Su Lang gently closed the bedroom door, stood outside for a moment listening, then turned and went upstairs.
The light in Jiang Chengzhou’s room was still on.
Su Lang walked over and knocked twice.
The door opened quickly, and Jiang Chengzhou poked his head out. “Uncle, why are you coming up here?”
Su Lang pushed the door open, ruffled his hair, and sat down on the edge of Jiang Chengzhou’s bed. Then he leaned back and flopped right onto it.
“I’ll sleep with you tonight.”
“Did you make Aunt mad?” Jiang Chengzhou asked.
Su Lang shot him a glance. “How could that be? Do you think I’m that kind of person?”
Jiang Chengzhou scoffed. “Who knows? Anyway, I don’t want to sleep with you.”
Su Lang raised an eyebrow. “What? Have I offended you?”
“Take a look at yourself—you’re way too big. There won’t even be room for me!”
The upstairs room had been set up later, with just a small bed moved in. It was plenty for Jiang Chengzhou alone, but with Su Lang added, it really wasn’t enough.
A smile crept onto Su Lang’s lips. Instead of getting up, he shifted into an even more comfortable position.
Jiang Chengzhou was about to be furious with his uncle. He stepped forward and grabbed his arm.
Su Lang didn’t budge, even tucking the other hand behind his head, looking thoroughly at ease.
Jiang Chengzhou let go. “I’m going to tell Aunt on you!”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Su Lang said, sitting up in one swift motion. He grabbed Jiang Chengzhou’s arm and yanked him back. “Alright, alright. Why do you always run to tattle?”
“You’re bullying me, so I’m going to tell. I’ll see how Aunt deals with you!”
Su Lang put a hand on his shoulder. “Can’t you be nice to me? I want to sleep with you because I like you, kid. Why don’t you appreciate it?”
Jiang Chengzhou got goosebumps all over. He shook off his uncle’s hand. “Why do you have to say such gross things?”
Su Lang’s mouth twitched.
If Jiang Chengzhou had been acting off lately, Su Lang hadn’t noticed.
But the boy’s disdain for him? That, Su Lang had come to understand well.
Su Lang decided to switch tactics.
He patted the spot beside him. “Sit down. Let’s talk.”
Jiang Chengzhou pulled up a chair and sat across from him.
Su Lang asked, “You were digging in the dirt all day today. Tired?”
“Not at all!” Jiang Chengzhou answered quickly.
Su Lang didn’t call him out on it. “Stretch out your legs. I’ll massage them for you, or tomorrow you won’t be able to stand straight from the soreness.”
Jiang Chengzhou looked at him suspiciously.
“Didn’t you promise to go back to the fields with me tomorrow?” Su Lang raised an eyebrow. “Trying to slack off?”
“No way! Fine, do it then!” Jiang Chengzhou hated being challenged. He stretched his legs out.
Su Lang rubbed his hands together and began working on the sore muscles in the boy’s legs.
His hands were strong, and he didn’t go easy.
Jiang Chengzhou yelped in pain.
Downstairs, Linlin paused her “prenatal education” duties and listened carefully. “Mom, Big Brother is yelling.”
Lin Zhilan had heard it too.
Her brow furrowed slightly.
She had sent Su Lang upstairs to check on their nephew. Surely he wasn’t ignoring her wishes and laying hands on the child?
Just as she was thinking that, another round of laughter came from upstairs.
Then another scream, more laughter…
Back and forth.
“Mom?”
Linlin’s face was puzzled.
Lin Zhilan pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “It’s nothing. They’re just slaughtering a pig upstairs. We don’t need to bother with it. Go to sleep.”
Linlin touched her mother’s belly, and the little one inside stirred, as if responding to its sister.
Satisfied, Linlin nestled into her mother’s arms and fell asleep.
Upstairs, Su Lang had indeed used his hands.
When his palms pressed into Jiang Chengzhou’s muscles, the boy truly understood the meaning of “painful relief.”
But every time he cried out to tattle or beg for mercy, Su Lang—afraid Lin Zhilan would get angry or worried—would tickle his ribs instead, leaving Jiang Chengzhou caught between pain and laughter, hot and cold at once.
After the torment, the lactic acid buildup from the day’s labor had likely been worked out.
But Jiang Chengzhou was completely spent, nearly limp.
Even so, he still managed to grumble, half-closing his eyes as he glared at his uncle. “Just you wait. Tomorrow, I’ll tell Aunt.”
Su Lang pulled him up and carried him downstairs over his shoulder. “Jiang Chengzhou, you’re a big kid now. Why is the first thing you think of always tattling?”
Jiang Chengzhou had no comeback.
Why did he want to tattle?
Because he knew only Aunt could keep Uncle in line.
Downstairs, Su Lang carried him straight to the bathroom. “Wait here. I’ll get you some warm water. You’re drenched in sweat and stink.”
Jiang Chengzhou made a face at him. “I’ll just wash with cold water.”
He stripped off his clothes in a flash and stood under the showerhead, letting the cold water run.
Su Lang pointed at Lin Zhilan’s room. “Just you wait. Tomorrow, I’m telling your Aunt.”
Jiang Chengzhou threw his own words back at him. “You’re a grown man. Why are you always tattling?”
“Hah!” Su Lang laughed. “You little brat!”
After hustling a freshly bathed Jiang Chengzhou upstairs to sleep, Su Lang took out the red beans he’d soaked for the next morning’s porridge.
When he returned to the room, mother and daughter were already asleep.
Su Lang stood by the bed for a moment, then carefully lifted Linlin from the bed and carried her to her own room.
As soon as he laid her down, Linlin whimpered. Su Lang quickly pressed her stuffed toy into her arms and gently patted her back.
Linlin soon drifted back to sleep.
Su Lang left the lamp on and softly closed the door.
Back in the bedroom, Lin Zhilan was still in the same position.
Su Lang took off his shoes and climbed into bed quietly.
Lin Zhilan sensed something. Without opening her eyes, she automatically moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder and nuzzling. “Did you hit Chengzhou?”
“No,” Su Lang said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to make her more comfortable. He kissed her forehead gently. “I just massaged his legs. Sleep peacefully.”
Lin Zhilan’s eyelids fluttered. She placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm, and fell into a quiet sleep.
The next morning, just as the first light filtered through the window.
Su Lang’s internal clock was more reliable than any alarm. He woke instantly.
He glanced at his wife.
Lin Zhilan was still asleep, breathing steadily.
Like defusing a bomb, Su Lang carefully slid his arm out from under her neck, then got out of bed as quietly as possible, creeping out of the bedroom.
The red beans had been soaking in clean water all night and were now fully plumped.
Su Lang rinsed them twice, then poured them into a clay pot along with rice and water, setting them to cook.
Footsteps sounded from upstairs.
Su Lang looked over to see Jiang Chengzhou coming down, half-asleep.
“Well, well,” Su Lang said, leaning against the doorframe with a grin. “Look who’s up early. Keeping your word, huh?”
When Jiang Chengzhou saw Su Lang, his face dropped. He snorted and shuffled off to brush his teeth, yawning.
“No good deed goes unpunished,” Su Lang said, following him. “Your legs don’t hurt today, do they?”
