Zhi Chen smiled, "It’s no trouble at all. I can’t sit still, and it’s good if I can help a bit."
Xin Yuan’s big eyes swirled as she suddenly thought, "It seems... it seems, if I could find a man like brother-in-law, just like my elder sister did, that would be nice too."
She scratched her head, actually she was a bit lazy. Girls could marry at fifteen, but she was already seventeen this year.
She usually helped take care of the house, and she didn’t think much of the frail-looking men outside, so the marriage talked had been postponed again and again...
That evening, with wood boards tied to her legs, Fei Yan took the medicine Dong Huiying gave her and didn’t feel much pain. Although walking was still a bit unnatural, she no longer limped as before.
She was very pleased, as the head of the family, if she were to become disabled, life at home would probably become difficult.
But now, with more rest, she would be able to go hunting in the mountains again.
The leg injury was like a heavy stone weighing on her heart, but now she had unloaded a great burden.
At dinner, more than a dozen dishes filled the whole table.
The family sat around the table, Fei Yan and Xu Wenzhou frequently offered dishes to Dong Huiying, showing them great care and warmth.
Er Yuan and San Nian, also known as Xin Yuan and Dong Nian, were not jealous. Dong Nian quietly ate, occasionally glancing at her elder sister, while Xin Yuan laughed cheerfully, her smile nearly reaching her ears.
After dinner, Xin Yuan led Dong Huiying and Zhi Chen to a room.
"Elder sister, although we have many rooms, we are short of bedding. Tonight, you and brother-in-law can stay here. Tomorrow when it’s light, I’ll go buy a new set of bedding."
Even though they were engaged, according to the customs, they must sleep in separate rooms until the wedding ceremony was held. But what Xin Yuan was thinking, she mischievously winked at Zhi Chen and then, with a suppressed chuckle, ran off.
Zhi Chen lit an oil lamp and then examined the room in the dim light of the lamp.
Was this the place where Baobao had lived?
He gently stroked the cabinet’s surface, which was spotlessly clean, and everything in the room was tidy and orderly, as if someone always lived here. Even the blankets had a scent of having been sun-dried.
Clearly, although Dong Huiying had moved to the Liang family’s home and rarely came back, her room was always preserved. The Dong family hoped that Dong Huiying would spend more time here.
He looked at Dong Huiying, who stood nervously by the kang bed.
Zhi Chen strode forward with his long legs, but saw her stiffen.
He chuckled, "No need to be nervous."
He saw a set of bedding on the kang, picked up the blanket, folded it, and laid it on the kang. He then picked up the remaining rug.
"You sleep on the kang head. I’ve folded the blanket, perfect to spread half and cover half."
Then, he moved with the rug towards the kang. "I’ll sleep here."
Dong Huiying was startled for a moment, then saw that the man had already swiftly removed his shoes and socks and was lying flat on the edge of the kang, the thin rug covering him.
Although Zhi Chen had his eyes closed, he wasn’t asleep. He heard rustling sounds as the young girl, like a little mouse, sneaked off her shoes and socks, and then slowly crawled into the blanket.
Dong Huiying lay inside the folded blanket, glanced at Zhi Chen, and touched the blanket.
"Are you cold?" she asked.