Chapter 33.3

The courtyard was very sunny, so Ruan Mingfu stayed put.

“We’ll be able to eat it by evening,” Xie Yanzhao said, coming over and wiping the sweat from his forehead before sitting down next to her.

A tall and straight figure sat down, making the narrow doorway even more cramped.

Ruan Mingfu couldn’t help but keep some distance from him.

She had just tested all the places, and found that the area by the front door, which connects to the back door, has better air circulation and is the most comfortable spot. But as soon as Xie Yanzhao arrived, he blocked all the breeze.

She was frustrated!

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

Did he have a smell on him?

The two of them sat together, and the contrast made Ruan Mingfu look even whiter, like snow. Xie Yanzhao had been training new recruits in recent days, going through wind and rain, and his whole body had become several shades darker.

He was better off than most.

In such a scorching sun, it was a miracle he didn’t get sunburned.

Ruan Mingfu fanned herself and asked, “Why did you come back so early today?”

Usually, it was impossible to see him before dark.

Now it was only two o’clock, and here he was.

Tsk tsk~

Strange!

Xie Yanzhao turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “I want to take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

Xie Yanzhao couldn’t help but poke her bun, which made Ruan Mingfu glare at him.

“Don’t touch it.”

She had gone through the trouble of fixing it, and if he messed it up, she’d have to redo it.

Xie Yanzhao withdrew his hand.

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

Ruan Mingfu was interested, but she glanced at the sleeping baby beside her.

Since Hu Wanning had gone out, she had kept the baby with her.

Fortunately, the baby was well-behaved, not crying or making a fuss, which saved her a lot of trouble.

Xie Yanzhao also looked at the baby.

In the end, Xie Yanzhao ended up carrying the baby, with Ruan Mingfu walking beside him.

The dog, seeing everyone leave, followed along as well.

The baby rubbed his eyes, glanced at Ruan Mingfu, and then went back to sleep.

Ruan Mingfu thought: … This baby really is easy to take care of.

She followed Xie Yanzhao, who led her to a courtyard. He walked straight in, and Ruan Mingfu followed.

The small courtyard seemed to have been unoccupied for a long time.

Weeds were growing in the corners, and stones were piled haphazardly. It was similar in layout to other houses, with a well on the side, covered with a stone slab due to the lack of use.

A muddy path led from the courtyard gate to the main house, with traces of previous cultivation visible.

The previous owner must have grown vegetables here.

The area around the courtyard had been neglected, and the wooden fence was broken in several places.

Ruan Mingfu shielded her face with her fan and quickly moved to the eaves to escape the sun.

The sun was indeed scorching, and just walking this short distance made her feel like she was about to melt, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Xie Yanzhao, is this our house?”

Given that Xie Yanzhao brought her here and there was no one living there, if she still didn’t get it, she’d really be slow-witted.

Ruan Mingfu’s bright eyes took in her surroundings.

Knowing it was soon to be her home made the place seem more appealing. Even the weeds in the corners seemed somewhat endearing.

Xie Yanzhao smiled with satisfaction. “Very smart.”

Ruan Mingfu beamed with pride.

“Hurry and open it. I want to see what it’s like inside,” she urged.

Xie Yanzhao took out the key and opened the door, making sure to pull Ruan Mingfu back.

“It’s very dusty inside,” Xie Yanzhao said as he held the baby. “Let’s wait before going in.”

The state of the interior was as expected.

Not only was it dusty, but the door frames were also rotting. They were so deteriorated that Ruan Mingfu felt she could easily crush them with a little force. The main door, poorly maintained, risked falling off at any moment.

Ruan Mingfu looked at the dirty, chaotic house with a mixed expression. “… Can we even live here?”

“It’s fine. We’ll tear out all these things,” Xie Yanzhao had already planned, “I know you don’t like living in a place someone else has lived in. We’ll renovate it once we’ve removed everything that needs to be taken out.”

Renovation was certainly necessary.

The walls around were a bit worn, with some peeling paint revealing the bricks beneath.

However, it was a big project, and they probably wouldn’t be able to finish it quickly.

The house was a single-story building, similar to Xie Yanzhao’s family home, with a three-bedroom layout. However, the rooms here were larger.

Ruan Mingfu looked up at the peeling paint that was barely hanging on and quickly moved away.

“What can I do to help?”

Although Hu Wanning was good to her, it was still someone else’s home, and it wasn’t appropriate to be too intrusive.

Xie Yanzhao thought for a moment. “It’ll take at least a week.”

“A week? That long?”

Actually, a week was quite fast for such a large project. If Xie Yanzhao was working alone, it might take even longer before they could move in.

Hearing this, Xie Yanzhao chuckled softly.

“Why? Do you want to move in quickly?”

