Chapter 43

Chapter 43

For the past few days, Chen Qingyan had been on tenterhooks, terrified that the incident might be uncovered and implicate Wang Ying. He couldn't eat or sleep well, and even the New Year celebrations were ruined.

Wang Ying noticed his unease and, at bedtime, led him into the Experimental Field to talk.

“I know you’re worried about me, but it’s too late for regrets now. Besides, I don’t regret what I did.”

Chen Qingyan lowered his head and sighed. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been so impulsive that day.”

Wang Ying gently lifted his chin. “Do you think biting your tongue would’ve kept things calm? That kind of vile person would have found a way to cause trouble even if you hadn’t provoked him. Our family still has Qing Song—what if he’s also harmed and prevented from taking the imperial exams? By then, regret would be too late.”

“You’re right, brother!”

Wang Ying brushed his thumb against Chen Qingyan’s lower lip. “Next time something happens, discuss it with me first, understood?”

“Mhm…” Chen Qingyan leaned in and kissed him.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host. The Experimental Field has been upgraded to Level 3.”

Wang Ying raised an eyebrow. So that’s how it worked—no wonder the Field is bound to both of them. The upgrade required intimacy.

He had checked earlier: before the kiss, the experience bar was at 91%. After the kiss, it quickly rose past 99%, and the upgrade succeeded!

Wang Ying pushed away the person who was trying to deepen the kiss, stood up, and opened the screen to check what new functions the upgraded Experimental Field offered.

[Experimental Field 03]

Level: 3

Usable Area: 2,000 square meters

Usage Time: 2 hours/day

Bound Hosts: Wang Ying, Chen Qingyan

New features available.

The upgraded field now allowed two hours of access per day and enabled them to come and go as they pleased. As long as he and Chen Qingyan were together, they could enter and exit freely within those two hours.

This function was quite useful—picking vegetables would be much easier now. If they encountered danger outside, they could also hide inside the field anytime, anywhere.

The second function allowed adjusting the plant growth speed up to 2.5 times. (Note: Enabling accelerated growth consumes experimental field experience. Use with caution.)

The third new function was somewhat pointless: automatic weeding.

In truth, the two of them came to the field every night, and three *mu* of land wasn’t enough to keep them busy. Now, with the system’s automatic weeding function, they had even more free time.

Since they had free time, they might as well do something useful, like increasing the field’s experience…

They made love once under the peach tree, and the experience increased by 3%. They tried again by the field, but this time it only rose by 1.5%. This lousy system had a daily experience cap! Level 3 to Level 4 required so much experience—were they going to wear themselves out trying to level up?!

*

Today was the second day of the New Year, and the weather was unusually fine. Early in the morning, Wang Ying asked Uncle Chen to thaw the mutton, planning to have the kids for a barbecue.

The grill had been made at the blacksmith’s before the New Year—a three-foot-long, half-foot-wide iron box. Set up in the yard, it resembled a modern barbecue grill.

Wang Ying taught everyone how to thread the skewers. The skewers were made from pre-cut bamboo sticks, and the ingredients included lamb, pork, chicken, and various fresh vegetables.

“Skewer three or four lean pieces like this, with a piece of fatty meat in between. This way, the lamb will be fragrant but not greasy—absolutely delicious!”

Lin Sui asked curiously, “Cousin-in-law, how do you know all this?”

Wang Ying coughed lightly. “I read about it. Your cousin knows about it too.”

“What do I know?” Chen Qingyan happened to walk over from the backyard.

Chen Rong laughed. “We were just praising your vast knowledge. You seem to know everything.”

Chen Qingyan smiled and sat down beside Wang Ying, joining in skewering the meat.

Li Shi said, “This is the first time I’ve seen meat and vegetables skewered on bamboo sticks for eating. How interesting.”

Chen Qingyan explained, “This method has existed since ancient times, but it’s mostly practiced by the Hu people. When traveling for business, they found it inconvenient to cook, so they skewered meat and vegetables on sticks and roasted them over fire.”

Wang Ying gave him a thumbs-up. His husband was amazing—he really knew everything.

