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墨書 Inktalez
Suddenly, eight figures, including Ming Yi, separated from the air. Xia Muxin felt a shadow pass over her head, and the rain ceased. Finally regaining some clarity, she looked up.
"Oil paper?"
As she gazed at the greenish cloth-like material dispersing in the air, Xia Muxin's eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn't help but murmur softly.
Oil paper was the best material for making umbrellas in this era, typically only affordable to Noble Families. Common folk usually relied on straw cloaks and bamboo hats. Due to its fragility, a thin layer of lacquer was applied on both sides to make it waterproof and sturdy. Some merchants found this too plain and would paint oil paintings or simple patterns on top, making it both attractive and eye-catching.
Xia Muxin had already outlined the size of the kiln in her blueprints, and Shen Muhan was well-acquainted with her designs. They had discussed it together, but he had left before they could finalize everything.
However, creating such a large piece of oil paper would indeed take considerable time.
Could it be that his reason for leaving was related to this...
At that moment, the oil paper bloomed in the air like a giant hydrangea, its area larger than the kiln itself. Eight wooden stakes secured its corners, and as the wind blew, it rustled loudly—though somewhat jarring, below it erupted cheers.
Their hard work had finally been preserved.
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Seeing the joyful expressions on everyone's faces, Xia Muxin's tense features finally relaxed. She stretched out her arms and tightly embraced Shen Muhan's waist, sincerely thanking him.
Shen Muhan wrapped her in his embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head. After taking a deep breath and pausing for a long moment, he finally spoke in a muffled voice:
"Foolish girl!"
At the same time, a large hand ruffled her neatly combed black hair, turning it into a messy nest.
Before long, Ming Yi and the others jumped down from the tree stump. Seeing the two of them in an embrace, whispering to each other, they hesitated, unsure whether to approach.
"Guard this kiln. If anyone dares to cause trouble again, chop off their limbs and throw them into the kiln to burn!"
Just a moment ago, there had been another person on the kiln roof—the one who had nearly caused Xia Muxin and a few others to fall. Shen Muhan, focused on Xia Muxin, hadn’t pulled him out but knew he was still among the crowd. With a cold glance sweeping over the people, he issued orders to Ming Yi and the others.
Ming Yi and the others understood they couldn’t show any reluctance. After all, if it hadn’t been for their leader’s timely appearance, if anything had happened to Miss Muxin, it wouldn’t matter if they died a thousand times or a hundred times.
After giving his orders, Shen Muhan carried Xia Muxin and headed home.
"It’s all right now, it’s all right!"
"Woo woo..."
From afar, as they approached their Thatched Cottage, a series of whimpering cries reached them. Xia Muxin lifted her gaze in that direction and saw her brother clumsily trying to comfort Ermiao. Perhaps still frightened from what had happened in the forest, Ermiao looked pale as paper, her whole body trembling slightly. She hadn’t even changed out of her muddy clothes.
Xia Tieshu stood in front of Ermiao with a flushed face, his hands awkwardly hovering as he felt anxious and helpless.
Just pick her up already...
Watching her clumsy brother made Xia Muxin break into a cold sweat for him. At this moment, what did gender differences matter? Why hold back? Just hug her and comfort her! It would be best if the village chief saw it; maybe he would come by tomorrow to urge their family to propose marriage.
Shen Muhan looked at Xia Muxin's slightly annoyed and helpless expression, and with a teasing smile, leaned closer to her ear and said in a husky voice, "What reward will I get if I help them?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin shot him an irritated glance. Seeing the playful glint in his eyes, she furrowed her brows and stomped down hard on his foot.
Shen Muhan had anticipated this reaction from her, yet he did not flinch or pull away, allowing her to step on him. Xia Muxin knew he was skilled in martial arts, but she exerted considerable force. Although it wouldn't cause any serious injury, it would certainly hurt. The fact that he let her do this made her feel guilty, causing her cheeks to flush.
