This is because Qi Wuze has been ignoring her since last night. It's obvious that he's still angry. She tried to coax him the same way she coaxed her brother, but was caught.
Ye Nuan smiled awkwardly and stammered, "I just did it by accident. I did four. Seriously, just four!"
"I couldn't bear to eat it, so I gave it to you."
Qi Wuze sneered, thinking that this woman was greedy, lustful and a liar. He immediately stuffed the bun back into Ye Nuan's hand and left without saying a word.
Ye Nuan: “.”
Su looked at the bun in her hand and asked in confusion, "Why are you angry just eating a bun?"
"Mom, can you see that he is angry?"
Su glared at her: "Nonsense!" Anyone with eyes could see it.
Ye Nuan gave a bitter smile and stuffed the buns into her mother's hands, "Go to bed early."
The flames danced as small wooden houses rose from the ground. After the last row of fences was put up, Gao Zangfeng called everyone to rest. They divided into dozens of groups and fell asleep on the wood around the fire.
From time to time, small animals wandered around Crescent Lake. Three hundred meters away from the camp, a dozen people stood quietly. From their side, they could see the jumping bonfire in the distance, but the people over there definitely could not see them.
The moonlight was like water, the man who came was wearing frosted white clothes, his brows were gentle and affectionate, he held a jade fan in his hand and smiled faintly.
"None of the Wei family bandits who went to Dahuang Village have returned?"
He Xin, standing behind him, nodded. "Yes, no one is found alive, no body is found! We sent people to investigate, and they found out that their village chief had also died suddenly that day. The villagers refused to say anything. There are also wolves roaming around the village and many poisonous snakes."
"Boss, do you want to recruit the remaining people from Weijiazhai?"
Chu Xuesong's face softened as he chuckled, "They're just old, weak, and sick people. What do we need them for? The Chu Family Village can't afford to be infected by Wei Qian's ruthless killing habits. We are good bandits, we only seek wealth, not lives!"
He Xin paused, then asked, "Then, what about Miss Ye? Are you still going to rob her?"
Chu Xuesong turned to look at him, his eyes filled with a crescent moon, and he smiled like a willow in March: "It's better to grab her heart than to grab her person. Wait, she will be willing to go back to the village with me."
He Xin was puzzled. They hadn't even made contact with anyone yet, so how could the boss's good looks really help? Chu Xuesong clasped his fan and whispered, "Let's go back." He then turned his horse and sauntered across the vast wilderness. He Xin and the others hurried to follow.
The moonlight gradually dimmed until it disappeared into the clouds, leaving only a vague outline. The sky was pitch black. Qi Wuze leaned against a tree trunk, holding his knife, his brow slightly furrowed. The night breeze blew gently, and in his dream, he saw green plants climbing all over the yard, each laden with emerald fruits.
Under the shade of green, a girl squatted on the ground with long, satin-like hair and porcelain-white skin. She stood up with a basket in her slender hands. Qi Wuze's gaze shifted from the familiar basket to the hands he had only seen making buns during the day—white and slender, like the finest jade.
He lowered his head and saw through the green vine support that the girl just looked up, her eyes full of light. She smiled at him brightly and called softly, "Aze..."
Qi Wuze was startled awake. It was still dark, and the air was filled with fragrance, carried by the cold wind. He turned his head in the direction of the noise and saw Ye Nuan, with her back to him, cooking vegetable porridge. Her figure was graceful, her black hair scattered behind her head, swaying slightly, as if she would turn around at any moment in a dream.
Qi Wuze rubbed his eyebrows. This was the second time he dreamed of her.
Why did I dream about her?
The morning mist filled the wasteland, and the workers were awakened one after another by the fragrance. They wiped their faces and leaned towards the stove.
There weren't many bowls and chopsticks, but fortunately, they didn't care. They just took the bamboo tubes to scoop up the porridge, and drank directly from their mouths without using chopsticks. The porridge was thick and mixed with the sweetness of the vegetable leaves. It was much better than the one they made at home.
Someone who was brave enough to get acquainted with her showed Ye Nuan his white teeth and said, "Miss Ye, you are really good at cooking!"
Ye Nuan smiled gently, making these people feel happy. Qi Wuze wiped his face and came back to see this scene. He sighed and turned to walk towards the newly built wooden building.
The two-story wooden building had a terrace on the second floor, facing east. Sitting on the wooden railing, one could just watch the sunrise. The sunrise over the wilderness was magnificent and spectacular, and it made one feel relaxed. From below came the clattering sound of footsteps.
