That afternoon, Qin Zheng began preparing for the repair of the Suo Bridge.

She found several ropes and spliced them together, resulting in a length of eighty zhang (about 240 meters).

Using a ruler, she marked the ropes with fine threads every foot and with thick threads every ten feet, creating a simple large-scale measuring tool.

In the evening, when Chu Chengji returned from his military training, he saw her sitting at the table with a ruler in hand, measuring and marking the rope, which had been piled up in a large circle at her feet.

Even after he entered, Qin Zheng didn’t lift her head.

She remained focused on her task, occasionally murmuring numbers to herself, as if keeping a tally.

With her black hair tied up, Chu Chengji could clearly see the slender and fair skin of her neck from his perspective.

Feeling a surge of affection, he momentarily felt desire stirring within him.

His gaze darkened briefly, but Qin Zheng remained focused on her work, not giving him a single glance throughout.

Chu Chengji couldn’t help but find her earnest demeanor endearing.

After silently watching for a while, he couldn’t help but smile and ask, “What are you doing?”

“I’m preparing to measure the width between the two cliffs tomorrow,” Qin Zheng replied.

However, she had lost track of how many feet she had measured and was now hanging her head, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “Don’t talk to me right now. I’m almost done, and if I make a mistake, I’ll have to start over.”

Accustomed to seeing her shrewd demeanor, Chu Chengji found her current confusion amusing.

Unable to resist, he reached over and rubbed her head twice before taking the bamboo ruler from her hand.

“So you tie a small rope every foot? Let me do it.”

With both the bamboo ruler and the rope taken over by Chu Chengji, Qin Zheng finally looked up, rubbing her sore neck. “Let me know when you reach ten zhang, and I’ll make a mark.”

As she spoke, Chu Chengji noticed several places on the rope where different colored silk threads had been twisted into fine ropes, which must have been what she referred to as markers.

He asked, “Is it necessary to go to such lengths to measure the width between two cliffs?”

Qin Zheng poured herself a cup of tea and gulped it down before replying, “Having such a measuring rope will save a lot of trouble for future projects.”

In this era, the longest ruler was only one zhang long.

If they had to use a ruler to measure every time they undertook a large-scale construction project, it would be exhausting.

Qin Zheng felt that her self-made “measuring rope” was much more convenient.

Chu Chengji couldn’t deny the practicality of her explanation.

As he focused on making the measuring rope, Qin Zheng initially watched his movements.

However, for some reason, her gaze followed his slender and handsome hands upward, eventually landing on his face.

When he was focused on his task, the clarity between his brows became more pronounced.

The setting sun streamed in through the wide-open door, casting a warm glow on half of his face.

In that moment, his facial features softened slightly, and the locust flowers outside the courtyard fell like snowflakes.

Qin Zheng found herself lost in thought as she looked at him for a while.

“Done,” Chu Chengji said as he looked up at her.

Qin Zheng forgot to avert her gaze and inadvertently met his clear eyes.

It was like tossing a small pebble into calm water, causing ripples to spread out in concentric circles.

His perfectly shaped lips seemed to take on a honeyed hue in the evening sun.

Qin Zheng, almost as if in a trance, said, “Can I kiss you, Husband?”

Chu Chengji remained silent, but he leaned back in his chair as if to say, “Feel free to.”

Qin Zheng was a bit hesitant, but emboldened by her desire, she thought that perhaps he was not good at taking the initiative in such matters.

Taking matters into her own hands wouldn’t hurt.

She hesitated before slowly leaning in, her hand nervously gripping the armrest of the bamboo chair he sat in.

Despite her efforts to appear composed, she couldn’t help but feel nervous, her mouth dry.

Chu Chengji calmly looked down at her, his deep and mysterious eyes filled with inscrutable emotions.

Even sitting down, he towered over Qin Zheng, and as he looked down at her, there was a subtle sense of superiority.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Qin Zheng hesitated for a moment before raising her hand to his face and asking softly, “Is it okay?”

