Font Size:
As the sunset faded and dusk descended, Yan Xiao returned drenched in sweat, walking straight to the kitchen without even touching the ground to start cooking.
Wen Qinghe felt a pang of concern in her heart, realizing that the harvest would continue for more than half a month.
“Brother Yan, teach me how to cook! That way, when you come home at noon, you can rest a bit. My body’s much better now, and I can help with some things.”
Hearing this, Yan Xiao put down the water ladle, his dark eyes gazing at her deeply, his voice rich and gentle with a hint of coaxing:
“My precious, you don’t need to do anything. I’m already grateful you’re by my side. The only thing you need to do is rest and take care of your body. Everything else, leave it to me, okay?”
Under his deep gaze, she couldn’t help but nod.
Whether it was her imagination or not, Wen Qinghe always felt there was a subtle meaning behind his words.
…
After dinner, Yan Xiao filled a tub with hot water for the young girl, letting Wen Qinghe bathe first.
He had already adjusted the water temperature in the tub, which he had made yesterday.
While she soaked, he used the water outside in the basin to rinse and refresh the yard.
…
Although she could have washed herself directly in her space, seeing the wooden tub made her curious—she had never tried bathing in one before…
As the hot water slowly soaked her skin, warmth spread through her body.
“Mmm—much more comfortable than a bathtub.”
Half an hour passed, yet she didn’t want to get up. Only when the man called from outside, reminding her not to soak too long, did she reluctantly dry off, apply body lotion, and change clothes.
Before she even opened the door, Yan Xiao smelled the faint scent of jasmine. When she stepped out of the bath, the fragrance became stronger.
Seeing the girl all fragrant after bathing, he thought she resembled a walking, delicious jasmine-scented milk cake.
His throat tightened, a flush of heat rushing up, making him feel the cold bath had been entirely wasted.
Seeing her wet hair, he instinctively took a clean towel and gently dried it for her.
Her hair was fine and soft, tender, and the floral fragrance seemed to emanate directly from it.
Wen Qinghe hadn’t unpacked her things from the youth relocation site, so he hadn’t seen any soap or hair-washing items.
His deep eyes flickered, and he asked with a barely noticeable curiosity:
“Qingqing, your hair smells really nice. Did you wash it with something special?”
Wen Qinghe, drowsy from his gentle handling and scalp massage, immediately woke up at his question.
She shyly said, “Hehe~ This is the shampoo I bought in Beijing when I went down to the countryside, and I specially had Lingling find it for me from the youth relocation site.”
Yan Xiao lowered his gaze, the light in his eyes dimming slightly. That little trickster.
His previous words about marriage in front of the team leader were not a whim.
There was an unreadable depth in his eyes, yet his voice held a subtle nervousness:
“Qingqing, after this harvest is over, shall we get married? I want a proper, open reason to be with you.”
Wen Qinghe was taken aback. She knew that in this era, cohabitation before marriage could lead to far worse gossip for women than modern-day rumors.
Besides, this body wasn’t entirely hers to decide; her father had been sent to the countryside.
“No matter what, I have to get my father’s approval first. My family’s situation is a bit special. Before I went down to the countryside, my father was assigned to a farm in Longnan. Marriage matters need his consent first.”
At that moment, she realized that deep down, she wasn’t opposed to marriage—especially if it was with him.
Hearing this, Yan Xiao’s eyes brightened with joy, his heart racing uncontrollably.
“Qingqing agrees?”
Wen Qinghe’s face turned slightly red as she nodded.
The next second, she was enveloped in a crisp, refreshing aura.
His deep, pleasant voice carried a warmth that reached her bones:
“Thank you, Qingqing, for being willing to come by my side… After the harvest, we’ll see about your father. I’ll make him agree.”
Wen Qinghe was surprised; her clear eyes brightened instantly.
“Yes…”
She also wanted to see her original father—not only for him but because her intuition told her that some things could only be resolved by meeting her father.
…
In the following period, Yan Xiao worked harder in the fields during the day, covering two acres in one morning.
This was the workload of an entire day for the other young and able-bodied villagers; most only managed one acre a day.
They faced the sun and the soil, aching in their backs and legs, working slowly.
Yet Yan Xiao’s unmatched energy and speed left everyone astounded. Despite this, he still returned home to cook for his precious girl.
Some villagers, unable to hold back, offered advice while working:
“Xiao Yan, you can’t spoil her like this! When my wife had kids back then, it was harvest season. Leaving a few vegetable pancakes and corn buns in the morning was enough for her for the whole day, and she’d be grateful when coming home. Even so, it didn’t stop her from arguing with me later! I’m telling you from experience: women can’t be spoiled! Otherwise, bad habits grow. You’ve got a long life ahead!”
Yan Xiao ignored him, focused entirely on the corn stalks in front of him, one hand holding an ear of corn, acting as if he hadn’t heard a word.
His precious one was different from everyone else!
Coarse foods like vegetable pancakes and corn buns could never be given to her. He thought of her delicate throat—she had almost choked the last time she took medicine.
That day, when Aunt Gui made a corn cake and brought one to her, Yan Xiao had seen her cough violently after the first bite, her face turning red, her weak voice tearing through the air.
He had been shocked and terrified, fearing she might choke to death.
After helping her recover, he had repeatedly instructed her never to accept food from others again.
From then on, he made her meals soft and easy to digest, wishing he could chop and mash the food for her himself.
—
Yan Xiao noticed that the house frequently received small items—sometimes tiny soaps, sometimes delicate bottles and jars.
Not to mention the rice jar, which never seemed to run out of rice, flour, and oil.
At first, he hesitated to use these mysteriously appearing items. Though he had suspicions, he didn’t know if her actions came at some cost—or if even a fairy using her magic might deplete her energy.
He always worried, but dared not reveal the secret, fearing the “fairy” would be discovered and fly away.
By not mentioning it and pretending ignorance, he unintentionally encouraged her—she would casually claim that the extra items came from parcels sent from the youth relocation site.
Before handing her the parcel, he had unpacked and cleaned everything, knowing exactly what was inside.
She couldn’t even trick him; all he could do was carefully protect her while going along with her tall tales.