Chapter 41: My Husband is the Best in the World

"Fine, since you saved my life, I will reluctantly accept you as my apprentice."

"Besides, since I have to teach you how to ride a horse, I might as well teach you some martial arts while I'm at it," Tao Qianqian said with a smile.

Her tone shifted immediately, however. "But you must guarantee me five dishes and a soup every day. A master needs to be well-fed to have the energy to teach, you see?"

"No problem, it's a deal!" Xu An readily agreed.

This world was in an era of cold weapons, and martial arts were of vital importance. Just like today in town—if Tao Qianqian hadn't appeared suddenly, he and Li Erhuang would have likely been beaten to a pulp, even if they had managed to break through the crowd.

"By the way, don't worry about those two fellows outside the door. I'll bring people to collect them tomorrow morning. It’s only one night; they won't die," Tao Qianqian said.

"And what if they do die?" Xu An needed to be clear about this; he couldn't afford to be careless.

"If they die, that's on me!"

With that, Tao Qianqian grabbed her spear and left the courtyard. A moment later, the sound of a horse whinnying echoed from outside.

"Husband, I'm going to wash the dishes. You've worked hard today," Su Yan'er said, walking over.

"You've been through a lot, too," Xu An said softly.

The little girl shook her head. "I'm very happy that you stood up for me, Husband."

Xu An smiled gently and said, "I still have things to do tonight, so I’m afraid I won’t get any rest, but I’ll have to trouble you with the dishes. Thank you for your hard work."

"You go ahead and get busy, Husband. I’ll boil some hot water for you so you can bathe when you're finished," the little girl said obediently.

"All right," Xu An said with a tender smile.

Not long after, Li Erhuang arrived, carrying a large black iron pot on his back.

"Xu An, tell me what you need me to do!" Li Erhuang looked at Xu An with honest, earnest eyes. After returning home and talking about what happened today during dinner, his father, Li Dade, had expressed great admiration for Xu An’s actions.

Xu An didn't stand on ceremony. "We need to rebuild a cooking stove. Brother Erhuang, it might be a late night, so I'll have to trouble you."

This was a plan Xu An had long considered. The regular kitchen stove couldn't produce white sugar in large quantities, so he needed to build a dedicated one. Of course, items like gauze and large pots would also need to be purchased, but since things hadn't officially gotten on track yet, there was no rush. He had to take it one step at a time.

"Is that all? I thought it was something major. This is a piece of cake," Li Erhuang chuckled.

A moment later, Xu An led Li Erhuang to the back of the house. The property backed onto a green hill, and there was a small, neglected patch of wasteland—the perfect spot to build the sugar-refining stove.

They set to work immediately. Xu An retrieved a hoe and a shovel, and he and Li Erhuang dove into the labor with great enthusiasm. About three hours later, the brand-new furnace was built, and after another hour spent installing the bellows, the work was finally complete. It was already late into the night.

"All right, Brother Erhuang, it's very late. You should head back and rest. We have to go into town again tomorrow," Xu An said, wiping sweat from his forehead. He hadn't forgotten the appointment to meet the owner of the Song Family Sugar Shop.

"Sure, I'll wait for you at the village entrance tomorrow just like today," Li Erhuang said. He was too exhausted to ask why they were heading into town again.

"No need to be too early; it doesn't matter if we arrive in town by noon tomorrow," Xu An smiled.

...

When he returned to the courtyard, the light in the room was still on. It seemed the little girl hadn't gone to sleep yet. Xu An walked into the kitchen, and sure enough, hot water was heating on the stove. After washing up, Xu An stretched, feeling the exhaustion of a long day, yet also a sense of fulfilling happiness.

He walked into the room and found the little girl tidying his clothes, having specifically selected a long robe suitable for receiving guests.

"Husband, you're back?" Seeing Xu An push the door open, the little girl rushed to greet him.

"What are you doing, staying up so late? You aren't allowed to wait for me from now on. If I'm busy, just go to sleep, understand?" Xu An said, playfully flicking her little nose.

"I know, Husband," the little girl smiled sweetly, then pointed to the long robe nearby. "You’re going to town tomorrow, so you can wear this one. I’ve already picked it out for you!"

"Thank you, my wife. You are so thoughtful!" Xu An gently picked her up and sat her on the bed.

Hearing the term "wife," the little girl's face flushed instantly. It was the first time her husband had called her that; he had always called her "Yan'er" before!

"Yan'er, let's go to sleep," Xu An said, taking off his outer garments and lying down on the bed.

"Yes, okay," the little girl said, blowing out the oil lamp before lying down beside him.

"Husband, we're out of lamp oil at home. You need to buy some when you go to town tomorrow."

"All right, I'll remember."

"We're almost out of vegetables too. We need to buy some of those as well."

"All right, I'll buy plenty tomorrow."

"And also, I... I was thinking..."

"Thinking about what? Yan'er, if there's anything you want to buy, just tell me. No need to hesitate," Xu An said, tilting his head to look at her.

"Sister Mu saved me today, and I wanted to buy her two sets of clothes to change into. Hu... Husband... did I... did I add to your burden?" the little girl asked timidly. She knew earning money wasn't easy, and she worried about being a burden.

"I thought it was something serious. It's just that," Xu An smiled. "Sister Mu saved you; she has shown our family great kindness, and it's only natural that we repay her. What are a few pieces of clothing?"

"I didn't think of it myself, so it's good that you were so thoughtful. That's fine." Xu An smiled softly and continued, "Also, I told you before: you have the power to use the money at home whenever you need to. As long as it's not a huge sum, you don't need to ask me. If it's a large amount, we can discuss it—after all, sometimes we might need money urgently, and we have to prioritize. As for the rest, use it however you like. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand, Husband," the little girl said, hugging his arm and swaying back and forth, cooing, "Husband, you are the best husband in the world!"

"That goes without saying, so you'd better hold on tight!" Xu An joked.

"Yes, I will definitely hold on tight to my husband!" As she said this, she climbed into his arms and wrapped her hands around his neck.

"You little minx, are you trying to tease me again?" Xu An gulped. With such a lovely, beautiful young girl in his arms, if he didn't have a reaction, he would be a saint—or something worse!

"I am not! It's clearly you who's thinking too much," the little girl whispered, her breath brushing against him, carrying an indescribable allure.

Xu An felt his head spin. Had this girl become bolder? She had actually learned to provoke him!

"Huh? Husband, what is this? It's so hard, it's poking my leg," at that moment, Su Yan'er exclaimed in surprise. She then stretched out her dainty foot and gave a light, curious nudge to the hard object.

Xu An: "..."