Chapter 41: Bing Wengu’s Favor Was Never Hidden

Nan Jinping's shout startled the entire Bing household, and soon movement could be heard from every room.

"Is Dalang back?" Liang Shi was the first to stumble out in her slippers, and the sight of her eldest son finally eased her anxious heart.

Yet before she could fully relax, she saw her son tightly embracing his little husband as if afraid the latter would run away if he loosened his grip even slightly.

For a moment, Liang Shi felt a pang of frustration, as if all her worries had been for nothing. Was this the so-called "a son grown flies alone"—but she distinctly remembered raising a son, not a daughter!

She stifled an eye-roll. "It's freezing outside, and you've been traveling. Save the chatter for when you're warm inside."

They were still outside, after all, and the villagers at the gate were already gawking and gossiping.

Bing Wengu knew this wasn’t the time, so he reluctantly suppressed his longing and released Nan Jinping.

He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped Nan Jinping’s tears. "Hush now, no tears. We’ll talk properly once we’re back in our room."

Fortunately, the original host had the habit of carrying a handkerchief, and Bing Wengu had kept it unchanged after arriving, considering local customs. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to dry his husband’s tears.

Bing Wengu let Nan Jinping enter the courtyard first before driving the oxcart in himself.

What Bing Wengu saw as a crude oxcart was, in Liang Shi’s eyes, a prize beyond compare. Her eyes gleamed. "Dalang, you bought an oxcart?"

"Yeah, the journey was long, so I bought one for convenience," Bing Wengu replied absentmindedly, his attention entirely fixed on Nan Jinping.

Jumping down from the cart, Bing Wengu looked up to find Nan Jinping not only watching him but also following closely like a puppy—something he hadn’t done before Bing Wengu left.

Striding over, Bing Wengu grabbed Nan Jinping’s hand, expecting resistance given his husband’s usual shyness in public. To his surprise, Nan Jinping not only didn’t pull away but even tightened his grip in return.

His lips twitched upward.

Old Man Bing and Liang Shi, now completely distracted by the "luxurious" oxcart, rushed toward it, momentarily forgetting their son.

Old Man Bing eagerly took the reins, guiding the cart toward the ox shed. "I’ve got this. You all go inside and warm up."

Liang Shi chuckled. "When we built the ox shed, I thought it’d just be for chickens and ducks. Never imagined we’d actually use it for an ox!"

By now, the rest of the Bing family had gathered. Aunt Bing had her two children greet their eldest uncle and asked gently, "Dalang, you must’ve had a hard journey. A month on the road surely wasn’t easy—you’ve gone gaunt."

Bing Wengu felt the hand holding his tighten and knew his husband was worried. He soothingly tapped Nan Jinping’s hand before replying, "Not at all. I had money with me, so I ate well, slept well, and took in the scenery. It wasn’t difficult."

Though answering Aunt Bing, Bing Wengu’s gaze never left Nan Jinping. Sensing the mood, Aunt Bing took the hint and backed off—any further questions would be intrusive rather than caring.

She excused herself to the kitchen to prepare hot water and a meal for Bing Wengu.

Bing Erlang and Zhou Shi, being honest and straightforward, simply greeted Bing Dalang and muttered about how tough the trip must’ve been.

Bing Sanlang, despite past bad blood over the family division, still offered a greeting. As for Qian Shi, she couldn’t be bothered to show her face.

Bing Wengu noticed but didn’t care. In his mind, Bing Sanlang and Qian Shi were already dead to him.

"Eldest Brother, you actually bought an ox! No way! I’ve always wanted one—it’d make farming so much easier," Bing Silang exclaimed, rushing to the cart in excitement. He and Old Man Bing now competed over who got to lead the ox, neither willing to yield.

Bing Wulang blinked mischievously. "Eldest Brother, Brother-in-law missed you so much while you were gone—he hardly touched his food!"

Bing Sanniang, clueless, stared at Bing Wulang. "Fifth Brother, why bring up Brother-in-law? Eldest Brother looks even thinner!"

