Chapter 215: Chapter 215: New Year's Greetings

Da Bao braced himself and led his two younger sisters forward.

“Wishing Grandpa and Grandma a prosperous New Year, good health, and may all your wishes come true.”

Xu Mingshan awkwardly shook his sleeves and forced a smile. He hadn’t prepared any red envelopes for the children—in fact, he had never intended to. After all, they weren’t his own grandchildren.

Liu Guifang was even less likely to give them anything. She put on a fake smile and said, “Good kids!”

Then she stuffed a couple of handfuls of snacks into each of their pockets.

Just as the three were about to leave, Yan Lijun happened to come out of the house.

Da Bao had no choice but to bring his sisters over to wish her a happy New Year as well. He already knew that Third Uncle had gotten married, so this young woman must be their new Third Aunt.

It wasn’t that he was hoping for a red envelope, but she was a senior after all. It would be rude not to greet her during the New Year.

Although Yan Lijun and Xu Huaiyu had technically set up their own household, they still spent most of their time with Liu Guifang and her husband. Yan Lijun wasn’t familiar with the village and didn’t want to handle things on her own, so she hadn’t prepared any red envelopes.

However, she’d met Gu Qinghuan for the first time just yesterday and had a pleasant chat with her. She was willing to get to know her better, and upon learning that these three children were hers, she smiled and asked them to wait a moment. She went back inside and quickly wrapped a few red envelopes for them.

Each red envelope contained ten cents—a token gesture.

Da Bao hesitated, unsure whether to accept the envelope, but little Youran had no such qualms. If someone gave her something, she’d take it.

So, the three children all accepted the red envelopes.

Relieved, Da Bao led his sisters out of the Xu family’s house.

Only after giving out the red envelopes did Yan Lijun notice her mother-in-law’s angry glare.

Oh no, did Mother-in-law not give them red envelopes?

Liu Guifang didn’t say anything in front of outsiders.

But as soon as the children left the yard, she started scolding Yan Lijun harshly.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Yan Lijun didn’t dare talk back.

Next, Da Bao and his sisters went to visit their eldest uncle, Xu Huaizhi.

Xu Huaizhi had already prepared red envelopes for them—twenty cents each.

Lin Xiaomeng was generous as well, filling their pockets with dried fruits and candied treats.

Da Bao made sure he and his sisters thanked them properly before leaving.

Then they went to Erdan’s house to offer New Year’s greetings and invited him to join them in visiting the rest of the village.

Erdan’s mother, Chen Fengqin, also gave each of them a ten-cent red envelope, along with plenty of snacks.

Erdan was a pro at making the rounds in the village every New Year, so following him was a safe bet.

The group made their way through the entire village and finally returned to Da Bao’s home.

By this time, Gu Qinghuan was already up and had tidied the house.

Da Cheng had just visited, and since the family had split up this year, Gu Qinghuan figured Xu Huaizhi would give the kids red envelopes.

Not wanting to take advantage of others, she gave Da Cheng a big red envelope with one yuan in it, plus a bag full of snacks.

He ran off happily.

For all the other children who came to offer New Year’s greetings, Gu Qinghuan handed out plenty of snacks.

Everyone loved the treats at her house because she had fruit candies—a rare delicacy. The kids spread the word, so this year, even more children came by.

They even ran out of fruit candies.

Xu Huaian quickly had Gu Qinghuan order a few more kilos from the vending machine.

It only cost twenty cents a kilo from the machine—hardly anything. During the New Year, making the kids happy was worth it, and hopefully, it would bring good luck for the year ahead.

So, every child who came received a big handful of fruit candies and snacks, and after saying all sorts of auspicious greetings, they left with big smiles.

Xu Huaian felt a deep sense of accomplishment and happiness.

As long as he was with Gu Qinghuan, even the little things in life became beautiful.

Gu Qinghuan was surprised to discover for the first time just how many children there were in Xu Family Village. The villagers were certainly prolific!

When Da Bao and the others came home, they brought Erdan with them. Gu Qinghuan gave Erdan a fifty-cent red envelope and invited him to stay for lunch.

