Xingyun was the first to express dissatisfaction:
"Wife, you're so biased, you only bought gifts for second brother."
Yuchuan also said:
"Wife, your taste is so good, the hairpin is very beautiful."
Even the usually taciturn Xuanyi's tone held a hint of sourness, and he added:
"Hairpin, beautiful."
Nian Jiaojiao's forehead was covered in dark lines. This Xingyun, her eyesight was truly sharp. Now it was good, she felt like a heartless scumbag...
She forced a smile and said:
"Oh, don't you all just look at the hairpin! Look, I bought so many snacks, food, and fabric..."
As she spoke, she observed their expressions but found that everyone was still uninterested.
"Uh..."
Was this the legendary 'after a full meal comes lust'?
When they lacked everything before, did they only want to fill their stomachs?
Now they were even disappointed by a hairpin.
Nian Jiaojiao shook her head...
Alas... this is what men are like...
...
In the blink of an eye, Nian Jiaojiao had been in this world for over three months.
In the entire village, let alone greenery, not even withered leaves remained on the branches, leaving only bare branches swaying in the cold wind.
Thanks to the money earned from writing novels, the Nian family's life had become affluent, and Nian Jiaojiao's four husbands' complexions were visibly ruddy.
Nian Jiaojiao, however, had become thin.
"Wife, the weather is cold, it's not good if you sweat and catch a chill."
Xingyun said leisurely, sitting on a chair and watching Nian Jiaojiao exercising vigorously in the yard.
"Hoo hoo..."
Nian Jiaojiao gasped for breath and said:
"Wait! I have one last set of movements, and I'll wipe myself down after I finish."
Upon hearing Nian Jiaojiao's words, Xingyun immediately got up and hurried to the kitchen.
The water in the kitchen was heating. Xingyun skillfully poured the hot water into the wooden tub, picked it up, and was about to carry it to the yard.
"I'll do it."
Xuanyi easily took the wooden tub and walked forward with large strides.
Xingyun watched Xuanyi's retreating figure and smiled warmly.
It was truly good to have Eldest Brother at home...
Ever since Nian Jiaojiao came back earning money from writing, her physique had completely strengthened.
She took on the demeanor of the head of the household and ordered Xuanyi not to go hunting in the mountains before spring arrived.
And since the family was not short of money, Xuanyi had no reason to refuse and had been at home helping Xingyun with household chores.
After wiping herself down, Nian Jiaojiao eagerly sat at the dining table. She strictly controlled her diet at night, eating only a little vegetarian food, and was so hungry when she woke up early in the morning.
The husbands also took their seats, and Nian Jiaojiao looked around and nodded with satisfaction.
The day after Nian Jiaojiao brought back money, the issue of the leaking house and the lack of furniture were quickly resolved.
The furniture included wardrobes, tables, and the chair that Xuanyi was sitting on.
Now the whole family could sit at the dining table for meals together.
And all of this had only cost a mere four taels of silver.
Money isn't everything, but without money, nothing can be done.
Nian Jiaojiao suddenly remembered this famous saying from her previous life.
The family ate chicken and eggs heartily. Yuchuan ate in small bites, a hint of melancholy on his brow.
Nian Jiaojiao happened to glance at him and asked in confusion:
"Yuchuan, what's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"
Hearing that his wife still hadn't called him "Chuan'er," Yuchuan felt a bitterness in his mouth. He forced himself to say:
"Wife, the food is very good, how could it not be to my liking? It's just... this money should be spent on what's most important. Wife, you have to study next year..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
The chopsticks of the others, who were picking up meat, also slowed down. Xingyun, though reluctant, said sensibly:
"Yuchuan is right, Wife. This money should be used for yourself. We don't need to eat so well, otherwise, the money will be spent quickly..."
Nian Jiaojiao frowned, looking disapprovingly:
"We are a family. We share blessings and endure hardships together. Before, only Xuanyi earned money, and wasn't all the money used by me?"
She looked at Xuanyi with some apology and continued:
"Besides, this isn't just for you to eat; I'm eating too, and I want to eat well. Are we going to have two separate pots at the same dining table?"
Finally, she sighed:
"I know you still have doubts about my earning ability, but this is definitely not the last time I will earn money. I'm submitting my manuscript tomorrow, and our family will have income again, so you don't need to save money for me."
Seeing Nian Jiaojiao say this, Yuchuan apologized:
"I'm sorry, Wife, it was me..."
Nian Jiaojiao shook her head and interrupted him:
"No need to apologize, it's fine as long as we've made things clear."
Yuchuan fell silent. He always felt that an invisible wall separated him from his wife, making it impossible for him to approach her.
At this moment, Xingyun looked at Nian Jiaojiao with starry eyes and suddenly exclaimed:
"Wife!!"
Nian Jiaojiao was startled.
"What's wrong?"
"Wife, you said you're submitting your manuscript tomorrow?"
Nian Jiaojiao nodded in confusion: "Yes."
"Then, then, then does that mean your sequel to 'Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai' is finished?"
Xingyun's voice trembled slightly, and the other three men at the table also noticed this issue and looked at Nian Jiaojiao intently, awaiting an answer.
Nian Jiaojiao was a little confused:
"I did write part of the sequel, but it's not finished yet. However, how did you know..."
She remembered only telling Nan Qing about the plot of "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai."
Xingyun immediately replied:
"Second brother told us! Wife, the story you wrote is truly wonderful! I've never heard such a beautiful story!"
Nian Jiaojiao's mouth twitched as she saw Xingyun on the verge of spitting his saliva into his rice bowl. She said:
"Xingyun, don't get too excited, eat your meal."
Xingyun, however, was getting carried away and pressed:
"Wife, can you tell us the story?"
Among the family, only Yuchuan could recognize some characters; the others were still illiterate, so Nian Jiaojiao had to tell them the story through oral narration.
Nian Jiaojiao subtly protected her bowl and nodded:
"Alright, I'll tell you after we finish eating."
Xingyun then happily started to eat his rice in large mouthfuls, while the other three also inadvertently sped up their eating.
...
Master Bedroom.
Nian Jiaojiao's bed had been replaced with a 2-meter-wide large bed.
At this moment, Nian Jiaojiao sat in the middle, wrapped in the quilt, while her four husbands sat around her in a circle.
"The last part of the story ended with Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai just arriving at the academy. Today, we'll talk about what kind of stories will unfold for them in the academy?"
Nian Jiaojiao slowly narrated the subsequent story:
"As soon as Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai arrived at the academy gate, they happened to encounter a woman dressed in a blue gauze dress, fanning herself, shouting at the students below: Listen up carefully! From today onwards, I am your boss. If you want to enter the academy, you must first come and pay your respects to me and kowtow!"
Yuchuan and the other three listened intently, and when Nian Jiaojiao mentioned the appearance of the female character Ma Wencai, their eyes lit up.
At this point, they didn't know this was a villain character. They only heard Ma Wencai, who rode a horse and exuded an imposing aura with a bow and arrow, being questioned by Wang Lantian, who asked who she was. She replied in a clear voice:
"Ma Wencai from Hangzhou!"
The four of them immediately developed a good impression of this heroic character.