Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Wang Ping'an and his husband spent days on end at the small yard at the foot of the mountain.

Pei Mu taught them how to make wooden boxes without too much trouble. Wang Ping'an was strong and learned quickly, whereas Chen Xiaorong was slower to pick up, but he did finer, more beautiful carvings than Wang Ping'an.

Pei Mu only spent one day teaching them, and let them practice on their own. Both were hardworking and had good teamwork, and within a few days, the wooden boxes they produced looked quite presentable. Zhong Yizhu looked at them and said they were ready to sell at the market.

Carpentry tools weren't cheap, so Pei Mu let them use his own set. The couple did not take them home, worried the neighbors might gossip if they saw, so they simply did the work at the yard at the foot of the mountain.

The two of them went up the mountain to fell trees and then threw themselves into the hard work, they worked so hard that they were sweating even in the cold.

These days, Zhong Yizhu was experimenting with new incense recipes. Most of his goods were incense made for young men and women, but if he wanted to open a shop, those on their own wouldn't be enough. He planned to explore incense favored by men to attract more male customers.

After working most of the day without making anything that satisfied him, Zhong Yizhu felt dizzy and worn out. He dragged a stool over to the stove, sat down, and rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly ahead.

A couple of days ago, he also told Tao Ge'er about his incense-making business. Liu Mingtao was naive; even though he had brought his cousin to buy incense from Zhong Yizhu before, he never imagined that Zhong Yizhu would expand his business without anyone noticing to Songyun County.

He was stunned for a moment, then said, "Zhu Ge'er, don't worry, I won't tell anyone. If I do, may I be struck by lightning." Liu Mingtao raised his hand to swear, but Zhong Yizhu couldn't stop him quick enough, so he had to say, "I trust you, that's why I told you. Why curse yourself?"

Liu Mingtao chuckled. "Just let me have my fun. No one has ever shared such a big secret with me before."

He remembered something and asked Zhong Yizhu, "Zhu Ge'er, the balm you gave me last time—did you make it yourself? I didn't have the heart to use it. When I work in the fields, the sweat washes the scent away. Next time I visit my cousin, I'll use it. If she wants to buy some, I'll secretly set up a connection for you."

Zhong Yizhu was amused by his sneaky tone and lowered his voice as well: "Alright, thank you, Tao Ge'er, for looking out for my business."

Zhong Yizhu stared at the flames in the stove, thinking. Once they opened their shop and the villagers knew he was in the incense business, if Tao Ge'er was willing, they could supply him and let him run his own trade in the town.

The area near the stove was hot, making Zhong Yizhu's cheeks feel warm and making him drowsy. He glanced at the sky, got up, and went to the kitchen to wash a few sweet potatoes, then brought them over to roast on the stove. Calculating the time, by the time the sweet potatoes were done, Pei Mu should be back.

The weather was getting colder day by day. The sky had been gray for days, and he wondered if it was going to snow.

After the sweet potatoes were roasted, Zhong Yizhu first brought a few over to Wang Ping'an and his husband, who were working in the next yard. Chen Xiaorong wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled, "I knew I smelled a sweet fragrance. Thank you, Zhu Ge'er."

Zhong Yizhu pressed his lips together, a little embarrassed. He had picked out the best ones, but some were still a bit burnt. Fortunately, the couple didn't mind; they washed their hands and ate them with relish.

Zhong Yizhu wasn't using this room for now, so he let the couple use it exclusively for making boxes. The two worked efficiently. Every day after finishing, they would tidy up the wood shavings and sweep the room clean. The finished wooden boxes were neatly stacked on shelves, each one polished smooth and beautiful.

Zhong Yizhu had heard Pei Mu mention that Hunter Wang originally wanted to help pay for Pei Mu's conscription fee.

Ever since Pei Mu had stolen the bait Hunter Wang used to drug prey, the two had formed a bond. Hunter Wang tacitly allowed Pei Mu to secretly follow him to learn hunting, sometimes deliberately leaving behind some prey for him.

Hunter Wang was soft-hearted. Thinking of how Pei Mu had been picked up from the mountains as a child, he couldn't help but look after him a bit more. Later, when Pei Mu became skilled at hunting, the first pheasant he caught was left at the Wang family's doorstep.

Pei Mu grew up struggling along, and Hunter Wang passed on his skills bit by bit.

When the court required conscription, the Wang family had prepared money from the start to pay for his exemption. Pei Mu had just turned fourteen. The villagers felt that the Pei family was wealthy, so no matter how troublesome the child was, they wouldn't really send him to die on the battlefield.

But the Pei family wanted Pei Mu dead. Even if Hunter Wang wanted to buy his freedom, it was too late. Knowing Pei Mu was disobedient, Pei Song drugged him in advance. By the time Hunter Wang arrived, Pei Song had already sent Pei Mu away.