She hadn’t expected Yan Lijun to give the kids red envelopes, but the help she’d given Yan Lijun was worth far more than those thirty cents.

Gu Qinghuan figured she’d repay the favor if she got the chance in the future. If not, so be it.

That night, she dreamed of the King of the Underworld again.

The King told her that Lin Xiaomeng’s problem had been resolved, and warned her to use the spiritual spring with principle and not cross the Underworld’s boundaries.

As a reward, the King told her that the Demon-Banishing Flower, besides counteracting Lin Xiaomeng’s half-finished product, also had positive effects: it could dispel invisible evil spirits and sources of illness from the human body.

In other words, everyone who drank the Dragon Soup yesterday would be free of all diseases, healthy, and protected from evil in the future.

Damn! They really lucked out.

That was the thought echoing in Gu Qinghuan’s mind at the time.

She asked the King if the Demon-Banishing Flower could help little Youran’s illness.

The King said yes.

In fact, there are many things in this world that science can’t explain—that’s where metaphysics comes in, and the Demon-Banishing Flower is just the thing for it.

Gu Qinghuan understood.

On the evening of the first day of the New Year, Gu Qinghuan made a pot of delicious wild pheasant soup.

Everyone in the family, young and old, got a bowl of soup with her special ingredients added.

She even had Xu Huaian and Gu Lanting deliver soup to Zhong Zijun and Ji Linhai, making sure they each drank a bowl.

This was her specially prepared good stuff—an opportunity not to be missed. She had to make sure everyone got a bowl.

After the first day of the New Year, time seemed to speed up, and the holiday was soon over.

On the second day, Gu Qinghuan quietly went with Xu Huaian to visit Zhong Zijun’s cowshed.

It was her way of visiting her own family.

She brought a basket full of daily necessities for Zhong Zijun.

Although Zhong Zijun’s family of three was still living in the cowshed this year, and there was inevitably a smell, the environment was much better than in previous years.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary cowshed, but inside, it had been reinforced with inconspicuous wood and stone, making it sturdy against wind and snow and much warmer.

This was Ji Linhai’s doing. When there was no work in the village at the start of winter, he spent his spare time helping Zhong Zijun’s family reinforce the cowshed.

He tried to use materials that wouldn’t attract attention, making the cowshed stronger and warmer, and less likely to collapse under snow.

They’d even secretly dug a medium-sized hole in the ground inside the cowshed to store firewood, grain, meat, and other valuable supplies for the winter."

"Chapter 216: Mother and Daughter

Although it was a bit troublesome to have to go down and fetch things from the cellar every day, for them, this was already a very happy life.

They were classified as part of the “Five Black Categories,” the despised intellectuals. She remembered their first year here—during the harsh winter, Zhong Zijun had managed to dig through the snow and bring back some dead branches to heat the kang, only to have everything stolen that very night.

The new cotton quilts they’d brought, their warm clothes, their food—everything was stolen.

That was true despair. No one would stand up for them; all anyone said was that they deserved it.

They called to the heavens and got no answer; called to the earth and got no response.

Fortunately, they still had one ragged quilt and the clothes on their backs to keep out the cold.

The whole family had nothing to eat or drink, lying on the icy kang, just waiting to die.

Zhong Zijun had just been betrayed by Gu Yunchuan and was then hit by the harsh realities of life. She was so dispirited that she should have died that winter.

But Zhong Weiqian, for the sake of his wife and daughter, swallowed his pride and went to the village secretary, kneeling and begging for some food.

The secretary, moved by a shred of compassion, saw how hard it was for an old man like him and finally gave them a hundred jin of potatoes, a hundred jin of sweet potatoes, and a hundred jin of cabbage—the most abundant things in the village.

It was with these three hundred jin of coarse food that the three of them survived that long, bitter winter and saw the arrival of spring.

So now, with life as it was, they were truly content.

This cellar was also built with Ji Linhai’s help. There was no way Zhong Zijun could have managed it alone.

When Zhong Zijun introduced their “secret base” to Gu Qinghuan, she felt a little guilty inside.

