Chapter 5: Matters of Livelihood

The original owner was about 1.75 meters tall, so when she was held like this, her two small hands could just wrap around Xu An’s waist.

She was crying with tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain.

“I’m sorry, husband. It’s all because of me that you had to lie and deceive.”

“Husband is a scholar; how could he lie? That would ruin your reputation.”

“If your reputation is damaged and you can’t become the top scholar, what will we do? Boohoo…”

“I’m just a burden. You’re a good man, husband, and I can’t keep weighing you down anymore. I’m leaving!”

Su Yan’er sobbed bitterly, tears falling in great drops.

Hearing these words, Xu An couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

The original owner was a useless nobody; forget about becoming the top scorer in the imperial exams, even passing the preliminary exams was a struggle.

To become the top scholar, she’d have to keep trying until she was fifty, hoping for a chance.

“All right, don’t cry anymore. This isn’t your fault.”

“Besides, as long as neither of us says anything, no one will ever know, right?”

Xu An gently stroked her head and said.

“Don’t worry, husband. I won’t tell anyone.”

Hearing this, the little girl stopped crying and looked up at Xu An.

Her long eyelashes glistened with tears, crystal clear.

Her eyes were bright and pure, tinged with a faint purple hue—not at all discordant, but rather uniquely beautiful.

It was as if countless stars were captured within them.

Xu An smiled and said, “Yes, I believe you.”

“Husband, you’re so kind.”

Su Yan’er let go of Xu An, wiped her eyes, and suddenly blushed.

“What’s kind about me?” Xu An laughed.

“You give me plain rice to eat, and you give me fried pork bits. When I was at Aunt’s house before, I wasn’t even allowed to sit at the table to eat.”

“You don’t despise my eyes, husband, and you even lied for me.”

“When I’m sad, you comfort me by stroking my head… In short, husband, you’re really, really good.”

Xu An heard this and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

What kind of life had this little girl lived before, to be satisfied with so little?

Xu An gently patted her head and said softly, “Yan’er, remember, you’re not a burden to anyone. You have qualities and traits that many people don’t. To me, you are very special!”

Special?

The little girl thought deeply but couldn’t quite understand.

She clearly thought of herself as a very foolish person!

But recalling that her husband had just called her Yan’er, her heart felt sweet and happy.

Before, others always called her by her full name.

And they shouted it so loudly, almost like yelling.

Her husband was different—he only called her Yan’er.

It sounded so intimate!

But why didn’t he call her wife or madam?

Could it be that he was shy and embarrassed to say it?

Thinking this, the little girl secretly glanced up at her husband, her rosy cheeks flushing involuntarily.

Xu An looked down at her, noticing the small movement.

He lightly tapped her small head and laughed, “What are you looking at? Let’s go back and eat!”

“Okay!” the little girl replied sweetly.

Back inside, the little girl ate heartily.

But she still ate in small bites, quiet and gentle.

She couldn’t eat too quickly—what if her husband thought she was a little glutton?

Xu An, sitting beside her, ate quickly and without regard for appearances.

Soon, he finished a bowl of rice.

Su Yan’er kept watching his bowl.

Seeing that Xu An had finished eating, she immediately put down her own bowl, took his bowl, and said, “Husband, let me serve you some rice!”

“I can do it myself,” Xu An smiled.

Su Yan’er smiled sweetly, “I’m your wife; this is what I should do.”

Then she happily went to serve him rice.

Watching her retreating figure, Xu An felt moved.

How could there be such an understanding and adorable little girl?

With this little one by his side, even without the internet or games like PUBG or Honor of Kings, Xu An didn’t feel bored or dull at all.

Good things truly can change everything.

In his past life, he was a top graduate from a prestigious university, worked for five or six years at a company, and finally became a director.

To outsiders, it was a job that paid well and was respectable.

But only he knew how much he had sacrificed for it.

No time to date.

Constant health problems.

Estranged from family and friends.

After so many hard years, all he seemed to have left was some savings.

The most heartbreaking thing was that he hadn’t even used that money before he ended up here.

Now, thinking back, he guessed he was probably dead in the other world.

As for how he died, it was easy to guess—either a sudden heart attack or drunk to death.

The money wasn’t spent; the man was gone...

Life’s greatest tragedy!

Xu An thought gloomily and instinctively leaned back, thinking he was still on the sofa.

He did lean back.

But the three-legged chair wobbled suddenly, and he fell flat on his back.

“Damn!”

Xu An cursed in frustration.

He really needed to get some proper chairs for the house.

Su Yan’er, who was serving rice nearby, heard the noise and quickly turned around.

Seeing Xu An lying on the ground, she hurried over with her bowl and worriedly asked, “Husband, how did you fall? Are you okay?”

She was small and weak, but she grabbed his clothes and tried her hardest to pull him up, turning red-faced and straining, but she couldn’t lift him even a little.

Seeing her flustered, Xu An couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m fine. I can get up by myself.”

He said this and stood up from the floor.

Su Yan’er glanced at him, then quickly lowered her head, her long lashes trembling slightly.

“Husband, I’m so useless—I can’t even hold you.”

Xu An found it amusing but strangely touching.

“I’m heavy. It’s normal that you can’t hold me. Don’t be sad.”

“Come on, eat your meal. Otherwise, the food will get cold. Eat more so you’ll grow stronger, then you’ll be able to hold me someday.”

Su Yan’er looked up at Xu An and nodded firmly.

Then she sat back down and resumed eating.

Still in small bites, but much faster than before.

Xu An picked up his bowl again and started eating.

As Su Yan’er ate, she suddenly paused as if remembering something.

“Husband, we’re running low on rice at home.”

“It’s been raining these past few days, so there will probably be a lot of mushrooms growing in the mountains. Tomorrow, I’ll go pick some and sell them in town. With the money, we can buy rice.”

“I’ll also make dried wild fruits. I’ll see if there are any wild fruits on the mountain tomorrow, pick some, dry them, and sell them.”

“Also, husband, you have to take me to see the fields tomorrow. I don’t know where they are, but I want to plant some things there. That way, we won’t have to buy so many things later.”

“Studying costs money, husband, so we have to save to pay for your schooling.”

“As long as you study well, I’ll work hard to support you and pay for your education.”

The little girl spoke with a serious expression, full of hope as she laid out her plans.

Xu An looked on, feeling both moved and overwhelmed with complicated emotions.

This little girl was so naive and innocent.

He was a grown man, able-bodied—how could he let her support him?

Letting such a small girl do all the work while he did nothing—that wouldn’t make him a man at all.

A wife is meant to be cherished, not to be made to work to support her husband.

Xu An pondered for a moment and looked at the little girl.

“Yan’er, things at home aren’t good right now, but don’t worry. We will get better and better. I’ve already thought of a way to fix things.”

“Husband has a plan?”

The little girl tilted her head and looked at Xu An eagerly.