RPS – Chapter 66 Domestic Life

Li Feng was deeply moved by Li’s simple and calm words. The fact that the happy life he had long yearned for could now be realized made him feel that perhaps crossing over into this world had indeed been the right thing to do. Heaven’s arrangements might not be without reason or benefit after all.

He was overjoyed and excited that Li had not only woken up but had become so caring. Everything was developing in a good direction—whether it was Li’s physical and mental condition or the tribe’s various defensive preparations, Li Feng was quite satisfied.

These days, Li Feng went out with Nuo every day to chop wood, while Li and Bu stayed at home to recover, taking care of the children—or, more accurately, being watched by the children. Right now, they couldn’t move around much and were better off resting in bed. Wounds didn’t heal fast in winter, and the last thing they needed was to get injured again.

So before leaving the house, Li Feng repeatedly instructed Mo and the others to keep a close eye on Li and not let him move about recklessly. He knew how restless they could be—once they were able to move, they didn’t want to stay lying down anymore. They even wanted to go chop wood with him earlier, which earned them a thorough “scolding” from Li Feng—though only verbal.

Things like “If you dare move around, I won’t cook for you when I get back,” or “You’re not allowed to touch him again” — with a bit of a threatening tone. But Li wasn’t the least bit afraid of his words. Instead, he found the anxious and overly worried Li Feng adorable. He didn’t even really register what Li Feng was saying—just kept watching him with a smile, pretending to listen seriously.

Li Feng wasn’t fooled. One look and he could tell Li wasn’t paying attention, so he simply grabbed Li’s ear and shouted right next to it—surely he could hear now?

Li Feng had clearly gotten bolder these days. Since he had come to terms with everything, he might as well enjoy his rights as a lover to the fullest!

Li had initially thought that after his heartfelt confession, Li Feng would become gentle and soft. He hadn’t expected him to become so aggressive. Before, Li Feng would only talk big, but now he actually started using his hands. The sudden change left Li a bit stunned. Still, it was kind of cute. And it didn’t really hurt—Li Feng wouldn’t actually hurt him. Thinking about it that way, Li’s heart felt sweet and warm, like he had just swallowed a spoonful of honey.

And so he willingly let Li Feng tug at his ear while nodding in agreement and hugging him to take advantage of the moment—making Li Feng so angry he practically stomped his feet. This guy was still being so unruly right in front of him, despite his injured arm. If he behaved like this when Li Feng wasn’t home, who knows what might happen?

So Li Feng stood up and drew a clear boundary—a space defined by their blanket. They were not to leave the blanket unless they needed to use the toilet. Otherwise, they were to stay put. Right now, they all slept in the living room—partly for convenience, so they could be taken care of more easily, and partly because it allowed them to hear any noises. It also saved firewood. A big room crowded with people and a brazier made it nice and warm.

Actually, the “bed” in the living room was pretty big—almost the whole area was covered. It was still possible to move around a little in the room, just not outside. After all, it was cold and snowy outside, and the roads were slippery. If they slipped and fell, what would Li Feng do? He’d be worried sick.

When Li Feng and the others got back from chopping wood, the sun was already setting. They didn’t dare stay out past dark anymore—running into a pack of wolves would be a disaster. Everyone had to return to the tribe before nightfall.

And sure enough, Li Feng and the others had already returned home. He was never at ease working outside, always worried that Mo and the others couldn’t keep Li in check. After all, Li wasn’t exactly the obedient type. If he kept moving around, his wounds would only heal more slowly. Though sometimes, Li Feng thought to himself—maybe it’s fine if it heals slowly; that way, Li could rest longer and wouldn’t jump up to help the moment he felt better. Winter was meant for hibernating and enjoying life. Since they were injured, it was the perfect excuse to rest properly.

Back in the room, Li Feng saw Li and Bu sitting on the blanket pile. In the center of the living room, a brazier was still heating water. The baby was crawling around nearby—well, more like flipping over like a little turtle. Surrounded by the others, the little guy was laughing joyfully.

He was drooling while trying to push himself up with his chubby, soft little hands. Unfortunately, he was dressed in such thick layers that he looked like a round ball with a shell. His head and feet couldn’t touch the ground, and he didn’t have the strength to get up. Soon, he toppled onto his back. Instead of crying, he giggled with delight, kicking his little legs and waving his tiny arms in an effort to get up again. But all that wiggling only caused his animal-skin diaper to come loose.

And then—there he was, his chubby little white butt exposed, his tiny bird sticking out, still trying hard to crawl. His little body rolled over twice and ended up next to Li. The baby was a bit dizzy from all the tumbling, blinking in confusion, clearly not understanding what had happened. That was when Li Feng burst into loud laughter, and only then did Li and the others notice that Li Feng and Nuo had returned and had been standing there watching for quite a while.

