Ji Sang hadn’t spoken to Wen Jian for three consecutive days.

Fortunately, Wen Jian spent most of his time buried in his studies, so there were fewer opportunities for conversation. At night, Ji Sang occupied one bed while Wen Jian rested on the bed frame when he got tired from studying.

The two of them coexisted peacefully.

During this time, Ji Sang learned that the Wen family made a living by collecting and selling firewood from the mountains. Wen Zheng would go into the mountains before dawn and return home for lunch after noon. Although the family was poor, Wen Li rarely endured any hardship. Men worked on the fields, and men chopped wood.

As Ji Sang spent more time with Wen Li, she noticed that her mother-in-law often displayed a girlish demeanor, gentle and innocent. The affection between her and Wen Zheng was evident in their gazes when they looked at each other…

Tsk tsk, it was sticky and full of affection.

Ji Sang felt like she had eaten her fill of dog food.

But come to think of it, Wen Li was actually thirty-five years old. A thirty-five-year-old woman was like a blooming red rose, alluring and dripping with charm. It was the most beautiful time of her life, and Wen Li was well taken care of by Wen Zheng. How could she look like she was thirty-five?

When the two of them sat together, they looked like sisters.

In this family, Ji Sang felt that everything was fine, except for the fact that they were really poor. The most common food they ate was sweet potatoes, and even rice soup was only served on the first day of their marriage…

If this continued, Ji Sang felt like she would turn into a sweet potato.

Just the sight of sweet potatoes made her want to vomit.

The most important step was to change their current situation and work hard to earn money. She really didn’t want to eat sweet potatoes anymore, even if they were naturally sweet. Ji Sang squatted at the doorway, watching Wen Zheng chopping wood, lost in thought. Today, Wen Zheng not only brought back firewood but also brought back bamboo.

After inquiring, Ji Sang learned that the bamboo was used to make bamboo slips. Most of the bamboo slips Wen Jian used were made by Wen Zheng himself. Wen Jian was about to go to the capital for the imperial examination and needed to make a new batch of bamboo slips.

Making bamboo slips?

Ji Sang watched as Wen Jian busily worked up a sweat in the October weather when suddenly she remembered how inconvenient bamboo slips were in ancient times. They could definitely try making paper instead! She learned about the paper-making process in her first year of high school and even tried it herself. Moreover, having paper would be so convenient because she discovered that they used bamboo strips for toilet paper here…

That situation was truly embarrassing!

With her idea in mind, Ji Sang began to put her plan into action.

When Wen Jian went to the mountains to chop firewood, she followed along to see the bamboo. For five or six consecutive days, she worked on the bamboo. Finally, Wen Jian noticed that something was amiss with his young wife.

Wen Jian put down the bamboo slips in his hand and stood next to Ji Sang, who was cutting bamboo. “What are you doing with so much bamboo?”

Ji Sang looked up at him with her dark eyes and smiled gently. “Making paper.”

Wen Jian had never heard of “making paper” and didn’t understand what it meant. He looked at her with a puzzled expression in his black eyes.

Ji Sang worked diligently, feeling Wen Jian’s gaze on her. She smiled brightly at him and said, “You’ll see when it’s done. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

“Is it for me?”

Ji Sang seemed to ponder for a moment. The greatest beneficiaries of paper would be scholars like Wen Jian, so he wasn’t wrong to say that. She hesitated for a moment and then replied, “…Yes, I guess.”

Her voice was soft, filled with vitality. Her eyes were clear and pure, like the morning sun—bright and warm. Due to her exertion, there was a fine layer of sweat on her forehead, with strands of hair sticking to it. The delicate and fair skin on her face had a rosy glow, making her eyes even more sparkling and captivating.

A strange sensation suddenly spread through Wen Jian’s chest, tingling and electrifying. This feeling couldn’t be described as bad, but every time he thought about how she had conspired with her parents to deceive him in their marriage, the annoying restlessness replaced that sensation.

He couldn’t make sense of that feeling. Before he could react, he had already snatched the machete from her small hand. Without looking at her, his eyelids drooped as he said, “Women in the Wen family have never done heavy work. Let me do it!”

