Chapter 65: "And, I love you too."
The dinner table, which originally consisted of just two simple dishes brought back from town, suddenly became quite lavish thanks to the cured pork stir-fried with bamboo shoots and multigrain pancakes that Ah Niu brought.
Yun Sheng set the dishes on the table and arranged the bowls and chopsticks in the room. Xiao Xu said he was going to put something in another room, but he didn't come back for a long time.
Yun Sheng sat for a while, then her stomach growled twice before she couldn't resist going to the door again.
Just as I was about to call him, he slowly walked out of another room.
"What are you doing? Why are you so slow?"
Xiao Xu casually replied, "It's nothing."
Yun Sheng didn't ask any more questions and went back to the table with him.
As soon as he sat down, Xiao Xu picked up his chopsticks and casually picked up some food, saying, "A Niu is not yet seventeen years old."
Yun Sheng was taken aback, looked up, and exclaimed in surprise, "Really? How did you know? You couldn't tell at all from his appearance."
After he finished speaking, and seeing his expression, Yun Sheng paused slightly.
Xiao Xu said, "You are older than him, so you don't need to call him Brother A Niu."
"…………"
The next day.
Yun Sheng never expected that Xiao Xu, who had been inexplicably jealous of others the day before, would be standing in the courtyard with A Niu as if they were old friends.
Yun Sheng stood in front of the bedroom door. The two men were focused on their discussion and didn't notice her.
Xiao Xu nodded slightly and went to the other side of the courtyard.
I don't know when, but the place was piled with timber of different lengths and shapes.
Xiao Xu bent down, hoisted a thick, long log onto his shoulder, and strode back.
Looking up, she saw Yun Sheng.
"Sheng Sheng." He called out to her, but with the log still on his shoulder, he didn't walk towards her.
Hearing the voice, Ah Niu turned around and saw Yun Sheng. He smiled憨厚ly and said, "Sister-in-law."
That log looked like it would take two people to lift it, but Xiao Xu carried it on his shoulder all by himself, his arm muscles bulging and revealing a strong sense of power.
Yun Sheng couldn't help but take a few more glances.
It wasn't until Xiao Xu turned sideways and put down the wood he had brought that a heavy thud was heard.
She then stepped forward and asked, "What are you doing?"
Ah Niu rubbed his hands together sheepishly, looking as if he was expecting something.
Xiao Xu said, "This morning, A Niu brought me food, and I asked him for some carpentry tips."
Yun Sheng looked at the two of them suspiciously.
Ah Niu said, "These are sweet potatoes that my family grew ourselves. My mother asked me to bring you a sack, and she also cooked some sweet potato porridge. Try it later, it's very sweet."
They delivered something yesterday, and they're delivering again today.
Yun Sheng had already caught a glimpse of the bulging burlap sack in the corner of the wall out of the corner of her eye.
"We can't accept this. It's too much. We can't possibly eat it all. We'll all be neighbors from now on, so there's no need to be so polite."
"It's nothing, it's just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't be so polite with me, sister-in-law. My mother said that Brother Xiao seems different from the people in our village. He must be a very knowledgeable person. She told me to learn from Brother Xiao and build a good relationship with him."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng suddenly understood.
Although they had never revealed their identities to the villagers, Xiao Xu did indeed appear to be quite outstanding.
She glanced at Xiao Xu, but didn't see any annoyance from him at A Niu's plain and straightforward flattery.
Xiao Xu said, "The timber just happened to arrive this morning. There's a difference between what's written in books and doing it yourself. Ah Niu is good at this, so I asked him to give me some pointers."
Ah Niu said happily, "Brother Xiao is smart, capable, and strong. When I first learned carpentry, my mother often scolded me for being clumsy. But Brother Xiao, you understand it as soon as I explain it. You are much better than me."
Xiao Xu was only unsure about one or two details of the mortise and tenon joints, but after Ah Niu's expert guidance, he understood.
Ah Niu seemed to be thinking about something else. He rubbed his hands together and said eagerly, "Brother Xiao, you and your wife should go eat breakfast. This sweet potato porridge won't taste good if it gets cold. Leave this to me. I'll help you build the basic framework first. After you finish eating, you'll be able to see what it looks like."
