Fortunate Wife Chapter 61
T/N: Hey, I'll be busy until Saturday, so I'm posting Thursday and Friday's chapters (ch 60 and 61) early. Next release will be on Saturday 7AM PST.
Chapter 61 – Calculating
Li Mo was walking at the front of the group. He asked, "Lianhua, is your dad home?"
Li Mo was the head of his family, and his younger brothers usually always listened to his advice, especially Li Hua, who respected his oldest brother a lot. And so, Lianhua was especially polite to Li Mo to. "Older brother Li, why are you looking for my dad? He just went out. How about you guys wait inside, and I'll go look for him? He probably went over to Uncle Chen's house to play cards."
"Sure." Li Mo nodded and led everyone into the village head's home.
Since there was no one at home, everyone just waited in the courtyard instead of going in further.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for Lianhua to find her father and bring him back.
Li Mo handed the contract that Li Hua had already written out to the village head. With the village head as their witness, Li Mo paid the money to Third Lia, and the two of them also each pressed their inked thumbs onto the paper as a way of signing the agreement.
After the matter was settled, everyone expressed their thanks and was about to head back to their respective homes.
Lianhua grabbed onto Li Hua's sleeve and happily said, "Older brother Hua, it's so nice that your family has bought farmland." Moreover, Li Hua was a candidate who hadn't yet taken the county level imperial exam. Once autumn had passed, Li Hua would have most likely pass that exam.
Even her dad said that Li family must have burnt a lot of incense at their ancestors 's graves in order to have such a talented son. Li Hua's future prospects were limitless.
Li Hua pulled his sleeve away and gave her a polite, but distant smile. He didn't respond to her words. After that, he followed his oldest brother and walked out of the village head's home through the front doors.
Lianhua went back to standing by the gossipy women that were half-blocking her home's entrance. She didn't dare to act clingy by chasing after him. She felt annoyed with herself as she stood in the courtyard and watched as his figure walked further away.
Lianhua's mom had returned at some point without her noticing. Seeing her daughter like this, she unhappily commented, "Silly girl, how can you let things continue like this?"
"Mom?" Lianhua knew what her mom was referring to. Her little face turned red. In a displeased tone, she said, "Mom, Li Hua is really failing to appreciate being favored. Wasn't it only last year that he got qualified to take the county level imperial exam for this autumn? Just from that, he thinks he's better than everyone else."
Lianhua's mother firmly poked her daughter's head. "You're one to talk. As soon as he comes over, your eyes stick onto him like a barnacle that can't be removed. Even a man would be scared off by you."
"Mom," Lianhua was so embarrassed by her mother's words that her face was completely flushed red. She looked as if she was about to cry.
The village head could hear his wife and daughter from the inside. He couldn't resist coming out and shouting, "You gossiping women. You're bringing shame to our family."
Lianhua indignantly turned around and really started to cry. "Dad, weren't you the one the said Li Hua would have bright future prospects and that he'll be just as good as someone born in a family outside of this village?"
"That has nothing to do with you. Dad has his own plans for you. Foolish girl, be good and stay at home. It'll be enough if you don't act shamelessly again," the village head lectured.
Lianhua's mother immediately noticed the hidden meaning in her husband's words. "Husband, what are you planning? Their family already has a wife. Our Lianhua can't be someone else's concubine."
"Nonsense." The village head rolled his eyes at his wife. "They haven't consummated their marriage with their wife yet. Besides, she's just a woman they bought. How could she be compared to our Lianhua? Lianhua, be good. Let's wait until after the lunar New Year. If Li family is truly blessed by their ancestors and Li Hua passes the county level imperial exam, then not only will dad agree to let you marry him, I won't even ask for any bride price."
"Really?" Lianhua's face showed her joyful surprise. Li Hua was clever and studious. Everyone in the village though he would be able to pass that exam without problems. Now that her dad had said he wouldn't even ask for a bride price, what family wouldn't be overjoyed to receive such good fortune?
"How could there be anything false about dad's words?" The village head looked at his daughter and thought of how Li Hua would be able to smoothly pass the imperial exam and have an official career that went without a hitch. When that time came, he would be able to ride on Li Hua's coattails by marring Lianhua to him. It didn't matter what kind of governmental official Li Hua would become in the future. He would definitely benefit just from being the father-in-law of a governmental official.
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 62
Published at 30th of March 2019 10:23:46 AM Chapter 62
Chapter 62 – West Lake
When Li Mo and everyone else returned home, they saw Li Shu feeding the chicks in the courtyard .
Seeing that everyone had returned together, Li Shu immediately shouted, "Where did you all go? No one else was at home . You guys even forgot about feeding the chickens and pigs -"
"Oh . " Li Man lightly smacked her own head . She was really failing to live up to her responsibilities . She had been the one that wanted to buy the chicks and piglets . And now, she was also the one that forgot to feed them .
