Chapter 414: Chapter 414: Warm Tenderness in the Heavy Snow

’Just when you get a taste of meat, you’re barred from the table and can only stare helplessly from outside,’ she thought. ’That must be a terrible feeling.’

Seeing that Hua Yusen had stopped pestering her, Zhao Nuanyue decided to ignore his stubborn remarks and hurried to get back to work. Once she finished tidying up, she still had the laundry to do!

Now that she was doing laundry for a family of four, and with her love for cleanliness, she had to wash clothes every other day. That wasn’t even counting the underwear they each washed themselves daily.

It was snowing outside, and the cold was so bitter that a drop of water would freeze in an instant.

Hua Yusen found a large umbrella to shield Zhao Nuanyue from the snow as she washed clothes by the well.

It was freezing outside, but surprisingly, the water from the well in their yard was warm—perfect for washing clothes.

Seeing how hard Zhao Nuanyue was working, Hua Yusen started helping her with the laundry.

"I heard they have washing machines in other countries. When I get the chance, I’ll have Yu Fen get one for us. That way, you won’t have to work so hard washing clothes," Hua Yusen said, looking tenderly at Zhao Nuanyue’s fair little hands, now red from the work.

’Such delicate hands shouldn’t be doing such exhausting chores.’

Zhao Nuanyue was pleasantly surprised. She asked, "If it’s not against any regulations, could we get two? It wouldn’t feel right to get one for me before we get one for your mother."

Hearing how considerate Zhao Nuanyue was, Hua Yusen’s heart ached with tenderness. "Alright, I’ll take care of it, so you don’t have to worry," he said gently. "Let’s not waste any more time. We’ll finish this wash quickly together!"

"It’s really fine. Don’t you like to practice your martial arts? You should go. I can handle this myself." Zhao Nuanyue felt that doing housework was perfectly normal. She had been doing it since she was a little girl, and besides, she enjoyed keeping the house spotless and everything in order.

Of course Hua Yusen wanted to go practice his martial arts, but he couldn’t bear to let his wife work all by herself.

"It’s fine. I’ll go practice after I’m done helping you," Hua Yusen said with a smile. Seeing that no one was in the yard, he stole a kiss on Zhao Nuanyue’s forehead.

"You really don’t have to help me like this," Zhao Nuanyue said, deeply moved. Although Zhao Nuanyang and Little Red Carp would also help her with chores, the care she felt from Hua Yusen was different. It made her feel that this man was simply wonderful.

Hua Yusen chuckled as he continued washing the clothes. "You’re my wife, working so hard in this freezing weather to wash our clothes. How could I possibly bear to let you suffer all alone?"

Hearing his words, Zhao Nuanyue smiled, her expression as pure and innocent as a child’s.

"Yu Sen, you’re the best!" Zhao Nuanyue said, her eyes filled with love. She wanted to kiss Hua Yusen, but her hands were soaked, as were his. It didn’t seem like a good time to embrace her beloved!

But Hua Yusen was sharp. He instantly read her mind and immediately leaned his face forward, waiting for Zhao Nuanyue’s loving kiss.

Zhao Nuanyue smiled, pressing her lips together. Willingly and full of affection, she planted a kiss on Hua Yusen’s cheek.

That wasn’t enough for him, so Hua Yusen turned his other cheek to her. Zhao Nuanyue had no choice but to plant another kiss on that one as well.

Their interaction was full of love, making the moment even more heartwarming.

After the clothes were washed, Zhao Nuanyue hung them up to dry inside the house. With Hua Yusen helping to wring them out, the clothes held much less water and were a lot lighter.

Only after helping Zhao Nuanyue finish the laundry did Hua Yusen go to his martial arts practice.

But Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t one to sit idle. She immediately grabbed a cloth and began to clean the house.

This was her home, her happy little nest, and so Zhao Nuanyue cleaned it with meticulous care.

Zhao Nuanyue didn’t stop until Little Red Carp woke from her nap.

Little Red Carp was always a bit grumpy after waking up, so Zhao Nuanyue quickly washed her hands and went to help her get dressed. Her messy, tangled hair, combined with her sleepy, dazed eyes, was incredibly cute!

Seeing that it was almost dark, Zhao Nuanyue decided against a complicated bun and instead tied Little Red Carp’s hair into a simple ponytail.

"MWAH!" Zhao Nuanyue planted a kiss on Little Red Carp’s cheek. "Since you’re awake, let’s get you up. Your brother will be home soon. How about your big sister plays with you for a little while?"

"No!" Little Red Carp shook her head, a melancholy look on her face. "Sister, I... I kind of miss Nianqiao Village."

"Oh?" Zhao Nuanyue froze for a moment at her sister’s words. She realized it was only natural for Little Red Carp to miss the place where she was born and raised. "To be honest, I miss it too. It’s just that we have things to do here now, so we can’t go back just yet. But I promise you, Big Sister will take you back to stay for a while someday."

Little Red Carp looked disappointed. Then, in a soft voice, she asked, "Ms. Li Qiong is getting married soon. Aren’t we going to go and celebrate with her?"

Li Qiong... she was Zhao Nuanyue’s only true female friend.

Now her good friend was getting married; it would feel wrong not to go. That, combined with Little Red Carp’s homesickness, made Zhao Nuanyue’s heart ache with a bittersweet sorrow.

So Zhao Nuanyue thought it over. As for the Immortal Grass Hall, she could still learn by studying hard and comprehending the books on her own, so missing a few days wouldn’t be a problem. And her brother hadn’t taken a single day off since he started working; he should be able to request a few days of leave.

Since it seemed possible, there was no reason to let Little Red Carp remain so downcast.

"Since you’re homesick, I’ll take you back home," Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. "When your brother comes home, we’ll let him know and ask if he wants to go. If he can’t get away, then I’ll take you to Nianqiao Village myself! We’ll go attend Li Qiong’s wedding."

Hearing her sister’s words, Little Red Carp’s big eyes lit up. "Sister, is that really true?" she asked, overjoyed.

"Of course it’s true. When has your big sister ever lied to you?" Zhao Nuanyue finished tying Little Red Carp’s hair and lifted her from the chair. "Oof, you’re getting heavy! I can barely pick you up anymore. But Li Qiong’s wedding isn’t for another seven or eight days. Let’s use the next couple of days to prepare a special wedding gift for her. We also need to pay a visit to Village Chief Miao and Director Li. After all, they helped us so much back then. We can’t forget them."

"Mhm! We should buy some of the special candies from Jincheng City," Little Red Carp suggested thoughtfully. "Nianqiao Village and Labor County are so remote, you can’t buy treats this delicious there. I want to share them with my friends in the village! And I want to take a trip to the Dragon Palace, to go home for a visit."

It seemed Little Red Carp had her own agenda.

Zhao Nuanyue, on the other hand, was simply looking forward to seeing Li Qiong and the people of Nianqiao Village.

When Zhao Nuanyang came home from work that evening and heard that his sister wanted to take Little Red Carp back to Nianqiao Village for Li Qiong’s wedding, he immediately declared that he wanted to go too and would request the time off himself.

Later that night, as Zhao Nuanyue began to pack their bags, Hua Yusen finally found out about the plan.

"Nuanyue, I just heard from Little Red Carp that you’re all planning to go to Nianqiao Village," Hua Yusen asked. "Even though the situation isn’t as grim as it used to be, it can still be dangerous. Are you sure you want to go?"

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