Chapter 51.1

Pei Zheng had a sudden idea and said to Squad Leader Wang, “Uncle Wang, my dad doesn’t drink, but I do. Can you tell me what the benefits of drinking this thing are?”

Pei Zheng knew that deer blood was known for its potency. Others had mentioned it vaguely, and he had listened to it vaguely. As for the specifics, he was unclear.

Squad Leader Wang was diverted by Pei Zheng and started talking. “You really know your stuff. Our ancestors in traditional Chinese medicine considered deer blood one of the most precious medicinal materials. It not only treats impotence and boosts vitality but also helps with injuries and lung diseases. Overall, the benefits are numerous. Legend has it that Emperor Xianfeng drank a bowl of it every day. Don’t you think it’s a great thing?”

Pei Zheng quickly nodded, agreeing that it was indeed valuable. Squad Leader Wang then changed the topic again, “With something so good, I offered it to your dad, but he refused. You think that’s a case of good intentions gone to waste?”

Pei Zheng: “……” Why does this keep coming back to me?

He had no choice but to muster his courage and say, “Right, Uncle Wang, you have good intentions. Since deer blood has so many benefits, we should all drink it, including Lu Nong and Grandma Wu.”

“Right, Lu Nong?” Pei Zheng desperately signaled Lu Nong for help.

Lu Nong held up a finger, indicating one month’s worth of guard duty.

Pei Zheng closed his eyes and nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I’ve never had deer blood before, and I’m curious about what it tastes like,” Lu Nong tugged at Pei Ji’an’s sleeve.

Pei Ji’an found himself caught between his son and wife, and with Squad Leader Wang enthusiastically promoting it and insisting that “if you don’t drink, you’re not a good brother,” he had no choice but to agree.

Squad Leader Wang was happy and thought to himself, Pei Ji’an, you are a hypocrite. Every time I invite you to drink, you refuse. Now, someone can finally teach you a lesson.

Since it was Squad Leader Wang who was treating, of course the food and drinks had to be arranged at his house. They returned to the cabin, picked up Aunt Wu and Huaihuai, and headed to Squad Leader Wang’s home.

Squad Leader Wang’s house was the most ordinary bungalow on the farm. He had a son and a daughter. His son, twenty-three, worked in the capital. Squad Leader Wang had always hoped his son would take over his role, but his son found the farm unpromising and chose to stay in the capital.

His daughter was twenty and had also studied in the capital, but after failing to get into college this year, she returned to the farm to stay with Squad Leader Wang for a while. She planned to go back to the capital next year to continue her studies. As for Squad Leader Wang’s wife, she had divorced him and now lived in the capital with their son.

“Now that I’m alone, I can eat well without worrying about anyone else. My place is a bit messy, so please don’t mind it,” Squad Leader Wang said, welcoming Pei’s family inside.

Just then, a young girl with braided hair, dressed in a floral dress, walked out of the bedroom, complaining, “Dad, what are you talking about? You still have me and my brother, so you’re not alone!”

“Cuicui, you came at just the right time. Go find my best tea leaves and wine. We have distinguished guests today, your Uncle Pei and his family are here,” Squad Leader Wang instructed his daughter.

Wang Cuicui had initially thought it was just her father’s rough friends from the farm, so she didn’t mind being a bit messy when she came out. However, she was surprised to see that the visitors were not farm people but Pei Ji’an.

“Ah!” Wang Cuicui let out a startled cry and quickly darted into the house.

Squad Leader Wang looked puzzled, scratching his head. “That girl—she’s always so carefree and never gets shy. Why is she suddenly hiding from people now?”

Lu Nong, however, had an inkling of what Wang Cuicui was thinking, but such thoughts of young girls were difficult to voice aloud. So, instead of addressing it, she changed the subject and asked curiously, “Brother Wang, who owns the wooden cabin we’re staying in?”

“You don’t know? Ji’an didn’t tell you?” Squad Leader Wang asked in surprise. “That wooden cabin was built by Ji’an himself. Every time he visits me, he stays there. Later on, I thought it was a pity to leave it unused, so I lent it to the young men at the farm who aren’t married yet. It keeps the house warm and lively, and Ji’an won’t have to go through the trouble of cleaning it up when he comes.”

So that’s how it is. Lu Nong nodded, realizing now why Pei Ji’an had been able to find his way to the place without Squad Leader Wang showing him the way.

“Come, sit down. I’ll go call Cuicui. That girl inherited her mother’s cooking skills—let her show you some of her skills.”

