BYBOTE Chapter 46: The Dumbfounded Old Tiger

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In previous years, the Luo family would take several days to harvest their rice because they didn't have an ox cart. Instead, they relied on manual labor, transporting the grains bit by bit before threshing and husking them. However, this year was different—they had an ox cart. In just a few days, all the harvested rice had been transported, including the rice grown by Xi Yanqing. Speaking of which, Xi Yanqing’s acre of rice, cultivated using the dry nursery sparse planting method, was worth mentioning.

At first, many people believed that planting rice so sparsely would result in a poor yield. To their surprise, Xi Yanqing’s rice turned out to be better than anyone else’s. Even though he planted fewer stalks, each grain of rice was plump and full. Compared to other people's rice, his was significantly heavier and denser.

While threshing the rice, Han Yang’s father couldn’t help but visit several times, asking Xi Yanqing about his method.

Xi Yanqing explained simply, “Uncle Han, crops are just like people—they need to be well-fed to grow strong. We eat food, and crops absorb nutrients from the soil. If a family has many children but not enough food to go around, do you think they would grow as well as a child who gets enough to eat at every meal?”

The logic was easy to understand when put that way, but many still found it hard to believe.

However, Han Yi believed it.

Han Yang also believed it, and he was already thinking about adopting Xi Yanqing’s method next year. His family owned a lot of rice paddies, but their annual yields were never satisfactory. Next year, he planned to set aside half of his fields and seek Xi Yanqing’s advice before planting.

Xi Yanqing laughed and said, “Sure, just come to me before you start planting.”

In the countryside, families with good relationships often worked together, dividing tasks to speed up the work. It also made labor more enjoyable with conversation and laughter. At the moment, Han Yang’s family, the Luo family, and Xi Yanqing were all working together.

After finishing his rice threshing, Xi Yanqing checked the final yield. He and Luo Fei had four acres of rice paddies, with only one acre planted using the dry nursery sparse planting method. He separated the harvest from the differently cultivated fields to compare the results.

Normally, the local rice yield ranged from about 1.5 to 2 shi per acre. This year had been favorable, with good weather. The three acres that followed conventional planting methods produced 5 shi and 7 dou of rice, which was a decent result. However, the single acre using the dry nursery sparse planting method yielded an impressive 2 shi and 5 dou! Nearly 1.5 times the typical yield per acre. While it was nowhere near the modern-day hundreds of kilograms per acre, in the current circumstances, it was already a significant improvement.

The only downside was that the intercropping of corn and soybeans in the dry field hadn’t gone well. Due to his injury, Xi Yanqing hadn’t been able to tend to them properly at a critical time. As a result, the soybean yield was acceptable, but the corn harvest was mediocre.

But as the saying goes, "Contentment brings happiness." Xi Yanqing was still pleased—after all, this was his first large-scale, personally cultivated crop. More importantly, using the rice he grew himself to feed the person he loved most felt like a small but sweet act of romance.

Finally, they could eat freshly harvested rice!

Xi Yanqing decided that as soon as he got home, he would cook a pot of rice for Luo Fei.

Luo Fei had been feeling unusually lazy the past couple of days. He figured it was because of the colder weather—he just didn’t feel like moving. Normally, he would wake up early to start the fire, cook, and do the laundry, but now he had become reluctant to leave the warmth of his bed. And this wasn’t even nighttime—he was already feeling drowsy again.

“Damn, am I sick?” Luo Fei muttered to himself, scratching his head. Earlier, he had gone to the threshing ground but returned home at noon. His plan was to feed the chickens and ducks, prepare food for the three little beans, and clean up the accumulated chicken and duck manure, which they saved for fertilizer. But as soon as he finished the chores, he started feeling sleepy again.

“Wife! I’m back!” Xi Yanqing called from outside. Behind him, Luo Ji and Luo Yong were leading the ox cart.

