MLH | Chapter 13

Fang Zichen had made up his mind to show off in front of Zhao ge’er, with two bundles tucked under his armpits. If the big bundle had not been so inconvenient to put on his head, he would even have wanted to learn from those Indian guys.

Fang Zichen carried things back and forth several times, and shouted at Zhao ge’er from far away, “See it? See it.”

The smugness on his face was too obvious, and Zhao ge’er pressed his lips together, turned his head away, and did not look at him.

Guai Zai was supportive, though, and clapped his hands for Fang Zichen. “Father is amazing, Father is amazing.”

Fang Zichen was satisfied.

At noon, Zhao ge’er went to buy a few steamed buns back. After Fang Zichen got off work, the three of them hid in the shade by the side of the boat to rest.

Zhao ge’er and Guai Zai were eating their steamed buns with great relish, their eyes bright with excitement, as if they were eating some abalone and chicken gizzards. Fang Zichen had been hungry at first, but for some reason, watching the two of them, his heart somehow grew a little sour.

He suddenly remembered the first day Zhao ge’er had come to the house, when he pointed at the wild vegetables in the basket and said that he and Guai Zai could just eat that.

He thought of those old scars on his arm that he had accidentally seen.

He also thought of how, for a few sweet potatoes, he had worked under the scorching sun with sweat pouring down his face in the fields.

It was not as if he did not understand that Aunt He used the name of helping him as a pretext to bully him, but the crushing weight and unfairness of life had broken his back and his self-respect. So much so that for many things, he had to understand clearly and pretend to be confused, unable to argue over them, because he had no standing and no ability to argue over them.

A little kindness leaking from between other people’s fingers was enough for him to kneel and be grateful for it.

Guai Zai was the same. At such a young age, he spent all day following Zhao ge’er up the mountains and down to the fields. Other children at his age were all treasures in their families, but he was just a blade of grass.

They were living a life he had never imagined, or rather, could hardly imagine. Because he had lived so hard before, even two steamed buns now felt satisfying.

When Zhao ge’er saw that he had taken only two bites and stopped, he looked him over and asked in confusion, “Why aren’t you eating? Are you too tired? Or too thirsty to eat?”

As soon as he opened his mouth, it was a three-part question. Fang Zichen also did not know which kind of situation had made him unable to eat, or whether it did not belong to any of them at all. He pinched the steamed bun in his hand, not very soft. He suddenly wanted to ask Zhao ge’er, do you think life used to be hard? Have you ever thought about just letting it go? Do you feel satisfied now, living like this?

So many, so many things he wanted to ask, but when they reached his mouth, he swallowed them back down hard. Zhao ge’er was happy now, why should he pick open the wounds he did not know whether had already healed? So in the end, when he spoke, he only said one sentence,

“My mouth is dry.”

“Then I’ll go buy you a bowl of porridge!” Zhao ge’er said.

“No need,” Fang Zichen pulled him back. “I’ll go ask the boat manager for some water. Do you and Guai Zai want any?”

Zhao ge’er turned his head to ask Guai Zai, and then nodded.

The dock did not include meals for hauling cargo, but water was still available. The boat manager was a pretty nice person. At noon he would give them half an hour of rest. Because he had gotten up early in the morning, Fang Zichen hugged Guai Zai and leaned against the boat, and soon fell asleep.

The boat manager was resting in a stall by the dock. The stall owner was his distant cousin, and it was only thanks to that connection that he could set up a stall at the dock.

The stall owner leaned by the door. Seeing something interesting, he suddenly laughed. “That son’s already so big, and I didn’t expect those two husband-and-husband to still be so clingy.”

“What?” the boat manager asked.

“You come see for yourself,” the cousin said. “That tall, skinny one who just got hired yesterday and’s amazing at hauling big bundles, what good luck he’s got. Unlike my wife, tsk, we’ve only been married six years and now when she looks at me, her eyes are as wide as a cow’s. If I had gone for the conscription last time, maybe in two years when I came back she’d already be on her third marriage.”

The boat manager smiled but made no comment. When he sat at the doorway and looked over from afar, he saw Zhao ge’er fanning Fang Zichen nonstop with his hand. Fang Zichen seemed to be sleeping uncomfortably against him, and Zhao ge’er supported him so he could rest his head on his thigh.

From so far away, he could still see Zhao ge’er looking at Fang Zichen without blinking, as if carefully tracing his brows and eyes. His gaze was gentle, carrying a shallow smile.

Zhao ge’er had a round face and big eyes. To someone unfamiliar, a glance would always make them subconsciously feel that this child was honest and gentle. Fang Zichen was different. There was always something contradictory about him. When he smiled, he also looked obedient, but if he did not speak or if he felt even slightly out of sorts, his face could show his temper. It was clear he had been pampered at home, good-tempered but also spoiled. He was also very talkative. He had only come yesterday afternoon, and most of the strong men hauling cargo here were already familiar with him.

The boat manager always felt that if Fang Zichen’s pockets were a little fuller, before long he would be adding a little sister or little brother for Zhao ge’er.

He looked for a while, then said, “He really is lucky.”

“Isn’t he,” the cousin said, looking at the family in the distance, his brow slightly furrowed. “That kid doesn’t look like a village man, and he doesn’t look very old either. Look at the child sleeping on his stomach, he looks a bit young, but he should still be around two or three, right? Getting married at such a young age, he’s probably the kind who can’t stand loneliness.”

“Why bother with those things,” the boat manager said. “Anyway, we’re not familiar with them.”

