In the height of early summer, the thatched roof seemed to emit a faint smell of burning.
If even a single spark were to drift upward, it might very well set the whole thing ablaze.
Cao Wen sprinkled some cold water over the rooftop to prevent the fire from getting out of control while cooking.
As he did so, he said, “Thatched houses are prone to leaks and are highly flammable. Once we’ve saved enough money, we absolutely have to build a stone-tile house.”
Xu Duoyan, holding the ladder, had been approaching things from a practical standpoint.
Hearing Cao Wen’s words, she chuckled softly but didn’t argue.
“Look at the few stone-tile houses in the village.”
“Once we build ours, there will be one more stone-tile house in the village.”
After finishing watering, Cao Wen jumped down from the ladder.
He glanced at the donkey in the yard, wagging its tail while grazing on grass.
It was a useful animal, both for labor and manure, though the pile of dung baking in this weather smelled rather strong.
“Come back early for dinner and bring a straw hat.”
“Alright.”
Inside, Lu Lingbi was folding some vegetables when she heard Cao Wen leave.
She called Xu Duoyan into the house.
“I didn’t expect you’d come back.”
She put down the vegetables and glanced around before fixing her eyes on Xu Duoyan, who was sitting near the stove.
Xu Duoyan looked apologetic.
“It’s my fault for making you run around so much, Mother.”
“Is this really what you want to talk about?”
Lu Lingbi looked at Xu Duoyan.
“Don’t you intend to tell me what’s going on between you and Cao Wen?”
Xu Duoyan’s eyes flickered with unease as he stuffed more firewood into the stove.
Seeing his silence, Lu Lingbi continued on her own, “If you can’t even open your mouth to tell me, then how do you plan to face others in the future?”
Xu Duoyan’s brow furrowed before he met her gaze.
“We plan to live together.”
“I’m not ashamed to speak openly about our relationship. I just felt that now is not the time to announce it.”
“Then do you mean I’m an outsider? Not even I am allowed to know?”
Lu Lingbi’s voice rose slightly with disapproval.
She had already sensed something unusual between the two but never heard Xu Duoyan say anything beyond the bounds of propriety, so she hadn’t pressed the matter.
Given how things had developed, she wasn’t all that surprised anymore.
It’s only natural for two young people to develop feelings.
She thought that, due to social conventions, they would part ways, but unexpectedly, Cao Wen still pursued the matter.
The two of them had survived through chaotic times; social rules were meaningless before life itself.
If she had been a woman constrained by social norms, she wouldn’t have defied her parents and run off to escape an arranged marriage.
“Mother, that’s not what I meant.”
Lu Lingbi sighed.
“Duoyan, if you live happily and freely, I won’t mind who you’re with. I can see that Wen is a good boy, but he’s still young. And since you’re a girl living with him, I worry that he hasn’t thought things through and might make rash decisions. If he regrets it later, I fear you’ll be hurt.”
Xu Duoyan nodded slightly, then smiled.
“If we’re always afraid of what might happen, we wouldn’t have come this far. I don’t know what he was thinking before, but right now, his feelings are genuine. That’s enough.”
“Things change quickly. Who can say what the future holds? If you can’t even hold onto what’s certain now, how can you move forward?”
Seeing Xu Duoyan’s firm resolve, Lu Lingbi knew there was no point in saying more.
Duoyan’s all-or-nothing personality reminded her so much of herself when she was younger.
For a moment, she didn’t know whether it was a good or bad thing.
“So what are your plans with Cao Wen? Will you stay in Caojia’ao?”
Xu Duoyan exhaled.
“We’ve talked about it. Although the war has calmed down these past two years, bandits still roam many places. If we move too hastily, it won’t be safe. We’ll stay in Caojia’ao for now. Next year, we won’t rent land from the landlord anymore and will find our own way to make a living. The two of us are men—it’s easier to save money. Once we’re better off, we’ll plan accordingly.”
“If you stay, won’t you still have to dress as a girl?”
“Not really. Zheng Kui is no longer a threat, and the Qian Family’s business troubles mean they won’t care about us. We won’t make a fuss or try to clear things up. If anyone finds out, they find out. If not, we just live our lives.”