“Coming!” Luo Fei rubbed his forehead. He doubted he was sick—after all, he had been feeling this way for days, but nothing else was wrong. He could eat, drink, and sleep just fine, so he concluded that it must just be the change in seasons.

“Our rice is all threshed—8 shi and 2 dou in total. I even milled some, so I’ll cook you some rice later,” Xi Yanqing said with a smile. “I’ll store everything in the small shed first, then I have to go help my parents. Think about what you want for dinner.”

“Alright, I’ll give it some serious thought.” Luo Fei’s eyes lit up as he followed Xi Yanqing’s movements, watching him carry sacks of rice. He was like a little mouse that had just found a stash of cheese—thrilled. Eating rice was a rare treat for them, almost like celebrating a festival. His sleepiness vanished instantly. Luo Fei eagerly followed Xi Yanqing into the small shed and scooped up a handful of the fresh rice, admiring its quality. Freshly milled rice looked completely different from aged rice—each grain appeared plump and moist. Although Xi Yanqing had done most of the farming, Luo Fei still felt a sense of pride in their harvest.

“Luo Yong, stay for dinner,” Xi Yanqing said. “I’ll have my wife cook something special.”

“Sure,” Luo Yong agreed without hesitation. The elderly couple at home usually cooked soft, easy-to-digest food, which he didn’t mind, but he often felt like he wasn’t getting enough to eat. Normally, he could put up with it, but since today was a harvest day, he decided to indulge himself a little.

After storing the rice, Xi Yanqing, Luo Yong, and Luo Ji took the ox cart and left to help thresh the other families’ rice. Since Xi Yanqing and Luo Fei had the smallest amount of land, their threshing had been prioritized, allowing them to finish earlier.

Luo Fei cleaned the pot, scooped some fresh rice, rinsed it, and set it to cook. Then he went to fetch firewood.

He pondered what to cook for dinner.

Today was a harvest day. He remembered that in the modern world, northern families often celebrated with "Harvest Dishes." There were both cooked and raw variations. The cooked version included braised pork ribs with potatoes and string beans, sometimes with corn chunks, accompanied by cornmeal pancakes. The raw version consisted of various fresh vegetables, sliced and served with dipping sauce.

At this time of year, most of their fresh vegetables were already harvested. Luo Fei thought for a moment and grabbed two potatoes, a radish, a piece of dried fish to soak, and a handful of dried noodles. He also tore off some cabbage leaves.

The cabbage had been harvested a few days ago and had lost some moisture, but it was still usable.

All the ingredients were ready. Luo Fei started the fire and began cooking carp with cabbage and vermicelli, along with a harvest vegetable dish.

There were no spare ribs, so the harvest dish had to be purely vegetarian. He fried green beans and potatoes and added some homegrown glutinous corn. The aroma was simply irresistible!

Luo Fei's mouth was watering, so he didn’t hold back—he grabbed a piece of corn and took a bite. He had to admit that homegrown produce was nothing like store-bought. It tasted as if it had been infused with honey—fragrant and sweet!

He finished steaming the rice and cooking the dishes, then waited for Xi Yanqing and Luo Yong.

Xi Yanqing and Luo Yong worked until almost sundown before returning. After washing up in the yard, they entered the house, where the mouthwatering aroma greeted them, instantly easing the day’s fatigue.

“You worked hard, wife.” Xi Yanqing sat down, grabbed Luo Fei’s hand, and gave it a kiss. “This smells amazing!”

“Tsk tsk tsk, I swear…” Luo Yong felt like he was about to be blinded by their overwhelming affection. They treated him like family, but this was just too much! They were openly affectionate right in front of him—couldn’t they consider his bachelor status for once?

“It’s just a hand kiss. What exactly are you complaining about?” Xi Yanqing pushed the bowl of rice toward Luo Yong. “Eat your rice.”

