BYBOTE Chapter 45: Spring Fatigue, Autumn Weariness, and Summer Drowsiness

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Before they reached the Luo family’s house, Xie Yanqing suddenly stopped.

"What’s wrong, Qing-ge?" Luo Fei was puzzled. "Why aren’t you walking?"

"You can go in by yourself. I won’t go in. I’ll go check on the ox cart at Chen Huazhang’s place and come pick you up afterward."

"When did you order an cart?"

"Of course, when we bought the ox. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have it ready in time for the autumn harvest." Harvesting everything by hand would be exhausting, but with an ox cart, they could transport large loads of rice at once.

"Then why don’t you just come in with me? I’ll finish talking quickly, and we can go together."

"Tsk, silly little donkey. Which man doesn’t care about saving face? If I go in with you to say that we’re helping pay for Luo Yi’s schooling, do you think your father will be able to keep his pride intact?"

Luo Fei thought about it and realized it might indeed be a bit embarrassing for his father. But at the same time, he really wanted to see Han Xu!

Since it was just after nightfall, Luo Fei and Xie Yanqing had chosen this time specifically to make sure Luo Tian and Li Yuehua would be home after working during the day. Luo Fei glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly hugged Xie Yanqing's neck and pecked him on the lips. "Qing-ge, wait for me. I’ll come out as soon as I’m done talking!"

Before Xie Yanqing could respond, Luo Fei dashed inside.

Xie Yanqing touched the spot where he had been kissed and licked his lips…

That little brat was getting better and better at seducing him without even trying!

When Luo Fei entered the house, Li Yuehua was busy counting money. Since it was Luo Fei who came in, she didn’t rush to put it away. Luo Fei only saw about a hundred copper coins and wasn’t sure if she was planning to spend them or just organizing them.

"Erbao, why are you here so late?" Li Yuehua asked casually as she put away the money pouch.

"Mother, I’m in a hurry, so I’ll keep this short. I came to talk to you and Father about Luo Yi’s schooling." Luo Fei quickly explained the decision he and Xie Yanqing had made. "The enrollment period is coming up. We think it’s best for Sibao to start school now. What do you think?"

"This…" Li Yuehua looked at Luo Tian.

As parents, who wouldn’t want the best for their children? Even someone as harsh as Qin Guizhi was fiercely protective of her son. Naturally, Luo Tian and Li Yuehua had wanted Luo Yi to study too. They had even planned it when their eldest son’s wife was still alive. But after everything that had happened, they had always prioritized keeping the family afloat. They didn’t regret their choices, but they did feel guilty.

"Er Bao, are you saying… you and Yanqing want to help us support Si Bao’s education?" Luo Tian asked after some thought.

"Yes, Father. Si Bao is already fifteen. If he doesn’t start now, it’ll be too late. Even if we have to tighten our belts, we think it’s worth it. If he does well, he might even become a xiucai and exempt the family from taxes. Wouldn’t that be great?"

"But what if he doesn’t pass…" Li Yuehua hesitated.

"Nothing in life is guaranteed. Even farming depends on the weather, doesn’t it? We just have to believe in Si Bao."

"Dad, I agree with Erbao's opinion. Besides, I don't want to arrange another marriage for myself right now. Let's focus on Sibao first," Luo Ji said. "But we can't let Erbao and Xidi pay for this. This year, we opened up one and a half mu of land on the mountain. Let's transfer it to Erbao. Since it's newly cultivated, the harvest might not be great for the next two years, but after that, it should be good."

"What nonsense!" Li Yuehua felt heartache for her eldest son, who was so loyal and righteous. "In a few years, you'll be much older. It won't be easy to find a wife then!" Having been married once already made remarriage difficult—what good family wouldn't want their daughter to marry a young bachelor?

"Yeah, Big Brother, you can't stay alone forever either," Luo Fei said. "If you need to find a wife, go ahead and do it. As for Sibao, we'll all work harder together to take care of him, won't we? Ah, I won’t say any more—I’m in a hurry." As Luo Fei spoke, he was already running out the door.

