That evening, the whole family sat around two large basins of braised pork and a pot of bone soup, cooked to a rich, milky white color.

Gu Linchen’s father couldn’t wait and grabbed a piece of pork head meat, placing it in his mouth. The meat was not only visually appetizing but also tender, juicy, and soft, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

“This is delicious! So good! You all need to try this,” he exclaimed, grabbing another piece without even glancing at anyone else.

Seeing his satisfied expression, the rest of the family began eating as well. Soon, everyone had their cheeks puffed out, nodding in agreement while praising the food. Xige’er, especially, was completely immersed in the feast, his face covered in grease.

Gu Linchen stood up and served everyone a bowl of the soup. Watching his family enjoy the meal so much filled his heart with warmth.

In his previous life, his parents had been busy with work and rarely had time for family meals together. He had learned to be independent from a young age, but even the most self-reliant person longs for companionship sometimes.

By the end of the meal, everyone was stuffed—except for Gu Linchen.

“If only we had some wine to go with this,” Gu Linchen’s father said, patting his full stomach.

“Father, you could bring a jug back from work tomorrow. There’s still plenty of braised pork left, and the pot is full. It can last for two more days,” Gu Linchen replied.

“Heh, should I really bring a jug back tomorrow?” Gu Linchen’s father asked, looking eagerly at his wife for permission.

A few years ago, a young man in the village had passed away from excessive drinking, so Gu Linchen’s mother had been strict about alcohol ever since.

“Fine, bring some back,” she finally agreed.

“I’ll bring it back so you can try it too!”

The family continued chatting, sharing light-hearted conversation that filled the home with warmth and laughter.

—

The next day, before dawn, Gu Linchen was already up practicing martial arts in the courtyard. His arms ached slightly from the work he’d done the previous day. Though it hadn’t been much, his body was already complaining. ‘This won’t do’, he thought.

In his past life, he used to go for morning runs and even practiced Taekwondo on weekends.

Feng Ge’er woke up and saw his husband moving strangely in the courtyard. Curious, he stood at the kitchen door and stared.

Sensing the gaze, Gu Linchen stopped and turned to see Feng Ge’er watching him.

“You’re up early,” Gu Linchen said, panting slightly. His body was already exhausted after just half an hour of exercise. ‘Guess that’s enough for today’, he thought.

Seeing him sweaty, Feng Ge’er instinctively grabbed a handkerchief and stepped forward to wipe his face. However, before he could touch him, Gu Linchen reflexively stepped back. His raised hand froze mid-air, leaving Feng Ge’er looking confused.

Gu Linchen took the handkerchief himself. “I’m all sweaty. I smell bad.”

“No, Lao Gong, you don’t smell bad at all,” Feng Ge’er replied sincerely, blushing as he realized he had been staring earlier.

Suddenly, he remembered breakfast and hurried back inside to start boiling water.

After changing into fresh clothes, Gu Linchen joined him in the kitchen. “What’s for breakfast?” he asked, noticing Feng Ge’er tending the fire while handling some fresh green onions, still covered in morning dew—clearly just picked.

“I was planning to make scallion pancakes,” Feng Ge’er replied softly.

Gu Linchen paused. He wasn’t particularly fond of hard, dry pancakes. “How about making noodles instead? We can have noodle soup with the leftover braised pork. A fatty intestine noodle soup sounds perfect.”

Suddenly remembering something, he dashed out of the kitchen and returned moments later with a jug of water. He poured some of the mystical spring water into the dough and the rest into the cooking pot, explaining, “This is a special seasoning—it’ll make the food taste even better.”

Normally, Feng Ge’er prepared breakfast alone, but today, with Gu Linchen’s help, it was ready much faster.

As soon as the pot lid was lifted, the rich aroma filled the kitchen, making their mouths water.

Gu Linchen picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of pork intestine, offering it to Feng Ge’er to taste. When Feng Ge’er reached out to take it with his hands, Gu Linchen stopped him and instead brought the food directly to his lips, warning him to be careful of the heat.