“Damn, this is so fragrant! I almost can’t bear to eat it.” Luo Yong had rarely eaten rice in his life. As far as he could remember, only wealthy city folks ate rice. In the countryside, people usually made porridge. If they could afford steamed buns alongside porridge, it meant they’d had a good harvest. If his hometown was anything like last year, people would be starving.

“Wife, why aren’t you eating the fish?” Xi Yanqing noticed that Luo Fei had a strange expression. Luo Fei held his chopsticks and stared at the fish, looking doubtful.

“Nothing.” Truthfully, Luo Fei was wondering if dried fish just tasted way worse than fresh fish because, for some reason, he had no appetite. Normally, he would eat a lot of this dish and drink the soup, but today, no matter how he smelled it, it just didn’t seem appetizing.

If Xi Yanqing and Luo Yong hadn’t been eating and praising it, he would have doubted his own cooking skills.

How odd.

Maybe he should visit Doctor Liang when he had time?

Luo Fei ate a bowl of rice and quite a bit of corn, but he barely touched the other dishes.

Xi Yanqing noticed this and was worried, but since Luo Yong was there, he didn’t ask much. After Luo Yong left, Xi Yanqing locked the door and asked, “What’s wrong, wife? You seem off today.”

Luo Fei had just finished tidying up and was already feeling sleepy, but he didn’t want Xi Yanqing to worry, so he said, “Nothing, maybe it’s just the cold weather. I just want to stay somewhere warm and sleep.”

Xi Yanqing frowned but kept his tone gentle. “That’s not what I meant. You didn’t have much of an appetite today. Are you feeling unwell? Normally, you eat a lot. Or are we running low on money?”

Lately, he had been busy with the autumn harvest and hadn’t had time to go into the mountains, so he hadn’t saved much money for Luo Fei.

Luo Fei said, “No, we still have plenty of money. We don’t have many expenses, and most of our food comes from home. There’s enough to spend. I just feel like today’s fish stew doesn’t taste good. Don’t you think it smells strange?”

“Smells strange?” Xi Yanqing asked. “Not at all. It tasted great. Didn’t you see that Luo Yong and I drank all the soup?” In the end, only the fish bones were left. He and Luo Yong were both big eaters.

“I just didn’t find it tasty, so I didn’t eat it. Don’t overthink it.” Luo Fei lay down, stretching as he rested his head on Xi Yanqing’s lap.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you next time I go to town.” Xi Yanqing thought that at the very least, he couldn’t let his wife go hungry. Even if he couldn’t provide him with luxuries, he should at least make sure he ate well.

“I want meat.” Luo Fei absentmindedly sucked on his finger. “Braised pork, roasted lamb chops, sauced beef… Anything with meat will do.”

“How about I slaughter a chicken for you tomorrow?” Xi Yanqing figured that he needed to help the Han family with their harvest the next day. Since the Han family had helped with their work, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to skip out on helping them. So, instead of going to town, he could just cook a chicken at home.

“Hmm… that works. Chicken it is.” Luo Fei’s voice grew quieter.

“Wife, you have to take responsibility for what you say. You sure you want chicken…?” Xi Yanqing was about to make a cheeky joke, but Luo Fei had already fallen asleep!

Xi Yanqing didn’t dare move. He quietly watched Luo Fei for a while, and once Luo Fei was sound asleep, he gently lifted his head off his lap, tucked him in, and carried him to the inner part of the bed. Then, he glanced at the embroidery materials in the sewing basket.

No wonder Luo Fei was tired. Embroidery strained the eyes and neck, and on top of that, Luo Fei also took care of the household chores during the day. It was exhausting.

Lately, Xi Yanqing had been busy from dawn till dusk between the fields and the threshing ground, leaving most of the household chores to Luo Fei. The vegetable garden was now mostly empty, but Luo Fei had made sure nothing went to waste—harvesting, drying, and storing everything. The yard was always spotless, and his clothes were freshly laundered every day. Meals were always ready when he came home.

