Chapter 26: Mu Xiaosan Writes a Letter Home

At the military compound in Jing City, Ren Daiyun returned home excitedly, clutching a letter. "Old Mu, our third son, Mu, has finally written home! This is his first letter; let's see what he has to say."

Mu Zhiyuan stood up from the sofa, clearly stirred by his wife's words, though his face remained stern. "Hmph, so the rascal remembers he has a family and parents. Every time I write to him, he just sends a telegram back with a single word—'fine'—not a character more."

"Exactly. It's truly rare for him to actually write a letter this time." Suddenly, Ren Daiyun's expression shifted. "Old Mu, hurry and check if something happened to my parents. Why else would that brat write a letter?"

Mu Zhiyuan realized she had a point and quickly tore open the envelope. As he read on, his mouth twitched in annoyance. It was a classic case of a man forgetting his parents the moment he found a wife. He had feared for his in-laws' health, but it turned out the boy was simply writing to announce he had found a partner and wanted to get married.

"Your parents are fine. The rascal has found a girl and wants to marry her," Mu Zhiyuan said, handing the letter to Ren Daiyun.

After reading it, Ren Daiyun was so angry she laughed. "A fine son I have! Still, I haven't seen him in two or three years. Perhaps I should take this opportunity to visit him and meet my future daughter-in-law."

"That works. Since our son has set his heart on this girl, bring the betrothal gifts and the money for the 'three rounds and one sound' to give to her directly."

"I will. If the wedding date is set, I'll just stay until after the ceremony before coming back." With that, Ren Daiyun hurried off to make preparations.

Mu Zhiyuan smiled, looking at the letter again. It wasn't that they didn't care about their youngest son; rather, his standards were notoriously high. Anyone he chose was likely to be quite exceptional.

After exchanging the necessary vouchers, gathering cash, and packing a few clothes, Ren Daiyun set off.

Meanwhile, Su Yao lay on her bed, clutching her stomach, unable to move. Mu Xingjue watched her with deep concern. "Does it hurt that much, dear? Should I take you to the hospital?"

Su Yao shook her head weakly. "No, I just need to lie down for a while."

The original owner of this body had a truly poor constitution. Her periods were never regular, sometimes skipping months at a time, which had caused Su Yao to forget all about it. It had arrived suddenly that morning; luckily, she hadn't headed out to the fields yet, or it would have been mortifying.

"I'm not going to work today. I'll stay here and keep you company."

Su Yao thought that sounded fine; one needs comfort when feeling vulnerable. "Alright. Could you boil some ginger and brown sugar water for me?"

Mu Xingjue headed straight to the kitchen. Though he hadn't done much cooking, he could manage something so simple.

Soon, he returned with the drink. Su Yao saw the massive amount of ginger floating in it and her mouth twitched. Did he think ginger was free?

She took a sip, and the overwhelming taste of ginger nearly made her gag, though the sweetness of the brown sugar helped mask it. After finishing the bowl, her stomach did indeed feel much warmer.

Seeing her so fragile, Mu Xingjue felt his heart ache. He took off his outer clothes and lay down next to her, placing his hand on her abdomen and gently rubbing it.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Su Yao fell asleep. When she woke, it was already noon. Mu Xingjue was still sitting by her side. "Dear, how are you feeling? Any better?"

Su Yao nodded. "Much better. You don't have to stay here; go attend to your own business."

"You are my business now. I'll go get you some food. Eat, then rest, and I'll stay right here with you."

As Mu Xingjue left, Su Yao chided herself. She possessed a spatial dimension and was a skilled physician—why hadn't she thought to regulate her own health? She blamed the body's irregularity for catching her off guard. If she had known the cramps would be this severe, she would have harvested herbs to treat herself long ago. She resolved to head to the back mountain to forage for medicinal herbs once her period ended.

After eating, Su Yao continued to rest while Mu Xingjue chatted with her, eventually lulling her back to sleep.

After two days in bed, Su Yao was finally able to get up, but Mu Xingjue refused to let her go to the fields, having already taken leave on her behalf. Finding herself with nothing to do, she went to the back mountain to look for herbs.

Finding nothing after a circle around the mountain, she headed home. Just as she reached the crossroads, she saw Mu Xingjue rushing out of the house. "Where did you go? I was looking everywhere for you!"

"I went to the back mountain to look for some herbs to regulate my health. Don't worry, I'm fine now," she soothed.

"Good. Next time, tell me where you're going and I'll go with you. I can't rest easy otherwise."

Facing a man who cared for her so deeply, Su Yao couldn't bring herself to say she didn't need the help. She had always known that in a relationship, occasional displays of vulnerability were a way to nurture intimacy. After all, they say the luckiest women are those who know how to act spoiled.

"Alright, from now on, I'll tell you everywhere I go, and you'll have to accompany me."

"Yes, absolutely." Holding Su Yao close, Mu Xingjue finally felt at ease. He feared that the moment he looked away, someone might try to harm her again; she was far too weak right now.

Su Yao found this side of Mu Xingjue particularly masculine; his sturdy arms provided a deep sense of security. She stood on her tiptoes, kissed him, and quickly pulled away.

Mu Xingjue beamed with a foolish, happy grin. It was the first time she had initiated a kiss! He swept her into his arms and carried her back toward the house.

"Put me down! We haven't even had the wedding yet; it'll look bad if people see," Su Yao said, her face flushing as red as a crisp apple as she looked at the villagers working in the fields. Mu Xingjue looked as though he wanted to take a bite.

"What's there to fear? Everyone knows you're my partner, and they know you aren't feeling well."

She didn't really care about the public displays of affection; that was just part of being in love. Though the era was different, she didn't want to stand out too much, but since Mu Xingjue didn't care, neither did she. Being carried was quite comfortable, after all.

Once home, Mu Xingjue laid her on the bed and leaned over her. While they hadn't crossed the final line, the interaction left Su Yao exhausted. She hadn't realized he knew so much—it was truly draining.

"Dear, let's do this every month during those days."

Su Yao rolled her eyes and turned away to sleep. Mu Xingjue wasn't offended; he got up, dressed, and went to the kitchen. He had been learning to cook over the past two days. Previously, he had thought housework was for women, but seeing her struggle through her discomfort to feed them had made his heart ache. He realized she was his to cherish, and he shouldn't let her exhaust herself.

He had decided then: he would take care of the chores. He wouldn't let her get tired. And so, he forced himself to learn alongside Xu Xingyu.