Life in the countryside was peaceful and prosperous. Xu Qi had never forgotten about stocking up on provisions. The only thing that made their life less than perfect was probably the fact that Ye Lan still hadn’t conceived.

Xu Qi didn’t think that their love necessarily had to be proven by having children, but Ye Lan refused. He firmly remembered the words of the man who had said he wasn’t good for bearing children when he first came to Xu Qi’s family.

He feared that because he couldn’t bear children, wife would find someone else. Even though wife had been comforting him all this time, telling him they could live without children, how could Ye Lan believe that? What woman wouldn’t want children? Children were a man’s capital for survival. Without children, no matter how deep the affection, it would gradually fade away. Ye Lan firmly believed in this.

Xu Qi was somewhat helpless. They had only been together for a year, and he kept bringing up the topic of children, always afraid that he couldn’t conceive.

He used to be the shyest and most afraid of her advances, but now he always quietly approached her.

She wanted to tell him to take a break, but he refused. He wouldn’t stop until she had drained every last drop out of him.

Just like today, she was carrying rice back home and holding some snacks she had seen outside. As soon as she entered the door, Ye Lan pounced on her.

Xu Qi helplessly rubbed Ye Lan’s tender back. “What’s wrong? Hmm?”

“Wife, accompany me for a while.”

Ye Lan raised his head to look at Xu Qi, his eyes shimmering with expectation.

Xu Qi almost fell over. Although she also wanted to, doing it every day wasn’t good!

“Let’s not do it today. You rest too.”

She felt a bit guilty.

Ye Lan’s eyes dimmed, and he silently let go of her hand, forcing a smile as he took the things in Xu Qi’s hand. “Okay, wife must be hungry. I’ll cook some noodles to fill our stomachs first?”

Xu Qi sighed. She couldn’t bear to see Ye Lan like this. She threw the bag of rice in her hand on the ground, turned around, and pressed Ye Lan down, carrying him carefully to the bed.

With her black hair scattered casually, Xu Qi rubbed against Ye Lan. “Let’s not eat now. Let’s have some fun first.”

In the end, the two of them still separated, panting.

Ye Lan’s eyes shone brightly as he touched his abdomen, as if there was already a little life growing inside.

Xu Qi looked bitter and couldn’t help but rub Ye Lan’s slender and fair fingers. “You don’t have to care so much. The doctor said you’re too worried. We can take our time with the baby, no rush.”

Ye Lan lay in Xu Qi’s arms and looked up at her, sounding disappointed and dissatisfied. “How can we take our time? I’m already twenty-nine. If we don’t hurry, it’ll be harder to conceive.”

This was what Ye Lan had been worried about all along. He was afraid that he was getting too old and would no longer be able to have children if he waited too long.

There was nothing on the person in her arms except for a layer of sticky sweat. Xu Qi didn’t mind. She leaned in, wrapped her big palm around the slender neck, and gently massaged it.

Until the person in her arms let out a comfortable hum, she spoke, “I like you, not some nonexistent child. Even if I get older, we don’t need to think about these things anymore. Let’s just live our lives together, the two of us.”

Xu Qi’s words meant that she only liked him, but Ye Lan didn’t understand it that way.

Instead, he widened his beautiful eyes and said in a trembling voice, “Do you… do you think I’m old?”

Xu Qi:…

No, I don’t. I didn’t mean that. Don’t talk nonsense!

“Hey, what’s wrong with you lately? You’re talking nonsense.”

Xu Qi leaned over and hugged him tightly. “If I thought you were old, I wouldn’t have wanted you from the beginning. It’s been a year now, and you’re talking nonsense again.”

But Ye Lan didn’t think he was talking nonsense. Instead, he had reasons and evidence. “Back then, wife was still young and ignorant. Now it’s different. wife is in her prime, but I’m starting to get older.”

He touched his own hand bones, feeling that they were not as tender as before, and felt a little insecure.

Seeing that this didn’t work, and the person had been bowing his head and refusing to look at her, Xu Qi simply rolled over and pressed him underneath, firmly looking at the man under her, who suddenly looked shy and pushed back.

“Wife, don’t… don’t do this.”

He didn’t dare to face Xu Qi like this. After doing something just now, he must be sweating all over, which was embarrassing.

Xu Qi didn’t listen to him. Instead, she reached out and hooked Ye Lan’s chin, lifting his entire face up to face her, then lowered her head to kiss his rosy lips gently. “Everyone grows old eventually. You’re saying this as if I won’t grow old. Don’t think about those things. I promise you, if I don’t want to find someone else, just call me…”

Of course, Ye Lan couldn’t bear for her to make such a vow, so he quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

There was some urgency on his face. “What are you doing? I trust you. I’m just… just afraid of getting old…”

Xu Qi rubbed Ye Lan’s smooth and tight face again. “Where are you old? I think you still look very young, charming, and lovable. Besides, if you look like this when you’re old, you’ll definitely be the most attractive old man.”