"Let me to do it . " She hurriedly ran over to Li Shu's side, took the chicken feed from him, and fed the chicks that were inside the fenced area .
Seeing her like this, Li Shu awkwardly scratched his head . "I wasn't scolding you . It was just that I didn't see you when I came back so..." He just wasn't use to it, that's all .
"I went to look at the fields," Li Man said with a smile . Actually, she wasn't offended by his earlier words .
Li Shu skeptically curled his lip as he said, "The fields? What's so interesting in about them? Third Lai's fields are just overrun with weeds . "
Li Man didn't answer him . After she finished feeding the chickens, she asked him, "Have you feed the pigs?"
Li Shu immediately raised his eyebrows and replied, "Yup, those two little things have eaten their fill . You can go look for yourself . "
What was there to see? She knew that Li Shu was very diligent about his work, so she simply said, "Thank you . "
"There's no need to thank me . " It was only right that he would help his wife out by feeding her animals .
At this time, Li Mo came out of the kitchen with a bucket to get water from the well . Thinking that Li Shu was pestering Li Man, he said, "Third brother, go take out a fish from the pit . "
Buying fields could be considered a big event; furthermore their entire family was at home right now, so they should prepare a good meal to celebrate .
Feeling quite happy, Li Shu cockily raised his eyebrows at Li Man and said, "Wife, wait here . I'll go get a fish for you . " After he finished this, he took out a bamboo pole from the chicken fence and headed over to pit .
Li Man was left behind and feeling at a loss . What did he just call her? Wife? Suit? West Lake?
(T/N: Wife, suit, and west lake are almost homophones in Mandarin . They have the same spelling and only differ by tone marks . )
No, those guesses were wrong . Suit was a modern-day word . West Lake? Why would he mention that out of the blue? Moreover, she didn't even know if the West Lake existed in this world . Then, that meant he had just called her wife?
She had several days' worth of interactions . Although she didn't fully understand the local dialect yet, because this dialect shared many similarities with Mandarin and many words were almost pronounced the same, she was able to guess that Li Shu had probably just called her wife .
Wife? As in spouse?*
* (T/N: Li Man is actually using the old-time word for wife . Then, she lists out a bunch of modern-day Mandarin words that also mean wife, but there isn't really an English equivalent to all those words, so I just used spouse . )
Li Man was so shocked that her mind seemed to have stuttered to a halt . It couldn't be that she was Li Shu's wife, right? Had she simply misheard, and he had said something else that happened to sound very similar to wife?
Right, that was it . She had just misheard him . But... When she thought of Li Shu's attitude towards her, she felt a bit apprehensive .
"Wife, look at this fish . " At this time, Li Shu had already gotten the fish and walked back to her side . He waved the fish in front of her to show it off .
Feeling as if a chill swept through her, Li Man returned to her senses . Seeing Li Shu's exuberant smile, she couldn't help asking, "What... what did you call me?"
She was using Mandarin to ask him this question, so Li Shu couldn't understand her . He patted her shoulder and said with a smile, "I'll go clean up the fish, then you can cook it . I want to eat that fish with pickled vegetables again . "
After saying this, he tossed the fish down by the well, then went into the kitchen to get himself a knife and container .
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 63
Chapter 63 – Yeah, right!
After Li Shu cleaned up the fish, he handed the fish to Li Man. "Wife, you were staring at me before, right?" He had said these words in a very confident tone, and Li Man was even surer that he was addressing her as his wife.
Li Man did her best to use the local dialect to ask him, "That, let me ask you... You called me wife. Wife... what does mean?" Could it actually just mean older sister or younger sister? For example, in modern-day, depending on the region that you're from, you might call your dad "die", but in other area, grandfathers would be called "die". There were also regions where older unmarried women would be simply referred to as "da jie."
"Wife?" Wife just meant wife. Li Shu scratched the back of his head in confusion. He thought for a while before answering, "It means a woman that lives with you. Or... Fourth brother said it could also be called inside person."
If Li Man had just been guessing before, Li Shu's words were like a booming clap of thunder that had been accompanied by a lightening bolt that scorched Li Man from inside and out. She hadn't misunderstood. As it turned out, she was Li Shu's fiancée then?
"Wife, what's wrong?" Seeing Li Man's face turn pale and the blank look in her eyes, Li Shu became very worried. He reached out to touch her forehead.
At this time, Li Mo came back with two buckets of water and saw this scene. He shouted at Li Shu, "Third brother, what are you doing?"
"Oldest brother, come over here and look. What's wrong with wife?" Her eyes weren't even moving. Li Shu was truly very alarmed.
Li Man hastily grabbed the edge of his clothing and called out, "I'm okay." Then, she turned around and dashed into the kitchen. She needed to find a place to be alone, so she could calm herself down and think things through.