Qi Wuze walked lightly, sitting on the wooden railing and gazing into the distance. He waited until someone came closer before asking, "What are you doing up here?"
Without even turning his head, Ye Nuan pursed her lips and chuckled, then reached out and pulled his sleeve. Qi Wuze ignored her, so she pulled again, her movements like those of a nervous little animal.
"What are you doing?" He was a little impatient, and finally turned his head to look at her, and saw that she was holding a bowl of porridge and smiling at him with a smile on her face.
"I served it especially for you, with a fried egg on top. This time I really fried it just for you."
The girl in front of me had skin as white as snow, her fair face set off her dark eyes, deep eyebrows, delicate lips, and a pure and soft smile that was even brighter than the morning glow in the sky.
Such girls are very attractive.
Qi Wuze suddenly asked, "Why don't you wear a headscarf?"
Ye Nuan was slightly stunned: Why is he asking this for no reason?
Qi Wuze's eyes flickered as he added, "It's hot in the wilderness. You'll get sunburned if you don't wear a headscarf." He felt uncomfortable sitting there, so he simply took the vegetable porridge from Ye Nuan's hand and drank it from the bowl in big gulps.
The aroma of the fried egg lingered between his lips and teeth, and he glanced at Ye Nuan out of the corner of his eye.
Ye Nuan climbed over the wooden railing and sat on it, her slender white hands tightly grasping the sides. She looked up at the red sun in the distance and asked softly, "Isn't this beautiful?"
Qi Wuze returned to his usual rudeness and said, "It doesn't look good."
Ye Nuan deliberately said aggrievedly: "But didn't you ask me before why I always wear a veil? Why is it the other way around now? Lord City Lord, how about I wear it one day and not wear it the next?"
Qi Wuze was speechless, his eyes piercing: "You are sincerely trying to make fun of me, right?"
Ye Nuan said innocently: "How could that be? I am sincerely apologizing to the city lord. Please don't be angry with me." She grabbed the railing, tilted her head and raised her pink face to look at him, with light in her eyes.
That strange feeling in her heart returned, pounding like it was about to burst out of her throat. Qi Wuze had been staring at her, but then suddenly looked away and jumped from the second floor. Ye Nuan was startled and instinctively reached for his sleeve, only to be dragged down by his force.
She screamed, and Qi Wuze, having just landed, turned to look, only to be pounced upon by the falling figure. The sweet fragrance, like a vine, entwined itself in his heart, tingling and itching. His heart pounded like a drum, and his hands, gripping the slender waist, felt a burning sensation. The bowl in his hand fell to the ground with a thud, hitting his feet.
However, he didn't move at all, and his eyes wouldn't even move!
Everyone who was drinking porridge heard the noise and ran over. Then they saw their city lord and Miss Ye hugging each other. They were immediately delighted and started whistling with bamboo tubes in their hands. Someone even joked loudly: "What's the point of just hugging? Let's kiss!"
"City Lord, come on, what are you standing there for?"
"City Lord..."
Ye Nuan calmed her frightened heart, took two steps forward and said to Qi Wuze apologetically, "I, I thought you were going to jump off the building..." She had seen people jumping off the building before, so she subconsciously grabbed him.
The onlookers started to make a noise again: "Oh, so he committed suicide for love!"
"It's so touching! If there was a girl who died for me, I would marry her right away."
“Hahahahaha!!”
Even Ye Nuan, with her thick skin, couldn't handle the teasing from over a thousand people. She picked up the bowl from the ground and ran away. Qi Wuze squeezed his palms, turned to look at the onlookers, smiled a terrifying smile, and rushed into the crowd with his knife drawn.
Everyone was so frightened that they covered their heads and ran away, shouting, "City Lord, please show some mercy, we still have to work!"
"City Lord, we were wrong. We won't talk nonsense again!"
Everyone laughed and chatted, and after breakfast they set to work again. The three houses and the yard were already built, and some people started to plow the land, while others went to the south to dig a pond.
Ye Nuan took Su and Ye Xiaohu to visit the small wooden buildings one by one. Qi Wuze followed closely behind. The four of them walked from the kitchen to the storage room, then to the guest house, and finally to the two-story main building.
The area below the main building is quite spacious, with a large terrace made of wooden boards in front, on which are placed a small table, stools and cabinets painted with tung oil.
Su was surprised and asked, "They still do this?"
Qi Wuze nodded: "If you want to live in a house, you definitely need furniture. If you still need anything, you can tell Crazy and the others."
