"What have you been up to? Sister Chunying was just passing by our house and couldn't stop praising you, saying you finally look like a real man?"
After reminding Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo to be careful, Chen Yang returned home and saw Shen Xue waiting for him anxiously at the door with their baby.
The woman looked delicate and weak, with a hint of laziness in her eyes. She must have been sleeping with the little one, otherwise, with such heavy rain, she would have rushed to the drying ground to help.
"Nothing much, the heavy rain washed away a lot of grain. I was at the forefront, rushing to save it. The old village head publicly praised me for turning over a new leaf."
Chen Yang placed his wet clothes in a wooden basin under the eaves. Seeing him bare-chested and completely uninhibited, Shen Xue felt her ears heat up, a blush visibly spreading across her pretty face.
"That's good. Don't overwork yourself; your health is the most important thing."
"I've boiled some hot water for you. Hurry and wipe yourself down with a towel. I'll get you a new bandage; you must be careful not to let the wound get infected."
Shen Xue carefully untied the herbal ash cloth tied around Chen Yang's arm and picked up the wooden basin, ready to fetch hot water for him.
"Daddy, hug, Yanyan wants Daddy."
The baby also toddled over on her little legs, demanding a hug. The little one's world was simple. Even though it had only been a few hours, she truly missed her daddy.
Chen Yang tickled the baby's nose and, lifting her by her armpits, spun her around in the air.
"Yay! Yay!"
"Daddy, lift me higher!"
The clear, bell-like laughter of the child soon echoed through the house.
"Yanyan, if you get your clothes wet, you'll catch a cold and get sick. Let Daddy take a bath and change into clean clothes before playing with you, okay?"
At this moment, Shen Xue had finished fetching the hot water. Seeing the father and daughter playing and laughing together, a sense of peace washed over her.
Even though Chen Yang had told her about the grain being washed away, she felt no worry. If their home could be like this every day, she would be incredibly happy.
"Daddy, change clothes."
"Yanyan, be good."
The little one was only a little over two years old, and her speech was still developing, often using repetitive words. However, she was intelligent and understanding, readily letting Chen Yang put her down.
"Alright, Daddy will change and then come play with my little wine jar."
Chen Yang took the hot water and towel from Shen Xue. The thoughtful woman had already placed his dry clothes in the inner room.
Carrying the wooden basin into the inner room, Chen Yang quickly shed his wet clothes, wiped himself dry with a towel and hot water, and then emerged in dry, comfortable attire.
"Come here, let me change the bandage for your wound."
Shen Xue had already prepared clean herbal ash and helped Chen Yang re-bandage his arm.
Looking down at Shen Xue's fair neck, Chen Yang's breathing involuntarily deepened.
In his previous life, for many years, Chen Yang had felt no romantic interest in women. But looking at his youthful and vibrant wife in his arms, he suddenly felt the impulses of his twenty-something body.
Shen Xue hadn't expected Chen Yang to suddenly embrace her. But feeling the scorching heat of her husband's body, she felt her own body go weak.
"Don't be silly, the child is still here."
"Besides, I'm currently on my period these days, so it's inconvenient. In a few days, I'll do whatever you want, okay?"
Shen Xue's autumn eyes seemed to hold a watery gentleness. She gently stroked Chen Yang's cheek, which looked a little more resolute than before, her heart pounding like a deer.
For some reason, she hadn't found her husband this charming before. But today, he made her feel weak.
"Wife, you said it yourself. You'll do whatever I want then."
Chen Yang grinned. In his previous life, Shen Xue had been very reserved. Even after giving birth to their child, she had been very proper with him. Hearing her say that, how could the older man not be excited?
"I'm not talking to you anymore; I'm going to cook."
Hearing Chen Yang's suggestive chuckle, Shen Xue's pretty face flushed red all the way to her ears. She quickly pushed Chen Yang away and fled.
"Daddy, Mommy's face is red."
"Huff, huff."
As Shen Xue ran away, the little one ran to Chen Yang's side, imitating Shen Xue's walk for a bit. Now it was Chen Yang's turn to blush.
The room was too small. With the baby here, he needed to be mindful of his influence from now on and not let the child see such things.
No, he had to earn money quickly and build a bigger house. He wanted to build a beautiful princess room for his daughter.
He definitely wasn't thinking about not having to leave his daughter so he could hold his wife and do some lovely things at night. The main reason was that children grow fast, and they would be grown up in the blink of an eye. Cultivating a child's independence should have been prioritized earlier.
The pitiful baby, unaware that her daddy was already planning a separate room for her, pitter-pattered on her little legs into Chen Yang's embrace.
"Daddy's darling, slow down, don't fall."
Chen Yang immediately hugged the little one who had stumbled into his arms. After such a short time, he had already forgotten his previous thoughts.
Such a cute little thing, he couldn't bear to leave her alone.
The night passed peacefully, much like in his previous life. After the heavy rain, the next day was sunny. Zheng Weiguo and Liu Maosheng arrived before dawn, carrying two large baskets woven from bamboo, filled with their catch.
Chen Yang carefully placed the two large baskets of aquatic products into the large water tank in the yard to keep them alive. He waited for Shen Xue to go to work before heading to the city to begin his plan for wealth.
"Here, have some mountain eggs."
"I've also prepared malted milk extract for you. Have a bowl. I'll feed Yanyan later. With the heavy rain yesterday and mud everywhere today, you probably can't work. If you're not feeling well, ask the old village head for leave."
"A few work points are not as important as your health. I saw some math books at the Xinhua Bookstore in the city, but they were too expensive. We don't need to buy them. I plan to go to the county town again today to copy the problems down."
Chen Yang brought a peeled mountain egg to Shen Xue's mouth. Although he was worried about Shen Xue and wanted her to rest for a few days, Shen Xue herself was not willing.
Even if she did rest at home, he wouldn't be able to conduct his aquatic product business under her watchful eye. He needed to achieve some results first. That way, even if it was exposed later, it would be easier to justify the money he earned to Shen Xue.
"I know. This malted milk extract is so expensive. Don't make it for me next time. Yanyan is young and needs nutrition. Save it for Yanyan."
Looking at the large bowl of malted milk extract Chen Yang had prepared, Shen Xue felt heartbroken. A can cost more than three yuan, and a spoonful of this mixture was worth several cents. This wasn't eating malted milk extract; it was eating money! How could she not be heartbroken?
"Your own body is also weak; you need to replenish your nutrients too."
"Don't worry about the household management; everything is handled by me."
Chen Yang gently hugged the woman's delicate body. She was still too thin; she needed to be well-nourished.
Shen Xue opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing more. Chen Yang's words filled her with an indescribable sense of happiness.
She had always managed their household. She remembered how she had to shamelessly borrow rice from neighbors and the cold glances she had endured and the forced smiles she had to give.
Now, leaning in her husband's arms, she felt an immense sense of security.