Zhao Ger changed the babies' pants, then personally went to the village to buy a chicken. He thought Guaizai looked a little thinner and wanted to fatten him up.
Fang Zichen was speechless. Thinner? Where? He didn't see it at all. The whole way back, the little rascal had been running around with those young women and gers, having the time of his life—he'd only come looking for Fang Zichen when he was tired and wanted to sleep. Zhao Ger made it sound like he'd been abusing their son!
After dinner, Fang Zichen bolted straight for their room.
Xiao Feng watched him rush off like his pants were on fire and asked curiously, "Is Uncle Fang that tired?"
Zhao Ger's cheeks flushed red as he changed the subject. "There aren't enough rooms tonight. Do you mind sharing with Guaizai?"
The weather was warm now, so the imperial guards could set up tents outside the village. But the young women and gers Fang Zichen had brought back couldn't sleep outdoors. Uncle Tang had fixed up two rooms for them, which left Guaizai without a place to stay—they certainly couldn't have him sleeping in a tree.
Xiao Feng nodded without objection. It wasn't as if they hadn't shared a bed before. Even though Guaizai was already seven, he was still tiny, with a butt no bigger than a bowl.
Zhao Ger finished his meal and hurried off to bathe. The moment he stepped through the door, Fang Zichen pounced, slamming one hand against the door panel beside Zhao Ger's head like some greasy Casanova:
"Hey there, little beauty..."
"The kids aren't asleep yet!" Zhao Ger laughed, pointing at the crib where Gungun and Dandan lay.
Fang Zichen turned around and saw the two children staring up at them with their big, pitch-black eyes, blinking without a sound.
Even though his skin was as thick as a city wall, doing that right under his children's noses was a bit much even for Fang Zichen.
Zhao Ger watched as he walked over and manually shut the children's eyes with his hands. "Go to sleep right now, or I'm throwing you in the pigpen."
Fang Zichen covered Gungun and Dandan's eyes, but the two little ones thought he was playing with them and only laughed harder.
Fang Zichen was exasperated. In the end, Zhao Ger had to take charge. He'd just gotten the twins settled when Fang Zichen suddenly grabbed him, pressing his warm lips against Zhao Ger's without warning.
It was so abrupt that Zhao Ger froze stiff as a board. His head felt fuzzy, his cheeks flushing red. It wasn't until he felt the faint sting of teeth on his lips that he managed to pull back a sliver of awareness.
Zhao Ger wrapped his arms around Fang Zichen's waist and half-closed his eyes. Fang Zichen pulled him tight, kissing him with greedy hunger as he murmured against his lips:
"Did you miss me? Hm?"
Zhao Ger felt Fang Zichen's leg slip between his thighs, and his face burned so hot it was almost on fire.
Fang Zichen, dissatisfied with his hesitation, bit savagely at his lips, forcing his way past his teeth, sweeping up his soft, scorching tongue in a wild, greedy suck and swirl.
His fierce, deep kisses and probing left Zhao Ger weak all over, his mind dizzy and blank.
His whole body trembled as Fang Zichen's hand slid under his inner garment and gripped his smooth waist, kneading it firmly. Waves of tingling heat shot up his spine and completely wiped out whatever reason he had left.
Fang Zichen carried him to the bed and pressed him down.
The close contact made both of them burn even hotter. Fang Zichen held him and murmured tenderly,
"Little steamed bun spirit, did you miss me or not?"
In his daze, Zhao Ger threw a punch at him.
"Then what kind of spirit are you?"
Seeing his cheeks puffed up with anger, Fang Zichen couldn't help but chuckle, biting his earlobe and sucking gently.
Zhao Ger trembled slightly. Fang Zichen's burning chest pressed against him, and the heat stirred a growing wave of longing deep inside his own body.
Fang Zichen's kisses trailed down his neck, going lower and lower. Zhao Ger let out a muffled groan and arched his neck back. When Fang Zichen asked again, he was gasping and trembling, curled against his chest like a kitten, whimpering, "Yes, my husband. I missed you very much."
---
Fang Zichen had been busy for half a month straight. Zhao Ger knew he must be tired, so in the morning he specifically told Uncle Tang not to wake him—to let him sleep his fill.
Over in Anping County, most villagers grew rice, two seasons a year. The first season was sown from the latter half of the second month through mid-third month, and harvested around the latter half of the sixth month. Out in the fields now, the rice heads were just beginning to yellow.
After waking, Fang Zichen didn't go out either; he stayed home playing with the two little ones.
As for the people he had brought back, Zhao Ger arranged for them to work at the factory site.
Most of the workers there were men. At first, they were a little scared, but once they saw Uncle Tang and Xiao Feng were there, they felt at ease.
Zhao Ger didn't have them do any heavy work—just helping shovel some dirt.
When people have work to keep them busy, they don't have time to dwell on painful memories.
Zhao Ger worked alongside them for a while, then thought about the two little ones at home with only Fang Zichen and Guaizai watching them, and felt uneasy. Besides, it was getting late, so he headed back to cook. Just as he reached the yard, he heard bright, clear laughter from the children inside.
When he stepped in and saw the scene, Zhao Ger's face went dark.
Three children were dangling from a fishing net tied to the roof beam. Guaizai had his arms around Gungun and Dandan, one on each side. The two little ones were soft and warm, pressed against his chest, and Guaizai looked utterly blissful, as if he were in heaven.
Fang Zichen pushed them back and forth, one swing at a time. The children were overjoyed, their laughter ringing out without pause—and after that, they insisted on playing this game every single day.
The farther Fang Zichen pushed them, the more the children laughed—and the more Uncle Tang's heart leaped into his throat, terrified the net would tear and all three would fall and crack their heads open.
After Fang Zichen had rested a few days, Li Yisheng had already returned to Luoshan County. Construction on the factory there had begun, but the paper mill over here had been forced to stop work.
In Anping County, it was time to harvest the rice.
This was right in the middle of the rainy season. Once the rice ripened, it had to be brought in right away—otherwise, when the rain came and the wind blew strong, the stalks would topple and lie in the water, where the rice would likely rot. Plus, there were too many rats in the fields. The men had to go back and rush the harvest, so naturally the construction had to pause.
Bored with nothing to do, Fang Zichen put the children in woven baskets on his back and followed Zhao Ger into the village.
The villagers were busy harvesting rice in the fields. When they saw Fang Zichen walking hand in hand with Zhao Ger, with Guaizai hopping and skipping beside them—while Gungun and Dandan were so round and plump that they barely fit into one carrying basket, squeezed so tight they couldn't move, only their little heads poking out, though neither of them cried, just swiveled their eyes all around—the villagers straightened up and greeted them nervously.
Fang Zichen gestured for them to get back to work. By the roadside, someone's field hadn't been cut yet. Fang Zichen took a closer look, then hefted a rice head in his hand. The grains were terribly shriveled and sparse, with almost no weight to them. No wonder, after a whole year of hard labor, they still couldn't eat their fill.
With modern crops and fertilizer, by the autumn harvest the rice heads would bend all the way to the ground—there was simply no comparison.
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