Chapter 49

Due to Wu Guihua and his son slandering Yong Ge as a fox spirit, Cheng Duo tried to take the back roads as much as possible when he returned home. He didn't want people to associate his own emaciation with Yong Ge.

Since that was the case, they would have to be even more careful in their future interactions, at least until his physique recovered. He couldn't openly reveal his relationship with Yong Ge.

Cheng Duo didn't want to hear rumors that he had been drained dry by Yong Ge…

Although Yong Ge had already explained it clearly, those bored people wouldn't care about the actual situation. They would still spread whatever they wanted.

Fortunately, Cheng Duo hadn't shown his face openly since he came down from the mountain. Even if someone happened to see him, they wouldn't be believed. Moreover, with his reputation in the village, he believed no one would have the audacity to come to his house to watch the commotion.

Cheng Duo returned home and continued absorbing crystal nuclei in the morning. With nothing to do in the afternoon, he planned to go up the mountain to find suitable materials for polishing the bow arm for Yong Ge. Suddenly, Li Erniu arrived.

He came to give Cheng Duo money. Previously, he had been sent by his own father to sell wolf meat. Because there was too much meat, he and Uncle Sha had made two trips. Fortunately, as expected, they managed to sell all the meat.

Actually, wolf meat was too tough, and it had a strong gamey taste. It couldn't compare to domesticated animals like pigs and cows. But in this day and age, meat was scarce. Cheng Duo had killed thirteen wolves in one go, so the money from selling the meat was quite substantial.

"A total of six taels and four hundred thirty-eight wen. My father asked me to bring it to you," Li Erniu said, patting his head.

Cheng Duo expressed his gratitude and took out a few coins from the money. "Take these four hundred wen and share them with Uncle Sha. Consider it payment for your hard work these past few days."

Li Erniu didn't dare to refuse and begrudgingly accepted it. Cheng Duo had indeed given them quite a lot for their efforts. Compared to toiling from morning to night on the twenty-li slope for forty wen, picking the meat was much easier.

After seeing Li Erniu off, Cheng Duo returned to his house and organized his money chest. He had leftover coins totaling a little over eight taels. Later, he and Yong Ge went to the twenty-li slope to sell some fur. After accounting for expenses and the money spent on buying pig oil and food, he had a total of seven taels and over five hundred wen left.

Combined with the seven taels he had from buying the land, Cheng Duo now had nearly twenty taels in his hands.

He casually threw the money chest into the storage space and went back up the mountain.

On the other side, Yong Ge was also counting money. Since he heard Cheng Duo say that he liked to eat eggs, he planned to buy another hen. However, he changed his mind and decided to buy a nest of baby chicks to raise instead.

The grains that Wu Guihua compensated him with were enough for him to eat for three to four months. In case his father came back with his two elder brothers, he would put the chickens in Cheng Duo's house. He believed that those two bastard brothers wouldn't dare to go to Cheng Duo's house to snatch them.

Yong Ge seemed to have heard Aunt Qian mention that he had bought baby chicks, so he took the money and a small jar of pickles and went to Aunt Qian's house.

"Yong Ge is here?" Aunt Qian found Yong Ge quite surprising. Previously, the two families hadn't interacted much due to Wu Guihua's incident.

Later, Li Wang initially severed ties, and Yong Ge brought up Wu Guihua's theft. This morning, he made Wu Guihua compensate for a chicken. Aunt Qian now found Yong Ge more likable.

"Aunt Qian, thanks for your help the other day when we had the theft incident at our house. This jar of pickles is made by me. Please don't dislike it…" Yong Ge handed the jar of pickles to Aunt Qian.

"Ah, what's that? You're being too polite, my child." Aunt Qian declined for a while, but seeing Yong Ge's genuine intention to give, she accepted it readily.

Although the pickles didn't cost much, Yong Ge's attitude made her feel at ease. In contrast to Wu Guihua, who only took and never gave and would even strip someone's skin off, maintaining a relationship requires mutual give and take.

"Come in quickly." Aunt Qian held the jar of pickles and called out loudly, "Yu Ge, look who's here! Hurry up and tidy up, come out and talk to him!"

She called once but didn't hear any sound from the house, so she directly opened the door and led Yong Ge inside. Yu Ge stood by the window, holding a needle and thread, looking helpless. When he saw Yong Ge enter, he smiled somewhat awkwardly and quickly lowered his head.

Yong Ge was pushed to sit on the edge of the kang, feeling like he was the master of the house.

"You child, why are you standing? Welcome our guest!" Aunt Qian scolded while feeling a bit distressed. "This is Yong Ge. Don't you recognize him?"

Yu Ge indeed hesitated to recognize Yong Ge. At first glance, he was somewhat amazed, and now, as his own aunt held him down to sit opposite Yong Ge, he realized that his aunt was right—Yong Ge had indeed become handsome.

Yu Ge felt somewhat ashamed and lowered his head, calling out softly, "…Yong Ge."

He was extremely thin, but his thinness was different from Cheng Duo's. YuGe had a pale complexion and lifeless eyes. He spoke softly, as if lacking confidence.

