Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 25

Chapter 25

Lin Jiangshan carried Ye Xi all the way back to their home halfway up the mountain without stopping.

Ye Xi, his arms around Lin Jiangshan’s neck, asked, “Do you need to rest? No one can see us here anyway.”

If the groom put the bride down to rest on the way, people would laugh and say he wasn’t strong enough.

Ye Xi didn’t care about that. There was no one around, and the path to Lin Jiangshan’s house was uphill, tiring even when walking empty-handed, let alone carrying him.

A light sheen of sweat covered Lin Jiangshan’s forehead, but his breathing was steady and even. He looked down at Ye Xi in his arms and asked, “Am I that weak? Can’t even carry my own husband home?”

Ye Xi raised his sleeve and gently wiped the sweat from Lin Jiangshan’s face, smiling. “You’re very strong. You even ran so fast carrying my brother when he was injured.”

Lin Jiangshan smiled. “Your brother is much heavier than you, and his body is stiff, unlike you…”

Ye Xi tilted his head, his eyes sparkling. “Hmm?”

Since he was carrying his husband home, Lin Jiangshan became bolder and whispered, “Unlike you, so soft.”

Ye Xi’s face and ears flushed crimson. He covered his face with his sleeve and stopped talking. This man, they hadn’t even entered the house yet, and he was already… so intimate and unrestrained.

Lin Jiangshan stopped teasing him and quickened his pace. He could already see the house with blue walls and gray tiles behind the bamboo grove. That was his and Ye Xi’s future home.

As he carried Ye Xi across the threshold, Ye Xi felt a different emotion rising in his heart. He whispered, “I’ve been to your house several times, why does it feel different this time?”

Lin Jiangshan smiled. “You came to deliver pickles before, but today you’re delivering yourself. This is our home now.”

Ye Xi looked around the small courtyard and said happily, “Yes, our home.”

Lin Jiangshan’s parents had passed away, and his relatives had turned against him. He was now practically alone, so he placed his parents’ memorial tablets on the main table in the main room.

He lit two red candles and placed a plate of fruit beside them, creating a makeshift wedding altar.

No guests, no relatives or friends.

Ye Xi and Lin Jiangshan knelt together in front of the tablets and kowtowed three times, considered paying respects to his parents-in-law.

Lin Jiangshan’s voice was hoarse as he whispered to the tablets, “Father, Mother, I’m married today. This is your daughter-in-law, his name is Ye Xi. He’s a good person and treats me well. Please rest assured.”

This was the first time Ye Xi saw Lin Jiangshan showing such emotion. Marriage was a major event, but his parents were no longer around, a sad and touching moment.

He patted Lin Jiangshan’s hand and said to the tablets, “Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, your daughter-in-law, Ye Xi, is here to pay my respects. I’m now your son’s husband, and I’ll definitely take good care of him and live a good life with him. Please rest in peace.”

After the ceremony, it was already dark. Ye Xi sat on the edge of the bed in the room, carefully examining Lin Jiangshan’s sleeping quarters.

The room was simple, with a kang serving as the bed, a cracked table in the middle, a painted wooden cabinet, and an axe, bamboo hat, and straw raincoat hanging on the wall, the tools Lin Jiangshan used for hunting. It was a simple and rustic room, only the large red “double happiness” characters on the window and the red quilt on the bed added some color.

“Your room is quite clean, unlike my brother’s room, which is always messy,” Ye Xi said, quite satisfied with his room. After all, many men weren’t good at tidying up, and some were even sloppy, their rooms messy and smelly.

Lin Jiangshan had just boiled a pot of hot water in the kitchen and now returned with a wooden basin of foot-washing water. He replied, “I don’t have many belongings, it’s easy to tidy up, doesn’t take much time, and it’s more comfortable to look at.”

As he spoke, he placed the hot water by Ye Xi’s feet. On the wedding night, the husband had to wash his wife’s feet as a gesture of gratitude for his future hard work. He tested the water temperature with his fingertip, then reached out and held Ye Xi’s ankle. Ye Xi was delicate, with small bones, and Lin Jiangshan could easily encircle his ankle with one hand.

“Your ankles are so thin, I’m afraid I’ll break them.”

Ye Xi smiled. “As thick and strong as yours? Then no one would want me, I’d never get married.” If a young man was as big and burly as a man, no one would dare to marry him, afraid he would punch his husband to death.

Lin Jiangshan said firmly, “I would.”

Ye Xi’s eyes curved into a smile. “Of course you would, I’m already married to you.”

He reached out to take off Ye Xi’s shoes, holding his small, fair feet in his palms, examining them carefully. “Your feet are also small, just slightly longer than my palm.”

He had seen many men’s feet in the army camp and during his travels, large, rough, and dirty, an unpleasant sight. Today, seeing his husband’s feet for the first time, they were fair and delicate, with small toes, endearingly cute.

A young man’s feet shouldn’t be seen by outsiders. Now, being held and examined by a man, Ye Xi blushed and quickly tried to withdraw his feet.

“They’re dirty.”

But Lin Jiangshan tightened his grip, holding his feet firmly in his palms, his warm hands burning against Ye Xi’s skin.

