Shen Yun looked down from above, his large eyes like lamps, taking in the look of panic on Su Xiaoqi's face.
He also heard her internal complaints, and his heart sank.
In that moment just now, he had really considered doing something.
He always felt that this little woman appeared harmless on the surface, understanding and considerate, and got along well with his family.
But he feared that one day she might leave.
Far away from him.
He didn't want to let her go!
Then he had to give her a reason to stay.
He wanted to do something, but she was unwilling.
Shen Yun ultimately didn't want to force a weak woman.
But scaring her, or letting her adapt in advance by collecting some interest, was permissible.
Thus, Shen Yun began to act upon Su Xiaoqi, enduring her frantic internal complaints.
From top to bottom, and from bottom to top.
He did everything except the final step.
Strangely enough, Su Xiaoqi only dared to curse inwardly, but her body honestly accepted his cleansing and branding.
"Wifey is enjoying it too," Shen Yun said, growing eager.
He hesitated, wondering if he should break through the last layer of defense.
"No, don't," Su Xiaoqi felt his intentions and pushed him away with all her might.
She couldn't stop cursing inwardly, "Pervert Shen Yun, what enjoyment?
If I wasn't afraid of you turning black and dealing with me later, I would have slapped you across the face long ago."
Su Xiaoqi's thought was that as long as he didn't take the final step, she would indulge him.
She had a sense of proportion and could indulge her little temper tantrums towards him.
But she dared not completely alienate him.
Su Xiaoqi's thoughts completely shattered Shen Yun.
So, she was extremely unwilling deep down.
Never mind.
He turned over and lay down, thinking incessantly.
What did 'turning black' mean, dealing with her?
How could that be? Shen Yun didn't believe he would do such a thing.
He stopped.
The scoundrel, Shen Yun, stopped.
Su Xiaoqi breathed a sigh of relief and quietly rolled out a little further.
Once she was sure Shen Yun was asleep and she was safe, she began to review the matter of her space leveling up.
Before, on the mule cart, Shen Yun had kissed her, and she had leveled up to twelve.
Just now, Shen Yun had also kissed her forcefully, but her space had not leveled up again.
Su Xiaoqi furrowed her brows, thought for a moment, and then patted the back of her head, realizing something.
She had previously thought there were two ways for her space to level up:
One was by doing good deeds, and the other was by Shen Yun's kiss.
But that wasn't the case.
These two were indispensable conditions for the space to level up.
It wasn't that she had to choose one of the two as she had previously understood.
When she leveled up to twelve, it was likely because she had saved the little magpie.
Su Xiaoqi's scalp tingled. If the rules for leveling up her space were like this, then her plan to leave Shen Yun as soon as possible seemed to have hit a snag.
Su Xiaoqi covered her face with the quilt, speechless and choked with emotion, "Am I destined to never leave this scoundrel Shen Yun?"
"Isn't it good to be with me?"
"What? What did you say?" Su Xiaoqi heard Shen Yun's voice by her ear.
She sat up with a start, looking at Shen Yun in shock.
He could hear her inner thoughts.
She hadn't spoken them aloud just now.
Shen Yun narrowed his eyes, realizing that the words he had just spoken were what Su Xiaoqi had thought, not what she had said aloud.
But he had responded to her.
Taking advantage of Su Xiaoqi's dazed state, he said with an unchanged expression:
"Wifey said, wifey said she would never leave me in this lifetime."
Su Xiaoqi was utterly confused. Had she said it? Had she really said it?
Shen Yun's gaze was incredibly sincere, and his tone was very calm.
Perhaps she had said it.
Su Xiaoqi secretly blamed herself, wondering how she could have spoken her inner thoughts aloud, alas...
She conceded, and when Shen Yun reached out to embrace her again,
She didn't even dare to move, lying obediently in his arms and sleeping through the night.
The next morning after waking, Su Xiaoqi almost overslept.
She quickly got up, washed, ate breakfast, and then followed Shen Yun to the city.
As they were about to leave, Shen Yun suddenly stopped her.
Su Xiaoqi looked at him blankly, her eyes hazy with confusion.
Shen Yun reached out and adjusted the collar of her shirt around her neck.
This action instantly reminded Su Xiaoqi of how Shen Yun had kissed and bitten her there last night.
She was greatly alarmed, lowered her head, and lifted the collar to check. Indeed, she saw a clear hickey on it.
"Shen Yun," she gritted her teeth.
After Shen Yun finished adjusting her clothes, he placed his hands on her shoulders.
Upon hearing her, he leaned close to her ear and said in his magnetic voice:
"If wifey is unhappy, your husband will let you bite him back tonight."