On the first floor, there's a small room to the left of the entrance, its windows open to the outside. To the right is the spacious main hall, with beams reaching a full three feet high. The stairs, gently sleek and smooth, ascend along the handrail. Eighteen steps, staggered front and back, lead to the second floor, where you can see the large terrace to the east.
There are four rooms on the second floor, which are symmetrical on the left and right. You can see the blue sky when you open the windows.
Ye Xiaohu ran around with Xiao Hei, happily shouting, "Mom, we have a new house, which one is mine?"
Su was also happy. Although this house was not as rich and magnificent as the one in Kyoto, it was spacious and grand, and it made her feel happy just looking at it.
Ye Xiaohu was tired from running, so he went to Ye Nuan again, hugged her arm and asked, "Sister, which room is mine?"
Ye Nuan pointed to the first room on the south side and said, "That one is yours."
"Which room does Sister live in?"
Ye Nuan pointed to the side again: "The one next to you is mine."
Ye Xiaohu asked again in confusion: "What about the other two rooms across the street?"
Ye Nuan touched his head and said with a smile, "This house was built for us by City Lord Qi. We have to leave one room for him. The remaining room can be used as a study for you."
"Where does mother live?"
Su quickly replied, "My legs and feet are not in good condition, so I can just live downstairs." Although the scenery upstairs was beautiful, she was still used to living downstairs.
Ye Xiaohu ran over and hugged Qi Wuze's thighs, smiling and said, "Brother Thigh, look, sister has reserved a room for you, can you be my master?"
Qi Wuze froze when Ye Nuan said the north room was for him. He felt a little strange and excited, and the corners of his mouth, which had been suppressed for a long time, curled up slightly. But when he met Ye Nuan's gaze, he immediately pretended to be indifferent and said, "Why give me a room? There are plenty of rooms in the City Lord's Mansion. How can I sleep here?"
Ye Nuan chuckled, "Then leave it empty. City Lord Qi can move in whenever he wants." She pulled her mother toward the second-floor terrace. The sun was high in the sky, casting a shadow over the entire roof. The wind was strong on the terrace. Ye Nuan pointed to the east corner and said, "It would be great if we could build a big windmill there."
Su was puzzled: "What is a windmill?"
Ye Nuan explained it to her, and she smiled and said, "It's easy. Just draw a picture and find someone to make it. There are many skilled craftsmen in the world. As long as the picture is detailed, it will be made sooner or later."
"City Lord Qi, don't you agree?"
Qi Wuze nodded: "You can give me the finished drawing. I will go to Luomu City to find someone to do it."
The four of them were standing on the terrace talking when Gao Zangfeng suddenly appeared on the ground to the east and shouted, "Miss Ye, come and see if the pit to the south is big enough. Do we still need to dig?"
The four of them walked towards the pit that Gao Zangfeng mentioned. A pit of more than 30 square meters and one meter deep had been dug in the southeast corner.
"We need to dig it wider and deeper, preferably here." Ye Nuan gestured at his neck twice.
Gao Zangfeng asked in confusion: "Why dig such a big hole? Can it collect water?" It rarely rains in the wilderness, and even if it does, it cannot form a pond.
Qi Wuze had seen her fill the well and divert water to attack the horse bandits. It was naturally easy for her to store water in such a small pond.
"Don't worry, there will definitely be water. I'll plant lotus flowers tomorrow. We'll have lotus pods to eat in the summer and lotus roots in the winter.
Sweetheart glutinous rice lotus root, lotus root meatballs, lotus root and pork rib soup, these are delicious!
Hearing her say this, Gao Zangfeng had no choice but to lead his men to start digging again. Ye Nuan added, "We'll have them dig a cellar later so we can store vegetables during the winter."
"Cell?" They had only dug underground palaces and mechanical devices, but never a cellar, let alone a cellar for storing food. In the winter in the wilderness, there was never enough food to eat, so how could they store anything?
He didn't quite understand, so Ye Nuan described it to him, and finally he just picked up pen and paper and started drawing. After drawing the cellar, he started drawing the windmill. The two of them sat on the terrace in the yard, their expressions extremely serious.
After finishing the windmill, Ye Nuan began planning the vegetable garden and the land outside, detailing how many people would be needed over several days. Qi Wuze listened attentively. He suddenly realized that despite being greedy, lustful, and stingy, Ye Nuan was also quick-witted and meticulous, and she was also very organized and capable of taking charge.