Each of these tasks might seem simple, but doing them every single day was no easy feat. And on top of that, Luo Fei did embroidery work.

Just thinking about it made Xi Yanqing’s heart ache. Before coming here, Luo Fei had lived a life of comfort, with no worries about food or clothing. His hands used to be delicate and fair, but now they were rougher.

He still wasn’t earning enough.

Xi Yanqing held Luo Fei’s hand gently in his arms and gradually fell asleep. Meanwhile, Luo Fei was dreaming again.

This time, he dreamt of the peach tree in the yard—not with falling petals, but full of ripe peaches. He loved all of them but ended up picking the biggest one and offering it to Xi Yanqing without taking a bite himself.

When Luo Fei woke up, he felt dumbfounded.

Damn it! He never got to eat peaches in real life, and now he had them in his dreams but didn’t even eat them? How stupid could he be?!

He was starving!

After snapping out of it, Luo Fei scolded himself for being an idiot and then called out, “Qing-ge!”

Xi Yanqing was no longer in bed, but he quickly entered upon hearing Luo Fei’s voice. “You’re awake? Are you cold?”

“Nope. Did you heat the bed?” Luo Fei noticed it was warmer than usual when he woke up.

“Yeah, I got up early and heated it. You said you wanted meat yesterday, right? I already slaughtered a chicken, cleaned it, and made mushroom chicken soup. I didn’t add seasoning yet, so you can adjust it yourself when you get up.”

“For real? You’re amazing!” What time did he wake up to have already prepared all that?

“Of course. Didn’t you smell it?”

“I did!” Luo Fei sat up, still wrapped in the blanket. “Give me a kiss!”

“Muah!” Xi Yanqing intended to give a quick peck, but once their lips met, he couldn’t pull away. Luo Fei was warm, and his embrace made Xi Yanqing’s heart race. Worse still, Luo Fei tightened his arms around his neck.

“Qing-ge, is the main door locked?” Luo Fei asked, kneeling on the bed with his arms around Xi Yanqing.

“Mm, I haven’t opened it yet. Why?”

“No reason… I just feel like…” Luo Fei was feeling a little frisky. They’d both been too busy lately, and ever since that wild moment under the peach tree, they hadn’t done much.

Xi Yanqing could never refuse Luo Fei, and morning was the time when he had the most energy. Since Luo Fei was asking for it, how could he say no?

Since the pot was still full of chicken soup, there was no fear of it boiling dry. Xi Yanqing directly lifted Luofei off the heated brick bed. He had wanted to carry him like this back when they were by the peach blossom tree, but he was worried Luofei might get cold. Now that they were indoors, he no longer had to worry.

Perhaps it was because the morning atmosphere was too warm and cozy, with the scent of chicken soup filling the room, that Xi Yanqing’s movements became gentler.

Xi Yanqing pulled down Luo Fei’s pants, his rough hands slowly kneading Luofei’s hips. When he entered, Luo Fei let out a soft moan, and Xi Yanqing felt every cell in his body rejoice, his bones turning to jelly.

It was undoubtedly a perfect morning for eating chicken and getting a boost of energy. Even though Xi Yanqing had woken up earlier than usual, thinking about his morning achievements made him feel better than ever—perhaps like a phone charged to 300%.

Luo Fei, on the other hand, was not in such a fully charged state. Supporting his waist, he added the seasonings and scooped out the rice. Most of the remaining tasks were left to Xi Yanqing.

Xi Yanqing ladled out the chicken soup, tore apart two chicken legs for Luo Fei, added some mushrooms, and served two bowls of rice.

Luo Fei had thought that eating rice just yesterday was enough, but having it again today felt like an extravagant luxury.

“Let’s eat together.” Luo Fei handed one of the chicken legs to Xi Yanqing.

“You have the drumsticks, I’ll take the wings,” Xi Yanqing said. “Eat more, gain some weight, and you’ll be warmer in winter.”

