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墨書 Inktalez
“Husband, this is also a measure of wealth. Tonight, I will prepare a fresh dish for you.”
Shen Muhan raised an eyebrow, seemingly looking forward to it. He then stepped closer and took the bundle of Sweet Potato Vines from her hands, and they walked home together.
The setting sun stretched their tall and short figures long across the ground. The man occasionally leaned down to say something to the woman, who would sometimes clutch her stomach and bend over, or lean her head against him. Each time, he would instinctively shift his body slightly to accommodate her...
Dinner was simple. They brought some vegetables from home, as the hot weather made it unsuitable for meat to be stored for long. Xia Muxin selected a piece of pork belly, a section of Marrow, some Dried Bamboo Shoots, mushrooms, a whole Male Fish, a few pieces of tofu, and some spices. The small dish was made from the Sweet Potato Vines.
Shen Muhan started the fire and began washing rice. He had become increasingly skilled at household chores, knowing exactly how much rice to wash for several people and how much water to add.
“Husband, cook more rice. Before we arrived, they could manage with just a little, but now that we’re here, this place counts as a home too. Everyone should feel free to come over for meals.”
Watching Shen Muhan wash the rice, Xia Muxin reminded him that there were always two people keeping watch here. The kitchen was clean, with many spices left behind from when they lived here before. The cooking utensils were also spotless, though there was noticeably less oil than before. It was clear that they usually cooked for themselves, but the kitchen lacked any meat or fish, indicating a life filled with hardship and constraints.
“They can’t cook meat dishes.”
The rice was stored in a clay jar. As Shen Muhan opened the lid, he paused; he knew his subordinates well, especially the ten or so under Ming Yi. They were not skilled in the kitchen and had grown accustomed to military life where any food would suffice—even boiled water could fill their bellies. Since knowing Xia Muxin, their tastes had become refined, but if left to fend for themselves in terms of cooking, they would likely only manage with lard.
Looking at Xia Muxin, he couldn’t help but feel a tender affection and washed an extra portion of rice for her.
Meanwhile, Xia Muxin was cutting the pork belly. After nursing her injuries for so long and with Shen Muhan away for over half a month, she figured he hadn’t had a proper meal either. Now that he was back, he had been tirelessly caring for her day and night; he looked worn out. She wanted to prepare a good meal for him today, even if it was just a small dish.
Seeing Shen Muhan starting to cook rice, she took out the Marrow to wash it and soaked some mushrooms as well. Once the rice was done, she planned to make soup with it—adding the mushrooms later on—and boil the Male Fish with some tofu slices and ginger pieces along with a few large Perilla Leaves. Finally, she would prepare the Sweet Potato Vines, cutting off the stems and chopping them into half-inch lengths for stir-frying. A few Dried Chili pieces could be added for flavor, topped off with minced garlic before serving; it would be fragrant and crispy—a delightful dish in this era.
It took about half an hour to finish cooking this meal. Shen Muhan called over two others using a shout—one was Ming Peng, while the other was someone whom Xia Muxin recognized but hadn’t interacted with much.
The four of them sat around a square table. Most of the time, Shen Muhan focused on serving fish and meat to Xia Muxin. The essence of the fish head ended up entirely in her bowl; by the end of the meal, not even a drop of sauce remained from the large bowl of Braised Pork. The Sweet Potato Vines were also very popular and were eaten cleanly. In the end, only half a bowl of Marrow soup remained. However, since Xia Muxin had prepared enough food for eight people on ordinary days, today they managed to finish it all among just four.
After dinner, both Ming Peng and his companion happily packed up leftovers. As long as their mistress was around, they had nothing to fear about missing out on delicious food; they could slowly regain the weight they had lost over these past few months.
Shen Muhan was taking Xia Muxin out for a walk. After dinner, it was important to get some fresh air, a habit that Xia Muxin had taught him.
The houses in Dayao Village were even worse than those in Daimiao Village, and the conditions were significantly poorer. It was hard to believe that this place was worse than the previous Daimiao Village. In the distance, elderly people hunched over, carrying firewood in and out, while children peeked around them, curiously following. The scene was bittersweet yet heartwarming.
Xia Muxin had contracted most of the land here, and many young people who had been working elsewhere returned home. Under the village chief's leadership, they all helped Xia Muxin with the work. Families could stay together and have enough to eat.
