TSWPF -Chapter 138 Reluctance to Part

After finishing gathering firewood, Xiang Yunfei returned and eagerly asked Li Qingning what else she needed him to do.

Li Qingning had already skewered three fish. She glanced at Xiang Yunfei while she had a moment, and when she saw how disheveled he looked, she burst out laughing. “Brother Yunfei, how did you get your clothes so dirty?”

Xiang Yunfei tugged awkwardly at his mud-stained robe. He pressed his lips together and said a little embarrassed, “I accidentally fell just now, so…”

When he was carrying the firewood back, he hadn’t watched his step, got tripped by a stone on the ground, and fell flat.

Saying it out loud really made him feel his face burn.

Hearing that, Li Qingning immediately put the fish aside and asked him nervously, “Are you hurt? Does it hurt?” As she spoke, she reached out to lift his robe. “Let me see…”

Li Qingning was still young and didn’t think much of it, but Xiang Yunfei did. The education he’d received taught him that a man shouldn’t casually let a girl see his body—even if that girl was only a few years old.

He jumped back a step, waving his hands vigorously as he hurriedly said he was fine and not injured.

Seeing the guarded look on his face, Li Qingning said in confusion, “What are you afraid of? I’m not going to eat you.” Such a big person, yet so fussy.

“…”

Was he being despised again?

Xiang Yunfei felt like a mute swallowing bitter medicine—full of grievances he couldn’t explain. If he tried to talk about propriety with this little one, would she even understand?

He cleared his throat lightly. “Ningning, don’t you know that girls can’t casually look at a man’s body?”

Ziqian really should have taught Ningning about this. Luckily it was him she ran into—if it were someone else and she suffered because of it, what then?

Li Qingning blinked. The words her elder brother and sister had taught her flashed through her mind, and she shivered. “I know, I know. I just forgot for a moment.” She looked at Xiang Yunfei as if asking for help. “Brother Yunfei, you… you won’t tell my big brother about this, right? If he finds out, he’ll definitely punish me.”

If she were made to write big characters as punishment, she’d collapse.

Seeing how pitiful she looked, Xiang Yunfei couldn’t bear it. “I’ll help you keep it a secret this time. But if there’s a next time, I won’t help you.” After a pause, he couldn’t help adding, “A girl’s reputation is very important. If you see a man’s body, you’ll have to marry him, understand?”

Li Qingning nodded obediently. “Good thing I didn’t see yours, or I’d have to marry you.”

After saying that, her small body shuddered.

“…”

He regretted helping her. What should he do now?

He raised a hand and touched his face. Had his charm declined? Was that why this little one kept despising him again and again?

“Am I that bad? Would it really be bad to marry me?”

Without even lifting her head, Li Qingning replied, “You’re too old…” Since he was a classmate of her big brother, he must be sixteen. She was only a little over four—how many years older than her was he?

She counted on her fingers. Hmm, twelve years older. Tsk tsk, really old…

“…”

Xiang Yunfei felt as if his heart had suffered ten thousand critical hits. Her words struck him hard.

Still unwilling to be so thoroughly dismissed, he squatted beside her and earnestly tried to persuade her. “My age is just right. An older husband and younger wife—only then will he know how to dote on you, understand?”

The moment he finished speaking, he felt a chill down his spine. Swallowing hard, he slowly turned his head and met Liu Zhimou’s deep, dark gaze.

“Zi… Ziqian, you’re here?”

He… he hadn’t misunderstood anything, right?

Liu Zhimou looked calmly at Xiang Yunfei. “What did you just say? I didn’t hear it clearly. Say it again for me.”

Good grief—how dare he set his sights on Ningning. If he didn’t teach him a lesson, his surname wouldn’t be Liu.

Xiang Yunfei froze instantly. He gave Liu Zhimou a foolish smile and said, “N… nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

He sneaked a glance at Liu Zhimou. Seeing his expression unchanged, his heart trembled, and he continued, “I was just teaching Ningning that when she chooses a husband in the future, she needs to keep her eyes open and not be easily deceived.”

“Mm.”

Liu Zhimou nodded and handed him the prepared chicken. “Roast it.”

Xiang Yunfei quickly took it and said okay. The moment he turned around, he finally let out a sigh of relief—he’d passed.

Luckily Ziqian didn’t pursue it further, or he really wouldn’t have been able to hold up.

What he didn’t know was that Liu Zhimou’s “torture” was saved for that night—assigning him so much homework that he nearly knelt on the ground crying for mercy.

Of course, at this moment Xiang Yunfei had no idea that suffering was on its way. Under Li Qingning’s guidance, he was excitedly roasting the chicken himself.

“Ningning, you’re so little—how do you know how to do so many things?” When he was four or five, what could he do? Thinking carefully… nothing at all.

How embarrassing…

Li Qingning carefully turned the roasting fish. Hearing his words, her little tail practically stuck up again. “What’s so special about that? I can do even more!”

If she couldn’t even handle such simple things, how could she be the boss? “After we eat, I’ll take you to climb trees and catch little birds.”

“Great, great!”

Xiang Yunfei nodded happily. It was a good thing he’d followed Liu Zhimou back—otherwise, he would’ve missed out on so many fun things.

“Here, your roast chicken can have some honey brushed on now.” Li Qingning glanced at the chicken, handed over the honey, and showed him how to brush it on.