Thinking back, Ji Linhai had quietly done so much for her, but at the time, she hadn’t understood his intentions and had just accepted it all as a matter of course.

Now, looking back, she felt she’d taken advantage and then acted ungrateful—burning the bridge after crossing it. It didn’t sit right with her.

Gu Qinghuan could already see a lot from Zhong Zijun’s expression and eyes.

From her own perspective, she felt it didn’t matter whether a woman had a man or not; women could live well on their own.

Besides, Zhong Zijun had her daughter to support her.

But she forgot—not everyone was like her. Not everyone could do without companionship and a partner.

Seeing all that Ji Linhai had silently done for Zhong Zijun, Gu Qinghuan was moved. At the same time, she suddenly realized that neither she nor Lanting had done enough for Zhong Zijun, or even thought enough about her.

This long life—she should get to live for herself at least once.

If there was someone who truly cared for her, who could share life’s burdens, take care of her, and accompany her into old age, that would actually be wonderful.

Over these days, Gu Qinghuan could see that Ji Linhai was sincere toward Zhong Zijun. The truth is always in the details—a person’s intentions are revealed in their actions.

Ji Linhai might not be good with words, but he would never let Zhong Zijun suffer if she was with him.

At their age, finding someone genuine to spend the rest of their lives with was a rare blessing.

Especially since Ji Linhai had never married, had no children, and his family situation was simple—just an elderly father.

He really was a good match, but ultimately, it was up to Zhong Zijun.

Not one to beat around the bush, Gu Qinghuan called Zhong Zijun aside and asked directly, “Mom, what do you think about Uncle Ji?”

Zhong Zijun’s eyes flickered. Her daughter was already married, and here she was, finding love again at her age—she felt a little embarrassed to face her child.

“There’s nothing between us. Don’t overthink it,” she said instinctively.

“Mom, I can see it. Uncle Ji is serious about you.

He’s a reliable man. If you’re willing to accept him, I have no objections.

What I want to tell you is, no matter how old you are or what your circumstances, you have the right to pursue happiness and to love and be loved.

I hope you won’t hold back because of us. As your daughter, I’ll only wish you happiness,” Gu Qinghuan said sincerely.

The seriousness and blessing in her daughter’s eyes broke down Zhong Zijun’s defenses, and tears instantly streamed down her face.

Years of endurance, pain, torment, and suffering had long since numbed her, making her shrink away from everything like a turtle.

Her daughter’s encouragement finally brought down the walls she’d built around her heart.

She used to be a bright, cheerful woman, but the years had shackled her with too many burdens.

Countless times, she’d woken in the middle of the night, hating herself for her poor choices, wishing she could tear apart her painful past.

But for these two children, she’d never regretted a thing. They were her last bit of salvation in a bleak life.

Gu Qinghuan gently hugged her mother.

There were many times she truly wished Zhong Zijun was her biological mother.

She couldn’t imagine how happy it would be to be her child.

But it didn’t matter—even if they hadn’t had the bond of mother and daughter in the first half of life, they could make up for it in the second half.

Zhong Zijun wiped away her tears, a little embarrassed. “Your Uncle Ji is a good man, but given our situation, it’s still a bit early to talk about this.

Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Let’s just take things as they come.”

Gu Qinghuan nodded. As long as Zhong Zijun knew her feelings, that was enough. As a daughter, she wouldn’t interfere—only give her blessing.

On the second day of the new year, they spent the whole day together in the cowshed.

Xu Huai’an busied himself with chores, shoveling out all the manure and melting snow to wash the cowshed clean.

Ji Linhai had thoughtfully divided the cowshed into two sections: one for the animals, one for people.

Although there was still a smell, at least it was separated, and with daily cleaning, it wasn’t too bad.

Xu Huai’an also helped with some repairs and odd jobs.

The two stayed until the afternoon before heading home.

The days that followed were spent with the children, cooking delicious food at home.

Time slipped by quietly, and before they knew it, it was already the tenth day of the lunar new year.

During this time, Xu Huai’an found a chance to call Zhuo Yifan in the county town.

