Ye Liu smiled when Ye Ling came in. “Ling, Little Duo’s up early today.”
He had only gone upstairs for half an hour and Liu Duo was already awake? That was quick.
Usually, Liu Duo would sleep in and would not get up for another one or two hours.
Since Liu had already started cooking, Ye Ling helped with other chores like cleaning up the chopping board. “Duo Er woke up after a sneeze. We talked for a while and then she did not want to sleep anymore. She said she would nap later.”
He told him everything but withheld the part about Liu Duo requesting him to lie down with her, which he had shyly declined.
He thought about how useless he was for being too shy to accompany his own wife. He did not want his brothers to joke about him, despite knowing that his brothers would never do that.
After a good wash, Liu Duo came back indoors. She sat down and let her chin rest on her palms, observing Ye Yang and Liu Ran.
Liu Ran sent her a happy smile, while Ye Yang remained emotionless, aloof and stoic as always. But he was in a good mood knowing that his wife was watching him.
By the time Li Wazi arrived with his family, the Ye household had finished breakfast.
“Ran Er, go get the present you’ve prepared for Yuan Fang. We’re leaving soon,” Ye Liu told him.
Liu Ran understood. He turned to sprint up the stairs excitedly.
Ye Yang went to the farm that day. When they left, Liu Duo and Ye Ling stayed in the house to practice writing, while Aunt Li and Little Lian got busy in the kitchen.
The bullock-cart moved along steadily on the path. Ye Liu said to Liu Ran, “Ran Er, are you staying for dinner at Yuan Fang’s house? I’ll come get you after that.”
Liu Ran held onto the present in his lap. He replied with a smile, “That will be great, Brother Liu. But I hope I’m not troubling you.”
It was his friend’s birthday. Of course he wanted to stay longer.
“All’s as it should be, Ran Er. You don’t have to say things like that.”
Right at that moment, they saw Ye Xuan’s figure in front of them.
He had his back to them, but Liu Ran could clearly make out who he was. Only scholars would often wear white. The average villager normally would not dress like that. They would not tie their hair with hemp rope either.
Liu Ran called out to him joyfully, “Brother Xuan, where are you going? Brother Liu is taking me to Yuan Fang’s house. If you’re headed in the same direction, hop in. We can give you a ride.”
Ye Mo did not like where this was going. He peered at Liu Ran. The boy clearly did not think of Ye Xuan as an outsider.
He cut in rudely, not waiting for Ye Xuan to answer. “We’re in a rush to collect tomatoes. There’s no time to stop for other passengers!”
Ye Mo did not feel awkward at all as his smile remained plastered, unchanging, on his face.
He was walking in front of them, and the trio was slowly approaching him on Ye Liu’s bullock-cart.
“Ran Er, I thank you for the offer but, alas, we’re not going the same way, so I cannot accept your ride,” Ye Xuan said politely.
His reply made Ye Mo’s action seem unreasonable, petty, and just downright rude.
Geez… Ye Mo grunted. He would not give the man a ride even if they were going in the same direction. Why did he have to show off his courtesy?
Ye Liu smiled too, but he was much better-looking then Ye Xuan’s. “Little Xuan, since you put it like that then I guess this is where we part.”
“That’s alright. I am grateful for your sincerity,” Ye Xuan replied to him.
Li Wazi, who was on the bullock-cart too, peered at Ye Xuan’s and could not help feeling that he had a hidden agenda.
He wanted to punch him so badly!
“Then we shall be on our way,” Ye Liu said for the last time. He held up the whip and flung at the bull. At the sound of a crack, the bull picked up speed.