Her voice, naturally melodious, was deliberately softened, making it feel like feathers gently caressing the ears, causing the heart to flutter.

“Mm,” Chu Chengji responded as he closed his eyes beneath her palm.

Qin Zheng felt his acquiescence but still didn’t dare to remove her hand, as if afraid that he would open his eyes at any moment.

As the sun descended behind the western hills, its last rays illuminated half of his face and neck, casting them in a golden hue.

Qin Zheng noticed his Adam’s apple move slightly.

Glancing at her hand covering his eyes, Qin Zheng, with her hands folded in front of her knees, felt that Chu Chengji, who allowed her to do as she pleased, was particularly gentle.

She inched closer, stopping just a finger’s width away from his lips.

Chu Chengji naturally noticed her hesitation and waited quietly.

Her shallow breath sprayed onto his cheek, carrying her unique cold fragrance.

Despite the short distance between them, he perceived everything about her keenly.

But slowly, the distance between them grew, as if she had retreated in timidity. Just as Chu Chengji’s fingertips touched the armrest, he suddenly froze.

Qin Zheng, kissing his throat, felt her heartbeat quicken.

Her hand covering Chu Chengji’s eyes trembled slightly, but the other hand on the armrest provided support.

His lips seemed perfect for kissing, but Qin Zheng preferred to kiss his Adam’s apple, preferably with a gentle bite.

With her heart pounding like a drum, she closed her eyes and tentatively extended her tongue to lick.

In that instant, she distinctly felt Chu Chengji stiffen even more.

Originally wanting to give him a gentle bite, Qin Zheng, feeling hesitant, withdrew her hand from covering his eyes and retreated.

Chu Chengji indeed opened his eyes the moment she let go of his hand.

His gaze was dark and unsettling, and before Qin Zheng could return to her original position, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

She almost fell into Chu Chengji’s embrace, her hand finding support on his chest.

With one hand holding her chin and the other clasping her neck, he exuded dominance and danger.

Yet, his tone was oddly diplomatic as he asked, “Did I kiss you back?”

Qin Zheng’s long lashes fluttered as she was captivated by his intense gaze.

She didn’t even know how she managed to nod her head in response.

When Chu Chengji’s thin lips pressed against hers, she tried to reassure herself that there was nothing to fear, after all, they had kissed before, hadn’t they?

But soon, Qin Zheng felt like her head was about to explode.

This time, it was clear that Chu Chengji wasn’t going to stop at a mere touch. Initially, his kisses were gentle as he traced the contours of her lips with his tongue, making her head feel dizzy.

However, as he pried open her teeth, the kiss took on a different flavor—ferocious and domineering.

It was as if his earlier tenderness was merely a ploy to lower her defenses, allowing him to indulge in this feast.

Qin Zheng couldn’t bear it and wanted to escape, but his large palm on the back of her neck held her firmly, making it impossible for her to break free.

Releasing her chin, he moved his hand to her waist and lifted her onto his lap, positioning her face-to-face with him.

Her back was against the square table behind her, and he continued to kiss her passionately.

When it was over, Qin Zheng was gasping for air, her clothes disheveled, and her lips swollen.

Chu Chengji’s collar was also in disarray.

Both of them were stunned.

The courtyard door creaked, indicating that Aunt Lu was back.

Qin Zheng almost jumped up to close the door and hurriedly straightened her clothes.

Even though they were legally married, it felt as if they were engaged in an illicit affair.

Perhaps the kiss had been too intense, as both of them felt uneasy that night.

Qin Zheng used to think that rolling around together after kissing was just a dramatic effect from novels and TV shows.

However, now that she had experienced it firsthand, she felt a bit bewildered when she recalled it later.

It was just a kiss, so how did it escalate like that?

As she went to bed, she stole a glance at Chu Chengji, who was still sleeping on his side facing away from her, and silently pulled the blanket over herself and turned to face the inside.

As for Chu Chengji sneaking out into the cold several times that night, Qin Zheng was none the wiser.