"Alright, your brother is an adult now. If he can't even handle the woman he likes, then he has no right to marry her. Take your time; if opportunities come and go, he'll naturally figure out what to do."
Shen Muhan decided not to tease her any further. She had been through enough stress lately and likely hadn't had a good night's sleep; the dark circles under her eyes were evidence of that. He wrapped an arm around her and led her toward the courtyard while speaking softly.
As he spoke, he waved his hand slightly, and suddenly there was a sound of surprise.
Xia Muxin turned to see Ermiao had lost her balance and stumbled directly into her brother's arms. The two of them ended up in an embrace.
Glancing at Shen Muhan's eyes filled with affection and tenderness, Xia Muxin couldn't help but smile faintly. She let out a deep sigh and then yawned heavily.
"Uncle, Aunt, I'm taking Muxin out for a walk. Ming Yi and the others are over there; you don't need to worry."
After yawning, Xia Muxin felt a bit lightheaded, her eyelids unusually heavy. If Shen Muhan hadn't been half-supporting her, she might have fallen to the ground. A pang of concern shot through Shen Muhan as he noticed Aunt Xia's anxious expression. He politely nodded at them before speaking.
Summer Forest had returned just before Muxin and the others. He was already aware of the situation regarding the oil paper. Moreover, since Shen Muhan had instructed Ming Yi and the others to guard the cave, he felt relieved. Their main concern was for Muxin; despite her strength and resilience that surpassed most people, witnessing her frantically attacking Wang Dafu earlier had deeply troubled him. If it weren't for fear and panic, she wouldn't have lost control like that.
Fortunately, Shen Muhan had returned.
Handing over his precious daughter to him, they felt at ease.
The couple exchanged glances and nodded with smiles.
With Aunt Xia's permission, Shen Muhan nodded at them and half-carried Xia Muxin towards the carriage, then drove away with a flourish.
The moment Xia Muxin was embraced into the carriage, her eyes fluttered shut, and she fell into a deep sleep. Shen Muhan took a coat from the carriage and covered her before sitting in front to drive.
Xia Muxin didn't know how long she had slept. Drowsily, she opened her eyes just a crack, then quickly shut them tight. After a moment, she half-covered her face with her hand but suddenly sat up straight in the carriage, exclaiming:
"Is it sunny out?"
A gentle breeze rustled the curtains of the carriage, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds. The sun's warmth seemed mild but was still somewhat blinding. After her exclamation, Xia Muxin sat back down in the carriage, her eyes darting around. Suddenly puzzled, she muttered:
"East, south, west, north... East? No, it's neither afternoon nor evening, so..."
In an instant, she slapped her forehead in frustration, reached out to pull aside the curtain, and jumped out of the carriage.
"You’re awake? It’s your first time; I wonder how it tastes," Shen Muhan said as he was tending to a fire with a bamboo tube for Zhu Dongxi. He stared at Xia Muxin for a moment as she jumped out of the carriage in a daze before speaking again.
"How long did I sleep?"
Xia Muxin could hardly believe it. She clearly remembered that it was evening when she came out, but who could tell her what day and time it was now? The sun was still in the east...
"Since yesterday evening, it hasn't been too long."
Shen Muhan was almost using all his limbs, tending to the bamboo tube cooking something while also keeping an eye on the rabbit roasting over the fire. He had to respond to Xia Muxin's question at the same time.
"Don't worry, Ant and the others won't be concerned. The kiln is doing well too; the heat has reached the top of the kiln. Just take a good rest for a few days."
He flipped the rabbit meat and sniffed at the bamboo tube. Seeing Xia Muxin still dazed in place, he stepped forward and took her hand.
As the smell of meat wafted through the air, Xia Muxin's stomach cooperatively growled a few times, drawing a chuckle from Shen Muhan. He quickly tore off a rabbit leg and handed it to her, looking at her intently.
"You must be hungry; eat it while it's hot."
She didn't hesitate, taking the rabbit leg and biting into it fiercely. However, before she could chew, her brows furrowed tightly as she looked at Shen Muhan with confusion.
