Chapter 14  

The donkey sensed strangers approaching and kicked its hooves uneasily, attempting to butt its head against Shen Qingran.  

Shen Qingran took a frightened step back, instinctively shielding his abdomen with his hands. He had been struck there by a rogue with a hoe—worse than when the wheelchair had hit him—and couldn’t bear another blow.  

For the one thousand and eighth time, he resolved to develop some abs.  

Xue Feifeng’s gaze followed Shen Qingran’s hands to his abdomen. This natural, subconscious protective gesture… Had Shen Qingran known about his pregnancy for a long time?  

It was just one more mouth to feed, and Shen Qingran wasn’t truly his wife. They treated each other with respect, and whatever Shen Qingran chose to do—or whoever he chose to bear a child for—was his own decision, wasn’t it?  

Xue Feifeng thought this way, but his heart was clouded with inexplicable bitterness. He pinched the bridge of his nose, ultimately attributing his displeasure to Shen Qingran’s “deception.” He had treated Shen Qingran as one of his own, offering protection, and naturally expected honesty in return. Or perhaps, deep down, he believed no one was worthy of having Shen Qingran bear their child.  

Xue Feifeng realized he didn’t even want to know who the father was.  

Over there, Shen Qingran had taken a liking to a gentler donkey and waved for Xue Feifeng to come over.  

Xue Feifeng approached and suggested, “Why not buy a horse instead? I’ve ridden before—I could take you back.”  

But one horse cost as much as two donkeys! With war raging everywhere, most horses had been requisitioned as warhorses. The four horses they saw today had only appeared because the bandits Xue Feifeng had wiped out the night before had scattered them in the chaos. A horse trainer had spotted them and brought them to the market early to sell.  

Shen Qingran shook his head. “No need. I can walk on my own, and the donkey can pull a millstone.”  

“Then let’s just buy both—” Xue Feifeng began, but the moment he saw Shen Qingran’s pleading eyes, he knew it was a lost cause.  

With such a thrifty “wife” at home, Xue Feifeng had no choice but to yield.  

After paying, Shen Qingran learned from the vendor how to lead the donkey, then gestured for Xue Feifeng to climb on. “Let’s go home.”  

The great general, who had just boasted about his riding skills, fell silent for a long moment before admitting earnestly, “My legs are weak—I can’t climb up. I’ll just lead it.”  

Shen Qingran glanced at the vendor, who offered a warm, friendly smile. “Brother, my wife and I will help you up. Come on.”  

Xue Feifeng’s face stiffened. “I won’t let you lead the donkey alone.”  

Shen Qingran’s heart softened at his words, as if a marshmallow had bloomed inside him. Xue Feifeng was truly a gentleman.  

Seizing the opportunity, the vendor interjected, “Why not buy a donkey cart instead? You can both ride, and given your circumstances, I’ll give you a good deal.”  

Xue Feifeng, playing the role of a dutiful henpecked husband, immediately looked to Shen Qingran for approval. The vendor seemed to grasp who held the reins in this relationship and eagerly began extolling the virtues of the donkey cart to Shen Qingran.  

Shen Qingran nodded, and both Xue Feifeng and the vendor breathed a sigh of relief.  

The vendor led them to the backyard to teach Shen Qingran how to drive the cart.  

Shen Qingran wobbled precariously on the cart, looking as though he might topple off at any moment. Seated, he was even shorter than the donkey’s back, and Xue Feifeng feared he might steer them straight into a ditch.  

“I’ll drive,” Xue Feifeng offered. He had never tried before, but it couldn’t be too different from riding a horse.  

Shen Qingran shook his head solemnly. Xue Feifeng might need to leave the mountains frequently in the future, and once Shen Qingran mastered this skill, he could ferry him to and fro.

“I have a driver’s license, so why can’t I learn to drive a donkey cart?!” Shen Qingran pouted. After studying all afternoon and getting frustrated by the stubborn donkey, he would glance at Xue Feifeng beside him.

A proper older brother must have the ability to take his younger sibling to see the doctor.

Shen Qingran imagined himself driving a Bentley.

The more he thought about it, the worse he got.

The owner bent over, panting, his expression complicated. It was rare to see such a foolish wife and such a patient husband these days. He decided to treat his own wife better from now on—though she wasn’t particularly pretty, she was quick with her hands and feet and cooked well.

The owner patted Xue Feifeng, who was sitting nearby. “Brother, you… have it rough. Judging by your skills, your wife must be a terrible cook too, huh?”

Xue Feifeng: “…” That was putting it mildly.

But he actually found Shen Qingran, earnestly trying to steer the donkey cart, rather endearing. If not for his lame leg, he might have even stepped in to teach him himself.

Ridiculous, Xue Feifeng mocked himself inwardly. So this was what it felt like to indulge someone like this.

In the end, it wasn’t so much that Shen Qingran had learned how to drive the cart as it was that the donkey had learned to drive itself.

Shen Qingran, sore and exhausted, quietly complained to Xue Feifeng, “This donkey is so dumb.”

“…You worked hard.”

“Not at all!” Shen Qingran smiled and slowly led the donkey cart away with Xue Feifeng.

Passing by a clothing shop, Xue Feifeng suddenly stopped. “Ahem, go in and buy a couple of things.”

Shen Qingran looked up and flushed bright red.

Why was he, a man, being asked to buy a Dudou?!

No way.

Xue Feifeng: “Consider it my compensation.”

Only then did Shen Qingran remember the incident from before. How long had it been? Couldn’t they just forget about it?