"You’re too young to understand. You’ll get it when you’re older," Bing Wulang said, dragging Bing Sanniang away. "Come on, let’s go see the oxcart. We’re cramping their style here."

Nan Jinping flushed at the child's remark and ducked her head, while Bing Wengu gave a quiet chuckle.

"There are books I bought from the provincial capital on the cart. I'll go get them," Bing Wengu said to Nan Jinping.

He was itching to get back to their room with his little husband and talk... or more.

"Big Brother, let me help you carry them," Bing Erlang and Bing Silang said simultaneously.

"I’ll do it myself." The chests looked ordinary enough, but their weight would give away their secret when moved.

He had no good explanation for where the silver came from, so he couldn’t tell the family. Even if he could, he wouldn’t disclose how much he truly had—just as last time, when he only mentioned it was a reward from a noble without revealing the exact sum, and the family knew better than to pry.

Bing Silang had already lifted one chest but set it back down when Bing Wengu insisted on carrying them himself, without questioning why.

The current Big Brother was different from before—he had odd new ways now, and others had to follow them, or else catch hell.

Bing Wengu climbed into the cart and carried out both chests, one large and one small, taking them straight to his room.

The entire family watched as the two large chests were carried inside. Though curious, no one dared to ask.

The combined weight of the chests was about 130 pounds—not heavy, but they were bulky and had no proper handles, forcing Bing Wengu to carry them one by one.

Throughout this, Nan Jinping stuck to Bing Wengu like a shadow, warming his heart.

Once inside, Bing Wengu closed the door and immediately crushed Nan Jinping against him. "Did you miss me, husband? I missed you so much."

Nan Jinping had stopped crying, but the question nearly brought tears again. She nodded quickly.

Seeing his little husband’s reddened eyes, Bing Wengu could hold back no longer—the next moment, he claimed her mouth hungrily.

His longing, his worry, his reluctance—all poured into that searing kiss.

He didn’t know how long they kissed, but just as he was about to lose control, a knock came at the door. A clear child’s voice called out, "Uncle, Mama made noodles. She says to come eat."

Bing Wengu, like a man starved, ignored the outside world entirely. It was Nan Jinping in his arms who snapped back to reality at the child’s voice, struggling until she finally freed her lips and gasped,

"Wengu, the whole family is waiting for you." If they didn’t go now, everyone would know what they’d been doing—how could she ever look the family in the eye? She'd die of embarrassment.

Bing Wengu stared at Nan Jinping’s lips for a long moment before processing her words. He held her tightly, panting for a while to calm himself, then nodded.

Still hand in hand, they stepped out. Glancing at the chests, Bing Wengu said, "Let’s go to Mother and Father first. I’ll show you what’s inside later."

"Mm-hmm," Nan Jinping agreed obediently.

In the main room, the whole family had gathered. Eldest Sister held a swaddled baby, with two little girls by her side. In just over a month, the girls had put on weight, their cheeks now plump.

Eldest Sister said, "Da Lang, I made noodles for you. I know you like meat sauce, and we had pork at home, so I prepared some. Dig in. There’s hot water in the pot too—after eating, you can have a proper soak before sleeping."

The original Bing Wengu hadn’t had such hygienic habits, but Eldest Sister remembered this new preference of his. She was grateful—Bing Wengu had saved her and her children.

"Thank you, Eldest Sister," Bing Wengu said.

"It’s nothing," she replied quickly, waving her hand. She couldn’t put her finger on what felt off—though Bing Wengu treated her well and she genuinely appreciated him, no matter how she tried to get closer, he kept her at arm's length.

"I’ll bring the noodles from the kitchen," she said, turning to leave. The two girls hurried after her, but Liang-shi stopped them.

"It’s freezing outside. You little ones stay here with Grandmother."

Having grown up as dependents at the Sun family, the girls had learned early to read moods. Even after days of good food and care at the Bings’, they still walked on eggshells, afraid of being disliked.

