The moment Xu Yinchen stepped into the pig farm, some of the workers who were hauling feed near the entrance stopped in their tracks.
They stared in confusion.
Xu Yinchen was carrying a small transparent polythene bag in one hand, swinging it loosely at his side as he walked. His shoulders weren't rigid. His jaw wasn't clenched. And most confusingly, the corners of his mouth were turned upward.
Was he… smiling?
One of the workers slowly leaned toward the other and muttered under his breath, "Is that Boss Xu?"
"Has to be. But why is he smiling like that?"
"Didn't he leave earlier with a face like a thunderstorm?"
The other man squinted, equally baffled. "He did. I remember because I made sure not to look at him directly."
They watched as Xu Yinchen walked past them without a glance, heading toward the office at the far end of the farm. Neither of them dared to say another word. They simply exchanged a look and quietly went back to work, both deciding, without discussion, that it was safer not to think about it too hard.
…..
Xu Yinchen set the bag on his desk and sat down.
Inside were the meat buns Qin Lian had pressed into his hands before he left. "You said you'd be busy. Take these. Eat them when you're hungry."
He looked at the bag for a moment.
He couldn't remember the last time someone had packed him something to eat for work.
He had spent years in the military, where meals were scheduled, impersonal, eaten fast, and forgotten. After that came the farm, the children, and the kind of exhaustion that left no room for anything like warm meals. Nobody had ever handed him food and said eat when you're hungry like they actually meant it.
Something loosened in his chest, quiet and unfamiliar.
So this is what it feels like.
Having warm meals ready. Someone watching to make sure he wasn't going back to work on an empty stomach. A house that is clean and smells like flowers.
He also has a wife now.
The thought settled over him gently at first. Then, slowly, the warmth began to pull back.
His smile faded.
He leaned back in the chair, his gaze drifting to the window, to the blue afternoon sky hanging over the farmland.
She was from the city. She had grown up with nice things — nice clothes, nice furniture, a life that existed on an entirely different scale from this village.
And yes, she had handled herself well since arriving. Better than he had expected. Better than anyone had expected.
But handling something and wanting it were two very different things.
People could endure a great deal when they had no other choice. That didn't mean they were content.
That didn't mean one year or two years from now, she wouldn't look around at this life, at the farm, the mud roads, the small house, and quietly begin to resent it.
Resent him.
He pressed his fingers together on the desk and exhaled slowly. She was too young for this. She shouldn't have to bear all of this. She didn't have to.
The thought sat heavy and stubborn in his chest.
He was still staring at nothing in particular when the office door swung open with a knock.
"You're back!"
Wen Zian stepped in, took one look at Xu Yinchen's expression, and immediately dropped his cheerful tone.
"What happened?" He frowned, closing the door behind him. "Did you fight with your wife already? On the second day?"
Xu Yinchen didn't answer.
Wen Zian pulled up a stool and sat down, studying him with open concern. "Is she really the way people are saying? Did she do something to the children?" He paused. "And what about Aunt Zedong? Is that true, too?"
"What about it?" Xu Yinchen asked with a frown.
"What do you mean, what about it?" Wen Zian's brows shot up. "You don't know?"
"After Aunt Zedong left the farm earlier, she's been going around the whole village. Telling everyone your new wife beats the children."
"That she slapped an elder and dragged her out by the arm." He lowered his voice slightly. "And that your wife is only here for your money. That she'll drain you dry and leave."
Xu Yinchen went very still.
He had known Huang Zedong had a loose mouth, and he had been preparing himself to deal with her. But he hadn't expected her to move this fast.
If she was doing all of this so openly, it meant she had been far worse behind closed doors.
The thought of what she might have done to the children while he was away, while he was completely unaware, made his chest tighten with something close to shame.
This had been happening right under his nose. He hadn't seen it. Hadn't even thought to look.
It hadn't been long since everything unraveled, and already the rumors had spread to every corner of the village.
His expression darkened. "I'll deal with her," he said. His voice was quiet, which somehow made it worse. "Don't repeat what she says. And don't believe it either." He looked up at Wen Zian directly. "Qin Lian is not like that."
"All the rumours about her past, forget it. They're rumours for a reason. I believe in what I see."
Wen Zian opened his mouth, then closed it. There was something in Xu Yinchen's tone that left no room for follow-up questions. He nodded slowly. "Alright. I won't."
He stood, tucking the stool back, and turned to leave.
"One more thing."
Wen Zian stopped.
"Remove Yong De from the farm."
Wen Zian turned around slowly. "Remove him?" He stared. "As in… fire him? Aunt Zedong's son?"
"Is there another Yong De working here?"
"No, but—" Wen Zian blinked. "For real?"
"You've complained about him yourself," Xu Yinchen said evenly. "He doesn't work. He picks fights. He shows up when he feels like it and disappears when there's anything difficult to do." He picked up the pen from his desk. "We don't need useless people on this farm."
Wen Zian was quiet for a moment. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face. He had been trying to get rid of that particular headache for months, but Xu Yinchen had always brushed it off. "Well," he said, straightening up, "I'll handle it today. Honestly, you should have done that a long time ago."
He turned to leave again.
"And keep fresh pork aside for me tonight. I'll take it on my way home."
Wen Zian turned back around for the second time, confusion written plainly on his face. "Tonight?" He thought for a second. "But aren't you staying late to supervise the deliveries? You always used to handle them."
Xu Yinchen looked at him. "If I do all the work, then what exactly are you here for?"
"I did it yesterday night as well!" Wen Zian protested immediately, his voice climbing. "It's not fair! I was here until past midnight—"
"And I was doing it long before that. If I handle everything, what am I paying you for?"
Wen Zian opened his mouth. Closed it. The argument was unfortunately airtight.
He puffed out his cheeks and muttered, somewhat dramatically, "Fine. Fine! You go home and spend your happy times with your wife. I'll work myself to the bone out here. Alone. In the hot weather." He sighed with great feeling. "It's fine. Don't worry about me."
He braced himself.
Because this was usually the part where Xu Yinchen told him to shut up. Or gave him a look sharp enough to cut glass.
But none of that came.
Instead, Xu Yinchen simply looked at him for a brief moment and shrugged.
Wen Zian blinked.
Shrugged. He had simply shrugged.
He wasn't offended. He wasn't annoyed. He hadn't even bothered to correct him.
Wen Zian stood in the doorway and stared at the man behind the desk. He slowly backed out of the office and shut the door behind him.
He stood outside for a moment, just thinking.
What on earth has gotten into him?