Chapter 17.1

In her past life, Wen Yue often altered her clothes.

When she bought clothes that she hadn’t worn much and they suddenly went out of style, she couldn’t bear to throw them away, so she would try to modify them, and the results turned out quite well.

However, making clothes from scratch was something she had never done before.

But a shirt wasn’t too difficult. She should be able to manage it.

Wen Yue got up in the morning, washed, had breakfast, washed everything that needed to be washed, and took out the quilt to dry in the sun.

The young man who had delivered goods yesterday came again today, bringing her notebooks, pencils, and a measuring tape. Clearly, Zhou Yao had remembered her casual mention from yesterday, and not only did he remember, but he also followed through.

Wen Yue’s mood lifted significantly, her smile became even brighter as she thanked the young man.

The young man, blushing, waved his hand: “No, no need to be so polite.”

After sending the young man away, Wen Yue prepared the lunch, then took out the notebook and pencil to sketch the design for the shirt. In her previous life, she had studied fine arts, and with just a few strokes, she sketched out a rough outline of the shirt.

Fortunately, the style of the shirt was relatively simple. Otherwise, without a sewing machine, Wen Yue felt that she would probably give up quickly.

She hummed a little tune to herself.

Picking up scissors, she began to cut the fabric according to the design.

Zhou Yao had been going to the city every day these past few days.

Sometimes, Wen Yue would wait for him in the evening. Other times, if she felt sleepy, she would just go to bed. However, she would always leave a light on in the kitchen and prepare food for him.

That day, Zhou Yao returned quite late.

He pushed open the courtyard gate. The kitchen was lit, but Wen Yue’s bedroom door was tightly closed.

He clicked his tongue and walked into the kitchen, noticing the pot was covered, and there were still some sparks in the stove. He moved closer to lift the lid.

Inside, there was a plate of fried rice, each golden grain distinct and looking very appetizing.

Zhou Yao turned to wash his hands, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and began to eat the fried rice.

The rice was still warm, and the temperature seemed to seep into his heart, making him feel warm all over.

He finished the plate of fried rice cleanly, leaving not a single grain.

Afterward, he used hot water from the back pot to wash the dishes, then took a cold shower.

The weather had recently warmed up, and he didn’t like to use hot water.

While showering, Zhou Yao contemplated.

In a couple of days, the shipment to Shencheng would be sold out, and then he wouldn’t need to go to the city every day. He could discuss with Wen Yue about finding an auspicious day to go to the town to collect their marriage certificate.

Yes, Zhou Yao suddenly remembered that they hadn’t collected their marriage certificate yet!

He felt somewhat insecure.

What if Wen Yue suddenly ran away? Where would he go to reason with her?

Zhou Yao stepped out of the small shower area, his bare shoulders glistening, a towel draped over one shoulder as he walked toward the kitchen door, reaching out to switch off the light before heading inside.

Just as his hand touched the switch, he heard the creaking sound of a door opening.

Wen Yue stepped out, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning, squinting toward the kitchen.

Under the warm light, the honey-colored muscles of his chest and abdomen were swaying in front of her, the faint outline of a well-defined V-line disappearing into his pants, revealing a taut, striking physique. His broad shoulders and narrow waist formed a perfect V shape, exuding a sense of raw power.

Wen Yue: “?”

Wen Yue: “…”

Wen Yue: “!!!”

What’s this?

Was this a late-night treat?

Wen Yue was instantly wide awake.

Zhou Yao instinctively grabbed the towel draped over his shoulder to cover himself, and as he moved, the muscles in his arms tensed and bulged.

His expression was slightly awkward.

His ears turned red as he hoarsely asked, “Did I wake you?”

The subtle allure was even more tempting.

This feeling of being on the edge…

Wen Yue struggled to pull her gaze away, clearing her throat. “No, I just wanted to use the bathroom.”

Zhou Yao frowned. “Isn’t there a chamber pot in the room?”

“……”

Wen Yue’s romantic thoughts dissipated instantly because of Zhou Yao’s words.

She paused and calmly said, “I took the wooden bucket to the outhouse; I don’t like that thing in the room.”

