Chapter 36: Children Speak Freely 

As dusk approached, the sun was softly descending beyond the horizon, casting a dim golden glow over the sky. 

In the distance, smoke rose from the chimneys of every household in the village, filling the air with a rustic and simple warmth. 

The chubby boy had two large fruits in his pocket, his face smeared with the juice of the wild fruits he had just eaten. He curiously pointed at the goji berries in Xia Li’s bamboo basket and said, “So many dog nipples!” 

Among the children, the chubby boy clearly played the role of a leader. Although he didn’t boast, he was still the most confident one. 

Several kids nearby turned to look: “It’s dog nipples, wow, so many.” 

A shy little girl quietly asked, “What are dog nipples?” 

The short legs continued discussing as they walked: 

“It’s those red ones, they look like little fruits that are dog nipples.” 

“Look like dog nipples? What are dog nipples like?” 

“Um… when a dog has puppies, the nipples are really red and long, hanging down under the belly. How do you not know this? So dumb!” 

“My dog hasn’t had any puppies…” the little girl said, feeling wronged. 

“Oh, have you seen a swallow lay eggs? I have a nest of swallows in my house, and every time they lay eggs, I sneakily take them away, so they don’t come back…” The topic quickly shifted to something else. 

Xia Li listened to the children’s innocent chatter, realizing that they called goji berries “dog nipples” here… 

At first, she didn’t quite understand, but once the chubby boy explained it so casually, she immediately got it. 

It really was… vivid and straightforward. 

A black line appeared on Xia Li’s forehead, and she cast a sidelong glance at the man. 

He stood tall a few steps away, looking seriously at the path ahead. 

His strong profile was calm, as if he hadn’t heard anything. 

After their outing, they returned home with their harvest. 

The children were from the neighboring village, and the chubby boy and another little boy were from Shinianzi Village. 

The kids probably were hungry after their outing, and they waved at Xia Li and the man from a distance, shouting, “Captain! See you! Pears! See you!” 

Then, like fledglings finding their nests, they happily scattered toward their own homes. 

Xia Li chuckled as she looked at the man, having climbed a tree and earned the honorary title of the children’s team captain. 

He seemed unaware, striding tall beside her. 

When he noticed his wife sneaking a glance at him again, his previously indifferent expression broke into a bright smile. 

The quick change in his demeanor startled a nearby woman passing by. 

“Why is that young man smiling at me? It’s kind of creepy…” 

The woman tightened her grip on her small bamboo basket and quickened her pace to walk away. 

After the man distributed the wild fruits from his basket, there was still more than half left. Xia Li no longer doubted his abilities. 

He climbed the tall tree without hesitation, going up and down without any fear. 

He didn’t listen to her and instead picked the ripe fruits that had fallen to the ground, his eyes subtly disdainful, as if he looked down on those. The ones he picked were fresh, plump wild fruits from the tree. 

As a result, the children preferred not to pick fruits from the ground and instead watched him gather wild fruits in a cool and impressive way, as if they were sweeter and tastier than those that had naturally fallen. 

However, Xia Li vaguely felt that he had changed a bit after this trip. 

Earlier, when he couldn’t find her, he had “punished” her seriously by lifting her up for a “lesson.” 

His tone had sounded different from usual, quite serious. 

Other than that, it seemed like nothing else had changed. 

It must be an illusion. 

Xia Li had gathered a full basket of goji berries but didn’t dare to show off in the village. She covered the basket with some wild violets to hide any signs. 

Speaking of which, she still needed to help the man move into the thatched house; they had delayed too long on this trip. 

Xia Li’s mind was racing, thinking about how to sell these goji berries for money. 

She didn’t say much along the way, and the man also remained silent. 

He followed her at a distance of two steps, maintaining that distance with a calm demeanor. 

As they neared home, Xia Li sighed in relief and quickened her pace, casually asking him, “What do you want to eat tonight?” 

The man’s throat moved slightly, but he still didn’t speak. 

Ahead of them appeared a young woman wearing a pink plaid shirt. 

She was dressed very delicately, with a pointed chin and crescent-shaped eyes, smiling warmly at Xia Li. 

“Li Zi, why are you back now?” Her voice was soft as she engaged Xia Li in conversation. 

But her gaze subtly flicked to the man behind Xia Li, quickly assessing him. 

This woman was Zhao Xueling, one of the childhood friends of the original owner in the village. 

Xia Li smiled faintly at her, “I was busy.” 

She didn’t miss the moment when Zhao Xueling glanced at the man, her eyes flashing with surprise for a brief two seconds.