“I just feel sorry for that ge’er.” He changed the topic and laughed again. “But that kid is also something. I can see that the ge’er’s gaze is scorching, as if he wants to bore a hole through him, and he’s still sleeping like a pig.”

As it neared the time to start work, the workers gradually came back. Most of them, like Fang Zichen, would just find a place to lie down and sleep if their homes were far away, while those whose homes were in town went back.

The noisy sound poured into his ears, and Fang Zichen wanted to turn over. Then he subconsciously thought of something and stopped hard.

He opened his eyes and happened to meet Zhao ge’er’s gaze, which he had not had time to move away.

Fang Zichen blinked. Zhao ge’er’s face was a little red, and he looked inexplicably guilty. He forced himself not to look away. “You’re awake, it’s time to start work.”

“Mm~” The soft touch under his head, and Zhao ge’er’s belly still pressed against his cheek, made Fang Zichen only feel his throat go dry. The sun seemed even hotter than at noon. His whole body felt hot, and a rush of air charged toward his head. His heart was not behaving either, beating hard.

That gaze Zhao ge’er had just given him…

Fang Zichen was not unfamiliar with it. On the contrary, he had seen it far too many times.

When he was in school, he skipped grades all the way up and stayed with children of different ages. They were sixteen and he was twelve. Throughout all six years of elementary school and three years of high school, no one ever confessed to him.

At sixteen, things improved a little. The girls at university were open and enthusiastic. Some were the type that, once they liked someone, they were willing to go all ages. Fang Zichen looked good, had excellent grades, and at sixteen he was already within the age range where dating would not make people feel it was a crime. So there were plenty of girls who confessed to him, especially after his adoptive parents came in a luxury car to the school sports meet to cheer for him, and after the photo of him in a black custom suit at the company annual gala was exposed. The girls came after him one after another. Some were after his identity and aimed for his adoptive parents, but there were also plenty who truly came for him as a person.

Their eyes back then were just like Zhao ge’er’s, with love that could not be hidden, involuntary and unmistakable.

But Zhao ge’er liked him?

Fang Zichen could not quite figure it out.

It was not that he doubted Zhao ge’er, it was that they had really only known each other for not long, three or four days. Was that enough time for love to sprout?

Or was Zhao ge’er actually love at first sight with him?

Zhao ge’er was good to him and obedient. He had never thought about this before, only felt that in this era, once you married someone, there was no need to talk about whether you liked them or not, and being gentle and capable, obedient and sensible, and trying hard to gain your husband’s favor, was the most basic thing for surviving in the husband’s family.

If Zhao ge’er had fallen for him at first sight…

It was not impossible.

After all, he was handsome enough, kind enough, and it was perfectly normal for Zhao ge’er to fall for him at first sight.

Now he was already together with Zhao ge’er, and although earlier he had thought of treating him as a brother, if Zhao ge’er liked him…

Yesterday he came back a little late, and Zhao ge’er had even squatted at the roadside crying. It was clear that he was already madly in love with him, unable to live without him. Zhao ge’er was so pitiful, and he also looked not bad, obedient and well-behaved, so then… then trying it out was not impossible.

He had used Zhao ge’er’s legs as a pillow for the whole noon, and if he did not say something, he would feel bad. Saying thank you was a little distant for their current relationship of “you secretly love me, so I’ll try dating you, and maybe in the end it’ll develop into marrying first and loving later.”

“Your legs are so soft, so comfortable.” Fang Zichen said in a low voice, his voice a little hoarse.

Zhao ge’er: “······”

Zhao ge’er only felt that the patch of flesh he had been lying on had seemed to have already stiffened, numb and tingly, and now because of a single sentence it regained sensation, hot blood surging through it, softening all his limbs and bones.

This person had said something silly again.

“You… you should get up.”

“Mm!” He picked up Guai Zai, who had been sleeping on his chest, and handed him to Zhao ge’er, then took off the pouch at his waist and gave it to him. “In the afternoon, when it cools down a bit, take Guai Zai out for a walk, see what the family is missing, and buy the necessities first. The things still lacking later can wait until we’ve made big money.”

“I know,” Zhao ge’er said.

“You both know the way, right!” Fang Zichen smiled. “Keep an eye on Guai Zai, don’t let him be tricked away with candy. I’ll be relying on him to support me in old age!”

…

In the afternoon, Zhao ge’er took Guai Zai out.

He did not come back until it was almost time for Fang Zichen to get off work.

The backpack only had some rice and flour in it, and not much else. Fang Zichen could not figure it out. For just a few things, how could they spend the whole afternoon buying them?

On the way back, Zhao ge’er returned the pouch to him and said a lot of things. Fang Zichen understood. So it turned out that Zhao ge’er had spent the whole afternoon comparing prices and quality from three different sellers. No wonder it took so long. It had made him anxious, thinking that the father and son had really been abducted by someone.

Fang Zichen said, “You’re so capable! The Ma family really lost out.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Hmm?”

“They cheated you out of three taels of silver,” Zhao ge’er said, lowering his head. “I’m not worth three taels of silver!”

“Nonsense!” Fang Zichen took his hand, his tone stern. “I think you’re very good. I say the Ma family lost out, so the Ma family lost out. You’re not allowed to argue with me!”

“It’s true! I heard people say that the little girls sold by the human traffickers, clean and innocent, are only three taels of silver. My body…”

Feudal thinking killed people.

“Shut up, keep talking and I’ll spank your butt!”

“……”