Fang Zichen frowned. "No wonder when I went to fetch water and came back, you were gone. You're not fully recovered yet. Why chop firewood? Is there no firewood at home? If not, just buy some from He Xi!"
"There's not much silver left at home." Zhao Ger lowered his gaze, whispering somewhat dejectedly, "We should save where we can. I have nothing to do in the mornings anyway. The ducks can be prepared in the evening. Now we need hot water every day at home, which uses a lot of firewood! I chop, Xiao Feng bundles. In a day, we can manage several bundles!"
Fang Zichen raised an eyebrow. He had done firewood chopping once. The hardships involved were not something to be casually mentioned.
The mountains were overgrown with grass, making each step difficult. Mosquitoes and ants loved to swarm people. Last time he went, he came back with several large swollen bites on his face. "That's only ten copper coins. Earning money is too hard now, but..."
Zhao Ger was curious about his 'but' and asked, pretending to be casual, "But what?"
Fang Zichen turned his head, offering his cheek. "I found a job for you. As long as you give me a kiss, I'll give you a hundred copper coins."
Zhao Ger narrowed his eyes, slightly tilting his chin to look at Fang Zichen, a hint of 'expectation' hidden in his gaze. "Really?"
Fang Zichen nodded. "A word once spoken cannot be overtaken even by a team of four horses."
[一言既出，驷马难追 (yī yán jì chū, sì mǎ nán zhuī): lit. a word once spoken, a team of four horses cannot overtake it; fig. a promise must be kept]
Zhao Ger smiled. "Then I could kiss you into bankruptcy."
"Hmph~" Fang Zichen scoffed. "Bring it on."
Zhao Ger leaned in. Just as Fang Zichen was about to close his eyes, Zhao Ger grabbed his ear. Fang Zichen yelped, then immediately covered his mouth, remembering his son had just fallen asleep.
"Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! Zhao Momo, let go!"
[嬷嬷 (mómo): a term for an older female servant, often a nanny or housekeeper. Here, Fang Zichen is jokingly comparing Zhao Ger to Rong Momo (容嬷嬷), the stern and formidable elderly servant character from the Empress's entourage in the classic drama My Fair Princess, known for her intimidating presence and ruthless methods.]
Zhao Ger's face darkened, his expression changing swiftly. "Where did you get the silver?"
The silver Fang Zichen earned was dutifully handed over to him every month. For this sum to suddenly appear, Zhao Ger couldn't help but be suspicious.
Fang Zichen was quite honest. "It's from that old beast of the Sun family."
Zhao Ger asked, "Then why didn't you mention it before?"
Fang Zichen's eyes darted about. "I didn't say?"
Zhao Ger said firmly, "No."
"Then I must have forgotten."
Zhao Ger let go, stared at him fixedly, and held out his hand. The meaning was clear.
Fang Zichen pouted, jumped off the bed, rummaged in the cabinet a couple of times, and pulled a few silver notes from inside a pale green robe. He gave them a shake—the crisp rustle of paper money filled the air—and handed them over.
"Here, for you."
Just as Zhao Ger reached out to take them, before touching them, Fang Zichen pulled his hand back.
"Don't want it? Zhao Ger, I knew I wasn't wrong about you. I said you weren't the kind of ger who coveted my money. This makes me like you even more!"
Zhao Ger: "..."
Zhao Ger pressed his lips together, but ultimately couldn't hold back, letting out a soft laugh. He gently kicked Fang Zichen's knee. "Just hand it over."
Fang Zichen gave him the banknotes.
Not much, just over four hundred taels.
The Sun Family Cloth Shop wasn't the only one in town and didn't earn huge profits. Having recently invested all their silver in new stock, they had little leftover cash. These four hundred-plus taels were what Sun Zongze had borrowed from friends by swallowing his pride.
Now he was sitting in jail, and his home had been ransacked by the people Fang Zichen sent. This debt probably wouldn't be repaid.
Fang Zichen pulled Zhao Ger into his arms, pinching his face. The touch was soft. Zhao Ger's waist was very slender, and his buttocks didn't have much meat either. But his face looked plump and round, truly adorable.
He wasn't old, only nineteen. Now that he had regained his fairness, with his little round face, he looked even more tender.
If he had been born in modern times, at this age, he should still be in school. He would be like most boys—a confident, dazzling youth. He might secretly date, discuss which girls were pretty with friends, and on sunny afternoons, sweat freely on the sports field with other youths. If he were good at basketball, scoring might earn cheers from girls.
If he'd been less fortunate and never had the chance to study, he might have ended up in a factory tightening screws all day, then heading out after work with friends to 'Yo, check it out'. But no matter what, he shouldn't be like this now—clutching a money jar, consumed with worry over every coin, bearing the weight of a family, agonizing over saving a mere dozen or so coppers, his heart heavy with sorrow.
He was only nineteen, yet already the father of a three-year-old child.
How utterly fucking miraculous.
After pinching, Fang Zichen couldn't help but kiss it again, his heart aching as he said, "It's not like we're so poor we can't lift the pot lid. Don't go chop firewood tomorrow. That work is exhausting, and you've just recovered."
"I'm already fine." Zhao Ger buried himself in his embrace, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I've rested for two months, not doing any work. I've gained a lot of weight."
Fang Zichen propped himself up to look at him. "Nonsense. Where have you gained weight?"
Zhao Ger mumbled, "You said just the other day that my face used to be as round as a plate, but now it's like a basin."
Fang Zichen: "...Did I?"
"Yes!"
"So that happened." Fang Zichen puckered his lips, leaning close to Zhao Ger, his words slightly slurred. "It talked nonsense. Punish it, then!"
"Punish it?" Zhao Ger raised an eyebrow. "Like how?"
"Mm! Use your mouth to kiss it fiercely, take advantage of it, kiss it until its skin peels and it loses its breath. Come on, ravage it ruthlessly. I won't resist at all."
Zhao Ger chuckled softly.
"You just want to take advantage of me. Really shameless."
Fang Zichen laughed too. "You really don't take me for a man! A man in bed, what use does he have for face?"
"Scoundrel!"
"Scoundrel, then, scoundrel it is. Come on, give me a sweet kiss."
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