Yong Ge didn't know what was going on and could only turn to look at Aunt Qian.

Aunt Qian said resentfully, "If it weren't for Wu Guihua spreading rumors everywhere, saying that our Yu Ge has high cheekbones and ruins people's marriages, why would he be afraid to leave the house?"

When Yu Ge heard the phrase "ruins people's marriages," he trembled, feeling even more embarrassed as he lowered his head.

Actually, Yu Ge wasn't ugly. It's just that his face lacked flesh, making his cheekbones appear high. His marriage had already reached the stage of exchanging betrothal gifts, but as soon as the rumors spread, the other party's parents refused. They quickly arranged a different marriage for their son. Yu Ge had been burdened by this, becoming even thinner and less willing to go outside.

He was afraid of people staring at his face…

Aunt Qian looked at her own son, who resembled a quail, feeling a mix of emotions. It was she who initially set her sights on the Huang family, so the failed marriage made her feel even more guilty.

Aunt Qian had the intention of keeping Yong Ge around and coaxed him, saying, "Yong Ge, our Yu Ge has been cooped up at home all this time without anyone to talk to. Why don't you chat with him?"

Yong Ge knew that Aunt Qian had misunderstood. She thought he had come today just to reciprocate the gift, so she had been pulling him along, asking him to talk to Yu Ge.

He was willing to make friends, of course, but he had come today to buy baby chicks… Yong Ge thought for a moment and decided to explain his purpose to Aunt Qian.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Qian said, "That's easy. Hu Lai's family in Yangshu Village is incubating baby chicks. Yu Ge went with me before to buy some. Let him take you there."

She seemed eager for Yu Ge to go out. Now that there was another companion, Aunt Qian gave a reassuring look to Yong Ge before urging Yu Ge to leave.

Yu Ge didn't talk much, but it was evident that he still wanted a friend of the same age. When Yong Ge spoke to him, although Yu Ge couldn't meet his gaze, he answered each question softly and attentively.

The two of them chatted aimlessly, and Yu Ge was no longer as reserved as before. However, Yong Ge noticed that he seemed to deliberately avoid other men. Whenever he encountered a stranger, he would quickly walk away.

When they arrived at Hu Lai's house in Yangshu Village, all the men from the Hu family were out in the fields. Only their son stayed behind to greet them. Yu Ge visibly relaxed.

Hu Lai's son seemed to be skilled in raising chickens. There were mother hens freely roaming inside and outside the courtyard, pecking at the ground for insects. Yong Ge bought fifteen baby chicks from him and calculated the price. He also asked for thirty eggs.

Hu Lai's son was a little surprised. "Are you planning to incubate the eggs yourself?"

"No, I'm buying them to eat. Just give me regular eggs," Yong Ge said somewhat sheepishly. Usually, they would only take three to five eggs when visiting relatives. Unless there was a patient or a woman in confinement at home, they wouldn't buy so many eggs to eat.

Hu Lai's son glanced at Yong Ge's face and didn't say anything. He went inside to count the eggs.

Yu Ge had been quiet all along, only offering to help Yong Ge when he couldn't carry the basket of eggs.

As they walked back together, the atmosphere was pleasant. However, on the way, Sha Yang suddenly appeared. "Yong Ge, how come you didn't call me when you went to buy baby chicks? This basket must be heavy. Let me help you carry it."

He said, reaching for the basket in Yong Ge's hands.

"No need, I can manage." Yong Ge certainly couldn't let him take it and swiftly evaded him, urging Yu Ge to walk quickly.

"Yong Ge, I convinced my parents already. They'll invite the matchmaker to our house in a few days!" Sha Yang shouted loudly, following behind them.

"What nonsense are you talking about? It has nothing to do with me!" Yong Ge was furious when he heard this. By saying so, wasn't he telling others that they had a private relationship, and that Sha Yang had influenced his parents to accept the proposal?

"Yong Ge, my parents really agreed. We've settled it. After the autumn harvest, I'll welcome you into our family, and you should hurry up and give birth to a chubby grandson for them. Then they'll accept you willingly."

"I'm not interested!" Yong Ge's face turned red. "You can propose to anyone you want, just don't involve me. It has nothing to do with me and you!"

This was the main road at the entrance of the village, and there were still people in the fields. Sha Yang was shameless, yet he still wanted to continue?

"Yong Ge, don't be shy. We're about to get engaged," Sha Yang said. He then tried to snatch the basket from Yong Ge's hands. Once again, Yong Ge evaded him and, feeling wronged, Sha Yang said, "What's the big deal if I help you carry it?"

"My father won't agree!" Yong Ge originally wanted to say he wouldn't agree, but as a filial son, he knew that his parents were the ones who had the final say in marriage matters. Saying such a thing would be shocking and unconventional.

When Sha Yang heard Yong Ge mention his father, he finally showed a troubled expression. He was eager to marry Yong Ge, but if his father didn't return home, would he never be able to marry?

Yong Ge was not young anymore, and his parents already had objections. If it continued to be delayed, they would surely have more to say…