Chapter 70

Chapter 70

The two had woken up in the morning, but they didn't get out of bed until evening.

Xuan Cui had gone into Xi Yuan once before and had vaguely overheard some sounds. Realizing what was going on in Xi Yuan, she stopped Yuan Qiao, who was about to head in.

She thought it would be better to set up a kitchen in Fu Yuan in the future, so that whenever the young master and the lord were together, they'd have a place to heat up water.

When Yuan Qiao heard Xuan Cui say that the lord was being intimate with the young master, she couldn't help but glance up at the sun.

This... in the middle of broad daylight.

Forget it, forget it. They weren't at the Gu estate in Lingzhou anymore, and there weren't as many rules to follow.

As long as their young master was happy and content, even if he was out in the fields with... well, she could pretend she didn't see anything.

The two couldn't boil hot water, so they dragged out a big plastic basin and filled it with water to warm up in the sun.

Later, when they were really bored, they took the kid Xie Licheng had brought back and gave him a good scrubbing in the water.

The grimy little kid turned into a soft, pink little cutie after a bath.

Xuan Cui took a liking to him and grabbed his little hand to take him to play in the orchard.

The orchard was full of fruit, and kids loved places like that. They could catch cicadas and hunt for crickets there, so the big one and the little one had a blast.

While playing with the kid, Xuan Cui found out his whole family had died. Looking at him, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. Then, thinking about how she'd follow their young master in the future and had no plans to marry, she said to him on a whim, "Little Bao, why don't you take your big sister as your mom? I don't have any big skills, but I can still take care of you."

That way, Little Bao would be her kid, and later when the young master had his own child, Little Bao could tag along with that child.

In this world, boys had it rough. If Little Bao could find a good master early like she had, his days here shouldn't be too rough.

Little Bao blinked his big eyes and asked, "Are you Uncle Xie's missus?"

Xuan Cui shook her head. "My young master is the lord's husband. I'm just their servant girl."

Little Bao said, "I want to be Uncle Xie's kid, because he's as strong as my dad, and only he can protect Little Bao."

Little Bao was young, and his thinking was simple: whoever was the strongest, that's who he wanted to follow.

Besides, it was Xie Licheng who kicked open that door and saved him. In his eyes, Xie Licheng was his only lifeline.

Xuan Cui was pretty troubled by this. "Oh dear, but the lord will have kids with the young master in the future. He might not necessarily want you."

Little Bao thought for a moment. "I'll go ask him myself."

"Alright, then when the lord gets up tonight, you can ask him."

That evening.

Xuan Cui and Yuan Qiao went in together to help Gu Zhangyuan wash up. Xie Licheng carried Gu Zhangyuan into the bathing room, then went to another room to rinse off quickly himself.

He'd originally wanted to bathe with Gu Zhangyuan, but Gu Zhangyuan knew he wouldn't be able to resist messing with him again, so he deliberately pretended to be mad and kicked him out.

Then Xuan Cui and Yuan Qiao came in to help him. When Yuan Qiao saw Gu Zhangyuan's body, she couldn't help but say softly, with heartache, "Young master, you've been through a lot."

Gu Zhangyuan saw her looking like she was about to cry and said helplessly, "I'm not hurt. You know my body—any little touch leaves a bruise."

Xie Licheng had been really gentle with him.

Xuan Cui was washing his long hair beside him, her movements gentle and careful. As she washed, she told Gu Zhangyuan about the kid.

"I originally wanted to take him in as my foster son, but unexpectedly, he said he wants to be yours and the lord's child."

Xuan Cui was very careful with her words—Little Bao had only said he wanted to be Xie Licheng's kid, not Gu Zhangyuan's.

Xuan Cui knew that kids like Little Bao didn't have much cunning; their thoughts were always simple and direct, but sometimes that could offend people or make others read too much into it.

She didn't want any problems between the young master and the lord, so she slightly twisted Little Bao's words.

Gu Zhangyuan chuckled softly at that, saying lazily and casually, "He's a clever kid, knowing who's in charge here. But my husband probably won't take him in, because we'll have our own child soon."

He'd consummated the marriage with Xie Licheng today, not because he cared about that kid's existence, but because he and Xie Licheng really should have done it by now.

Now that they had, it was only natural to start preparing for a child.

Although Xie Licheng had those condoms, saying they could prevent pregnancy if used, he didn't understand that stuff and didn't really want to use it.

And since he also wanted a child, when they consummated the marriage today, he naturally didn't use one.

Actually, Xie Licheng had asked him if he wanted to use one. At the time, he was in a dazed state, and when he heard the question, he just wrapped his arms around Xie Licheng's neck and kept shaking his head. Xie Licheng figured he wanted a child, so... he was really vigorous.

Thinking about that, Gu Zhangyuan's face couldn't help but burn hot, and his body curled up a little in the bathtub.

