BYBOTE Chapter 41: The Bet Between the Donkey and the Tiger
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After returning to Huaping Village, Xi Yanqing never went back to visit his former comrades. The biggest reason, of course, was that he wanted to win over Luo Fei first. Another reason was that those people knew his original self too well. Keeping some distance for a while was better than letting them notice any inconsistencies in his behavior. After all, while most wouldn’t immediately think of something as bizarre as transmigration, ancient people could have unpredictable beliefs. What if they thought he was possessed or something? Rather than risk such complications, it was better to stay apart for the time being.
Now, more than half a year had passed. Since he was already married, meeting up with them shouldn't be an issue. Everyone changes over time, and besides, he was now a man with a wife.
After discussing it with Luo Fei, Xi Yanqing replied to the letter from his old comrade, welcoming him to settle in Huaping Village.
The man’s name was Luo Yong. He was about the same height as Xi Yanqing but had a heavier beard. He was also even more muscular and well-known for his great strength. In Xi Yanqing’s eyes, Luo Yong could be summed up in six words: straightforward, hardworking, and loyal.
He had all the key traits of a good person. Though his appearance was rather fierce, he was absolutely a great choice for a sworn brother.
"I hope he isn’t married," Luo Fei remarked. "I made a mistake—I should have told you to ask in your reply. If he's single, he's welcome; if he’s married, he shouldn’t come."
"Pfft! You're already thinking about introducing him to Luo Ru?" Xi Yanqing lay with his head on Luo Fei’s lap, enjoying their nightly chat. "But you know what? He and Luo Ru actually do look like a good match. Luo Yong is really strong—he's almost as built as Father, though not as tall. And his personality is similar to Luo Ru’s—both are very straightforward."
"Hopefully, good things don’t go to outsiders. At least knowing someone is better than not knowing them at all," Luo Fei said while chatting with Xi Yanqing as he sewed clothes. "Hey, Qing-ge, back when my family wanted me to marry you, I kept resisting with words. Thinking about it now, if it had been someone else, I wouldn’t have stopped at words—I probably would’ve fought back. How can you live with someone who doesn’t even share a common language or similar values? That’s terrifying."
"Yeah, though it might sound selfish, I’m really glad you came too," Xi Yanqing said as he carefully took the fabric and needle from Luo Fei’s hands. "It’s late. Stop sewing, you’ll strain your eyes."
"I’ll continue tomorrow then." Luo Fei wasn’t in a hurry. Since it was a thank-you gift for a benefactor, he wanted it to be as finely crafted as possible. He patted Xi Yanqing’s shoulder to signal him to get up, carefully placed the sewing materials into the basket, and then sat on Xi Yanqing’s lap. He lightly licked Xi Yanqing’s lips, his intentions very clear.
Xi Yanqing immediately placed Luo Fei beneath him, kissing him while caressing his body.
Every couple goes through a phase like this. At the beginning, they don’t know much about techniques, but it’s precisely this innocence and raw desire that excites them the most. Later, as they become more familiar with each other’s preferences, they learn how to entice each other even more.
Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing hadn’t reached that second phase yet. Right now, they were still in the stage of directly asking and giving, offering everything to each other without holding back, unable to restrain their passion.
Neither of them hid their emotions in intimacy. Every time they heard each other's heavy breathing and moans—half pain, half pleasure—it was the most beautiful sound in the world to them.
"Qing-ge, you don’t actually have to... do that," Luo Fei said, running his fingers through Xi Yanqing’s sweat-dampened hair. "Isn’t it uncomfortable?"
"What do you mean?" Xi Yanqing asked with a teasing smile.
"Damn it! You know exactly what I’m talking about and you’re still pretending to ask." Luo Fei pouted. "Annoying!"
"You use me and then say I’m annoying? So hard to please." Xi Yanqing chuckled, pulling Luo Fei into his arms. "Do you really want kids?"
"Not really. I don’t think I’m ready for that setting yet." Luo Fei replied. "I still feel like half a kid myself. Besides, if we had kids, we wouldn’t be able to do this anymore, right?"