"Ah?" Li Shu was startled still by her abrupt response.
Li Mo coldly glared at his younger brother. He sternly asked, "What did you do to her?"
"Ah? I didn't do anything." Li Shu widened his eyes. He was totally innocent.
Li Mo didn't believe him. If he hadn't done anything, why would wife have looked like that? He hurriedly brought the buckets of water into the kitchen so that he could have an excuse to check on Li Man.
Li Man was washing the rice. She knew that Li Mo had come into the kitchen, so she deliberately turned around and kept her head lowered. She didn't want him to see her expression.
Li Mo saw her like this and knew that something had to be wrong. He tried to be as noisy as possible when he poured the buckets of water into the large water jar. If today was a normal day, Li Man was turn around to lightly smile at him in greeting. But, she didn't show any sign of acknowledging his presence today. Her small hands were busily washing the rice. It seemed as if she wouldn't stop washing the rice until he left the kitchen.
Li Mo finally broke the silence by saying, "Third brother doesn't have the best temper. If he did something wrong, just tell me. I'll go discipline him. Don't keep your unhappiness stifled away."
Hearing these words, Li Man's heart dropped even further. He was clearly treating her as if he was senior from an older generation. He though that she and Li Shu just had a quibble, and he come here as a senior to mediate between them.
This meant that she had to be Li Shu's fiancée. As the saying goes, an older brother was like a second father, so it was reasonable enough that he would offer to discipline Li Shu.
Li Mo thought he had guessed right when he saw her straightening her back. It had to be that third brother had upset her somehow. Her mood had seemed off since last night. "Just wait here. I'll call him over here to give you an apology."
"Ah?" Startled, Li Man turned her around, caught up to him by the doorway, and grabbed his arm.
Li Mo froze in surprise. He lowered his eyes to look at her.
Li Man hastily let him go. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she looked at the damp spot on his sleeve. "Sorry. That... it's not Li Shu."
Li Mo furrowed his brow. He thought she was just trying to excuse Li Shu's behavior.
Li Man gloomily bit her bottom lip, then she raised her head and lightly smiled at him. "Everything is okay. Don't look for him. I'm going back to cooking." Then, she hastily went back to the cooking range to finish washing the rice and start cooking the rest of the meal.
Li Mo felt increasingly doubtful. Everything is okay? Yeah, right!
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 64
Chapter 64 – Warning
Li Mo left the kitchen and saw that Li Shu was still standing around in the courtyard and doing nothing. He went forward, dragged him to a corner by his arm, and sternly looked at him.
Li Shu was originally going to throw a fit, but seeing his oldest brother's expression, he panicked and asked, "Oldest brother, what are you going to do?"
"Tell me. What exactly did you do to her?" Li Mo's expression was grave as he interrogated in a low tone.
"What?" Li Shu felt baffled. " I didn't do anything."
"Do I have to beat you before you'll be honest?" Li Mo's forehead was very wrinkled, and his hand had already clenched into a fist.
Li Shu's eyelids twitched in alarm. He retreated a step towards the wall. "Oldest brother, what explain happened? Explain it clearly first, ah."
"If you didn't do anything, why would she be upset?" Li Mo stared at him in disappointment. "Did you bully her?"
Feeling wronged, Li Shu exclaimed, "What?! I haven't even tried to touch her hands."
Li Mo deeply looked at him. A long time later, he finally said, "You better be telling the truth."
Seeing that his oldest brother was finally letting him off, Li Shu let out a sigh of relief. He felt quite wronged and said, "That's the truth. What about fourth brother? He's held her hand several times. Oh yeah, oldest brother, shouldn't you be asking second brother about the hairpin that wife is wearing? Second brother was definitely the one that gave it to her."
Li Mo knew this even without Li Shu mentioning it. "Just watch yourself."
Lu Shu felt depressed. "How come it doesn't matter what second brother and fourth brother are doing?" Suddenly, he thought of something else. He quickly said, "Hey, wife recently asked me what the word wife meant. Isn't that funny? How could someone of her age not know what wife means?"
"What?" Li Mo was flabbergasted too. Why would she ask such a strange question?
At this time, Li Yan, who had been watching the entertaining show from the eastern hut, finally came out. "Oldest brother."
Li Shu immediately asked, "Second brother, you were the one that give wife the hairpin that she's wearing, right?"
Li Yan slightly smiled and straightforwardly admitted, "Yup, doesn't it suit her very well?"
"Second brother, you're cheating," Li Shu immediately whined.
"Third brother." Li Mo was worried that Li Man would overhear their conversation from the kitchen, so he fiercely glared at Li Shu.
Li Shu pouted and lowered his voice as he continued talking, "Oldest brother, that's foul play. What if wife starts liking second brother because of the hairpin he gave her?