The next day, Qin Zheng went to survey the terrain on the back mountain, while Chu Chengji trained the newly recruited soldiers, selecting a few skilled individuals from the villages to accompany her.

When Lin Yao heard about it, he had Feng Laogui go along to assist.

After all, Feng Laogui was quite knowledgeable about construction projects in the village and was familiar with the terrain. He could always help Qin Zheng.

Lin Zhao naturally went with Magpie to help as well, mainly out of curiosity and a desire to understand how to build a rope bridge between cliffs dozens of feet apart.

It was Qin Zheng’s first time going to the back mountain, and along the way, Lin Zhao introduced her to various defense mechanisms in the village, explaining that Lin Yao had reinforced this area’s mechanical traps after the bandits raided from the back mountain last time.

Qin Zheng frowned and asked, “The horizontal timbers on the back mountain cliffs haven’t been burnt down yet?”

Lin Zhao waved his hand dismissively. “They were burnt down long ago, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. By setting up more mechanical traps in the village, we can be prepared for any unexpected situations.”

Qin Zheng agreed with this point.

Once the rope bridge on the back mountain was completed, Qi Yun Village would have another route to connect with the outside world.

If the rope bridge were to be breached, the mechanical traps on the back mountain could serve as the village’s second line of defense.

Upon reaching the edge of the back mountain cliff, the first thing Qin Zheng saw was the remnants of the burnt bamboo spear wall and a few sparse shrubs.

The soil covering the edge of the cliff was extremely thin.

Qin Zheng used a stick to dig into the surface soil, revealing the underlying rock layer after only a few digs.

Lin Zhao asked curiously, “What are you digging for, Sister A Zheng?”

Feng Laogui, sitting in the shade, drinking from a gourd, raised his drooping eyelids at Qin Zheng’s question. “The wind and rain have washed away the soil on this cliff, leaving only rocks underneath. It will take some effort to drive stakes here.”

Having worked in construction for over twenty years, Feng Laogui could tell at a glance that Qin Zheng was digging to see how deep the soil cover was, which would facilitate the digging of foundation trenches to anchor the stakes.

He shook his head inwardly.

Breaking through the rock layer to drive stakes wasn’t difficult, but the real challenge lay in how to erect a rope bridge across a cliff dozens of feet wide.

Although he knew Qin Zheng was the military strategist’s wife and had saved people in the village before, Feng Laogui couldn’t help but think of her as a novice in his field.

He had been in the village for so many years, and whenever there was a construction project, people would come to him first.

When he had previously said it was impossible to build a rope bridge across the Yuan River, Lin Yao had insisted on having him assist.

Feng Laogui still felt a bit uneasy about it.

Seeing that Qin Zheng seemed to have no understanding of the difficulties involved in building this road, Feng Laogui felt a slight relief.

At his age, if a young girl like Qin Zheng managed to build a rope bridge, it would be a blow to his pride.

Qin Zheng seemed oblivious to the condescension and arrogance in his words, saying, “Master Feng, do you know how to drill holes in rock layers? Excellent. After I measure the width between these cliffs, I’ll need Master Feng to dig a trench here to anchor the stakes.”

Knowing the specific width of the cliff and the weight the iron cables would have to bear would allow for a more accurate calculation of how deep the stakes should be driven into the underlying rock layer.

Drilling holes in the rock layer was not an easy task.

Drilling too deep would be a waste of manpower and resources, while drilling too shallow could result in the stakes being unable to withstand the tension of transporting heavy objects back and forth on the rope bridge, rendering all previous efforts futile.

If people were to cross the rope bridge and fall from such a high cliff, it could cost lives.

Feng Laogui was almost amused by Qin Zheng’s bold words.

He closed the wine gourd and said, “Lady Military Strategist’s confidence is quite impressive, but there’s a raging Yuan River below this cliff. How do you plan to measure it? Are you going to grow wings and fly across?”

Qin Zheng replied confidently, “I have my ways.”