Chapter 358: Chapter 354: Awkward Interaction

The cool, clear moonlight spilled through the window, coating the world in a layer of silver frost.

The winter moon was always exceptionally bright, illuminating even the village’s small paths with perfect clarity.

The entire village was steeped in silence, save for the ceaseless sounds coming from within the house.

「The next day.」

A rooster crowed, and sounds of activity began to stir from every household.

Gu Jiaojiao, who lived at the foot of the mountain, stirred awake for a moment.

It was quite peaceful where they lived. There were no roosters, but there were birds in the mountains, and their calls would ring out in the morning.

But Gu Jiaojiao was too tired. She woke up groggily for a moment before drifting back to sleep.

Leng Yuan saw the light outside the window, planted a kiss on Gu Jiaojiao’s forehead, and got up.

The courtyard was quiet when he went out. Leng Yuan filled the water vat, then prepared to go to the nearby mountain to gather some firewood.

He had actually prepared enough already, but he wanted to make the house even warmer. After all, his wife was sensitive to the cold.

When Leng Yuan returned, he saw that Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang were both up.

He glanced at the two of them and spoke as he set down the firewood.

"You two can sleep in a little. You don’t have to get up so early."

Sweet Girl was still a bit reserved around Leng Yuan. Although he had never hit a child, she just couldn’t help but be afraid.

Hearing him tell them to sleep in, she immediately stammered.

"We’ve had enough sleep. W-we don’t need any more."

Leng Yuan felt a bit helpless.

His personality was such that he wasn’t one to greet children with a smile, and he had noticed that all the kids were afraid of him.

It wasn’t just Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang; not a single child in the village wasn’t scared of him.

Even the children in his class were the same.

As a result, none of them ever failed to complete the homework he assigned.

The troublemakers that gave other people headaches became exceptionally well-behaved with him.

He didn’t really know how to get along with children, so seeing Sweet Girl say this, he didn’t press the matter.

Sweet Girl breathed a sigh of relief.

She was telling the truth, but she was so nervous when she spoke that she stuttered.

Back at her own home, she had to do everything herself. There was an endless amount of work every day, and she also had to take care of her younger brother. Then, at the Lin Family’s house, she didn’t even have a moment’s rest.

She had to get up before dawn to cook and could only sleep after all the chores were done. Every day, she didn’t have enough to eat and would also be beaten and scolded.

Now that she was here with her big brother and big sister, she felt like she had arrived in heaven.

She didn’t have to worry about not having enough firewood to burn, or about food. She didn’t have to do so much work, and she already got more than enough sleep every day.

Seeing Leng Yuan put away the firewood, Sweet Girl hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

"Big Brother, I’ve made breakfast. Do you want to eat?"

Sweet Girl was already in her teens. In the countryside, it wasn’t rare for a girl her age to know how to cook.

Leng Yuan grunted in acknowledgment, washed his hands, and walked into the kitchen.

Sweet Girl had already brought out the food. There were some leftover fish pieces from yesterday, a cornmeal porridge, two eggs, and the main staple: steamed buns made from a two-grain flour mix, also from yesterday.

Sweet Girl was a quick worker. She had served all the food and placed one of the eggs next to Leng Yuan.

Leng Yuan glanced at it and said flatly, "From now on, cook four eggs every morning."

Sweet Girl’s eyes widened.

The number startled her.

Then, she came to her senses and quickly refused.

"N-no, that’s not necessary. Xiao Yang and I won’t eat them."

Just being able to eat fine grains every day already felt like an unbelievably good life; how could she dare to even dream of having eggs?

They didn’t have many eggs, so they should be saved for Big Brother and Big Sister.

Leng Yuan’s tone left no room for refusal.

"The family isn’t short on a few eggs. That’s what your big sister said."

Leng Yuan brought up Gu Jiaojiao, and just as he expected, Sweet Girl fell silent, her eyes simply turning red.

After Leng Yuan finished his meal, Sweet Girl washed the bowls and chopsticks, and then there was nothing left to do.

She both enjoyed and felt anxious about such a leisurely life.

But Leng Yuan had already swept the courtyard that morning, the firewood was stacked neatly, and in the dead of winter, the fields didn’t need tending. There really was no work to be done.

The sun was nice today, so the two of them simply brought some small stools outside to bask in the sun.