Chapter 48.1

Wei Ling looked at Qin Qingman’s expression and immediately knew that his wife liked the monkey head mushrooms in the wicker basket. He recalled encountering the same mushrooms during a patrol in the forest, and fell silent, unsure if they would still be available the following year. If they were…

“Did Uncle give these?”

Qin Qingman asked as she took the wicker basket from Wei Ling’s hands.

“Mm, he said they were for you and Chuchu to nourish your bodies.” Wei Ling conveyed Jiang Linshan’s message.

Qin Qingman was somewhat surprised. “This is the first time our family has received a gift from their family.” When the previous head of the family was still around, they had never received gifts from the Jiang family. One reason was that her parents had been generous and didn’t fuss over such things. The second was that Qin Xiang was adept at playing the poverty card and always took things from her family.

“小姑 is so generous.” Chuchu also walked over to peer into the wicker basket.

The child shared the same thought as Qin Qingman: it was quite a surprise that their family had received a gift from their aunt’s family.

Qin Qingman glanced at Chuchu, who was curiously rummaging through the basket, then smiled at Wei Ling. “Thanks to you.”

“Wife, should I return it?” Wei Ling sensed the underlying meaning in Qin Qingman’s words.

“Don’t, no need to return it. That would be unnecessary.” Qin Qingman stopped him, then carefully picked up the basket and walked toward the storage room. “Why would I return something so good? Besides, Aunt and her family have taken far more from our family over the years than this little bit of monkey head mushrooms is worth.”

Wei Ling followed Qin Qingman’s pace, speaking softly, “I thought you didn’t like them.”

“Like them? How could I not like them?” Qin Qingman turned back and glared at Wei Ling, then explained, “Whether they truly want to do something nice for me and Chuchu, or if they’re just doing this for your sake, I’m more than willing to accept such a gift. Because you’re part of my family, and that proves I have good judgment and good fortune.”

“Really?”

Hearing Qin Qingman’s words, Wei Ling felt as if he had just drunk a bowl of sour plum soup on a hot summer day, every pore of his being filled with joy.

His gaze toward Qin Qingman also carried a hint of sweetness.

“Of course, it’s true.” Qin Qingman looked directly into Wei Ling’s eyes, unwavering.

She was speaking the truth.

Using Wei Ling’s influence to earn the respect of certain people wasn’t a bad thing. After all, that was how the world worked—everyone sought to use connections to their advantage. If one could rely on another’s influence, it also proved one’s own ability and strength.

“Wife, I will protect you and Chuchu.”

Wei Ling understood what Qin Qingman meant.

“Ah Ling, you need to make us proud and rise to the next level.” Qin Qingman took the opportunity to motivate Wei Ling.

As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn’t aspire to be a general is not a good soldier.

Once you’ve enlisted, joined the ranks, the higher the position, the more you can protect your family and provide them with a stable life.

Qin Qingman knew well what the national situation was like at present. Without some power backing you, it would be impossible to make progress.

“Wife, I know what I need to do.” Wei Ling silently made up his mind.

In the past, his sudden arrival in this unfamiliar world had made him feel lost and uncertain. Moreover, the country he had once sworn allegiance to had become a part of history, leaving him to live his days in a dull routine. His request to be stationed at the border was not only to avoid unfamiliar relatives but also to get by and let things be.

Now that he had Qin Qingman, Wei Ling understood the purpose of his existence.

“Ah Ling, I know you are a capable person. Being with you, I don’t expect you to become extremely rich, but I do hope that we can be true to both heaven and the common people. This country is our root, and we need to love it and protect it.”

Qin Qingman didn’t know what secrets Wei Ling was hiding, but after spending a few days together, she had noticed that Wei Ling kept a subtle distance from everyone. Even at work, he seemed passive, merely following orders.

Qin Qingman’s words woke Wei Ling up.

Although the past was gone, the country was still the same, and the people were still the same. He couldn’t just watch indifferently as the country he once served dissolved into history.

“Wife, marrying you is the happiest thing in my life.”

When Wei Ling, who had followed Qin Qingman into the storage room, saw that Chuchu hadn’t followed, he suddenly embraced Qin Qingman from behind. He leaned his head on her cheek, surrendering in trust.

“Ah Ling.”