Ye Nuan cooked a mixed pot of rice for lunch. By sunset, all the work was almost done. Everyone packed up and before leaving, Ye Nuan gave everyone an apple.
No one had ever seen this thing before, but it looked bright red and must be delicious. Some people ate it on the spot, savoring the crisp, sweet taste. They shouted at the top of their lungs, "This apple is delicious, Miss Ye, can you give us some next time you come?"
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "Of course you can. As long as you work hard, not only apples, but everything will be yours in the future. If anyone wants to work at Yunjian Farm, just tell your city lord and let him arrange for everyone to come. I welcome you anytime."
She was promoting the farm's good treatment and advertising for workers.
Everyone cheered after hearing this. This was a great experience. They could eat their fill and share food. They would definitely tell their relatives and friends when they got home. I'm sure many people would want to come too.
Those with wives, children, and elderly mothers at home were reluctant to eat and instead tucked the food away, intending to take it back. Everyone was so happy that, led by Gao Zangfeng, they set off for Luomu City. Qi Wuze, holding Taxue, fell behind last. He raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "You're quite clever. I didn't even need to conscript men. I'm sure many people would rush to come next time."
He added, "Tomorrow I will have someone send ten cows, sheep, and horses. You must feed them well. When you have pups next winter, you must return the big ones to me. I will give you the same number every year from now on." He stretched out three fingers and shook them.
Ye Nuan also smiled: "City Lord Qi is also very smart. He has never suffered any loss in business. By the way, I will draft the agreement tomorrow and have someone bring it back for you to review. If there is anything you are not satisfied with, we can discuss it later."
"Okay." Qi Wuze jumped on the horse but did not leave immediately.
Ye Nuan was puzzled: "Did you forget to bring something?"
Qi Wuze sneered: "I've been busy for two days too. They have apples, but what about me?" His tone was full of ruffian.
"I've prepared it for you a long time ago. Xiaohu, bring it here." She turned around and took the cloth bag from Ye Xiaohu. "There are apples, oranges, dragon fruit, and roasted chestnuts in it. Take it back for Aya to eat."
Qi Wuze: Not for me?
"When did you become so familiar with Aya?"
"We've always been quite familiar with each other. Enough of that. Tomorrow, remember to have someone bring back the basket I borrowed from you. Also, could you bring me some warm cloth? Later, I'll trade you for food and oil."
This woman is really stingy. She is still thinking about that broken basket.
"Okay." He looked up and around, blew a whistle, and the falcon circled and landed on the wooden building.
"If you have any questions, you can ask it to send a message to me. It's better to recruit some wolves to guard it at night." This place is remote and they live alone. Although Weijiazhai is almost dead, Chujiazhai is still there. There is no guarantee that no one will be tempted.
"Yes, I know. You should go quickly. It will be dark soon."
Qi Wuze chuckled and squeezed the horse's belly hard. The horse rushed out of the wilderness like an arrow, and dust swept over, covering the heads and faces of the three men.
Su coughed forcefully twice and said angrily, "This City Lord Qi must have done this on purpose!"
Ye Nuan covered her nose and pulled Ye Xiaohu away. This was definitely intentional. She just hugged him during the day, was it really that serious?
It’s really that serious!
Qi Wuze ran swiftly through the snow, and soon caught up with Gao Zangfeng and his group. Without the elusive Wei family horse bandits, they were in no hurry, walking at a moderate pace across the wasteland bathed in the brilliant sunset glow.
Gao Zangfeng rode his horse closer to his city lord and asked, "City lord, what goodies did Miss Ye secretly give you?"
Qi Wuze raised his eyebrows: "Did you see it?"
"Nonsense, she thought we didn't see it. She stuffed us with buns, cooked porridge and fried an egg. Miss Ye is so nice to you. She is still thinking about the city lord." This girl is very honest. Isn't it better to have enough food and clothes in the wilderness? Her sending of vegetables and food is better than those girls sending useless sachets and handkerchiefs.
Qi Wuze snorted and laughed, "Then tell me, why does she never take the initiative to express it?" She hugged him and ran away, and kissed him but didn't say anything. What does this woman mean?
Gao Zangfeng scratched his head. The bumpy ride finally cleared his head. He said in a loud voice, "Oh, I see. She must be afraid to say it. After all, you are so brave and heroic. The girl who rejected you would circle the City Lord's Mansion twice. She was afraid of being rejected by you."
"Keep your voice down!" Qi Wuze slapped him hard on the head.
