Chapter 22: The Kid's Father, The Kid's Mother

  Withered wisteria and old trees are shrouded in twilight, a small bridge flows with water and people's homes, an ancient path is swept by the west wind and a lean horse, heartbroken people are at the edge of the sky.

  The sunset's afterglow, I don't know if it was rouge that colored someone's beautiful face, in the picturesque landscape of a splashed-ink painting, vividly making it hard to ignore.

  Two shadows, one tall and one short, walked steadily on the mountain path, two people like drowned rats, not a single place on their bodies was dry, leaving a puddle of water wherever they went. It's really embarrassing! The only thing that can be praised is that although the makeup of the man and woman was slightly awkward at this time, it did not affect their appearance at all, but rather added to their charm.

  Ye Sheng's hands were leisurely clasped behind his back, the black hair on his forehead was all swept up, revealing a smooth and full forehead and high-bridged nose, his lips moistened by water became even more rosy, looking exactly like a male demon from a painting.

  Qian Lian Xia walked silently beside him, occasionally making a face with her teeth clenched and lips pursed. Her long hair fell damply on her shoulders, her slender figure now making her look even more innocent.

  Ye Shengge felt the hostility from the woman beside him and couldn't help but tease with a smile, "What's wrong, is it that this young master looks too handsome, have you started to fall in love with me?"

  Qian Lian Xia twitched the corner of her mouth and quickly walked to his front, and when she passed by him, she also disdainfully "tch"ed. Ye Song Ge laughed happily behind her.

  In front of the row upon row of thatched cottages, earth walls made of mud bricks, next to which were two rows of vegetables. The outer layer of the houses was a grey mud wall, with some fallen-off mud ash, making this place look even more dilapidated. Adding to that the thatched roof, it looked like it had been around for many years, but instead gave off an even warmer feel.

  Who would have known, in this vast world, there is such a small world, isolated from the struggles and intrigues, isolated from human emotions and warmth, isolated from luxury and extravagance, existing so simply.

  Ye Shengge walked ahead and entered a courtyard, calling out to an old woman and asking in a respectful tone, "Granny, we two are passing by this place today and the sky has already darkened. We were wondering if we could borrow your place for a night's stay?"

  Ye Sheng's neat and tidy language almost made Qian Lixia burst out laughing, thinking to herself that he spoke so bookishly, would this big woman understand?

  The result was beyond Qian Lixia's expectation. The old woman only looked at them suspiciously, along with their wet clothes, and asked in a similarly bookish tone: "Young master, may I ask where you two are from and why you have appeared here?"

  My goodness, now it's Chihiro's turn to be speechless, looks like this old lady is still a cultured person.

  Ye Shengge grasped Qian Lixia's hand and replied, "To be honest with you, madam, my wife and I decided to take a honeymoon trip on our own initiative within three months of getting married. As a result, we got lost during the self-guided tour and couldn't find an inn. That's why we had to ask for your hospitality. If it's inconvenient for you, madam, we won't insist. We can just stay outside for one night. However, my wife is already one month pregnant and cannot catch a cold, so I hope you can help us out!"

  Qian Lian Xia listened dazedly, not understanding what it meant. She only saw the old woman's strange gaze directed at her and her upper body, thinking for a long time before saying, "Alright then, my house doesn't have two convenient places to live, but next door there is an empty room, young master follow me!"

  The old woman dropped a sentence and comforted her child before slowly getting up and walking ahead.

  Her slender figure and lithe gait made it hard to imagine that she was an elderly woman.

  Qian Lian Xia's strange gaze swept over Ye Sheng Ge, who was laughing to himself, and poked his arm. "Hey, what are you laughing at? And what are you guys talking about? Why is it all stuff that nobody can understand?! And why does this old lady look so talented?"

  A woman walks beside a sly man, lost in thought with her head hung low, but misses the sly smile on the lips of the man beside her.

  The old lady's footsteps were very quick, and soon they arrived at their destination. The house was almost identical to the small hut from earlier, with a similar design. To be exact, all the houses here looked roughly the same, just different versions of small huts. Qian Lian Xia thought they all looked alike.

  It was Ye Shengge who first thanked Madam, "Thank you, Madam, for speaking on my behalf and as my wife, thank you."

  The old woman didn't seem to mind, but she frowned at the two of them, looking at their wet clothes, and then glanced at Qian Lian Xia's flat abdomen, implying: "Young master, it's not that I'm being nosy, but your wife is pregnant now, how can you let her be like this?"

  She looked at Chihiro with a serious expression, "Miss, I have to say something too. When I was pregnant with our little treasure, her father wouldn't even let me touch water, saying it would affect the child. As the mother of an unborn child, you should take responsibility and not get wet like this."

  Qian Lian Xia's mouth was agape, her face full of confusion, "Huh? The child, the child in my belly?"

  The old woman looked at Qian Lixia with a serious expression, "Ah, your child, how could you forget this? If something happened to that child in your belly, just see how you'd regret it for the rest of your life!"

  Perhaps it's because of the child, women always have a natural affection, and the old lady couldn't help but say a few words, but this time she was speaking to Ye Shengge, "Young master, take good care of your wife, let her change out of those wet clothes quickly. Look at the weather, how can you be such a father? Young people, don't be impulsive, or you'll regret it later!"

  "Old lady, you've got it wrong! I, I, I didn't, I haven't," Chihiro finally figured out what was going on. It turned out that this perverted old man had lied to the old lady, saying she was his wife and even claiming she was pregnant. Chihiro's anger flared up at the thought of being said to be pregnant at just 18 years old. O(╯□╰)o

  So she anxiously wanted to defend herself, but one sentence was spoken incoherently.

  Ye Song Ge then affectionately hugged Qian Lian Xia, his hand grasping her wildly dancing paws, and with a gaze filled with paternal love, he gently stroked Qian Lian Xia's flat abdomen. "Little Lian Lian, your mother was right, you're now pregnant, it's my fault as your husband for not taking good care of you."

  Qian Lian Xia's gaze now could almost dismember Ye Song in five horses and execute her by slow slicing, but a certain man did not have such self-awareness. He looked at his mother-in-law with apology, "Mother-in-law, thank you so much. My wife doesn't know how to take care of herself, but I should be the one to die for not taking good care of my wife."

  The old woman nodded, "This is more like it," she said as she walked out, "I'll send you two sets of clean clothes later, let your wife change into them first to avoid catching a cold."

  "Old lady, listen to me, it's not like that, really isn't, old lady——" Qian Lixia hurriedly wanted to explain, but the old lady had already walked far away.

  Ye Sheng shouted from behind, "Madam, I will take good care of my wife and children, thank you Madam!"

  Qian Lian Xia's small hand was waving in the air, until the figure of her mother disappeared from view, she still couldn't bear to look away from that direction.

  "Kid, stop waving your hands around, people who don't know you might think you're a lily. You're losing face for your husband." Ye Song leaned lazily against the door frame, his upturned eyes showing off his joyful mood, what a refreshing sight!