Chapter 35: A Look of Gratitude on Gu Xiufang's Face

"Sister Xiufang, wait a moment." Chu Chen called out to Gu Xiufang, who was about to leave.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out two taels of silver, and walked over to her.

"What, can't bear to see your sister-in-law go? If that's the case, I'll show you a treasure." Thinking her efforts had finally paid off, Gu Xiufang turned around with a beaming smile.

Chu Chen stepped forward, pressed the silver into her hand, and said with a serious expression, "What are you thinking, sister-in-law? You’ve helped Qinglian so much, and I didn't bring much money today, but take this and buy some grain. Don't go back into the mountains. If it’s not wild boars, there are those men in the village—they’ve all been eyeing you."

Feeling the silver pressed into her hands, she was suddenly overcome with emotion. Plenty of men in the village coveted her, but who else would just hand over silver out of genuine concern for her well-being?

She hurriedly said, "Chu, I can't take this. It's too much; I won't be able to pay you back."

"What’s this about paying back? You're being too formal. I’ll likely need help at my workshop in a while; you can come work there then. It’ll pay better than toiling in the fields."

With that, Chu Chen turned and left, leaving Gu Xiufang with a strange, lingering feeling in her heart. She had endured so much hardship over the past three years, and this simple gesture from Chu Chen brought her an unprecedented sense of warmth. As she watched him walk away, she headed back toward the village with her basket on her back, clutching the two taels of silver tightly in her hand.

After Gu Xiufang left, Chu Chen packed up his sleeping mat and headed deeper into the mountains with his air rifle. With the commotion Gu Xiufang had caused, he figured he wouldn't see any game today; no small animal would dare show its face.

It wasn't until nightfall that Chu Chen returned home, carrying two pheasants and a wild rabbit. Li Qinglian had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him. Seeing what he held, she couldn't help but beam with joy. Without modern equipment, catching such game was no easy feat. In all of Mashan Village, only Uncle Feng the hunter could occasionally manage such a haul.

"Husband, you've been wandering the mountains all day, you must be exhausted. Come inside and eat." As she took the game from his hands, she greeted him warmly.

The meal was simple: a stir-fry of meat and greens, two bowls of rice, and a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup. Li Qinglian had learned these simple recipes from a cookbook over the past few days. Through constant practice, she had mastered over a dozen home-style dishes. Yet, even such modest fare was a feast that only the village head, Wang Defa, might occasionally afford. For the other families, such a meal was unthinkable; having meat even a few times a year was a luxury.

As Chu Chen shoveled rice into his mouth, Li Qinglian watched him intently. She grew fonder of this man with each passing day, but there was one thing: he seemed remarkably indifferent to intimacy. They had been married for quite some time, yet he had never touched her. Previously, he had been obsessed with squandering their wealth, but even after he turned over a new leaf, he still kept his distance.

"I ran into Sister Xiufang in the mountains today; she was gathering produce," Chu Chen said suddenly.

Li Qinglian paused, surprised that her husband would bring her up. They met in the mountains—could it be...? Women were naturally sensitive, but though she felt a slight pang of discomfort, she wasn't truly unhappy.

"Oh, Sister Xiufang... she's had a hard life. She helped me out quite a bit in the past."

"Exactly. Since she helped us, I was thinking you should take her some food when you have time. We can't have people calling us ingrates," Chu Chen continued.

*Sigh, he’s already sending her things.* But Sister Xiufang was a good person. If her husband truly liked her, perhaps she should be the one to bridge the gap? "Why don't you go yourself, Husband? Or should I go talk to her?"

Chu Chen looked up, confused. "Talk? Talk about what?"

"People say there's always trouble at a widow's door. You should go yourself." Chu Chen, completely missing the implication, simply nodded and went back to his meal. *It seems my husband cares about his reputation,* she thought. *Fair enough. Since he has changed, I suppose it’s better if I go.* She tucked the thought away in her heart.

After dinner, with the weather turning cold and no entertainment in this ancient mountain village, they climbed onto their worn-out bed early, lying down fully clothed as usual. Li Qinglian, troubled by her thoughts, tossed and turned.

"Qinglian, what are you doing? Rolling around like a spring roll?" Chu Chen finally asked.

She didn't answer for a long time, then, as if summoning all her courage, she turned and hugged him. "Husband, do you dislike me? We’ve been together so long, and you’ve never..."

*Damn,* he thought, *the girl is thinking about that.* Feeling her pressed against his back, Chu Chen felt his own blood begin to boil.

He turned and held her tightly. "What are you thinking? How could I dislike you? It’s just this environment—once the new house is built, we’ll have a proper place, and I want to treat you with the respect you deserve."

"Then, Husband, you don't... I heard Sister Xiufang say that men are usually impatient." In the pitch-black room, Li Qinglian said this with a blushing face.

Feeling the fiery heat on her cheeks, Chu Chen felt his interest piqued. The environment wasn't ideal, but that didn't mean they couldn't... "Then what do you propose?" he asked.

After a long silence, she whispered, "Then... let me..." Her hands reached out clumsily toward him.

Watching her awkwardness, Chu Chen couldn't help but smile. He leaned in and whispered, "Wait, Qinglian. Let me show you a treasure. It's very... sweet."

"Oh? Husband, it's so late, what kind of treasure?"

Half an hour later, Li Qinglian was in the kitchen boiling water. *My husband says such strange things,* she thought. *What did he call it? A lollipop? It didn't taste sweet at all.* But seeing her husband look so satisfied made her feel happy, too. As long as he was happy, she was content.

Chu Chen lay on the bed, feeling satisfied, waiting for the hot water. He had plenty of tissues and wet wipes in his secret space, but in the heat of the moment, he hadn't been able to retrieve them. He decided he would take some out tomorrow. He felt like a child who had discovered a brand-new toy, buzzing with excitement.

The night passed in silence. The next morning, Chu Chen woke to find Li Qinglian busy in the kitchen. When he washed up, he saw she had added two eggs to his breakfast. *Where did this girl learn this trick?*

"Husband, you must be tired. Eat up and nourish yourself," she said, blushing.

"Thank you, Qinglian. It’s so good to have you!" Chu Chen kissed her on the cheek.

This scene was witnessed by Chang Wei, who had just arrived. "Whoa, why is it still dark out? Where did I just walk into?" Chang Wei closed his eyes and immediately turned to leave.

Seeing this, Li Qinglian, who had been shy, burst into a fit of giggles.