The smile on Li Yan's face deepened. "Third brother, you woke up so early to get food for the pigs, then you came back to feeds the pigs and chickens. You even caught fish. Aren't you doing all of these things to please our wife so that she'll like you?"
"..." Li Shu couldn't defend himself. It was true. He wanted their wife to like him, but he felt that his second brother was more successful at catching their wife's attention. He felt both admiring and envious.
Since their third brother wasn't saying anything, Li Yan hid away his smile and seriously said to Li Mo, "Oldest brother, you should be more thoughtful with our wife too."
Li Mo furrowed his brow. He didn't understand the meaning of his words.
Li Yan walked a bit closer to him. A wicked smile flashed through his eyes as he lowered his voice and said, "Oldest brother, isn't it about time for our family to have children? Even if you're not feeling anxious over this matter, your younger brothers are very anxious about this. Besides, did you see how Third Lia was looking at our wife today?"
Li Mo hadn't noticed, and Li Shu hadn't been there at the time. Li Shu anxiously asked, "How was he looking at her? Was he sneaking glances at her?"
Li Yan kept his gaze on Li Mo as he continued, "We all know how beautiful our wife looks. There's probably no one that can compare to her in the surrounding villages. Oldest brother, aren't you worried about the people lusting after her? Moreover, everyone in the village knows about that. What if the matter spread outside of our village and someone tries to seduce her away?"
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 65
Published at 2nd of April 2019 10:31:33 AM Chapter 65
Chapter 65 – Lighting fires
"Who would dare?" Li Shu's hackles immediately went up .
Li Yan rolled his eyes at him . "Who would tell you if they were going to steal your wife?"
"I... . " Li Shu slumped down . Not knowing what to do next, he pleadingly looked at Li Mo .
Li Mo's expression was solemn . His second brother's words weren't unreasonable . It was true that the Goddess's Ravine was lacking in women, so men trying to seduce married women and vice versa was a scandal that frequently happened here . For example, there was the Shun family, who's home was right behind theirs . First Shun and Second Shun's shared wife, Xing-niang, didn't follow the proper conduct of a married woman at all . She spent all of her time flirting with other men .
Of course, their wife wasn't like Xing-niang . Still, the better she was, the more she would attract the attention of other men .
He was the oldest son in Li family . If he couldn't even keep their wife in line... no, that was impossible .
"Second brother, you're overthinking things . That type of thing wouldn't happen in our family," Li Mo confidently stated .
"Oldest brother, it's not impossible . If one day our wife becomes attracted to someone else -" Before Li Shu could finish his words, Li Mo's cold glare scared those words right back down .
Li Yan lightly tugged Li Shu's sleeve to indicate for him to stop speaking .
Li Mo looked at his two brothers and didn't say another words Instead, he turned around and went into the kitchen to pick up the buckets . He decided that he would fetch more water .
Li Shu felt a bit anxious . "What is oldest brother thinking?"
Li Yan stopped him from going after Li Mo . He smiled enigmatically . Anyways, he knew that oldest brother had taken his recent words to heart .
—
Li Man didn't look for Little Five to tend to the cooking fire for her today . Instead, she crouched down by the stove and tossed in pieces of firewood .
—
When Li Mo came back with the buckets filled with water again, he smelled that something was burning . He quickly put down the buckets, rushed to the stove, and pulled out the firewood that Li Man had put in .
Startled by his sudden appearance, Li Man hurriedly stood up . It was only now that she smelled there was something burning . Before she could figure out what was wrong, she saw Li Mo scooping out water and pouring it into the pot . She looked inside the pot . It was a giant smear of charred rice with only a small bit left unburnt .
"This... I..." Li Man's eyes reddened in remorse . She knew that rice was considered very expensive for this family .
"It's no big deal," Li Mo comfortingly said . There was no way to salvage this giant pot of rice, so he scooped it out into a large bowl . Then, he scrubbed the pot clean before adding new rice into the pot .
Watching this sight, Li Man wanted to crouch down to restart the fire, but Li Mo softly called out to stop her . "Let me do that while you cook . "
"Oh . " Li Man turned around again, scooped up some water, and used it to wash the pickled vegetables .
The two of them stayed like this . One bustled around the stove, and the other one tended to the fire below . During this period, there were many times when Li Mo wanted to speak, but when the words came to his lips, he would swallow them back down each time .
After Li Man had finished washing the vegetables and chopping them, she pointed at another pot and said, "Start a fire for that pot too . "
"Alright . " Li Mo nodded and started another fire . The light from burning fires shined on his face and gave off gentle warmth . Hearing the sizzling sounds from above, a burst of warmth suddenly welled up in his heart . Lit by the fiery red of the cooking fires, he seemed to see her face as the smoke wreathed upwards . It was a beautiful and moving scene .
