CHAPTER 95: CHAPTER 94: HOPING FOR A BIG, HEALTHY BABY BOY NEXT YEAR

Feeling emo is very fleeting for Ye Manman; she never likes to overthink things. Anyway, she doesn’t want to have kids for the time being because she’s afraid of the pain and the poor medical conditions might lead to her death.

Besides, putting aside whether she wants kids or not, having kids requires another person to cooperate, doesn’t it?

But with him, with his timid ways...

Ye Manman tilted her head and glanced up at He Chen. Sure enough, his ears were red again.

Just talking about it makes him shy, so how are they ever going to have kids?

Can you have kids just by talking about it?

Ye Manman sighed again, the white mist dissipating in front of her eyes once more.

"He Chen, do you think I’m particularly unattractive?"

Otherwise, why have they been married for so long, with their hearts revealed to each other, yet after more than a month of sharing a bed, He Chen hasn’t made a move?

An athletically muscular man who can lift a grown man with one hand, is it normal for him to be so timid?

He Chen didn’t understand why Ye Manman suddenly asked this question, but he truly thought Ye Manman was the most attractive woman in the world.

"No, you’re very attractive."

How could she possibly not be attractive?

Every day, what He Chen fears most is nighttime.

Every time he goes to bed, it’s like jumping between heaven and hell, wanting to hold her but not daring to, and even when holding her, not daring to move.

On one hand, he’s intoxicated by her scent, yet on the other, he can’t control his unsavory desires, afraid his filthy side would disgust her. Satisfied yet tormented by an unbearable burning flame.

He waits every night for Ye Manman to fall asleep, then either sneaks off to take a cold shower or takes matters into his own hands.

Her allure is unmatched.

He Chen didn’t understand the meaning behind her words, nor did Ye Manman grasp the meaning behind his.

But she didn’t want to delve deeper into it.

These kinds of questions, if asked too much, could make her seem very insecure, almost like she’s coercing him to ask why he doesn’t touch her.

She didn’t want that.

They had been away from the village for a month, and due to business being busy, they barely came back. When the villagers saw He Chen bringing his wife back, they immediately started chatting.

"Oh my, isn’t this Hongmei’s nephew? He looks even more handsome after just a month, and his wife, she looks prettier too."

"They’re wearing brand new clothes. The fabric looks expensive, must have cost a fortune, tsk tsk tsk."

"Really envy the Ye Family, how did Xiuxiu Mei manage to marry off her daughters so well, one in town, and this one to the lad who also did well in town. Such good fortune!"

"Exactly, marrying off daughters is an art, and Xiuxiu Mei got really lucky. This young girl seems to be doing even better than the older one, who came back wearing old clothes. Who knows if the younger one even knows how to be filial."

"Oh, don’t say that, she’s not a biological child, and this girl has a fiery temper. I’ve never seen her visit Xiuxiu Mei, might as well be strangers."

"Oh, you shouldn’t talk like that..."

"..."

The women gossiped a lot, with only a few men standing by idly chatting nearby.

"He Chen, are you back in the village to celebrate the New Year?"

Someone called out to He Chen.

Ye Manman turned her head and realized that the uncle was the same one who used to work alongside He Chen in the field.

If it hadn’t been for the uncle handing He Chen a hoe and calling out his name, she might not have figured out which of the many men working in the field that day was her future husband.

He Chen smiled and nodded, slowing down his bike ride a little.

"Yes, Uncle, happy New Year to everyone!"

His demeanor and speech were completely different from before. The quiet, barely noticeable He Chen was nowhere to be found.

Having done business in town for a while, his attire and social skills saw a qualitative improvement.

A brand-new overcoat paired with matte leather boots, and his hair neatly trimmed, he looked steady and handsome. Confidently greeting people with a rising tone, the joking uncle was utterly stunned.

The uncle paused for a moment before bursting into an even more joyful laugh.

"Happy New Year, go home and get your wife to clean up, hahaha. You seem to be doing well in town, aim to have a big fat son next year, hahaha."

Hearing this blessing, the smile on He Chen’s face froze for a moment.

His face quickly heated up, and for an instant, it was as if the taciturn He Chen had returned, pedaling swiftly away in embarrassment without responding.

Listening to the uncle still loudly discussing their situation at the village entrance, He Chen pedaled his bicycle with embarrassment, his ears burning.

Ye Manman knew he was shy, but the uncle was just joking, yet he got embarrassed.

Seems like he’s getting more bashful as time goes on.

"Ride slower, no one’s chasing us."

She tapped his back, teasingly scolding him.

He Chen quickly slowed down, but luckily, they were already back in the village, just a few steps away from home.

Once home, He Chen automatically started cleaning and tidying, while Ye Manman took out the bright red couplets.

Her own home used to put up couplets, but she never bothered as the caretakers would invariably do it, and Ye Manman had never paid much attention to them, often not even glancing at them.

But things were different now; this was her home with He Chen, so naturally, she’d take part in it.

The couplets of the time were very simple, the material rough, and they bled color at the touch, turning her fingers red, but Ye Manman didn’t rush to wash her hands in disdain.

She spread the couplets on the floor to take a look. The black characters on red paper were clearly written with a brush, bursting with a vivid sense of the era.

"Enrich the nation and the people prosper, embrace change and bid farewell to the old for the new."

She read it once, feeling a unique sensation creeping up on her.

"Manman, how about these couplets? I heard they’re the best sellers."

He Chen had already cleaned the house once before they left. With just a simple wipe-down, it looked spotless. Meanwhile, he started making the paste.

Ye Manman agreed, feeling that peculiar sensation grow even stronger, making her inexplicably happy.

"What are you making?"

Curious, she leaned over to watch He Chen stirring something in the pot, a sticky white substance clinging to the chopsticks, refusing to drop.

"It’s a paste made from flour, used for sticking the couplets."

"So it’s like glue?"

Ye Manman had never seen this before and was curious, eagerly assisting He Chen by handing him the couplets while he applied paste to the wall on either side of the front door.

This showcased the advantage of being tall.

He Chen didn’t need a stool; he could easily stick the couplets to the wall, pressing them firmly from top to bottom to ensure they stuck.

Standing beside him, Ye Manman looked up and saw him carelessly smudge his face red when wiping it, finding it inexplicably funny, feeling even more strongly.

At that moment, she suddenly understood that this feeling was called warmth, a feeling brought on by family.

Seizing the moment while He Chen was still admiring the couplets, she suddenly pounced, smearing his face with red again.

"Hahaha!"

"Your face is all messed up!"

"Nyeh nyeh nyeh~"