Chapter 370
Fang Zichen rushed over and scooped up Gungun and Dandan in one go. Though he'd been gone for over ten days, the twins still remembered him. They were delighted to see him and kept howling with joy, just like a pair of little wolf cubs.
Fang Zichen kissed them. The two little ones nuzzled against him, chuckling happily, clearly overjoyed.
Guaizai tilted his head up and said urgently, "Father, Guaizai wants to hold the little brothers too!"
Feeling the solid weight in his arms, Fang Zichen said, "Your little brothers are getting heavy now. Can you even lift them? Don't go squishing the poop right out of them."
Gungun and Dandan's faces had grown as round as full moons now—just looking at their faces, they seemed even bigger-headed than Guaizai.
Guaizai absolutely adored his two little brothers. He frowned stubbornly and said, "Guaizai can do it! The little brothers are small, not heavy at all."
Fang Zichen handed him the lighter of the two, Gungun. Guaizai could indeed manage the weight, and he immediately started calling out to Gungun.
"Little brother, do you still remember your big brother?"
Gungun kicked his little legs and pressed his face against Guaizai's neck, babbling, "Ah-ya!"
Guaizai bounced him gently a couple of times and said smugly, "Why are you drooling, huh? Is it because your big brother is so handsome? Hehehe—Gungun is such a silly little lovesick brother."
Xiao Feng laughed and pinched Guaizai's cheek. "No, it's because Gungun is teething."
Guaizai grinned wide. Xiao Feng noticed that after being away for a while, Guaizai's front teeth had also started growing in—now showing tiny white tips.
"Guaizai is teething too, but Guaizai doesn't drool at all!"
Xiao Feng wanted to say something, but looking at Guaizai's bright, sparkling eyes and that cocky, king-of-the-world attitude that was exactly like Fang Zichen's, he found himself at a loss for words.
By the time Fang Zichen came riding up on his horse, everyone had already spotted him. Now they watched him with a mix of curiosity and awe.
So this was their prefect!
He was truly handsome, wasn't he?
And remarkably young for a prefect—the highest official in the entire prefecture. No young man in the village had ever achieved anything close to this.
Whose son was he? His parents must be so proud.
Zhao Ger pushed through the crowd and rushed over, linking his arm through Fang Zichen's. His round face was beaming with undisguised joy.
"You're back."
Fang Zichen smiled and gently nudged him with his elbow. "So happy to see me?"
Zhao Ger was utterly honest. "Mm. You've been gone almost half a month."
Other than the time he had gone back to his hometown for ancestral rites, the two had never been apart this long. There was no denying it—Zhao Ger had missed him terribly. Right now, he didn't care who was watching. With one arm linked through Fang Zichen's and the other hand playfully tugging at Guaizai's little topknot like he was pulling a radish, he started leading them back inside.
Knowing that they'd rushed all the way back without eating anything, Zhao Ger went into the kitchen himself and cooked them a pot of noodles. He used free-range eggs bought from the villagers, frying them in lard until both sides were golden and fragrant. He stir-fried some small homegrown tomatoes until they broke down into a rich red sauce, tossed in a handful of fresh leafy greens, and added a spoonful of chili sauce. Fang Zichen ate with great relish, while Guaizai sat nearby swinging his short little legs, slurping up his noodles just as eagerly.
Xiao Feng sat beside them holding Gungun, while Dandan was still in Fang Zichen's arms. Fang Zichen was eating away when suddenly a tiny chubby hand shot straight into his bowl like a rocket.
Fang Zichen nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Holy—!"
Without a word, Dandan grabbed a fistful of noodles and shoved them into his mouth.
"That's spicy! You can't eat that!"
Fang Zichen tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Guaizai dropped his chopsticks and scrambled to intervene. "Little brother, no! Can't eat! If you eat it, your butt's gonna be on fire!"
Zhao Ger was washing the pot when he heard the sound of a child wailing. He hurried out to see what was wrong and found Dandan covered in noodles, his little mouth puffed out into a "duck-bill" pout, his cheeks and face red and swollen from the spice. His heart ached at the sight—but when he learned what had caused it, he couldn't help but find it hilarious.
Fang Zichen was completely flustered. Dandan was crying so hard he could barely catch his breath. Zhao Ger, experienced as ever, calmly gave him several sips of water and some milk, and only then did Dandan finally stop crying, though he was still hiccupping between sobs.
Fang Zichen's whole body tensed up. "Zhao Ger, this isn't my fault!"
Dandan had never done anything like that before, and the speed—like a rocket launch—had been impossible to block in time.
Zhao Ger just smiled and said it was fine.
The kids had only just learned to "snatch food" in the past few days; they'd put anything they saw into their mouths. He hadn't had a chance to warn Fang Zichen beforehand, so there was no one to blame.
His calmness made Fang Zichen even more nervous. "Zhao Ger, if you're mad, just yell at me. Don't hold back some big punishment for later! Your dear little husband is delicate and frail, prettier than a flower—I can't take it."
Zhao Ger burst out laughing, his eyes crinkling with mirth. He said softly, "I won't hit you. If I break you, you won't be able to deliver your 'tribute' tonight."
Fang Zichen: "..."
That's quite... blunt! But I like it.
He'd have another bowl of noodles, and tonight he was going ten rounds with this little vixen.
Dandan let out another "Ah-ya!" Guaizai gently poked his mouth and said, "Little brother looks so sexy now, hehehe!"
Dandan didn't understand, but he'd already forgotten the pain and thought Guaizai was playing with him, so he started giggling again.
Guaizai gave him a kiss.
By afternoon, Zhang Quan and the others finally arrived at Pingxiang Village.
The carriage was slower, and Fang Zichen had been too eager, so he'd ridden ahead in the morning.
Just then, Uncle Tang was returning from washing clothes by the river. He saw two carriages pull up at the courtyard gate, and out came a whole line of young women and gers, one after another. His brow immediately furrowed.
Zhao Ger was inside changing the babies' pants, while Fang Zichen was in the yard. Uncle Tang pulled him aside and whispered, "Master, those people outside... are they your... your new concubines?"
Down in Shunan, merchants flocked together in large numbers. Fang Zichen had gone there to suppress bandits, and it wouldn't be unusual for some merchants to send beautiful companions his way as a gesture of goodwill. Men often took multiple wives and concubines, after all—but Uncle Tang felt uneasy about it.
Fang Zichen blinked. "What are you talking about? I'm a married man! I'm faithful—I'm a good man! If Zhao Ger heard you say that, you'd be burying me tomorrow."
"Then who are they?"
Fang Zichen explained in a few quick sentences. Uncle Tang sighed after hearing it—they were all poor souls who'd suffered.
After going through such hardships, it was better for them to leave that place and start fresh somewhere new. No one here knew about their past, so there'd be no gossip to haunt them.
"I'll go make arrangements for them."
"Go on, go on."
At this point, Fang Zichen had no mind for anything else. All he could think about was getting down to some "monster fighting" with Zhao Ger that night.
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