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 66
Chapter 66 – Gaining fluency
After having burned a pot of rice, Li Man didn't dare to allow her thoughts to wander again as she cooked. Once the pot of fish with pickled cabbage was finished cooking, it had delicious flavor and aroma.
After lunch, Li Mo took out the family's hoes, sickles, and shovels and sharpened them. Then, he took Li Yan and Li Shu to the fields with him.
Li Hua remained at home to study in the eastern hut.
Li Man pulled Little Five to a corner of the courtyard and picked up a branch to write and draw. She was doing her best to learn this old dialect from Little Five. She had taken out the same zeal she had when she was studying for her college English fluency exam. She was determined to learn this old dialect to a level where she could speak fluently within a month.
Actually, learning an old Chinese dialect was much easier that learning a foreign language. She didn't need to learn new grammar or the spelling of new words. She just needed to remember the different pronunciation. In addition, she had quickly grasped the key differences in speech pattern of this old dialect. The flat tone sounds like z, c, and c weren't as distinct, and the tone for the last syllable would usually rise.
Right now, Li Man was like her college self when she would look for foreigners to practice speaking English. Every afternoon, she would dedicate her time to chatting with Little Five. At the end of their practice today, she even told him the fable about the race between the tortoise and the hare in the old dialect. She was extremely happy when Little Five was able to understand her completely.
In the past days, before she started cooking dinner, Li Man would point at the brown rice, white rice, cornmeal, and other items and recite the words for them.
Since she had cooked a lot of fish with pickled cabbage for lunch, she had set aside a large bowl of it for dinner. For today's dinner, she decided that she would warm up the remaining fish and pickled cabbage and cook knife-cut noodles. Once the cooking fire was started, she pointed at the firewood, fire tongs, and the wood pile and named each of the items aloud in front of Little Five.
Once the noodles were cooked, as she was taking the noodles out of the pot, she didn't forget to point out at the bowls, chopsticks, and other items, name each of those items, and check with Little Five that she had pronounced those words correctly.
Little Five thought that although Li Man's pronunciation wasn't very accurate, he could still understand what she was trying to say. Besides, her voice was very pleasant to hear. When she was trying to speak the local dialect, the clumsiness of her pronunciation sounded cute. He liked to listen to her speak. And so, when Li Man tirelessly asked him if she was speaking each word correctly, he would patiently answer her.
The other members in the family also thought that this phenomenon was good. If their wife was willing to learn the local dialect, it meant that she had accepted them and wanted to be part of their family. As a result, they became more encouraged too. One after another, they would take the initiative to search out Li Man to chat. They hope that she would gain fluency sooner.
And so, after dinner was over, none of the men were willing to leave the kitchen. They remained seated at the table to talk with Li Man.
At the end, it was Li Man that couldn't outlast them. Yawning, she said that she was going to bed, and the men departed the kitchen one after another.
After Li Man had boiled water and wash up with it, the men also washed up before going to their bed too.
After working hard all day, everyone was feeling a bit tired. Once they got into their beds, they didn't chat any further, and most of them fell straight asleep instead.
Li Mo had originally been feeling quite tired from working the fields with his two younger brothers this afternoon. However, although his body was exhausted, his mind felt especially awake once he lied down. He recalled the words that his second brother had said before lunchtime and Li Man's silhouette snuck into the forefront of his mind without him noticing.
On that day, when he had rescued Li Man from being hanged on that tree, Li Man's had looked so helpless and pitiful. It made him feel so distressed for her.
This was the first time that Li Mo had a difficult time falling asleep. He tossed and turned –
A beautiful and delicate woman was kneading dough by the stove. Her sleeves were rolled up high, and her snow-white arms were exposed. Seeing him enter the kitchen, her lips curved up into a bashful smile. "What are you looking at?"
A ripple went through his heart. He wanted to say, "You're so beautiful." But, he lost his nerve and lowered his head instead. He didn't dare to keep looking at her.
But, she stretched her hand out and stopped him from leaving. She leaned closer to his face and softy called out, "Hubby."
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 67
Published at 4th of April 2019 04:33:55 PM Chapter 67
Chapter 67 – Dreamland
Hubby? Did she just call him hubby? Li Mo felt overwhelmed with joy and excitement .
"Hubby, the water is getting cold . " Li Man gently took out her small feet from the bucket . Droplets of sparkling water slowly rolled down from her perfect feet .
Li Mo felt as if his eyes were being stabbed . His heart was palpitating . In a dither, he took a dry towel and dried her feet for her .
He had wanted to go and pour out the water she had used to wash her feet with, but in the midst of his panicky state, he suddenly felt a soft body against his . Somehow, without him being consciously aware, he had pressed the woman down against a bed .
"Sorry, I -" He didn't know what to do and wanted to flee from the bed .