"You scoundrel," Su Xiaoqi was so angry her teeth itched.
This interaction between the two was observed by Zhao Xiaozhu, who was accompanying them, and Zhao Ye, who was packing the fish baskets.
Their thoughts were different.
"Big cousin and Sister Xiaoqi are so sweet," Zhao Xiaozhu sighed.
Zhao Ye couldn't speak, merely lowering his head, his face showing unconcealed jealousy.
He didn't know when it started, but he had fallen for that woman with the radiant smile and charming face.
The group set off grandly towards Mianzhou City.
On the carriage, Su Xiaoqi took the opportunity to speak to Zhao Ye about asking him to keep an eye on Zhao Liushun when he had free time.
"Wages will be calculated separately," Su Xiaoqi couldn't let him work for free.
Zhao Ye was initially happy when she asked for his help.
Upon hearing her mention wages, he suddenly became clear-headed.
He shook his head and refused, saying he didn't want additional wages, as she had already given him enough.
Su Xiaoqi immediately rejected this. Her gaze swept over Zhao Xiaozhu's delicate face, and she teased Zhao Ye with a smile:
"If you don't accept wages, that won't do. You must accept. You still need to save money to get married."
This one sentence made Zhao Xiaozhu's cheeks flush.
Zhao Ye also lowered his head, closing his eyes to conceal the disappointment and pain within.
In this life, she was already a wife, and he had no chance.
Moreover, he was mute, not worthy of such a good woman like her.
In the carriage, the four people, each with their own thoughts, created a slightly awkward atmosphere.
It wasn't until Zhao Ye alighted at Fuyue Inn to deliver the fish that everyone felt a bit of relief.
Then, Shen Yun alighted at the county school.
Su Xiaoqi took Zhao Xiaozhu to the house they had just bought yesterday to visit Xiao Xique and the others.
Seeing that she had recovered very well and was already energetically chasing and playing with other children in the courtyard.
Upon seeing her, she threw herself forward and hugged her neck.
"Xiao Xique, be careful. Don't knock Sister Xiaoqi over," Xiao Yi reminded her softly from behind.
After all, Su Xiaoqi was also thin and frail, as if a strong gust of wind could blow her over.
But at this moment, Su Xiaoqi didn't want to dwell on these things.
Her eyes were now filled with Xiao Xique's healthy and ruddy face.
She said with a smile that Xiao Xique had just recovered from a serious illness, and she should be allowed to be unrestrained.
Hearing this, Xiao Xique became even more reluctant to misbehave, merely hugging her dependently.
Even now, she still couldn't quite believe that her Sister Xiaoqi had finally returned.
"Yes, I'm back, and I'm not leaving again," Su Xiaoqi patted her back comfortingly.
If taking care of Xiao Xique and the others was the original owner's responsibility, then what was wrong with her taking it on?
She glanced around at everyone and noticed they were all wearing new clothes.
She thought to herself that Granny Wen must have bought them according to her instructions.
Then she heard Xiao Xique tell her that she had eaten a full meal this morning.
There was millet porridge that they could eat as much as they wanted, a large meat bun, and a large steamed bun.
They could eat until they couldn't eat anymore.
Su Xiaoqi's heart instantly became even happier.
She felt that she hadn't misjudged anyone.
Granny Wen was indeed someone worth entrusting.
"Sister Xiaoqi, you said earlier that you don't keep idle people here. Do you have anything for us to do?" a tall, thin youth behind her asked cautiously.
Su Xiaoqi looked at her, and after a moment of daze, she remembered that he was called Xiao Er.
This was a name given by the original owner.
In fact, among these more than ten children, most were named according to their age.
Only the eldest, Xiao Ze, had a name.
Xiao Yi was originally called Xiao Yi, but he changed it himself when he got older.
Su Xiaoqi's memory was that they were numbered up to twenty-five.
But now, only eighteen remained.
Some had likely departed forever due to the hardships of difficult times.
"So soon. Alright. I'll ask Uncle Zhao to make a trip to the village later to transport my buckwheat here."
Su Xiaoqi said, thinking that a mule cart could carry at most a thousand catties, which wasn't enough for transport.
She took a hundred wen and gave it to Zhao Laoshi, asking him to find another mule cart to go to the village with him to transport two thousand catties of buckwheat.
She intended to make buckwheat tea here.
Xiao Yi didn't trust Zhao Laoshi and volunteered to go along to escort the cart.
He could also help with the loading.
Su Xiaoqi nodded, looking at Xiao Yi with great satisfaction.
Indeed, he was a responsible child, and it was worth her helping them.