As a normal man, how could he let his wife work so hard? Even if she wasn’t his true wife yet.

Ji Sang let out a “hey” sound, and she saw that the man had already rolled up his wide sleeves, revealing his strong forearms. He swiftly and skillfully cut the bamboo, the muscles in his arms flexing with each powerful movement. Although he exuded an air of scholarly refinement, at this moment, he emitted a strong hormone-driven aura. Ji Sang was momentarily stunned…

Wen Jian unexpectedly raised his gaze and met her mesmerized eyes. Ji Sang’s heart suddenly panicked, and her flushed face turned awkwardly away. She awkwardly found something to say, “You… you go ahead… I’m going to see my mother.”

After speaking, she scurried away.

Wen Jian stared at her retreating figure until she entered the kitchen before he withdrew his gaze. His thin lips couldn’t help but curl up slightly. When he realized what he was doing, he inwardly chided himself.

Why was he smiling alone here?!

One evening, when the whole family was sitting together for dinner, Wen Jian, in an unprecedented move, used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of greens for Ji Sang. After he did it, he was momentarily stunned, but he didn’t show it on his face and simply continued eating, keeping his head down.

Ji Sang looked at the extra vegetable leaves in her bowl and then glanced at the intriguing smile her mother-in-law gave her.

Although she and Wen Jian didn’t have anything between them, her sensitive ears turned slightly red…

The next day, Ji Sang went to the mountains as usual.

The early morning weather looked gloomy.

Seeing her heading for the mountains again, Wen Jian hurriedly stood up from his desk. “The weather outside is not good. It might rain today.”

Ji Sang looked outside. Wen Jian had already chopped most of the bamboo in the past couple of days, but she wanted to cut some more. The paper-making process she learned in high school was relatively modern, and the tools she had now were very ancient. She was afraid that she wouldn’t succeed in one attempt, so it would be good to have more bamboo as a backup.

She turned her dark eyes toward Wen Jian. “It’s fine. I’ll be back soon.”

Wen Jian could tell that Ji Sang was not like the rumors in the village. She had her own ideas, and she was someone who liked to stick to her convictions. There was something about her that was like a natural magnet, gradually attracting him…

Wen Jian furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment. “Otherwise… I’ll go to the mountains with you. If it rains, at least we can take care of each other.”

“Then won’t you skip studying today?”

Wen Jian had already gone to the yard, picked up a basket, and fetched two freshly made pancakes from the kitchen. “Skipping one day of study won’t hurt.”

Usually, Ji Sang accompanied Wen Jian to the mountains. Wen Jian would chop firewood while she busied herself in the bamboo forest. Today, with an unexpected man by her side, her heart inexplicably felt at ease.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The weather gradually turned colder, and there weren’t many people on this small path at this time.

After walking halfway, it started to rain as expected.

Wen Jian knew that there was a dilapidated little temple by the side of the road. He pulled Ji Sang and ran there to seek shelter from the rain. After a difficult run, they finally reached the temple, completely drenched. With a gentle breeze blowing, they shivered from the cold.

Water droplets hung on Ji Sang’s face, and her wet hair clung to her cheeks. When she looked at the equally soaked man, there was a hint of apology in her eyes. “…Wen Jian, I’m sorry… I should have listened to you.”

Wen Jian, although appearing disheveled, was still a man, much better off than Ji Sang.

Upon hearing her apology, he lowered his gaze and looked at her. He was about to say it was nothing, but he saw that her wet clothes clung tightly to her captivating curves. When she ran earlier, her neckline had loosened slightly, revealing a large area of fair skin on her chest. She was probably feeling cold, as she suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around herself to keep warm. From his angle, he happened to catch a glimpse of her shivering collarbone, creating an alluring contour, with water droplets sliding down and disappearing into the depths of her mesmerizing cleavage…

His breath suddenly caught, and his voice sounded hoarse with heat. “…Ji Sang.”

“…Hm?”

“I’m aroused.”

…