Mr. Leng saw Haven leading Xiao Hei into the backyard and quickly went to help.
He thought to himself, "The master is back."
Haven waved his hand and tied the donkey at the stable. "It's fine. I'll do it today. Xiao Hei must be hungry. Here, eat some fodder." He picked up a handful of mixed feed and held it to Xiao Hei's mouth.
Xiao Hei quietly ate, calm and obedient.
Haven fed it for a while before stopping.
When Lorrie saw Xiao Hei, he hurried over. "Second brother, is the wife-master back?"
Haven nodded. "Yes, just got back."
When Haven saw Lorrie reaching out to touch Xiao Hei's head, he gently pushed his hand away.
This younger brother always messed around with chickens and rabbits, and Haven usually turned a blind eye to it.
But not Xiao Hei. He still needed to go out with the wife-master often and couldn't be startled.
Lorrie looked a bit wronged. "Second brother, why? I was just going to pet him. I wasn't going to pull his hair."
Haven gave him a look, then took down the fish and meat tied to the saddle and pulled him to the kitchen to help.
Mr. Leng watched them leave and secretly let out a sigh of relief. He gently stroked Xiao Hei's head, softly smoothing his fur.
Though the young husband still had some childishness, at least he could listen. Once he had kids and became a father, he'd grow more responsible.
Dinner was plentiful. Bailee used half of the fish Julie bought and fried it until crispy. The fragrance filled the air, and he placed a full plate on the table.
He made chestnut-braised pork ribs for the first time—he wasn't sure if it would taste good.
There was also a plate of scrambled eggs with green onions and a big bowl of loofah soup.
Julie came out of the room. Seeing the dishes on the table, her eyes lit up.
She wasn't very hungry—she'd eaten a lot at noon.
But with food like this, she didn't mind eating a bit more.
She sat down and picked up a chestnut first—soft, sweet, and tender. Then she tried a rib. It had no meaty smell at all, likely simmered long enough. The flavor was rich, and the meat fell right off the bone. She liked this kind of dish.
Seeing Julie enjoying the food, Bailee smiled and took a piece for himself too.
Haven and Lorrie also started eating heartily.
Without the wife-master at lunch, even though the three of them knew the family wasn't short on food, they didn't have much appetite and barely ate.
Lorrie was surprised that chestnuts could be cooked with ribs. Sweet with the meaty aroma—it was delicious.
Before, Bailee had boiled chestnuts for him as snacks.
That was good too, but he liked this even more.
Suddenly he remembered, "Big brother, didn't the wife-master ask you to make sugar-roasted chestnuts before? Why haven't I seen you make them?"
Julie was nibbling on a rib when she heard Lorrie and looked up at Bailee. He happened to look up too, and their eyes met.
Bailee could hear his heart pounding, faster than usual.
Thinking about how cute Julie looked just now—with a grain of rice stuck near her mouth—his face turned red.
He gave Lorrie a small glare and answered, "Alright, I'll make it tomorrow. Remind me, though—I might forget if I get too busy." Little glutton.
Well, they still had about three pounds of sugar at home. Even making a small batch would be enough.
Lorrie was satisfied. Thinking of the treat tomorrow, he grinned and looked at Julie. "That's great! Don't worry, wife-master. Once big brother finishes it, I'll bring the first one to you."
Julie wanted to say she didn't really like sweets. They could have it themselves.
But she figured if she said that, it might hurt their feelings.
She also guessed that Bailee probably knew she didn't like sweet things, which was why he hadn't made sugar-roasted chestnuts—it would use a lot of sugar.
Next time she went out, she'd buy a few more pounds of sugar.
She didn't refuse. She gave a quiet "Mm."
The sound was soft, but Lorrie heard it clearly, smiling with curved eyes.
Julie ate several pieces of pork ribs, just one bowl of rice, and half a bowl of soup before putting down her chopsticks and going for a walk in the backyard.
She was feeling a bit too full to practice martial arts, so she walked around the yard twice, then checked on the vegetable garden. The seeds she planted hadn't sprouted yet. She watered them lightly and returned to her room to sit cross-legged.
That night, Julie stayed in her own room.
...
The next day, during the hour of the snake (around 9–11 a.m.), Julie was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed when a cheerful voice came from outside the door before the person even arrived: "Wife, open the door! The candied chestnuts are ready and still warm—I brought you some!" Lorrie's crisp, youthful voice echoed from the main hall.
Julie opened her eyes, got out of bed, and opened the door.
Outside stood Lorrie, full of energy and with a face still slightly round from baby fat, smiling brightly. "Wife, I brought you a bowl of chestnuts. Big brother just finished roasting them. They're so tasty—you should eat them while they're hot! I think they smell amazing warm, but they're also good when cold. You eat now, I'm going back to work. I'm gonna eat some too—Big Brother used a whole pound of sugar. Super sweet, super tasty!"