In contrast, Li Man smoothly wrapped her arms around his neck and stared at him without blinking . Her small, delicate hands touched his face . She went from his brow to his eyes to his nose . At the end, her hands slid down to his tightly pressed lips . She gently stroked his lips and said in a low voice, "Hubby, kiss me . "
*Boom* It felt as if something had exploded in his mind . He lowered his head and quietly stared at her moist, little mouth . Their breaths seemed to intertwine . A subtle feeling erupted as the fragrance of her body assailed his nose . It felt as if all his senses were being overcome by a surprise attack .
He tightly held her arms . He wanted to ask her if this was real . Would she regret this later?
However, he had a stronger urge to just envelope her so that they could become one .
But, just as he was about to kiss her, her body disappeared, and there was only empty air .
"Man-er!" He anxiously shouted and looked around .
In the midst of a white fog, Li Man's figure gradually became more distinct . He rushed forward to catch up with her, but when he did, he discovered that she was in the arms of a strange man .
He felt as if someone was stabbing his heart . It was a blunt sort of pain...
He heard her quietly call out by his ear, "Hubby, what's wrong?" Li Mo suddenly became clear-headed . There wasn't any stranger .
The two of them were standing in their family's uncultivated fields . His wife was in his arms and was rubbing her head against his chest like a kitten .
Countless feelings overwhelmingly gushed forth . Right here, in this field that was overrun by weeds, he pressed her beneath him...
"Oldest brother, oldest brother -"
Suddenly, he heard Little Five's voice by his ear . It was like being shocked by a bolt of lightning . Startled, Li Mo trembled for a moment before waking up from his dream . His body was rigid for a moment before collapsing like someone suffering from loss of blood .
Little Five was sitting by him . Observing his oldest brother's blank state, he worriedly asked, "Oldest brother, what's wrong?"
"What's going on?" Li Yan was also on the bed . Hearing Little Five's words, he turned his head towards them .
"I think oldest brother had a nightmare," Little Five said .
At this time, the sun was just coming up . Li Mo absent-mindedly looked up at the shabby roof .
Seeing that Li Mo still seemed nonplussed, Little Five gently nudged him . "Oldest brother, did you really have a nightmare? What were you dreaming about?"
"Oh, it's nothing . " Li Mo abruptly came out of his half-asleep groggy state . The lower half of his body felt sticky, and he realized what had happened . In the dimly lit room, his face felt as if it was burning hot . He didn't dare to look at Little Five .
"It's really okay?" Little Five felt less worried, so he lied back down . Still feeling a bit confused, he asked, "Oldest brother, why do you have a stick with you when you sleep?"
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 68
Chapter 68 – Deciding
"Oldest brother, why do you have a stick with you when you sleep?"
"Huh?" While Li Mo was still feeling confused about this question, a chuckle had escaped from Li Yan.
Li Mo's face turned even redder. He cleared his throat and said to Little Five, "It's still early. Be good and sleep some more."
"There really isn't a stick? But I felt something poking my arm earlier." Little Five sat up and held out his hands. He carefully looked at Li Mo and really wanted to lift up his oldest brother's quilt to check.
Another snort of laughter came from Li Yan.
At this time, Li Shu blearily opened his eyes. "Huh?"
Li Yan said with a smile, "Ask oldest brother."
Li Shu really was going to ask what was going on. But, before he could speak, Li Mo warningly said, "Go back to sleep."
"What?" Li Shu felt baffled. Besides, the sky was getting brighter, and he couldn't fall back asleep. He poked Li Hua, who was next to him, and quietly asked, "Fourth brother, what's wrong with oldest brother?"
Li Hua had actually been awake since Little Five called out "oldest brother" the first time. But, how could he possibly say aloud what had happened?
Li Yan lightly smiled as he said, "Third brother, go to sleep for a little bit longer."
Li Shu sulkily huffed. He turned over and decided to go back to sleep.
After Li Mo's recent admonishment of Li Shu, Little Five didn't dare to keep asking questions. He obediently closed his eyes and went to sleep too.
As for Li Mo, after he reprimanded his younger brothers into going back to sleep, he was unable to fall asleep himself.
He lifted up his quilt and very quietly got off the bed. Then, he walked to the large wardrobe and took out a pair of pants. Just as he was about to exit the hut, he heard Li Yan's voice from behind.
"Oldest brother, it's still early. Why aren't you going to get some more sleep too?"
Li Mo turned his head and saw that his second brother was lying on his side with his chin propped up in one hand and observing him.
His second brother was really bad. He clearly knew what was going on, but he still asked him this question.
Li Mo responded, "I'm not sleeping anymore. I'm going to repair the hoe that broke yesterday." Right after saying this, Li Mo pulled open the door and strode out.
Li Yan looked at the sorry figure of his oldest brother and pursed his lips together as he chuckled.