Qin Qingman was momentarily startled when Wei Ling hugged her, but feeling the warmth behind her, she made an effort to adjust her emotions and relaxed, trusting him as she leaned back into his embrace.

At that moment, the couple’s hearts were closely aligned.

It seemed as though both had found a reason to live seriously in this world, and both had gained new motivation.

Wei Ling held Qin Qingman tightly in his arms, breathing in her scent, feeling deeply content, so content that he wished time would stand still forever.

“Ah Ling, Chuchu.”

Qin Qingman was still a bit unaccustomed to being close with Wei Ling. She was worried that Chuchu might suddenly run over, so she quickly whispered a reminder to Wei Ling.

At the same time, her hand lightly patted the large hand Wei Ling had placed around her waist.

“Chuchu is playing with two geese.” Wei Ling’s ears were particularly sensitive, so he could naturally hear what Chuchu was doing. The storage room was only separated from the living room by a wall.

Qin Qingman’s face turned red as she understood the hint Wei Ling had given.

She could feel the part of her back that was touching Wei Ling growing as hot as if it were on fire, trembling.

“Wife.” Wei Ling turned his head and looked at the face just inches away from his, wanting to kiss her, but he had never done anything so reckless before. He wasn’t sure if he should ask for her permission first or take the initiative.

“Wha…what are you doing?” Qin Qingman felt something was about to happen.

“Wife, can I kiss you?” Wei Ling thought about the education he’d received in this world, where gender equality was emphasized. He felt that if he wanted to kiss his wife, he should indeed respect her opinion.

Qin Qingman’s face immediately turned as red as a persimmon hanging on a tree branch in autumn due to Wei Ling’s words.

Just kiss her—why did he have to ask about it? How was she supposed to answer that?!

It was so embarrassing!

“Wife?” Wei Ling continued to innocently ask for Qin Qingman’s opinion.

Qin Qingman, already weak in the legs, had longed to be kissed by Wei Ling, but she also felt incredibly uncomfortable with his politeness. Feeling her patience wear thin, she tilted her head and gently kissed the face that was so close to her cheek.

This was the signal.

Wei Ling immediately understood Qin Qingman’s meaning.

Turning Qin Qingman’s body, Wei Ling carefully pulled her into his embrace, then gently cupped the back of her neck and kissed her.

Some things only require instinct, not learning, to come naturally.

Both of them, who had long been infatuated with each other, lost themselves in that kiss.

Nervousness, sweetness, anticipation, and longing— their bodies pressed very close to each other. Their breathing quickened in that kiss, their blood rushing rapidly, and the sound of their heartbeats seemed to reverberate in each other’s eardrums.

It was a tender kiss, yet an intense one.

As the kiss deepened, some things became uncontrollable.

They were adults, and both wanted more.

Wei Ling tightened his hold around Qin Qingman’s waist, pulling her more firmly into his embrace. Qin Qingman’s arms wrapped around Wei Ling’s neck, tilting her head back to accept his intrusion.

They were both intoxicated, lost in the moment.

“Sis, Brother-in-law.”

Just as the couple was lost in their heated passion, Chuchu’s voice suddenly sounded in the living room, followed by the sound of his footsteps approaching.

The two, caught in the frenzy, were suddenly jolted awake.

Qin Qingman pushed Wei Ling’s chest and pulled away from his neck, stuttering, “Ah… Ah Ling, Chuchu is here.” She didn’t want the child to see anything, urging Wei Ling to let go of her.

Wei Ling also felt frustrated.

He had been too caught up in the moment and hadn’t noticed Chuchu’s footsteps.

“Wife, let me hold you, just one more hug.” Wei Ling wasn’t willing to let go of the soft, curvaceous body that felt so pleasant in his arms. He clung to Qin Qingman, unwilling to release her.

But Qin Qingman was frozen with tension from hearing Chuchu’s footsteps.

Her entire body was stiff.

“Ah Ling, Chuchu… Chuchu…” Qin Qingman reached out and pinched the soft flesh at Wei Ling’s waist, nearly breaking into a sweat from fear.

“It’s okay, Chuchu is still far away. Let me hug you a little longer.” Wei Ling carefully calculated the distance between Chuchu and the storage room, while deeply inhaling the scent of his wife.

