FID – Chapter 1113

Chapter 1113: The Vow He Once Made to Her

Regarding Liu Zhixia’s explanation, the Liu family immediately believed him.

In the elders’ eyes, the eldest grandson was calm and composed, straightforward, unlike the second grandson, who seemed unpredictable every day, making it impossible to tell when he was speaking truth or nonsense. So the eldest grandson’s words carried absolute credibility.

Seeing the elders quickly resume eating as if nothing had happened, Liu Zhiqiu twitched in frustration.

Such blind trust! At least ask a couple more questions, sheesh!

If you had just asked a bit more, I could have told you—it wasn’t true! I got played! I got played!

Your calm, composed eldest grandson is secretly black-hearted! Grandpa, Grandma, I beg you to uncover the truth!

A big hand lightly patted his head again. “Go eat.”

“…” Liu Zhiqiu’s face fell, and he trailed closely behind his elder brother, pleading earnestly, “Brother, stop pretending. Can you just go back to the way you were before? I’m not used to this. I beg you.”

“Being good to you isn’t enough, and now you’re asking for punishment?” Big Brother side-eyed him, puzzled.

Tears streaming down his face, Liu Zhiqiu replied, “Brother, I am asking for punishment.”

“Alright, I owe you, and since you asked for it, I’ll do my best.”

“…!” Somebody call an exorcist, capture this monster!

Behind them, Xue Qinglian and Feng Qingbai each walked past the dumbfounded young man, leaving him a brief piece of advice in turn.

“Stop struggling.”

“Accept your fate.”

As they walked past, they both turned back and simultaneously revealed the ultimate truth of their cryptic advice: “You can’t win.”

Me… damn!

Dinner was unusually harmonious.

After a full day of labor, even though the young men’s arms were so sore they could barely lift them, it didn’t stop them from performing impressively at the table, leaving the dishes looking like mere shadows, dazzling to the eye.

Among them, Liu Zhiqiu ate the most ferociously, even his meal carried the taste of gritted teeth.

The first day of harvest was always the most exhausting. Sudden, high-intensity work left the body extraordinarily fatigued, requiring a period of adjustment. After washing up, everyone was too tired for idle chatter and retreated to their rooms to rest.

In the rear courtyard chamber, Liu Zhixia reclined on the bed, with Maodou sprawled sweetly asleep beside him, belly exposed.

A pair of slender hands kneaded and pressed his shoulders, arms, and back, helping ease the soreness from hours of labor.

“Did you bother Zhiqiu again today? You’re not a kid anymore, why do you keep picking on him?”

“If I don’t mess with that guy, he will feel uneasy. I can’t help it.”

This lofty excuse left Fu Yuzheng both exasperated and amused.

With experience and maturity, Zhixia had grown increasingly composed and savvy in handling people and situations when outside. Only within the Liu family, in front of his own people, did he show a slightly different side. He was somewhat childish and incongruous with his age and status.

For example, teasing Zhiqiu.

“You must be tired today. When Zhiqiu carried you back, I noticed your expression looked a bit off,” she observed every tiny detail, missing nothing. “If you’re really exhausted, take it slow. It shouldn’t rain in the next few days, so there’s no rush to finish the harvest.”

“Harvest is always tiring,” Liu Zhixia said with a smile. “I’m not in a hurry. Our fields aren’t that big. If I do more, Grandpa, Dad, and Second Uncle can work less. Over the years, I rarely get a chance to help at home, so this is my way of making up for it.”

Zhiqiu teased him, deliberately letting him work harder, which matched his own intentions, so he went along with it. But tricking that rascal little brother? That, too, was deliberate.

The two complemented each other perfectly, with no conflict.

“Why don’t we have Nannan and Muqiu watch over Maodou tomorrow, and I’ll go with you to the fields? There’s no need to keep so many at home. I don’t really have much to do staying at home, but in the fields, I can help,” Fu Yuzheng suggested.

Just because she hadn’t done farm work before didn’t mean she couldn’t learn. Everything starts with not knowing and gradually learning.

“No need,” Liu Zhixia immediately refused. “Women shouldn’t do fieldwork. It’ll take at most three days to harvest ten-plus acres. You and Nannan just stay home and help with cooking and boiling water.”

Liu Zhixia rolled over and lay flat, pulling her down beside him to rest together.

“I’ll massage you a little more…”

“You’ve already massaged me for a long time, that’s enough. Sleep,” his voice quickly grew muffled.

Fu Yuzheng paused, then obediently lay down beside him, making no sound.

Soon, the steady rhythm of his breathing told her he had fallen asleep.

A pang of tenderness flickered in Fu Yuzheng’s eyes as they fell on the man’s hands holding hers. She knew he didn’t let her continue massaging him only because he didn’t want her hands to get tired.

Yet his hands, after an entire afternoon of labor, bore many tiny scratches across the backs and wrists, caused by the blades of the rice plants. His palms were red, with translucent blisters from gripping the sickle and stalks.

He didn’t complain of pain, but she felt it so sharply that her eyes reddened.

Quietly, she rose and applied medicine to his hands. Only then did she lie back down beside him, her fingers interlaced with his, accompanying him to sleep.

Her eyes were slightly red, yet the smile that crept onto her face in her dreams was so sweet it could spill over with honey.

In her dream, it was all him, all the promises he had once made to her.

— I cannot erase that wound, but I can cover it with countless blossoms, so that for a lifetime, you can smile happily.

— Yuzheng, let’s not waste our limited lives, okay

— I can spend a lifetime proving how much I love you. I really can.

He had always done it. He never spoke flowery words, yet all his care was felt in the smallest details.

Nearly four years of marriage, day after day, month after month, year after year—he had never changed.

She believed that no matter how many more four-year spans life had left, he would always be the same: loving her, just as he had promised.

During these busy farming days, every household woke earlier than usual.

Before the sun rose, they could harvest more.

So the women of the house also had to rise earlier to prepare breakfast. Even before dawn, sounds could be heard from the front courtyard.

Liu Yusheng quietly climbed out of bed. Before she could even settle, a sudden force pulled her in, and she fell squarely into the man’s arms. Worrying she might press on him, she hastily placed her hands on either side to lighten her weight.

The man didn’t acknowledge her concern at all. He gently pulled her slender arms closer, letting her fully rest on him.

“Feng Qingbai—”

“Sleep a little longer with me.” In the dim light, his eyes remained closed. He was clearly still tired, yet his voice was crisp and clear, with not a trace of grogginess.

“Grandma, Mom, and Second Aunt are already up. I’ll help with breakfast. You rest now; I’ll come wake you once it’s ready.” Liuyuzheng instinctively lowered her voice, careful not to disturb him.

Yet his arms didn’t loosen, and he made no move to let her go. It was clear he wasn’t letting her leave. Liu Yusheng thought for a moment, then bent down to press a kiss to his cheek.

The corners of his lips curved slightly, and only then did he release her.