Zhuo Yifan wasn’t surprised that he’d agreed. He told him to report to the Ministry of Defense in Beijing after the Lantern Festival. The specific position wasn’t mentioned, but from what he hinted, he wanted Xu Huai’an to lead the formation of a special operations team.

In any case, he’d have to go to find out more—some things couldn’t be said over the phone.

This meant that after the Lantern Festival, Xu Huai’an would be leaving.

Gu Lanting and Ming Ruxue would also be returning to school after the festival.

Zhong Luoning would be taking little Youran back to Beijing to look for work.

So everyone decided to leave together, to look out for each other.

They booked train tickets for the sixteenth day of the new year. This time, without Ming Ruxue’s connections, Xu Huai’an used his discharge papers and managed to get two sleeper tickets and two hard seats.

That was enough—Zhong Luoning and Ming Ruxue would take the sleepers, and Xu Huai’an and Gu Lanting, being men, would take the hard seats.

With the travel plans set, everyone started to feel a little down.

Who knew when they’d all be able to gather like this again?

This period had truly been the happiest time for everyone in years."

"Chapter 217: Seeing the Heart Clearly, Preparations Before Departure

Everyone cherished these final days together, and, in tacit understanding, gave Xu Huai’an and Gu Qinghuan space to themselves, letting the couple enjoy some closeness. After all, once they parted, it could be a whole year—or even longer—before they saw each other again.

Ever since it was decided that he would leave, Xu Huai’an had treasured every moment with Gu Qinghuan even more.

Aside from working and spending time with the children, he stuck by Gu Qinghuan’s side whenever possible, always there when she called.

The two of them were getting along better and better, with only the last thin layer between them yet to be broken.

Xu Huai’an was deeply reluctant to part, and Gu Qinghuan felt just as heavy-hearted.

Feelings are something you can’t control.

Unknowingly, Xu Huai’an had become a part of her life. During the half month he’d been away before, she’d already come to terms with her feelings.

She did care for him.

For the first time in two lifetimes, a man had broken through her icy defenses and taken up residence in her heart, making her think of him day and night, unable to let go.

Gu Qinghuan had also come to accept it—since she liked him, she would throw herself into it, like a moth to a flame. No matter the outcome, at least she would have tried.

Just when their feelings were at their most intense, they had to face separation. It was truly cruel.

Still, Gu Qinghuan encouraged him to go out and find his own path.

A man who stays at home all day, who has great opportunities but refuses to go out and work, who spends all his time tangled up in romance and clinging to the stove and a woman—such a man was not someone Gu Qinghuan could respect.

To put it plainly, when you like someone, it’s because there’s something about them that attracts you—a certain spark.

What first drew her to Xu Huai’an, what made her want to save him, was actually that packet of medals.

She wanted to save a true man of iron will.

It might sound practical, but that’s how it was. If Xu Huai’an had just been an ordinary country bumpkin, she might have saved him, but she definitely wouldn’t have fallen for him.

The same went for her. If she were just a timid, useless village girl, Xu Huai’an wouldn’t have cared so much about her, either.

So, there’s no such thing as love at first sight. If you attract someone, it’s because you have enough good qualities.

Of course, having attractive qualities is a good thing, but the hard part is maintaining your strengths and growing together.

Whether you’re a man or a woman, you have to love yourself first, be your best self, realize your own value, and shine—only then will someone love you.

If you bloom, butterflies will come.

Before loving each other, she and Xu Huai’an both needed to become better versions of themselves. Only then could their relationship last and remain stable.

Even if storms arose, there would be nothing to fear.

The best relationships are those between equals—where you’re great, and so am I.

This separation now was for a better reunion in the future.

Xu Huai’an clearly understood this, too.

If he spent his whole life as just Xu Huai’an, the village man from Xujiatun, then he and Gu Qinghuan would have no future together.

So, no matter how hard it was to part from her, he had to grit his teeth and make the decision.

His trip to the capital had taught him a lot and opened his eyes.

Gu Qinghuan was destined for an extraordinary life. If he wanted to be with her and protect her, he still had a long way to go.

But in life, every step counts.