Xiao Xu shook his head: "No need. This is the betrothal gift I prepared for my wife. Naturally, I have to make it myself, piece by piece. Thank you for your guidance today. You can go back now."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng gave Xiao Xu a disapproving look.
I feel like he's bullying honest people.
After yesterday, Ah Niu was able to understand the meaning behind the polite words. Although he was a little disappointed that he could not continue to watch the exquisite woodworking, he quickly replied, "That's true. It's something I should do myself. The sentiment is the most important. Then I'll go back and not bother you any longer."
He turned to leave, but then stopped. When he turned back, his eyes were almost overflowing with expectation. He couldn't help but scratch his head, confirming again: "Brother Xiao, we agreed on those leftover scraps that we couldn't use..."
Xiao Xu nodded: "I'll have someone deliver it to your house later."
Ah Niu was delighted to hear this. Although he didn't quite understand how it was supposed to be delivered, and that it would arrive so late was surprisingly fast, he simply assumed it was another polite gesture from Brother Xiao that he didn't quite understand.
Anyway, Brother Xiao nodded, so the matter was settled. He immediately beamed and said repeatedly, "Okay, thank you, Brother Xiao. Sister-in-law, I'm off now!"
After saying that, he was satisfied and left the courtyard with light steps.
As soon as A Niu left, Xiao Xu temporarily put down what he was doing.
"Let's go have breakfast first and try their sweet potato porridge."
Yun Sheng was led to a table and sat down. After he washed his hands and returned to sit next to her, he said with dissatisfaction, "Are you really planning to send scraps to someone?"
Xiao Xu continued serving her porridge, filling a bowl to the brim, and placed it in front of her, saying, "How could that be?"
“He came to see me this morning to make you a dressing table. I asked him for some woodworking advice, and he asked me for the leftover scraps, saying he wanted to make a bed for the woman he admired.”
Yun Sheng asked, "That Miss Xing'er?"
Xiao Xu nodded: "The scraps are hardly enough to make a bed, and how can I possibly give away the scraps? I'll have Mu Shan send him a new batch of wood later."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng was relieved, thinking that Xiao Xuzhen was being petty and bullying an honest person.
However, she smiled and couldn't help teasing him: "Do you know you've misunderstood, feel bad about it, but are too embarrassed to tell people directly?"
Xiao Xugang ladled himself a bowl of porridge, raised his eyes, and said with a normal expression, "What are you sorry about? Did I say something wrong? You shouldn't have called him Brother A Niu."
"..."
Yun Sheng couldn't gain the upper hand, and her competitive spirit was stuck in her heart, making her feel uncomfortable.
She stared at him blankly for a long time, then suddenly her eyes lit up and she said in a low voice, "Then who should I call brother?"
"Brother Changyu?"
Xiao Xu had just taken a sip of hot sweet potato porridge when a soft voice tickled his ear, causing him to choke and lose his breath...
"Cough cough cough..."
He was unusually embarrassed and choked, his face turning red.
Before he could calm down, he looked up at her with reddened eyes and stared intently at her: "What did you just call me?"
Yun Sheng lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze, thinking that she had finally gotten her chance to be proud. She raised the corners of her lips and ignored him, enjoying the sweet potato porridge with a happy expression.
It's truly delicious and sweet, but not cloying.
Her eyes lit up, and she was about to lower her head to take another sip when her chin was suddenly grabbed.
Xiao Xu pinched her cheek and lifted her face: "Sheng Sheng, what did you just call me?"
"What? What?"
He heard the sound of a chair being moved and Xiao Xu immediately sat down next to her.
"Say it again."
The man's approaching body and body temperature instantly made Yun Sheng feel a sense of crisis.
Her momentary smugness made her forget that she should at least keep her distance before teasing him.
It seems like there's no escaping it now.
Yun Sheng blinked blankly, glancing at the direction of the door out of the corner of her eye. She didn't know how likely she was to escape if she turned and ran.
"Hurry up." Xiao Xu could easily see through her little scheme, but he didn't do anything else. He just tightened his grip on her chin and urged her impatiently.
"Hurry up what?"
Yun Sheng pretended to be stupid, her eyes fixed on the door frame.
Just as he was about to get up and put into practice the smooth escape plan he had imagined in his mind.
My waist tightened.