However, there were still many children like Small. Most of their parents had left them after the flood disaster, so these kids matured early. For instance, she saw four or five-year-olds helping their grandparents carry firewood.
"Husband, Daimiao Village has become prosperous; every household can feed themselves. I want to develop Dayao Village as well; they are just too pitiful."
She had come from a similar background but was luckier. With knowledge spanning five thousand years, she used it to protect her family, build a career, and find love. But these children were still young and innocent. Although she couldn't provide them with the warmth of parental love, she could ensure they had enough food to eat, warm winter clothes to wear, and experience the beauty of the world.
Shen Muhan understood her thoughts well; he held her hand tightly and encouraged her.
"No matter what you want to do, I will support you."
The next day, Xia Muxin gathered everyone to start folding sweet potato vines into small bundles and packing them into baskets for transport to the supermarket. She also arranged for some stir-fried sweet potatoes to be taken to the supermarket so that everyone could taste them before deciding to buy.
Of course, these sweet potatoes were modern-day yams. Almost every household in the village grew them, and they were considered cheap items. Those who raised pigs often fed them sweet potatoes instead of eating them themselves; it was quite rare for anyone to actually consume them.
However, whether in modern times or ancient ones, controversial items tended to be more popular. Plus, with autumn upon them and fewer seasonal vegetables available, Xia Muxin was confident that these would sell well.
Thanks to the horse-drawn carts for transportation, time was saved significantly. By the time these goods reached the supermarket, they were still fresh. Ming Peng delivered them and during this time Xia Muxin had drawn a picture for him to give to the supermarket manager—someone Shen Muhan had brought over from Qinan. Not only was he literate, but he also had an exceptional business mind.
So when Ming Peng returned in the evening, he reported that all the sweet potato vines had sold out completely. Those who tasted them at noon came back asking for more the next day. Thus, Xia Muxin hurriedly sought out the village chief and asked everyone to go pick more at dawn. She would arrange for transport and pay according to half a day's wages. Upon hearing this, the village chief's eyes sparkled with excitement; he rushed off without even finishing his meal to notify everyone.
Xia Muxin happily returned home with Shen Muhan.
She felt quite relaxed now; everything outside was arranged by Shen Muhan. Her only responsibility was preparing three meals a day. Of course, Shen Muhan usually cooked breakfast himself because he didn't want her to wake up too early; he would often have breakfast ready by the time he called her to eat.
Ming Peng and his companion weren't as fortunate; they couldn't enjoy Shen Muhan's cooking. Instead, after Shen Muhan finished cooking each day, they would make themselves a bowl of mushy noodles that they dared not eat in front of Xia Muxin—finishing it quickly in just a few bites.
In addition to this routine, Shen Muhan spent his evenings exploring various ways to entertain Xia Muxin. Since arriving in Dayao Village, they hadn't missed a single night together. Gradually, Xia Muxin adapted and learned to endure his insatiable desires.
A month had passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Xia Muxin and her companions had only returned once, as the Sweet Potatoes were gradually being harvested, and the Cellar had just been built. Every day, they watched basket after basket of Sweet Potatoes being poured into the Cellar. Everyone was puzzled by Xia Muxin's actions, but ultimately they trusted her.
The land was vast, and the Sweet Potatoes took a full two weeks to harvest. The following day marked Xia Muxin's fourteenth birthday. That evening, Shen Muhan borrowed some wages from everyone and took Xia Muxin back to Daimiao Village overnight.
“Ugh...”
It was nighttime, and Ming Peng was driving the cart at a slow pace. However, the bumps were unavoidable. Before they had even traveled halfway, Xia Muxin covered her mouth and began to vomit.
They had all just finished dinner when Shen Muhan thought she was feeling unwell due to the ride. Her discomfort prompted Ming Da to stop the cart. Xia Muxin jumped off and squatted by the side, retching uncontrollably.
Shen Muhan stood beside her, gently patting her back and helping her breathe easier. He felt guilty for pushing her so hard these past few days; they had worked late into the night and then had to rise early to manage things the next day.
“How are you feeling? Still unwell?”
After a while, Xia Muxin finally stopped vomiting. At that moment, she leaned against Shen Muhan, gasping for breath as if she might be sick again.