Lu Lingbi responded softly, “That’s fine. It doesn’t matter what others think, as long as those close to you know.”
That was exactly how Xu Duoyan thought.
As long as he and Cao Wen understood each other, he didn’t care what others thought—his nature was naturally aloof.
Lu Lingbi raised an eyebrow.
Since it was all out in the open and their relationship was a done deal, rather than pour cold water on them, she decided to offer some advice on how to get along.
She shifted topics.
“Wen is younger than you and might be a bit headstrong or careless. You’ll need to be patient and tolerant, don’t always throw tantrums or bully him.”
Xu Duoyan frowned.
“When have I ever bullied him?”
He had played the part of the obedient one to avoid attracting attention, but his temper wasn’t that good.
Still, he didn’t think he had ever lost control around Cao Wen.
He thought back carefully but couldn’t find a moment when he’d been unreasonable.
If anything, Cao Wen sometimes acted rather shameless.
Having his mother tell him not to bully Cao Wen made Xu Duoyan crease his brows even further, shoveling more firewood into the stove.
Just then, Cao Wen returned the donkey cart.
As soon as he stepped into the yard, he heard a loud bang, as if something had exploded.
He rushed toward the noise, into the kitchen, and saw the usual clay pot, the one they used for cooking, shattered into pieces on the stove.
Some fragments still rested atop the hearth.
He hurried over to see Xu Duoyan’s dazed face by the stove.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Xu Duoyan stared blankly at the broken pot, as if his soul had been blown away by the explosion.
Luckily, it had only been boiling water.
If there had been rice inside, it would have been ruined.
Cao Wen helped him up and brought him to the water barrel to splash some cold water on his arm.
“Your skin’s red from the burn, but you’re okay.”
“You silly kid, after all the fire you’ve tended at the Qian Family’s place, you went and broke your own pot.”
Lu Lingbi hurried over to check and sighed with relief when she saw it was just a minor burn.
“It’s alright. Clay pots break after long use. We’ll just buy a new one.”
Cao Wen said, “Let’s use the stove today.”
With the pot broken, they ate porridge all day.
Thankfully, the hot weather made porridge easy to stomach, especially with a side dish of smashed cucumbers—a refreshing way to cool down.
At night, Xu Duoyan took out a small pouch of money and called after Cao Wen, who was about to enter the house after his bath.
“Let’s buy a new pot.”
“I have money. You don’t need to be so strict about sharing.”
Cao Wen hung the towel he used to dry his hair over the back of a chair and raised an eyebrow at Xu Duoyan.
“And I already tore up that stupid Divorce Certificate.”
He smiled warmly as he leaned in close and lowered his voice.
“So you’re still my wife.”
Xu Duoyan glanced at the droplets of water sliding down Cao Wen’s hair onto the back of his hand and thought how surreal it all felt—that they could still talk by candlelight like this.
But the water was warm and real, proving it wasn’t just a dream.
He lifted his brow and looked at Cao Wen, then suddenly grabbed his chin, pulling him into a sly smile.
“Is that so? Do you want me to fulfill my duties as your wife?”
Cao Wen’s ears flushed red at the suggestive words from those slightly parted lips.
Before he could think of a reply, the door creaked open.
Lu Lingbi came out, and Xu Duoyan quickly withdrew his hand.
“Mother, do you want some mosquito-repellent smoke? I’ll light it for you.”
Xu Duoyan stood and followed Lu Lingbi into her room.
Cao Wen stayed where he was, scratching the back of his head, and draped the towel back over his head.
The night was thick and quiet in the countryside; the wind, frogs, and insects were clearly audible.
Cao Wen lay back on the bed, thinking how loud the frogs in the fields were.
One night, when he had time, he’d have to catch one.
Although he purposely tried to think about these things, his subconscious kept drifting back to Xu Duoyan.
He really was quite a handful.
No wonder he pretended to be mute—having an open mouth meant saying everything that came to mind.
Cao Wen turned over and found himself facing the wooden board that separated them.
He leaned forward, pressing his ear to the wood, trying to hear if Xu Duoyan had fallen asleep.
