Chapter 92: Lin Muyu’s Inexplicable Grievance

What?! The eldest’s marriage?

Xie Youzhen lost all interest in his cigarette, and Tian Xiufen, who had been about to cook dinner, rushed over.

“Which girl? From our village? Have your father and I met her?”

Tian Xiufen stared at Xie Zhao, so anxious she was practically ready to grab his arm and shake him!

“It’s the daughter of the Jinxiu Tailor Shop, Zhang Qiao’er. The girl is very nice, skilled with her hands, and her family is well-off. The couple is honest, and she’s down-to-earth too—the kind of girl who can really build a good life.”

Xie Zhao paused, then added, “Most importantly, I could tell she’s interested in our eldest brother.”

The Jinxiu Tailor Shop?

Tian Xiufen was so surprised she grabbed Xie Youzhen.

“I’ve been there! We bought the clothes and bedding for the second brother’s wedding from their shop! The old couple is very honest, and the daughter is pretty too, but… but…”

Her expression shifted through several emotions before she looked at Xie Zhao with a conflicted gaze. “We can’t match up to them! They have an urban household registration, they eat commercial grain, and they even have two sewing machines at home! And with just this one daughter, how could she possibly look up to us country bumpkins?”

“And your eldest brother is practically mute—barely makes a sound for half a day…!”

Tian Xiufen felt like she could die of frustration.

Xie Youzhen, however, was unhappy.

He straightened up, looked at Tian Xiufen, and tapped his pipe on the table. “What’s wrong with being country bumpkins? We farm the land honestly and live honestly. How are we any worse than city folk?”

“The eldest may be a bit simple with words, but his heart is true. He works himself to the bone inside and outside this house, never muttering a single complaint. All these years, if it weren’t for him, someone in our family would have starved to death.”

Tian Xiufen’s eyes rimmed with red, and she fell silent.

Xie Zhao reached out and patted the back of her hand.

“Mom, Dad is right. Our family can earn money now, and we have land to farm. Who comes by without saying we’re doing well?”

Xie Zhao said softly, “Mom, the eldest brother deserves the best.”

Tian Xiufen’s tears finally fell.

She quickly lowered her head and wiped them with the back of her hand.

“Right! Our Chengzi is worthy of anyone!”

Her voice was choked, her eyes filled with guilt and remorse.

This family owed the eldest the most.

She thought to herself, if the marriage could really be arranged, she would be willing to give her life for it.

…

Night fell.

After seeing Wei Qingzhi off and washing up, Xie Zhao returned to the room.

Xibao and Lebao were both awake. Over the past half-month, the two little ones had grown quite a bit, their newborn-wrinkled faces now round and smooth.

Seeing Xie Zhao come in, Lin Muyu said, “Come lend a hand. Wipe them down, or their bottoms will get red.”

Diaper rash in little babies was truly a headache-inducing problem.

The past few days, the weather had grown hot, and if diapers weren’t changed on time, Xibao’s bottom would get red. The skin looked a bit blistered, and she’d wail in pain the moment it was touched.

Xie Zhao’s heart ached terribly.

He quickly walked over and reached out to take Xibao.

The little one stared at him with her dark, glossy eyes and smacked her lips twice, babbling “Yiya yiya” as she blew a saliva bubble.

“Say ‘Daddy’.”

Xie Zhao teased her, leaning in to nuzzle Xibao’s tiny hand hidden in her sleeve with his nose.

Lin Muyu was amused.

“Too early! It’ll take at least a year!”

As she spoke, she reached out and took off Xibao’s clothes, revealing her red, pitiful-looking little bottom.

Xie Zhao quickly crouched down so Lin Muyu could clean it with warm water.

Unexpectedly, the moment the damp towel touched her skin, a loud, piercing cry followed.

“Wah wah~”

Xie Zhao was startled.

It felt like a whistle going off right next to his ear!

He quickly looked down—it was Xibao, wailing in pain, her mouth wide open, her entire little face flushed bright red!

“W-Wife? What do we do?”

Xie Zhao froze stiff, not daring to move an inch.

Lin Muyu’s heart ached terribly too. She quickly washed it with warm water, patted it dry with a soft cotton cloth, applied a bit of aged sesame oil, and finally slipped a clean diaper underneath.

Seeing Xibao still sniffling and sobbing, Lin Muyu’s heart ached as she took her over, lifted her clothes, and began to nurse.

The movement was fluid and seamless.

The crying stopped instantly.

The room fell quiet, and at some point, Lebao had fallen asleep too.

In the quiet of the night, a single candle flame burned, and the only sound was Xibao’s sniffling, suckling breaths.

Xie Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, but when he lowered his head to look at Xibao, he suddenly froze.

The pale yellow blouse was hiked up, revealing a glimpse of a full, rounded curve.

Under the warm orange glow of the lamp, it was a startling, dazzling white.

Her dark, slightly disheveled hair fell against her chest. The stark contrast of black and white made his pupils contract.

Lin Muyu’s eyes were lowered, her hand gently patting Xibao.

She hummed a nursery rhyme under her breath.

It was as soft as a tiny feather, stroke after stroke, brushing against Xie Zhao’s heart.

He didn’t speak, just watched silently.

His heart pounded fiercely, yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Ten minutes later.

Xibao had drunk her fill and fallen asleep contentedly. Lin Muyu gently, very carefully, placed her on the bed.

However, the next moment, as she looked up, she met a pair of dark eyes, turbulent with fierce, unspoken emotion.

Xie Zhao was staring at her.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he said in a hoarse, deliberate voice, “Wife… can I collect a little interest in advance?”

Interest?

Lin Muyu froze for a moment.

A seventeen-year-old girl, her eyes still held the innocence of youth.

She didn’t quite understand what Xie Zhao meant.

Did she and Xie Zhao need to talk about interest?

Or did he think she’d spent too much money?

Lin Muyu’s pretty brows furrowed, and the light in her eyes slowly dimmed.

“I don’t have any money.”

She hung her head slightly.

Her voice was a little downcast, tinged with an inexplicable sense of hurt.

“Can… can I pay you back later?”

Lin Muyu whispered.

Xie Zhao was taken aback.

Finding it both hilarious and utterly endearing, he simply sat down beside her with a straight face.

“How do you plan to pay me back?”

Xie Zhao felt a mischievous urge to tease her, so he asked with a straight face.

If Lin Muyu had looked up just then, she would have seen the brilliant glint in his eyes and the sly smile he couldn’t quite hide at the corner of his mouth.

But instead, she gave the question serious thought. After a moment, she spoke. “I’ll focus on my studies first. Once I get into college, the school will give me a monthly stipend. That’s when I’ll have the money to repay you.”

It was clearly a sincere matter.

Yet the more Lin Muyu spoke, the more a strange sense of grievance welled up inside her.

A sour ache rose in her chest.

Bitter and uncomfortable.

She never intended for Xie Zhao to support them all on his own.

She understood the pressure that would bring.

“Wife.”

Xie Zhao finally spoke, unable to hold back his laughter any longer. He was afraid that if he kept this up, the girl might actually start crying.

Lin Muyu gave a muffled grunt in response.

The next moment, she felt a pair of hands settle firmly on her shoulders.

And then, a wet and warm kiss pressed down on her.

It was no longer a simple meeting of lips. The man’s scorching tongue pushed past her teeth, hunting her down, bit by bit.

Her eyes flew wide open.

But all she felt was a hand at the back of her head, fingers gripping tight.

Pulling her toward him, bit by bit, without the slightest room for refusal.