Feng Ge’er had never experienced this kind of treatment before—being fed by his husband—and he shyly opened his mouth. Gu Linchen gently placed the pork intestine into his mouth.

“Is it good?” Gu Linchen asked.
“Yes, delicious,” Feng Ge’er nodded repeatedly.

Just then, Gu Linchen’s mother entered the room, saw the intimate scene between the couple, and quietly turned around to leave.

“Mother, you’re up! We’ve finished making breakfast. You can eat once you’ve washed up,” Gu Linchen called out.
“Alright, I’ll go call your father too,” she replied happily, leaving the room with a smile. She genuinely wished for her son to treat Feng Ge’er well. She was never a harsh mother-in-law, especially since Feng Ge’er had a kind nature, was hardworking, and respectful toward the family. She had come to treat him like her own child. Seeing the growing bond between them filled her heart with joy.

“Mom!” a sleepy voice called from the bedroom. Xige’er sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes with his small hands. The earlier conversation had clearly woken him up.

Feng Ge’er walked over to help him get dressed. The moment Xige’er spotted Gu Linchen, his drowsiness vanished.

“Dad!” he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with joy, narrowing into crescent moons as he beamed. He ran straight into Gu Linchen’s arms.

Gu Linchen ruffled his little head. “Dad made delicious pork intestine noodles! Go wash your face first, alright?”

Xige’er nodded cheerfully and went off with Feng Ge’er to wash up.

Gu Linchen served the noodles and brought them to the table. His father, His mother, Feng Ge’er, and Xige’er all sat down together. Xige’er insisted on sitting next to Gu Linchen, clinging to him more and more lately. But Gu Linchen didn’t mind—he found himself genuinely enjoying the company of the child. Xige’er’s innocent smile and pure expressions brought a sense of peace to his heart. Children wore their feelings openly, making it easy to see their happiness.

The bowl of pork intestine noodles was rich and flavorful. Gu Linchen took a bite of the pork intestine first, followed by the noodles. Feng Ge’er had prepared the dough skillfully—the noodles were perfectly chewy, absorbing the savory goodness of the braised pork. Each bite left him craving more. However, Gu Linchen felt slightly disappointed, thinking ‘If only there was some chili pepper, it would be perfect.’

The rest of the Gu family, however, had never tasted such a delicious meal before. They each had a large bowl, finishing every bite and even draining the soup completely.

After breakfast, Gu Linchen’s father headed to town for work. Noticing the large basin of leftover braised pork from the previous day, he asked Gu Linchen’s mother to share some with his younger brothers’ families since there was more than they could eat. After the meal, Gu Linchen’s mother packed two bowls into a basket and left to deliver them.

Meanwhile, Feng Ge’er started cleaning the dishes while Gu Linchen played with Xige’er nearby. The child’s cheerful giggles echoed throughout the house.

Once the dishes were done, Feng Ge’er went to the backyard to feed the chickens. Remembering the fatty pork he had bought the day before, Gu Linchen decided it was time to render lard. He told Xige’er to play by himself for a bit while he sat by the stove to start the fire.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the fire going. Frustrated, he realized he had overestimated himself and considered waiting for Feng Ge’er to help.

Suddenly, Xige’er piped up, “Dad, are you trying to start a fire? I can help you!”

Skeptical, Gu Linchen stepped aside, thinking, ‘How could a three- to five-year-old child be better than me, a former President of a company?’

To his surprise, Xige’er squatted down and, within moments, had the fire blazing.

Gu Linchen felt his face burn with embarrassment. But more than that, his heart ached.

‘If this were the modern world, such a young child would do nothing but seek affection from their parents. But this child, though not biologically his, was left to him by the original owner of this body. And here he was, already helping with chores at such a young age.’

Feeling a surge of tenderness, Gu Linchen knelt down, cupped Xige’er’s small face, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.