Ye Xi shivered and lowered his gaze, meeting Lin Jiangshan’s deep, dark eyes.

Then he saw Lin Jiangshan lower his head and kiss the back of his foot under the lamplight.

Even after Lin Jiangshan finished washing his feet and went out to empty the basin, Ye Xi’s face was still red.

He sat on the edge of the bed, airing his feet, and watched as Lin Jiangshan locked the courtyard gate and returned with two bowls of wine.

“I don’t have any cups, so we’ll have to use bowls.”

They had to drink the “nuptial cup wine” on their wedding night, but drinking it from earthenware bowls was a first. Ye Xi laughed at him. “You could just pour a little wine, why fill the whole bowl?”

Lin Jiangshan looked at the full bowl of wine and smiled. “I think it’s better to have it full, a symbol of completeness. We only drink this once, we can’t cheat.”

“You have a point.” Ye Xi took the bowl, the pungent smell of alcohol filling his nose.

Lin Jiangshan sat on his right, and they turned to face each other, linking arms and drinking the full bowl of wedding wine.

Ye Xi couldn’t handle alcohol, and the strong wine made his face flush and he coughed several times, the burning sensation in his throat bringing tears to his eyes.

Lin Jiangshan gently patted his back, helping him catch his breath.

After drinking the wedding wine, it was time for the final event of the night. Ye Xi nervously fidgeted with the fabric of his clothes. Although his mother had taught him last night, he was still a bit scared.

Lin Jiangshan wasn’t in a hurry. He got up and went to the wardrobe, taking out a small cloth bag.

He explained, “This is all my possessions, now that you’re the head of the household, I’ll hand it over to you to manage.”

Ye Xi took the bag and opened it. Inside was a medium-sized piece of silver, a few smaller pieces of silver, and a few dozen copper coins.

He calculated that it was about five or six taels, not a small amount, but not much either.

“It’s the reward from the imperial court for winning the war. Officers above the rank of Second Lieutenant received twenty taels each, commanders fifteen taels, and ordinary soldiers like us only received ten taels. And that’s only for those who survived. I came back with these ten taels of silver. After being expelled from Xi County, I wandered around and was reluctant to spend it, doing odd jobs to earn a living and saving a few more taels. Then I came to Shanxiu Village and spent three taels on this house and another three taels on the two acres of land. After the wedding expenses, this is all that’s left.”

Ye Xi held the money bag in his hand, feeling its weight. This man had entrusted all his possessions to him. Although it couldn’t compare to wealthy families, this was the starting capital for their family.

“This is what you earned with your life over the years, after so much hardship, and you’re giving it to me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll spend it all carelessly?”

Lin Jiangshan smiled. “Since you’re my husband now, I trust you. You’re good at managing the household, just spend it as you see fit. Our family isn’t wealthy, but I’ll work hard to earn money and provide you with a comfortable life.”

Ye Xi’s heart was warmed. Wasn’t this life already comfortable? What kind of life was more comfortable? Marrying a man was about finding someone hardworking and caring. Now that he had married Lin Jiangshan, he had found a good husband. Moreover, without his parents-in-law, he wouldn’t have to deal with their interference.

“Alright, I’ll take it then. The three taels of betrothal gifts you gave my family, my mother kept it all for me, for me to bring as my dowry. She said it’s not easy for us starting a new life, we need some money to use. I’ll save all the money we earn in the future and fill this money bag soon!” Ye Xi happily accepted the money bag, he was in charge of the household finances now.

Lin Jiangshan agreed, got up, and blew out the oil lamp on the table. The room was plunged into darkness, only the bright autumn moon casting some pale moonlight through the window.

Ye Xi lay stiffly on the bed, vaguely seeing Lin Jiangshan returning and undressing by the bedside. His heart beat faster, and he gripped the quilt tightly.

After undressing, Lin Jiangshan lifted the quilt and lay down on the bed, his bare and warm arm touching Ye Xi’s. After a while, he reached out to untie Ye Xi’s clothes.

Ye Xi trembled slightly, his teeth unconsciously biting his lip.

“Don’t be afraid,” his deep voice sounded in the darkness, his nimble fingers untying Ye Xi’s clothes, revealing the inner garment beneath.

Lin Jiangshan stopped and asked softly, “Do you want to do it, or should I?”

Ye Xi’s face burned, how could he answer such a question! He angrily turned his back, ignoring him.

The warm and firm chest behind him pressed against his back, almost melting him. He couldn’t help but think, his mother was right, men’s body heat was stronger than young men’s, so warm.

Lin Jiangshan hugged him from behind, his hands slowly untying the inner garment, the last piece of clothing falling away, revealing his fair and smooth skin.

Lin Jiangshan’s eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He lowered his head and kissed him.

Ye Xi’s body went limp from the kiss, and he could only lie there passively.

The moon outside the window moved from east to west for half the night, the wind rustling the bamboo leaves. Occasional gasps and moans from inside the room startled the birds on the roof, and they flew away.

It wasn’t until half the night had passed that the sounds gradually subsided. Lin Jiangshan, in bed, held his lovely young husband in his arms, and they both fell into a deep sleep.