Cao Wen sat down on the couch, trying to sort through the memories between the original host’s younger brother and his wife, but there wasn’t much to be gained.
Perhaps due to severe trauma, the memories were scattered.
In short, what he did know was that his family was poor, couldn’t offer much dowry, and didn’t even host a proper wedding feast.
Cao Wen carefully pondered it—ancient society placed great importance on ceremony, and marriage was a life milestone.
That girl was good-looking and had no obvious flaws, yet she didn’t care about dowry or wedding feasts and still married the younger brother.
What did that say?
It clearly meant she was deeply in love with him and a loyal, devoted woman!
This was a tough situation.
Cao Wen’s thoughts were just as chaotic as the memories in his head.
He even felt a bit sorry for the girl, but unfortunately, he couldn’t recall anything about their relationship.
—
He wasn’t sure how long he had been in a daze when Xuduo Yan (the girl) walked in carrying a basin of hot water.
The moment he saw her slender figure, he immediately bounced up from the couch.
“I’ll do it!”
She had gone to boil water for him.
See!
They must have had feelings for each other!
Cao Wen was both shocked and touched.
Back at the military academy, no one had ever brought him water.
Flustered, he rushed to take the basin from her.
But Xuduo Yan didn’t hand it to him.
She glanced at the cloth near the back of his head, indicating he should use it to wash.
Cao Wen was confused and instinctively touched the back of his head where she looked.
He immediately felt the dried scab stuck in his hair and realized what she meant.
She was so considerate.
That area was hard to clean.
Though it was quite awkward to ask her to help, he still nodded and sat on the couch, legs apart.
Xuduo Yan: “?”
No towel, and now he was striking that cocky male pose again?
Just like when he came to her house to propose marriage.
She wanted to splash the water right in his face, but before she could, the man said,
“You can scrub hard—I’m not afraid of pain.”
Xuduo Yan: “??”
Cao Wen looked up, eyes wide and innocent.
Xuduo Yan’s knuckles went white around the basin rim.
She took a deep breath.
Forget it—just pretend she’s washing mud off a cow.
She grabbed the cloth from the table and, frowning, started scrubbing him.
The dried blood stuck to the skin and hair was difficult to clean.
Xuduo Yan, expression frustrated, scrubbed hard while silently cursing the hardship of being a wife.
She wanted to scrape off a layer of his skin, but his tense back, stiff like a pine tree, made it clear he was in pain.
She actually felt a bit of satisfaction seeing that—but didn’t go harder.
It felt too childish to take revenge that way.
But Cao Wen, used to enduring pain and injuries, didn’t even flinch.
All he noticed was a stranger of a wife helping clean his body.
Her lips were lightly pursed, brows furrowed, face full of concentration, and her movements were incredibly gentle—like a loving and caring wife tending to her injured husband.
Steam swirled around them, one man and one woman alone in a room.
The atmosphere turned strangely tense and ambiguous.
He tensed up, fists unconsciously clenched on his knees.
With no ability to speak, the mind starts to wander.
Cao Wen was panicking.
The girl was so gentle, so affectionate—what if she suddenly made that kind of request?
They were newlyweds, had been apart for a while, and now alone together—it would be completely reasonable and even expected.
But if he refused, wouldn’t she get suspicious?
In such a superstitious time, what if she thought he was possessed and had him tied up for an exorcism?
But agreeing…no way!
Absolutely not!
How could he even think such a perverted thought!
God help him, the original owner of this body was only sixteen or seventeen!
He had no right to act on his own like this!
Cao Wen’s eyes widened in horror at his own vile imagination.
No, no!
She could ask anything else—but that was out of the question.
He could pick up a rifle and go to war, sure—but that?
No!
(And by rifle, he meant actual rifle, not that…ugh, the more he tried to explain it, the worse it sounded.)
He was getting anxious again, muscles tensing.
Xuduo Yan, while washing his hair, caught sight of his bulging arm muscles and unconsciously held her breath.
She frowned.
Her inner fists were clenched.
What the hell was he doing?
Was he reacting to this?
They had been married only a few days and barely saw each other.
Now the servants were back—he must be thinking of making a move tonight…
He was so strong—if he actually tried something, she might not be able to resist.
That day when her boss called her away, he looked pissed.
He must’ve been thinking about it all day.
Of course he was going to try something tonight!
Even injured like this, he’s still restless.
She squinted her eyes.
If he dared ask for that, she’d drug him so he’d never get it up again!
Just as her thoughts were wandering, the cloth in her hand slid toward his half-open collar.
Cao Wen, seeing her fingers near his chest, panicked.
She’s wiping his chest now—next she’d be unbuttoning him!
Wasn’t this basically a signal?
He covered his chest and leapt up.
“No! I…I’m not in the mood today!”