"Exactly. I want to enjoy our time together a little longer. Besides, we should prepare a good environment for our little tiger and little donkey." That’s why, after their first night together, he stopped giving Luo Fei the little tiger and donkey. One reason was to avoid pressuring Luo Fei, and the other was because he had his own plans.
"Then let’s leave it for now. Whenever you think the time is right, we can try." Luo Fei glanced at his wrist. "But it’s not guaranteed we’ll have kids anyway." When he went to town, he sometimes saw other young men, and the color of the plum blossom marks on their hands was much darker than his.
"Yeah, let’s just go with the flow." Xi Yanqing kissed Luo Fei’s forehead. They chatted idly for a while, then after resting enough, they went to take a bath together.
The next day, Luo Fei woke up earlier than usual because he heard barking outside.
Black Bean was barking. Luo Fei had named his dogs after beans—the yellow one was called Yellow Bean, the black one was Black Bean, and the spotted one was Flower Bean. Among them, only Black Bean was male, and he was much fiercer than the other two.
Black Bean's barking sounded aggressive. Luo Fei opened his eyes. "Qing-ge, is someone outside?"
Xi Yanqing, already getting dressed, also heard the barking. He said, "I’ll go check. You can sleep a bit more."
Luo Fei was still tired, so he just hummed in agreement. "Then come back and sleep some more with me."
As Xi Yanqing left, he playfully pinched Luo Fei’s ear before stepping outside.
The sky was still dark. Who could be passing by at this hour?
When Xi Yanqing stepped out, Black Bean immediately stopped barking. However, when he opened the gate, he caught sight of someone hurrying away.
Recognizing the person, Xi Yanqing let out a cold chuckle, then shut the gate and went back inside.
"Who was it?" Luo Fei asked.
"Just someone passing by. Didn’t recognize them. Go back to sleep." Xi Yanqing tucked the blanket around Luo Fei. "It’s a bit chilly this morning. I’ll go light the fire."
"By the time you warm up the bed, I’ll have to get up anyway. I’d rather stay in your arms." Luo Fei mumbled sleepily, unconsciously acting spoiled.
"Alright, I’ll hold you a little longer then." Xi Yanqing climbed back onto the heated brick bed and embraced Luo Fei.
Luo Fei had a subtle kind of pampered attitude, the kind nurtured by growing up in a well-off family. But it wasn’t arrogance, just a hint of refined delicacy, and Xi Yanqing was happy to indulge him.
The couple stayed in bed until dawn.
When Xi Yanqing finally got up, he went to fetch water and chop wood, while Luo Fei cleaned out the stove and started the fire to prepare breakfast. They worked seamlessly together, keeping their home in perfect order.
Luo Fei cooked some noodles that morning. The noodles here were all handmade, and he had practiced for days under Luo Ru’s guidance before he could roll them out thin enough. His skills still didn’t compare to Luo Ru’s, but at least they were edible. He boiled the noodles, added some greens, and cracked three eggs into the pot.
If Luo Fei had any complaints about their current life, it was that their chickens and ducks hadn’t started laying eggs yet. When he bought them, he assumed they’d lay eggs that same year. But later, he found out that free-range chickens and ducks only start laying eggs the following spring. So, they had been buying eggs this whole time. Thankfully, his mother sometimes sent some over, and eggs weren’t hard to buy in this season.
Xi Yanqing picked up an egg, took a small bite, and leaned forward.
Seeing this, Luo Fei thought Xi Yanqing was offering him some, so he took a bite as well. Then he picked up a noodle and said playfully, "Qing-ge, bite the other end of this noodle, and we’ll eat it together."
Xi Yanqing raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is a noodle and not a noodle stick?"
Annoyed, Luo Fei quickly stuffed the noodle into his mouth and glared at Xi Yanqing.
Xi Yanqing chuckled and immediately bit the other end. The two slurped up the noodle together, their lips meeting at the end for a playful kiss.
People say love makes you foolish. Right now, Xi Yanqing and Luo Fei were in the silliest phase of all.
They took their time finishing a whole pot of noodles, including the broth. Just as they finished, there was a knock at the door.
"Anyone home?" The voice outside sounded cheerful.
"Sounds like Luo Yong," Xi Yanqing stood up. "I’ll get the door."