Squad Leader Wang walked to his daughter’s door and knocked. “Cuicui? What are you dawdling about in there? Come out and meet the guests.”

The door opened from the inside. In just the short time of their conversation, Wang Cuicui had already tidied her hair and changed her clothes. Her hair, which had been casually tied into a single braid, was now neatly parted into two smooth braids, each tied with green ribbons. The braids rested quietly on her shoulders, and she had changed into a trendy little dress.

She looked elegant and refined, like a completely different person.

Squad Leader Wang was indeed a straight man among straight men. He frowned in front of everyone and said, “I told you to come out and cook—what’s with the fancy outfit? And you’re wearing the new clothes your mom bought you? Cooking in that will just ruin the dress and waste money!”

Wang Cuicui pouted in annoyance. “None of your business!”

Squad Leader Wang was at a loss. Cuicui was his only daughter, and she was so thoughtful and considerate that he couldn’t bear to scold her. Now, with his daughter standing her ground, he could only soften his tone. “Good girl, today, an old comrade of your father is visiting with his family. You know your dad’s cooking is awful, so we’re counting on you to impress our guests. I’ll buy you a new dress afterward.”

Wang Cuicui, pleased by this, nodded in agreement.

“Come, greet your Uncle Pei,” Squad Leader Wang said, pulling her forward. “You were just asking the other day why Uncle Pei hadn’t come. Well, he’s here now, so say hello.”

“Hello, Uncle Pei,” Wang Cuicui greeted, lowering her head shyly, her cheeks burning.

The others thought Cuicui was simply shy around strangers, but Lu Nong, being another woman, could easily tell that Cuicui was embarrassed not because of the guests but because of Pei Ji’an.

Tsk, male beauty is so tempting.

Squad Leader Wang then introduced, “This is your Aunt Pei, and that’s Aunt Pei’s godmother. You can call her Grandma Wu, just like Pei Zheng does. These two are Uncle Pei’s sons, Pei Zheng and Gu Huai. They’re both younger than you, so you can call them your little brothers.”

Wang Cuicui was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at Lu Nong. In truth, from the moment she first laid eyes on the unfamiliar Lu Nong, Wang Cuicui had a sinking feeling. But she held onto a small hope, thinking that perhaps the woman standing beside Uncle Pei was just a relative.

Now, hearing her father confirm that the woman was Uncle Pei’s wife, Wang Cuicui felt both confused and heartbroken. Why?

After being unmarried for so many years, just when she had finally grown up and was of age to marry him, he had suddenly married someone else.

Wang Cuicui was overcome with jealousy toward the woman standing next to Pei Ji’an.

No one else knew what was going through Wang Cuicui’s mind. After the introductions, they all began preparing lunch. Squad Leader Wang initially didn’t want the guests to do any work, but his family hadn’t prepared much in advance, and with few hands to help, there were tasks like chopping wood, killing chickens, and cutting bones—things that needed men’s strength. Realizing he couldn’t manage it all on his own, he didn’t hesitate to assign the guests some chores.

Seeing this, Aunt Wu and Lu Nong naturally couldn’t sit idle either. Aunt Wu went to the kitchen to help Cuicui with the cooking, while Lu Nong, lacking their culinary skills, squatted by the well in the yard, washing and prepping the vegetables.

Pei Ji’an was at the corner, slaughtering the chicken. With a swift motion, the chicken stopped moving as its blood flowed out onto the ground. Seeing this, Lu Nong shivered, quickly lowering her head to focus on her vegetables.

Meanwhile, Squad Leader Wang was holding little Huaihuai, directing Pei Zheng as he chopped wood. “Don’t aim the axe toward people. Yes, exactly—if you lose your grip, it could hurt someone. Use your strength wisely and aim for the center of the wood. Try to get a feel for it before bringing the axe down.”

Pei Zheng tried several times but couldn’t get the hang of it, feeling a bit frustrated.

“Hey, Old Pei, come teach your son!” Squad Leader Wang called to Pei Ji’an with a grin.

Pei Ji’an ignored him, placing the motionless chicken on the ground to let it finish bleeding out. He walked over to Lu Nong’s side, scooped up some water, and washed his hands. Afterward, without a word, he took the vegetables from her hands and began washing them alongside her.

“Tsk,” Squad Leader Wang shook his head.

Lu Nong glanced at Pei Ji’an. He seemed perfectly calm, completely unfazed by Squad Leader Wang’s teasing looks. When Pei Ji’an noticed her gaze, he glanced at her briefly but said nothing.