"Erbao, get back here!" Li Yuehua called after him from the doorway but couldn't stop him. She turned back with a worried expression. "Is this money from Yanqing? Or did that brat take it himself without telling anyone?" His rushed departure made it seem like he had a guilty conscience...

"We'll have to ask Yanqing later," Luo Tian said.

"By the way, where’s Sibao?" She didn’t see her youngest son in the small house.

Luo Yi was actually just outside. In fact, when his second brother and Xidi were talking, he was there too—just squatting by the wall, which was why they hadn’t noticed him. He heard everything his second brother and Xidi said, and he also saw his second brother run out and hug Xidi before leaving together.

Xidi hadn’t come inside because he wanted to save face for their father.

Luo Yi wiped his face, his eyes red, and quietly walked back into the house. He didn’t ask Luo Tian or Li Yuehua why his second brother had come. He only responded when Li Yuehua said, "Sibao, you can go to school now."

"Dad, Mom, I will study hard."

Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing had no idea that Luo Yi had made a vow in his heart. At this moment, they were still playfully chasing each other on the way to Chen Huazhang’s house. People say the moon on the sixteenth is the fullest; tonight, the moonlight was perfect.

Chen Huazhang and Han Xu were still awake, but when Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing arrived, they couldn't call out or enter the house—because the sounds coming from inside were too familiar, sounding both painful and pleasurable. Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing simply couldn’t bring themselves to knock.

Han Xu… had clearly noticed there were no neighbors around and wasn't holding back his voice.

Luo Fei had no idea that Han Xu had been suppressing himself ever since he got together with Chen Huazhang, and now that he finally had the chance, he couldn’t contain himself anymore.

It was just… a little embarrassing.

Xi Yanqing was embarrassed too. Both of them were at the age where their desires were strong—how could they endure hearing such sounds?

"Should… should we just go back for today?" Luo Fei whispered.

"Mm." Xi Yanqing held Luo Fei's hand, fingers intertwined, tightly, so tightly. On the way back, they didn’t talk much, only occasionally did Xi Yanqing gently tease Luo Fei’s palm, making Luo Fei’s heart race wildly.

"Qing-ge, I have a feeling you’re doomed tonight..." Luo Fei swallowed hard as they opened the front gate.

"Why?"

"I… I think the little demon inside me has awakened, and it urgently needs to absorb yang energy." Luo Fei's face was burning, and his breathing quickened.

"Perfect, it's a full moon tonight. Time to eat the little demon." Xi Yanqing said, kissing Luo Fei’s lips and lifting him into his arms.

Luo Fei hooked his legs around Xi Yanqing’s waist, using the movement to push the door open.

"Hey! Aren’t we going inside?" Luo Fei noticed that Xi Yanqing wasn’t walking in a straight line.

"Not going inside." Xi Yanqing carried Luo Fei to the peach tree and set him down, kissing him passionately, touching him fiercely, like a beast eager to feast.

Luo Fei was dying of nervousness. It was nighttime, but the moon was so round and bright! If someone from the Zhou family next door came out, they might see everything!

But this kind of thrill made it even more exciting, like a forbidden fruit—impossible to stop.

Luo Fei tilted his head back, indulging in Xi Yanqing’s endless love. His hands wandered all over Xi Yanqing’s body. "Qing-ge, Qing-ge..."

The surrounding air seemed to heat up by three degrees. Xi Yanqing signaled Luo Fei to turn around and hold onto the tree trunk...

Before long, muffled, trembling, joy-filled sounds escaped between Xi Yanqing’s fingers and gradually faded away.

"Tired?" Xi Yanqing gently kissed Luo Fei's earlobe and asked.

"Mm." Luo Fei turned around, looking at Xi Yanqing, leaning against the tree, sweating and dazed.

Xi Yanqing lowered his head, kissing him softly from time to time.

The moonlight illuminated the beauty before him, and this beauty intoxicated his heart.

Xi Yanqing traced his fingers along Luo Fei’s cheek, then lifted him in his arms and carried him into the house. As he opened the door, he vaguely felt like he had forgotten something. But whatever—at this moment, enjoying the night was the most important thing.

No choice—life here was too simple, so they had to find their own entertainment. And they never got tired of it.

Before they knew it, the autumn harvest season arrived.