Yun Sheng gasped as she was pulled back and firmly held in front of Xiao Xu.
"Call me again, the one who just called me."
After a long struggle, Yun Sheng finally gave in after her lips went numb from being kissed so much.
“Brother Changyu”.
"Brother Changyu..."
"Brother, brother..."
Xiao Xu was satisfied with what he had received, and he even finished off the sweet potato porridge that A Niu had brought. He cleaned the table, washed the dishes and chopsticks, and smiled as he did so.
After breakfast, Xiao Xu started working on the pile of wood in the yard with great enthusiasm.
Yun Sheng also had things to do. Yesterday, Inspector Liu had sent over an embroidery frame, and she was about to start sewing their wedding dress.
Yun Sheng sat inside the house, and could hear noises from the courtyard from time to time, but when she looked up, she could only see the bare walls and could not see the outside world.
After thinking for a moment, Yun Sheng stopped what she was doing, got up and dragged the embroidery frame to the window.
When I sat down again, I looked up and saw a figure in the yard, sleeves rolled up and back bent, busy at work.
He took off his coat, squatted down, and his back muscles were clearly visible. His trouser legs were tucked into his black boots, and the shoes were covered with sawdust.
Yet he still didn't look like a carpenter doing manual labor; even just his back view inexplicably captivated the eye.
Yun Sheng would occasionally look up and then lower her head to thread a needle.
I was busy like this for most of the day.
During this time, Ah Niu came again because the timber had been delivered from Mu Shan. He was so happy that he immediately came to thank Xiao Xu.
Inside the house, Yun Sheng could hear A Niu excitedly asking, "Where's my sister-in-law?"
Upon hearing this, she got up and left the window, hiding to the side.
She didn't know if Xiao Xu had seen her moving to the window to peek at him when he looked up in the courtyard, but it didn't matter if Xiao Xu knew, it was still embarrassing if others saw her.
Little did he know, Xiao Xu hadn't told A Niu anything in the courtyard, only giving him a cold look: "What are you doing here?"
Ah Niu explained his purpose and insisted on helping.
This time, Xiao Xu didn't kick him out, but he also didn't let him touch the framework that he had worked so hard to build. He just ordered him around from time to time, asking him to get this or that.
Ah Niu had no complaints and even felt that he had helped out, so he felt at ease accepting the batch of timber.
It was tough on Yun Sheng. She had planned to hide for a while, and once everyone left, she could go back to her work. But Xiao Xu didn't chase her away this time, and A Niu just stayed there and wouldn't leave.
I don't know how much time passed.
Xiao Xu instructed A Niu to pour water.
Ah Niu responded and went to the stone table to the side. When he came back, he walked very fast, and the water cup in his hand almost spilled.
"Brother Xiao, your wife is inside by the window."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xu coldly looked up and gave A Niu an ambiguous look that made him shudder.
Xiao Xu took the water glass with one hand and tilted his head back to drink it all.
Ah Niu realized what was happening and quickly explained, "No, Brother Xiao, I meant that your wife was secretly watching you."
"You don't need to tell me."
How could he not have seen it?
Xiao Xu put down his water glass and corrected him, "What do you mean by 'secretly' between husband and wife? It's all perfectly aboveboard."
Ah Niu blushed slightly as he realized what had happened.
No wonder he said earlier that the terrain was wider over there and suggested that Xiao Xu move his things there for easier movement, but that suggestion was rejected.
After A Niu left, Xiao Xu was still struggling with the pile of wood in the yard.
As dusk fell, Yun Sheng packed up her embroidery frame and stepped out of her room.
"Changyu, if you haven't finished today, do it tomorrow. You've been working on it all day."
When Xiao Xuzhi stood up, Yun Sheng had already come to his side.
The clean white embroidered handkerchief was pressed against his cheek without any hesitation, not caring at all that sweat and wood chips would soil it.
Xiao Xu bent down slightly, lowering his height so that Yun Sheng could wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"If you can finish it, you can use the dressing table tonight."
"It's fine if we don't use it tonight, it's almost dark."
"That won't do." Xiao Xu felt that he had wiped away most of the sweat. Before Yun Sheng could pull her hand away, he took her hand first, kissed her fingertips, and then let go.