Xuduo Yan was startled by his sudden movement.
What?
Not in the mood?
Then go pee!
Wait…did he mean he wanted her to serve him?
She stared blankly at him.
His legs weren’t injured—why couldn’t he go himself?
Dog of a man!
All filthy thoughts!
Fine—he wanted help?
She’d go soak her hands in impotence medicine and serve him then!
She got up to fetch the chamber pot, but then Cao Wen waved his hand frantically.
“My joints ache, and my chest feels tight. I really don’t feel well today. I can’t go on like this—how will I even walk?”
Cao Wen noticed her stunned silence and realized he had overreacted.
To avoid suspicion, he quickly stretched his limbs and rolled his neck a little.
Xuduo Yan paused, confused.
She didn’t understand what he meant—he suddenly looked like the mute one.
But whatever he was thinking—as long as he didn’t try anything, she could deal with it.
Still uncertain, she gestured with her hands to say she’d take care of the housework, that she could support them.
Cao Wen didn’t quite understand, but guessed she was offering help.
He chuckled dryly and slowly sat back down.
Then, with thoughts swirling in their own heads, the two finished cleaning his wounds in awkward peace.
When Xuduo Yan carried the basin out, she couldn’t help but sigh quietly.
But Cao Wen, seeing her leave silently with her head down, didn’t feel any relief.
In fact, he felt even more uneasy.
She must have realized that her excuse was so clumsy—how could he not see through it?
As a young woman, she was already naturally reserved.
To go as far as she did and still be rejected by her own husband—it must have hurt.
Clearly, she was heartbroken, but even so, she didn’t argue or complain, just went along with everything he said.
She really was a good girl.
Cao Wen, on the other hand, felt the whole thing was just too dramatic.
He had no experience in dealing with such matters, and it left him deeply unsure of himself.
He felt guilty and full of self-loathing, thinking, Forget it.
I’ll just treat her better from now on, even if it’s only to make up for this guilt in my heart.
Lost in these thoughts, his body, still weak and exhausted, drifted off into a groggy sleep.
When he woke again, the sky outside was a dusky gray—on the edge of nightfall, but not yet fully dark.
The moment he opened the door, the evening breeze of midsummer—though not fully cooled—hit him like a splash of warm water, instantly washing away half of his sluggishness.
The air was filled with the scent of mountains, crops, and soil, so fresh and pleasant it left him dazed. It had been a long time since he’d breathed in such natural smells.
In the distance, wisps of smoke curled up from the thatched homes.
Firewood crackled in the hearths, the sound pure and harmonious in the quiet countryside.
Everything around him was the breath of life.
His mood instantly lifted.
Xuduo Yan had been out in the fields, then came back with a bundle of dry leaves to use as firewood.
She cooked dinner and carried a clay pot into the main room.
When she entered to call Cao Wen to eat, she found the bed empty.
Turning her head, she saw him standing upright in the courtyard, staring into the distance—lost in thought.
Tenant farmers usually lived with bent backs, bowing to their landlords.
This posture was passed down from father to son, and over time, the men and women of Caojia’ao all had slightly hunched backs and lowered heads, eyes downcast—just to avoid trouble with the landowners.
So when she suddenly saw Cao Wen standing tall, with his back straight and head held high like a green pine rooted in the yard—it was striking.
There was no denying it—
Cao Wen had a commanding presence.
Xuduo Yan found it odd, and the uncommon aura in him—so rare among tenant farmers or village men—made her eyes sting a little.
In his eyes, she saw an indescribable sense of envy.
She stared for a while before coming back to herself.
Not wanting to call him directly, she deliberately made some noise inside the room.
“Dinner’s ready?”
Cao Wen heard her and turned to see bowls and chopsticks already set on the table.
Only then did he realize how hungry he was—his stomach practically caved in.
Earlier he had chalked up his weakness to blood loss, but in fact, he was starving too.
He quickly walked over but froze when he saw what was on the table.
On the square bamboo table was…just one pot of porridge?
Rather than porridge, it was more like a pot of soup with no visible grains.
Even the water, which should have been cloudy white, was clear—proof of just how little rice there was inside.
Before he could speak, Xuduo Yan stirred the pot with a spoon, and only then did a few sparse grains of rice float up from the bottom.
She clearly had experience with this, because she immediately used the spoon to scoop up the rice into bowls—just like she had done with those few slippery, elusive fish she’d caught in the creek.
Then the thin rice soup—now with a little rice—was split into two bowls.
Without expression, Xuduo Yan pushed one bowl toward him, picked up her own, and started eating.
Cao Wen also picked up his bowl and cautiously took a sip.
Though the grains were few and mixed with some yellow husks, the porridge itself was still light and sweet.
He finished it in just a few gulps.
That night, the two of them quietly finished off the thin porridge together.
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