Standing at the entrance, surrounded by women of all ages coming and going, Shen Qingran’s face burned hotter. He grabbed Xue Feifeng’s hand and solemnly wrote the character for “expensive.”

Xue Feifeng would rather Shen Qingran spend extravagantly as he had before. “It’s fine. We can afford it.”

No, buying the donkey cart had already exceeded their budget. Shen Qingran refused to waste money on useless things. He pointed to his throat, indicating he was mute, and that shopping was troublesome—he didn’t want to.

A flicker of heartache passed through Xue Feifeng’s eyes. It suddenly dawned on him that there were many things Shen Qingran might not refuse because he didn’t want them, but because he couldn’t ask for them.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Shen Qingran: !!!

Was it appropriate for a grown man like you to go in? No! Without another word, Shen Qingran firmly dragged Xue Feifeng away.

…

On their way back, they had to spend the night in a cave again. Xue Feifeng went in and out four times, resting midway the first time.

The cave was damp and cold, with occasional swarms of bats swooping overhead, blotting out the sky at the entrance like a mountain ghost with disheveled hair hanging upside down. No wonder Shen Qingran was too scared to sleep in such a dark, eerie place.

The cave walls were smooth, with trickling streams leaving no trace as they flowed down, leaving muddy handprints when touched. The ground was littered with old and new ashes from fires—clearly, Shen Qingran wasn’t the only one who had stayed here.

Xue Feifeng’s expression darkened. “From now on, you’re not allowed to leave the mountains alone.”

Shen Qingran didn’t understand why Xue Feifeng had suddenly turned stern, but he agreed for now—he didn’t dare defy a “military order” anyway. He reached behind two stone slabs in the cave and pulled out a carefully hidden bundle of dried rations, offering it to Xue Feifeng.

Shen Qingran had brought his own provisions when he left the mountains. Fearing the high prices outside and wanting to save money, he only took a few copper coins for lodging at an inn. Carrying the provisions on his back, he was so exhausted he nearly considered abandoning them. Later, spotting a cave, he cleverly hid the remaining food for his return journey.

Unwrapping several layers of tattered cloth, he found the boiled and sun-dried peanuts hadn’t absorbed any moisture at all—though the quantity was meager. It was obvious Shen Qingran’s slender arms couldn’t carry much.

Xue Feifeng froze. This handful of peanuts was clearly Shen Qingran’s ration for the journey back.

If he hadn’t run into him.

It seemed Shen Qingran had been living rather miserably lately.

“Go ahead and eat.”

Xue Feifeng’s eyes darkened as he pressed his lips together and went outside to gather dry branches for a fire. From his bundle, he produced a half-roasted, well-seasoned plump chicken and set it over the flames. The golden meat quickly turned crisp and glossy under the firelight, dripping oil intermittently.

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—the aroma of the meat filled the air.

Having learned his lesson, the general had now mastered the art of secretly buying things behind his wife’s back.

The peanuts in Shen Qingran’s hand fell to the ground.

He hurriedly picked up the ones near the edge of the fire to prevent them from burning, his cheeks puffing in and out like a hamster’s.

But in truth, “Shen the Hamster” could no longer taste the peanuts. He had transformed into a green-eyed weasel, fixated solely on the chicken.

Shen Qingran tried to suppress the growling of his stomach. Xue Feifeng’s expression wasn’t exactly friendly—this chicken probably wasn’t meant for him.

Peanuts are still good… Peanuts can be stewed with chicken!

Why am I so poor?! Shen Qingran silently chanted “Farming leads to wealth” ten times to discipline himself.

Farm the land, and chickens will grow in the fields!

A perfectly roasted half-chicken, wrapped in oiled paper, was handed to Shen Qingran. He blinked—was this really for him?

“I bought it for you,” Xue Feifeng explained. “I was afraid you’d refuse, so I acted first and asked later.”

A hint of moved tears welled up in Shen Qingran’s eyes. He had almost forgotten he was once a spendthrift rich kid.

Shen Qingran didn’t hog the chicken. Under Xue Feifeng’s unusually awkward gaze, he personally fed half of it to him.

“Is your stomach injured? I noticed you holding it occasionally. Let me check after we finish eating.” Xue Feifeng rummaged through his bundle and pulled out a bottle of pills, effortlessly crushing them into powder. “These can relieve pain.”

Initially, he hadn’t taken Shen Qingran’s injury seriously—after all, someone who was pregnant yet so lively couldn’t be in dire straits. But along the way, observing Shen Qingran’s subtle movements, he began to suspect he might have misjudged.

Perhaps the early stages of pregnancy couldn’t be generalized.

But Shen Qingran’s expression changed abruptly. With a chicken bone still in his mouth, he nearly jumped up in panic, as if caught in an affair by his husband.

His eyes flickered with alarm and guilt.

Xue Feifeng’s face darkened instantly. Was Shen Qingran now refusing to let him touch his stomach?

Shen Qingran didn’t know how Xue Feifeng had noticed his stomach discomfort.

He wanted to hide it.

From the beginning, Shen Qingran had been unwilling to bring up the matter of the Li Family Village ruffians in front of Xue Feifeng.

He didn’t want Xue Feifeng to worry about him being bullied, selfishly keeping his entanglement with those troublemakers a secret.

More importantly, last time the injury was on his back—this time, it was his lower abdomen!

His little buddy was right down there!

Xue Feifeng could easily feel it with just a brush of his hand.