Looking at the golden-brown roast chicken, Xiang Yunfei practically started drooling.

Just looking at it made his mouth water—it had to be delicious!

“Ningning, when can we eat this roast chicken?”

“Wait a bit longer…”

Li Qingning turned the fish in her hands once more, then took it off and placed it on a plate.
“The roasted fish is ready. Brother Yunfei, come and have a taste.” As she spoke, she tore off a bit of fish herself and ate it, nodding as she chewed—her skills hadn’t declined at all. Top-notch grilling.

Xiang Yunfei copied her, using his hands. “Hiss… hot, hot, hot…”

Even as he complained, his movements didn’t stop. He popped the fish into his mouth. “Delicious…”

His eyes lit up. Fish roasted this way was amazing—crispy outside, tender inside, better than any fish he’d ever eaten before.

“Of course.” Li Qingning placed the other two fish on another plate, planning to have her big brother take them back for her sister and the others.

Seeing this, Xiang Yunfei asked indistinctly why she was packing the fish away.

Li Qingning rolled her eyes at him. “One fish and one chicken is enough for you and me. The rest are for my big brother and sister.”

She glanced at the chicken, felt it was ready, took it down, and put one of them onto a plate as well.

Hearing this, Xiang Yunfei felt a bit ashamed. He’d only thought about himself eating and hadn’t thought of the others—how selfish.

“Then… then I’ll deliver it to your big brother.”

“No need. He’ll come over in a bit.” Li Qingning tore off a drumstick and handed it to him. “You roasted it. Eat it while it’s hot.”

“Oh…” Xiang Yunfei smiled, took the drumstick, and eagerly bit into it. Maybe because he’d roasted it himself, it tasted especially good.

Next time he had the chance, he’d definitely roast chicken like this again.

After they finished eating, Li Qingning took Xiang Yunfei to climb trees and catch little birds.

This countryside trip made Xiang Yunfei so happy that he forgot all about going home. If it weren’t for school, he wouldn’t have wanted to leave at all.

He made a promise with Li Qingning that he’d come again next time.

Li Qingning nodded repeatedly and promised that next time he came, she’d take him fishing by hand.

That made Xiang Yunfei even more eager for the next rest day.

“If you pass the xiucai exam, I’ll allow you to stay at my house for half a month.” Liu Zhimou casually tossed out the bait, waiting to see if he’d bite. “You and Ningning can play whatever you want—I won’t stop you.”

Xiang Yunfei was quite clever. If he put that cleverness into studying, passing the xiucai exam shouldn’t be a problem.

Hearing such a big promise from Liu Zhimou, Xiang Yunfei felt tempted.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded. “Deal.”

For the sake of playing, he’d fight with all he had to pass the xiucai exam.

If he passed, and told his grandmother and the others he wanted to stay at Ziqian’s house, they would definitely agree.

The fish had bitten the hook…

Liu Zhimou curled his lips into a smile. “Mm, deal.”
From that point on, Xiang Yunfei stepped into days filled with endless homework.

When Xiang Yunfei’s grandmother saw him suddenly become diligent, she thought he’d been possessed by something and kept asking what was wrong.

“Aren’t you always hoping I’ll pass the xiucai exam?” Xiang Yunfei said with a grin as he sat in his chair, twisting his slightly sore wrist. “If I don’t work hard, how can I pass?”

When Old Madam Xiang heard this, she laughed happily. “Good, good, our Fei’er is going to take the xiucai exam. Go tell the kitchen to make a couple more dishes that Fei’er likes so he can nourish himself properly.”

Her grandson had finally come to his senses and wanted to study properly—she was happier than anyone.

Xiang Yunfei’s eyes rolled slightly. He got up and sat beside Old Madam Xiang. “Grandmother, if I pass the xiucai exam, can you agree to one thing for me?”

He needed her agreement first to feel at ease.

“Tell me. What is it?” Though she doted on her grandson, she wouldn’t agree casually—she needed to know first.

“If I pass the xiucai exam, can you agree to let me stay at Ziqian’s house for half a month?”

“Go for that long? No, no. If I don’t see you, my heart won’t be at ease.” When her grandson was gone for just two days, she already missed him terribly—half a month was unthinkable.
“What’s so fun about Ziqian’s house that makes you want to stay there so badly?”

If it weren’t for hearing her grandson talk about Liu Zhimou all the time, she wouldn’t have agreed to let him follow him back to the countryside to stay.

Xiang Yunfei shrugged shamelessly. “Ziqian made a bet with me. If I pass the xiucai exam, he’ll let me stay at his house for half a month. If you don’t let me go, then I won’t take the exam.”
He was only taking the exam so he could play. If he couldn’t play, why would he bother taking the exam?

So that was it.

She’d been wondering why her grandson suddenly became so motivated—this was the reason.

It seemed her grandson had made a good friend, one who could come up with such a method to push him to take the xiucai exam.

“Alright. If you pass the xiucai exam, Grandmother will agree to let you stay at Ziqian’s house for half a month.” For her precious grandson’s future, no matter how reluctant she felt, she had to agree.

Xiang Yunfei grinned when he heard this. “Thank you, Grandmother. I’ll go read now.”

With that, he dashed off.

“This child…” Old Madam Xiang smiled and shook her head.

Another day, she’d have to ask her grandson to bring that classmate home for a meal—to properly thank him.