Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
He gently reached out to stroke her nose, speaking with deep affection.
Xia Muxin's beautiful eyes were filled with tears, and upon hearing Shen Muhan's words, she pouted and cursed him under her breath. Shen Muhan, however, laughed joyfully, grabbing her clothes from the side and carefully pulling her out of the blanket to help her get dressed.
Days passed by, but there was still no news from the people Shen Muhan had sent out. They could wait, but Xia Muxin could not; the medication would only last for ten months. After that, the Child Gu within her would develop an immunity to these drugs. Even using his blood to concoct pills would be futile.
Yet, Shen Muhan had to bear this burden alone, filled with worry but unable to leave Xia Muxin's side. The weight of his anxiety was almost suffocating.
After washing up, Xia Muxin returned to the room and saw Shen Muhan lost in thought by the window. She cautiously approached him, her face clouded with concern. After fidgeting with her fingers for a while, she finally spoke in a low voice:
"Husband, am I unable to conceive?"
Several women in the village who married later than she did became pregnant within a month. Yet here she was, married for several months already. Given Shen Muhan's vigor, if he had the chance, he could go all night long. But her Koi Water arrived punctually every month. Although she didn't want a child so soon and had mentioned it to Shen Muhan, they had taken no precautions at all. This naturally caused her to worry.
Regardless of whether this was a feudal era or not, she genuinely wanted to have children for him—just not right now.
Shen Muhan stared at her for a moment, his gaze softening as he pulled her into his embrace and whispered:
"Silly girl, what are you talking about?"
Xia Muxin looked up at him with some agitation, her eyes locked onto his:
"Look, we've been married for quite some time now, and we've been intimate frequently without taking any precautions. Yet my Koi Water is always on time. Don't you think there might be a problem?"
Shen Muhan furrowed his brows, feeling a mix of joy and worry. The joy stemmed from the fact that she actually cared about having children, while the worry arose from her comment about their frequent intimacy. He had been abstinent for two months. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and smiled.
"It has nothing to do with you. Didn't you say you don't want to have children right now? I've been working on myself, and as soon as you express the desire to have a baby, I guarantee you’ll conceive in one night."
Xia Muxin was taken aback, then immediately hugged him tightly. Words failed her; she could only feel more certain that this man loved her deeply, to the very core of his being.
A complex emotion flickered in Shen Muhan's eyes as he held her tightly in his embrace.
*
"Burnt! It's burnt! Is your nose malfunctioning? How can you not smell the burnt odor? If there's a problem, remember to see a doctor."
Over here, Yan Zhouwan had gotten up early and was busy with the oven. This was something Xia Muxin had specifically designed; they had just officially tested it yesterday. Yan Zhouwan loved this task, and the bread that came out was soft, fragrant, and melted in the mouth. It was convenient to carry, and it was said that this type sold the best among dried foods, followed closely by multigrain cakes.
Moreover, ingredients like red beans, sesame seeds, peanuts, and sunflower seeds could be added to the bread, which naturally doubled its selling price. Although she had learned quite a bit, compared to Xia Muxin, she was still just scratching the surface.
Having just kneaded some flour and made a batch, she suddenly caught a whiff of something burning. Frowning, she walked toward the oven. Upon seeing the situation inside, she nearly grabbed a plate to hit the dazed person on the head but realized there was no time for that. Instead, she rushed to save the bread that hadn’t completely burned yet. The words that came out were harsh and unpleasant; indeed, Shen Muqing’s brows were furrowed enough to crush a fly.
Seeing Yan Zhouwan pull out the oven with one hand while holding a damp cloth, she noticed that the bottom layer of bread had already stuck to the oven's base due to burning. As she tore it off with her hands, thick layers of burnt flour remained stuck on top. Yan Zhouwan muttered angrily under her breath, cursing herself for being useless.
That damned woman didn’t know where she got her courage from; ever since the incident with He Huan San, she had disappeared from his sight. But upon returning, she seemed like a completely different person—always glaring at him with dissatisfaction. This made him uncomfortable but also guilty.
During this time, he had endured everything because this was a woman's most precious virtue. If she were to marry in the future without being cherished, it could even cost her life. However, he couldn’t bring himself to marry a woman without any emotional foundation between them. They remained in this standoff; even after spending time together handling matters, they still felt like strangers unless it involved work.
