Chapter 32 : I’m so happy~

“Uh, not here.”

Xu Ping’an awkwardly withdrew his hand.

The young girl’s figure was truly perfect—she didn’t look fleshy at all, but to the touch, she felt soft and very comfortable and smooth.

He almost didn’t want to let go.

Guests are coming tomorrow, so he needs to finish arranging things today.

“Let’s go.”

“Mmm.”

The road was very long, probably about three or four kilometers, but fortunately, the path was flat.

Although it was a forest, because people had lived there for a long time, there were no wild beasts.

About half an hour later, the two arrived at Fangjia Village.

Before they even got close to the village, they could see a lush green expanse of rice paddies in the distance, and occasionally some fish could be seen flipping up and down in the water.

“Husband, husband, what’s that?”

“Those are fish. Didn’t we eat them a couple of days ago?”

“But the ones we ate that day were different from these.”

“Those were carp; these are crucian carp.”

Walking along the country path through the rice fields, a breeze carrying the fragrance of earth brushed past their ears.

A few white clouds drifted in the distance, and the joyful laughter of children carried on the wind.

Even before reaching the village entrance, they could feel the tranquility and peace of Fangjia Village.

By the roadside, several young men were working in the fields.

They seemed to notice outsiders approaching and became vigilant.

But when they saw that the person arriving was Xu Ping’an, smiles appeared on everyone’s faces.

“Mr. Xu is here!”

“Mr. Xu.”

“Doctor Xu.”

The young men quickly brushed off the dirt from their bodies, turned around, and cupped their hands in greeting to Xu Ping’an.

“Hello everyone. I have nothing much to do today, so I came for a free clinic and to visit the village chief. Is the village chief home?”

“He’s home. Do you want me to send word?”

“No need. You all continue with your work; I’ll go by myself.”

Xu Ping’an smiled and exchanged a few words with them, then continued along the path with the young girl.

As they walked, they could still hear the voices of the young men behind them.

“Wow… that girl is so beautiful!”

“Don’t stare. Look at how intimate Mr. Xu and that girl are; they’re clearly a married couple.”

“Oh, no wonder Mr. Xu suddenly had free time today. Is he going to host a banquet? Is he here to deliver wedding invitations?”

“Hmm, now that you mention it, I think that makes a lot of sense.”

The discussion among the young men gradually faded, while the plaque standing at the entrance of Fangjia Village became increasingly clear.

Within a radius of ten li (about 5 kilometers) in the surrounding area, Fangjia Village was the only place that could produce scholars and juren (successful candidates in the imperial examination).

That’s why there was a huge archway at the entrance of Fangjia Village, bestowed by a former emperor.

It was the pride of Fangjia Village.

Naturally, it became the face of Fangjia Village.

“Oh! Isn’t that Dr. Xu?”

“Mr. Xu, you’ve arrived?”

“Ah, Mr. Xu! You’ve come at just the right time. Recently, my legs haven’t been feeling well. If you have time later, could you come to my house and take a look?”

“Young Mr. Xu… you’ve finally arrived! My back pain has flared up again. Could you please…”

Xu Ping’an, with Pei Qingxuan beside him, greeted everyone with a smile as they walked.

“Alright, alright, everyone, don’t rush. I’ll go say hello to Elder Fang first. Afterward, I’ll visit your homes to see to your illnesses. Don’t worry, there’s enough time today, I won’t forget.”

Pei Qingxuan, walking beside Xu Ping’an, looked up at his profile, watching him smile and greet the villagers.

Somehow, a sense of pride suddenly swelled within her.

Then, without hesitation, she stood on tiptoe and pecked Xu Ping’an on the cheek.

This instantly made the surrounding villagers gasp in unison.

“Oh my!”

Xu Ping’an was also stunned by the kiss.

Seeing her face flush crimson, she lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

He was completely bewildered.

“Whose wife is that?”

“Do you even need to ask? It must be Mr. Xu’s wife.”

“I didn’t hear that Mr. Xu got married?”

“Fool! Do you think he has to tell you if he gets married?”

“Right, right, right, look at me… But truly, as newlyweds, this couple is so lovey-dovey. Indeed, times have changed. Back in our day, which wife would dare to kiss her husband outside?”

Seeing the discussions around them growing louder, and his own foolish little wife, who seemed to have suddenly taken ill, lowering her head even further, Xu Ping’an could only force an awkward yet polite smile.

“Everyone, I apologize. My wife is a bit naive and has acted impolitely. I hope you can all forgive her.”

Then, taking Pei Qingxuan’s hand, he quickly walked forward.

He certainly didn’t want to stay there any longer, or else the entire village would soon come to gawk.

Amidst the villagers’ pleas for him to stay, Xu Ping’an hurried on, finally reaching the largest residence in the center of the village before this silly girl turned into a cooked prawn.

Taking two steps forward, he raised his hand and knocked twice on the door.

“Is Elder Fang home? Xu Ping’an is here to visit.”

As mentioned before, Fangjia Village was no ordinary small village, and the person who could be its chief was naturally no ordinary individual.

This residence, even more so, was no ordinary house.

As soon as Xu Ping’an knocked on the door, a head immediately emerged from the gatehouse.

“Who is it?”

The man still seemed a bit sleepy, rubbing his eyes. When he saw Xu Ping’an, a look of panic immediately appeared on his face.

“Isn’t that Dr. Xu!? Please wait, I’ll open the door for you right away.”

“Xiao Lengzi, you, secretly sleeping while on gate duty. Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

“Hehe… You’re making fun of me, making fun of me. It’s just that my wife was too demanding last night, I… Who is this?”

Just as Xiao Lengzi was about to continue speaking, he suddenly saw the woman leaning close to Xu Ping’an and paused slightly.

“This is my wife.”

“You’re married?”

“Yes.”

Xu Ping’an nodded.

“Is Elder Fang in?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Please wait, I’ll go in and announce your arrival.”

“Good, thank you for your trouble.”

“Please have a seat.”

He brought out a long bench, and Xu Ping’an thanked him and sat down.

For grand households like this, it was rare for guests to simply show up; appointments were usually made in advance with invitation cards.

Temporary guests, without the master’s permission, were not allowed into the courtyard and had to wait at the entrance.

Pei Qingxuan didn’t seem to mind, simply leaning against Xu Ping’an with a smile on her face.

“What are you thinking about, smiling so happily?”

“Nothing.”

The foolish little wife seemed to be making some progress; she had even learned not to tell him things.

But then, Pei Qingxuan snuggled deeper into his arms.

“I just feel so happy that my husband is respected by so many people.”