Otherworldly Space: A Tale of Love and Growth - Chapter 7

It had been four days since the coercion incident when Song Ci finally saw Lin Xiaohe. In the morning, he had followed Old Lady Song to learn how to hoe the fields, and had developed several blisters on his hands. Without much rest at noon, he rushed to the mountain path to continue waiting for Lin Xiaohe.

Chasing a wife requires action; otherwise, how could she fall into his lap? If he continued to act aloof for the sake of his pride, she would have long been taken by someone else. Thus, Song Ci decided that before he won her over, he would demonstrate the spirit of the Long March, unafraid of hardship and difficulties, and persist with a revolutionary optimism that would sustain him through the long struggle.

The emotional knots between them certainly wouldn’t be untied so quickly, Song Ci sighed.

Lin Xiaohe, carrying a basket on her back and holding a sickle, was halfway down the path when she suddenly saw Song Ergou waving at her. His smile struck Lin Xiaohe as insincere and irritating, making her want to hit him. However, after weighing the disparity in strength between them, reason prevailed over emotion. Lin Xiaohe pretended not to see him and turned around, intending to take another route.

“Xiaohe,” Song Ci called out to her. “If you ignore me, I’ll just have to follow you around,” he added with a casual tone that was filled with a veiled threat. If you don’t want me to cling to you like a burr, just come with me willingly.

“What do you want?” Lin Xiaohe gripped the sickle tightly. If Song Ergou tried anything again, she would fight him to the death, even at the cost of her own life.

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t do anything. Just come with me. I have something to tell you,” Song Ci said reassuringly.

He led Lin Xiaohe to a secluded spot. He had intended to take her hand, but she was uncooperative. Considering the conservative environment of the ancient times, Song Ci decided not to push it. While Lin Xiaohe wasn’t paying attention, he pretended to take a basket from the bushes, but in reality, it was taken from his spatial storage. After Lin Xiaohe sat down, Song Ci opened the basket and took out a bowl of egg custard.

“Xiaohe, eat this,” he said.

“No, thank you. I’ve already had lunch. I can’t eat any more,” Lin Xiaohe replied, turning her head away and keeping the sickle within reach of her right hand.

“If you won’t eat it, I’ll feed you,” Song Ci said, scooping up a spoonful of the custard and bringing it to her lips. The fragrant aroma kept wafting into Lin Xiaohe’s nose.

“Why are you like this? I said I won’t eat, and I mean it,” Lin Xiaohe said irritably, annoyed that she couldn’t help but salivate despite herself.

“Just eat a little. I made this especially for you. If you don’t eat it, I’ll be upset,” Song Ci said. This was a lovingly prepared lunch that he had made with his own hands, something not everyone could enjoy.

Reluctantly, Lin Xiaohe took the bowl and spoon from Song Ci. The bowl was a bright white, round-bottomed porcelain one. The egg custard was made from two eggs, with an equal amount of water and a pinch of salt, then steamed. After it was cooked, he added a bit of soy sauce, a drop of sesame oil, and sprinkled some chopped green onions on top. It looked very appetizing, and the eggs were still warm and steaming, making it very palatable.

When Lin Xiaohe finished eating, she felt a bit unsatisfied but restrained herself from showing it. Song Ci took back the clean bowl, feeling delighted inside, and then handed her a plastic lunch box.

Lin Xiaohe was surprised to see that the beautiful box contained a portion of polished rice and three dishes. One was a dish of stir-fried eggs with some kind of red ingredient, the eggs looking tender and appetizing. There was also a portion of steamed eggplant and another of pork ribs. Although the portions were small due to the size of the box, it was enough to satisfy her hunger.

Knowing that the Song family was well-off and one of the wealthiest in Daping Village, Lin Xiaohe hadn’t expected their meals to be so luxurious. It was as if they were celebrating a festival every day. If it weren’t for Song Ergou’s constant troublemaking, there would be plenty of good matches willing to marry him.

However, if people knew what the Song family ate every day, there would probably be a line of suitors stretching from Daping Village to Xiaoxi Village, all eager to marry Song Ergou.

Lin Xiaohe felt a pang of jealousy towards Song Ci. How fortunate he was! Through this meal, Lin Xiaohe had misunderstood the extent of the Song family’s wealth. In reality, even when Song the carpenter was alive, the family’s living standards had never reached the point of such indulgence every day. This was entirely due to Song Ci’s personal efforts, using the supplies from his spatial storage to prepare special meals for Lin Xiaohe.

