Xiao Ling went with grandma to the kitchen to help with breakfast after YanZhi decided to help with the feeding of the animals.....' these people are very stingy.... there's no even a trace of oil in the stir fry, they might as well as not put oil at all' he (XL) thought staring disdainfully at the dishes prepared for breakfast. He helped served the food on the table as the men were taking their various seats at the table....the head of the family Jun Daqiang took the honor of the head seat....
The Jun family hold consisted of The head; Jun Daqiang, 40 years old...The old lady; grandma Jun, 55 years...Du Shi; Jun Daqiang's wife and stepmom to YanZhi, 36 years...Jun YanZhi; 25 years and eldest son, the only one with a different mother in the family, his mother died two years later after giving birth to YanZhi.....Xiao Ling; YanZhi's ger wife, 17 years.....Jun Xangren; Second child of the Jun family, 20 years and married to Zhao Shi, their eldest son Jun Dabao 5 years and youngest son Jun Xiaobao 3 years....Jun Xiangyi; third child of the Jun family, 18 years and married to Qian Shi, with one daughter named Jun Xinxin 3 years....Jun Xiangli; fourth child of the Jun family, 17 years not married....Jun Xiangzhi and Jun Chuntao; a pair of twins and fifth and sixth children of the Jun family, 15 years, Xiangzhi is studying to be a scholar.
All children were present except Jun Xiangzhi who was studying in the county who wasn't present now, they all took their seat after the head of the family....the men seated at one side and the women at the other, but Xiao Ling didn't have the heart to seat with the women even tho he knew that in this world he was equivalent to a woman but in his heart he was a man. He took the seat next to YanZhi which made the old lady stared at him in anger
" eldest sister-law, don't you know where your seat is today?....did you perhaps hit your head for you to be forgetful...hehe "
Zhao Shi the second daughter-inlaw said in a sarcastic time which made Xiao Ling almost sneered at her...
" eldest, your wife is being disrespectful to our Jun family changing the rules set by generations"
Du Shi said signaling YanZhi to scold Xiao Ling...but YanZhi yet held Xiao Ling's leg with force keeping him in place
" my wife will seat with me.. "
YanZhi voiced out giving no place for negotiation... Xiao Ling was looking forward to the decision of YanZhi thinking of where to place YanZhi in his heart. As a guy from the modern world he (XL) wasn't planning on following every thing these ancient people decide....if YanZhi had followed along with his family he (XL) would find any way possible to escape from the Jun family no matter the consequences, but hearing YanZhi now, Xiao Ling thought of giving him a chance at least.....even tho for now he had no special feeling for the man.
" Eldest are you throwing away our traditions for that broomstar....ai ai, both of you are bad luck to my Jun family! "
" mother, I'm hungry let's eat....let him sit there since it's an empty seat anyway"
father Jun cut grandma off since he didn't want to hear them bicker early in the morning for their neighbors to laugh at them....
" I ... I'll listen to you "
tho grandma and the rest were reluctant to let Xiao Ling sit with the men but they still had to listen to the head of the family. They all quietly ate in silence, but Xiao Ling felt his throat hurt having a hard time swallowing the buns and the dishes which had no taste,...the buns were so hard making him (XL) wonder how it was made or what was used in making the buns and the lack of oil in the dishes made them taste very bland and dissatisfying....but the rest of the family were swallowing the food in twos as if they were fighting for the food. Xiao
Ling turned his attention towards YanZhi thinking he'd be eating just like his family but what met him (XL) made him stunned, YanZhi eating gracefully and unhurried as if he (YZ) had no worries for the world. YanZhi turned his gaze to Xiao Ling when he felt Xiao Ling's heated gaze on him, Xiao Ling suddenly felt heat creeped on his face which made him blushed and his ears turned red...he quickly turned away from YanZhi's gaze trying to cool down the new emotion he just felt and the heat. ' What an interesting child.....hm' YanZhi thought before focusing back on eating.
After eating the men got ready to head back to the fields whiles their wifes work at home....
" Eldest daughter-inlaw, take the clothes to the river to wash "
Du Shi instructed Xiao Ling which made him happy, he'd do anything just to get away from them.
" Okay mother "
Xiao Ling answered happily, but soon regretted it when he saw the mass of clothes Du Shi gave him to wash, but never the less it was better than staying and working alongside them. He quietly gathered the clothes with a heavy heart making his way to the Riverside,
" Brother Yan....can I talk to you? "
Xiao Ling hurriedly called out to YanZhi when he saw him making his way out of the house with a sickle.... YanZhi stopped in his tracks and turned back to stared blankly at Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling felt suffocated due to YanZhi's heated gaze which made him feel like his soul was being pried into but he couldn't resist or defend himself...
" when I get back "
" okay"
Xiao Ling responded and watched YanZhi's back slowly disappeared from his line of sight....He quickly made his way to the river as he bypassed and greeted the villagers along the way. Those he greeted were all shocked at his new behavior and gossipped with their fellows after he left which he heard all but Xiao Ling didn't want to bother with them, he found a corner by the riverside with no one and started to beat the clothes.
" master, who was the man you talk to earlier with? "
Bee appeared by his side and asked in a worried tone.
" you're back?....did you get any useful information?.... That was the husband of the Xiao Ling from this era which makes him my husband....why..did you ask?
Xiao Ling stopped beating the clothes and turned his attention to bee, he asked in a suspicious tone
" I feel danger coming from that man...I feel the man isn't someone to be messed with and he doesn't fit with the people here. Tho I've lost most of my strength and all and it feels like his suppressing his aura....I still feel danger from him and he makes me.... terrified, earlier it felt like he was looking at me tho you hadn't noticed me when I got back to your shadow but that man did "
Bee explained in a cracked and terrified tone making Xiao Ling stared silently for a while
" I feel so too, I've never felt anything like what I feel when he stares at me....it makes me terrified like he's looking deep within my soul, even the constellations have never made me feel that terrified of them but Brother Yan...I don't know how to explain. I first thought it was because my strength decreased...but, I don't think so now. Tell me what you found out. "