After finishing the last sip of brown sugar water, Qiao Suiman felt his entire body warmed up, his lips still lingering with sweetness. Lu Dongqing leaned close to him and suddenly leaned in, licking a drop of sugar water from the corner of his mouth.
Qiao Suiman froze, the tips of his ears turning red. “What are you doing?!”
It was broad daylight!
Lu Dongqing snapped back to his senses and realized how improper his action had been. He couldn’t help himself just now and acted like a lecher. He abruptly stood up, grabbed the empty bowl, and said, “I’ll go wash the bowl first. Come to the front hall later. Mother is waiting for you there.”
Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the room in quick steps.
Qiao Suiman, who had initially felt flustered, couldn’t help but chuckle. He was the one who had been taken advantage of, yet Lu Dongqing was acting like a timid little wife.
He reached up and touched the spot on his lips that had just been licked. A tingling sensation ran through him, and he suddenly recalled certain moments from the previous night. Shaking off the thought, he turned back to the bed and neatly folded the blankets.
He stepped out of the room and took a look at the Lu family’s house. He wasn’t able to take a good look at it yesterday because he was escorted to the new house with a veil on his head. Now, he could only spare a quick glance. He needed to hurry and serve tea to Miao Lianhua.
It was already nearing the end of chenshi[mfn]辰时 : 7-9 AM[/mfn]. Qiao Suiman quickly made his way to the front thatched cottage, where Miao Lianhua was already seated in the main hall. Lu Dongqing returned and walked side by side with him.
Miao Lianhua looked relieved. Seeing that the two got along well, she felt at ease.
Qiao Suiman entered the house and sweetly called out, “Mother.”
Then, somewhat embarrassed, he added, “I woke up late.”
Miao Lianhua smiled warmly. “Not late at all. I told Dongqing not to wake you.”
Then she waved her hand to call Qiao Suiman to come forward and held his hands. The more she looked at him, the more pleased she was. His rosy complexion was a sign of good fortune!
“Good child, from now on, we’ll live well together!”
Qiao Suiman nodded gently. “Mm.”
Two cups of tea were placed on the bamboo table in the hall. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing each took one, bowing deeply as they presented them together. “Mother, please drink tea.”
“Ah, good.” Miao Lianhua grinned from ear to ear. She first took Qiao Suiman’s cup and drank it in one go, then did the same with Lu Dongqing’s. Smiling, she removed a silver bracelet from her wrist.
“Xiao Man, come here.”
She pulled Qiao Suiman toward her and slipped the bracelet onto his wrist. The silver bracelet was simple in design but still shiny. Miao Lianhua continued, “This has been passed down in our Lu family to daughters-in-law and fulang. Now that you’ve entered the family, it’s time to pass it on to you. From now on, you and Dongqing must support each other.”
Qiao Suiman’s eyes widened, momentarily speechless. The bracelet was clearly well-preserved, and wearing it felt like accepting a solemn duty. He said earnestly, “Mother, I will.”
“Good, good child.”
Miao Lianhua patted Qiao Suiman’s hand, her face full of satisfaction.
Qiao Suiman then turned to the grinning Lu Xuesong and greeted him, “Xuesong.”
Lu Xuesong scratched his head and smiled. “Xiao Man-ge, you can just call me Songzi. That’s what everyone used to call me.”
“Alright, Songzi.”
Then what about Lu Dongqing? Was he called Qingzi? The thought made Qiao Suiman stifle a laugh.
“Xiao Man-ge, the drinks you make are so delicious! I drank several bowls yesterday. Da Zhuang and the others were so envious that I had such a wonderful brother-in-law.”
Lu Xuesong’s personality is different from Lu Dongqing’s. Lu Dongqing is quiet and reserved, but Lu Xuesong can talk nonstop.