“Ah…” Ruan Mingfu looked up into Xie Yanzhao’s teasing eyes, suddenly realizing.

How was she supposed to respond to that?

Of course, moving in meant living with Xie Yanzhao… Recalling the crude jokes from the first day she arrived here, Ruan Mingfu’s face flushed.

She glanced at Xie Yanzhao’s physique, then looked down at herself.

He was twice her size.

She might die from embarrassment.

Ruan Mingfu swallowed nervously, feeling a wave of apprehension. She couldn’t help but distance herself from Xie Yanzhao and walked to the back door.

Xie Yanzhao had no idea what unhealthy thoughts were running through her mind.

He held the chubby child in one arm and quietly made a mental note of the areas that needed repairs. He still needed to find a carpenter to make furniture. Since Ruan Mingfu loved beauty, he also had to add a vanity…

On the other side, Ruan Mingfu walked to the backyard, where she finally felt the heat on her face subside a bit.

For Ruan Mingfu, the backyard was where the real surprise lay.

Not only was there a breeze, but she could also see the endless mountains in the distance. At this moment, they appeared dark green and black, lacking the lush beauty of spring.

Building a pavilion here would be perfect—sitting there to enjoy the breeze and drink tea would be incredibly pleasant.

Just thinking about it made her feel delighted.

Like Xu Zhu’s house, there was also a small building here that served as a kitchen.

At that time, kitchens all looked the same. Ruan Mingfu took a glance and then lost interest, pulling her gaze away.

At that moment, a dark cloud floated in from somewhere, and within seconds, large raindrops began to fall. Initially unnoticed, it soon became clear that it was raining.

Ruan Mingfu quickly picked up her skirt and ran into the house.

Just in time—the moment she stepped inside, the rain began pouring more heavily.

Soon, small puddles began forming on the ground.

The wind blowing in carried moisture, which helped cool Ruan Mingfu’s flushed skin.

“Finally, it’s raining,” Ruan Mingfu said, looking at the intensifying rain with pleasure. “No wonder it was so hot earlier, it was about to rain.”

As she spoke, Xie Yanzhao also came over with the chubby child.

This was the second time it had rained since she arrived at the army camp.

To keep the chubby child from getting wet, they moved to the middle of the house. Goudan, however, didn’t mind the rain at all. If anything, it was happier than anyone. It frolicked in the rain, running back and forth.

It even wagged its tail cheerfully at Ruan Mingfu.

But Ruan Mingfu didn’t dare let it jump on her. Goudan’s fur was soaked through, and rainwater was dripping off it, quickly forming a wet spot on the floor.

Goudan loved to roll on the ground too.

With its fur already wet and the ground full of dust, a single roll turned it into a muddy dog.

Ruan Mingfu could barely watch and averted her eyes silently.

Standing inside and watching the rain fall heavily outside, Xie Yanzhao’s deep voice broke the silence. “Have you figured out what you want to do?”

“And you?”

Ruan Mingfu’s eyes sparkled with surprise. “I can decide on everything?”

Honestly!

She was growing more fond of the man every day.

“Everything is up to you,” Xie Yanzhao said, touching her face with a smile in his eyes. “Hmm? So happy?”

Of course!

It’s her dream house, who wouldn’t like that?

What’s more, she didn’t have to do any work herself—just voice her wishes, and Xie Yanzhao would take care of everything.

For Ruan Mingfu, this was true happiness.

Xie Yanzhao’s eyes darkened slowly, and his hand didn’t seem satisfied with just that brief touch. It slid down to caress Ruan Mingfu’s delicate and slender neck. He noticed how thin her neck was compared to his arm.

He was a bit afraid of hurting her and quickly pulled his hand away.

Ruan Mingfu didn’t notice and continued to look at him with pure eyes.

“This is what you said—everything must be according to my wishes!”

…

From that day on, Xie Yanzhao became busy. Not only him, but Ruan Mingfu was also kept busy.

They had to visit the new house several times every day. Ruan Mingfu felt she had tanned quite a bit from the sun.

But as she saw the house gradually taking shape, she felt a sense of accomplishment.

On the first day of cleaning the house, Xie Yanzhao brought a group of soldiers over. In no time, they had the yard inside and out cleaned up completely, leaving Ruan Mingfu amazed.

With their help, the work indeed progressed much faster.

The pebble path Ruan Mingfu wanted was laid, and an empty space was left in the corner for planting vegetables. The previously piled-up vegetable garden was leveled.

But she still felt like she was forgetting something, though she couldn’t recall what it was.

Until a young soldier in uniform came over, “Sister-in-law, there’s a call for you.”

Ruan Mingfu finally remembered.

Oh no, she forgot about Gu Yilin, this big villain!