He didn’t want to be a pitiful man who could only look up at her from behind, humble and insignificant.

He wanted to be Gu Qinghuan’s man openly and confidently, someone truly worthy of her.

So he absolutely couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.

Still, he felt deeply sorry for Gu Qinghuan, leaving her to deal with all the messes of daily life.

So he tried to take care of everything he could think of, hoping to make things easier for her after he left.

He reorganized the livestock area in the space. Previously, keeping everything penned up was convenient, but feeding them was too much trouble.

Xu Huai’an came up with a new idea: birds like pheasants and flying quails would all be released into the woods.

The various fruit trees, hazelnut trees, and Korean pines they’d transplanted had already grown into a sizable forest, more than enough for the pheasants to roam freely.

Pheasants and flying quails are omnivores. Their diet includes insects, small amphibians, grains, beans, grass seeds, tender leaves, and shoots. Insects are a common food source for pheasants.

So the forest was a much more suitable environment for them.

Gu Qinghuan would only need to toss in some food for them from time to time.

For the goats, deer, roe deer, wild rabbits, and muntjacs—all herbivores—Xu Huai’an fenced off a vast pasture.

He sowed it thickly with grass seed, so soon there would be an endless supply of fresh grass for them to graze on. Once they finished one patch, it would regrow, and the cycle would continue.

Roe deer and muntjacs can both eat pasture grass.

Wild rabbits are herbivores, too, so Xu Huai’an even planted a large patch of carrots for them to choose from. The rabbits could dig burrows and make their homes, while the goats roamed in herds, free and happy.

This was much more comfortable than the small pens before, and made feeding them easier for Gu Qinghuan.

Again, she’d only need to feed them occasionally; most of the time, the animals could find food and water on their own.

Both the woods and the pasture had their own water sources for the animals to drink from.

The water was melted snow that Gu Qinghuan had collected from outside—clean and hygienic.

Now, the original livestock area only had a group of wild boars and a dozen piglets left.

Xu Huai’an kept them separate. With the other animals moved out, there was plenty of space—enough for even twenty more pigs.

Wild boars are hard to tame, so letting them loose in the woods or pasture would be dangerous for the other animals. For now, they had to stay penned up.

Wild boars eat almost anything—grass, leafy greens, tender corn, winter melon, potatoes, sweet potato vines, peanut vines, pumpkins, and more.

In summer, wild boars like to live near water, eating grass and earthworms, and sometimes stealing bird eggs—especially those of capercaillies and pheasants.

Acorns are a favorite winter food. On sunny hillsides, beneath the fallen leaves of oak forests, there are plenty of acorns, and wild boars rely on these to survive the winter.

If there’s a crop failure and no acorns, many wild boars starve to death in the spring—that’s nature’s way of weeding them out.

Xu Huai’an set up several large automatic feeders, filling them with all kinds of food wild boars eat—acorns, pumpkins, potatoes, greens, and more. Each load would last them over a week without needing to be refilled.

Once the animals were sorted, he fenced off a huge new planting area—at least several hundred acres.

Whenever he had time, he’d work on planting in the space. Gu Qinghuan, with her absolute control over the space, helped him turn over all the soil, so all he had to do was sow the seeds."

"Chapter 218: The One Who Loves You Is Always Afraid They Haven’t Given Enough

This is also the most troublesome step in space farming. You can plow the land with one click, harvest with one click, and water with one click—but you just can’t plant with one click. After all, each crop has its own planting method.

It’s not like grass seeds, which will grow as soon as you scatter them.

Of course, one-click planting isn’t completely impossible—some seeds will always survive—but the results are usually mediocre.

Xu Huai’an patiently divided the land into different sections, thoughtfully leaving paths for walking so Gu Qinghuan could pick produce whenever she wanted.

Vegetables, fruits—anything you could name, he bought the seeds from the vending machine and planted them, regardless of whether they were in season or not. In this space, everything could thrive.

Gu Qinghuan seemed to especially like strawberries and cherries, so he specifically bought strawberry seedlings from the vending machine and planted a whole acre of them.