Soon, the skewering was mostly done. Uncle Chen placed the pre-lit charcoal into the iron box, while Wang Ying began preparing the barbecue seasoning. He had specially bought plenty of spices for the New Year.

Ground pepper, cumin, crushed peanuts, and ground sunflower seeds—this seasoning would make anything taste delicious.

The only regret was the lack of chili flakes. Barbecue without chili was like lacking its soul, cutting the flavor in half. Even so, it was enough to blow these ancients away.

The skewers were placed on the iron grill, and Wang Ying used a fan to intensify the heat. Soon, the aroma began to waft through the air.

The children gathered around, mouths watering. Even the usually composed Lin Qiu couldn’t resist edging closer to see when the meat would be ready.

Li Shi and Chen Rong sat under the corridor and remarked, “It smells so good. I can’t wait to taste it.”

“How does Ying’er come up with such ideas? We’d never have thought of this method ourselves.”

“Absolutely. Since he joined the family, it feels like the household has suddenly become livelier, full of energy.”

Chen Rong patted her hand and said, “That’s what it means to bring good fortune to a household. A good spouse enriches three generations. This child is truly fortunate.”

“Don’t rush. The meat needs to be charred outside but juicy inside to taste its best.” Wang Ying grabbed a handful of seasoning and evenly sprinkled it over the skewers. The aroma instantly shot into their nostrils, making their heads spin!

The first batch of skewers was finally ready. Wang Ying passed out two skewers each. “Try it and see how it tastes.”

Chen Qingsong couldn’t wait and took the first bite. His eyes widened instantly as the juicy, tender meat burst with flavor in his mouth. The unique taste of lamb, combined with the various seasonings, was unbelievable!

“Good heavens, this is incredibly delicious!”

Hearing this, the others immediately started eating. Wang Ying didn’t forget to serve the two older women. “Mother, Third Aunt, try it and see how it tastes.”

“It smells wonderful. We could smell it from afar.”

“If you like it, have more. There’s plenty of lamb today!”

After watching for a while, Chen Qingyan quickly got the hang of it. “I’ll take over the grilling. Go eat with the others.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

“It should be fine.”

Wang Ying didn’t argue. He picked up a skewer and sat in the yard with the children to eat. The weather was clear and sunny today, and the sun had melted the snow on the roof, causing droplets to patter down from the eaves.

The three children found common topics to chat about and gathered together. Wang Ying moved a stool to sit beside Lin Qiu and started talking about Cao Kun.

"Cousin-in-law, do you still remember that Boss Cao we met at the vegetable shop that day?"

Lin Qiu nodded, "Yeah, I remember. What makes you bring him up all of a sudden, sister-in-law?"

"A few days ago, he came to deliver New Year gifts. Actually, he wasn’t here to visit me—he was actually here for you."

Lin Qiu froze, "For me? I barely know him..."

Wang Ying lowered his voice, "He wants to marry you to be his husband."

Lin Qiu’s face instantly turned red with embarrassment. "Don't tease me, sister-in-law."

"I’m not teasing you. Last time he came, he mentioned that he had had his eye on you back when he was in the county town. After the New Year, he plans to send a matchmaker to propose. I’m telling you in advance so you can be prepared. If you’re not interested, let Third Aunt know early to avoid being flustered later."

Lin Qiu’s heart raced wildly. Thinking of that man, they had only met three or four times—discussing marriage felt far too sudden.

"Thank you for telling me, cousin-in-law. I’ll have a good talk with my mother."

Wang Ying didn’t push further. After all, he didn’t know much about Cao Kun himself. Whether the marriage would work out depended on fate. If he forced a match and it turned out unsuitable later, he would only end up being blamed.

After finishing the skewers on his plate, Wang Ying went over to the stove to help fan the fire for Chen Qingyan.

"Just wait a little longer, they’ll be ready soon."

Wang Ying held a skewer up to Chen Qingyan’s mouth, "Here, try some."

"I already had two earlier. They taste great."

"Next time, let’s have mutton hot pot. That’s even more delicious."

"Sure."