But the air was so hot his ear stuck to the board, and no sound came.
“Duoyan, are you asleep?”
Hesitating, Cao Wen lowered his voice and cautiously asked through the gap in the door.
To his surprise, there was a quick reply.
Cao Wen’s eyes lit up.
“Let’s talk for a bit.”
“I’m already asleep.”
“Then how are you talking?”
Xu Duoyan rolled his eyes.
“What do you want?”
Seeing Xu Duoyan annoyed but still willing to talk, Cao Wen grinned, showing his teeth.
“We won’t disturb Mother if we talk here, right?”
“We will.”
Cao Wen puffed up his chest and pressed his lips together.
“Then can I come over and sleep with you?”
“You better be clear whether you want to sleep with me or sleep on me.”
Cao Wen’s eyes widened, and he hastily sat up.
He stared at the board in disbelief.
After a while, he said, “Why do you think that way?”
“Does that mean you don’t want to? Fine, I’ll pretend I didn’t say anything.”
“I’m not saying I don’t want to, I just haven’t thought about it.”
“Then you’re thinking about it now?”
Cao Wen’s face flushed again.
Soon after, Xu Duoyan heard the door open, and a shadow crossed the faint starlight by the window.
In an instant, Cao Wen climbed onto his bed.
Xu Duoyan kicked Cao Wen’s leg.
“What are you doing?”
“I said I was coming to sleep with you.”
“You want to sleep with me?”
“I didn’t say that!”
Xu Duoyan looked at his mottled face in the night, scented faintly of soap pods.
“If you didn’t want to, why come over? You’re just a yellow-haired brat who can’t sleep alone.”
Cao Wen’s eyes glinted.
“What if I did want to? Then what?”
No sooner had he spoken than he felt a chill on his chest.
Xu Duoyan’s hand had slipped inside his collar.
The cool palm wandered from his stomach and finally pressed against his chest, tightening intermittently.
“Then what else? Think it, then do it.”
Cao Wen hurriedly grabbed Xu Duoyan’s arm, fearing that with a bit more teasing, he’d get some wicked ideas.
He gritted his teeth, “I just found out you’re so reckless.”
Xu Duoyan couldn’t help laughing.
“Reckless? I’m a man. If you call me reckless, are you crazy?”
He pushed Cao Wen away and withdrew his hand, finding the younger boy’s reaction quite amusing.
Trying to suppress his laughter, Xu Duoyan continued, “You have a good build. Your waist should be nice. Do you want to be on top or bottom?”
“But seriously, do you even know how to do this with a man?”
“Unless there’s some special reason, you’re not still a virgin, are you?”
Cao Wen blushed furiously and quickly covered Xu Duoyan’s mouth with his hand, scolding, “You’re not allowed to do this before eighteen where I come from!”
“Do what?”
Xu Duoyan’s eyes widened.
He pushed away Cao Wen’s hand and asked seriously, “Not allowed to do it with men, or with women?”
“Of course, neither!”
The smile on Xu Duoyan’s face grew even brighter, like a blooming begonia in the night—vivid and a little seductive.
“Really?”
Seeing his disbelief, Cao Wen argued, “I’m serious!”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard such a custom.”
Xu Duoyan suppressed a smile.
“How old were you before? You can’t still be a kid, right?”
Cao Wen didn’t know how to answer.
If he told the truth, he’d be teased; if he said he was younger, it would seem like puppy love.
Xu Duoyan’s silence made him guess the answer.
He chuckled, feeling that all his luck in life had been spent on meeting Cao Wen.
Cao Wen felt teased again and feared another sharp retort, so he quickly covered Xu Duoyan’s mouth.
“Go to sleep!”
Xu Duoyan bit down on Cao Wen’s hand, forcing him to let go.
“Why so shy? I think you’d make a pretty good little girl.”
“Or are you just a man who doesn’t…”
His words were cut off abruptly by a rough, unfamiliar kiss.
The stubble on his chin felt coarse like sandpaper, rubbing against his skin, sudden, clumsy, yet passionate.
“Don’t worry, it’s not impossible.”
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