The seller said these strawberry plants could bear fruit for over three years, and in this space, their lifespan could be extended even more. For a long time to come, Gu Qinghuan would never run out of strawberries to eat.

Although Gu Qinghuan liked strawberries, she’d never thought of planting so many just for herself. Partly because it was troublesome, but mainly because she didn’t think it was worth the effort just for a bit of a craving.

Seeing him squatting in the field, painstakingly planting each strawberry seedling one by one, her heart completely melted in that moment.

The one who loves you is always afraid they haven’t given you enough; the one who doesn’t is always afraid you’ll ask for too much. There’s no such thing as someone who doesn’t understand romance—if they love you, they’ll find every way possible to show it.

It’s different from the love parents give. She realized that love from a partner could make your heart flutter and feel so sweet.

This time, she no longer felt lost or uncertain. She was more determined than ever: this man was worth letting go of all her prejudices and loving with all her heart.

Cherry trees wouldn’t bear fruit so quickly, but Xu Huai’an still bought and planted a whole grove, fencing off a special cherry orchard.

Anything Gu Qinghuan liked, he kept in mind.

He planted so many vegetables and fruits—not just for people to eat, but for the animals as well, and he could even sell the surplus through the vending machine to make money.

This was the last thing Xu Huai’an could do for her.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t lack money. Now, with all kinds of plants and animals in the space, she didn’t have to worry about food or drink. With the vending machine, she could buy whatever she wanted, eat whatever she liked.

She did have to look after two kids, but they were older now—no need to carry them around. It was just a matter of cooking a bit more, and sometimes they could even help out.

She could do laundry while the kids were asleep, secretly using the washing machine and dryer, so she never really tired herself out.

Next year, when they both started school, life would be even more comfortable.

All in all, Gu Qinghuan didn’t feel she was suffering at all.

But Xu Huai’an treated her like a poor, suffering cabbage, terrified that after he left, she’d have a hard time at home. He insisted on making sure every little detail was taken care of.

He even took Gu Qinghuan to a nearby mountain and secretly moved ten big trees into the space.

He planned to split all ten trees into firewood of just the right size and stack them in the space.

That way, after he left, if there was ever no firewood at home, Gu Qinghuan wouldn’t have to go up the mountain to collect it—she could just use the firewood he’d prepared.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help with splitting firewood. At most, she could uproot the trees and divide them into a few pieces, but splitting them into neat little logs was too much for her.

Whenever he had time, Xu Huai’an would rush into the space, busying himself with all these chores.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help him with this, so she put extra effort into making delicious food for him.

Others noticed the two of them were always coming and going mysteriously, and thought the young couple was just being clingy before they had to part.

While Xu Huai’an was busy with preparations, Gu Qinghuan wasn’t idle either.

She ordered two hundred jin (about 100 kg) of fresh beef from the vending machine, planning to make beef jerky for Xu Huai’an to take with him. There was mutton and wild boar at home, but nothing tasted as good as beef.

Beef jerky keeps well and can last for months.

When Xu Huai’an missed home while he was away, he could take some out and have a taste of home.

She also needed to make some for Gu Lanting and the others when they left, leave some for home, and give some to the two cowsheds.

Two hundred jin of beef would yield, at most, about a hundred jin of jerky.

Split between several families, it wasn’t really that much.

Time was tight, so she couldn’t air-dry it naturally and had to use the oven and other tools.

There was only a small oven at home, so for this batch, she specially bought a commercial-sized oven that could bake a lot at once.

Making beef jerky is actually quite simple.

Cut the fresh beef into strips a little thicker than your finger, adjusting the length as needed for the oven.

This step was a bit tedious—with two hundred jin of meat, it took her all afternoon to finish cutting.

Then came the marinating.

She added cooking wine, soy sauce, cumin powder, Sichuan pepper powder, crushed black pepper, chili powder, and salt.

After mixing it all well, she sealed it up to marinate overnight for better flavor.

The next morning, she started baking. She mixed the meat with corn oil, laid it out on trays, and put them in the oven.

Bake at 170°C for 20 minutes, then take them out to pour off the liquid, and put the trays back in for another 10 minutes.

