Chapter 173: Farming: Saving the Substitute Husband 16

As dawn approached, almost everyone in Fengshu Village knew about this matter; although they usually didn't get along well with the Jin Family, they were still fellow villagers, so they helped out and hastily arranged a joint funeral.

Down the mountain, things were bustling nonstop, yet it didn't affect the two people in the bamboo lodge on the mountain at all.

After Jin Chen prepared breakfast, he picked up a basket and led his husband out the door.

"Husband, where are we going?"

Yelin originally thought he was being taken hunting, but the side path grew increasingly remote, and doubt welled up in his heart,

Jin Chen turned his head to meet his husband's doubtful almond eyes, and suddenly felt like teasing him.

"Let's go to the slave trader and sell people."

"My husband always jokes; you wouldn't actually sell me."

Yelin swatted away the hand pinching his cheek and let out a soft hum.

During this time, as they got along, Yelin's sense of security came entirely from Jin Chen's day-after-day doting, and he no longer had the previous anxieties and gains-and-losses.

"Looking this handsome and pretty, you could fetch a good price."

Jin Chen chuckled twice, his hand never stopping as he pinched his husband's face.

Yelin slightly turned his face away, a flash of inspiration crossing his mind; as he lifted his gaze, his eye rims were already red, his voice trembling: "Husband… are you really going to buy me? If we can't even keep the pot boiling at home… I would…"

"No, no, no, I was just joking!"

Jin Chen startled, breaking out in a cold sweat behind him, he hurriedly interrupted his husband's words, coaxing softly: "Good Yelin, I'm really just joking; blame my loose tongue—how could I really sell you?"

He lifted the cloth covering the basket; inside were some paper money and incense. "You know, a few days ago you mentioned that your father-in-law's memorial day is coming up; I thought my own father's memorial is also this month, so let's go pay our respects together."

Yelin slowly blinked, his sweet feeling turning into emotion; he pouted, wrapping his arms around Jin Chen's arm, "I know you wouldn't sell me, you treat me best."

Father has been dead for so long, yet Mother rarely goes up the mountain to pay respects, and Yelin's siblings Yun and Kai don't think about it either, since they've been pampered by Mother since childhood; but I only have Father's love, so I miss him especially.

Now that I'm married too, it's time to go and tell Father.

The burial hill of Fengshu Village and the hill behind the bamboo lodge aren't far apart; they arrived soon, but the mountain interior was dark and the path hard to see, so Jin Chen carefully supported Yelin as they walked, afraid he'd trip or bump and waste time.

After walking about half an hour, they finally reached the graves of the two elders, who had been close brothers in life; after death, the village head chose two spots not too near nor too far apart to bury them.

Jin Chen and Yelin knelt before the graves.

Gazing at his father's tombstone, Yelin couldn't hold back tears; he knelt on the ground, weeping silently, his hand continuously burning paper money, and only after a while did he speak.

"... Father, after all these years, I can finally come see you."

"Today I'll burn more money for you; don't hold back, spend as you wish… this paper money was brought by my husband."

"I'm married now, to Jin Chen from Jin Ershu's family; I know… you originally intended for my sister to marry him, but though things went awry, I'm very happy now, Father, please don't be angry."

Yelin spoke while sobbing, tears dampening the paper money, which then burned to ash; as the wind blew, it seemed to carry his longing down into the earth.

After Jin Chen kowtowed to his own father's spirit, he came over to Yelin's side, knelt down and said: "Father-in-law, I am Jin Chen; rest assured, I will take good care of Yelin, ensuring he has food and clothing, never again bullied, and we will stay together forever, no matter what happens."

The two of them kowtowed together.

They then burned the offerings and paper money together before rising and leaving.

Yelin's sobbing wouldn't stop; hearing Jin Chen's words made him want to cry again, tears falling like broken beads, one after another; Jin Chen watched, heart aching, and hurriedly pulled him into his embrace.

"Good Yelin, don't cry anymore, or your eyes will swell later."

Jin Chen gently stroked his husband's back, his voice so tender it was almost unreal.

After saying that, he stood in place holding him, waiting for Yelin's emotions to pass.

"... Husband."

"I'm here."

Yelin was no longer shedding tears, but his voice still sounded choked; it wouldn't fade for a while: "You spoke those words at my father's grave, so you have to… you have to keep them."

"Silly, of course it counts."

Jin Chen wiped the tears from his husband's face clean, "The promise of those words lasts a lifetime."

{Villain Heartthrob Value +15, total 65! }

{Host, Jinbei woke up in the pigpen; I lured a wild boar over and severed his hamstring, so he can't run away. }

{Well done, come back; let him stay a few days first. }

——

The two returned to the bamboo lodge, about to start preparing lunch.

Jin Chen went into the kitchen to light the fire; before long, cooking smoke rose, the aroma drifting out, tempting to the point that 0731 drooled all over the floor, and Jin Chen kicked him out.

Yelin sat on the bench in the courtyard picking vegetables; now nearing early autumn, many new vegetables have sprouted on the mountain, with eggplants and green beans being the most popular, and a stir-fry of chili brings out the flavor.

He was quick and nimble, soon picking a basket of green beans, gathering the rotten and old ones, tossing them onto the grass outside the fence; the mountain teems with birds, so they'll be cleaned up in a while.

Then he carried the vegetable basket to the kitchen; just stepping inside, he smelled minced meat and garlic, involuntarily swallowing, "Husband, what are we eating today?"

"Stir-fried minced meat with green beans, plus a chili stir-fried egg, and on the stove I've simmered a bowl of chicken soup to nourish you."

Jin Chen took the vegetable basket, blanched the beans in water, then dumped them into the pot, immediately causing a sizzling sound; he skillfully added some water and stir-fried.

Yelin sat down to add firewood, occasionally glancing up at Jin Chen, smiling with his eyes crinkling.

Such a pleasant atmosphere, clearly present every day, yet Yelin feels supremely happy each day; the two sharing meals through the seasons, plus Fortune, is something he never dared dream of before, and now it's all come true.

"Yelin, let's discuss something."

While stir-frying, Jin Chen suddenly remembered, looked up at his husband.

"Although the mountain is pleasant, it's ultimately unsuitable for long-term residence; autumn and summer are fine, but winter feels like an ice cellar, and I don't even want that house down below—even if I didn't confiscate that money, it still feels ominous now."

"So I've been thinking, why not simply buy a courtyard in town to live in, open a shop, and from now on no longer do hunting work."

Yelin listened carefully; although he was a bit reluctant to leave, he still nodded, "I'll follow your lead, husband, but we only have sixty taels of silver at home now, which might not be enough."

Seeing his agreement, Jin Chen relaxed, "I'll handle the money; moving isn't urgent, just get it done before deep autumn."

He picked up a plate to dish the vegetables, then poured out the chicken soup from the other side.

"Time to eat, Yelin."

Come on! Fortune—come home to eat!

Aooo—

0731 also ran home.