Shen Muhan wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and patted her back softly, asking with concern.
Xia Muxin felt dizzy from vomiting and didn’t want to speak at all. She leaned heavily against Shen Muhan, too weak to respond to his concern other than shaking her head helplessly.
He could only lift her back onto the cart and instructed Ming Peng to slow down. The rest of the journey went smoothly; Xia Muxin didn’t vomit again but curled up in Shen Muhan's arms and fell asleep.
The family knew they would be returning and had prepared a feast for tomorrow’s celebration. Although there wasn’t a tradition of celebrating a girl’s fourteenth birthday, times had changed. With everyone gathered together, there were enough dishes for four tables.
Upon arriving at the entrance, everyone was waiting outside. The courtyard was adorned with several large lanterns, and even Golden Python's family had come out to greet them.
However, Xia Muxin was already fast asleep. Shen Muhan merely nodded at everyone before carrying her upstairs.
That night, Xia Muxin slept restlessly, tossing and turning with furrowed brows. Shen Muhan lit a small Night Pearl; although its light wasn’t very bright, it illuminated everything around Xia Muxin. Each of her small movements tightened his heart.
After thinking it over, he realized that aside from feeling tired, there hadn’t been any other issues. They had prepared their own meals and accommodations for Dali; there was no chance of food poisoning. The weather was gradually cooling down but hadn’t yet reached a cold level. Setting aside all these factors, the only possibility left was—pregnancy.
The thought sent a chill through Shen Muhan. He knew that Xia Muxin's body was cold by nature; although he often mentioned it, it wasn’t that he didn’t understand her condition. As winter approached, her body would become less suitable for pregnancy. Therefore, he wanted to seize the opportunity for her to conceive in spring so that by winter she could give birth without suffering too much. At that moment, however, he trembled as he hesitated to check her pulse.
Xia Muxin was in a daze, even mumbling in her sleep, but Shen Muhan leaned in to listen and couldn’t make out a single word.
As the night wore on, Xia Muxin vomited again. This time, Shen Muhan could no longer hold back and took her pulse, confirming that she was indeed pregnant.
At that moment, the soon-to-be father felt a mix of emotions.
Throughout the night, Shen Muhan lay awake, tormented by both joy and worry until dawn broke. Meanwhile, Xia Muxin tossed and turned in a sleepy haze until morning, waking up early and immediately wanting to get out of bed.
“Muxin, happy birthday.”
Before she could rise, Shen Muhan pressed her back down and, as if performing magic, produced a necklace and placed it around her neck.
To be precise, it was a modern necklace made of silver. The pendant was heart-shaped and crafted from ruby. If one looked closely, they would see four words engraved inside: Grow Old Together.
Xia Muxin was taken aback and couldn’t help but admire the necklace. She hugged Shen Muhan tightly and curiously asked, “How did you know I liked this style?”
“You drew it before; I just took the liberty of adding those four words inside,” Shen Muhan replied as he held her close, speaking softly.
When designing clothes, she had created a series of accessories. However, those accessories were not expensive and were meant to complement the outfits, making them easily accepted by the public. If the accessories were made of real gold and silver, few would be willing to buy them. One day, while casually flipping through her sketches, he stumbled upon a rough draft.
It depicted a delicate necklace with a thin chain and a heart-shaped pendant in red. He had seen various agates and gemstones but had never come across such an exquisite design. The gem was crafted into a pendant that hung from the chain; it seemed perfect for her.
Seeing Xia Muxin fondling the pendant with delight, Shen Muhan smiled and asked playfully, “Do you like it?”
“I love it! It’s beautiful.”
Xia Muxin was not shy about expressing her feelings, which showed that Shen Muhan had put a lot of thought into it. After all, in this era, even the few words in the pendant were a challenging task, reminding her of his trip to Kyoto that lasted over ten days.
"Did you have someone make this in Kyoto?"
Shen Muhan ruffled her hair affectionately and then took a comb to style it.
"No, I learned for a few days and then made it myself. I've been carrying it for over a month now, afraid it might fall off."
"Thank you, Husband!"
"Fool!"
After spending some time together, they got dressed and went downstairs.
Aunt Xia had risen early and made longevity noodles. Since Xia Jihua and Er Dan had not yet arrived, the family gathered around with Yan Zhouwan and Shen Muqing at a large table.