Shen Muhan had grilled fish before, but this was his first time roasting rabbit meat. He thought the steps were quite similar. Seeing Xia Muxin's strange expression, he awkwardly scratched his forehead and asked,
"Is it not cooked well?"
Xia Muxin finally couldn't hold back any longer and spat out the piece of meat in her mouth. She quickly got up and hurried to the carriage to grab a water flask, taking a big gulp to rinse her mouth.
Shen Muhan's gaze fell dejectedly as he took a bite of the rabbit leg she had left behind.
"Ugh..."
As soon as the meat entered his mouth, he spat it out. Xia Muxin found it somewhat amusing and walked over to hand him a water bottle.
"Uncle, is your salt free?"
She sat down beside him, watching him frown as he rinsed his mouth, and couldn't help but tease him.
After rinsing, Shen Muhan paused before saying, "I thought salt was like sugar; you need to add more."
At his words, Xia Muxin burst into laughter.
Soon after, Shen Muhan caught a rabbit and Xia Muxin took charge, ensuring that he enjoyed the best rabbit meat he had tasted in twenty years. The quality was largely due to the well-prepared ingredients in his carriage, which were nearly all-inclusive.
As Xia Muxin savored the delicious rabbit meat, she noticed the perfect lines of Shen Muhan's jaw and suddenly asked, "Uncle, have you been cooking for yourself during this time? Otherwise, why do you look thinner?"
Upon hearing this, a sweet smile spread across Shen Muhan's eyes. Finally, this girl was showing concern for him.
He had been working day and night lately. Aunt Xia was due to give birth in a few months, and with the baby in a breech position, there was a risk of losing both mother and child. He had sent Ming Yi to ask Sister Tang about it. Sister Tang provided him with an address and the name of an acupuncturist who specialized in treating breech positions. On his way there, he remembered that Muxin needed oil paper for her kiln. Given that the process took a long time and the weather was unpredictable, he worried that rain could ruin her hard work. So he inquired about the details of the oil paper and requested a large piece. However, he was informed that their supply was limited and that he would need to go to other places for such a size.
He traveled through several towns and counties to gather the oil paper before finally finding a sewing shop where he had them stitched together piece by piece. After paying a deposit, he rushed off to learn acupuncture.
After learning acupuncture and retrieving the oil paper, he still needed to find a place to paint it, which delayed him further.
"Did you miss me while I was gone?"
He tossed aside the Rabbit Bone and washed his hands with water from a nearby bamboo tube. As he reached out, Xia Muxin fell into his embrace. He leaned closer with a wicked smile, inhaling her unique fragrance. After a long moment, he finally spoke.
Seeing his smug expression, Xia Muxin smirked and replied readily, "Of course I missed you. Without you around, no one helps me wring out my clothes, no one fetches water for me, no one follows me around like a shadow all day, and certainly no one chatters in my ear like an old bird... Ugh..."
However, before she could finish her sentence, her lips were silenced.
Shen Muhan seemed to be punishing her for being disobedient as he forcefully entwined his tongue with hers, his large hand restlessly exploring her body. Xia Muxin felt dizzy from the kiss, her breath quickening as that restless hand roamed over her, sending waves of electricity coursing through her body, leaving her unable to control herself.
Though she had initially resisted, she now pressed closer to him, seemingly wanting more. His hand ventured down from her collar, and seeing the dazed look in Xia Muxin's eyes made his throat tighten and his dark gaze deepen as he pinned her down.
Time seemed to stretch as they rolled on the grass. Shen Muhan suddenly opened his obsidian-like eyes, fixating on where his hand rested. Xia Muxin also opened her dreamy, watery eyes and felt his large hand gripping her chest tightly. Her face flushed with embarrassment as reason returned to her; she pushed against his solid chest but heard his hoarse yet excited voice say:
"Your waist may be small, but... this part is definitely bigger."
- End of Chapter -
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