After the meal, the old lady pulled Li Yanzhong into the inner room and asked about the situation of the mother and her two children.

The last time Li Yanzhong went to the commune to transfer his household registration, he didn't return to Lijiatun because of the tight schedule, and therefore couldn't tell his family about his marriage.

When his mother asked, he replied earnestly, "Mom, Jingqiu is my wife, and those two children also have my surname, Li."

The old lady was taken aback for a moment when she heard this, then patted her youngest son's hand and nodded, saying, "Mom understands. From now on, these two children are part of the Li family, and no one will gossip about them."

"Thank you, Mom."

"What are you thanking me for? How could I not protect my grandchildren?" The old lady glared at her youngest son and then instructed him, "Jingqiu gave up her comfortable life in the city and brought the children to live a hard life with you in this remote village. You can't let her down."

"Mom, I know."

"Good to know. Alright, go back to your room. The room has been tidied up and the kang (heated brick bed) has been heated."

"Oh, by the way, those two children are with us tonight," the old lady added.

Li Yanzhong hesitated for a moment: "Mom, they might not be used to this place yet. Why don't they sleep in the same room with us?"

"Who says we're not used to it? I've already asked them, and they're happy to sleep on the same kang (heated brick bed) with us old folks. You can ask them if you don't believe me," the old lady said confidently.

Li Yanzhong was still worried, so he actually went to ask. The twins said that the kang (heated brick bed) in their grandparents' room was big and warm, and they liked it very much.

Li Yanzhong had no choice but to let them have their way, and he moved two more quilts and pillows to the old couple's room.

Upon seeing the bright, smooth, and beautiful satin quilt cover, the Li family children exclaimed in surprise and crowded around to take a look, but none of them dared to touch it.

Grandpa and Grandma had already told them not to bully the new younger siblings (older brothers and sisters), otherwise they would drive away Uncle's city wife, and Uncle would be a bachelor for life.

They are filial children; they won't let their uncle remain a bachelor.

Seeing how much her new friends liked her blanket, Li Mingxue generously invited them, "You can touch it, and you can even sleep in the same blanket with me, but you have to be a girl."

Li Mingyu also realized what he had just said: "A man touched me, and my blanket could fit two people."

The Li family children were overjoyed and each reached out to touch it.

A clever little girl said, "I'll move my quilt over here, I want to sleep on Grandpa and Grandma's kang too."

The old lady smiled and said, "Okay, go and bring it over."

The kang (heated brick bed) was built against the wall and was about three meters long. If you slept at both ends, it wouldn't be a problem to squeeze in ten or so children.

So, apart from the baby who needed to be breastfed, all the other children crowded onto their grandparents' kang (heated brick bed), jostling and making a lot of noise. The twins were the center of attention, and the grandparents were telling them about life in the city in vivid detail.

However, the twins were instructed by their mother not to talk about their family's little villa, nor to mention their grandparents or biological father.

Li Yanzhong and Yu Jingqiu's room was a side room, some distance from the main house, but they could still hear the children's voices from the other side.

Yu Jingqiu couldn't help but smile. She took off her coat and prepared to get on the kang (a heated brick bed), when Li Yanzhong brought in a bucket of hot water.

"Jingqiu, soak your feet, you'll sleep better tonight."

Yu Jingqiu nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, Yanzhong."

"It's okay, you go ahead and wash, call me when you're done."

After Li Yanzhong finished speaking, he turned to leave the house, but Yu Jingqiu stopped him: "Aren't you going to soak your feet? Come on, this tub is quite big."

Yu Jingqiu's tone was calm and casual, but it stunned Li Yanzhong. He stared at her for a long time before asking, "Are you sure?"

Yu Jingqiu took off her socks, put her fair feet into the bucket of water, sighed comfortably, and then looked up to ask, "Yanzhong, do you want to be a fake couple with me?"

Li Yanzhong's throat suddenly went dry: "I'm fine with anything."

Upon hearing this, Yu Jingqiu looked at the snow reflected in the window and sighed, "It's so cold here. If it weren't for a man warming my blankets, I probably wouldn't be able to survive."

Li Yanzhong wasn't stupid; it was just that the way they had been together for over a decade had made him hesitant. But Yu Jingqiu had made it so clear, and the two were now a married couple, so Li Yanzhong didn't back down. He took off his coat, stepped to the wooden tub, squatted down abruptly, reached into the water, and grabbed a jade-white foot.

Yu Jingqiu frowned slightly, and a sound escaped her lips.

Li Yanzhong immediately looked up and asked nervously through the rising steam, "Was I too rough? I'll be gentler."

Yu Jingqiu smiled and shook her head: "The pressure is just right, but you don't need to press anymore, I'm not that tired."

Li Yanzhong breathed a sigh of relief: "After sitting on the train for several days and then in a horse-drawn carriage for a whole day, how could I not be tired?"

Li Yanzhong continued to apply force with his hands, adjusting the strength and position according to Yu Jingqiu's changing expressions, which made his whole body heat up and feel subtly tense.

The hot air wafted against the glass windows, blocking out the moonlight and snowfall outside, leaving only a beautiful scene inside.

Yu Jingqiu suddenly bent down, grasped Li Yanzhong's strong arm, and breathed softly, "Yanzhong, let's sleep."

"Okay, let me wipe your feet first."

Li Yanzhong lifted Yu Jingqiu's fair feet and placed them on his tanned arm. Water droplets glistened as they fell into the bucket, making a dripping sound.

Soon the sound of dripping water disappeared, replaced by a different rhythm, making the moon outside the window shyly hide behind the clouds.

The next day at dawn.

Old Li's house became lively as the children played with the twins on sleds, and the loud-voiced sisters-in-law tended the fire and prepared breakfast.

Yu Jingqiu woke up and had just stretched her hand out of the warm blankets when Li Yanzhong caught it and put it back.

"Jingqiu, breakfast isn't ready yet, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

Li Yanzhong slept for less than three hours all night, but he was in excellent spirits, and the tenderness in his eyes was overflowing.

Yu Jingqiu looked at him and laughed: "You're up, and your brother and sister-in-law are up too. What would it look like if I stayed in bed?"

Li Yanzhong actually got up earlier than his older brother and sister-in-law. He gently brushed away the strands of hair that clung to his wife's pink cheeks and said, "Jingqiu, I married you not so that you would serve me, but so that I could rightfully take care of you and the children."

A ripple appeared in Yu Jingqiu's calm eyes. She sat up, leaned against Li Yanzhong's chest, and said softly, "I know your feelings, but a marriage is never just about one person giving. It won't last."

"Besides, I'd be happy to do anything for you."

Yu Jingqiu's words seemed to spark a flame in Li Yanzhong's heart, as sweet as honey. He didn't know how to express himself, so he just hugged her tightly and said, "Jingqiu, I won't let you regret marrying me."

Fifteen minutes later, the couple, dressed neatly, walked out of the house and were immediately greeted by the teasing voices of their sisters-in-law.

"Oh my, you two are so lovey-dovey, just like newlyweds."

"That's because our fourth brother's wife is beautiful. There's no one more beautiful than her in the whole commune. My fourth brother can't take his eyes off her."

"Don't even mention it, even I, a woman, can't take my eyes off it. Oh dear, after breakfast, I have to take my fourth sister-in-law out to show her off."

"Count me in."

"Let's all go, no one will be left behind!"