"Mm." Luo Fei quickly checked to make sure he looked presentable, then started cleaning up the dishes.
"Luo Yong?"
"Xi-ge!" Luo Yong grinned upon seeing Xi Yanqing but then frowned. "Haven’t seen you in a few days—why do you look so much thinner?"
"I got injured in the mountains a while ago. Took some time to recover," Xi Yanqing explained, motioning for him to come inside. "Let’s talk inside."
"Hey, you’ve set up a nice place here." Luo Yong glanced around the courtyard. "I was worried you’d be out in the fields, but I guess I got here just in time."
"Have you had breakfast?"
"I ate before coming." Luo Yong replied, then noticed someone else in the house. "And this is...?"
"My wife, Luo Fei." Xi Yanqing pulled Luo Fei close. "Luo Fei, this is Luo Yong."
"Pleasure to meet you, Luo Yong," Luo Fei nodded politely.
"You bastard, Xi Yanqing!" Luo Yong suddenly yelled, "You got married and didn’t tell us?!"
"Tsk, I didn’t invite you guys because I was afraid you'd come and mess up my wedding night." Xi Yanqing secretly gave Luo Yong a look. "It's a long story. I'll tell you in detail later."
"Hmph, I'll let you off for now." Luo Yong cupped his hands toward Luo Fei. "Brother Qi, my respects. I was too reckless earlier. But it's really because Brother Xi was being unfair—he got married and didn’t even inform me in advance."
"It was a bit rushed at the time, so..." Luo Fei smiled. In this place, "Brother Qi" was a special way of addressing a man, similar to how women were called "Sister-in-law." Luo Fei found it quite endearing.
"Forget it. We'll settle this later when Jing Rong and the others arrive." After saying that, Luo Yong sat down and drank a bowl of water. But he suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. Suspicious, he turned around and found Luo Fei eyeing him like a butcher picking out pork.
"Brother Qi, do you have something to ask me?"
"Not at all. I was just checking if Brother Luo is as sturdy as my father. My father was also very tall and strong, just like you."
What nonsense.
Xi Yanqing silently smiled at Luo Fei, as if to say: You think I don’t know what’s going on in that little donkey brain of yours?
Luo Fei grinned back. "You two have a good chat. I still have some work to do in the vegetable garden."
From the looks of it, Luo Yong still didn’t know that Xi Yanqing had changed his name. Luo Fei figured it would be good to give Xi Yanqing some time to adjust his brother’s impression of him.
Luo Fei wasn’t trying to avoid them on purpose—he really did have work to do in the garden. With autumn here, the mornings and evenings were cool, the daytime was hot, and the wind was just right for drying things. He was thinking of slicing up some cucumbers to dry today. Fresh vegetables were scarce in winter here, so the more he prepared in the fall, the better off they’d be in the colder months.
There weren’t many cucumbers left in the garden. Luo Fei picked the ones that were ready, washed them clean, and sliced them into thin pieces about two to three millimeters thick. He had a few drying mats woven from mugwort stalks, so he laid the cucumber slices on them and set them out in the sun in front of the house.
With that, he couldn’t let the chickens and ducks roam free, and even the three little beans had to be watched.
After finishing up, Luo Fei called into the house, "Qing-ge, should I go get some wine? Do you guys want to drink a bit at lunch?"
Xi Yanqing replied, "Sounds good! Thanks, wife!"
Luo Fei took off his apron and set it aside. He patted his clothes, about to grab the empty wine jar to head out when Xi Yanqing and Luo Yong came out as well.
Luo Yong scratched his head. "I feel like I’m just causing trouble for Brother Qi by showing up like this."
Luo Fei chuckled. "Not at all. Since Qing-ge considers you a brother, then you're my brother too. You two sit down; I'll go fetch the wine."
Luo Yong elbowed Xi Yanqing. "No wonder Jing Rong said you insisted on coming home instead of starting that ranch with us. If I had an unwed wife like Brother Qi (Lou Fei) waiting for me, I’d rush home too. Brother Xi, you’ve got good taste."
Xi Yanqing smiled. "Didn’t you go home too? I thought maybe you were hiding a wife yourself."