"Grandmother, we’re going to help Mother. She can’t manage alone." The two little girls finished speaking and ran out.

Liang Shi sighed, "Those Suns brought nothing but trouble."

"Mother, Eldest Sister has already left the Sun family. Brighter days are coming. Don’t be angry anymore," Bing Sanlang glanced at Bing Wengu and tried to console her.

Liang Shi, still upset with Bing Sanlang, ignored him and turned to ask Bing Wengu, "Was the journey smooth? Did you encounter any trouble?"

"Smooth. I bought all the books I needed," Bing Wengu replied.

Bing Silang curled his lips and muttered under his breath, "Going to other prefectures to buy books, making such a production. If he fails the exam, it’ll be downright humiliating."

Bing Sanlang nudged Bing Silang—this fourth brother hadn’t learned his lesson yet. "Looking to get your hide tanned again? Haven’t you had enough?"

Bing Silang retorted defiantly, "I admit Eldest Brother is the best at being the eldest. But being a good eldest brother doesn’t mean he’s scholarly. He knows his own level—even the tutor said unless a miracle happens, he’ll never pass."

"Since he’s bound to fail, why bother traveling to the prefecture? The travel expenses alone must cost several strings of coins. Might as well have bought meat."

Though Bing Sanlang and the rest of the Bing family privately agreed with Silang’s words, no one dared say it to Bing Wengu’s face—only Silang dared whisper a few complaints.

Had this been before the family split, Bing Sanlang might have chimed in. But now that he was separated from the household, the family’s money had nothing to do with him. Why should he invite trouble?

Bing Sanlang placated Silang half-heartedly, "Eldest Brother isn’t spending your money. Stop talking, or you’ll upset him."

Silang fell silent.

Liang Shi glared fiercely at Bing Silang. Bing Dalang hadn’t even taken the exam yet, and here he was predicting failure—how unlucky!

Bing Wengu gave Silang a faint, mocking glance. This kid’s skin must be itching again after a few days without discipline—time to teach him another lesson!

Silang shivered under Bing Wengu’s gaze, as if a viper were staring him down.

Afraid Silang would get beaten, Liang Shi hurriedly said, "Dalang, don’t take your fourth brother’s words to heart. He’s never been one for tact."

Silang was indignant but didn’t dare confront Bing Wengu. Ever since Bing Wengu disciplined him last time, he’d grown wary of him.

But he would never admit it. He consoled himself—he respected Eldest Brother’s handling of their eldest sister’s situation, so he wouldn’t stoop to his level.

Aunt Bing and the two children returned. Aunt Bing carried a bowl of noodles, the older child held the savory minced pork, and the younger carried a bowl of hot water. Both children handled their tasks like little pros.

Bing Wengu took the bowl and chopsticks, thanked them, and began eating heartily. In the past, the Bing family might have envied the meal, but not anymore. Since Bing Wengu took over supporting the family and Nan Jinping managed the meals, they'd been eating like royalty. They feasted a couple times a week.

Not that Nan Jinping was extravagant—in fact, he secretly worried this lifestyle would plunge the family back into debt.

But Nan Jinping held his tongue. His status as a [shuang'er], and the constant warnings from his mother, Miao Shi of the Nan family, kept him toeing the line and obeying Bing Wengu to avoid being divorced and sent home.

So despite his unease, Nan Jinping strictly followed Bing Wengu’s instructions, ensuring the family ate well. Though he only had three taels to his name—far from enough to sustain feasting like this—he didn’t pinch pennies, adhering faithfully to Bing Wengu’s orders.

Knowing no one went hungry, Bing Wengu didn’t offer to share, only feeding Nan Jinping a bite of scrambled eggs. "Try the eggs. Eldest Sister made them deliciously."

Aunt Bing had also prepared scrambled eggs for Bing Wengu, a dish she’d learned from him. Back when he’d cooked it for Nan Jinping, she’d been too envious to resist asking for the recipe. Remembering Bing Wengu’s preference for stir-fried dishes, she made it specially.