Then he skipped away, clearly in a great mood.
Julie closed the door and carried the bowl inside.
She peeled one and tasted it—it was very sweet.
Chestnuts are naturally sweet, and with added sugar, the sweetness was even stronger.
She ate one and stopped—just wanted to try the flavor.
Lunch was dough drop soup with napa cabbage, green onions, egg, and shredded meat. They made a big pot.
Julie had one bowl and didn't eat more.
In the afternoon, Julie went down to the fields with her tools.
The crops she planted had long growing cycles, and in about three ten-day periods, they would be ready for harvest.
Julie weeded and watered the field.
Seeing there was still time, she went to the edge of the back mountain to gather some firewood, then returned home.
She stacked the firewood in a dry spot in the backyard.
Then she went to the well to wash her hands and face.
Dinner was tomato scrambled eggs, braised pork with radish, and lamb rib soup. Because lamb has a strong smell, Bailee added ginger slices and chili, chopping it into small pieces. Julie found it quite tasty—there wasn't much of a smell at all. It was well-prepared, and the meat was tender.
Julie ate several pieces and had two bowls of the lamb soup. It was spicy, but satisfying.
She even mixed the soup with her rice and had a full bowl before stopping.
Lamb is the kind of thing that's really enjoyable while eating.
But afterward… Julie started to feel a bit overheated.
Before the hour of the pig (around 9–11 p.m.), Julie went to Bailee's room.
Bailee stepped forward and helped Julie remove her outer robe.
There was less shyness, more gentleness and grace.
Julie didn't refuse—she opened her arms, fully cooperative.
Bailee was still a bit nervous. His hands were shaking slightly, but he wasn't slow.
He thought Julie felt a bit hot tonight.
Even with clothes on, he could feel the warmth coming from her body.
Julie held back until he had finished undressing her, then picked him up by the waist and carried him to the bed.
Bailee tried to speak, but Julie leaned in and kissed him before he could say anything.
The temperature rose… Julie was a bit intense that night.
Bailee couldn't handle it, but Julie didn't let go at the critical moment. At that point, leaving her would've felt wrong.
So he quietly comforted himself and went along.
When Bailee finally drifted off, tears were in his eyes, and he was pouting slightly.
Julie realized for the first time that Bailee could be playful too.
It was different from Lorrie's childishness—Bailee had a mix of masculine charm and softness.
His voice was husky and gentle, soft and really pleasant to hear.
Julie didn't wait until morning. Under cover of night, she applied medicine and massaged him gently before lying down to sleep.
After the hour of the rabbit (around 5–7 a.m.), Julie quietly returned to her own room.
Lunch was made by Lorrie. The three of them sat at the table; Bailee hadn't gotten up yet.
Haven's cooking was a bit better than Julie's, but just a bit.
He knew Julie always ate less when he cooked, though he wasn't upset—he knew his skills.
Still, he wanted Julie to eat well and feel full, so he let his younger brother cook.
Lorrie, though young and spoiled by his older brothers, could cook. He actually made tasty meals.
Normally, with his two older brothers around, he didn't get the chance.
This was his first time cooking for Julie.
The last time, Haven had stepped in before he could finish, and at that time, he hadn't really wanted to cook for her.
Even though he was young, he had traditional and stubborn beliefs.
He wanted to cook for the one he loved, believing it was a way to express affection.
He held firm views and didn't back down—maybe that's why the original Julie had treated him the harshest.
Lorrie made minced meat noodles. The topping was made from pork belly he'd stewed and stir-fried in the morning—very fragrant.
He also blanched two small green vegetables for the top and sprinkled some chopped green onion—adding nice color.
Julie didn't expect Lorrie to be good at cooking too, not just eating.
It really takes time to see someone's hidden talents.
Julie gave him face by finishing a big bowl before setting down her chopsticks.
It truly tasted great—she couldn't make that flavor herself.
In the afternoon, Julie stayed in her room, practicing martial arts cross-legged, not going anywhere.
Just before the hour of the sheep (around 1–3 p.m.), Bailee slowly woke up.
Thinking back to the night before—him crying in the end, Julie not letting him go, him pouting and trying to push her away—he felt embarrassed and pulled the blanket over his face.
After half a cup of tea's time, he finally let go.
He felt he might've acted spoiled.
But… Julie was really intense last night.
Still, he didn't hate it. It was just… too much at the time. But once it passed, it was okay.
Smelling the lingering scent of medicine on the blanket, his face flushed and his eyes were full of sweetness.
Seeing it was getting late, he got dressed and walked out of the room.