The people around still heard it and asked in a hoarse voice: "Gao Shoucheng, what are you talking about? What are you and the city lord talking about?"
"Go away, go on your way. What business do you have with me talking to the City Lord?" Gao Zangfeng rubbed his forehead and cursed back, then turned and smiled flatteringly at Qi Wuze: "City Lord, if you are interested in Miss Ye, why don't you tell me first!"
Qi Wuze immediately denied it and cursed, "You are blind! When did this city lord show any interest in her?"
Gao Zangfeng: "Then why do you always stare at people?"
Qi Wuze slapped him again: "You guys weren't staring? I'm just curious!"
Seeing the City Lord's confident tone, Gao Zangfeng was somewhat confused. Could he have guessed wrongly? The City Lord wasn't interested in Miss Ye? Then was Miss Ye interested in the City Lord?
He has some methods.
Oh my god, this is too hard to understand!
The sunset glow disappeared into the horizon. Ye Nuan sat on the wooden board beside the pond with her hands on the ground. The mist slowly penetrated into the ground. The groundwater trembled and began to gather towards the ground. A little water began to emerge from the center of the pond. In a few moments, more and more water gathered, and finally the water surface was completely parallel to the ground and stopped.
She sprinkled some lotus seeds in and dropped a drop of spiritual spring water. The lake surface was rippling and the sunset glowed on it, filling the lake with golden light.
After doing this, the three of them began to plant poplar trees along the road outside, and planted several rows behind the house, especially on the wind vents.
As Su was planting, he asked, "When will these trees grow?"
Ye Nuan looked up at the endless wasteland and estimated, "It should sprout tomorrow morning. No rush. Let it grow slowly. It will be at Xiaohu's head next year." They were relatively stable now, not as short of food and furniture as when they first arrived. There was no need to rush for success. From now on, her vegetables, poultry and livestock would grow normally, but they would just need to grow a little faster, so as not to scare the workers.
As the sky gradually darkened, some small animals tried to approach the three of them. Ye Nuan not only didn't drive them away, but also scattered some grains around. After the animals realized there was no danger, they began to spread the word, and the area around Yunjian Farm suddenly became lively.
Ye Nuan scattered some soaked wheat and rapeseed seeds on the cleared land, and then began to sow grass seeds on the pasture in the east. Because of the need for grazing, the grass seeds were specially soaked in spiritual spring water. They would grow very lush in ten to twenty days, and the lambs, horses and cattle would have grass to eat when they came.
By the time they were done, it was completely dark, and all three of them were a little tired. Su Shi walked ahead with the farm tools, Ye Nuan followed with Ye Xiaohu, and Xiao Hei ran wildly in the fields. The crescent moon stretched the shadows.
As they approached the courtyard gate, a white shadow on the ground seemed to move. Su glanced to the side, then walked back into the courtyard with an expressionless face. The white shadow moved again, revealing a beautiful face with slightly dirty eyebrows and eyes. There were some bloodstains on the white clothes, and it was lying on its side in an awkward position towards Ye Nuan.
Ye Xiaohu was curious and wanted to go over, but Ye Nuan grabbed him and pulled him back into the yard. Meanwhile, Xiao Hei ran up to the white ball, sniffed it, and then scurried back into the yard. None of the three of them showed any intention of going forward to investigate.
The courtyard gate was closed, and candles were lit in the house. Too tired to cook today, Su brought out the steamed buns from the stove, and the three of them gathered around the table to eat. Ye Xiaohu's eyes darted around as he peered outside. He lowered his voice and asked Ye Nuan, "Sister, there was someone at the door just now. Didn't you see it?"
Ye Nuan ate buns and nibbled pickled radish strips at the same time: "I saw it." Her mother also saw it.
"He seems injured, sister, should we go and see him?"
Ye Nuan shook her head: "It's the middle of the night, don't look around, and don't bring anything home, it's unlucky."
Su also warned: "Xiao Hu, don't be too curious, it will bring bad luck."
Ye Nuan had naturally seen the man. The wasteland was unlike any other place. If something bad had happened, it would have been impossible for him to reach her house, and he had just collapsed at her doorstep. He hadn't collapsed earlier or later, but just when the people from Luomu City had left. Perhaps he was a bandit. It was better to be safe than sorry.
The three of them washed up and went to sleep. The man in white lay outside the yard for a long time without anyone coming. The cold air seeped into his bones. When the candle in the room went out, he sighed, climbed up, and with his bony fingertips, he brushed aside the messy hair and said with a smile, "It seems this trick doesn't work!"
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