Xi Yanqing got busy again. In fact, he had never been idle, but at least before the harvest, things were slightly less hectic.

The shop in town had been rented out just five days after purchase, bringing in six taels of silver and five hundred copper coins. Luo Fei set this money aside for living expenses, while the remaining twenty taels from the shop purchase were buried in two different spots.

Like a pair of groundhogs, the couple squatted near the cupboard where they hid the silver. "Qing-ge, I'll earn the living expenses from now on, and you can save everything you make, okay?"

"Sure, whatever you say." Xi Yanqing agreed.

Luo Fei smiled as he watched Xi Yanqing move the cupboard back over the hidden silver. He quickly grabbed a broom to erase the traces of their movements.

Then Xi Yanqing fetched the bathtub, filled it with water, and the two enjoyed a relaxing bath together before cuddling up to sleep.

The next morning, Xi Yanqing went out to harvest the rice. He sharpened his sickle and left.

Luo Fei cleaned the kitchen, then, as usual, sat in the yard to wash clothes.

He realized there was now something in their home that made him think of Xi Yanqing every time he saw it—the peach tree in the yard! Every time he looked at it, he thought of that night when Xi Yanqing pressed him against the trunk.

Hot, panting, forceful, tightly embracing him…

His whole soul felt like it was burning!

Uh… Luo Xiao Fei! How can you be thinking about naughty things while doing laundry?! Are you a pervert?!

Blushing, Luo Fei carried the washbasin inside and kept scrubbing.

Even though he was using warm water, the air was cool in the daytime now. After a while, his hands started to ache.

Luo Fei added more hot water, finished washing, hung up the clothes, and went inside to sew. After about an hour, he took out all the steamed buns from the pot and filled a jug with hot water.

Earlier, Xi Yanqing had wanted to bring food, but Luo Fei stopped him. Now that the weather was cold, Xi Yanqing might feel warm while working, but eating cold food wasn’t good. Since it wasn’t raining and the roads were fine, Luo Fei figured he’d just bring him some food later.

He packed the buns and some dishes in a basket, but worried they might get cold, so he stuffed two buns inside his clothes.

It looked kind of weird…

Luo Fei poked his chest and checked the mirror. "Whoa! Today's steamed buns are at least a D-cup!"

Hua Dou: "Awoo?"

Luo Fei "Hmph! You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Come on, let’s bring food to the boss!"

Xi Yanqing and Luo Yong were harvesting rice in the fields. Luo Ji was about forty to fifty meters away from them. Since the rice paddies were close together, they could still occasionally chat with each other.

Luo Yong had recently sent another batch of pine nuts to the Luo family, but he didn’t know whether Luo Ru had eaten them. He turned his head and saw Luo Ji working hard. "Xi-ge, have you been to the Luo family recently?"

Xi Yanqing immediately knew what Luo Yong was trying to ask, but he deliberately avoided the topic. "I have. My brother-in-law is going to school, you know? There's no teacher in our village, so the other day, I took him to town to check things out."

Although Huaping Village was quite far from town, requiring a strenuous journey, Luo Yi was very determined. He got up early and worked late every day without a single complaint.

Luo Yong responded with an "Oh," then said, "That’s quite a distance. He went alone? I sent quite a few pine nuts over—I wonder if Third Miss gave him some to eat on the way to pass the time."

Xi Yanqing smirked inwardly, thinking, "Let’s see how long you can keep circling around the topic." He continued working quickly. "I have to say, the pine nuts you sent were really tasty. Even Qi-ge, who never used to like such things because he found them greasy, ended up eating quite a lot of them."

Luo Yong: "…"

That’s not what I wanted to talk about, Xi-ge!

Xi Yanqing said, "Keep harvesting here; there’s not much left. I’ll go over there to work."

Luo Yong was about to say something else when he stood up and saw someone walking along the field ridge.

Luo Ru had left home earlier than Luo Fei—she was bringing food to Luo Ji. Normally, she didn’t deliver meals because her eldest brother brought his own. But this morning, the dough hadn’t risen properly, so they had made noodles instead. Since noodles couldn’t be packed to carry, she had promised to bring him lunch instead.

