The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man

”Jiaojiao, where did you buy this tea? It’s so soothing. You have no idea, I’ve been feeling under the weather these past two days, and my throat has been bothering me. After drinking this, my throat feels so much better.”

As Chen Xiaoli spoke, she couldn’t resist taking a few more sips, feeling her body relax even more.

’I have to buy some of this tea to take home.’

That way, she wouldn’t have to wake up every morning feeling like her throat was on fire.

Hearing this, Gu Jiaojiao replied, ”It’s a blend I made with honeysuckle I foraged myself. If you like it, you can each take a bag when you leave.”

Chen Xiaoli’s and Yu Fangfang’s eyes lit up.

”Well, we won’t say no, then!”

’Everything at Gu Jiaojiao’s place is a treasure,’ Chen Xiaoli thought. ’The food is so delicate, and she even has her own custom-blended tea. Back in the day, only a wealthy family could afford to enjoy things like this!’

They sat and chatted for a while longer before Chen Xiaoli and Yu Fangfang decided it was time to head home.

Gu Jiaojiao glanced at her watch. It was already three in the afternoon.

Come to think of it, Leng Yuan, Xu Chongshan, Chen JianShe, Zhao Tiezhu, and Chen Jie—all six of them—had gone up the mountain early that morning but still hadn’t returned.

Chen Xiaoli and Yu Fangfang had come over partly hoping to wait for their husbands.

But since the men hadn’t returned, the women had to start heading back.

Besides, it would be time to start making dinner soon.

Gu Jiaojiao walked the two women out. Chen Xiaoli asked her to wait with Yu Fangfang for a moment while she went inside to get the children.

But to her surprise, the four children were so engrossed in the toys that they didn’t want to go home at all.

Chen Xiaoli called out to them, but all the children just shook their heads.

Just as Chen Xiaoli was about to lose her temper, Gu Jiaojiao stepped in. ”Sis, just let them play here. It’s not like they have anything to do at home. When Leng Yuan and Brother Xu get back, they can just bring the kids home.”

Seeing how much fun the kids were having, Chen Xiaoli could only relent with a smile.

”Thanks, sorry for the trouble.”

Gu Jiaojiao shook her head. ”It’s no trouble at all. The kids are old enough to play by themselves; I don’t have to watch them.”

’This is actually great,’ she thought.

’Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang don’t really have any friends, so with Da Hu and the others around, they’ll eventually learn how to play with other kids too.’

As they passed the storeroom, Gu Jiaojiao asked the two to wait a moment, then went inside and came out with two bags of tea and two bags of pastries she had already packaged.

”Here’s the tea. Take it home with you.”

The storeroom, which was right next to the kitchen, was mainly for food supplies. The low temperature inside made it the perfect place to keep pastries and tea bags.

Chen Xiaoli and Yu Fangfang accepted the bags without looking at them too closely.

”Alright, we will. Make sure you lock the door, and don’t open it until Leng Yuan and the others get back.”

Gu Jiaojiao lived at the foot of the mountain, and since it was usually just her and the children at home, she really had to keep the door locked securely.

Gu Jiaojiao nodded. She watched the two of them leave, then locked the door and went back inside.

That evening, Leng Yuan and the others returned late. Their haul was impressive this time: one roe deer, and over a dozen pheasants and wild rabbits.

’Did they stumble into the pheasants’ and rabbits’ headquarters?’ Gu Jiaojiao wondered.

No one else laid claim to the roe deer, as it was Leng Yuan’s own kill. As for the rest, each man took two pheasants and one rabbit. Besides those, there were also a few bamboo rats, which made Gu Jiaojiao, who was afraid of rodents, take two steps back.

When Leng Yuan saw her reaction, he didn’t keep any of the bamboo rats, instead letting the other men divide them amongst themselves.

In the end, Leng Yuan was left with two pheasants, two wild rabbits, and the roe deer.

A roe deer was a real prize. It was considered a valuable game animal; the meat was delicious and tender, and its velvet antlers could be used in medicine, primarily to treat lung abscesses.

Its hide could be tanned to make clothing, and the soft fur on its legs was perfect for making boots.

The hardened antlers could be fashioned into handicrafts, hooks, or knife handles.