The slightest increase in force, and Ji Taoyu would cry out in unbearable pain. The more he resisted, the more excited Huo Shu became, yet he knew the other truly couldn’t endure it. If he forced the matter, who knew what might happen?
So of course he wasn’t faring much better.
Still, despite the discomfort, watching the peacefully sleeping figure in his arms, he was willing to restrain himself.
The wedding candles had burned out, and a faint gray light seeped through the papered window - dawn was approaching.
Huo Shu opened his eyes. He usually rose at this hour to practice martial forms, but today… never mind.
Just as he was about to close his eyes again, the person in his arms suddenly trembled, letting out two sharp breaths before jolting awake.
Ji Taoyu’s back was coated in a layer of cold sweat, jolted awake from a dream.
“What’s wrong? A nightmare?”
Hearing the slightly rough voice, Ji Taoyu remembered Huo Shu was still here.
He lifted his gaze to the man’s concerned expression, then buried his face against Huo Shu’s neck, whining, “I dreamed of a giant python coiling around my legs, opening its mouth to bite me. The pain woke me up.”
Huo Shu coughed dryly and patted the back of Ji Taoyu’s head.
“It’s just a dream.”
“It’s your fault. I never had nightmares like this before.”
Despite the complaint, Ji Taoyu stayed pressed against Huo Shu for a long while, not pulling away, instead clinging even tighter
“You’re so warm… like a giant tangpozi.”
They hadn’t even used a foot warmer last night, yet his hands and feet hadn’t felt the slightest chill. The bed had never been this cozy before.
He nuzzled against Huo Shu happily: No wonder people say it’s best to marry before the New Year.
Huo Shu sighed inwardly: This fool’s nice and warm, but what about me?
“I’m going back to sleep.”
Ji Taoyu’s voice trailed off as he spoke. By the time Huo Shu looked down, he was already asleep again.
This time, he slept until the sun was high in the sky.
“Should I wake him?”
Huo Shu couldn't stay in bed any longer once the sky was fully bright. He firmly tucked the person in and got up by himself.
In the yard, he practiced a set of martial arts, chopped firewood, and fetched water. In just a quarter of an hour, he finished all the work meant for Daniu, making Daniu feel rather embarrassed.
Seeing that it was almost time for breakfast and Ji Taoyu still hadn’t gotten up, Huo Shu mentioned it.
Ji Yangzong thought his ger was truly unreasonable—normally sleeping in was one thing, but sleeping so late on the first day after marriage was just asking to be laughed at, especially when his son-in-law had already done a full round of chores.
He initially intended to agree with Huo Shu and go wake him up, but Huang Manjing shot him a glare. Confused, Ji Yangzong thought to himself that it was only because they were still at home, if Ji Taoyu had really married into another family, he wondered if his mother-in-law would tolerate this behavior.
Glancing over, he saw Huo Shu, dressed in thin autumn clothes, walking past with an armful of firewood for the kitchen. While everyone else was bundled up like brown bears, he alone wore light clothing yet remained full of energy.
Seeing that Huo Shu hadn’t even eaten breakfast and had already done so much strenuous work early in the morning - looking like he could still plow two acres of land, Ji Yangzong suddenly remembered something and couldn’t help but cough dryly.
“He always sleeps more in winter. Let him rest. We’ll eat first.”
Huo Shu naturally said nothing, and the few of them had breakfast in the main hall.
They ate noodle soup with minced meat made from yesterday’s leftover preserved vegetable and braised pork.
“Now that we’re in the twelfth month, the New Year is just around the corner. With the big family matter settled, there’s not much else to do. Daniu, you can go home early for the New Year this time.”
At the table, Ji Yangzong said to the laborer, “You can pack up and leave today. There’s plenty of good food left from the banquet, take some home with you. You’ve spent most of the year away from home, and it’s not easy for your family.”
Daniu was overjoyed to hear he could go home early for the New Year and quickly said, “Thank you, village head.”
He wasn’t from Mingxun Village but was the son of a tenant family from another village. Because his family struggled, he had to work as a laborer away from home, rarely getting the chance to return even during holidays. Only at the end of the year could he go back once.
The sound of firecrackers everywhere in the twelfth month always made him miss home even more.
After speaking, Ji Yangzong turned to Huo Shu. “Yesterday, I noticed your master didn’t come to the banquet. He must still be upset about what happened before. Since you have time, go and check on him. After all, you work under him, so you can’t just leave things unresolved.”
Huo Shu agreed. Even if Ji Yangzong hadn’t mentioned it, he would have gone.
After breakfast, Huo Shu left for the city.
Ji Yangzong, meanwhile, had to return the tables, chairs, pots, and pans borrowed from the villagers for the banquet.
Huang Manjing picked out some intact leftover dishes like chicken, duck, and pork knuckles to bring to Yuan Huiru. She thought it was a pity, after finally gaining an adopted son to rely on, Huo Shu had now joined their family, leaving her alone again. She felt a little guilty about it.
Now that they were family, they ought to visit each other more often.
After returning from the Zhao family’s place, Huang Manjing noticed Ji Taoyu still hadn’t gotten up. She cooked another bowl of noodles and banged loudly on Ji Taoyu’s door.
After a long while, hurried footsteps sounded from inside. The door opened, and then the figure quickly darted back in.
Huang Manjing stared blankly at the swiftly retreating ger. After closing the door, she went in and set the noodles down.
Thank you for the chapter!
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