood is all so neatly arranged."

Jiang Lie nodded: "I served in the militia, not the real army. I wanted to go, but I couldn't leave my family. My second brother was in poor health and the family needed money, so I didn't go."

"I've gotten used to the militia, and I've gradually come to like this orderly life. It's good to bring it home too, so it's not messy. Do you think I'm a nuisance?"

"Haha, why would I find you troublesome? You do all these chores. I only worry about how tired you are from doing so much work. How could I complain?"

Wen Yao spoke frankly, and seeing his ears turn red, she couldn't help but laugh: "Are you shy?"

Jiang Lie: "...No, look, that's the kitchen. I'll go to the well to process the venison chunks. You can see how to cook it later. I can cook too, but it's not very good."

"Okay, I'll do it. I'm pretty good at cooking."

"We're the best at making soup. We've done a lot of research on soups, and they're really delicious. You'll see when you taste them."

"it is good."

The two worked together, one tending the fire and the other cooking and stewing soup, and they did it very quickly.

The rich aroma of meat wafted out, and Wen Yao sniffed, "It smells so good! I've never had venison before. I've heard it's very nourishing and good for your health."

Jiang Lie hummed in agreement: "If you like, I'll hunt more deer next time, there are more deer on the other hill."

"No need, eating it occasionally is fine."

"Alright, go get the bowls and chopsticks, we're about to eat."

Each person held a bowl in front of them. Wen Yao took small sips of the soup, the fresh and tender taste spreading on her tongue. It was delicious and had no strange taste at all.

"How is it? It tastes great, doesn't it? It even has a hint of fruitiness. Stewing it with a little bit of apple makes it taste even better."

Jiang Lie hummed in agreement: "It's delicious. I didn't know there were so many intricacies involved in making a soup. You're really amazing."

Wen Yao smiled happily: "Yes, Haicheng is by the sea, so everyone here loves to make soup and has done a lot of research on it. If you like it, I'll make more soup for you in the future."

"Um."

After finishing a bowl, Wen Yao was already full. Her stomach felt warm and comfortable. She rested her chin on one hand and watched him eat with curiosity, one bowl after another, not afraid of burning herself.

"Isn't it hot?"

"It's not hot."

"Okay, wait for me in the yard after you finish eating. I'll tidy up the kitchen and then come take your pulse."

Jiang Lie nodded honestly.

Half an hour later, Wen Yao finished getting ready and came to the courtyard. The two sat facing each other on small stools. She placed her fair hand on his wrist and carefully took his pulse. Soon, her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Her face flushed red all the way down to her neck, like the sunset on the horizon, so alluring that one couldn't look away.

Jiang Lie raised an eyebrow at her: "What's wrong?"

Wen Yao didn't dare to look at him, and coughed lightly: "Your health couldn't be better, it's just that you're a little too hot-tempered. In the future... you'll just need to balance your yin and yang, and don't suppress it too much, and you'll be fine."

"Oh, how do you balance yin and yang?"

After I asked the question, the little girl gave me a fierce yet cute glare.

"You know what I mean? Okay, I'm going back now, I'm not talking to you anymore, you bad guy~"

Jiang Lie reached out and grabbed her wrist. It was as smooth as tofu. He couldn't help but rub it with his fingertips, reluctant to let go. "Sit down. Let me take a look at the injury on your knee."

"I heard about how you saved Douzi, and I also know you injured your knee. Let me see if it's better."

Wen Yao whispered, "It's okay, I'm all better now. It's just scabbed over, it'll be fine once it falls off."

"Let go, I'm going back."

"I'll go back after I've checked your wound. There's no rush. I haven't seen you for three days, and I want to talk to you more."

Jiang Lie just stared at her.

Wen Yao's heart softened when she saw his eyes, and she wanted to stay with him a little longer, so she sat down and gestured for him to let go and roll up his trouser legs herself.

As the trouser leg was rolled up, the small brown mark on the knee was clearly visible, with some areas even turning red, which showed how much pain it must have caused.

"Look, it's all scabbed over, and it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm so grateful to Baozhu for taking care of me, otherwise I wouldn't have recovered so quickly."

The man leaned closer, his breath warming her knees. Wen Yao swallowed, opened her mouth to say something, and saw his lips touch her knees.

He blew gently on it, his warm breath sliding over his knees. The man blew earnestly, saying, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were injured. I'm sorry you had to suffer."

"...No, I'm not aggrieved. This is what I have to do. Saving people is nothing, a little injury is nothing."

Seeing that he was about to continue, the itch spread all the way down her knee, and Wen Yao couldn't stand it anymore: "You, you stop blowing, it's too itchy, I can't help but scratch."