By the time they finished eating, it was getting late. Everyone doused the charcoal fire and went inside to rest.

The stove in Li Shi’s room was burning brightly. The whole family gathered around, sipping tea, cracking sunflower seeds, and chatting leisurely.

Taking advantage of this rare moment of relaxation, Chen Rong began telling old stories, recounting the Chen family’s history.

"According to our family records, our ancestors originally lived in Nanyang. They were farmers and considered a prominent family in the area. At the end of the previous dynasty, during the turmoil of war, our branch of the family fled to Jizhou to escape the chaos."

"At first, they settled in Yangting County. Later, during my great-grandfather’s generation, a bad drought hit, and they moved eastward to this place. Do you know why our town is called Qingshui Town?"

The children shook their heads.

"It’s because even during the driest times, the river in our town never ran dry. Its water remained clear and pure, which is how the name came about."

Chen Rong continued, "According to my grandfather, they had it rough when they first moved here. The locals often bullied outsiders, and they faced many hardships. But my great-grandfather had a skill—he knew how to castrate pigs and raise livestock. Within a few years, their situation improved."

"By my grandfather’s generation, the imperial court issued a general pardon, and for three consecutive years, no taxes were collected. Coupled with favorable weather, life became increasingly prosperous. He bought several dozen acres of farmland in the countryside, which marked the beginning of our family’s estate."

Over generations, the Chen family’s wealth grew. By the time of Chen Qingyan’s father’s generation, the ancestral graves were smoking with good fortune—he actually passed the provincial-level exam and became a Provincial Graduate.

This was a first for the entire town and even the county.

At that time, many people offered money and land as gifts. Some were declined by the family elder, while others were accepted, which eventually led to the Chen family owning hundreds of acres of fertile land today.

Everyone listened intently as Chen Rong spoke with enthusiasm. These stories should have been told by Chen Qingyan’s father, but since he passed away early, it fell to Auntie to share them, ensuring the children knew their roots.

*

Before they knew it, it was the eighth day of the first lunar month. Dun Zi and Er Shun had returned.

They brought back plenty of local mountain products, all gifts from villagers. Their back-baskets were filled to the brim—if they hadn’t been limited by what they could carry, they could have brought even more.

Shops in town gradually reopened, and Wang Ying also planned to open the vegetable shop again. With so many vegetables in the experimental field, it would be a waste not to sell them.

Early in the morning, Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan moved the vegetables from the experimental field, while Er Shun and Dun Zi helped load them onto the cart.

The private school wouldn’t resume until after the fifteenth, so during this time, Chen Qingyan also helped out at the shop.

As usual, after opening the shop, they lit the heating stove, tidied up the place, and began arranging the vegetables. Soon, a customer arrived—the woman who runs the nearby wonton stall.

"Shopkeeper Wang, you’ve opened so early!"

"Sitting around at home is boring. Since the vegetables are here, I might as well open up and earn some money!"

"Give me four tomatoes. I bought a few during the New Year, and my daughter has been craving them ever since. She’s asked me several times when she can buy more. Seeing your shop open, I came right away."

Wang Ying picked four large tomatoes and placed them in her basket, then added a handful of chives. "If she likes them, come again next time."

"Oh, thank you, Shopkeeper Wang!" The woman beamed with joy as she handed over the money. Every time she came to buy vegetables, this shopkeeper would give her a little extra. Though it wasn’t much, the feeling of getting a little extra made her very happy.

Just as she stepped out with her vegetables, she was blocked at the door by six or seven teenage boys.

"You dare buy from this family? Aren’t you afraid your heart will turn bad after eating their stuff?"

The wonton stall owner was startled. "What are you talking about?"

"That Chen Qingyan is a vicious piece of work! He cheated on the county exams and had his qualification revoked. Out of jealousy toward others who passed, he secretly had someone's leg broken!"

"Such a thing happened?"

Inside, Chen Qingyan’s face turned pale upon hearing this. Wang Ying grabbed a bamboo pole and rushed out. "Damn your mother! Spreading rumors right at your grandpa’s doorstep!"