“These chickens aren’t even that big—how much meat can a wing have? One drumstick each! Otherwise, I won’t eat!” Luo Fei insisted, putting the drumstick back in Xi Yanqing’s bowl. “Don’t you know sharing brings happiness?!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you,” Xi Yanqing conceded.

“Qing-ge, I think I’ve gained weight recently. Have you noticed?” Luo Fei pinched his chin. He hadn’t developed a double chin, but he did seem a little chubbier than before.

“You’re still you, even if you gain weight. I still like you,” Xi Yanqing said, pinching Luofei’s cheek. “I’ll be heading to the grain-drying yard later. If you have nothing to do, just rest. I woke up early today, so I already swept the yard and did the laundry. Stay inside and don’t catch a cold.”

“But I still want to go to the yard and take a look.” Luo Fei found the gathering of people working together rather enjoyable, and seeing the harvest lifted his spirits. Even though not all of the grains belonged to their family, the villagers’ happiness was contagious.

“Then make sure to dress warmly and don’t stay out too long,” Xi Yanqing relented, unable to resist Luo Fei’s pleading gaze.

“Ah, I knew Qing-ge treats me best!” Luo Fei stood up and, with his greasy lips, planted a kiss right on Xi Yanqing’s forehead before heading inside to add more layers. The dishes could wait until later—there weren’t that many anyway!

Xi Yanqing wiped his oily forehead, speechless. After washing up, he took the now warmly dressed Luo Fei to the grain-drying yard.

Several people were already busy working. When they arrived, Han Yang called out, “Xi Yanqing, over here today!”

Xi Yanqing let go of Luo Fei’s hand. “I’m going to work. You find a sheltered spot to stay warm.”

Luo Fei hummed in acknowledgment. “I see Zhuangzhuang and Han Xu. I’ll go find them.”

Zhuangzhuang had come with Mu Ling. The Han family had a lot of land, so everyone capable of working was busy at the grain yard. Since there was no one to watch the children at home, they brought them along. Muling was worried about managing both work and watching Zhuangzhuang, but Han Xu arrived just in time.

Han Xu wasn’t in any condition to work, and Chen Huazhang wouldn’t allow him to. However, since Chen Huazhang was out doing carpentry work, Han Xu got bored staying home alone and decided to come out for some fresh air. When he saw that no one was available to watch Zhuangzhuang, he volunteered.

Seeing Han Xu, Luo Fei immediately recalled that night by the tree and felt momentarily speechless before asking, “Are you alright walking this far?”

Han Xu replied, “I’m fine. It’s been over three months now, as long as I’m careful, it’s okay.”

Zhuangzhuang wrapped his arms around Han Xu’s neck. “Second Uncle, hug.”

“Second Uncle will have to wait until next summer to hug you,” Han Xu said, ruffling the child’s hair. “Be good. I’ll teach you how to count.”

“No problem! If your second uncle can’t carry you, Uncle Luo Fei will!” Luo Fei picked up Zhuangzhuang, expecting him to be around 30 pounds at most. However, he was unexpectedly heavy.

"He’s grown a lot lately. Be careful," Han Xu reminded him. He wanted to tell Luo Fei to take it easy in case he was pregnant without realizing it, but he was afraid that mentioning it might make Luo Fei feel bad. After all, Luo Fei had been married for a while but still hadn’t had any children. So, Han Xu decided not to say anything.

Sure enough, after holding Zhuangzhuang for a bit, Luo Fei couldn’t manage anymore and put him down. Just then, Han Xu remarked, "Erbao, you really do seem to have gained weight."

Han Xu had genuinely noticed that Luo Fei’s face looked a bit rounder.

Luo Fei touched his own face. "I was just talking to Qing-ge about that this morning. But isn’t autumn the season for putting on weight? It’s normal to get a little chubby, right?"

Han Xu laughed. "What are you, a pig? Talking about fattening up for the winter!"