They quickly called him over to warm up his hands and feet under the covers. Over the past few days, Li Feng’s hands and feet were always ice cold when he got home—after all, it was freezing outside, and they had to work outdoors all day. It made Li’s heart ache, so he just wanted to get better soon so Li Feng could stay home with the baby while he went out to work instead. Now, every day when Li Feng came home, Li would wrap his big hands around Li Feng’s cold red ones, warming them slowly.

Today was no exception. Li Feng, used to it by now, went straight into the warmed blanket, sat down by the fire, and watched the baby playing and laughing. The baby had become the joy of the entire family. Watching his innocent little actions brought immense satisfaction—especially when he acted like a little grown-up, being fussy with food or throwing tantrums to get pampered.

Like right now—after rolling over twice and not being picked up, the baby got mad. He kicked his little feet and one foot landed squarely on Li Feng’s nose just as he was bending over to give the baby a kiss…

The baby’s strength wasn’t exactly great, but it wasn’t nothing either—and the nose is a delicate thing. That kick made Li Feng’s nose ache so badly that tears welled up in his eyes. Li panicked, immediately scooping him up and tilting his chin to inspect him closely. But Li Feng wouldn’t let go of his nose—he was in too much pain.

Li Feng hadn’t even said anything yet when the poor baby, feeling neglected, suddenly burst into tears. No one was paying him any attention! Usually, his dad would kiss and hug him the moment he got home, but now—nothing. He couldn’t even flip over on his own. At first, rolling over had seemed fun, but now it wasn’t fun at all. No one was playing with him, and he felt wronged. Since he couldn’t talk yet, what else could he do but cry his little heart out?

Li Feng couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. But when he saw the baby’s little face and nose flushed red from crying, his anger vanished, replaced by tender concern. He quickly picked the baby up and said, “You little rascal, you kicked Daddy’s nose so hard it hurts! Daddy hasn’t even cried yet, so why are you crying?” As he spoke, he tapped the baby’s little nose, then bent down and rubbed his own nose against the baby’s soft cheek a few times.

The baby looked at Li Feng with teary, wide eyes, not understanding what Daddy was saying. He just felt so wronged—no one was paying attention to him, not even Daddy—so he kept crying…

Li Feng seemed to understand the grievance in those dark, shiny eyes. “You’re feeling wronged… huh?” he whispered gently as he patted the baby’s back. He couldn’t let the little one cry too hard and start hiccupping—that would be uncomfortable. “Feeling like we’re ignoring you? But Daddy’s holding you right now, isn’t he? Why are you still crying? Our little An is a big boy now, you know—why does he cry so much? Be careful, if you keep crying like this, you might not be able to get a wife when you grow up!” Li Feng teased with a smile, completely unaware that his joke might very well come true.

But he didn’t know that yet. He was still coaxing the little dumpling, while the others nearby were laughing as they listened, occasionally chiming in to tease the baby a bit. He really had become quite good at acting spoiled lately—especially when Li Feng was around. A single disappointment would send him into loud wails. He cried when he was happy, and he cried when he wasn’t, leaving everyone unsure whether he was actually happy or sad.

“Isn’t the baby crying more and more the older he gets?” Li Feng commented while holding the baby, who had just been soothed but was still sniffling.

Li, watching the gentle way Li Feng held the baby, smiled and said, “He’s still so little—he doesn’t know how to talk yet, so crying is all he can do!” Finally, a more reasonable explanation for the baby’s tears.

“Uncle Li Feng, let me hold the baby for a while so you can rest!” Mo offered, reaching out to take the baby. Uncle Li Feng had just gotten back and must be tired. Besides, they hadn’t eaten yet—they were still waiting for Li Feng to cook. Uncle Li and Uncle Bu had forbidden them from helping, and they didn’t know how to cook anyway. As for Mo and Lu, they weren’t any better in the kitchen. Li Feng wouldn’t let them help, afraid they might accidentally start a fire indoors. If anything happened, it would be a disaster. So he’d rather tire himself out cooking, especially now that there were two injured people in the house—they had to be careful. No greasy or heavy foods, and definitely no bean sprouts made from sprouted beans, which they’d had earlier.

Li Feng was now racking his brain every day thinking of ways to help their recovery, hoping their wounds would heal quickly without any lasting issues. He wasn’t sure if their tendons or nerves had been damaged. He had seen the wounds—thankfully, the major blood vessels hadn’t been hurt, nor had the ones in their arms. That was a relief. If they had been damaged, he wouldn’t have been able to reattach them, and there would have been permanent aftereffects. Their hands might have been half-disabled. But judging from Li’s current movements, he seemed okay. It was mostly flesh wounds, not bone or tendon injuries.

“All right, you hold him. I better get started on cooking. We need to eat early—this weather’s too cold. A hot meal will be just right!” Li Feng stood up to cook. He was a natural workhorse, always thinking about how to make blood-nourishing food for Li and Bu. After all, they’d lost a lot of blood, and their faces were still pale.

