The Lady's Sickly Husband

C5. The Beginnings of a Small Vegetable Garden And Her Livelihood

Farming on a half-acre of land required a whole day's work

D*mn weeds, d*mn wild seedlings.....need to dig it up and loosen the soil....

Mo Qian Xue muttered to herself as she struggled with the shovel. She finally finished sowing the seeds by the time the sun had set into the Western Hills.

At dinner time, Sister Fang led her husband to Mo Qian Xue's yard as he carried a pile of firewood. Instead of waiting for Lady Ning's instruction to place these in the lobby, the pair directly went to her kitchen with the load. Mo Qian Xue felt flustered by their favor and insisted that they leave the firewood outside, but Sister Fang blocked the doorway, not wanting her friend to trouble herself with the chore. How could she let Sister Ning handle the heavy pile of wood alone?

Fang Fangzi handed a bowl over to Mo Qian Xue, where she noticed two plump white steamed buns.

"My children were craving steamed buns today, but I somehow ended up steaming a bigger batch than usual since I haven't tried making these in a while. Since I do have a few extra buns, I wanted to give these to Sister Ning as repayment for helping my son."

She spoke as if she had prepared extras by accident, even though it was actually intentional.

After all she had just solved Lady Ning's need for firewood; admitting that the steamed buns were also made as a favor might cause Mo Qian Xue to feel embarrassed, having received their help so often.

Seeing Fang Fangzi's consideration and generosity, Mo Qian Xue received the bowl and thanked the couple for their work that day. She was already quite hungry, so she decided to accept the offering without being shy. There was no need for stiffness and formalities between neighbors. As repayment, Mo Qian Xue planned to cook several pancakes tomorrow for Sister Fang's two little children.

Time passed by, and the couple enthusiastically helped Mo Qian Xue to neatly arrange the firewood in her yard. By the time they had finished and left, the pile of wood was already a foot taller.

The dry wood burned well for cooking; in just a short period of time, she was able to prepare a pot of her homemade healing porridge(congee), along with a radish side dish and two large steamed buns. She looked at her prepared meal in satisfaction. Not bad.

Ning Shaoqing liked the taste of the congee very much; just one mouthful caused his brow to raise in pleasant surprise.

After a long day's efforts, the tired Mo Qian Xue went to bed and quickly fell asleep.

When Ning Shaoqing heard her breathing become smooth, his eyes began to shine. In the dark, the man gently laid beside her sleeping figure and embraced the woman tenderly as the corner of his lip raised. He entered his dreams that night with a smile.

On the following day, the weather was quite favorable since the rain had begun to drizzle.

The light shower was a blessing to the village, bringing moisture to the soil and freshening up the air.

Mo Qian Xue hummed a tune as she went about her work. She was able to fill a couple of broken jars that she found in their house with plants, which she displayed around the rooms. At least now there was a hint of color and greenery in their home.

Ning Shaoqing helplessly sat in front of a table while holding a book in his hand. Instead of focusing on his text, his eyes seemed to unconsciously follow her every move.

Watching this bustling figure, listening to her minor tune, accompanied with the ticking sound of raindrops outside....everything was so harmonious.

Perhaps in this small mountain village, it would be wonderful to finish the second half of his life.

At least he didn't have to scheme everyday-always being on the edge while having the fear of being betrayed...