Volume One, Chapter 19: The Young Master's Lips Are So Soft

The young master’s gaze exposed her filthy thoughts with nowhere to hide. Afraid he would see through her, she hurriedly ran away.

Once she reached the courtyard and breathed in the cold, crisp air, she stomped her feet and slapped her own face.

“Yin Tiantian, you’ve fallen from grace!”

She dared not enter the house, lingering outside until late, then went to see Stinky Treasure. She confided her youthful worries to the sleeping creature, who grunted twice in response—probably annoyed by her rambling.

“I don’t dare go back! I came to repay a kindness. In my past life, I couldn’t stand up to the Hou family because I was foolish. How could someone as stupid as me ever be worthy of the young master?”

Stinky Treasure grunted again.

“That’s true—at least this life I dare to resist. I’m no longer the pushover I was before, enduring everyone’s wrath. I’ve made progress…”

She comforted herself.

“Tiantian.”

The door behind her opened from the inside. Cui Heng, leaning on a crutch, stood in the doorway.

He had come out wearing only a thin long robe—what if he caught a cold?

Yin Tiantian rushed over.

“Young master, do you need to relieve yourself? I’ll get your chamber pot…”

Cui Heng grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“Why are you awake at such an hour, murmuring to a pig? Do you think reciting scriptures will fatten it up so you can sell it for more?”

“Huh? What?”

Yin Tiantian looked up at Cui Heng. Was her young master joking? Such a serious man, could he really joke like this?

Cui Heng’s eyebrows twitched. Not funny?

From his perspective, Yin Tiantian’s face looked exceptionally small and thin, with no flesh on her chin, making her eyes appear large and bright.

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

Yin Tiantian responded with an “Oh,” followed him inside, and latched the door.

His bones hadn’t fully healed. He had walked earlier that day, so his sleep was restless—probably because of leg pain. She remembered the medicine she had brought last time and got up in the middle of the night to prepare it.

“Young master, drink this medicine, and your leg won’t hurt…”

Cui Heng sat up and took a sip, frowning.

“Are you afraid of bitterness, young master?”

Yin Tiantian seemed to have discovered something remarkable.

“I’ll find you some jujubes!”

“Come back!” Cui Heng awkwardly tugged her sleeve. “Who said I’m afraid of bitterness?”

He hadn’t even drunk the last bowl of medicine! Yin Tiantian handed him the bowl, and he pinched his nose, gulping it down. Then he passed the empty bowl back to her.

Yet, not only were his eyebrows furrowed, but his entire face was twisted in displeasure.

Yin Tiantian glanced at the empty bowl.

“Is it really that bitter?”

In her previous life, trapped in the Hou family’s rear quarters, she had taken medicine daily until she became numb, unable to distinguish bitter from sweet.

“If you don’t believe me, you can taste it yourself!”

For some reason, seeing her nonchalant expression and puckered lips, Cui Heng wanted her to share the bitterness he had endured.

“Come closer.”

Yin Tiantian thought he was unwell and crouched beside the bed to look at him.

Suddenly, he lowered his head and kissed her. Startled, she went weak all over and collapsed onto the floor.

She stared in shock at her young master’s ears and neck, which quickly flushed a deep red.

Cui Heng cleared his throat and asked, “Bitter?”

Yin Tiantian licked her lips and replied seriously,

“Sweet.”

Only after speaking did she realize she was teasing her young master again!

Cui Heng lay back down, pulled the quilt over himself, and Yin Tiantian returned the medicine bowl to the kitchen, then lay beside him.

What did the young master mean just now?

Her mind swirled with wild thoughts.

His lips were so soft…

Cui Heng couldn’t sleep either.

“Young master, please sleep soon. Tomorrow the village official is coming to measure our land!”

Yin Tiantian didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she wasn’t asleep deeply. She felt the person beside her turning restlessly.

Once this batch of embroidery was finished, she would buy some cotton to make a quilt…

Sleeping separately would ease her young master’s discomfort…

Yin Tiantian slept until dawn, ate breakfast quickly, and headed to the fields early to wait.

The village official arrived with assistants to measure the land. Their family’s fields weren’t contiguous but lay scattered on the sunlit side of a hill. Since crops grew poorly on the slope, they had terraced the land. Over three years, the old Shen couple never rested; whenever free, they repaired the ridges. The terraces were as good as the second-class fields in the village. No wonder the Gao family coveted them.

After measuring, Yin Tiantian watched as the village official inscribed Shen father’s name in the fish-scale land register.

“The official land deed will be processed at the government office by year-end. But rest assured, once recorded in the register, the government recognizes the land. If anyone dares to cause trouble, just report it to the authorities!”

“Thank you, village official!”

Yin Tiantian invited the official to her home for a drink, but he declined.

“I’m still busy. I won’t come inside. With land, life will be a little better!”

He patted Shen father on the shoulder. Years ago, it was this official who handled Shen father’s household separation, moving the registration from the old residence to establish a new household. These years had been hard for him.

Indeed, with land, life could finally improve.

Shen father sat at the edge of the field, sobbing softly.

He finally had land. Next year, he wouldn’t go hungry.

Yin Tiantian was also happy.

“Father, let’s go home. There’s some meat left. I’ll make you meat sauce noodles!”

Shen father sighed, stood up, and walked home, glancing back every few steps.

At home, Shen mother couldn’t walk due to an injury to her foot, so she sat in the sun, mending shoe soles.

Careful spending would keep them afloat.

Yin Tiantian slipped into the kitchen, kneading dough, rolling noodles, and frying meat sauce.

An unexpected visitor knocked on the door, carrying a bundle of books.

“Brother Cui, the teacher found some copying work for you and asked me to deliver it!”

Zhang Jing, attracted by the aroma, walked into the kitchen.

“What smells so good? What are you cooking?”

“What are you doing here?”

Zhang Jing was a freeloader, always mooching off ink and lamps; today’s meal surely wouldn’t miss him.

He proudly held up the books.

“Our county school needs several books copied; they’re rare originals. The teacher is worried someone else might damage them, so he asked me to bring them to you. Ten copper coins for each book copied. Will that be too little for you?”

He was so kind?

“The teacher also provided special paper for copying. I brought some with me!”

That was decent—definitely the teacher’s handiwork.

“Tiantian, you keep cooking. I’ll talk to Brother Cui about the details.”

Yin Tiantian didn’t agree to let him stay for the meal, but whether she agreed seemed irrelevant.

The smell of meat made the neighbors’ mouths water.

Next door, Wang Cuihua was making pancakes. Her four sons guarded the kitchen, drooling at the scent.

“Mom, didn’t you say Er Gouzi would go to the Shen family to be their son? Why hasn’t he gone? I want to eat meat!”

Chen Dagou’s eyes gleamed greedily. “Mom, when will I ever eat a bite of meat? The Shen family has no land but still gets to eat meat. We have over ten acres, yet we don’t even see a scrap!”

“Meat, meat, meat! Haven’t your mother eaten meat for ages either? Why weren’t any of you born into butcher or hunter families? At least then you’d get a bite!”

Wang Cuihua paused. Hunter... Wasn’t there a hunter’s trap brought home on Shen mother’s injured foot last time?

She slapped Chen Dagou’s arm.

“Go find out who nearby lost a beast trap!”