As soon as it was light, Wang Pu'an got up. He tiptoed out of the house, closing the door very carefully.

Xu Nian opened her eyes and glanced at his back, then closed them again, still half asleep.

When she woke up again, the sun was already up in the sky.

As soon as I stepped out of the room, I saw Wang Pu'an weaving something with straw, and there were several trees as thick as his arm next to him.

"What are you doing?" Xu Nian walked over and saw that what he was weaving looked like a straw mat but not quite, because it was too long.

“I think we’ll set up a thatched shed today. Nian Nian, go eat. The porridge in the pot is still hot, and there are pickled vegetables and slices of meat in the small bowl on the lid.” Wang Pu’an smiled sheepishly at Xu Nian, then lowered his head and continued with his work.

Xu Nian touched her stomach, clearly hungry. "Have you eaten?"

"It's alright, you eat first, I'll come as soon as I finish what I'm doing," Wang Puan urged Xu Nian.

Xu Nian went into the kitchen and finished her breakfast with porridge and pickled vegetables.

When she came out, she saw that Wang Pu'an was still busy, so she thought she would wash the new clothes she bought yesterday, but she couldn't find them.

"Niannian, I've washed and hung up all your clothes. Take the bedding down first, and I'll wash it for you later." Wang Pu'an's words made Xu Nian, who was looking for something, peek out.

"You washed my undergarments too?" This was the first time Xu Nian had ever seen a man be so considerate.

She is capable in all aspects of life, from formal occasions to kitchen duties, from washing clothes to fighting off wolves.

"Yes! I've washed them all," Wang Pu'an said in a muffled voice, his face flushed as he darted left and right.

“Wang Pu’an, you’ve finished all the work, what am I supposed to do?” Xu Nian walked up to him, squatted down, and asked.

“Didn’t I buy some candied fruit and pastries yesterday? You can eat something to pass the time if you have nothing to do. I’ve seen that’s what rich young ladies do.” Wang Pu’an sat up straight, as if answering a very serious question.

"Wang Pu'an, you bought me, and you've been feeding and treating me so well. What's in it for you?" Xu Nian wanted to call Wang Pu'an stupid, but this fool was genuinely good to her, the kind of good that would empty his pockets.

"Niannian, is there anything wrong with what I did?" Wang Puan panicked. His mother had told him that a man should treat his wife well. Was he wrong?

"You did nothing wrong, just don't be so foolish in the future." Xu Nian sighed. If he had a worse temper, she could have stolen his things and run away without any guilt. She couldn't do that now!

Besides, he had already given her all his belongings, so what else would she steal?

"Niannian, do you not want to be with me?" Wang Puan lowered his head in disappointment.

He knew he wasn't very capable, and that Niannian was so beautiful that she would have to live a hard life with him, but he really couldn't bear to part with her!

“The Liu family will probably hold a funeral today. The whole village will know that you spent five taels of silver to buy a widow.” Xu Nian observed Wang Pu’an’s expression without revealing his true feelings.

“It’s alright. Just give me some time, and I can take you away from this village. Then we can live in town, and no one will gossip about us anymore,” Wang Pu’an said seriously.

"How long are you planning to take?" Xu Nian didn't expect that this person would even start considering this.

"Three months, no, two months is enough. Niannian, can you not give up on me? I really will make sure you have a good life." Wang Puan's thoughts were simple. He felt that Xu Nian asking him this meant that she still wanted to leave him.

"Wang Pu'an, you'll regret this." Xu Nian had never seen such a fool. His heartfelt kindness towards her made her feel guilty for taking advantage of an honest person.

Xu Nian's inexplicable anger left Wang Pu'an completely baffled.

He could only sadly lower his head and continue working; he was determined to build the thatched shed today.

The reason he was in such a hurry to build the thatched shed was because he was afraid that he would lose control of himself at night and do something to hurt Xu Nian.

After all, the person in his dream was truly terrifying, so reckless and insane that he dared not admit that the person in his dream was him.

If Niannian knew what he did in his dream, would she hate him?

The emotionally sensitive Wang Pu'an was both disappointed and afraid until a pair of fair and slender hands appeared before him, pulling him back to his senses.

"How is this woven? Teach me," Xu Nian asked, pointing to the straw mat-like thing in Wang Pu'an's hand.

"No need, Niannian, you rest. I'll be done in no time." Wang Pu'an didn't want Xu Nian's hands to get hurt from this rough work.

"Shut up, I'm telling you to teach, so teach me," Xu Nian said, glaring at Wang Pu'an.

Because her voice was so soft and delicate, her words lacked any force and sounded more like a coquettish complaint.

"Then Nian Nian, you watch!" Wang Pu'an began to carefully teach Xu Nian.

Xu Nian learned very quickly and mastered it in no time, but her knitting skills were not very good; she really had no talent for knitting.

Looking at her own woven straw and then at Wang Pu'an's, Xu Nian was completely dumbfounded. How come this straw became so disobedient in her hands? It really needed to be disciplined.

Xu Nian secretly patted the straw in his hands a few times and continued weaving as if nothing had happened, unaware that the person opposite him was grinning from ear to ear. But he dared not utter a sound.

After lunch, they continued in the afternoon, and through their combined efforts, a thatched shed was erected.

After covering the roof with thatch and weighing it down with stones and pieces of wood to make sure the thatch wouldn't be blown away by the wind, Wang Pu'an climbed down.

"Wang Pu'an, why did you build this thatched hut?" Xu Nian asked, puzzled when she saw that the hut was covered with thick straw and looked like a bed.

"I'll start sleeping here tonight." With that, Wang Pu'an went into the room and brought out his bedding.

"Wang Pu'an, I was bought by you, so you can do whatever you want to me," Xu Nian said deliberately, wanting to tease him.

“That won’t do. That’s not what Niannian wants. I want to wait until Niannian herself is willing before we get together.” After saying that, Wang Pu’an was embarrassed and didn’t dare to look at Xu Nian.

"..." How innocent she is, which only makes her seem more inhuman, testing him time and time again.

"Whatever makes you happy." Xu Nian shook her head. Since Wang Pu'an wanted to sleep in a thatched hut, then let him sleep in a thatched hut.

Xu Nian occupied the entire room without any psychological burden.

As time went by, Xu Nian had no friends or acquaintances in the village. Whenever she went out, the villagers would point and whisper about her.

Everyone knows that people are gossiping about her, so why would she try to build a relationship with them? She should be grateful she didn't slap them.

In the end, she stopped liking to go out and would just sit in the yard in the sun whenever she had free time.

Wang Pu'an truly didn't let her lift a finger when it came to household affairs. Before going hunting, he would prepare meals for her and even remind her to leave the dishes for him to wash.

I don't even know if a boyfriend who is the epitome of filial piety could do what he did.

Xu Nian felt that Wang Pu'an wanted to raise her into a useless person who couldn't take care of herself.

But being a useless person is really fun!