In the past, Luo Yi would have handled this task, but now that he was away at school during the day, it fell to Luo Ru.

She hadn’t prepared anything particularly special—just steamed some mantou and stir-fried some shredded potatoes for her eldest brother. There was quite a lot of shredded potatoes, even though she had only cut up two potatoes. Today, however, she had picked particularly large ones.

The wind carried the scent from Luo Ru’s direction, and several people working in the fields caught the delicious aroma.

Luo Ru didn’t look anywhere else. She walked straight to her family’s field. "Big Brother, have lunch before continuing your work." After a moment’s thought, she called out, "Xi-ge, come have some food too!"

As for Luo Yong—she saw him but didn’t call him.

There were other people around, and as an unmarried woman, calling a man’s name so casually would sound inappropriate.

"Come on, let’s go eat." Xi Yanqing called to Luo Yong.

"I think I’ll pass, Xi-ge." Luo Yong felt a bit awkward. "Third Miss probably brought it for Luo Da-ge and you. If I go too, she might get even angrier, and that wouldn’t be good."

"Come on, don’t overthink it. Just eat a little; otherwise, my brother-in-law will feel awkward eating alone." Xi Yanqing set his sickle down on the ridge and sat on a pile of straw with Luo Ji. "Sanbao, what did you make? Smells so good."

"Nothing much, just some shredded potatoes," Luo Ru replied. "Big Brother, Xi-ge, take your time eating. Call me when you're done."

"Have you eaten yet?" Luo Ji asked.

"I have." Luo Ru had just finished speaking when her eyes unintentionally met Luo Yong’s. She quickly looked away. She had been angry before, but after receiving so many nuts from him, she didn’t feel right about staying mad. No wonder people say, "When you take someone’s food, you go soft; when you take someone’s gifts, you can’t speak harshly." She was experiencing it firsthand!

Luo Ru picked up the sickle her brother had used and silently started harvesting the rice.

Though she was a young woman, she was quite strong and worked efficiently.

Luo Ji initially wanted her to take a break, but considering that there were three men here and it wasn’t entirely appropriate for his sister to stay, he let her be.

As Luo Ru worked, Luo Yong squatted on the ridge and watched. He had seen other women delivering meals or working in the fields, but he had never seen one as capable as her. She was strong and worked almost as fast as the men.

"Hey! What are you staring at? Eat your food." Xi Yanqing tapped Luo Yong with his chopsticks.

"Luo Yong, have you ever tried my sister’s cooking? She makes the best food," Luo Ji said. He had a good impression of Luo Yong and thought well of him, so he handed him a pair of chopsticks.

"You go ahead, Luo Da-ge. There's only one pair of chopsticks—if I use them, you won’t have anything to eat with." Luo Yong looked at the shredded potatoes, which smelled amazing, but he didn’t feel right using the only chopsticks available.

"You're so silly," Xi Yanqing said, breaking a mantou in half. "Big Brother, give me some shredded potatoes." Once Luo Ji placed the potatoes inside, Xi Yanqing sandwiched them between the mantou halves. "There, see?"

"Oh! In that case, I won’t be polite, Luo Da-ge." Luo Yong followed suit, breaking a mantou in half and stuffing it with shredded potatoes. As he ate, he glanced over at Luo Ru. "She’s really hardworking."

"Yeah, my sister knows how to endure hardship," Luo Ji said. "When my second brother was little, he was often sick. We had to see doctors all the time, and our family wasn’t well off. Even though she was just a little girl, she never had an easy life. She started helping with chores when she was only four. Look at my family—Luo Ji, Luo Ru, Luo Yi. We should have had a 'Luo Xiang,' but because my second brother kept getting sick, a Daoist priest said the name 'Luo Xiang' was unlucky. That’s why we changed it to 'Luo Fei.'"

"I was wondering why Qi-ge’s name wasn’t Luo Xiang," Luo Yong said. "But 'Luo Fei' sounds nice too."

"Ugh, speak of the devil." Xi Yanqing suddenly stood up and waved. "Wife! We’re over here!"

"I see you!" Luo Fei quickly walked over. "You guys already started eating? I rushed over for nothing."

