The Little Ancestor in His Hands

"I'm not afraid! I just want to marry you!" Su Xiaoxiao interrupted him hastily. She was afraid he would misunderstand that she only married him for fear that rumors might in the village. Since she had already made up her mind to live with this man, she didn't want any misunderstandings between them.

"I'm just a country bumpkin, and if you marry me, you might never be able to return to the city in your lifetime," Jiang Yexun said in a hoarse voice, struggling to remind her. He didn't want the city girl to regret her decision, but he was also afraid of hearing an answer that would make him regret it.

His voice trembled slightly out of nervousness, and it tugged at Su Xiaoxiao's heartstrings. "I'm not afraid! I want to marry you!" She buried her head in Jiang Yexun's neck and nuzzled him like a little kitten.

Jiang Yexun's breath hitched, and he couldn't restrain himself any longer. He tightly embraced the girl in his arms. "You provoked me first, so don't regret it." He gritted his teeth, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart.

He didn't understand why the attitude of the little educated youth had suddenly changed, but now that she had given him the chance to make his dream come true, he would never let go. He knew that the village was not as good as the big city, and marrying the little educated youth would mean a lot of hardships for her. However, he vowed to make her life better and eventually bring her back to the city.

"Then you should come and marry me quickly," Su Xiaoxiao poked at him and pointed at his sturdy chest. Her sweet smile was tender and soft.

"Alright!" Jiang Yexun nodded vigorously.

His eyes, now wide open, gazed passionately and attentively at the girl in his arms. He wished he could just meld her into his body. The countless nights he had dreamt of her had finally become a reality, and he couldn't restrain himself any longer.

Jiang Yexun carried Su Xiaoxiao into the educated youth dormitory and gently placed her on the bed. Just as he was about to move away, the young girl immediately clung to him. She didn't say a word; instead, she tightly pursed her little lips, appearing both aggrieved and shy, and slowly moved her small hand to his waist.

Not only that, she began to fidget restlessly, her movements becoming increasingly unrestrained. She was only wearing a work vest, and now there was a gap that had been inadvertently created, exposing the soft and tender skin on his lower back. This made Jiang Yexun's muscles tense throughout his body, and his breathing became heavy. Worried that someone behind him might see it, he reached over to grab a neatly folded blanket and covered Su Xiaoxiao with it. His other arm remained hidden beneath the blanket, gently tightening around her waist.

"Be good, let go for now. They'll be here soon," Jiang Yexun spoke in a low, soothing voice, as if he were coaxing a child.

Su Xiaoxiao knew she had to let go, but she couldn't control herself. Biting her lower lip, she used her fingers to resist.

But as soon as she moved her hand away a little, she felt like she had used up all her self-control. This made her anxious, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Yexun felt a sharp pain in his heart. "Darling, I promise you, if you let go now, I'll make sure you get to hold me as much as you want when having the chance," he said, his patience worn thin, resorting to gentle persuasion.

"Who wants to hold you? You smell all sweaty!" Su Xiaoxiao scolded, feeling both embarrassed and shy. But ultimately, she managed to summon the last of her rationality and pushed Jiang Yexun away. Her actions resembled those of a rogue who would put on pants and deny everything.

Jiang Yexun let out a sigh and rubbed his fingers which he just removed from her back. He felt a bit empty inside, but the thought that she had listened to him because of his promise filled him with joy.

This was the first time he had entered an educated youth's room. Upon careful inspection, he realized that the room was even more rudimentary than he had imagined. It was only because the construction materials used in the early years were of good quality that it remained habitable all these years without any major renovations.

The adobe walls were not only shedding dust but also had several cracks. It was likely that rainwater would seep in, not to mention heating the room in winter. The bone-chilling cold winds of winter could easily find their way in.

Thinking about the little educated youth living in it, Jiang Yexun furrowed his brow.

Fortunately, although the room was lacking in furnishings, the educated youths were relatively neat, and everything was neatly arranged.

The bed sheets and covers were washed almost white, and some even had patches. It seemed that the conditions for the educated youths weren't as good as the villagers had thought.

But everything on the little educated youth's bed was new. Even though it was just the beginning of autumn, her quilt was thick enough to keep her warm. Even if the room was drafty, she wouldn't feel cold.

However, the stitches on the quilt were crooked and had caused some cotton stuffing to come out. Su Xiaoxiao followed Jiang’s gaze and lowered her head. Seeing the messy stitches on the quilt, her face turned red with embarrassment. She quickly reached out to press down on the clump of cotton fluff that was blowing in the wind.

Su Xiaoxiao explained, "I was in a hurry last time, that's why the stitches aren't well-done. But I'm actually good at sewing."

Jiang Yexun clearly didn't believe her. He tightened the quilt around her a bit and said in a deep voice, "I'll take care of this from now on."

The little educated youth's hands were so tender, probably because her parents had spoiled her before. After they got married, he wouldn't let her do any work. It wouldn’t do if he failed to treat this girl better than her parents.

"Which cup is yours? Have some hot water." Jiang Yexun turned around and walked to the two thermos flasks placed against the wall. Even though he had repeatedly told himself not to daydream during the day, he couldn't help but gather information about the little educated youth. That was why he knew that these two thermos flasks were all hers and the flashlight in the room belonged to her as well.

"The white teacup on the table is mine," Su Xiaoxiao said, peeking out from under the blanket. Jiang Yexun's gaze fell on the only table in the room.

He noticed that it was made from boards and four thick wooden logs, and it was even worse than the poorest households in the village. His thick eyebrows knitted even tighter. He had to marry the little educated youth quickly; he couldn't let her suffer here anymore.

Jiang Yexun picked up the cleanest teacup and poured her a cup of hot water. "After you finish drinking, take a bath and change into clean clothes. I'll go heat some water for you right now."

He watched as Su Xiaoxiao drank the water in small sips and couldn't help but find her incredibly adorable. His gaze gradually shifted to her moist and plump red lips, which still bore traces of glistening water droplets. Jiang Yexun swallowed nervously, fearing that if he continued to gaze at them, he might not be able to resist kissing her. He quickly averted his gaze.

"Okay," Su Xiaoxiao obediently replied, and he left the room. When he saw the educated youths gathered outside the door, Jiang Yexun pursed his lips and politely, yet somewhat distantly asked, "Could I borrow some firewood from you? I want to boil some water for Educated Youth Su, and I'll return it shortly."

"It's no problem; go ahead and use it," the educated youths hurriedly responded.

"Thank you." Jiang Yexun went to the kitchen, washed a pot, and lit a strong fire in the stove. What would normally take fifteen minutes to boil, now took only ten. He poured the boiling water into the two partially empty thermos flasks. The remaining water was placed in a wooden bucket, and after filling a tub with cold water from the vat, he carried everything to Su Xiaoxiao's room.

"You can bathe inside. After you're done, get back under the blanket and take a nap. Your clothes are over there; I'll wash them for you. I'll bring lunch in a little while. Doctor Cui said your health isn't good, so you need to take care of yourself." Jiang Yexun placed the two wooden buckets in the middle of the room and gave her meticulous instructions.

"I can wash my clothes by myself," Su Xiaoxiao retorted, pouting. She crawled out of bed slowly. Her big, watery eyes stared directly at Jiang Yexun. Her five toes, exposed outside the blanket, were adorably searching for her shoes on the floor. Jiang Yexun couldn't help but feel his heart warming at the sight, and his eyes grew warm as well.