At this point, the jerky was basically set. She took the strips off the trays, placed them on wire racks, and baked them at 170°C for another 20 minutes. Then they were done.

Fresh out of the oven, the jerky was still a bit hard, but it would soften slightly as it cooled—chewy and fragrant.

She tasted it carefully: the flavor was rich, the texture layered, and the aftertaste lingered.

As soon as the beef jerky was ready, Gu Qinghuan couldn’t wait to bring some for Xu Huai’an to try.

He was working shirtless, swinging an axe, his abs and muscles on full display.

The temperature in the space was comfortable, but since he was working so hard, he had to take his shirt off.

Gu Qinghuan secretly swallowed—Xu Huai’an’s physique was just too good, it was like he was made for her.

Not too skinny, with all the right muscles, but not overly bulky either.

The way he swung the axe was the most lethal—his whole body exuded a powerful beauty, making her feel completely safe.

Gu Qinghuan admitted she was tempted. This man had so much stamina—he’d been working all morning and wasn’t even tired!

Xu Huai’an sensed her approaching and immediately stopped what he was doing.

Gu Qinghuan handed him a towel. Xu Huai’an was about to take it and wipe his sweat, but seeing the stars in her eyes, he changed his mind.

He deliberately stretched out his hand and said, “My hands are dirty. Can you help me?” in a teasing, shameless tone.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t hesitate to step forward and wipe his sweat for him. After all, he was her man. Honestly, after being married so long, they’d barely had any truly intimate moments.

Maybe, before he left, she should just push him down?

Gu Qinghuan thought boldly to herself."

"Chapter 219: Sealed with a Kiss

She was always straightforward. Since she’d already decided to accept Xu Huaian, she wasn’t about to get shy or hesitant about anything else.

If you like someone, you just like them—might as well enjoy it first and worry about the rest later.

Xu Huaian watched as Gu Qinghuan carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead, and couldn’t help but let his mind wander.

The two of them were closer than ever before—so close he could see the fine fuzz on her cheeks, and those big, sparkling eyes reflecting his own image. A scent that was uniquely hers drifted from her hair to his nose, and Xu Huaian swallowed hard.

Whether it was intentional or not, Gu Qinghuan’s hand brushed against the muscles of his lower abdomen. It felt like being scalded by hot water—tingling and electric.

To him, this was the ultimate temptation. He was absolutely crazy about this woman in front of him.

Gu Qinghuan’s heart was pounding. She’d fantasized about Xu Huaian’s abs for a long time, but this really wasn’t on purpose. It’s just that he was so tall, and she lost her balance for a second and accidentally touched him.

He’s a grown man—surely he won’t mind being touched a little!

Sweat beaded even more on Xu Huaian’s forehead. Only he knew how hard he was trying to restrain himself from just pulling Gu Qinghuan into his arms right then and there.

Through gritted teeth, sounding a little aggrieved, he said, “Huanhuan, you did that on purpose!”

Gu Qinghuan could see how hard he was holding back. She knew he wanted to but didn’t dare, and couldn’t help but smile.

“So what if I did? What are you going to do about it?” she teased, wanting to see how far this “pure” man would go.

Xu Huaian’s gaze lingered briefly on her rosy, cherry-red lips, but in the end, he only pressed a reverent kiss to her forehead.

“There, now we’re even!”

Gu Qinghuan was amused by his innocence, the corners of her mouth curving into a beautiful smile.

“Come down here a bit,” she beckoned with her finger.

Xu Huaian, not understanding, lowered his head.

The next second, the lips he’d just been longing for landed softly on his own.

It was like being struck by a bolt of joy—his eyes went wide in surprise.

Gu Qinghuan’s kiss was a little clumsy, but as soon as Xu Huaian realized what was happening, he quickly took the lead, turning passive into active. Not that he was much more experienced—they were both novices, carefully exploring each other.

Desire is human nature, and men are natural hunters. Xu Huaian soon got the hang of it, leading Gu Qinghuan into a lingering French kiss. Only when they were both breathless did he reluctantly let her go.