He said, "We need to start getting things ready for the baby. You two will have to work hard again."

Xuan Cui quickly said, "Young master, don't say such polite things. Being able to take care of you and your child is a blessing I've earned over three lifetimes."

Yuan Qiao also said, "Young master, don't worry. Leave the baby's clothes to us."

Gu Zhangyuan smiled softly. "In a few days, I'll have my husband bring in more people. We'll also build a kitchen at Fu Yuan. From now on, besides you two and the wet nurse, no one else is allowed to come and go freely in Xi Yuan."

Xie Licheng's cold storage room had a lot of good stuff, and Xie Licheng himself didn't even know what was in there. If any dishonest servant secretly took something, he and Xie Licheng probably wouldn't even know.

Hearing that Xie Licheng would bring in more people, Yuan Qiao lowered her voice and asked, "Young master, have you decided who you're bringing in?"

The wet nurse definitely had to come. Although Gu Zhangyuan had said before that she was getting old and it wasn't convenient for her to run back and forth with them, since he'd decided to have a child and had never given birth before, the wet nurse would have to come along.

Besides the wet nurse, they also needed to arrange a wet nurse for the future baby, and preferably find a cook with good cooking skills.

Gu Zhangyuan thought for a moment and said, "The wet nurse will come, along with two female martial guards and two rough servants, so you'll have help to command. Let's leave it at that for now. Tomorrow at dawn, Yuan Qiao will take the servants from the village back and bring over the people we've arranged."

Xie Licheng had finished bathing and came over with a blanket to carry him out.

Gu Zhangyuan felt a bit helpless at the sight. Xuan Cui and the others had already laid out his clothes.

He could have dressed properly and walked out, but why did this man have zero patience?

As if reading his thoughts, Xie Licheng smiled and said, "It's nighttime. Why bother putting on clothes?"

They'd just have to take them off again anyway—what a hassle, and tiring too.

During the day, Gu Zhangyuan had been through so much at his hands.

At night, there was no need for that kind of hardship. Better to head back and get some good rest.

Gu Zhangyuan said, "I haven't eaten yet. After I eat, I still need to wash up."

Xie Licheng: "Mm, we'll eat in the bedroom, and then I'll take you back over."

After speaking, Xie Licheng glanced at Xuan Cui. "Go fix us something to eat and bring it straight to our bedroom."

Xie Licheng was about to leave when he remembered there was still a little guest at the farm.

He told Yuan Qiao, "You go look after that little brat."

Then he scooped Gu Zhangyuan up and carried him off.

Yuan Qiao muttered quietly, "What a brute."

Xuan Cui heard and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Half an hour later, Xuan Cui brought in a few dishes to the bedroom, while Yuan Qiao followed behind with a basin of water for washing hands.

Xie Licheng took Gu Zhangyuan's small hand and washed it in the basin like he was scrubbing a pig's foot.

Yuan Qiao's mouth twitched at the sight of that, but to avoid causing any friction between the two masters, she kept her mouth shut.

During the meal, Xie Licheng didn't have them standing around waiting on them.

Gu Zhangyuan ate with elegance and care, while Xie Licheng wolfed his food down in a whirlwind. By the time Xie Licheng was done, Gu Zhangyuan had only managed a few bites.

Remembering what he'd talked about with Yuan Qiao and the others during his bath, Gu Zhangyuan brought it up with Xie Licheng.

"I've already figured out who I want," he said. "Let the wet nurse in, plus two female martial guards and two maids for the heavy work."

Xie Licheng nodded. He'd already promised Gu Zhangyuan he'd let people in when they were in bed together.

He wasn't the type to make empty promises—if he said yes, he meant it.

"Give me their names, and I'll give them access right now."

After Xie Licheng gave those five people access to the farm like Gu Zhangyuan asked, Gu Zhangyuan remembered the little child.

"So what's the deal with that kid? Are you planning on keeping him at the farm?"

"I'll see if I can find him some good parents. That kid seems pretty pitiful to me."

Gu Zhangyuan blinked and softly suggested, "Why not send him to the Gu estate? There are plenty of servants there who can look after him well. Besides, my father's getting old—having a kid around might keep him entertained. We could just raise him as one of the Gu family's kids."

Xie Licheng shook his head. "No, I've already put you out with the Xu Xiahe siblings. I can't keep adding to your plate."

Gu Zhangyuan smiled lightly at his words. "I'm your spouse. If you don't rely on me, who else are you gonna rely on? If you don't think it's right for him to become a Gu family kid, how about this—let him take Xuan Cui as his mother. That way he can stay at the Gu estate, and later on, he might even become a playmate for our kid."

Xie Licheng: "Isn't Xuan Cui planning to get married?"

Gu Zhangyuan nodded. "She's got a pretty different personality from Yuan Qiao. She told me a long time ago she doesn't want to get married—she just wants to stay by my side her whole life. Today, when she spent time with the kid, she found they hit it off pretty well, and she mentioned the idea to me in passing."

