"Thank goodness you’ve got a conscience and came to help today, otherwise we might not have made it in time," Yu Dong sighed, taking a drag from his cigarette.
Zhou Yueshen worked at an astonishing speed, handling the workload of several people without showing any sign of exhaustion.
It had to be said—those who had served in the military had endurance and strength far beyond ordinary people.
Even before enlisting, he had always been efficient and meticulous in his work.
Now, he was practically inhuman.
As everyone put it, he was a monster.
Zhou Yueshen wiped his hands and took the cigarette, clamping it between his lips.
Yu Dong tossed him a lighter.
Just as he was about to light it, Zhou Yueshen paused, then removed the cigarette and tucked it away.
Grabbing his portion of soup dumplings, he strode into the office.
Yu Dong’s eyes gleamed with mischief. Others might not have noticed, but his sharp eyes caught it all.
The boss was planning to hog the goods for himself.
He quickly stubbed out his own cigarette and followed.
"Boss, what’s that delicious thing you’ve got there? Let me have a taste," Yu Dong called out as he stepped into the office.
Zhou Yueshen had his back turned, just peeling off his sweat-drenched undershirt when Yu Dong’s voice and footsteps reached him.
The moment Yu Dong’s fingers brushed the food container, he was met with a frosty glare.
Zhou Yueshen snatched the box away and set it aside, his voice low and cold. "None for you."
Yu Dong’s mouth watered. In the brief two seconds he’d been near it, he’d caught a whiff of rich, savory meat—fragrant like the steamed buns from the shop he’d passed that morning, only better.
No doubt about it—this was something special.
And the fact that the boss was hiding it only made it more tempting.
He swallowed hard. "Just one bite?"
Zhou Yueshen ignored him.
Yu Dong refused to give up. "Fine, then at least let me look at it. Just a peek?"
Zhou Yueshen finally glanced up, his expression indifferent but his silent aura unmistakably telling him to scram.
Yu Dong: "..."
Grumbling under his breath, he thought to himself—how did such a generous woman like his sister-in-law end up with such a stingy man? If he’d known she was cooking something good today, he would’ve dropped by earlier!
Maybe he could’ve gotten some while it was still hot.
Ah, it all came down to him being too polite.
Next time, he’d have to be thicker-skinned.
With a reluctant sigh, Yu Dong was shooed out of the office. Not far away, he spotted Lin Xiao with his back turned, eating something.
The aroma wafted over from a distance.
Yu Dong perked up, eyes lighting with realization.
Right! The miserly boss had brought a portion for his brother-in-law too!
So he remembered his in-laws but completely forgot about his own sworn brother?
What kind of cruel betrayal was this?
Weren’t they supposed to share both fortune and hardship?
Lin Xiao hadn’t been around for long, and since he was quiet and kept to his work, most of the crew didn’t interact much with him.
Now, sitting alone and eating, no one bothered to chat with him.
Yu Dong trotted over with a fox-like grin. "Brother Lin, what’s that tasty thing you’re eating? Smells amazing."
Lin Xiao was actually younger than him, but what could he do? He was the elder brother of Zhou Yueshen’s wife.
Even the boss had to address him respectfully—Yu Dong certainly wasn’t about to act presumptuous.
Might as well follow suit.
Lin Xiao tilted his head, recognizing Yu Dong—the guy who was close with Zhou Yueshen, childhood friends, or so he’d heard.
At the question, he quickly closed his food box and straightened up, answering earnestly, "I’m eating buns."
Yu Dong gritted his teeth. Obviously, he could see that from a mile away.
Suppressing his frustration, he put on a shameless smile. "What kind of buns? They smell incredible. Let me try one—I haven’t had breakfast yet."
He figured Lin Xiao, being such an honest and seemingly easygoing guy, wouldn’t be as tightfisted as the boss.
He wasn’t greedy—just one bite would do.
He’d been working since early morning and was practically starving.
To his surprise, Lin Xiao hesitated, looking conflicted. After a long pause, under Yu Dong’s expectant gaze, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a dry, plain pancake, handing it over. "If you’re hungry, you can have this."
Then, cradling his precious soup dumplings like a treasure, he hurried off to his car.
He’d only eaten two earlier—just meant to sample them, but they were so delicious he couldn’t resist having another.
The rest, he couldn’t bear to finish. He wanted to take them home for his wife, parents, and younger brother to try.
Besides, these were made by his little sister. Of course he wouldn’t share them.
Yu Dong, now holding a sad, dry pancake: "..."
After Zhou Yueshen left, Si Nian spent some time teaching Yaoyao to speak. Bored, she grabbed a hoe and headed outside to dig up the yard.
Yaoyao, mimicking her, clutched a tiny hoe and happily dug along, sweat beading on her forehead as she giggled nonstop.
The soil in the yard had been trampled down for so long that it was packed tight.
The little girl barely managed to uproot a few weeds, and even Si Nian, after much effort, had only made a small dent.
Her palms were sore and tingling from the impact.
Standing in the yard, she rubbed her reddened hands, sighing.
This dream of a lush vegetable garden wasn’t as simple as she’d imagined.
At this rate, just clearing the land would take days.
The sound of steady footsteps approached from outside the gate.
Si Nian turned instinctively—sure enough, it was Zhou Yueshen, back already.
In his hand dangled a fresh slab of pork belly.
Ever since the incident with Li Mingjun, he’d insisted on making the trip himself rather than having deliveries sent.
Now, seeing Si Nian standing there, sleeves and pant legs rolled up, face glistening with sweat, he walked over and studied the uneven patches of dug-up earth in silence.
"What’s this?" he finally asked.
Si Nian’s voice softened automatically in his presence. "I bought some vegetable seeds yesterday. I thought it’d be nice to grow our own instead of going out to buy them all the time. Our yard is big enough, so I figured I’d start clearing it, but..." She held out her hands, palms flushed red. "Look, my hands hurt from digging."
Zhou Yueshen’s gaze dropped to her hands. He took them in his larger ones, gently kneading the sore spots, his brow furrowing.
"Foolish. If it’s too hard, you should’ve stopped." He massaged her palms for a moment before taking the hoe from her, his voice low. "I’ll handle it. Go rest."
Si Nian nodded obediently.
As she started to pull her hands back, Zhou Yueshen suddenly lifted one and pressed a fleeting kiss to the back of it—so quick she almost missed it.
Her lashes fluttered.
After a few steps away, she glanced back.
The man gripped the hoe, his expression indifferent as he worked, muscles flexing with each powerful swing, turning over large clumps of earth. His profile was sharp, unwavering.
Si Nian watched him for a few seconds.
