At night, Shen Qingzhu, freshly washed and dressed in his nightclothes, sat at the edge of the bed. Zhou Song crouched before him, gently massaging his calves. “Are you tired?”

Over the past few days, they had walked all around the village with the village head, scouting for locations. Shen Qingzhu was always exhausted by the time he got home and would fall asleep quickly, though he didn’t feel burdened by it; instead, he felt fulfilled. “Physically tired, but happy in my heart.”

Seeing his warm smile, Zhou Song felt both tender and joyful for him. “Starting tomorrow, the school will finally be built.”

“Yes.” Shen Qingzhu nodded.

The village head had assured him that he wouldn’t need to worry about the remaining details. Shen Qingzhu’s willingness to teach the children was already a tremendous help, so the village head would take care of the rest. Despite his age, the village head was full of energy these past few days, walking even faster than Shen Qingzhu and taking this matter to heart.

Reflecting on this, Shen Qingzhu said, “Once the school is built, I’d like to move some of the books from home over there. That way, the children who come to learn can also read through them.”

“All of them?” Zhou Song looked up in surprise.

Shen Qingzhu chuckled. “Of course not. Some of the books are too complicated, and they wouldn’t understand them. I’ll just bring the simpler ones.”

Zhou Song thought this made sense. There were many books on their shelves that even he couldn’t understand; he could only grasp a few. Shen Qingzhu had always told him to take it slow, that there was no need to rush. Trying to absorb too much at once wouldn’t be effective. It seemed the same approach would be best for the children.

Shen Qingzhu reached out and gently caressed Zhou Song’s face, raising his brows playfully. “Husband, we’ve hardly had any time alone these past couple of days. Are you feeling neglected?”

As he spoke, his fingers didn’t behave, lightly rubbing Zhou Song’s cheek, then moving to his earlobe and giving it a small squeeze, watching the soft flesh turn pink.

Zhou Song’s breath hitched, and he quickly grabbed his mischievous hand. “Not at all. Seeing you happy makes me happy.”

Seeing the genuine look in his eyes, Shen Qingzhu put aside his teasing, pulled Zhou Song to sit beside him, and leaned on his shoulder. The scent of pinewood on him brought a sense of peace to Shen Qingzhu’s heart. “Zhou Song, tell me, have you truly never liked another girl before?”

Zhou Song, who had just wrapped an arm around him, was taken aback and turned to look at him. “Of course not. Don’t you believe me?”

Hearing the nervous tone in Zhou Song’s voice, Shen Qingzhu chuckled softly, looked up to meet his eyes, and tapped his nose with his finger. “I just think you’re surprisingly good at winning people over.”

Zhou Song blinked in surprise. People he knew often said he was too quiet and didn’t smile much, that he looked a bit stern. If it weren’t for his handsome face and status as a Qian Yuan, there wouldn’t be so many girls wanting to match with him. It was the first time he had heard praise like this from someone, especially a Kun Ze.

Shen Qingzhu’s fingertip slowly trailed down Zhou Song’s nose. Seeing his dazed expression, he continued, “What I mean is, I like you very much.”

Zhou Song slowly blinked, then suddenly leaned in, planting gentle kisses on his cheek, nose, and forehead.

It tickled a bit, and Shen Qingzhu let out a soft laugh, wrapping his arms around Zhou Song’s neck and pressing his own lips forward.

When they finally parted, Shen Qingzhu was a little out of breath, leaning against his chest as he calmed his breathing.

Zhou Song stroked his hair lightly, trying to suppress the stirring desire within himself. Knowing how tired Shen Qingzhu was today, he only wanted him to rest well.

Shen Qingzhu twisted a lock of Zhou Song’s hair that hung near his chest around his finger, looping it over and over as he looked up. “Is my husband planning to act like a gentleman tonight?”

The tone and expression caused a vein to twitch on Zhou Song’s forehead. Fearing that he might be teased to the point of losing all composure, he promptly scooped Shen Qingzhu up and laid him on the inside of the bed, tucking the blankets around him. “Sleep. I’ll go add some more coal to the stove.”

Before Shen Qingzhu could say a word, Zhou Song had already left the bed. Left alone under the blankets, Shen Qingzhu couldn’t help but laugh, his ears turning warm from the mirth.

——

The construction of the school proceeded in an orderly manner, and Shen Qingzhu occasionally checked in to see the progress. At this pace, the school would be ready by early spring, just in time before the planting season began. By then, Zhou Song would be busy, and Shen Qingzhu would have plenty to occupy himself with.

The village head mentioned that many villagers had already asked him about the school, clearly interested in sending their children to study. As for the tuition, Shen Qingzhu left the decision to the village head, neither high nor low, to avoid unnecessary conflicts and complications later on. Having seen enough of people’s quick changes over interests back in the capital, he knew better than to underestimate human nature.

Besides this, the village head also mentioned another matter concerning the Zhou family. Things had been particularly chaotic at their house lately, and several times they had come to the village head for mediation.

Wang Cuixiang was unwavering in her resolve for divorce, showing no signs of backing down. Recently, at home, she only cooked and did laundry for herself, ignoring everyone else. If Hu Lan or Zhou Xiaofu tried to bully her, she would cry loudly, accusing Zhou Xiaofu of not only causing her miscarriage but also threatening her life. She made sure the neighbors could hear it all.