Gu Qinghuan’s skin was delicate, and after that long, passionate kiss, her lips were noticeably swollen and tingling.

To Xu Huaian, this was even more tempting, but he held himself back—he didn’t want to scare her.

Today was already a huge step forward. There would be plenty of time in the future.

It was only then that he realized: Gu Qinghuan had kissed him on her own. Did that mean she was really willing to accept him?

Fantastic! This was the best gift he could have received this New Year.

Xu Huaian gazed at her with sparkling eyes, looking as gentle and harmless as a big puppy.

“Huanhuan, does it hurt? I’m sorry, I got a little carried away. Want me to blow on it for you?”

Gu Qinghuan shot him an exasperated glare. If he blew on it, wouldn’t her lips get even more swollen?

How was she supposed to face anyone later?

With that kiss, their feelings were sealed, and Xu Huaian couldn’t stop smiling.

Especially when he saw the beef jerky Gu Qinghuan had specially prepared for him—his excitement reached its peak. He picked her up and spun her around in place.

“Huanhuan, I’m so happy. I haven’t felt this happy in years. From now on, I won’t be alone anymore.

Thank you for accepting me. I know I’m not perfect right now, but I’ll do my best to become a better man, to protect you from the wind and rain. I, Xu Huaian, always keep my word!” he promised earnestly.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t really need such flowery promises, but that didn’t stop her from feeling happy.

The two of them fed each other bites of beef jerky, their hearts full of sweetness.

Gu Qinghuan finally understood all those lovesick characters in TV dramas—so this is what being in love feels like. Especially when the person you like likes you back, the emotional satisfaction is off the charts.

They cuddled in the space for a long time, only heading out after they’d finished all their chores.

As for the beef jerky, Gu Qinghuan couldn’t explain where it came from, so she just went out for a bit and had Xu Huaian pretend to bring it back, saying he’d bought it from someone else.

No one suspected a thing—after all, getting this much beef these days wasn’t easy.

Once everyone tasted the beef jerky, they were hooked. It was just too delicious.

Ming Ruxue even asked about the price. Gu Qinghuan made something up and said it was five yuan a jin.

Fresh beef was about two yuan a jin, so beef jerky would naturally cost more.

Hearing this, Ming Ruxue generously took out five hundred yuan and asked Gu Qinghuan to buy a hundred jin of beef jerky for her to take back to the capital and enjoy slowly. It was just too tasty.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She felt like she’d shot herself in the foot.

There was no way she could make another hundred jin of beef jerky right now—her arms were still sore from making this batch.

She could only tell Ming Ruxue that she’d set aside some of this batch for them to take back to the capital.

And as for the supplier, she’d already bought out all their stock. If there was a chance in the future, she’d buy more and send it over.

Ming Ruxue could only regretfully put her money away.

But that was understandable—good things are always worth waiting for.

Gu Qinghuan divided the beef jerky into six portions.

She sent twenty jin to her uncle’s family in the far northwest—they lived far away and rarely got to eat meat, so she gave them a bigger share.

Xu Huaian was heading to the capital for his new job, where he might want to share some with new colleagues or superiors, and who knows how easy it would be to stay in touch later, so she gave him thirty jin.

The remaining fifty jin, she split among Zhong Luoning, Ming Ruxue, and Gu Lanting—thirty jin in total. They lived together and could share it, and she could always send more next time she made a batch.

Thirty jin was a lot—after all, it wasn’t fresh meat, and a small piece could be chewed for ages.

As for the last twenty jin, Gu Qinghuan gave five jin to Zhong Zijun’s family, five jin to the Ji family, and kept less than ten jin for herself—after all, they still needed to eat over the next couple of days.

Zhong Zijun’s and the Ji family’s portions were smaller because they had elderly members who couldn’t chew well, and since she could always make more and send it over, this arrangement made sense for now.

As for other families in the capital they were close to, Gu Qinghuan planned to make more next time and mail it to them then.

No one objected—after all, Gu Qinghuan was the one who bought the beef jerky. They were lucky just to get a taste."

"Chapter 220: Hunting