“Do you want me to feed you again?” Seeing Lin Xiaohe staring blankly at the food, Song Ci felt an itch in his hands. If Lin Xiaohe were willing, he would happily feed her for a lifetime.

“No, I can eat by myself,” Lin Xiaohe thought, might as well eat since it’s there, and began to eat with a puffed-up mouth.

Seeing her enjoy the meal, Song Ci felt very happy inside. Originally, he had planned to use his culinary skills to attract a high-quality partner in modern times. Now, using it to win over his young wife also gave him a great sense of achievement.

The young wife was too thin. He would have to cook more delicious meals in the future to fatten her up a bit. Of course, not too much.

He selectively ignored the fact that she hadn’t agreed yet, and shamelessly claimed her as his own. After all, it was fate that brought them together, and he had to marry her to honor the intentions of fate.

By the time Lin Xiaohe finished eating, her stomach was naturally full. She had only eaten a cornmeal cake for lunch, and now she had eaten so much more. She rubbed her stomach with her hand, and without her guard up, Song Ci stuffed a sour and sweet fruit into her mouth. Lin Xiaohe chewed it subconsciously, and by the time she realized it, her expression had already frozen.

She had let her guard down so much around Song Ergou, chewing whatever he gave her without thinking.

Song Ci found it amusing, staring intently at Lin Xiaohe’s pale pink lips. He absentmindedly explained to her, “This is hawthorn. It helps with digestion.” Meanwhile, his mind was still savoring the feeling of his fingers touching Lin Xiaohe’s lips—soft and tender, like jelly or a soft candy, making him want to devour it all at once.

“Xiaohe, I want to marry you,” Song Ci said earnestly, looking into Lin Xiaohe’s eyes.

Lin Xiaohe kept her head down, avoiding his gaze. “I’m supposed to be a son-in-law by marriage,” she replied.

“No problem. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll figure something out. I won’t let it hurt your relationship with your parents,” Song Ci said calmly. He wasn’t in a rush. In his previous life, he had been patient while his father was alive, and he could certainly wait a bit longer now. He would first build a relationship with Lin Xiaohe and then gradually find a solution to this issue.

Lin Xiaohe was somewhat surprised. She had expected that with Song Ergou’s behavior today, he would insist on getting a definite answer from her. However, she didn’t care what he was thinking and just hummed in response.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became awkward.

“Then I’ll come to see you again tomorrow.”

“Don’t come anymore,” Lin Xiaohe said. He was worried that if Song Ergou visited him so frequently, people might see them together. He also didn’t want to take advantage of Song Ergou’s generosity. He was not the type of person who would sell himself just for a little food. Once you accepted someone’s gifts, it became harder to refuse them. If Song Ergou tried to take further advantage of him, would he still be able to say no?

“I will come. Only by seeing you safe and sound every day can I feel at ease. I’ll bring you something delicious tomorrow. Don’t avoid me anymore.”

Lin Xiaohe remained silent.

“I really mean it. Don’t avoid me. I searched for you for the past few days, looking through all the nearby mountains and nearly running myself ragged. You know, families that usually take in a son-in-law by marriage are not the best, and they can’t offer you much support. If you are willing to marry me, we can choose to name one of our future children after you. We can also take care of your parents together.”

Lin Xiaohe still didn’t speak.

“Give me a chance. Think of it as giving yourself an additional choice. You can avoid being a son-in-law by marriage and live a better life. You are a smart person; you should know how to make the right choice. Give me a probationary period. During this time, don’t refuse my contact. You can get to know me better and see if I am worthy of your lifelong commitment. Of course, if there is anything about me that you are not satisfied with, you can tell me, and I will try my best to change.”

“Then just stop bothering me,” Lin Xiaohe blurted out, almost petulantly.

“That’s not possible. Except for this, I will try my best to meet any other requests you have.” It was really hard to pursue this young wife. If he were a bit more unscrupulous and forceful, and just took her home by force, would this kid not be so difficult with him?

This thought flashed through Song Ci’s mind and then disappeared.

If Song Ci could do something so despicable, he would not be Song Ci but that Song Ergou.

What he wanted was a partner to spend his life with, someone he could talk to as equals, support each other, and make decisions together. When you are right, I will be a little weaker, and when I have the upper hand, it will be your turn to please me.

Harmony in bed comes from both people needing and desiring each other, not just for basic physiological needs.