“Why not rest a bit more? Your hands are still freezing,” Li said, holding onto Li Feng’s hand to warm it. How could he be expected to cook with hands this cold?

Li Feng gently pulled his hand back and patted Li’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll use hot water.” Then he gave him a smile and went off to cook.

Li watched Li Feng’s light-footed retreat and smiled foolishly. Lately, Li Feng had been especially gentle with him—no resistance, no stubborn pride like before…

That night, Li Feng made a jujube and pig liver soup. In autumn, he had dried a lot of fruits to eat during the winter, and these red dates were among them. Pig liver and red dates were both good for replenishing blood. A few days back, when they butchered the pig, he had made dishes with pig’s blood every day. He told Li it was “eat what you need to heal,” so Li had been eating a lot of it. The key was that the dishes were made with minimal salt and no pungent seasonings like scallions or ginger, so the taste hadn’t been great.

Tonight’s dish was no exception. Only Li and Bu had their portions served separately without seasoning. Everyone else’s soup was well-seasoned and delicious. Li had been tempted more than once to secretly swap his bowl with Li Feng’s or steal a sip, but every time, Li Feng caught him in the act. All Li could do was frown at his bland soup while the aroma from Li Feng’s bowl tormented him. He kept trying to hypnotize himself: This smells good. It doesn’t taste bad. It’s fine… Then he’d gulp it down like taking medicine.

But that aftertaste lingered, and it wasn’t pleasant. The soup was basically just water, pig liver, and red dates with a pinch of salt. It tasted awful. So after drinking it, Li turned Li Feng’s face toward him and—without warning—kissed him right on the mouth while he was still drinking soup.

The result? Li Feng hadn’t even swallowed his soup yet when Li’s tongue invaded his mouth, stealing the soup right out. As expected, the taste in Li Feng’s mouth was the best—along with his soft lips and warm tongue, which Li thoroughly explored. Mo and Lu stared wide-eyed in fascination, even forgetting to eat their favorite dishes.

As for Nuo and Bu, they were already used to it. These two showed off their love constantly, regardless of who was around—even kids. And now, Li had gotten even more shameless. He took every opportunity to take advantage, and Li Feng couldn’t scold or hit him. Hit him? He was still injured. Scold him? Just look at his pitiful face! Plus, hadn’t he once sworn that once Li woke up, he could do whatever he wanted? Li had taken that promise and run with it, and now he was completely out of control. It was getting ridiculous—he wouldn’t even let people eat in peace.

Li Feng bit down on Li’s tongue—not hard, of course—and when Li finally let go, Li Feng exploded. “What is wrong with you? Can’t you see what time it is? Don’t you know this could be a bad influence on the kids?”

He glanced at Mo and Lu, who were still blushing and curiously watching them, and hesitated. “…Well, they’ll learn eventually. Might as well start early.”

Li Feng nearly spat blood. The nicer he was to him, the more outrageous he became. But this room was so warm, so full of happiness—it was impossible to stay angry. All he could do was wipe his mouth, glare fiercely at the shameless man who clearly had skin thicker than a city wall, and go back to eating. He also spoon-fed the baby beside him, who was full but still sitting there with his mouth open waiting for snacks.

Li looked at the whole family gathered around the stone table covered with blankets. Li Feng would feed the baby a bite, then eat a bite himself. Whenever Li tried to sneak some food he shouldn’t eat, Li Feng would swap it out for something suitable. Nuo did the same for Bu, who had an injured right hand and couldn’t use chopsticks. Mo and Lu sat together, getting along well. Mo, knowing Lu had just lost his parents, would let him pick his food first, always offering him the tastier dishes.

Lu had now been officially adopted by them. Li Feng felt deep compassion for this child who had once bounced around saying he wanted to take him to the reed marsh. The fact that he had run to their home that night—it was fate. Since they already had one child, taking in another didn’t make much difference. Lu liked them, and they liked him. It was a win-win. The whole family had voted unanimously to adopt Lu.

As for the clan leader, he certainly didn’t object. Anyone willing to take in orphaned children was appreciated. Judging by Mo’s current appearance—no longer skinny and dark but healthier and fairer—Lu would surely be well cared for too. Besides, Lu genuinely liked being with them. With them, it felt like being with real parents—warm, gentle, thoughtful. A place where he could cry, laugh, and act spoiled… and actually be loved in return. What more could a child ask for?

Inside the room, the orange glow of firelight lit up every face. Though they had experienced bloodshed and sorrow, not a single face showed despair. They were laughing loudly, fighting over delicious food—only to have it snatched away and put into the bowls of Mo and Lu. After all, who would dare fight kids for food?

Anyone passing by outside could probably hear the laughter from their home. All the shadows had passed. What they had now was the joy of the present and the determination to build a bright future—for the sake of their family and happiness, everything was worth it. There was no point clinging to sorrowful memories. What they needed was the fearless stride forward toward the road to happiness!