Ye Lan was amused by Xu Qi and stretched out his arms to hug her, rubbing his head against Xu Qi’s neck.

“Wife, you’re so good.”

What merit or ability did he have to deserve such a good wife?

“Shh, you’re also very good.”

Xu Qi held Ye Lan in her arms, genuinely feeling that Ye Lan was excellent in every way except for some self-esteem issues. Ye Lan was considerate, gentle, obedient, and sensible. Even that bit of self-doubt could easily evoke her pity, and she couldn’t help but like him more and more.

After this incident, although Ye Lan still wanted children, he wasn’t in such a hurry anymore, and Xu Qi also put the construction of the house on the agenda.

Unlike other villagers who would seek discounts by hiring women from the same village to build their houses, Xu Qi didn’t care about money and just wanted to make sure the house was well-built. Besides, with the increasing number of pigs they were raising, she sometimes couldn’t sell them all herself and would ask close friends for help selling them, paying them a little money. But in the end, the profit was higher, and she no longer cared about the money for building the house.

She had already arranged with the people in the town to help them build the house and had chosen the design. From then on, she didn’t care anymore and moved with her husband to another small house.

Fortunately, the house was built quickly, completed in just one month.

Xu Qi took this opportunity to invite the villagers for a drink, which was a custom in the countryside. Whoever built a new house had to invite others.

But those people’s houses were not as grand as Xu Qi’s, and the drinks they offered were not as generous. Each table had at least two or three meat dishes and a barrel of good wine.

“Nowadays, life for Qi’er is getting better and better.”

Aunt Xu and Uncle Man raised their glasses to Xu Qi. “I have to say, your husband, Ye Lan, is a blessing. Since you’ve been together, your life has become more prosperous, hasn’t it?”

There were many people from the village around, and Xu Qi was happy to praise her husband, nodding in agreement. “Yes, thanks to marrying Ye Lan. He is considerate and capable, so I can rest assured and focus on my work outside.”

The women in the village were all astute and perceptive. Seeing Xu Qi say this, whether they had seen Ye Lan or not, they all began to praise him, praising him sky-high.

Uncle Man smiled and looked around but didn’t see Ye Lan. He couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Ye Lan?”

Xu Qi didn’t know where he had gone either, looking confusedly up.

Uncle Man patted his forehead. “He might have been stopped by those talkative men again.”

“What?” This, I really don’t like it.

Uncle Man could see that she was already unhappy, but he didn’t dare to stay any longer and hurriedly left.

Finally, only Xu Qi and Ye Lan were left in the room.

Ye Lan hesitated and took two steps back, not daring to look at her. “Wife, Wife…”

“How did you think of me? Now you’re willing to believe others’ words and not mine anymore?”

“No, it’s not!”

Ye Lan raised his watery eyes to explain, feeling extremely uncomfortable. No, don’t look at me like that, don’t talk to me like that, it’s so uncomfortable.

Before he could finish speaking, he was about to cry. Xu Qi couldn’t bear it. She was indeed a little unbearable but didn’t want to let him off so easily.

“Huh, I think it’s you! Are you fond of overthinking? After exhausting you today, let’s see how you think!”

In just a few moves, Xu Qi stripped herself naked, and before Ye Lan could cry out in grievance, she pressed him down on the bed.

The bed was soft, and Xu Qi didn’t hesitate to use her belt to tie his hands and, ignoring Ye Lan’s struggles, started to tire him out.

Five times in one night, even an iron man would be exhausted.

When Xu Qi released Ye Lan, he was already weak all over, with a dazed look in his eyes and trembling legs.

But Xu Qi was different. She felt energized after eating and pounced on him fiercely, demanding, “Do you still dare to overthink?”

Ye Lan’s eyes were dull as he looked at the bed, but when Xu Qi spoke, his pupils trembled, and then, he turned his head extremely aggrievedly, using his soft and tender face to rub against Xu Qi. Xu Qi was about to tell him not to act coquettishly, but he said in a completely pitiful tone, “I want a hug.”

Xu Qi:…

Who can resist this!

She happily untied the belt from Ye Lan’s hand and hugged him into her arms.

Ye Lan found a comfortable position in Xu Qi’s arms. Although he was weak all over and trembling, he still insisted, “Next time, don’t tie me up. Hug me instead.”

After saying this, as if afraid that Xu Qi would be unhappy, he added, “I know I was wrong. Please don’t be mad at me.”