Luo Fei thought for a moment. "Then I’d better do some work. If I gain too much weight, I won’t look good."

More importantly, what if his clothes stopped fitting? Having to buy or make new ones would be too much trouble and expense!

Luo Fei went to find Xi Yanqing and asked what work he could do. Of course, Xi Yanqing wouldn’t let him do anything too tiring, so he handed Luo Fei a broom and had him sweep up the scattered grains. It wasn’t hard work—he could sweep a bit, rest, and then sweep again when more grains fell.

By midday, the sun was shining brightly. The workers chatted as they worked, praising Xi Yanqing’s farming skills and saying they wanted to learn from him in the future.

Qin Guizhi arrived with a few hired laborers and sneered, "Pfft, what’s the big deal? So what if he harvested a few more grains? He still has to pay taxes!"

Zhang Yangfan had gone to take the imperial exams and hadn’t returned yet. He had said he wouldn’t come back until the results were announced. Qin Guizhi was eagerly waiting for news.

Even if Zhang Yangfan didn’t pass, their family’s land was still tax-exempt, so she had been feeling particularly smug. She couldn’t help but boast about it to everyone she met.

If she had been talking about someone else, Luo Fei might have ignored it. But wasn’t she belittling his Qing-ge’s hard work?! Luo Fei was immediately displeased. "You call yourself a scholar’s mother, but you can’t even count! If it’s so easy, why don’t you grow more yourself? A ‘few grains’? You sure your family has that many?!"

"You think you’re so great? Then why don’t you give birth to a son or two? You’ve been married this long and still haven’t—" Qin Guizhi had wanted to say, "still haven’t even managed to fart out a kid," but remembering how badly Luo Fei had insulted her last time, she changed her words. "Still haven’t even had a single child! What, are you cursed to be childless?!"

"You’re the one who can’t have kids! Your son’s a damn bastard!"

"Luo Fei! How dare you insult my Yangfan?! I’ll fight you!"

"You dare lay a hand on my son?!" Li Yuehua rolled up her sleeves and lunged at Qin Guizhi.

"Let go of my mother!" Seeing that they were actually fighting, Luo Fei and Luo Ru immediately jumped in to help. Their family had more people—no way were they backing down!

The threshing ground instantly became chaotic, filled with shouting and scuffling.

Qin Guizhi, unable to win, collapsed onto the ground wailing, "Oh, my son! Why haven’t you come back yet?! Your poor mother is being bullied at home…!"

Luo Fei turned to Li Yuehua. "Mom, are you alright?"

Li Yuehua shook her head. "What about you and Sanbao? Let me take a look."

Luo Ru said she was fine, and Luo Fei was just about to say the same when suddenly, he felt dizzy. His vision blurred, and he collapsed.

"Luo Fei!" Xi Yanqing panicked and rushed forward to catch him. "Luo Fei, wake up! What’s wrong?! Doctor Liang! Doctor Liang?!"

"Erbao, don’t scare Mom!" Li Yuehua’s face turned pale with fear.

"Serves you right!" Qin Guizhi became even more aggressive. "That's what you get for daring to hit me, pfft!"

"Pfft, my ass!" Xi Yanqing saw that Luo Fei wouldn't wake up, so he picked him up horizontally. "Qin Guizhi, listen to me! If anything happens to my Erbao, I'll make sure you and your son pay for it with your lives!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me!"

"Enough arguing! Let me take a look." Doctor Liang had no farmland of his own—he rented out all his land—so he was only here to watch the commotion and grind some rice to take home. He came over, lifted Luo Fei’s eyelids, checked his breathing, and then started taking his pulse.

"How is he, Doctor Liang?" Xi Yanqing was sweating anxiously.

"Oh dear, Xi boy, you’re about to…" Doctor Liang carefully felt the pulse again. "You're about to become a father!"

"Huh?" Xi Yanqing was instantly dumbfounded. Luo Fei was… pregnant?!

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