Chapter 800: It is both an end and a beginning

Chen Wuji found a bone-scraping dagger, poured some water on the whetstone, stepped on it with his foot, and began sharpening the bone-scraping knife, casually asking: "What's so strange about the two of them sleeping together?"

Xiao Yuji's cheeks flushed slightly, and she whispered: "Husband, the sleep I mean is that kind of sleep… that is, the sleep of sleeping together with you."

Chen Wuji inadvertently overheard Xiao Lu apologizing to Qiu Shui, saying she had accidentally used too much force and injured Qiu Shui or something like that. He wondered just how they slept together.

"Oh, that's what you meant!" Chen Wuji chuckled.

He had known about this for a while.

"It's simple—you can use other things or do it by hand, as long as you're satisfied." Chen Wuji laughed, "Didn't Zhan Hong already demonstrate this to you? You forgot?"

Xiao Yuji's mouth opened slightly, she instantly blushed bright red, bashfully lowered her head, and murmured like a mosquito: "So… I thought there might be something special, but after all this fuss it's just this little thing. But why can women… I still can't understand it—do they have some problem?"

"It's just a preference, nothing to do with illness." Chen Wuji said.

Xiao Yuji's watery eyes lifted slightly, "Husband, do they not like men much?"

"Probably."

"Oh…" Xiao Yuji suddenly exhaled lightly, "I feel like I've done something bad."

Chen Wuji tested the bone-scraping knife's sharpness with his finger, "What did you do?"

"No, nothing, I need to go talk to Xiao Hong."

Xiao Yuji suddenly let go of Chen Wuji, took tiny hurried steps, and darted out the door.

Qin Zhanhong and the others were digging bamboo shoots on the hill behind the house.

Women from the city came to the village and took a particular liking to these activities.

Chen Wuji glanced, then withdrew his gaze, "Mysterious—what mischief could she possibly get up to?"

……

As the evening barbecue began, two figures stumbled out in front of the courtyard gate.

"Master!"

The two shouted in unison, rushed two steps, and suddenly fell to their knees with a thud.

Chen Wuji was busy on the newly set-up grill, and when he turned his head he suddenly froze.

These two guys could be considered to have come back alive.

Setting down the large meat skewer in his hand, Chen Wuji strode forward and helped them up.

"You must have suffered a lot on the way, right?" Chen Wuji asked, sizing them up.

These two were none other than the Yuan brothers who had missed Chen Wuji along the way—Yuan Jinshi and Licentiate Yuan.

These kids were also quite unlucky, somehow ending up taking that exact unlucky path.

Yuan Jinshi grinned, "Master, it's not exactly suffering—we've seen plenty of sights we've never seen in our lifetimes, met many strangers, and that counts as seeing the world."

"Still showing off in front of me?" Chen Wuji said irritably.

Yuan Jinshi hehe laughed, "Master, it's not showing off either; we really didn't suffer anything. The experiences on this road, compared to our childhood, are simply bliss—except for many nights when we had nowhere to sleep and had to make do in the wilderness."

"What's with your clothes?" Chen Wuji asked.

Though they said it wasn't suffering, the two's clothes had turned into ragged tatters, worse than many beggars'.

Yuan Jinshi rubbed his nose, lowered his head, and said hesitantly, "When we were about to reach Songzhou, we ran into a group of refugees who took all our belongings. We two couldn't fight four fists, we tried to reason with them, and though they took our things, they didn't give us too hard a time."

"Your belongings were all taken—how did you make it back? Didn't I tell you to seek official protection? Why didn't you go?" Chen Wuji's face darkened a little.

Looking like this, yet you still stubbornly claim you didn't suffer.

Yuan Jinshi said softly, "Master, don't be angry—I just thought it wasn't necessary to bother the officials."

"We're not young either, and we can't always rely on others' help. I figured this was a chance to hone my skills, so I hunted while traveling; last year when I followed you up the mountain, we both learned some tricks—anywhere in the hills we can rustle up something to eat."

"I was thinking that if we truly had no other option, we'd ask the officials for help, and it turned out fairly smooth getting here."

Chen Wuji gave them an annoyed look, "Go clean up and change out of those beggar's rags."

These two brothers, who knows whose trait they inherited, have self-esteem through the roof.

No matter how big the matter, they'd rather put in extra effort themselves—or even give up—than seek others' help.

The reason Yuan Jinshi gave might be valid, but it's certainly not the most direct one; these two have been by his side for over a year, and Chen Wuji knows exactly what little schemes they have in mind.

"Without a doubt, tell Qiu Shui to cook some porridge; let those two have a bite first. They surely haven't eaten much on the road, so we dare not give them anything too greasy all at once." Chen Wuji gave the order.

"Yes!"

As night deepened, Qin Feng came, drawn by the smell.

Accompanying him was his concubine who came from a brothel.

As the two walked up from the small earth slope in front of the courtyard gate, they still held hands, wearing smiles of bliss.

Qin Feng continued his usual preference, wearing a white robe, graceful and elegant.

The lady named Gui Zhi wore an apricot-pink long dress that outlined her slender figure, her posture graceful.

Truly a talented man and beautiful woman, a couple deep in affection.

Chen Wuji was clearly eating venison, but his teeth almost turned sour.

Probably because he saw something unclean, causing the venison to go off.

"My lord."

"Gui Zhi pays respects to the Marshal!"

Qin Feng brought Gui Zhi forward; one was careless and flamboyant, the other meticulous, as they paid their respects to Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji turned his head aside, "As my lord, you still seem lacking in weight—some people just don't know to restrain themselves. What's this about? Did you come here to flaunt your love?"

"My lord, you're really wronging me—Gui Zhi is pregnant, I need to support her; what lovey-dovey is there to show? Facing my lord, how could I dare do such a crazy thing? Impossible, absolutely not." Qin Feng said this firmly.

The venison in Chen Wuji's hand instantly turned even more sour.

This damn thing has actually been planted.

Damn, even angrier!

He works so hard every day, San Niang and them are so anxious they're about to get angry, everyone's bellies remain flat and tight, with no movement at all.

Qin Feng this guy spends his days indulging in wind, flowers, snow, and moon, being extravagant for no reason, yet they still ended up ahead.

"I can see, this isn't showing off love, you're just coming to show off to me!" Chen Wuji cursed and said, "You don't deserve to eat dinner today, just stand here."

"My lord, you cannot, just because you can't light a lamp, forbid the entire prefecture's people from lighting lamps; this is the conduct of a tyrant!" Qin Feng shook his head and said.

"Hey, your grandpa's!" Chen Wuji got angry.