Chapter 166: No Future

Cheng Jingmo woke up around two in the morning.

By then, he was fully sober. He lay there, recalling the events of the day, and his memory stopped at the scene where people came to toast him.

As for how he got back to the room and why he was only in his underwear, he had no recollection.

In the quiet space, all he could hear was Yu Xiangnian’s even breathing.

He reached out to touch Yu Xiangnian. She was sleeping soundly, without any reaction.

At that moment, Cheng Jingmo felt very happy and content.

He turned over and pulled her into his arms.

He didn’t hear Xiao Jie’s breathing, so he reached further in but found no one.

However, he wasn’t worried.

Yu Xiangnian was sleeping so peacefully, which meant Xiao Jie was fine. He probably went to sleep with Laoliu.

Unable to resist, Cheng Jingmo kissed Yu Xiangnian on the forehead. She still didn’t react.

Cheng Jingmo had keen hearing and could make out the faint sounds of a woman moaning in the next room—it was coming from Cheng Shuansuo’s place.

He immediately understood.

In the middle of the night!

He realized that with such poor soundproofing, they could only do such things when everyone was asleep.

Cheng Jingmo felt a bit of longing too, but he didn’t want to disturb Yu Xiangnian’s sleep.

So, he just held her tighter and kissed her a few more times on the face.

Yu Xiangnian, disturbed in her sleep, raised her hand and slapped him on the jaw.

“Don’t bother me,” she mumbled, then turned over and continued sleeping.

Cheng Jingmo rubbed his jaw, silently smiling.

At dawn, he got up to fetch water.

Yu Xiangnian hadn’t bathed in two days; she must have felt very uncomfortable.

He carried water three times to fill the family’s water tank, and another time to heat bathwater in the kitchen.

The family members gradually woke up, all preparing to go to the fields to earn work points. Usually, Laowu and Laoliu stayed home to cook.

Mu Huanzhen said, “Jianwa, there’s a lot of work in the fields. You should come too.”

Cheng Jingmo knew that early April was the season for planting wheat here—digging, ditching, and sowing seeds kept everyone busy.

Before joining the army, he would spend these days working in the fields from dawn till dusk.

It was only after moving to Nancheng that he learned that in the south, wheat is sown around October.

After a moment of silence, he said, “Mom, how about tomorrow? I have some things to take care of today. I’ll finish them and then go to the fields tomorrow.”

Mu Huanzhen pursed her lips, clearly unhappy. She added, “Then have your wife cook, so we have food when we return.”

This time, Cheng Jingmo didn’t hesitate. “She doesn’t know how to cook.”

Mu Huanzhen was even more displeased. “Then how do you eat usually?”

Cheng Jingmo replied, “I bring food back from the canteen or cook myself.”

Cheng Huazi, smoking a dry pipe, interjected, “Jianwa, although you married an official’s daughter, you can’t spoil her like this. She should still do her share of work! Look, everyone is up and she’s still sleeping. What does that look like?”

Cheng Jingmo’s expression didn’t change, giving no hint of his thoughts.

“Yu Xiangnian has never done housework since she was a child. She doesn’t know how. Let her sleep; I’ll take care of the household chores.”

Mu Huanzhen glared in anger, and Cheng Huazi knocked his pipe against the wall, making a loud noise.

Li Cuihua tried to smooth things over. “Dad, Mom, Sister-in-law looks delicate. She probably can’t handle this rough work. Let’s leave it at that.”

Zhang Hongli snorted coldly. “Eldest Sister-in-law is quite considerate, but our family can’t support an idler!”

Li Cuihua retorted, “Even if she’s idle, it won’t be more than a month. After that, we won’t even see her. What’s the point of arguing?”

Cheng Shuanzhu chimed in just in time, “It’s time to start work. Everyone, let’s go!”

The six people, each with their own thoughts, walked out with their tools.

Yu Xiangnian lay in bed, feeling uneasy.

The noise outside had woken her up, and she heard every word they said.

She understood how hard it was for rural people to earn a few work points, but she felt Cheng Jingmo’s family was too calculating.

They would only stay for a month at most, yet they were already planning for one of them to earn work points and the other to do housework!

After everyone left, Yu Xiangnian got up.

Cheng Jingmo, acting as if nothing had happened, asked, “I heated the water. Do you want to take a bath first or have breakfast?”

Yu Xiangnian also pretended everything was fine, not wanting to embarrass Cheng Jingmo.

“There’s no place to bathe, how am I supposed to bathe?”

Cheng Jingmo said, “I’ve prepared a place for you.”

Yu Xiangnian followed Cheng Jingmo to a very low house.

“It doesn’t even have a door. How can I bathe here?” Yu Xiangnian was astonished.

Cheng Jingmo said, “I’ll stand guard at the door. You’ll have to make do.”

Cheng Jingmo brought a large basin, soap, and a towel that he had bought the day before, and he poured hot water into the basin.

As Yu Xiangnian bathed, she asked, “Cheng Jingmo, what was this house used for before?”

“A cowshed.”

Yu Xiangnian paused and then laughed lightly, “I never thought I’d share a room with a cow.”

Cheng Jingmo: “…”

“There’s no bathhouse here, so how does everyone bathe?”

Cheng Jingmo replied, “They don’t.”

This was another shock to Yu Xiangnian!

“So, you didn’t bathe until you were seventeen?”

Cheng Jingmo said, “I usually bathed at the reservoir.”

“There’s a reservoir?” Yu Xiangnian said curiously, “Take me to see it.”

“Okay.”

After Yu Xiangnian finished bathing, Cheng Jingmo had Xiao Jie bathe, and then he bathed himself.

He then started washing the clothes they had changed out of, including Yu Xiangnian’s shoes.

When Cheng Huazi and the others came home for lunch, they saw Cheng Jingmo washing a large pile of clothes.

Yu Xiangnian was inside the house, doing who-knows-what.

Cheng Huazi, angry, walked past Cheng Jingmo with a dismissive wave, “No spine!”

Cheng Shuansuo mocked, “Jianwa, you’re even washing clothes. Did you marry a wife or find an ancestor?”

Cheng Jingmo ignored him.

Breakfast was made by fourteen-year-old Cheng Shuanqin.

It consisted of sorghum buns, a pot of mixed vegetables, and a plate of pickles.

Each person held a bun in their left hand and picked some vegetables with their right, eating together.

Yu Xiangnian couldn’t get used to it, and neither could Xiao Jie. Cheng Jingmo noticed this.

After lunch, the family went back to the fields.

Cheng Jingmo moved the bedding outside to sun and then said to Yu Xiangnian, “I’ll take you out for a walk.”

He mainly wanted to take her to the supply and marketing cooperative so that she could go there to buy things on her own later.

As they walked through the village, they attracted everyone’s attention.

Everyone said that Jianwa had married a fairy-like wife, and it was true!

They had never seen a woman more beautiful than Jianwa’s wife!

Her skin was white and tender, her features were exquisite, and she greeted people with a gentle smile.

Her smile made her even more beautiful, her eyes curved like moons in the forest, and a small dimple at the corner of her mouth added a touch of playfulness.

Along the way, people watched, and there were many envious glances.

Cheng Jingmo felt especially proud.

They went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things, and Cheng Jingmo took Yu Xiangnian to have a set of bedding made, which would be ready in five days.

On the way home, Yu Xiangnian asked, “Cheng Jingmo, what’s your relationship with Dongju, the woman from yesterday?”