“Sis, can we start making dinner?” Chuchu, happily heading toward the storage room, was thinking about eating fish. He had heard Qin Qingman talk about how delicious the winter fish was, and now he was craving it. He couldn’t play with Da Bai and Xiao Bai anymore.

“Chuchu, add a few more pieces of firewood to the stove. I’ll take some mushrooms out and make fish stew in a little while.”

Qin Qingman, not as calm as Wei Ling, quickly found an excuse to stop him upon hearing Chuchu’s footsteps, and she raised her foot to stomp Wei Ling hard.

Seeing that his wife was upset, Wei Ling quickly let go, realizing that there was no need to rush—there would be plenty of time.

He had just gotten a little carried away in the heat of the moment and lost track of things.

Once free from his embrace, Qin Qingman shot Wei Ling a playful, reproachful glance and turned around, using a willow basket to gather some small yellow mushrooms and dried daylilies. Her face was slightly flushed as she exited the storage room.

—o—o—o—

Wei Ling stayed in the storage room for half a minute before stepping out.

By the time he did, Chuchu had already neatly stoked the fire. “Sis, isn’t the pot on the stove too small?” The fish they had caught today was nearly twenty pounds, and such a large fish wouldn’t fit in the small iron pot on the stove.

“Use the big pot on the stove. I’ll make you a dish of iron pot fish stew that’ll have you eating non-stop.”

Qin Qingman soaked the small yellow mushrooms and daylilies in hot water to rehydrate them.

The ingredients for the fish stew were chosen according to the season—whatever was available, she used.

The small yellow mushrooms were very fresh, and they would make the fish stew even more flavorful.

“Sis, I heard from Anping Ge that Aunt Zhang’s family is making tofu today. Should we go trade for some?” Chuchu, always focused on food, eagerly reported the latest news from the village. He mentioned that he hadn’t had tofu in a while. Tofu was a great source of protein for ordinary families.

The child had previously insisted that he wouldn’t forgive Qin Anping, yet now he was asking about tofu from Anping’s family.

Qin Qingman glanced at Chuchu’s eager face and replied, “You can go get some soybeans and trade them with Aunt Zhang for tofu. Tofu in fish stew tastes really good too.”

At this time, private buying and selling were not allowed, but bartering was common in rural areas as long as it wasn’t on a large scale.

It was essentially a form of trade, though disguised as a swap.

“How much should I get?” Chuchu was unsure.

“I’ll go. I’ll see how much tofu Aunt Zhang has left.” Qin Qingman thought that since it was freezing outside, the tofu would keep well. She decided to visit Aunt Zhang’s house herself and, depending on the amount, either trade for a little or just get enough for a meal.

“I’ll go with you, Sis.”

Chuchu wanted to be the first to see the tofu.

“Okay, come with me.” Qin Qingman smiled as she ruffled Chuchu’s hair and then turned to Wei Ling, who had just stepped out of the storage room. “Ah Ling, could you please prepare a fish? I’m taking Chuchu to Aunt Zhang’s to trade for some tofu.”

“Alright.”

Wei Ling grabbed the cotton coat that had been drying near the fire and checked it, confirming it was dry before helping Qin Qingman put it on.

“The fire’s strong, and the coat hasn’t gotten too wet. It should be dry, don’t worry.”

Qin Qingman knew Wei Ling was concerned about the coat not being dry, so she reassured him.

“Mm, it’s dry.” Wei Ling nodded, then went to the coat rack to get Qin Qingman’s scarf. It was cold outside, and she needed to be bundled up properly for the trip.

“Ah Ling, can you grab two pounds of soybeans from the storage room in the willow basket for me?”

Now that Qin Qingman was wrapped up in the coat, she started helping Chuchu get ready and gave Wei Ling another instruction.

“I’ll get them now.” Wei Ling took the willow basket and went into the storage room.

The storage room in the Qin household was neatly organized by Qin Qingman, so even if it was Wei Ling’s first time going in to grab something, he could quickly find what she needed.

Wei Ling weighed the willow basket of soybeans in his hand. It seemed to be about two pounds, so he brought it out.

The Qin family didn’t have a scale, so they didn’t bother weighing it. Anyway, when they got to Aunt Zhang’s house, she would weigh it before exchanging for the tofu.

Carrying the basket, Qin Qingman took Chuchu and headed outside.

—o—o—o—