Come to think of it, he’d never heard Lu Gu ask for anything. Every day, aside from household chores, Lu Gu did embroidery, handkerchiefs, and fans which brought in some money, but not much.
“If you’re tired from work, you don’t have to keep doing needlework. What I give you is enough.” For Shen Xuanqing, earning money was to support his fulang and, eventually, children. Since he could provide, there was no need for Lu Gu to toil.
At the mention of embroidery, Lu Gu looked up. Normally, he’d nod along, but this time he didn’t.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Xuanqing asked, puzzled.
Lu Gu hesitated, then said softly, “It’s not tiring. I only do needlework when I have time.”
Shen Xuanqing was taken aback. He stayed silent, waiting for Lu Gu to continue.
“The flowers on the handkerchiefs aren’t complicated. I can manage, or at least finish one in two or three days. It doesn’t earn much, but… I like it.” Lu Gu’s voice was very small.
He was slow-witted and clumsy with words. Since childhood, he’d had no talents except embroidery, taught by his mother, who had praised him as a quick learner. Though she passed early, leaving him with only basic skills, it was enough to earn a little money.
Of course, back then, Du Hehua never let him keep a single copper coin. Only after coming to the Shen family did he keep all his earnings, with Shen Xuanqing never taking a copper coin.
Back then, embroidery had been a chore done in fear of beatings and scoldings, there was no joy in it. But since joining the Shen family last year, he’d gradually rediscovered the happiness and satisfaction of embroidery.
And whether it was Wei Lanxiang or Ji Qiuyue, they always praised his work, which delighted him even more.
“You… like it?” Shen Xuanqing murmured, genuinely surprised.
“Mm.” Lu Gu nodded earnestly, then added in a small voice, “I like doing embroidery.”
Shen Xuanqing had never heard his fulang express likes or dislikes before. The realization sank in slowly before he broke into a smile. “If you like it, then do it. I won’t stop you.”
“I spoke too hastily earlier.” He admitted with a chuckle, watching as Lu Gu’s expression brightened again. Unable to resist, he pulled him into a hug.
Lu Gu didn’t resist as Shen Xuanqing rubbed the back of his neck. The door was closed, the window half-shuttered, and no one was outside. He returned the embrace, heart full of joy.
Happiness made people talkative, especially with those closest.
Lu Gu buried his face in Shen Xuanqing’s chest, secretly rubbing his cheek twice, thinking himself sly, unaware Shen Xuanqing noticed everything.
When he looked up, his eyes were curved with smile. “The money I earn isn’t much, but it’s still income. Saving up ten or eight copper coins is enough for little things. My mother used to do the same, when she had money, she’d buy me treats and toys without asking my father.”
“She taught me embroidery, saying I could earn my own money and never need to rely on others’ moods.” In his happiness, the words spilled out.
As a child, he hadn’t fully understood his mother’s lessons. Even growing up in the Lu family, he remained oblivious. Only after coming to the Shen family did he grasp their meaning.
Besides, earning money himself was satisfying. Though little, it was stitched by his own hands - honest work.
However, this displeased Shen Xuanqing. He pinched Lu Gu’s cheek, frowning. “Are you saying I’m like your father? That you can’t ask me for money, that I’d make you beg? What ‘moods’ do I have?”
Lu Gu faltered. Thinking it over, he realized it was true, whether from big earnings or noticing his dwindling coin purse, Shen Xuanqing always gave him more.
Embarrassed, he fell silent, knowing he’d misspoken.
Shen Xuanqing grew even more displeased. He gripped the back of Lu Gu’s neck, intending to vent frustration, but couldn’t bring himself to squeeze hard. Instead, he leaned down and bit Lu Gu’s cheek.
Lu Gu instinctively tried to pull back, but his waist was locked in place. He could only scrunch his face and endure until Shen Xuanqing released him.
Shen Xuanqing huffed, letting go almost immediately to plant a firm kiss instead. This heartless shuang'er, when had he ever been stingy?
Still trapped, Lu Gu wiped his cheek with his sleeve, worried. In broad daylight, with teeth marks, what if someone saw?
Afraid of leaving traces of intimacy, he fretted silently before mustering a quiet complaint: “Even Guaizi doesn’t bite.”
Shen Xuanqing paused, then burst into laughter. Their Guzi had learned to insult him! He squeezed Lu Gu’s neck. “Are you saying I’m worse than a dog?”
Lu Gu couldn’t help giggling, eyes bright. “No, no,” he denied, though not very convincingly, which only fueled Shen Xuanqing’s “anger.”
Before Lu Gu could defend himself further, he was kissed into silence.
The livestock at the new house needed feeding. He Zhi and Chen Dongdong gathered grass for drying, leaving fresh grass for them to handle. After resting awhile, Wei Lanxiang called for Shen Yan to gather grass and let the ducks out.
Lu Gu sat before the bronze mirror, checking his lips and cheeks for teeth marks or redness. Only after confirming nothing was visible did he relax, at least now he could go out to work.
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