Lu Nong’s eyes flickered mischievously. Seizing the moment when no one was looking, she playfully scratched Pei Ji’an’s hand with her finger.

Pei Ji’an, already used to her antics, remained unruffled. He calmly grabbed her small, soft hand and held it in his, gently rubbing it while continuing to wash vegetables with his other hand—a true multitasking genius.

Lu Nong: “…”

Neither of them noticed how they were unconsciously leaning closer to each other. Even without speaking, there was a quiet intimacy between them.

Psychology suggests that people subconsciously move closer to those they like and want to touch them.

Wang Cuicui didn’t know anything about psychology, but as she cooked, she kept glancing at Lu Nong in the yard. From her angle, she could clearly see everything Lu Nong was doing.

When Pei Ji’an walked to Lu Nong, Wang Cuicui felt that the picture of them together was very piercing. They weren’t even doing anything, not even talking, but the image pricked at her heart.

Then, when she saw Pei Ji’an holding and stroking Lu Nong’s hand, her face flushed, and her heart raced with jealousy, a burning envy rising within her.

She stared intently at Lu Nong, trying to figure out what made Lu Nong better than her.

Is it just because she’s a little prettier?

She wasn’t bad herself… Fine, maybe Lu Nong was a bit more attractive. But still, she was a young maiden, while that woman had been married before and even had a child. Dragging along a family to marry Pei Ji’an—there’s no way she could fully devote herself to taking care of him.

Feeling indignant, Cuicui aggressively chopped the meat on the cutting board into a fine paste.

Aunt Wu: “…” This girl is too much, is she planning to make minced meat instead of stir-fried pork?

“Girl… I’m telling you,” Aunt Wu hesitated, gently reminding her, “If you keep chopping, there won’t be any meat left once it hits the pan.”

Only then did Wang Cuicui snap out of it, pouring the meat into a bowl and handing it to Aunt Wu, who sighed deeply, “How can I use this?”

“Grandma Wu, did Lu Nong’s first husband treat her poorly?” Wang Cuicui couldn’t resist asking, eager to dig up some information about Lu Nong.

Aunt Wu glanced at her oddly and responded cautiously, “Why are you asking about that?”

She had already sensed something was off about this girl. Since earlier, Cuicui’s gaze toward Pei Ji’an had been filled with shy awkwardness, while her look toward Lu Nong was laced with hostility.

“No, nothing, I just think Sister Lu Nong and Uncle Pei are a good match.” Wang Cuicui said embarrassedly, realizing that she had asked something she shouldn’t have asked and aroused other people’s suspicion, so she could only praise against her will.

Aunt Wu covered her mouth with a laugh, “Oh, my dear, you’ve got that right. Just take a look outside. Don’t they look like a match made in heaven? A perfect couple, like a melody in harmony, full of love and affection…”

Wang Cuicui: “…” Old lady, you are quite cultured.

Every word Aunt Wu said pierced Cuicui’s heart like an arrow, nearly shattering it into pieces. But Aunt Wu wasn’t done yet and added another blow, “Speaking of love, this trip was all because Pei Ji’an felt sorry for Lu Nong being cooped up at home, so he took the whole family out to relax.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Cuicui’s eyes reddened, and Aunt Wu, noticing, decided to ease up.

Just then, Lu Nong walked into the kitchen carrying freshly washed vegetables, spotting Wang Cuicui with reddened eyes and her head hanging low. Confused, Lu Nong looked at Aunt Wu, who quickly avoided her gaze.

Wang Cuicui wiped her eyes, forcing a smile, “The peppers are too spicy. I’m sorry, Sister Lu Nong, I’ve made a fool of myself.”

“There’s nothing embarrassing about it. Rinse your eyes with water,” Lu Nong comforted her, playing along. Just then, she heard Squad Leader Wang calling her from outside and quickly answered, heading toward the door.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Squad Leader Wang holding a basket and handing it to her. “Sister-in-law, we’re out of cabbage and radishes at home. You and Old Pei can go dig some from the field. Old Pei knows where the vegetable patch is, let him take you.”

Lu Nong, carrying the basket, walked out to find Pei Ji’an leaning on a hoe, holding a lit cigarette in his other hand. Smoke curled up lazily, though Pei Ji’an hadn’t taken a single puff.

Lu Nong paused for a moment, surprised. This was the first time she had seen Pei Ji’an smoke—she always thought he didn’t smoke.

When Pei Ji’an saw her approaching, he put out the cigarette. Noticing her gaze lingering on it, he said, “Old Wang likes to smoke. Let’s go.”

The implication was clear: he didn’t like smoking himself.