Luo Yong laughed. "Nope, I went back to thank my old neighbor. If it weren’t for him, I might not have been able to leave home in the first place."
Luo Yong didn’t have any family left. Unlike Xi Yu, who had left home without selling all his land and had taken a bit of money with him, Luo Yong had sold everything before he left. Times were tough back then, and land wasn’t easy to sell. It was his old neighbor who helped him negotiate a fair price. That old man had always looked after him, so Luo Yong wanted to go back and visit.
Unfortunately, when he arrived, he found out that his old neighbor had passed away a year ago.
Luo Yong stayed in his hometown for a while but didn’t know what to do next. He helped out with odd farming jobs, but then a flood ruined the crops, and they no longer needed extra hands for the harvest. So, he packed his bags and left again.
He didn’t have much attachment to his hometown anymore.
Xi Yanqing said, "I plan to build a new house next spring. If you want to settle down here, we could build close to each other."
Luo Yong did have some money—not just from selling his land, but also from the rewards he’d received from the general when he returned from war. Since he didn’t have any bad habits or family to support, he actually had more savings now than when he first left home. He could afford to build a house, but the question was—what would he do here?
"Have you been to see Jing Rong?" Xi Yanqing asked. "He mentioned starting a sheep farm together. How’s that going?"
"I went." Luo Yong nodded. "After leaving home, I went to see him first since he was the closest to me. But I only stayed two days before leaving. He’s not doing too well either. I think he might leave home soon."
"His family’s still around, though. Why would he leave?" Xi Yanqing remembered that only he and Luo Yong had no family left. The other brothers all had relatives.
"He never told us before, but I found out when I visited—his mother isn’t his birth mother. His real mother passed away, and the one at home now is just a concubine who got promoted. You know how that goes—she doesn’t treat him well. And his father is completely biased toward her. Most of the family’s sheep have already been given to Jing Rong’s younger brother. Jing Rong wants to leave, but he’s unwilling to let go. Plus, his fiancée lives in the same town."
"No wonder he’s been so quiet since going back," Xi Yanqing said, fiddling with his teacup. "Forget that for now. You just stay here for the time being. Huaping Village isn’t the richest place, but as long as you work hard, you won’t go hungry. I don’t have much farmland myself. When I’m not farming, I go up the mountains to gather medicinal herbs. I’m planning to grow some at home too. It’s autumn now, so a lot of herbs are producing seeds. If I collect them and plant them here, they’ll be a stable source of income—better than farming. There are also plenty of wild foods in the mountains, like walnuts and hazelnuts, which we can sell in town."
"Alright, then I won’t leave." Luo Yong nodded. "But since you and Brother Qi just got married, I can’t stay at your place. Do you know of somewhere I could rent? I can pay for it."
"There are places, I’ll ask around for you," Xi Yanqing said. He trusted Luo Yong, but the village was full of gossips. Having a guest move in so soon after marriage—regardless of whether it was a man or a woman—would get people talking. Plus, he and Luo Fei were quite uninhibited at home. If they got too hot at night, they might walk to the kitchen stark naked for a drink. Having someone else around would make things awkward.
Luo Fei came back with the wine and also bought some tofu. He fried it in lard, made a cucumber salad, sprinkled some peanuts on top, and scrambled some eggs.
Luo Yong usually just ate whatever was available to fill his stomach, so having a warm meal with wine made him genuinely happy. Embarrassed, he said, "Brother Qi, I can’t cook, so I’ll have to work hard to earn money and marry a wife with good cooking skills to repay you properly."
Luo Fei smiled at Xi Yanqing. "Then you’d better work hard. I have a sister who’s an amazing cook. If you want food that suits my taste, that’s not easy."
Luo Yong was surprised. "Brother Qi, you have a sister?"
"Yeah. She’s the one who taught me how to cook. Even my mother isn’t as good as her."
Luo Yong wanted to ask if she was already engaged, but he thought that might be too forward, so he held back. Later, when Luo Fei wasn’t around, he pulled Xi Yanqing aside and asked, "Brother Xi, Brother Qi really has a sister?"
