Wu Yuyan nodded shyly, her face flushed, as she gestured with her hands.
"Why are you thanking me?" Arlo leaned down and kissed her lightly. "Yuyan, grab a cloth and clean the bed."
Blushing, Wu Yuyan brought over a cloth and meticulously wiped the new wooden bed until it was spotless. She then helped move the mattress and bedding onto the wooden frame. Together, the three of them worked to clear out the wobbly old wooden planks and broken bricks, replacing them with the new bed. Once the sheets were spread, Arlo plopped onto the bed, bouncing slightly. "This bed feels solid!" he said with a grin.
Wu Yuyan returned with a damp towel and wiped the sweat from Arlo's face, her cheeks glowing red as she gestured again.
"Very comfortable. Thank you, my dear wife," Arlo said, pulling Wu Yuyan into his arms and kissing her cheeks, leaving her utterly flustered.
Wu Nan wiped her hands and face and chuckled. "Arlo, why don't you stay for dinner tonight? I'll go buy some chives, and we'll make dumplings!"
"Sure thing!" Arlo's eyes lit up as he licked his lips. "It's been ages since I've had your dumplings, Aunt Wu. I've been craving them!"
Wu Nan smiled warmly. "Alright, I'll head out now. Yuyan, keep him company, okay?"
"Aunt Wu, just buy the vegetables; no need to get meat," Arlo reminded her. "Leave the filling to me. I've got plenty of fresh meat."
"Well…" Wu Nan hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright then, I'll leave it to you."
"Of course, no problem! I'll head home now and get the meat ready. Be back soon!"
"Alright."
When Arlo returned home, both his father and mother were at work, saving him some hassle. He pulled a large chunk of lamb from his inventory, minced about two pounds for the filling, and packed the remaining meat and bones into a bag before heading to Wu Yuyan's house.
By the time he arrived, Wu Nan had gone out to buy vegetables, leaving Wu Yuyan alone at home. Seeing the large amount of meat Arlo brought, she was startled and gestured frantically.
Arlo chuckled, "No need to say so much. Your Arlo's going to make it big someday. How could I let my wife go without meat?"
He placed the meat on the table and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Wu Yuyan into his arms. "Yuyan, from now on, I'll make sure you eat meat every day and grow all plump and healthy, okay?"
Blushing deeply, Wu Yuyan nestled into Arlo's embrace, her heart brimming with happiness. With Arlo by her side, she felt like the luckiest person in the world.
When Wu Nan returned and saw the pile of meat and bones on the table, she glanced at Arlo with a complex expression but ultimately sighed and accepted his gesture of goodwill.
Wu Yuyan and Wu Nan worked together to knead dough and prepare the filling. However, since it was still early and the family didn't have a fridge, the dumpling-making was postponed for a couple of hours. During that time, Wu Nan stewed the lamb bones.
The small house had an old, dry well about five meters deep. The bottom remained cool, so Wu Nan hung the remaining lamb meat down in the well with a rope, covering the opening with a lid. It was her go-to method for preserving perishable foods.
The stewed lamb bones filled a large pot, their rich aroma wafting through the house. The dish was simple, affordable, and flavorful, making it even more enjoyable than eating pure meat. Arlo, Wu Nan, and Wu Yuyan gnawed on the bones, leaving their hands and mouths covered in grease.
Once the bones were done, Wu Nan and Wu Yuyan began making dumplings. Though young, Wu Yuyan was skilled at household chores and worked seamlessly alongside Wu Nan. Their cooperation resulted in beautifully shaped dumplings resembling little treasures. Wu Yuyan even crafted a few shaped like goldfish, delighting Arlo.
In the evening, Arlo's parents, Niu Xin and Ma Min, joined them for dinner. The two families enjoyed a feast of dumplings and reheated lamb bones.
After dinner, they sat together chatting, but Arlo grew restless. Holding Wu Yuyan's hand, he said, "Dad, Mom, Aunt Wu, you continue chatting. I'm taking Yuyan for a walk."
Niu Xin and the others were happy to oblige, offering a few words of advice before the young couple left the house.
Outside, the neighbors were enjoying the cool evening air. Seeing Arlo and Wu Yuyan holding hands, many couldn't resist teasing them.
"Hey there, young couple out for a stroll?"
"Arlo, when are you treating us to wedding candy?"
"Yuyan's growing more beautiful by the day. Arlo, you're lucky to have acted fast, or some other guy would've snatched her up!"
The teasing made Wu Yuyan's face burn with embarrassment, while Arlo beamed with pride. Though Wu Yuyan couldn't speak, her stunning beauty was undeniable. By the age of ten, she had already begun to outshine her peers, drawing the attention of local boys. However, Arlo's fists were not to be trifled with, and coupled with Yuyan's exclusive affection for him, the other boys could only grumble in frustration. Some even regretted teasing her in their younger years, wishing they had treated her better.
Arlo fetched his bicycle and took Yuyan to the city's night market.
In the past, Arlo had been frugal under his parents' watchful eyes. But after the success of his lamb sales and the prospect of more profits from his Dream Space, he felt confident about his financial future. Determined to spoil Yuyan, he insisted on buying her new clothes. However, thrifty by nature, Yuyan refused to look at anything over 50 and instead pulled Arlo toward the street vendors, where a variety of affordable T-shirts were on display. Though the quality wasn't the best, the options were plentiful, leaving Yuyan dazzled and indecisive.
The teasing voices made Wu Yuyan's face flush bright red, but Arlo wore a proud grin. Though Wu Yuyan couldn't speak, her face was flawless, and since turning ten, her beauty had begun to shine through, attracting the attention of many teenage boys. However, Arlo's fists were not to be trifled with. Besides, Wu Yuyan only trusted Arlo and stayed distant from everyone else, which left those boys bitter and regretful. The ones who had bullied her as a child now kicked themselves, thinking that if they'd treated her better back then, maybe she wouldn't have been so attached to Arlo.
Arlo went home, got on his bike, and took Wu Yuyan to the night market downtown.
In the past, Arlo had been quite restrained with spending under his parents' watchful eyes. But after his successful lamb sales that day and the promising treasures still waiting to emerge from his dream-like space, he was filled with confidence about his future wealth. Determined, he decided to buy Wu Yuyan some new clothes. Wu Yuyan, however, was used to being frugal and stubbornly refused to buy anything priced over 50. She pulled Arlo along, browsing through the cheap T-shirts at the stalls. While the quality wasn't great, the variety and designs were plentiful, leaving Wu Yuyan dazzled and unable to decide.
"Wow! Such a pretty girl, and she's with a broke loser!" At some point, a group of hooligans with colorful hair surrounded them. Their mocking words dripped with disdain, though their eyes gleamed as they shamelessly stared at Wu Yuyan's face.