"Brother Cheng, could you give me a hug too?" Li Hua asked, her eyes filled with envy as she watched her sister.
Lin Cheng understood precisely what Li Hua was yearning for. He had witnessed the tender scene of his brother-in-law lifting his sister with ease up the ridge, a moment so picturesque it could have been lifted straight from a film.
It wasn't that he was incapable of such a gesture; rather, he was just a bit reserved.
Yet, given that his wife seldom made such requests, Lin Cheng found no wish of hers he couldn't fulfill.
With a blush coloring his cheeks, Lin Cheng nodded, lifting his wife in his arms and carrying her up the ridge before promptly returning to his tasks.
Li Hua's smile blossomed, her heart racing with joy. Turning to Gu Zi, she declared, "I'll take a leaf out of your book. We'll add a touch of romance too."
Gu Zi, with a knowing smile, responded, "Sister-in-law, you're still young. Don't hesitate to ask Brother to embrace you. You're husband and wife, after all. If you don't share these romantic moments, he might share them with someone else."
From the sidelines, Father Lin observed his family with a deep sense of satisfaction. He cherished the happiness of his children and their spouses, hoping such joy would be a constant in their lives, making all the hardships he and his wife had endured worthwhile.
Having faced numerous challenges throughout his life, Father Lin harbored a wish for his descendants to lead a life less burdened than his own. Witnessing their current happiness brought him a profound sense of relief.
Gu Zi and Li Hua, seizing the moment, gathered wild vegetables along the ridge. After collecting two baskets full of lush, verdant greens, they noticed the men had completed the rice harvest on their plot of land.
Together, they loaded the rice into baskets, transporting it home using carrying poles, accomplishing the task in just two trips.
Upon returning home, Father Lin couldn't help but praise Mother Lin, "Our daughter has chosen well. Su Shen is not only a hard worker and a good earner but, most importantly, he adores our daughter. There's a bright future ahead!"
Mother Lin nodded in agreement, urging Gu Zi to take Su Shen for a shower to clean off the day's grime. Meanwhile, she and Li Hua busied themselves with cooking.
Aware of the tradition that newlyweds shouldn't spend the night at their in-laws' house on the day of their return, the Lin family planned an early dinner to ensure Gu Zi and the others could head home sooner.
Su Bing and Su Li were playing outside with Su Le. Seeing that their parents were back, they brought their sister into the house.
The first thing Su Li did when he returned to the house was to look for his mother. He had spent the day assisting his grandmother with the vegetable picking, earning her praise for his helpfulness and even receiving a handmade grass cage toy from foxtail grass. Eagerly, he wanted to share this token of his day's adventure with his mother.
In the midst of organizing her belongings in the room, Gu Zi was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in, baby," Gu Zi called out, recognizing the distinctive sound. She had an inkling it was Su Li coming to see her.
Su Li entered the room, his steps light and eager, cradling a grass cage no larger than his palm. With a twinkle of mystery in his eyes, he posed a question to Gu Zi, 'Mom, can you guess who gave this to me?"
Gu Zi, her hands busy sorting through the garments Su Shen had shed earlier, placing them into a bamboo basket, responded with patient curiosity. "Considering Grandma was the only one at home with you, it must have been her, correct?"
A nod came from Su Li, his face lighting up with pride. "Exactly, Mom, you're so clever. Grandma gave this to me as a reward. I was helping her pick vegetables earlier. My brother and sister each received one too. Grandma is truly wonderful! "
"You all are the wonderful ones," Gu Zi affirmed, her hand gently patting his head in a gesture of approval.
Basking in the warmth of his mother's praise, Su Li departed, a content smile gracing his features.
After a while, Su Bing came over. He extended his grass cage towards Gu Zi, resting it in the palm of her hand. "Mom, this is for you," he announced with a sense of offering.
After his declaration, a flush of embarrassment painted his little cheeks crimson, and he turned on his heel, dashing away.
The moment Su Shen emerged from his shower and stepped back into the house, he was greeted by the sight of his eldest son in a swift retreat. Venturing further inside, he discovered Gu Zi seated by the bed, her attention tenderly fixed on the grass cage. Curiosity laced his voice as he inquired, "Do you fancy these little trinkets?"
Gu Zi, with a gentle motion, secured the grass cage before responding, "It's quite charming, really." She glanced up, a subtle shift in her demeanor. "Have you finished?"
Su Shen, closing the distance to the bed, affectionately ruffled her hair. "Yes, Mom has asked us to come for dinner."
His words spoke of dinner, yet his actions lingered, his gaze anchored on the woman before him with an intensity as if he sought to etch her image forever in his memory.
Overwhelmed by his intense gaze, Gu Zi made a move to leave, but in a swift motion, he cornered her against the door, his upper body bare and gleaming from the shower he'd just taken. His rough fingers gently lifted her chin, his voice low and husky with the question, "Can we kiss?"
Locked under his penetrating stare, Gu Zi found herself enveloped by the warmth radiating from his still-damp skin, his features ruggedly handsome in the soft light. She harbored no objections, her heart racing with the anticipation of his touch; after all, she too craved the affectionate seal of his lips against hers.
Reading the silent consent in her eyes, Su Shen wasted no time. He closed the distance between them, capturing her lips with his own in a gentle yet insistent manner. His body pressed firmly against hers, each contour melding perfectly as he sought to delve deeper into the kiss, to taste the sweetness that he knew belonged to him alone..
...