"It's been inconvenient for you to get ready these past two days. Why wait until tomorrow if you can get it done sooner?"
Even so, Xiao Xu had already put down the half-piece of wood in his hand and patted the sawdust off his hands.
"Eat first, then I'll continue. It should take at most an hour, but I'll definitely finish it."
Yun Sheng lowered her eyes and glanced at the wooden frame that seemed to have made little progress compared to the daytime.
She didn't understand it, nor could she do carpentry, but she felt that it would take much longer than an hour to finish.
Actually, she wasn't in a hurry, and doing it tomorrow would be fine too, so she could watch him from the window all day again.
Xiao Xu raised an eyebrow: "Don't believe me?"
"No." Yun Sheng didn't mind that his hands were dirty, and took the initiative to hook her handkerchief around his fingers.
"I'm worried about you being tired. It's okay if you didn't do well today, really, I'm not in a hurry to use it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Xu turned his head and skillfully moved his face close to Yun Sheng's, stealing a kiss from her parted lips.
Yun Sheng was stunned for a moment, and her first reaction after realizing what was happening was to spit twice.
"You're covered in sweat and sawdust. Who told you to kiss me!"
Xiao Xu narrowed his eyes slightly: "You don't mind holding my hand, you don't mind wiping my sweat, but you still mind kissing me."
That's not the same at all.
If the handkerchief gets dirty, we don't need it anymore. We're about to eat, so we can wash our hands together.
Xiao Xu laughed in anger. Despite being slapped twice, he showed no sign of backing down and then leaned down to kiss her again.
"You still kissed me!"
"We've already kissed, so if you don't want to, you can give it back to me."
How can we repay this?
Xiao Xu raised his hand and touched the corner of his lips, gesturing for her to come over and kiss him.
When Yun Sheng looked, she saw that the dirt on his hands had gotten onto his cheeks.
She reached out and slapped his hand away: "Don't touch me like that. Wash your face later too."
That evening, after Yun Sheng finished bathing in another room, she was blocked at the door by Xiao Xu.
The lights in the courtyard were already off, and the light coming from inside the house made the outside appear dim.
What are you doing?
Xiao Xu looked at her quietly without saying a word.
Yun Sheng waited for a while, then seemed to remember something and subconsciously looked behind her.
The neatly stacked timber in the yard was now completely scattered, and the wooden frame that had been placed in the center with only a discernible outline was nowhere to be seen.
Before she could even ask a question, Xiao Xu had already cupped her face and turned her back to him.
"Why are you looking back?"
Yun Sheng looked ahead, but Xiao Xu blocked her view, so she couldn't see inside the room.
All she could ask was, "Are you done?"
Xiao Xu then stopped, slightly raised his chin, and stepped aside with a smug look on his face, allowing Yun Sheng to see the dressing table placed next to their bed in the room.
The dressing table, about the width of two people, has a simple design but all the essential features.
Her belongings had been laid out on the table, with an oval bronze mirror in the center, and a chair placed in front of the dressing table to match perfectly.
"I said I'd let you use it tonight, and I'll make sure you do."
Hearing Xiao Xu's cheerful voice, Yun Sheng bypassed him and quickly walked into the house.
She looked at the dressing table back and forth with undisguised delight.
The dressing table was exquisitely and sturdily made, without a single flaw. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was bought from outside. It's hard to imagine that Xiao Xu made it by hand in just one day.
"Try sitting down." Xiao Xu came up behind her and pressed her shoulders to help her sit down in front of the dressing table.
Yun Sheng turned her head and looked at Xiao Xu.
"Husband, you are so amazing."
Xiao Xu raised his lips, unusually devoid of modesty: "I am a little more capable than other men."
Yun Sheng couldn't help but grab his collar and pull him closer, then tilted her head back and kissed him.
Xiao Xu immediately took a big step back.
"You've just showered, don't kiss me."
Yun Sheng chuckled: "You wouldn't let me complain about you before."
Xiao Xu looked at her, his eyes darkening slightly, and pursed his lips: "That's different. You just took a bath, and you smell nice."
Yun Sheng was about to say that he wasn't smelly either.
Xiao Xu had already taken a step and said quickly, "Sit here first, I'm going to take a bath and will be back soon."
Before Yun Sheng could react, Xiao Xu had vanished in a flash.