Xi Yanqing thought, You little rascal. My wife hasn’t even mentioned introducing her to you, and you’re already interested. But he kept a straight face and said, "Yes, and she’s a very straightforward girl."
Luo Yong scratched his head. "Oh."
Xi Yanqing continued, "She had a marriage proposal before, but the guy was no good. His family elders liked my sister and arranged the match, but just when everything was settled, the guy himself went and told my sister he didn’t agree with it. My wife was furious over that."
Luo Yong slapped his thigh and said, “This is too outrageous! Isn’t this just ruining the girl’s reputation?”
Although an engagement wasn’t the same as losing one’s chastity, for a young lady to be rejected in person by a man who came to her home—what would people think? Wouldn’t they all assume that there was something wrong with her for him to refuse the match?
Seeing an opportunity, Xi Yanqing quickly exaggerated Luo Ru’s predicament. By the time Luo Yong heard the full story, he was already fuming. He hadn’t even met her yet, but he was ready to stand on Luo Ru’s side.
Luo Yong was a man of integrity and principles, and Xi Yanqing knew this well. That’s exactly why he chose to tell him all this. After all, many times, love begins with a sense of sympathy. Of course, Luo Ru didn’t need anyone’s pity, but as her older brother, sometimes a little push in the right direction wasn’t a bad thing.
No way! He had performed so well today—he had to demand a reward from Little Donkey tonight!
While calculating how many rounds he could go with Little Donkey that night, Xi Yanqing led Luo Yong to Doctor Liang’s house.
He had already spoken with Doctor Liang and arranged for Luo Yong to stay there temporarily.
Doctor Liang’s house was occupied only by him and his wife. Luo Yong’s presence would mean an extra pair of hands to help with chores. Although Doctor Liang didn’t know Luo Yong, he trusted Xi Yanqing’s character and assumed his friend must be decent as well. He welcomed Luo Yong warmly, even refusing to charge him rent—he only asked that Xi Yanqing bring him more medicinal herbs whenever he had the chance.
And so, Luo Yong officially settled down in Huaping Village. He had arrived with only a few changes of clothes and a pair of shoes. After moving into Doctor Liang’s house, he helped out with chores when he had free time. If not that, he followed Xi Yanqing—sometimes working in the fields, other times going up the mountains to learn how to gather herbs.
Autumn had arrived, and the mountains were full of medicinal plants and edible goods. Luo Yong learned a lot by following Xi Yanqing.
He found Huaping Village quite nice. The only thing that puzzled him was that after briefly mentioning that girl in the first two days, Xi Yanqing and Luo Fei never brought her up again. He had been here for several days but had never once seen her.
His curiosity about this straightforward, skilled cook of a girl grew stronger!
Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing believed that some things were best left to fate. They certainly hoped for Luo Yong and Luo Ru to end up together—they did seem well-matched. But when it came to matters of the heart, a small nudge was fine, but forcing things would ruin the magic. So while they were eager to see when Luo Yong and Luo Ru would finally meet, they were holding back from introducing them directly. They wanted to see when fate would bring them together naturally.
Luo Fei grinned. “Qing-ge, how about a bet?”
“I bet Luo Yong will feel something the moment he sees Sanbao,” Luo Fei said.
“Then I bet there’ll be some bumps in the road,” Xi Yanqing countered. “What’s the wager?”
“You decide.”
“If I win, you let me bite you. If you win, I’ll let you bite me.”
“Huh?” Luo Fei was stunned. “What kind of bet is that?”
“How do you write the character for ‘bite’?” Xi Yanqing asked with a smirk.
“It’s ‘mouth’ plus ‘交’… Wait—wait, wait, wait! Xi Yanqing! You shameless bastard!” Luo Fei immediately pounced on him and actually bit him. “I’m telling you, I’m definitely going to win. You just wait to serve me!”
Xi Yanqing laughed. “Alright, alright, you win.”
Luo Fei clenched his fist. “I definitely will!”
HOWEVER—!
Things didn’t go as planned.
Just a couple of days later, Luo Yong and Luo Ru did finally meet—but their first impressions of each other were absolutely terrible.
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, it's a big help, thank you🌰🌰🌰
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