In recent days, he heard that the Emperor had knocked out a woman and brought her directly into the palace. She was tied to him every day and never left his side except when attending court. Without needing to say more, he knew who that woman was. But what the Emperor was doing was too obvious; even if he didn’t want to be Emperor anymore, he shouldn’t act like this—didn’t he fear that the Retired Emperor would take action against that woman?
He once held the esteemed title of First-Rank General, but now he found himself in this desolate village, baking bread for others. The order had come directly from the current emperor, and the thought of it made him feel stifled.
Of course, he knew that it was his brother, who cherished his wife above all else, who had instigated this situation. Just thinking about it made him seethe with frustration.
At that moment, Yan Zhouwan had placed the oven directly on the ground. She carefully took a basket and began to gently break off pieces of bread to place inside. Each time she accidentally touched something hot, she would instinctively touch her ear and let out a small puffing sound.
The scar on her face had faded to the point where it was barely noticeable. However, a small piece of gauze covered the area where the scar had been, and faint traces of blood could be seen on it. Shen Muqing found herself momentarily lost in thought; it seemed she hadn’t been injured recently, so what was with the gauze and the blood?
There was something uniquely captivating about her serious demeanor as she worked. Shen Muqing watched intently, forgetting to pull her gaze away until Yan Zhouwan finished scraping off the sticky dough from the bottom with a blade and wiped it clean with a damp cloth. She then placed a new batch of raw dough onto the oven before starting to pack them up again for baking.
“A strong burnt smell is wafting through, Yan Zhouwan. You didn’t get burned, did you?”
Xia Muxin walked in at that moment. From afar, she spotted Shen Muhan standing in a daze. Without greeting anyone, she merely glanced over and spoke up. The temperature of the oven was higher than outside; even with several large vents open, it felt like a steamer inside. This made her feel a pang of guilt for Yan Zhouwan; her first concern was naturally for her safety.
“Muxin, I’m fine! It’s just that I wasted an entire basket of bread. Why are you back so early? Didn’t you go over there to help out?”
Yan Zhouwan shook the lever and leaned her head out slightly. Seeing Xia Muxin surprised her; she had clearly gone to Dayao Village just days ago and was already back. Remembering the wasted bread made her sigh.
This was the first batch of baked bread she had prepared early in the morning, and now it was all ruined—definitely not a pleasant feeling.
Xia Muxin glanced at the basket filled with unsellable bread and smirked slightly before changing the subject.
“It’s nothing serious. This morning I told Mother to cook less breakfast; we’ll just eat this bread with porridge instead. It’s filling and won’t go to waste.”
The bread couldn’t be sold because it looked unappealing; a thick layer had been torn off from the bottom. However, that didn’t affect its taste at all. Since others wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy it, she believed everyone would still love it.
"You Stinky Girl, you're the only one who knows how to comfort others."
Yan Zhouwan felt a light laugh escape her, perhaps in this world, only Xia Muxin and her family would treat her this way.
Having such a good friend is truly wonderful!
Xia Muxin simply smiled as she tore off a small piece of bread and popped it into her mouth. Then she began to lavish praise on Yan Zhouwan's cooking, making Yan Zhouwan feel shy and embarrassed. Shen Muhan watched the two women chase each other around the oven, playfully shoving pieces of bread into their mouths, and an inexplicable warmth flowed through his heart.
Shen Muhan quietly observed the two, a happy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and then he exchanged a meaningful glance with Shen Muqing, who looked momentarily stunned.
Indeed, everyone was excited to hear that breakfast would be bread. After such a long time of scarcity, even with their relentless efforts day and night, they had not been able to eat any. They were reluctant to indulge since money was hard-earned for them. Moreover, everything they had today was thanks to Xia Muxin. Whether it was the grandparents, sister-in-law, or their parents, Xia Muxin treated everyone equally. It was no wonder this family was so close-knit.
The freshly baked bread smelled particularly delightful, its sweetness just right. The porridge was thick and hearty, with ginger shreds and minced meat added in, accompanied by several plates of refreshing cold dishes. Everyone enjoyed their meal immensely.
Some stood while others sat, chatting and laughing; it was all so warm and cozy.
Passersby couldn't help but peek in, their eyes filled with jealousy, envy, and happiness.
After breakfast, everyone busied themselves with their tasks. Xia Muxin played with the little ones for a while before loading a cart full of goods and heading straight to town.
- End of Chapter -
Comment 0 Comment Count