In fact, Song Ci knew that his view of love was somewhat naive and childish. The modern world was extremely chaotic in that regard, and because of the majority’s mindset, it was even somewhat taboo. The person he wanted to find was truly as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn, hard to find in a thousand autumns.

Now that he had come to a place with such a good environment, he felt he would be doing himself and this travel to the past an injustice if he didn’t give it a try.

Even if this person’s heart was made of stone, he would find a way to warm it up.

“Besides, I’ve compromised your innocence, and I need to take responsibility for you. I will treat you well in the future,” Song Ci said earnestly, with an air of acknowledging his mistake and being willing to correct it.

Lin Xiaohe was almost choked by his words. This man was really shameless!

Did he think he didn’t know about that incident? They hadn’t gone all the way, and his purity was still intact. As long as Song Ergou forgot about that event, he would still be a pure and decent young man.

Seeing that Lin Xiaohe was about to get angry again, Song Ci quickly said, “So let’s settle on this. I’ll come to see you again tomorrow.”

After saying this, he handed Lin Xiaohe a bamboo tube and then left.

Who said we settled on anything!

You’re such a pest, a stinky rascal!

Lin Xiaohe gritted his teeth as he watched Song Ci’s retreating figure.

For a moment, Lin Xiaohe wanted to throw the bamboo tube at Song Ci, but he thought better of it and put it down.

Growing up in a farming family, Lin Xiaohe always felt that wasting things was shameful and wrong.

He had never gone hungry, but he had seen others suffering from hunger, and the miserable sight had made him understand the value of food.

That was why, under Song Ci’s coercion, he had brought the fruits home and eaten the meals Song Ci brought. The bamboo tube must also contain some kind of food.

It was only when Lin Xiaohe was tired from work and thirsty that he realized it was a tube full of honey water, so sweet it could reach straight to one’s heart. Lin Xiaohe felt a bit regretful that he couldn’t bring it back for his mother to taste. He simply had no way to explain where the water came from.

The next day, Song Ci indeed ran into Lin Xiaohe on that mountain path again.

When Song Ci saw Lin Xiaohe, his eyes sparkled, and his joy was so unreserved that it was all displayed right in front of this person.

It was great that his young wife had taken his words to heart.

“I’m just returning your bamboo tube,” Lin Xiaohe said awkwardly, implying that he didn’t want the other person to be overly sentimental.

“Yeah, I know,” Song Ci replied seriously, which made Lin Xiaohe blush a little.

Today, Song Ci still brought Lin Xiaohe a bowl of egg custard, a portion of rice, and the dishes were changed to braised pork, sour stir-fried potatoes, and a large piece of steamed fish.

Lin Xiaohe still ate until he was full.

There was no other way; if he didn’t eat, Song Ci would threaten to chase him and feed him.

“Don’t bring me meals anymore in the future,” he said. Eating well here with Song Ergou while his parents were still at home, gnawing on cornmeal cakes and eating coarse porridge, made Lin Xiaohe feel guilty.

However, there was no need to explain this to Song Ergou.

“Don’t worry. Everything I bring is obtained legitimately,” Song Ci said. It was only natural to use his own resources to take care of his young wife. Song Ci enjoyed the feeling of providing for her. Now that the person being provided for said they didn’t want it, Song Ci had no intention of agreeing, “I earned all of this myself, without stealing or robbing. Eat with peace of mind. Even if you don’t marry me, it’s okay. I just want to be good to you.”

Lin Xiaohe felt helpless.

Knowing it was compensation made him feel even more helpless.

“I’m going into the mountains for a while. I’ll take you home when I come back,” Song Ci said, immediately taking advantage of the fact that Lin Xiaohe wasn’t avoiding him today. He handed Lin Xiaohe a tube of apple juice and headed into the mountains.

Since Lin Xiaohe was willing to talk to him nicely and they could meet from time to time, Song Ci naturally thought of the traps he had set a few days ago.

If there were many catches, he could share some with Xiaohe, and take the rest home to nourish his old mother.

In fact, Song Ci had been eating alone these days and felt somewhat guilty towards Old Lady Song. He was also considering the right moment to tell her about the spatial storage.

He would need to use the spatial storage more in the future, and it would be impossible to keep it a secret from those close to him.

Moreover, they were mother and son. He would take care of Old Lady Song in her old age. Her natal family was no longer in close contact and would certainly not betray or harm him.