Since the kid was brought back by Xie Licheng, this still needed his okay.

Xie Licheng nodded after hearing it. "Alright, I'll go ask him how he feels about it later."

After they finished eating, Xie Licheng helped Gu Zhangyuan get cleaned up, then went out to talk to the kid.

When the kid heard that Xie Licheng wasn't going to adopt him as his own son, his face fell in clear disappointment.

Seeing this, Xie Licheng patiently explained, "Uncle's gonna have his own kids in the future. If I kept you and raised you now, it wouldn't be fair to my future kids. If you're scared of other people, why not take Xuan Cui as your mom? She's a really good person, and she'll take good care of you."

The kid looked up at him and, after a long pause, nodded reluctantly.

"Then... can Little Bao still come here to play later?"

Xie Licheng looked at him and said, "Yes."

After Xie Licheng talked with Little Bao, the next morning, when Yuan Qiao went back to pick up the wet nurse and the others, she brought Little Bao along to the Gu estate.

Xie Licheng figured that before his own kid was born, it was better not to have other kids around the farm.

He had to think about Gu Zhangyuan's feelings. He couldn't be too affectionate with other kids.

He knew Gu Zhangyuan wasn't the petty type and wouldn't hold anything against a kid.

But Gu Zhangyuan was a male omega—he could have kids in the future.

People naturally favor their own kids. If Gu Zhangyuan kept seeing Xie Licheng being nice to other kids, even the most generous person would eventually start to feel weird about it.

For now, sending the kid away was the right move—as for later, they could let Gu Zhangyuan figure it out then.

In the morning, Xie Licheng expanded Fu Garden, adding a bigger kitchen and several rooms with windows in the back.

Before, only Xuan Cui and Yuan Qiao lived in Fu Garden, so it was pretty roomy. Now that the wet nurse and the others had arrived, Fu Garden suddenly felt crowded.

Xie Licheng added more rooms to Fu Garden so they'd have more space to live comfortably. Even if he brought in more people later, there'd still be enough rooms for everyone.

The wet nurse and the others arrived in the afternoon and immediately started laying down rules for the farm's servants—where they couldn't go, where they could. By setting things straight early on, they could avoid doing stuff that would tick off the masters.

At the farm, nobody was allowed to just wander into Xi Garden or Feng Garden. To get stuff from Feng Garden, they had to be accompanied by the wet nurse, Xuan Cui, or Yuan Qiao.

As for the West Tower, Gu Zhangyuan himself had no idea what was inside. Since Xie Licheng happened to be at the farm that day, Gu Zhangyuan asked him to go check it out.

The West Tower had all kinds of vehicles—bicycles, electric scooters, motorcycles, cars, and stuff like that.

Ever since he transmigrated to this ancient world, Xie Licheng had rarely gone into the West Tower.

The roads in ancient times were in bad shape, and most vehicles weren't practical to take out.

Besides, these things were way too eye-catching. Since he wasn't the only transmigrator in this world, Xie Licheng didn't plan on taking these vehicles out.

But not being able to take them out didn't mean they couldn't be used inside the portable world. If Gu Zhangyuan liked any of the smaller vehicles, they could still take them out for a spin.

Once he got inside, Gu Zhangyuan thought everything looked weird and oddly shaped.

He asked, "What are all these?"

Xie Licheng pulled out a bicycle and said, "This is called a bike. It's kind of like a horse—except horses need to eat grass and don't require the rider to put in any effort. This thing doesn't need food, but the rider has to put in a lot of effort."

To help Gu Zhangyuan understand, he showed him on the open ground at the farm.

In ancient times, people wore long robes, and honestly, riding a bike in clothes like that was pretty inconvenient.

But seeing how agile Xie Licheng was on it, Gu Zhangyuan couldn't hide how eager he was.

Gu Zhangyuan reached out his hand and said, "Husband, I wanna play too."

Xie Licheng stopped and, using his long legs to steady himself on the ground, lifted Gu Zhangyuan onto the back seat.

Xie Licheng rode around with Gu Zhangyuan for a couple of laps. At first, Gu Zhangyuan was a little scared, but he soon found the thing pretty fun—way more obedient than a moving horse—and wanted to try it himself.

Xie Licheng got off the bike and helped Gu Zhangyuan try riding it by himself. Gu Zhangyuan didn't practice for long before he found the bike seat hard on his butt.

Normally, it probably wouldn't have bothered him much. But mainly because he'd just lost his virginity yesterday, his body was already a bit sore. Now, with the slight jostling of the ride, his butt was pretty uncomfortable.

Gu Zhangyuan's cheeks turned red as he held onto Xie Licheng's strong arm and got off the bike.

He asked, "This one's not for me. Is there anything else more fun?"