Ye Manman rarely got a good afternoon nap, she stretched lazily and got up to find the house empty.
In the large, quiet house, the air seemed to carry a slight chill.
On the table was a palm fan, next to it a water bottle and a bowl, probably prepared by He Chen.
She drank some water and felt completely refreshed, thinking of He Chen having to work after a busy day, she took out two candies from the small cloth bag she brought when she got married.
Then she took the water bottle and left the house.
Ye Manman didn't change her clothes, but she changed to the trendy double braided pigtails, paired with her blue Dacron suit, she resembled a student holding books on the city streets—graceful, charming, and lovely.
When she walked along the field ridges, everyone working with their heads down couldn't help but look up at her, and from time to time someone would remark that this girl was getting prettier and prettier.
The previous occupant of this body, although she also had this face, was timid and didn't attend to her appearance, nor dare to show herself, lacking Ye Manman's natural confidence. A pretty face alone wasn't enough to stand out.
However, Ye Manman was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and pampered in a wealthy family for twenty years, even with a different body, her aura was something others couldn't imitate.
When she reached He Chen, the discussions around her got louder, yet He Chen hadn't noticed.
He was deeply concentrated on his work, only raising his head suddenly when a nearby uncle jestingly said, "Hey, He Chen, your wife's here to see you."
Under the gradually setting sun, Ye Manman's pale cheeks seemed to be bathed in a soft glow.
He Chen was stunned; he thought he'd never forget this image.
"He Chen, are you thirsty? I brought you some water."
Ye Manman handed him the water bottle, watching him drink, then beamed up at him.
"Open your mouth~"
Her voice was soft and gentle, and speaking to him in that tone was like tickling his heart with a cotton ball, making him both nervous and shy, and soon his ears turned red.
But he obediently opened his mouth a little, cautiously.
Ye Manman stood on tiptoe, pressing one hand on his chest, and quickly placed a candy in his mouth with the other.
Her movement was swift, her hand resting on his chest for less than three seconds before leaving, but He Chen felt as though his chest was on fire, burning hot.
He instinctively pressed his lips together, feeling the sweet, tangy taste of an orange candy spreading rapidly in his mouth.
Ye Manman, having accomplished her mission, took back the water bottle, smiling.
"Thanks for your hard work, He Chen, here's a candy for you."
"Don't tire yourself out; I'm heading back now~"
She didn't intend to linger, leaving after delivering her things, waving goodbye to him when she reached the field ridge.
He Chen foolishly waved back, watching her until she was out of sight, then looked down to savor the candy in his mouth.
Not having licked it, the candy had melted quite a bit, and it was especially sweet.
His spirits lifted so much that he couldn't resist smiling, attracting the attention of a young fellow in another field, who nudged his arm.
"Hey, He Chen, is that the wife you married today? She's so pretty, I didn't believe it when I heard."
He reflected, seemingly recalling Ye Manman's appearance, smacking his lips twice.
"I'm really envious. My mom tried to set me up with a wife, and when I snuck a look, it scared me to death. She looked like Li Kui, so I rushed back to tell my mom to cancel it. You're really lucky; your wife looks like a movie star."
"Oh, if I could marry such a pretty wife, I'd wake up laughing from my dreams."
He Chen also felt that marrying Ye Manman was sheer luck.
He scratched his head, too shy to respond.
The nearby uncle came over, winking and nudging, "He Chen, your wife treats you so well. I've been married for years, and my wife has never brought me water."
"But your wife doesn't seem the type for hard work; won't she need you to support her? There's so much work in the fields every day, someone has to help."
He Chen picked up his hoe again, shaking his head.
"No need, I'm here, she doesn't have to do these."
With that, he resumed his work, showing no intention to boast or chat.
The uncle wanted to say more but clammed up upon seeing his big frame.
Well, He Chen indeed didn't need help.
Each family has its way of living, why worry about others needlessly?
Both returned to their fields, everyone wanting to do more work before the sunset.
He Chen was still the first to finish, consistently recording ten work points every day.
Watching him leave swiftly, others could only bow their heads and work harder, unable to match his prowess, they could only put in more time.
He Chen arrived home to find Ye Manman crouching by the wall; upon seeing him, she excitedly waved.
"He Chen, come quickly, I think mushrooms are growing by our wall, what kind are they? Are they edible?"
She crouched by a shaded wall, near the yard wall, a place used for storing odds and ends, never growing anything like mushrooms before.
He Chen took a glance and his eyes lit up.
"These are Termitomyces, they're edible and tasty."
He looked at Ye Manman in surprise, "How did you find them?"
Ye Manman raised the little stick in her hand, happily saying.
"I was playing with ants, followed them and suddenly saw these, but I saw an ant nest under the mushrooms, it's disgusting."
Only then did He Chen notice she was crouched quite far from the Termitomyces.
Once again, he marveled at his wife's good luck, then swiftly picked the Termitomyces, also destroying the ant nest.
"This is a termite nest; if unchecked, they'll damage the wall."
After explaining, he boiled water and poured it over the termite nest, ensuring the wall wasn't damaged before handling the Termitomyces.
"I feel incredibly lucky; have you noticed?"
After handling the Termitomyces, He Chen went to deal with the rabbit, Ye Manman sat bored nearby, resting her chin in her hands watching him.
"He Chen, just this afternoon I wondered if there'd be wild mushrooms here, then I found these mushrooms, isn't it magical?"
She had a hunch, feeling this extraordinary luck was like a cheat in a novel, though it didn't seem that powerful since no cows or sheep appeared even after imagining so many delicacies.
He Chen also found it amazing, though he wished to believe in Ye Manman's luck, he'd never seen any forest boar or wild rabbit get themselves killed.
Wild things are usually so clever; catching one takes a lot of effort.
Yet these inexplicable things kept happening to Ye Manman.
As if these were meant just for her.
If it's truly the case, is it a blessing or a curse, and why? Could there be danger?
He Chen's mood grew heavy.
"When you first encountered the wild boar, did you think of it like you did with the mushrooms today?"
"Even when the pheasant and wild rabbit appeared."
He worried such seemingly supernatural events might endanger her, and he might be unable to protect her.
Seeing his caring gaze, realizing he wasn't afraid of her, and even seemed worried, Ye Manman tilted her head lightly, smiling.
"I did think it~"