Chapter 8: The Bicycle Is Settled

“Big Bro! Weren’t you bathing Dahu and Erhu?” Chen Manman asked, surprised to see her brother back in less than a minute.

“Lin Shuhe is bathing them,” he replied, heading straight for his own room.

Chen Manman didn’t know if Lin Shuhe had ever bathed Dahu and Erhu before, but hearing it now still caught her off guard. She’d always assumed that Lin Shuhe wouldn’t do things like that—and that he didn’t even like the kids.

“Lin Shuhe! Be careful with Dahu’s arm—don’t get it wet!” she shouted from outside the shower room.

“Got it.” His tone was cool and distant. Lin Shuhe rarely spoke, and in the original story, he was always indifferent to the original host and her family.

Before long, the two freshly bathed and fragrant little ones were carried back to the room by Lin Shuhe and placed on the kang (heated brick bed).

“Mom! Smell me! I smell good, right?” Dahu ran toward Chen Manman. Not to be outdone, Erhu followed: “Mom, I smell good too!”

“Mmm~ Mama’s little babies smell sooo nice! Mwah~” Chen Manman scooped up the two soft little dumplings and gave their cheeks a kiss.

“Ehehe~ Hahaha~” Dahu and Erhu giggled as they squirmed in her arms from the ticklish kisses.

One child on each leg, Chen Manman spoke gently, “Dahu, Erhu, Mommy’s going to the county town tomorrow. In the morning, I’ll bring you to your great-grandpa and great-grandma’s place to play, and I’ll be back by the afternoon, okay?”

The two little ones didn’t really know what “county” meant, but every time their mom came back from there, she brought treats—sometimes even candy. So they responded eagerly, “Okay~”

“I’ll be very good!”

Looking at her sweet, sensible children, Chen Manman felt deeply comforted. “Alright, time to sleep now~” She lay the two of them down beside her and gently patted them while humming a lullaby.

In no time, the two kids drifted off to dreamland.

Moving carefully, Chen Manman got up, took out a change of clothes that belonged to the original host, and was about to go bathe.

Just as she stepped outside, she unexpectedly bumped straight into Lin Shuhe coming in. He seemed to have just finished his shower—his hair was wet, and he was casually toweling it dry with one hand. Beads of water trickled down his collarbones, and under the light, his lips looked red, his teeth white…

Chen Manman: “…” Why is my nose itchy!?

Their eyes met briefly—and in that fleeting glance, she swore she saw a subtle smile flash through his eyes.

Embarrassed, she bolted out the door, clutching her chest.

Oh my god! That was so embarrassing!

She’d seen all kinds of handsome men in the modern world—idol actors on TV, movie stars… She was not supposed to fall for his looks! How pathetic!

She couldn’t face him anymore and took off running into the backyard.

“Hey! What are you running for?” Suddenly, her mother’s voice came from ahead, making her jump in fright. “Ah!”

“Mom! You scared me to death!” Chen Manman slapped her chest, unsure if it was guilt or actual fear.

“You child—still so reckless. You’re a mom now, you should be more mature.”

Chen Manman quickly wrapped her arms around her mother’s arm and rested her head on her shoulder, acting spoiled. “Moooom~ even if I’m a mom, I’m still your little girl—your precious baby~”

Hearing her daughter’s sweet words, Chen’s mother smiled so wide she couldn’t close her mouth. “You clever little fox! Go take your shower and get to bed!”

“Got it~ Mom, you and Dad should sleep early too!”

Chen Manman made her way to the shower room and slipped into her space’s farmhouse courtyard. She went upstairs to the bathroom, showered, applied skincare, and fussed over herself for nearly an hour. After changing into the original host’s clothes, she entered the warehouse to carefully inspect the stock—she had only skimmed it earlier in the day.

Chen Manman made up her mind: tomorrow, she’d go to the county town to “buy” malted milk powder, White Rabbit candy, cookies, and other snacks, along with “shopping” for kids’ clothes. And most importantly—“get” a bicycle. There was a brand-new pink ladies’ bike in her warehouse, but it didn’t quite fit the era.

A bicycle!

Right! Suddenly she remembered—when she was little, her grandfather used to ride an old-style bike and carry her on it.

He’d cherished that bike dearly! Thinking of this, she rushed off to the old house’s storage room and began rummaging around. Eventually, in a dusty corner, she found the old, worn-out bicycle.

She dragged it out and wiped it down. Though it was old, it still looked decent. She was thrilled—until she tried riding it and discovered the tires were flat. Probably broken.

Sigh… all that effort for nothing!

Wait! What if… she just painted the pink bike black?

No sooner thought than done. She pulled out some paint from the warehouse and went to work on the pink bike. Half an hour later, a sleek, jet-black ladies’ bicycle was born!

Looking at her handiwork, Chen Manman couldn’t help but praise herself: Genius! That just saved her 150 yuan!

She wheeled the bike into the courtyard to let the paint dry.

After washing up again, she slipped back out of her space and tiptoed out of the shower room.

It was pitch-black outside—so dark you couldn’t see your own hand. Everything around was eerily silent. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She’d always been scared of the dark, and in the countryside, it was really dark at night.

She mustered her courage and groped her way forward. Suddenly, a shadow emerged from the corner of the courtyard.

“Ah! GHOST!!” Her scream pierced the still night air.

“Shut up—it’s me!” Lin Shuhe grabbed her arm and quickly covered her mouth.

Chen Manman was so frightened she nearly passed out, still struggling in panic.

“Calm down! It’s me!” Lin Shuhe’s voice came from just above her head.

“I… I was terrified… wuwu…” Her voice softened, even taking on a hint of coquettish whimpering.

Seeing her wide, watery eyes and her soft, fair skin, Lin Shuhe couldn’t help but gently pull her into his arms, patting her back comfortingly.

After a moment, Chen Manman wriggled out of his embrace. “Uh… sorry… I’m going back to bed!” And she ran off toward the house.

So embarrassing!

Their room was the only one with lights still on—her parents had probably already gone to sleep.

Originally, Lin Shuhe had gone out because he noticed she hadn’t come back for a long time and was worried. He didn’t expect that…

He stood frozen for a moment, swallowing hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His eyes narrowed slightly.

When he got back inside and saw a lump raised in the middle of the blanket, Lin Shuhe curled his lips into a faint smirk—half amused, half intrigued.

Interesting…

—-

At dawn, Chen Manman got up from bed. Her parents were already gone—harvest work began before daylight.

She changed Dahu’s dressing and wrapped the bandage properly. “Dahu, Erhu—time to get up. After breakfast, I’ll take you to great-grandpa and great-grandma’s house,” she said softly as she woke the two boys and helped them wash and get dressed.

In the kitchen, her mother had already warmed up three eggs and a pot of porridge. The three of them finished breakfast quickly.

Locking the gate behind them, Chen Manman held the kids’ hands and walked toward Uncle Chen’s house. “Grandma~ are you home?” she called as they approached.