As soon as Li Mo exited the hut and closed the door, he dashed towards the outhouse.
—
In the western hut, Li Man heard the sound of a door opening in the neighboring hut and immediately sat up. She felt embarrassed that she had woken up so late in the past days.
After thinking it over all night, she finally thought things through. No matter what her relationship with this family was, or whom she was going to marry, she had to live her life well here. Besides, apart from this choice, there were no other options for her to choose from, right?
In this strange and unfamiliar world, she was just a weak and lowly female. Even if she successfully left this mountain and the Li family, where could she go? Not only was she unable to support herself, she could die in an indescribably horrible way if she encountered wicked people.
Yeah, it was true that she was a timid person that was scared of dying. But, since there was a warm, cozy shelter available to her, why should she refuse it?
Besides, Li Shu was just a bit short-tempered. Other than that one negative aspect, he had a handsome face, a muscular physique, and was hardworking and competent. He didn't drink excessively, go to brothels, or gamble. He also treated her very well.
Why wouldn't she want a man like him?
Even if there weren't feelings between them yet, she didn't dislike him either. She believed that once she got to know him better, feelings would naturally develop between them.
She was also willing to do her best to gain feelings for this new world.
As for the other members of Li family, they were all good people. They definitely wouldn't mistreat her.
She would happily live her life here. Her diligent efforts would definitely win her a place in this family.
Once again, Li Man summoned up her courage. Then, she quickly changed her clothes and brushed her hair. Once she had tidied up, she opened her door and headed towards the kitchen. She wanted to make breakfast for everyone.
Right after she entered the kitchen, she saw Li Mo holding the container used for washing clothes as he walked out. There was a pair of pants inside.
Li Man was briefly surprised. Soon after, she politely asked, "Are you going to do laundry? Just leave it there, I'll wash it with the other clothes after breakfast."
As soon as he saw that it was her, Li Mo felt as if his heart had almost forgotten to beat. He was so overcome with panic that he didn't even know where to look. Holding the basin, he took a step back. "N-no..."
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 69
Published at 8th of April 2019 12:02:08 AM Chapter 69
Chapter 69 – Smiling
Seeing him take several steps back and his mortified look, Li Man thought Li Mo was just regarding her as an outsider . Alright, since she had already made the resolution that she would be a member of this family, then she would start doing her best right now .
"It's just a piece of clothing . Just leave it here . I'll wash it with the other clothes later . " As she said this, Li Man had already snatched the basin from him without giving him time to explain himself and put it down in a corner . Then, she scooped out some clean water from a water bowl and took it with her to wash up as she went outside .
Li Mo was frozen in place . He looked through the doorway . Li Man was currently leaning over and washing her face . Her slender, snow-white neck was slightly bent into a graceful curve . She splashed some water onto her face, rubbed her damp face with her hands, and dried off with a towel . Very quickly, she was done washing her face .
After pouring out the water she had use to wash her face with, Li Man turned around and discovered that Li Mo had been staring at her this entire time . Blood surged to her face in embarrassment . She squeezed out a smile as she asked, "Is there something on my face?"
How could that be? Her dainty face was usually fair and clear . Since she had just washed her face, it looked even softer and suppler than usual . It was as sparkling and translucent as early morning dew .
There was nothing that could be more clean and pure than her .
As he remembered the dream from last night, he felt an uncomfortable heat, and his gaze became deeper .
She felt flustered by his gaze . Li Man didn't dare to continue meeting his eyes . She hastily put down the bowl and ran back into the western hut . Wait, no . She had to make breakfast today . And so, she mustered up her courage and returned to the kitchen .
Li Mo was still standing in the same place . Seeing her coming back and the blush that hadn't faded yet from her cheeks, the corners of his lips curved up .
Why was he still standing here? Li Man inwardly rolled her eyes at him . She pretended to be unperturbed as she went about her work . She cleaned a bowl of uncooked rice and decided to make congee .
Without thinking, Li Mo crouched down by the stove and helped her with cooking by starting a fire .
Li Man felt as if there was something off about this . She was busy cooking on the stove, and he was tending to the fire below . Why did this feel like a scene of martial harmony?
Li Man struggled with this feeling for a bit before finally asking Li Mo, "If you have other work that you need to do, you can go do it . I can handle cooking by myself . "
"I'm not busy . " Li Mo slightly smiled at her . He tossed another piece of firewood into the fire . There was a crackling sound as the wood burned . His smile looked warm and dazzling as it was illuminated from the light of the cooking fire .
He was smiling? Li Man's heart thumped as if she had just seen a ghost . Since she had transmigrated here, this was the first time that she saw him smile . And his smile looked so gentle too...
She hurriedly turned her head away to stop looking at him . Her mind became a bit muddled again .