After the family joyfully finished breakfast, Shen Muhan set down his bowl and grasped Xia Muxin's hand. She had just finished eating as well, putting down her chopsticks slightly before him. When he suddenly held her hand, she looked at him with some confusion. However, seeing the affectionate look in his eyes, he cleared his throat and said:
"Father, Mother... I'm going to be a father."
He addressed them according to their seniority and announced the news in front of everyone.
"You... you... are you serious?"
The first to react was Aunt Xia; her voice trembled slightly. Although everyone else remained silent on the surface, she had heard some rumors suggesting that the couple's life was not harmonious—that everything was merely superficial—or that one of them had issues preventing them from conceiving.
This had worried her so much that she felt her hair might turn white from stress. She even considered consulting a fortune teller to see if there was something in their home that was unfavorable for Muxin and Shen Muhan, which could explain why they hadn't conceived after such a long time.
But she hesitated; their family name was well-known. If word got out, it would greatly affect Xia Muxin and Shen Muhan's reputation. Ultimately, with Summer Forest's persuasion, she abandoned that thought.
Later on, it became known that all of this had been spread by the Zhou family in collusion with Tang Sanwan. The news spread like wildfire, reaching even the neighboring villages.
It was fortunate that Muxin and the others had gone to Dayao Village during this time; otherwise, listening to these idle talks would surely have been disheartening.
"It's true, Mother. Muxin was even nauseous yesterday," Shen Muhan said with great certainty.
Upon hearing this, the family burst into joy, almost setting off firecrackers to celebrate, even more excited than they had been the night before.
Xia Muxin stared wide-eyed, still in disbelief, but cautiously placed a hand on her belly. There was really a baby of Shen Muhan's inside her.
This feeling was extraordinarily difficult to describe; even she couldn't articulate it.
However, with Xia Muxin's pregnancy, she became a true national treasure. Shen Muhan followed her closely, even guarding the door while she went to the bathroom, making Xia Muxin almost think that along with being pregnant, she had also contracted a terminal illness. Shen Muhan was being overly dramatic.
Yet no matter how much she tried to explain to him, he wouldn’t listen and took care of her meticulously.
Even Yan Zhouwan’s eyes were filled with envy at this moment.
At noon, they set up four large tables. Xia Jihua and his wife arrived early. Xia Jihua was as busy as ever, just like when he was at his family home. Upon learning that Xia Muxin was pregnant, he couldn’t stop smiling.
He chatted with Xia Muxin for quite a while before finally heading to the kitchen to help out.
Although they were now married, they still worked at the Xia Family. Er Dan was still busy making bricks while Xia Jihua helped out at the workshop. They cooked for the family every day and basically ate at the Xia Family’s place, rarely cooking at home.
Because it was simply too busy here, if she went back to cook, it would be not only a waste of effort but also time-consuming.
Thus, the couple moved their rice supply over and paid a little money each month to settle in here directly.
After dinner, Xia Muxin sat in the yard basking in the warm sun while Shen Muhan prepared some fruits for her. It was said that Ming Yi had asked Su Yan-Chu to have them transported from the Western Regions. In reality, they were just ordinary grapes—not even raisins.
However, these ordinary grapes were tribute goods meant only for those in the palace.
This fact made Xia Muxin smile again; once her fruits were served, it would be quite a profit.
The two children of Ermiao had begun to learn how to crawl. A large grass mat was spread out in the yard, with a thick layer of straw underneath. At that moment, Ermiao sat on the mat, playing with the two children.
Xia Muxin watched them, feeling an inexplicable excitement and even a bit of anticipation for the child to arrive soon.
She wondered what their child would be like.
With Shen Muhan's good looks, if it were a boy, he would surely surpass his father.
If it were a girl, she would need to be clever and charming, loved by everyone.
"Alright, don't eat too much of this. Are you tired? Do you want to go up and take a nap?"
Shen Muhan peeled a grape and popped it into her mouth before taking the plate away and quietly asking.
Xia Muxin stretched lazily, loosening her summer muscles. She felt as if it were Shen Muhan who was pregnant rather than herself; otherwise, he wouldn't be so tense every day, making her feel nervous as well. So she replied, "No, let's go out for a walk and breathe some fresh air."
- End of Chapter -
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