After dinner, He Zifeng worked in the courtyard repairing old, broken items left in the house. Buying new ones would cost money, so anything that could be fixed was patched up.
He worked until the evening light grew dim, then washed his hands and went inside. Little He Ran had already gone to bed, clearly enchanted with his two rabbits. He had placed their hutch close to his bed and lined it with plenty of dry grass.
When He Zifeng entered, Qiu Yu had already made the bed. “Why isn’t Ranran sleeping with us anymore?” He Zifeng asked softly.
Qiu Yu’s lips curved slightly. “He wants to wake up early to pick fresh grass for the rabbits with his friends.”
“I see,” He Zifeng said as he extinguished the oil lamp and climbed into bed. He wanted to talk about what had happened during the day, but before he could, he felt Qiu Yu lean against him. In the quiet of the dark night, their senses were heightened. Qiu Yu wasn’t wearing any clothes and even sneakily kissed his chin.
He Zifeng, a young and vigorous man, couldn’t resist. Wrapping his arms around Qiu Yu, he kissed him deeply.
He Zifeng had noticed earlier how Qiu Yu had been whispering sweetly to their son. Now, with the boy in his own bed, there was no mistaking what was on his mind. As a husband, He Zifeng was determined not to disappoint.
That night, his strength and vigor were unmatched.
—
The next morning, Little He Ran was surprised to find that his little daddy was still in bed. He wanted to crawl in and cuddle, but He Zifeng carried him out of the room.
“Here, I made millet porridge. Have some, and then you can go gather grass. Don’t go too far—just stay near the base of the mountain,” He Zifeng instructed.
“Okay!” Little He Ran, excited by the thought of porridge, drank it all up before running off to play with the other children.
He Zifeng carried a bowl of millet porridge and eggs into the room and placed them on the table. Qiu Yu, who had been awake but pretending to sleep, blushed.
Feigning sleep was far too obvious.
He Zifeng walked over, kissed him on the lips, and chuckled as he felt the heat rising in Qiu Yu’s cheeks. “I’m going to see Uncle Liu about buying the land,” he said, leaving the room with that.
—
He Zifeng finalized the purchase of the land, and news spread quickly through the village.
At the old He family home, Xiao Wanshi smashed a teacup in fury. “That was my money!” she fumed, the thought of it making her chest ache.
“That idiot! That land’s been abandoned for over three years—overrun with weeds taller than crops,” He Donglai grumbled.
The youngest son, He Fan, who had reluctantly returned after being pressured by his eldest brother, immediately regretted it. Wan Hai had conveniently moved in with his in-laws, leaving all the cooking, cleaning, and caring for the third brother to He Fan. Thankfully, the third brother’s legs had healed, sparing He Fan from further filth.
When He Fan heard his parents cursing the second brother, he said, “It’s his money; he can spend it however he wants. How can you live in the countryside without land? Grain prices are unpredictable, and during famine years, even money can’t buy food. Land is the foundation of a farmer’s life. If I were Second Brother, I’d buy land too.”
“Spit! That’s money I gave him to hold, not to spend as he pleases,” Xiao Wanshi snapped. She had even thought about burning down He Zifeng’s house to force him back, but he had spent the money before she could act.
After just two days back home, He Fan was fed up.
Every morning, the house was filled with shouting.
He Fan sighed. The household had never been warm, but now it was unbearable. With ten acres of farmland and a sauce workshop bringing in twenty taels annually, he thought the ten taels given to He Zifeng wouldn’t make much difference.
But He Donglai, who had never intended to leave He Zifeng anything, treated the ten taels as if it were his lifeblood.
Forget the years of oppression; all He Donglai could focus on was how He Zifeng had “betrayed” him this time. Furious, he couldn’t sleep at night and decided to visit his sister in the neighboring village.
He brought a jar of wine, three pounds of meat, and five pounds of fine white flour—over a hundred coins’ worth, a generous gift by village standards.
He Donglai’s sister, a hot-tempered woman who shared his fiery personality, had always been a force to be reckoned with. As a young woman, she had been as fierce as a chili pepper. After marrying a timid man, she took full control of the household, ruling with an iron fist. Even her daughters-in-law didn’t dare eat at the same table with her.
When she heard about her brother’s troubles, she immediately put on her shoes, ready for battle. “I’ll teach that brat a lesson,” she said, following He Donglai back to the village, cursing all the way.
Villagers shook their heads at the sight.
“Has He Donglai lost his mind? The mayor oversaw the family split, with the village elders as witnesses. What’s he trying to do now?”
“He even brought his sister back. This is going to escalate. Quick, go find Liuzi, the village chief.”
“Good grief, that woman’s nothing but trouble. Poor He Zifeng.”
“Let’s go see what’s happening.” A few women at the river hurriedly wrung out their laundry, placed it in their baskets, and set off together.
—
He Zifeng had just returned with the land deed and noticed Qiu Yu was awake but giving him the cold shoulder. He knew he must’ve been too rough last night.
He started coaxing him, but before he could say much, a village boy came running to warn him about his aunt’s arrival. The boy had been enamored(admiration) with He Zifeng ever since he took him to gather fruit in the forest.
After giving the boy a coin to buy candy and asking him to fetch Aunt Li from the village, He Zifeng told Qiu Yu to stay inside while he handled the situation.
He Donglai’s sister stormed into the village, shouting, “You little brat! How dare you sue your father? Today, you’re going to kneel and apologize! And that Qiu Yu—”
Before she could finish her tirade, a bucket of cold well water was dumped over her head.
Soaked and stunned, she stood there with a leaf stuck to her head.
Someone in the crowd couldn’t hold back their laughter, and soon others joined in.
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