Chapter 24.1

With Zhou Yao’s affirmation, Wen Yue felt even more confident.

Wen Yue’s expression held a hint of pride, thinking to herself that she indeed had a golden finger, having experienced the future and keeping her taste and aesthetics ahead of the curve. She smiled brightly, her dimples never retreating, and her voice softened. “Nianqiu said she’s going to the wholesale market in the city tomorrow to buy materials. Oh right, I haven’t given her the money yet!”

Her mind hadn’t turned to that at the time.

Li Nianqiu definitely didn’t have much money. The money she earned had to cover not only her own tuition and living expenses but also her sister Li Xiangdong’s. Even if she had some, it wouldn’t be much.

Wen Yue said, “I’ll go give her the money.”

Before Zhou Yao could say anything, all he saw was Wen Yue’s small, excited figure bouncing away.

He clicked his tongue, his eyes filled with a hint of amusement.

Whatever, as long as she’s happy.

Wen Yue took a hundred yuan to give to Li Nianqiu. She originally wanted to give more, but the latter refused, saying a hundred was enough. Together they would have two hundred, which should be enough to buy a lot. She didn’t hurry back home, spending a little more time at the Li family’s house.

“I just heard that my grandmother bought your land and caused you trouble before?” Li Nianqiu asked when she returned home. Because of an incident the night before, Li Xiangdong had forgotten to tell her about this and had just remembered.

Wen Yue nodded. “Zhou Yao has already sorted it out. Your grandmother shouldn’t cause any more trouble.”

Li Nianqiu nodded slightly, her expression cold. “Your man did a good job. That’s how it should be. My grandmother has very thick skin, even thicker than your aunt’s. If you don’t settle it clearly once, she will definitely come back repeatedly until she’s satisfied.”

She had been fighting wits with Old Lady Li for years and knew her temperament well.

“Your grandmother looks very fierce.” Wen Yue recalled Old Lady Li’s mean face and lowered her voice as if afraid of being overheard. “She must have caused you two a lot of trouble, right?”

Li Nianqiu smiled, “Indeed, when my parents first left, she even wanted to sell me and my sister.”

Wen Yue gasped.

Li Nianqiu’s smile faded, her tone flat. “I told her that if she dared to sell me and my sister, I would come back for revenge. Even if I were sold to the ends of the earth, I would find my way back, knife in hand, to perish together with them. None of us would have a good end.”

Wen Yue gave her a thumbs up, thinking this girl was fierce.

She didn’t stay long, chatting for a while before heading home.

Zhou Yao was chopping wood in the yard, his bulging muscles filled with a wild beauty and vigorous strength, a sight she never tired of. Hearing the noise, he turned his head to glance at her, his long, deep eyes slightly lifting. “You’re back?”

“Yeah.” Wen Yue’s eyes curved as she looked at his muscles a bit more. “I chatted with Nianqiu for a while.”

Zhou Yao hummed, guessing as much, and continued chopping wood. After a few seconds, he asked, “Do you want to go to the city with me tomorrow?”

Wen Yue exclaimed in confusion.

“Boss Sun, who often brings us goods, has returned from Shencheng. I’m going to treat him to a meal. You can join us.” Zhou Yao said nonchalantly, “And we can get our marriage certificate while we’re there.”

Wen Yue suddenly realized, “We can go to the city to eat, but we can’t get a marriage certificate.”

Zhou Yao immediately stopped chopping wood, frowning and looking at her with a dark gaze. “What do you mean, you don’t want to get the certificate with me?” His expression was a bit fierce, as if he would explode if she dared to say no.

“I’m not yet twenty years old, so I can’t get the certificate. And you’re not even twenty-two yet, so how can you get it?” Wen Yue rolled her eyes at him coquettishly, softly muttering, “Do you think the civil affairs bureau is yours to do as you please?”

Zhou Yao: “…”

His expression stiffened. He hadn’t thought of that.

He is twenty this year, and his little wife hadn’t yet turned eighteen, meaning they had to wait at least two more years!

Two years!!

Zhou Yao felt a moment of blacking out, his lips pressed into a tight line, his muscles tense. He said nothing but chopped wood even more vigorously, seemingly venting his frustration on the logs.

Wen Yue ignored him and turned to go inside.

Soon, the sound of the sewing machine started up inside.

…

The next morning, before dawn, Wen Yue was woken up by Zhou Yao.

She groggily got up, changed clothes, and went downstairs. Opening the door and looking at the sky, the moon was still hanging on the treetop, the night still thick, indicating it wasn’t yet five in the morning.

Wen Yue yawned, her eyes filled with drowsiness, softly complaining, “Do we have to get up this early?”

Zhou Yao, brushing his teeth, mumbled, “Yeah, the village is too far from the city. You can take your time, there’s no rush. I boiled some eggs in the pot, have one later.”

Wen Yue rubbed her eyes, half-closed, and walked into the kitchen. “Okay…”

She stood listlessly to the side, brushing her teeth. The cold water in her mouth woke her up a bit. After washing her face, her sleepiness vanished. She lifted the pot lid, and steam billowed out. Reaching for an egg, she hissed as her fingers touched the hot egg and quickly pulled back.

“What happened?”

Hearing the noise, Zhou Yao walked into the kitchen, still buttoning his shirt. His slender, well-defined fingers were powerful and elegant, contrasting sharply with the white shirt. Under the warm yellow light, his deep and handsome features appeared even more sculpted and refined. If he wore glasses, he might fit the image of a refined rogue perfectly.

Even though she had seen him in a white shirt before, Wen Yue still found herself a bit dazed, replying, “The egg is too hot.”

“Tsk.” Zhou Yao raised an eyebrow. “You’re really a little ancestor. I’ll peel it for you and feed it to you, how about that?”

He said it casually, just as a joke.