Er Liang, not quite satisfied, stared at Muniang, "I'm not foolish at all, I'm going to provide a good life for my lady in the future, help her catch fish, and eat fish every day."
Muniang curled her lips into a smile but said nothing more. What if he was a fool? He had a heart purer than anyone else, and he wanted her to be his lady simply because she was Qiao Muniang. This kind of pure affection was something she had never dared to long for before.
When she found out that the wounds on his body were from a knife, she became equally anxious. With such a serious injury, having made it to this remote corner of poverty, Muniang could guess with her toes that he must have been a fugitive on the run from his assailants.
According to Muniang's principles, she would never have kept this man, not wanting to get involved in unnecessary trouble. But his arrival had already attracted everyone's attention. She had no other choice; if she didn't keep him, it wouldn't be too much to say she might get packed into a pig cage by the Village Head. In such a critical time, it was natural to prioritize saving her own life.
Though she had decided to keep him out of desperation, as they got to know each other, she gradually developed a different feeling. This simple, foolish husband of hers didn't seem too bad after all.
Lost in thought, Muniang suddenly felt warmth on her lips, accompanied by a soft touch. She stared blankly at the handsome face magnified before her eyes. Er Liang was pressing his lips against hers, his large eyes unblinkingly fixed on Muniang, unreadable.
Muniang was instantly thrown into a state of inner turmoil. The fool knew how to kiss? Was this a natural impulse from deep affection? Would it be improper if she pushed him away? After all, they were husband and wife...
While Muniang was still confused and hesitating, she suddenly felt a pain on her lips—Er Liang had bitten her tender lip.
He then laughed excitedly like a child, "My lady's mouth looks so tasty, and indeed it is very tender!"
A line of black marks appeared over Muniang's head, and any positive thoughts she had of him could now be dismissed. With a swift move, "slap," she smacked Er Liang on the head, "Get lost!"
Mrs. Lin was still bedridden, so Muniang sent her dinner first, a big bowl of fish soup with plenty of fish inside. With nothing else in the house to eat but dark flatbreads, Muniang made do with what she had, thinking about how to earn some Silver to buy rice and flour.
Mrs. Lin couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the big pot of fish, thinking she was dreaming until Muniang set the bowl and chopsticks in front of her. Then, feeling pity, she said, "It wasn't easy to get three fish, why cook two at once? It would have been better to save them for later."
Muniang smiled, "Don't worry, we will have plenty of good things in the future. It's pointless to be frugal."
Mrs. Lin smiled helplessly and shook her head, but inside, she felt an inexplicable trust in her daughter.
After helping Mrs. Lin finish her meal and tidying up, Muniang returned to the kitchen, only to see Er Liang salivating over the pot of fish soup on the stove.
Mrs. Lin's appetite was small; she couldn't eat much. The soup from the two fish they had cooked was barely touched. Muniang had made so much considering Er Liang's hearty appetite.
"Why didn't you eat first? You hardly touched your food at noon, and now you're still holding back?" While speaking, Muniang ladled a big bowl of soup for him.
Er Liang took it with joy, gulping down a large mouthful before contentedly saying, "I wanted to wait and eat with my lady."
Muniang's lips curled into a smile as she filled a bowl for herself. The two of them sat down on small stools in the tiny kitchen, each with a bowl in hand. Muniang picked a fish head from her bowl and placed it into Er Liang's, "Eat the fish head, it'll make you smarter."
Er Liang looked at the fish head in his bowl, thought for a moment, then took a fish bladder and put it into Muniang's bowl, "Eat the fish bladder, and you'll have babies."
Muniang's face was lined with vexation.
People in this village went to bed early to save lamp oil, and by dusk, most homes were already tucked in.
But a very serious problem confronted Muniang: where would the fool sleep?
"Of course, I should live together with my lady!" Er Liang declared confidently, "A husband and wife must sleep in the same bed!"
Muniang held her forehead, almost forgetting that this man's definition of marital status was whether or not they shared a room. Well, there were only two rooms in the house. If he didn't stay in the same room as her, would he stay with Mrs. Lin?
Muniang sternly brainwashed Erliang, "Do you know how husband and wife should sleep in bed?"
Erliang thought for a moment and said, "Sleep naked!"
"Ouch!" Erliang got a smack on the head.
Muniang rubbed her hand and explained seriously, "It's about sleeping without interfering with each other!" while saying this, she drew a line in the middle of the bed with her hand: "This side is yours, and that side is mine; you must not cross the line."
Erliang blinked blankly, "Why?"
Muniang explained as if it were only natural, "Because husband and wife are together all day long, just like us. But each also needs their personal space. Otherwise, it's difficult to maintain a relationship for a long time. So, if you want to be a couple forever, you have to sleep without interfering with each other. That's the rule."
Erliang nodded, seemingly understanding, and promised seriously, "I will definitely be with my wife forever!"
Muniang nodded with satisfaction. He really was easy to deceive.
"Come here, take off your clothes, and I'll change your dressing."
Although a small amount of blood had seeped through the bandage, it wasn't a big issue. As Muniang unwound the bandage, she asked, "Did it hurt today?"
"No, I would tell my wife if it hurt," Erliang said with a smile.
Muniang pursed her lips, "Mhm."
She took out the ointment Doctor Chen gave and dabbed a little with her finger, then looked up at Erliang, "It may hurt a bit when I apply the medicine. Just bear with it."
Erliang nodded, and only then did Muniang lean close to Erliang's wound. She carefully spread the ointment on his gruesome injury, as if afraid of hurting him. Her movements were extremely gentle, like feathers brushing against Erliang's chest. Her head was so close he could feel Muniang's light breath and the tickle of hair from her forehead.
Erliang looked down at Muniang, who was earnestly applying medicine to his chest. Her delicate nose seemed to glisten, her fair skin a bit pale, and her eyes, watery like agate. Erliang's breathing suddenly became rapid. Muniang's fingertips brushed against his skin again, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
Muniang looked up, surprised, "Did I hurt you?"
Erliang quickly shook his head, then nodded. Muniang looked puzzled, "Does it hurt or not?"
Erliang's forehead veins popped, and with some difficulty, he spoke, "It hurts, but it's also a bit itchy."
Muniang paused, "Could it be an infection in the wound?"
"Not here, here." Erliang pointed down at his lower abdomen, his face a picture of distress.
Muniang followed his gesture, her face flushed, "Damn it, even putting on medicine could elicit such a reaction?"
"Wife, I suddenly really want to kiss your lips."
Muniang's mouth twitched, and she decisively went out to bring him a basin of cold water.
Meanwhile, Qiao Lianhua returned to the Qiao family, unable to get over the way Muniang had humiliated her. As soon as she got home, she ranted to Mrs. Ji, "That shameless little bitch, flaunting herself with her wild man in broad daylight, they truly sullied my eyes! We should have taught her a lesson long ago!"
Mrs. Ji dropped what she was doing and covered Qiao Lianhua's mouth, glancing nervously around before whispering, "Your grandfather has forbidden the family from associating that wench with us, lest it affect your fifth uncle's reputation. This morning your grandmother made a scene at their place and got a good scolding from your grandfather. You must be careful not to bring this misfortune onto yourself."