Even just having it in the room at night was unacceptable.

It always felt dirty, making her uncomfortable all over.

Zhou Yao replied, “Then take the flashlight with you. There’s no light over there, so be careful not to fall in.”

Wen Yue: “……Please shut up.”

She no longer felt in the mood to appreciate his good physique. Turning around, she grabbed the flashlight from her room, switched it on, and walked around the yard toward the outhouse.

In the countryside, there were no flush toilets, just dry toilets.

Heaven knows how distressed Wen Yue was the first time she used the toilet. When she returned, she wished she could boil water for a bath immediately and wash all her clothes and shoes a hundred times!

In the end, reason prevailed, and she washed her hands several times.

When Wen Yue returned, the kitchen light was already off.

Zhou Yao stood at the door in a white undershirt, frowning tightly when he saw her running back. He said in a low voice, “Why are you running so fast? If you fall, you’ll be the one crying.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Wen Yue pretended not to hear him.

Zhou Yao looked at her and said, “I was about to sleep. I just wanted to let you know that I have to go to the city again tomorrow, but once I finish, I’ll be free the day after.”

Wen Yue blinked and softly replied, “You’re quite busy.”

“Yeah,” Zhou Yao crossed his arms in response. After a few seconds of silence, he furrowed his brow again and asked, “Aren’t you curious about what I’m doing in the city?”

As Wen Yue walked into the room, she casually smiled at him, “What does it have to do with me? What, do you still want me to control you?”

After saying that, she closed the door with a loud bang.

That sentence sounded a bit familiar.

Zhou Yao pondered for a moment, suddenly recalling that Wen Yue had asked him the same thing before, and he had responded in this manner.

He was momentarily speechless, then chuckled softly, scratching his nose as he closed the door.

This little girl holds a grudge, which is quite endearing.

Zhou Yao wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he found her a bit cute. As he lay in bed, he couldn’t help but smile at Wen Yue’s reaction.

……

The next day was Saturday. Wen Yue had finished drying the bedding and was taking her book to find Li Nianqiu.

She wore the light yellow dress Zhou Yao had bought, and the beige belt accentuated her slender waist. This color was very picky about skin tone. It looked great on fair skin, but if someone was dark or yellow, it could make them look even darker or yellower.

Wen Yue’s fair skin made her look radiant under the sunlight.

She arrived outside the Li family’s courtyard just as the two sisters were heading out with their basket. She asked curiously, “Where are you going?”

Li Nianqiu smiled and replied, “We’re out of firewood at home, so we’re going to the mountain to chop some. If you have something to do, you can wait for me in the house.”

“I’ll go with you!” Wen Yue decided on the spot.

She also wanted to get out and stretch her legs, but felt uncomfortable going alone.

Li Nianqiu glanced at her. “There’s a lot of weeds on the mountain. You should stay behind. What if your dress gets caught? Isn’t that dress expensive?”

Wen Yue waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. If it gets caught, I can just fix it.”

Seeing that she insisted, Li Nianqiu didn’t try to dissuade her further.

The three of them walked along the small path at the edge of the fields toward the back mountain of the village.

Hongshan Village was surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountains weren’t particularly high, but one could see small animals like wild chickens and rabbits. However, there were no large beasts like wild boars, so aside from being cautious of snakes and insects, it was relatively safe.

Li Nianqiu led the way, swinging a machete to clear the weeds from both sides of the path, occasionally turning around to check on Wen Yue and reminding her to watch her step.

After walking for a while, they entered the woods, where the sisters picked up fallen twigs and Li Nianqiu skillfully swung the machete, swiftly chopping off branches from the trees.

The forest was a vibrant green, with thick leaves overhead blocking most of the sunlight, letting only a few scattered rays filter through. Colorful little flowers that couldn’t be named bloomed in the grass, making the scenery exceptionally beautiful.

If only she had a drawing board and brush, Wen Yue thought she would want to capture this scene on canvas.

After enjoying the scenery for a while, she felt a sense of elevation and relaxation.

Then, she turned back to help Li Xiangdong pick up the broken branches on the ground.

The sisters worked quickly, while Wen Yue felt like a burden in comparison.