Chapter 7: Sharing a Bed with Me

The villagers echoed her words one after another.

Inside the house, because she could not see, Wan Niang could only grope her way toward the door.

"The fellow villagers should still recognize me. Now that we have moved back to live here, please look after us in the future!"

Hearing her mother's voice, Fu Nanyao hurriedly turned around to support her.

Only then did the villagers see Fu Wan Niang. After more than ten years, the blind daughter of the Fu family's eldest branch had actually not changed much at all.

An older woman said, "So it is Wan Niang. Didn't you all move to the county town?"

An older man said, "Someone saw a carriage entering the village this morning; so it was you all."

Wan Niang smiled and said, "It is us. I brought the children to see and live in the place where their grandparents worked so hard."

The older woman nodded repeatedly in praise, "Good girl!"

Fu Beimo did not like having so many people in his own courtyard. Carrying a load of firewood, he walked a few steps quickly and shouted, "Who are you people? Get out of my house!"

The villagers frowned upon hearing this. They were all living in the same village; how could someone speak like that just as they had moved in? It was clear this boy was a fool.

Fu Beimo particularly disliked the woman who had just been shouting, so he pulled out a piece of firewood and bared his teeth at her menacingly.

Seeing that the situation was turning sour, Hu Ajing turned and left.

As soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she was stunned by the beauty of a young man walking toward her.

Even if she went to the town from the surrounding villages, she had never seen a man more handsome than the one before her.

Was her husband arriving just like this?

As for this courtyard, she would have to go home and discuss it with her parents and grandparents.

Having finished watching the commotion, the villagers also gradually left the courtyard.

"Fu Wan Niang is blind, you saw that, right? Her daughter's leg is lame, and that boy carrying firewood looks like a fool. Tsk tsk tsk, what a family."

"Didn't you see? The one who came in later carrying firewood is tall and handsome, and the girl following behind him has a face so tender you could squeeze water out of it."

"Do you think there's something fishy about them leaving a perfectly good house in the county town to move to the countryside?"

"You'd have to ask the Hu family. Isn't Hu Ajing's grandmother the biological sister of Fu the Eldest and Fu the Second?"

"The eldest Fu couple passed away a few years ago. Now, the Fu family in the county is run by the second Fu couple..."

All the villagers' discussions fell into Fu Ciyi's ears.

His face turned cold and grim. He carried the firewood into the woodshed and took the wild chicken to the kitchen.

Yan Funing was putting down her basket in the kitchen. Seeing someone enter, she asked, "Um, do you need me to help with anything?"

Fu Ciyi did not look at her, his voice indifferent, "No need."

Having said that, he dropped the chicken with its feet tied, picked up a water bucket, and left the kitchen.

Not long after, Wan Niang arrived in the kitchen, supported by the twins.

Facing them, Yan Funing was not as constrained as she was in front of Fu Ciyi.

It wasn't that she wanted to be constrained; it was simply that every glance and every inch of that man's body radiated coldness.

It wasn't surprising that he was like this. The female supporting character had broken the engagement first, causing him to lose face. Now, facing her, he naturally had no good expression.

After the four in the kitchen chatted for a few words, Fu Ciyi returned carrying two buckets of water.

Fu Beimo wanted to help his elder brother pour the water into the water vat, but he was stopped by his brother.

"The vat needs to be washed."

As Fu Ciyi spoke, he took a kitchen knife and began to process the wild chicken.

That movement of slicing the chicken's neck was clean and efficient, making Yan Funing unable to help but swallow her saliva.

Her gaze shifted to the water buckets. The two buckets were quite large, and there was a considerable distance from the river to the courtyard, yet his breathing remained steady all the way here.

Combined with his movement of slicing the chicken's neck, she couldn't help but be reminded of the dream where he used a dagger to slash her face.

This man was no simple scholar; her delicate body could not afford to provoke him.

Yan Funing stopped looking at him. She scooped water from the bucket and washed two handfuls of wild oyster mushrooms.

Fu Nanyao was not idle either; she walked behind the stove to tend the fire.

Fu Beimo saw that one bucket was empty and volunteered, "Mother, I'll go fetch water to wash the vat."

"Be careful by the river," Wan Niang instructed him, which was essentially giving him permission to go.

Fu Beimo complied and ran off with the bucket.

Over here, finding plucking the feathers troublesome, Fu Ciyi simply skinned it. This method processed the wild chicken quickly, and he tossed it into the pot.

"We'll eat chicken soup tonight. Tomorrow I'll go see if there are any wild rabbits or something."

Fu Nanyao smiled, "Okay! Rabbit meat is plentiful."

Yan Funing opened the pot lid, put the oyster mushrooms in, and stirred them with a spoon. "To add some freshness."

Wan Niang nodded, "Good. We don't even have seasonings right now, so adding oyster mushrooms for freshness is good." As she spoke, she sighed again, "Living like this isn't a solution. How can people go without eating?"

But currently, they didn't even have rice or flour.

If they weren't very hungry at noon, it was because they had eaten breakfast; by now, the sky was dark, and they were already starving.

Yan Funing said, "I'll take the remaining oyster mushrooms to the town to sell tomorrow morning to see if I can exchange them for some rice and flour."

Wan Niang was delighted, "My daughter-in-law is good at managing a household."

Before long, Fu Beimo returned with the water and immediately began washing the vat in the kitchen.

Listening to the sounds of the four children busy in the kitchen, Wan Niang showed a gratified smile.

The wild chicken was quite tough and took a long time to cook. By the time the meat was tender and soft, the sky had completely darkened.

Because they were truly hungry, even without seasonings, the family ate the oyster mushroom chicken soup with great relish. The leftover steamed buns from noon instantly tasted several times better.

Accompanied by the occasional sound of firecrackers from outside, the meal was quite warm and cozy.

——

Late at night, after the family had a simple wash, they each returned to their rooms.

When Yan Funing returned to her room, Fu Ciyi was tidying the bedding.

"Thank you for taking me in!" she murmured.

As if feeling her phrasing was incorrect, Fu Ciyi half-lifted his eyelids to glance at her, but did not correct her.

Yan Funing added, "It was I who broke the engagement. And thank you for not telling your family about the mistake with the bride."

After a brief pause, she supplemented, "It's not that I wouldn't let you tell them..."

If he wanted to tell, she couldn't stop him.

Moreover, she wanted to tell them herself; she just felt she had to find an appropriate time.

Her current goal was to make money.

Thinking of him becoming a ruthless and cold-blooded powerful official, she had at least nearly two years.

Within these two years, she would try her best to stroke his ego and make as much money as possible.

Once she had money, she would pay him mental damages, and she could also live well in this world.

Yes, a win-win!

Fu Ciyi did not know what was going through her head; he only said, "My mother and the others are kind. I didn't say anything simply because I didn't want them to be sad."

"Oh."

He changed the subject, "There is only one bed. You sleep on the floor."

Yan Funing: "Huh?"

It was freezing cold right now; how could he, a man, have the nerve to ask her to sleep on the floor?

Fu Ciyi did not respond and sat directly on the edge of the bed.

Yan Funing walked up to him and asked in a small voice, "I'm afraid of the cold. Can I sleep on the bed?"

"Do you mean you want to share a bed with me?"

Fu Ciyi raised his eyes, a hint of scrutiny in his gaze, which quickly vanished without a trace of emotion.

Yan Funing froze. It seemed that asking him to sleep on the floor was also inappropriate, after all, this was his house.

Thinking of this, she nodded, "Yes. My sleeping posture is very good. I guarantee I won't touch you, okay?"

Even if she were given the courage of a bear, she wouldn't dare touch him.

(End of Chapter)