The next day, Xue Niang woke up very early. In the kitchen, Xiao Shan had already prepared breakfast and was eating at the table.
He was wearing the long gown he hadn't worn in a long time, looking tall and heroic. Seeing Xue Niang enter, he didn't even lift his head.
"Xiao Shan, are you going to the market today?"
Xue Niang remembered he had said he needed to fix the roof beam today and would need to buy some sticky rice dumplings and other food.
Xiao Shan grunted in affirmation.
"I want to go too."
"...Mm."
Xiao Shan finally looked up at Xue Niang. His gaze fell on her left wrist, where a thin bloodstain was fresh, not even scabbed over yet.
A surge of resentment rose within him, which he forcibly suppressed.
Had she harmed herself again?
Was his touch so unbearable for her?
Xiao Shan put down his bowl heavily and went out to find the cart.
The wild boar's head and all four legs had been removed. The rest was loaded onto the cart. Lai Cai secretly clicked his tongue, realizing this was another significant sum of money! Brother Xiao's life was truly good.
It was just that the young couple seemed a bit off today. They hadn't spoken a word to each other all the way. In the past, Brother Xiao would have had his arm around his wife, but today he had a stern face, his head turned away, not even looking at her.
As for Sister Xiao, she seemed fine, except she had been lost in thought the entire journey.
Upon entering the city, Xiao Shan delivered the wild boar to the restaurant, bought sticky rice dumplings, some dried fruits, and firecrackers.
Xue Niang had followed him all the way. Seeing that Xiao Shan had finished his shopping, she stepped forward quickly, fearing he would leave: "Xiao Shan—"
Just then, a carriage sped past. Xiao Shan, with quick reflexes, pulled Xue Niang to his side, preventing her from being hit.
Once she was safe, Xiao Shan let go of her.
Xue Niang was now jumpy about everything. After the carriage passed, her heart fluttered with panic for a moment before she turned to Xiao Shan, who had been standing there waiting for her to speak, and said, "Shall we go see Linglong?"
What was the point of going there?
Xiao Shan remained silent, only nodding.
Linglong seemed to have gained weight, wearing a loose male outfit, but her complexion was still not good.
Qu Linglong was a little surprised to see them arrive together and glanced at Xiao Shan. Wasn't Brother Xiao the most cautious? It didn't seem like his style to associate with her so openly.
Could it be that they had consummated their marriage and Xue Niang was pregnant?
Qu Linglong looked at Xue Niang's belly, then at her complexion. Brother Xiao was indeed good at taking care of her. Xue Niang's face was smooth and tender, her pointed chin also rounded, making her look like a delicate doll, stunningly beautiful.
"Linglong, take a look at Xiao Shan for me."
"Ah? Brother Xiao? What's wrong with him?" Qu Linglong glanced at Xiao Shan, who was standing by, and noticed he also looked at Xue Niang in surprise.
"He coughed up blood yesterday!"
He coughed up blood because you angered him!
Xiao Shan gritted his teeth, his face cold and unmoving.
Xue Niang didn't think that far. Seeing he wasn't stepping forward, she grabbed his hand and pulled him a couple of steps. "Linglong, feel his pulse, is there anything wrong?"
Her soft hand cupped his large one, her worry evident on her face. Xiao Shan's gaze was complex, and his heart felt a pang of soreness.
Qu Linglong took Xiao Shan's pulse. "There's nothing wrong! He's very strong!"
It's just a bit of pent-up frustration. Looking at his cold face, she knew he was angry. She wondered what kind of quarrel the young couple had.
"Is he really okay? But he coughed up blood yesterday!"
Xue Niang confirmed repeatedly until Qu Linglong took his pulse again and still said there was nothing wrong. Only then did she show a look of relief, thinking to herself: Could her divine power be working?
Xiao Shan stared at their hands for a long time before saying in a low voice, "Let's go!"
On the way back, Xue Niang's expression was noticeably more relaxed.
The two of them, carrying their purchases, went directly to the new house. Zhu Zi and the others were already waiting, along with a few curious villagers.
"Brother Xiao, you've worried me to death. You almost missed the auspicious time. Hurry and get ready, it's time."
Zhu Zi quickly called out to Yu Tou and the others to unload the items from the cart and set them up.
Everything went smoothly. After burning paper offerings, Xiao Shan carried a thick, straight beam onto the roof. Others assisted him. Once it was all secured, Meng You Liang pasted red paper with auspicious characters on both sides of the house. Yu Tou shouted to Xue Niang, "Sister Xue, cover your ears, I'm going to light the firecrackers."
Xue Niang quickly covered her ears as the firecrackers crackled. Xiao Shan grabbed a handful of dried fruits mixed with red paper from the roof beam and scattered them down. The villagers cheered as they rushed to catch and pick them up.
Is this what they call fixing the roof beam?
More villagers gradually arrived, all coming to pick up the dried fruits.
Xiao Shan came down from the roof and invited everyone to eat the sticky rice dumplings, peeling one and handing it to Xue Niang.
Zhu Zi, standing nearby, shouted, "Raise the beam, raise the beam! May your descendants be many, may good fortune shine upon you, and may your land be blessed!"
As soon as he finished, Liu Cheng Shan exclaimed, "Good luck paper, good luck paper—"
Everyone looked up and saw that one of the red papers, pasted on the sides earlier with auspicious characters for raising the beam, was fluttering down.
Zhu Zi exclaimed, "Oh no!" and complained to Meng You Liang, "Brother You Liang, you're always so meticulous, how could you not even paste the good luck paper securely? This is so inauspicious..."
Meng You Liang was also a bit stunned and said regretfully, "I clearly pasted it well..."
Xue Niang's slightly curved lips fell. The light red paper that landed on the ground, however, weighed heavily on her heart.
Xiao Shan picked up the red paper, unconcerned. "It's just a custom, don't make a fuss. We'll just paste it again."
He went back up to the roof and reattached the red paper. Zhu Zi ran to the side and burned some more paper offerings, and everyone became lively again.
This was just a small interlude, and no one paid much attention to it. After finishing her sticky rice dumpling, Xue Niang left without saying goodbye to Xiao Shan, walking away by herself.
Xiao Shan frowned as he watched her go, his gaze deep.
With the roof beam raised, the house was considered complete. The remaining tasks were minor details. It was still three rooms, but they were twice as large as the previous ones, and there was a proper courtyard, not just one enclosed by a fence.
It would probably be finished in another couple of days of tidying up. After airing it out, they could move in.
"Zhu Zi, when we're done, go to the house and get a wild boar leg each."
Xiao Shan said this to Zhu Zi and then headed home.
Zhu Zi and the others were overjoyed.
This was more prosperous than the New Year.
"Following Brother Xiao, we truly have money to spend and meat to eat."
Unfortunately, the house was already built. They didn't know what other work they would find in the future.
Xiao Shan returned home and found Xue Niang sleeping soundly on the bed.
So, she was tired.
He sat by the bedside but saw tear streaks still wet on the corner of her eyes.
Xiao Shan's heart ached again. He gently stroked her slightly furrowed brow and whispered with a dry throat, "Am I not good enough for you? Can't you forget him? I'll give you anything you want."
He could also return to the battlefield, reclaim all his power, and give her the best.
As long as she was willing.
He turned over her hand and carefully applied medicine. "Don't hurt yourself again."