"No, you can't!" Jin Feng refused without hesitation. "It's too dangerous. Someone could get hurt."
"Fine, be stingy then!" Xiao Yu pouted, handing the crossbow back to Jin Feng.
"Jin Feng, let her try it," one of the young wives teased. "When you didn't come back earlier, Xiao Yu was so worried you'd been carried off by wolves that she almost cried. She even asked Cui Hua to send her husband to look for you in the mountains."
"Xiao Yu, if you were so interested, why didn't you have your brother propose to Jin Feng earlier? Now, if you marry him, you'll only be a concubine!" another woman chimed in, laughing.
"Shut up! I'll tear your mouths apart!" Xiao Yu, flushed with embarrassment, chased after the two women, pretending to hit them.
This kind of teasing was common in the village, and Jin Feng paid it no mind. He picked up the rabbits from the ground and walked away.
Back at the small courtyard, Guan Xiaorou had been anxiously pacing, worried as the sky grew darker and Jin Feng still hadn't returned. When she heard movement at the gate, she darted out like a startled deer. "Husband, you're back!"
Then she noticed the rabbits in his hands and nearly jumped with excitement. Her husband hadn't been lying—he really could hunt.
After crouching to examine the rabbits for a moment, Guan Xiaorou suddenly smacked her forehead and ran into the kitchen, returning with a bowl of water. "Husband, you must be tired. Have some water first. I'll go heat up the food."
"From now on, if I sleep in or come back late, don't wait for me. Just eat when the food's ready," Jin Feng said, following her into the kitchen.
"How could I do that? It's not proper for a woman to eat before her husband," Guan Xiaorou replied, tossing a handful of dry leaves into the fire pit. She poked at the embers with a stick and blew on them gently until the leaves caught fire. But as she blew, some ash flew up and landed on her face.
"Ash," Jin Feng pointed to his own nose.
Guan Xiaorou quickly reached up to wipe her face, forgetting that her hands were also covered in ash. She only smeared it more, leaving streaks on both sides of her nose.
"Little ash-faced cat," Jin Feng chuckled, reaching out to wipe her face for her. "We don't need to follow so many rules. Just eat when the food's ready... Huh? Why won't it come off?"
Guan Xiaorou's eyes widened, and she froze, her heart pounding like a startled deer. She didn't hear a word Jin Feng said.
"What are you spacing out for?" Jin Feng gently tapped her nose and went to fetch a towel.
"Eep..." Women of this era weren't used to such affectionate gestures. Guan Xiaorou covered her face, feeling as if her heart might burst from the fluttering inside.
When Jin Feng returned with the towel, Guan Xiaorou was still in a daze. She snatched the towel from him and pushed him out of the kitchen, her face burning with embarrassment.
By dinnertime, the blush still hadn't faded from Guan Xiaorou's cheeks, and she couldn't bring herself to look at Jin Feng.
After dinner, Jin Feng didn't go back to the workshop. He could tell Guan Xiaorou was ready—she had even wrapped the oil lamp in the only piece of red cloth they had, giving it a festive glow.
Once she had finished helping Jin Feng wash up, Guan Xiaorou quietly sat down on the edge of the bed. Perhaps after two days together, she had come to understand Jin Feng better, or maybe the two rabbits hanging in the yard had given her hope for the future. Whatever the reason, the worry and fear she had felt earlier were gone, replaced only by shyness.
Jin Feng walked over and took her small hand in his. Guan Xiaorou trembled slightly but didn't pull away, allowing him to hold it.
Just as Jin Feng was about to take the next step, there was a sudden thud outside the window.
"Er Gouzi, stop pushing!"
"We agreed it's my turn to watch when they hold hands!"
The voices of children arguing drifted in from outside.
"Those little brats!" Jin Feng's face darkened as he grabbed a stool and stormed outside.
"Run! The angry giant's coming!"
Five or six children scattered in all directions.
"Are you done yet?" Jin Feng shouted, holding the stool, his mood thoroughly ruined. He was also puzzled. Usually, the kids only came to eavesdrop on the wedding night. Why were they back again?
Suddenly, he smacked his forehead. Weddings were joyous occasions, and it was customary to prepare some peanuts or other treats to keep the kids at bay. In a time when children rarely got to enjoy snacks, it was no wonder they hadn't given up. Even after being chased away, they were still lurking nearby, determined to keep causing trouble.
It looked like tonight was a lost cause...
Jin Feng carried the stool back inside. "Xiaorou, you go ahead and sleep. There's a small issue with the crossbow I need to fix."
Guan Xiaorou nodded, her face still red.
That night, Jin Feng added a simple winch to the crossbow and made a quiver attachment, which made reloading faster and eliminated the need to manually load arrows after each shot. By the time he finished, it was already midnight. Just as he was about to grab a door plank to sleep on, he noticed Guan Xiaorou sitting on a wooden stump by the door.
Even though it was late spring, the nights were still chilly. Guan Xiaorou was hugging her knees, shivering and occasionally rubbing her hands together for warmth.
"Xiaorou, why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing out here?"
"Husband, you should come inside to sleep," Guan Xiaorou said softly. "If people see you sleeping in the workshop, they'll say I'm not a proper wife... If you dislike me... I'll sleep in the workshop instead..."
"What are you talking about? When have I ever disliked you?" Jin Feng took her cold hands in his, warming them.
"If you don't dislike me, then why... why won't you share a bed with me?" Guan Xiaorou's voice trembled, and tears began to fall.
"Xiaorou, it's like this," Jin Feng thought for a moment before explaining. "We got married right after meeting for the first time. I wanted to give you time to get used to this house and to me before we... you know. Otherwise, you might think I'm a bad person."
"I know you're not a bad person. Marrying you is the greatest blessing of my life."
"Silly girl, you're so adorably naive," Jin Feng said, both amused and touched. He pulled Guan Xiaorou into his arms. "Having such a beautiful and gentle wife is my blessing too."
His simple words made Guan Xiaorou blush deeply, her eyes filled with affection.
Jin Feng couldn't resist leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips. Guan Xiaorou's eyes widened in surprise, and she buried her face in his chest, overcome with shyness.
The flowers were in bloom, and it was time to pluck them. The girl had waited half the night for him—it would be too pretentious to delay any longer.
Jin Feng scooped Guan Xiaorou up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
Soon, the sound of rustling clothes filled the room.
Having spent most of her life spinning thread indoors, Guan Xiaorou's skin was smooth and delicate, untouched by wind and rain. Her figure was flawless, rivaling any of the models Jin Feng had admired in his past life.
"She's truly a treasure," Jin Feng thought as he explored her soft curves, utterly captivated.
Before long, the creaking of the bed mingled with the chirping of insects on the spring night, creating a harmonious and natural symphony.
...