Xiao Xu said it would be very fast, and it really was very fast.
Or perhaps Yun Sheng was too curious and focused on examining this dressing table, which was not made by a carpenter.
Even though she had watched Xiao Xu working all day, she still found it hard to imagine how he had transformed that pile of shapeless wood into the exquisite dressing table before her.
Just as she finished looking around, she heard footsteps behind her.
Xiao Xu returned to the house wearing his undergarments, his body still seemingly damp.
Seeing that Yun Sheng was still sitting in front of the dressing table, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickened his pace to return to her side.
"What's your hurry?" Yun Sheng asked.
"I was afraid of keeping you waiting too long."
Yun Sheng tilted her head, but Xiao Xu pressed her head back to face forward.
"What do you need to do?"
"Let me comb your hair in front of this dressing table."
Yun Sheng asked in surprise, "It's already night, why are you still combing your hair when you're about to go to sleep?"
Xiao Xu did not answer for the time being, but started to comb her hair. Not only did he comb it smoothly, but he also used his fingertips to braid her hair.
For the past two days, Xiao Xu has been combing Yun Sheng's hair. His movements are already very skilled, and he won't accidentally pull even a single strand of her hair.
As Yun Sheng watched the man's hand flash in the bronze mirror, a strange, overwhelming emotion welled up inside her.
She didn't know what it was, but she saw the corners of her lips gradually curving upwards.
Whether at the Prince Zhao's residence or in this unfamiliar countryside, it seemed that with Xiao Xu by her side, she could always experience a sense of inexplicable satisfaction at certain times.
It doesn't seem to be because of any particular place.
It was only because of the man who was by her side at that moment.
Xiao Xu said, "Today, after A Niu received the timber, he told me that the custom in the village is that if the betrothal gifts given to a woman have been used, then she must marry him and cannot go back on her word."
Yun Sheng had never heard of this custom before.
She laughed and said, "So Ah Niu made a bed for Miss Xing'er because a bed is used every day. Once he put it in, Miss Xing'er will have no chance to regret it. He is really shrewd."
After saying that, Xiao Xu braided a loose braid for Yun Sheng from behind.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly agreeing with the statement.
But he quickly straightened her braids and said, "But you have already accepted my betrothal gifts and used this dressing table."
"Even if it's not a bed, I can't back out now."
Yun Sheng looked at herself in the bronze mirror, but she couldn't see Xiao Xu, nor could she see the braided hair at the back of her head.
So that's why I suddenly had to comb her hair so late at night.
Yun Sheng paused for a moment, then suddenly reached out her hand: "Come here."
Xiao Xu leaned forward and moved closer.
Yun Sheng finally saw Xiao Xu's face in the bronze mirror, but since he was already close by, there was no need to look in the mirror.
She turned her head, slowly raised her eyes, and met his gaze.
"I never intended to regret it."
She tilted her head back slightly and kissed Xiao Xu's lips.
"From the moment I married you, I never thought of regretting it, and I have never regretted it."
The gentle final note was conveyed between the lips and teeth.
Xiao Xu held her by the back of her neck, kissed her for a while, and then picked her up in his arms.
Yun Sheng landed on the bed, and Xiao Xu quickly pressed down on her.
During the kiss, she whispered, "Were you planning to do this just now, which is why you rushed to take a shower?"
Xiao Xu bit her lip: "Didn't you kiss me first?"
Yun Sheng had no rebuttal, and said vaguely, "There's one more thing I need to tell you."
Xiao Xu stepped back slightly.
He was so smart that Yun Sheng felt he must have guessed what she wanted to say even before she spoke.
But he didn't press her for details or urge her; instead, he stared intently at her with his dark, intense eyes.
Yun Sheng couldn't stand his gaze, her eyelashes trembled, and she closed her eyes to kiss him again.
She pressed her lips against his and said, "I think I like you more than just a little, it's a lot."
"It should also be love for you."
Yun Sheng clutched Xiao Xu's clothes and felt him holding her ankle.
He bent down and slipped into the hem of his clothes.
His voice came out in a deep tone: "I won't let you have a chance to regret it later."
"Never in my entire life."
"And I love you too."
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I'll start updating the childhood sweetheart "what if" storyline tomorrow! [eating popcorn emoji]
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