That was why Pei Mu, with his cold personality, was so patient and considerate toward the Wang couple.

And the Wang couple always repaid them with the same sincerity.

Zhong Yizhu walked from the side yard's moon gate toward the main hall. The old yard's wall had not been demolished; only a doorway was built to connect them. The new yard had no separate entrance, so it was very private.

Just as he passed through the doorway, a hand suddenly covered his eyes from behind. Zhong Yizhu stiffened for a moment, then heard a familiar voice from beside his ear, very low and sounding cold: "Don't move, this is a robbery."

Zhong Yizhu came to his senses and whined pitifully, "Spare me, I have no money."

"No money? What about something else?" The voice by his ear was still cold, but the breath was hot.

Zhong Yizhu hesitated and said, "I have something prepared for my husband, on the stove in the room. If you want it, feel free to take it."

"Oh? Let me go see."

Zhong Yizhu was led forward with one hand still over his eyes. After just two steps, he was lifted into someone's arms. In the darkness, he reached out to hold the other's shoulders.

Soon, the voice by his ear spoke again, but he couldn't hold back his laughter: "Baby, how did you manage to burn the sweet potatoes?"

The cover over his eyes was gone. Zhong Yizhu looked from the burned sweet potatoes to Pei Mu's face, his heart beating fast. He mumbled a response.

Pei Mu sat down, holding him, and placed the small jar he was holding onto Zhong Yizhu's lap: "Your favorite plum wine."

Zhong Yizhu's eyes lit up. This was a drink from a wine shop he had stumbled upon. It barely tasted like alcohol, sour and sweet, and he loved it, but it wasn't always available. Especially in winter, the shop often ran out, and he had been craving it for a long time.

He hugged the small jar happily and nuzzled Pei Mu's cheek with it, then kissed him, his mouth as sweet as if he had drunk honey: "Thank you, husband."

Pei Mu picked up a sweet potato and started peeling it. Zhong Yizhu reached out eagerly to help, but Pei Mu moved his hand away.

Pei Mu looked down at him, half resigned, half amused: "Have you eaten yet?"

Zhong Yizhu shook his head, looking at him eagerly: "I waited for you after roasting them. I just sent some to Ping'an Ge and Xiao Rong Ge."

Pei Mu broke off the burnt outer skin. The flesh inside was still hot and red, steaming with sweetness and fragrance. There was nothing better on a cold day than taking a bite.

Pei Mu blew on it and fed it to Zhong Yizhu. After the two of them shared the sweet potatoes, one bite each, the chill in their bodies was driven away, and they felt warm from stomach to chest.

But Pei Mu seemed unsatisfied. He bit Zhong Yizhu's mouth again and sucked until the last trace of sweetness was gone before letting go.

Pei Mu pulled back a little, looked at Zhong Yizhu's features like spring water, then leaned forward again to rub his nose against Zhong Yizhu's.

His hands were dirty from the sweet potatoes, so Zhong Yizhu had to support himself by wrapping his arms around Pei Mu's neck. When Pei Mu leaned forward, Zhong Yizhu's back arched, looking beautiful.

Pei Mu seemed to enjoy this game endlessly, but Zhong Yizhu was teased until his limbs went weak. He pushed him away and told him to go wash his hands quickly.

That evening, they had dinner together with the Wang family. These days, Wang Ping'an and his husband had been bringing dishes, and Chen Xiaorong took the lead in cooking, giving them a nice change in what they ate.

At night, Zhong Yizhu nestled in Pei Mu's arms, listening to him talk about what happened at the dock.

Zhong Yizhu was afraid of the cold, so he buried himself under the quilt, showing only his eyes. Pei Mu bent down and gently blew on the downy hairs on top of his head, making him shrink down even more.

Zhong Yizhu's voice came from under the quilt: "Is it so cold because it's about to snow?"

Pei Mu answered him: "Mm, soon. Probably within a few days."

Zhong Yizhu shrank from the cold, but Pei Mu was very warm; he just felt cold inside.

Pei Mu reached out and poked his soft side: "A few days ago, you said you wanted to play in the snow. Now you're afraid of the cold?"

Zhong Yizhu couldn't help but laugh at the poke, then answered clingily: "I won't be cold if you're around."

Pei Mu withdrew his hand and gently patted his back. After a moment, he spoke slowly.

"Zhu Ge'er, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Hm?" Zhong Yizhu looked up at him seriously. From this angle, his eyes looked a bit like a fox's—but not the seductive fox spirit of legend, rather an innocent and adorable little fox.

Pei Mu looked down at him, his face and eyes just as serious: "After it snows, I want to make a trip into the mountains."

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Author's note: I'm really, truly grateful for everyone's encouragement. Every single comment is the strength that keeps me going. Thank you, and thank you to the other companions who are with me.