Chapter 62: Barren Fields and Fertile Lands

When dawn broke, Aunt Yao finally steadied herself against the wall and returned to her room to rest.

Zeng Xiaofan lay on the sofa and took a brief nap. When he opened his eyes again, it was already past eight in the morning. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, warming him gently and comfortably. Satisfied, Zeng Xiaofan stretched lazily, only to turn his head and find a delicate, beautiful face watching him with a mischievous smile.

"Xian... Sister Xian..."

"When did you wake up?"

Seeing the look in Li Bixian's eyes, Zeng Xiaofan shivered slightly, feeling a bit guilty.

Li Bixian sat on the chair beside him, propping her chin in her hands with a meaningful smile. "Did you have a good dream just now? You were grinning so much, you drooled~"

"And you looked so lascivious—be honest, did you dream about some woman?"

At first, Zeng Xiaofan thought the events of last night with Aunt Yao had been discovered, causing him to panic. But hearing her words, he relaxed instantly.

"Take a guess~" Zeng Xiaofan replied with a wicked grin.

"Tsk~ I bet you dreamed about some gorgeous woman."

"With that expression, you must have been bullying her in your dream... enjoying it too much, weren't you?"

Li Bixian pouted slightly, her words tinged with jealousy.

Zeng Xiaofan chuckled, replying lightly, "What if I say I dreamed of you?"

"Oh~ then... you should make it up to me properly," Li Bixian said with a shy smile, her face lighting up with joy.

"Here~ Breakfast is ready, get up and eat~"

"You'll need your strength for more mischief... hmph!"

With a look full of affection, Li Bixian reached out and poked Zeng Xiaofan's shoulder.

He took a deep breath: "Mm~ It smells wonderful! I thought I caught the scent of meat!"

"So it was you who made breakfast, Sister Xian. You truly live up to your name—you’re so capable!"

Looking at the table, Zeng Xiaofan saw exquisite meat rolls and lean pork soup noodles, topped with a sprinkling of finely chopped green onions.

Nothing else needed to be said; just the way those green onions were sliced showed the care and skill of the cook.

Moved by the sight, Zeng Xiaofan gave Li Bixian a thumbs-up and was about to step forward and taste the soup, when Li Bixian stopped him.

"Wait!"

"What’s wrong? Isn’t the soup for me?"

"Brush your teeth! Do you want to become a toothless old man?" Li Bixian scolded playfully.

"Oh, right~ I got so distracted by the aroma I forgot..."

Laughing, Zeng Xiaofan got up to brush his teeth, only to find in the bathroom that his toothbrush already had toothpaste on it, the cup was filled with water, all arranged neatly.

"Sister Xian... you’re so good to me." Looking at the prepared toothpaste, Zeng Xiaofan felt a wave of warmth.

Just for this alone, he swore he would never let Jin Youcai and his son bully this woman.

Not only would he protect her from others, he would be good to her for his whole life!

While Zeng Xiaofan brushed his teeth, Li Bixian tidied up the bedding on the bamboo chair where he slept.

When he came out and saw this, his heart stirred again. Watching Li Bixian's voluptuous figure and shapely hips, he couldn't help but marvel at how she was both sexy and capable—a rare treasure. For a fleeting moment, Zeng Xiaofan thought meeting her was the greatest stroke of luck in his life.

"What's the matter? Why are you staring at me?"

"Is there something on me?" Li Bixian asked, puzzled.

"No... Sister Xian, you’re so beautiful, I just can’t help wanting to look at you a little longer," Zeng Xiaofan said with a mischievous smile.

"Tsk~ A man's mouth is nothing but lies," Li Bixian snorted, hugging the bedding as she tried to pass by him.

But Zeng Xiaofan deliberately blocked her way. Li Bixian frowned slightly.

"Move aside~ With the sunlight, I want to wash your bedding by hand."

"No way~" Zeng Xiaofan kept blocking her.

She moved left, he moved left; she moved right, he moved right.

"Hey~" Li Bixian stopped, her brows slightly furrowed as she gazed at Zeng Xiaofan.

He continued making faces at her: "Angry? Bite me then..."

But before he could finish, Li Bixian rose slightly on her toes and pressed her red lips gently against his.

Her soft lips melted Zeng Xiaofan's heart in an instant.

"Did you think I wouldn't dare?" Li Bixian said with a triumphant smile, her cheeks flushed, then pushed him aside and sashayed out to the yard.

Even after the sound of running water echoed from outside, Zeng Xiaofan was still lost in the tender sweetness of that kiss.

Li Bixian looked back, saw his dazed expression, and couldn’t help laughing.

"You’re too much... Is it really that big a deal?"

Zeng Xiaofan nodded slowly, answering seriously, "It really is..."

"I’m dizzy... dizzy from your kiss..."

"Bah!" Li Bixian shot him a glare, signaling him to keep his voice down.

Zeng Xiaofan enjoyed his breakfast to the fullest—kissing Aunt Yao at night, kissing Sister Xian in the morning...

Life was truly getting better...

He couldn't help but smile just thinking about it.

After breakfast, Zeng Xiaofan picked up a hoe and headed out to reclaim the land at Li Bixian's family plot, insisting she come along. So the two shouldered their hoes and left together, chatting and laughing.

The abandoned fields belonging to Li Bixian's family were in a remote area; the entire valley was deserted, not even a cattle herder in sight.

Under blue skies and white clouds, surrounded by mountains and clear waters, the two of them alone—it was an experience unlike any other.

Arriving at the field, Zeng Xiaofan looked at the overgrown weeds covering more than a dozen acres and felt a touch of apprehension.

Land left untouched for years is easy prey for weeds, but more importantly, the water in the fields had gone unmanaged for so long that the soil was soft and mushy.

The mud layer was deep—one step could sink up to the thigh, making it hard to move.

"Sister Xian, your fields have been abandoned for years, haven’t they?"

"So much water, so deep—reclaiming this is hard work~" Zeng Xiaofan said, shaking his head.

Li Bixian arched her brows, giving him a curious look. Seeing his earnest expression, she smiled gently.

"Is this much water really a lot?"

"It’s not that bad, just barely covering the surface. It’s slippery, though—you’ll have to be careful~"

"If you slip and go in too deep, you might not be able to get out~"

Zeng Xiaofan spread his hands, smiling, "What can you do? Sinking in is inevitable."

"If it’s hard to get out, you just take your time~"

"But look at how tall and lush the weeds are in your field~"

"That means your paddy is rich in nutrients! If you’re willing to put in the effort to reclaim it, it’ll be a prime field, practically oozing with promise!"

"Ah~" Li Bixian bit her lip, scolding him bashfully, "You... you’re talking nonsense..."

"What nonsense!" Zeng Xiaofan retorted confidently. "There’s scientific evidence for this..."

"A good field has its standards—first, plenty of water; second, enough nutrients; third, deep soil..."

"Your fields meet all the criteria, don’t they?"