The two brothers’ temperaments were polar opposites, which had caused Miao Lianhua a lot of headaches in the past. Seeing her younger son ramble on again, she couldn’t help but interrupt, “Alright, you two go have breakfast. Songzi and I have already eaten. We’re going to check the fields. Dongqing, show Man-ge’r around so he can get familiar with the house.”
“Ah, Mother, I’m not done yet, you…”
Before Lu Xuesong could finish, Miao Lianhua hurriedly dragged him away. The newlyweds needed time alone, after all.
Qiao Suiman stood frozen in place, faintly hearing Miao Lianhua scolding Lu Xuesong in the distance for talking too much and never knowing when to stop.
“Pfft.” He tilted his head and giggled. “Has Mother always been like this?”
He had initially thought Miao Lianhua was gentle and dignified, but he never expected her to have this side to her.
Seizing the chance while the house was empty, Lu Dongqing took Qiao Suiman’s hand and replied with a smile, “Mm. She used to worry that I didn’t talk enough, then later that Songzi talked too much. She was afraid neither of us would ever find a wife or fulang.”
A faint, mischievous smile appeared on Qiao Suiman’s face as he raised an eyebrow. “Well, now you have a fulang.”
He swung their joined hands lightly and asked, “What did people call you before? Qingzi?”
Qiao Suiman’s playful expression made Lu Dongqing unable to look away. “People in the village used to call me Da Dong.”
Da Dong. Qiao Suiman repeated it silently in his mind. It didn’t feel right, so he decided to just call him “Dongqing.”
“Let’s eat first. You haven’t had breakfast yet.” Remembering that Lu Dongqing must be hungry, Qiao Suiman urged him to take him to the kitchen.
The kitchen was next to the thatched hut. It was built with a few large wooden beams and tightly woven straw curtains. A stove was built with yellow mud, and the roof was barely covered by an extension of the thatch from the main house. It was cramped, barely fitting two people moving around inside.
Lu Dongqing went in first and got two bowls of noodles. When he came out, he said to Qiao Suiman, “The kitchen is rough for now. But don’t worry, I’ll fix it up properly later.”
The Qiao family’s house is one of the best in the village. Lu Dongqing always felt that he was treating Qiao Suiman unfairly in terms of housing. That was why he waited until the new house was built before sending a matchmaker to propose.
The new house wasn’t large. Aside from their bedroom and a newly added storeroom, there was only a small central hall for receiving guests and a washroom to the side. This was the best layout he could manage after extensive discussions with the builders. The rest would have to be improved gradually over time.
“I understand.” Qiao Suiman, however, didn’t feel wronged at all. As long as people are determined and hardworking, life will only get better. He offered words of comfort.
“After we eat, I’ll show you around.”
“I can’t finish this much.”
Miao Lianhua’s breakfast portions were generous: a full bowl of noodles with plenty of meat left over from yesterday. Having just finished a bowl of brown sugar-water eggs, Qiao Suiman couldn’t possibly eat this much.
“Eat what you can. I’ll finish the rest.”
As Lu Dongqing spoke, he gulped down a mouthful of noodles; obviously, he was hungry.
Qiao Suiman naturally didn’t refuse. Lu Dongqing doted on him so much and always thought of him first. He couldn’t help but sigh again, “You’re so good to me.”
Lu Dongqing, still chewing, swallowed quickly and said, “You’re my fulang. Of course, I’ll treat you well.”
“And I’ll treat you well too!” Qiao Suiman laughed softly, his heart feeling as if it were steeped in honey.
Lu Dongqing’s eyes sparkled as he pulled Qiao Suiman’s bowl over and devoured the remaining half of the noodles, his dark eyes filled with undisguised affection.
After breakfast, Qiao Suiman followed Lu Dongqing around for a quick tour. The Lu family’s home wasn’t large, so they finished quickly, and Qiao Suiman now had a clear picture of the place.
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Author [陳皮皮梅]: Do you all enjoy sweet daily life moments like these?~
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a coffee ☕
Thanks for the chapter! We’re fed pure honey here! So mushy & sweet! lol