"You’re just in time. Now you can join us. Otherwise, if we ran out halfway through, we’d be in trouble." Xi Yanqing opened the basket and took out the food, then poked at Luo Fei’s chest. "What do you have hidden there?"

"More mantou. I kept two warm in my arms for you," Luo Fei whispered. "Picked the biggest ones—at least a D cup!"

"Really?" Xi Yanqing squeezed the mantou, then glanced at Luo Fei’s chest. "They are pretty soft. But my favorite is still your ‘Wangzai Little Mantou.’"

"You!" Luo Fei knew exactly what Xi Yanqing meant and was speechless. He shoved a mantou into Xi Yanqing’s mouth. "Just eat!"

"What’s a ‘Wangzai Little Mantou’?" Luo Yong asked.

"Ah, that…" Xi Yanqing smacked his lips. "Only Qi-ge can make it, and he only makes it for me."

"Ugh, look at you acting so smug. Fine, I won’t eat it!" Luo Yong finished his mantou stuffed with potatoes in a few bites, thinking, "How could anything taste better than this?" Even Qi-ge said Luo Ru’s cooking was good. It was strange—how could simple shredded potatoes taste so much better than anyone else’s?

Luo Ji had almost finished eating, so he went to take over for Luo Ru. After coming back, Luo Ru tidied up the basket and called out to Luo Fei, “Second Brother, are you heading back?”

Luo Fei said, “Yeah!”

After walking for a bit, he actually started feeling sleepy and wondered if he should take a nap when he got home.

“Did you do embroidery again this morning? You’re not allowed to sew this afternoon. If you’re tired, just take a nap.” Xi Yanqing rubbed the sweat off Luo Fei’s face with the back of his hand, completely ignoring the people around them.

“Second Brother, I’ll bring lunch tomorrow. You don’t have to keep running back and forth,” Luo Ru said, picking up the basket. “Before I left, Mother told me to remind you—don’t wander around too much and take care of yourself.”

“What’s there to take care of? I’m fine.” Luo Fei grinned mischievously and walked alongside Luo Ru. “Actually, I was going to say I’d bring lunch tomorrow, but since you’re offering, I won’t fight you for it. Be honest, though—how many pairs of chopsticks are you bringing tomorrow?”

“Naturally, I’ll bring three pairs,” Luo Ru answered without even thinking.

“Ohhh~~~” Luo Fei dragged out the sound. “So there’s a pair for Luo Yong too.”

“Well, he’s helping out with work at our house. How could I not bring him a pair of chopsticks?” Luo Ru glared at him. “I don’t even want to bring them, and yet you’re making a fuss! Think about it—who am I doing this for?”

“You worry too much. Go back and tell Mother to rest easy—there’s nothing wrong with me.” Xi Yanqing wasn’t even concerned about things like little tigers or little donkeys, so what was there to be afraid of?!

Luo Fei walked along the ridge between the fields, swinging the basket in his hand, humming a tune, looking every bit like a little rascal!

Even from a distance, Xi Yanqing worried that his wife would accidentally trip and fall into a ditch.

After getting home, Luo Fei still felt a bit sleepy, but thinking about how hard Xi Yanqing was working in the fields, he decided not to nap. Instead, he washed the chopsticks and the undyed cotton cloth that had wrapped the mantou, then hung them out to dry. After that, he took out his sewing basket and started embroidering again.

Last time at Ruyi Embroidery Workshop, he had picked up a few shoe uppers along with their patterns. The embroidery area wasn’t large, but it required meticulous detail. However, the pay was quite good—after completing five pairs, the owner of Ruyi had promised him 200 wen.

Even during the Dragon Boat Festival, when he had made so many sachets and scented pouches, he hadn’t earned 200 wen. Compared to that, these five pairs of shoe uppers were a piece of cake. If it weren’t for how drowsy he had been these past couple of days, he could have finished them in seven or eight days.

But he had been feeling so sleepy lately—definitely a sign that autumn had arrived.

Spring drowsiness, autumn fatigue, and summer naps… Luo Fei found the perfect excuse for his tiredness.

T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, it's a big help, thank you🌰🌰🌰