As it turned out, it wasn't the younger brothers that were flirting with their future sister-in-law .
It was the oldest brother that was trying to seduce his younger sister-in-law?
Oh, no, no, no... Li Man hurriedly shook her head to dispel her absurd idea . Based on the past several days of interaction, she could see that LI Mo was a honest person with a steady disposition . He definitely wasn't a man that would try to seduce his younger brother's wife .
He... He was just being nice and helping her . That's all .
He was only smiling at her because he thought of her as a member of his family .
Still, wasn't that smile a bit...
"Be careful, if you keep shaking your head like that, it'll fall off . " Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts . Before Li Man could recognize who was speaking, a pair of rough hands held her head still .
When her eyes had settled, she saw that it was Li Yan .
There was a teasing look in his eyes as he asked, "What's wrong? Is your neck feeling itchy? Want me to scratch it for you?"
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Fortunate Wife Chapter 70
Chapter 70 – Ignoring
Li Man's scalp tingled when she felt his cold fingers touching her skin. She abruptly retreated a few steps until her back touched the stove. Glaring at him, she asked, "What are you doing?"
"Helping you scratch your itch," Li Yan said in a matter of course tone. He stretched his ten fingers out. It felt as if he was brandishing his claws at her.
"Don't come over." Frightened, Li Man tried to shrink further away back against the stove.
Li Mo stood up. He sighed in relief when he saw that while his second brother had his hands out, he wasn't actually trying to touch Li Man. Still, he helplessly admonished, "Second brother, stop causing trouble."
Li Yan put his hands down. He was in a very good mood as he laughed, "She's so cowardly."
Li Man knew that he was just teasing her, and so, she felt even more annoyed as she glared at him. This person was too despicable. Why was he acting so wicked so early in the morning? Besides, she was his younger brother's fiancée. Shouldn't he restrain himself a little bit more? Could it be that people were more open-minded in ancient times compared to modern-day?
Seeing her uncomfortable expression, Li Mo harshly glared at Li Yan. "Second brother, you were acting too outrageously before. You're scaring her."
Li Yan suddenly went closer to Li Mo and mockingly asked in a low tone, "Oldest brother, are you feeling heartache?"
Li Mo's expression stiffened, but he didn't refute Li Yan's words.
Li Yan chuckled. Seeing that Li Man was biting her lip and still glaring at him, he apologetically smiled and said, "Alright, I was just messing with you. You looked upset when I came in. What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
This person's eyes were really too poisonous. Li Man pretended that she couldn't understand him. After she stopped glaring at him, she picked up a bowl and scooped out some cornmeal. She decided to make some cornmeal pancakes. The men in this household all had large appetites. It wouldn't be enough to just feed them congee.
Seeing her like this, Li Yan didn't try to bug her again. He got some water and went to wash his face.
At this time, Li Shu yawned as he entered the kitchen. Seeing that Li Man was kneading cornmeal flour by the stove, he went over and asked, "Wife, why are you the one that's cooking breakfast today?"
He was leaning too close to her, so his warm breath was blowing on her face as he talked. Li Man blushed and instinctively contracted her neck. She thought of their relationship, and her face turned redder from awkwardness. She kept her head lowered and didn't reply.
Seeing that she was keeping her head lowered and saying silent, Li Shu felt increasingly confused. So, he lowered his head and carefully looked at her. "Wife, is something wrong?"
Her small face was as red as clouds during the sunset. Her long eyelashes trembled. Could it be... she had a fever?
Panicking, he stretched his hand out to check the temperature of her forehead. Li Man instinctively raised her arm to block him. She rebukingly glanced at him and said, "Go wash your face. It'll be time to eat breakfast soon."
Li Shu was briefly stunned to hear her fake-sounding angry voice. It felt as if honey was being wrapped around his heart. He liked it when his wife looked at him and talked to him this way
"En." Li Shu obediently agreed. He was all smiles as he went out to wash his face.
By the time everyone else was done washing up, Li Man had finished cooking breakfast. In addition to the pot of congee and three cornmeal pancakes for each person, she had also stir-fried a plate of pickled vegetables with some chili pepper. Its sour and spicy flavor tasted quite delicious when paired with the plain congee and pancakes.
Li Man had a small appetite, so two bowl of congee and one pancake was enough to fill her. She thought it over before giving her remaining two pancakes away. She gave one to Little Five and the other one to Li Shu.
Of course, no one thought anything of it when she gave one piece to Little Five. But, why had she given the other piece to their third brother?
Li Mo, Li Yan, and Li Hua cast a confused as well as forlorn gaze at Li Man in unison.
Li Man was very calm. She deliberately ignored their looks. She was Li Shu's fiancée. It was only right that she would favor him. Her action was meant to remind them of her relationship with Li Shu, so that they would stop doing things that would make other people misinterpret their actions.