Zhou Dashan, being a man of pride, couldn’t stand all the noise and berated Hu Lan and Zhou Xiaofu. Consequently, the household chores fell entirely on Hu Lan, who was used to having Zhou Song’s mother or Wang Cuixiang do all the work. Suddenly burdened with everything, she found it unbearable.

The village head thought that, at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the Zhou family agreed to the divorce. He even marveled at how Wang Cuixiang, previously soft and reserved, had managed to intimidate the Zhou family once she stood her ground, showing that people weren’t always what they seemed.

Zhou Song, however, said nothing in response to this news.

That evening, as dusk approached, Zhou Song finished chopping wood, washed his face, and headed to the study to ask Shen Qingzhu what he’d like for dinner. He also thought it would be good for him to take a break after spending the whole afternoon inside.

Recently, Shen Qingzhu had been sorting through books, selecting which ones to bring to the school. He had also been preparing a teaching plan, organizing the topics in advance. The children would be different from Zhou Song and the other adults, as they were at an age where they preferred play to study. Jumping straight into reading and writing would likely bore them in a matter of days.

Shen Qingzhu planned to start with interesting stories, hoping to spark their curiosity, making it easier for them to stick with learning. For the past couple of days, he’d been compiling these stories—ones that were both engaging and had moral lessons. Since he didn’t have many suitable books on hand, he roughly copied down a few stories and planned to buy more books on his next trip to town.

Caught up in his preparations, he had lost track of time. Even though it was almost time for the evening meal, he hadn’t shown any intention of coming out.

Zhou Song hadn’t dared to disturb him before, but now it seemed the right time for a break.

Just as he was heading to the study, there was a knock at the courtyard door—soft, hesitant, and not quite the way Lin Erzhu or anyone familiar would knock.

Curious, Zhou Song lowered his rolled-up sleeves and changed direction to open the door. He was surprised to see who stood outside.

Wang Cuixiang was there, looking slightly uneasy. She clutched a bundle tightly, forcing a smile. “Cous… Brother Zhou.”

Zhou Song glanced at the bundle in her arms, guessing what might be happening. “Are you…?”

With a mixture of relief and sadness on her face, Wang Cuixiang lowered her gaze. “I divorced Zhou Xiaofu. The village head witnessed it.”

Zhou Song was surprised; he had only recently heard from the village head about her troubles and thought it would take longer. He hadn’t expected the Zhou family to relent so quickly.

Seeing the question in his eyes, Wang Cuixiang explained, “I’ve been making their lives miserable these days, refusing to do any chores or live peacefully. Forcing me to stay wasn’t doing them any good. After the fuss I made, the entire village knows, and they wouldn’t dare harm me now. Divorce was the best solution…”

After a pause, she looked at him nervously. “After stamping the divorce paper, they practically threw me out. I have nowhere to go tonight, and I was wondering if you could let me stay for just one night. I promise I’ll leave in the morning. If it wasn’t already so late, I wouldn’t have troubled you…”

Held back by the Zhou family to do chores all day and with no close friends in the village, she felt too embarrassed to ask anyone else, and with the cold weather, sleeping outside might be dangerous.

“My home might not be suitable…” Zhou Song understood that she probably wouldn’t have come to him if he hadn’t spoken up for her that day. However, with just him and Qingzhu at home, there wasn’t an elder, and hosting a woman might be inappropriate. He thought about asking Aunt Qian to take her in for the night.

“She can stay with Aunt Wu for the night,” came Shen Qingzhu’s voice, who had appeared silently from the study. Walking up beside Zhou Song, he smiled at Wang Cuixiang. “Aunt Wu lives alone, so it would be more suitable for you to stay with her.”

This was Wang Cuixiang’s first time standing this close to him, and his graceful demeanor was somewhat dazzling. Without a hint of hesitation, she bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, Shen Xiaolang, and forgive me for the trouble.”

Sensing her nervousness, Shen Qingzhu smiled and shook his head, then asked kindly, “What are your plans after this?”

After a moment of silence, Wang Cuixiang said, “I plan to go to town. Whether I find work as a maid for a wealthy family or as a cleaner at an inn, I can at least support myself.”

Anything would be better than staying with the Zhou family. As for her own family… she didn’t even want to mention them.

Admiring her determination, Shen Qingzhu offered, “I know the manager of a stationery shop in town. If you’d like, I can introduce you. He knows a lot of people in town and may be able to help you find a job.”

Surprised and grateful, Wang Cuixiang hadn’t expected such kindness. Her eyes filled with tears as she repeatedly bowed. “Thank you, Shen Xiaolang, thank you, Brother Zhou. I’m so sorry for all the trouble.”

Shen Qingzhu gently patted her shoulder. “I was planning to go to town tomorrow for some ink and books, so helping you is no trouble at all. No need to thank us. If you really want to show gratitude, just take good care of yourself and don’t come looking for our help again.”

Hearing this, Wang Cuixiang couldn’t help but laugh through her tears, wiping her eyes with her sleeve and nodding. “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

Shen Qingzhu smiled in satisfaction. When he turned back, he found Zhou Song looking at him with a soft gaze. He reached out, hooking his finger around Zhou Song’s lightly.