On their way, Yang Ming said to Yang Dong, "Younger brother, pack up your stuff later and come stay at home."
"That’s great." Upon hearing this, Yang Dong immediately cheered, not even asking for the reason. He was finally freed from having to live with Li Fugui, whose strict rules were too much to handle.
Li Fugui, standing by, frowned upon seeing this. Was he really that disagreeable? Later, when he saw Yang Dong packing, he still remembered to remind him, "Don’t forget to practice your writing and recite your lessons tonight."
At the mention of this, Yang Dong felt a headache coming on. He really wasn’t cut out for studying. Li Fugui forced him to study every night, which was more than enough. He responded impatiently, "Okay."
Then he quickly left.
Li Fugui shook his head and went about his own business. Chu Lian, watching nearby, thought that Li Fugui somewhat resembled a teacher.
After working all afternoon covered in mud, Li Fugui washed up quickly and then started preparing dinner.
Chu Lian quickly rinsed off and also went to the kitchen to offer help, but Li Fugui flatly refused him. Although he didn’t want to waste food, even if he could handle eating those barely palatable meals, he really didn’t want to eat anymore. He had already had more than enough of his own failed cooking attempts.
Seeing how thoroughly Li Fugui refused, Chu Lian had no choice but to give up; he couldn’t stomach his own cooking anymore either.
After dinner, Chu Lian saw that Li Fugui was still busy and started to feel bad for him. Didn’t he ever get tired? When had he developed such a strong constitution?
He had worked half the day and was so tired, his hands were blistered. He ignored Li Fugui, washed up, and lay down on the bed first.
Li Fugui finished feeding Dahuang and Xiaobai and had put away the food for the next day in the kitchen. After washing up, he entered the room and saw that Chu Lian had already lain down; he said nothing.
Sitting at the desk by candlelight, he began to copy books, a task he hadn’t abandoned, thinking to save up enough money quickly to leave this place.
After a long while of copying, he put the materials away and took out the portrait that Wang Xiangxiang had drawn for Xiaotian, staring at it for a long time.
Chu Lian had already fallen asleep for a while and turned over half-awake when he noticed a light still on. He glanced towards Li Fugui, which instantly woke him up.
Wasn’t that the portrait given by that spoiled girl? Li Fugui was actually looking at it in the middle of the night. Did he like her that much?
Feeling somewhat stifled inside, his voice carried a hint of disdain, "Do you like her that much?"
Li Fugui, startled by Chu Lian’s voice, quickly put away the portrait while saying, "Yeah."
Hearing Li Fugui’s affirmative response, Chu Lian became even more irritable. He hadn’t denied it; what was so good about that spoiled girl? "Is she really that good?"
Li Fugui blew out the candle, climbed onto the bed, and hearing Chu Lian’s question, sensed his unfriendly tone, as if Xiaotian was not a good woman in Chu Lian’s eyes. Thus, he retorted, "She is the best woman in the world."
"If she’s so great, why don’t you marry her?" Chu Lian said, clearly irritated.
These words stirred deep emotions within Li Fugui. Of course, he wanted to marry her. He dreamed of marrying her and said emotionally, "I will marry her in three years."
"..." He really planned to marry her, even setting a timeline for three years later?
Seeing how agitated Li Fugui was, Chu Lian did not continue the conversation. Yet, his heart felt heavy, as if a voice was saying he would never let them be together.