The golden scramble found its way into Nan Jinping’s mouth unexpectedly. He chewed instinctively, the savory richness blooming on his tongue—delicious.

Only after swallowing did he realize the entire Bing family was watching, even his in-laws and the baby. It wasn't proper for him to eat alone.

Nan Jinping quickly said, "I already ate. I’m not hungry, Dalang. You have it."

"You’ve gotten too thin. Eat more." Bing Wengu fed him another bite of noodles, this time with minced meat.

This made the women nearby seething with jealousy.

Look at this man—he comes back after enduring hardships on the road, barely notices his own weight loss, yet still sees that his spouse has gotten thinner.

The problem is, Nan Jinping hasn’t lost weight at all. In fact, since marrying into the Nan family, he’s been eating well and not having to work, so he’s actually gained weight.

But the moment Bing Wengu returned, he insisted his spouse had gotten thinner. What does that mean? It means Bing Wengu dotes on his spouse, with his heart and eyes full of him.

Now look at their own men—every time they eat, they don’t even lift their heads or glance around. The women couldn’t help but feel irritated.

Zhou Shi, being a gentle soul by nature, didn’t resort to violence but simply cut Bing Erlang a sideways look, leaving him utterly baffled.

Bing Sanlang secretly felt relieved that Qian Shi wasn’t there to see this. Qian Shi was no meek woman—she was feisty and would’ve smacked him for sure.

Aunt Bing wasn’t bitter. Though the man she married was neither considerate nor gentle—even abusive—she was fortunate to have a supportive birth family. When life with her in-laws became unbearable, her parents were willing to take her and her daughter in, providing them with good food and care. That was something many women in this world could only dream of.

So instead of feeling jealous, Aunt Bing was genuinely happy for her younger brother and his spouse, sincerely praying they could stay this blissful forever.

As the only bachelor left, Bing Silang suddenly found himself no longer craving food. Instead, his stomach felt oddly full, as if he’d already eaten, and even a bit grossed out.

Liang Shi, being a woman too, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. She shot a sidelong glance at the man beside her—she’d suffered alongside him all her life, yet he’d never shown such tenderness.

As for the man being silently blamed—Bing’s father—he didn’t even notice. His mind was already wandering to the cowshed, mentally grumbling why Da Lang was eating so slowly. Once Da Lang finished, he planned to go out and check out the new ox.

Realizing her husband hadn’t noticed a thing, Liang Shi suppressed her frustration. Oh well, she already knew what kind of oaf he was—they’d spent a lifetime together. Getting angry now was far too late.

Still, it made her wonder—why hadn’t she noticed before that her eldest son was such a doting spouse?

Meanwhile, with the chopsticks right in front of him, Nan Jinping’s face burned red. He didn’t know whether to eat or refuse.

Seeing the two of them playing chopstick tug-of-war, Liang Shi couldn’t take it anymore. "Jin Geer, just eat with Da Lang."

Only then did Nan Jinping take a bite. Bing Sanniang, watching her eldest brother and his spouse sharing a single pair of chopsticks—taking turns bite by bite—found it such a pain. She dashed outside to fetch another set. "Brother-in-law, use this."

"Thank you," Nan Jinping whispered, his face still flushed.

"No need to be polite, Brother-in-law," Bing Sanniang said, quite pleased with her helpfulness—until she met her eldest brother’s murderous look.

She felt wronged but didn’t dare speak up or ask why.

Bing Wulang, sensing the situation, pulled his twin sister aside and scolded her in a hushed voice, "Why do you have to be so dense?"

Bing Sanniang’s eyes brimmed with tears. "How am I dense? I even went out of my way to get him chopsticks! Sharing one pair is such a hassle!"

Bing Wulang rolled his eyes hard. "Oh, sure, you’re the genius here—no one else in the whole room moved. Do you think Big Bro and Brother-in-law are really just eating food?"

Bing Sanniang grew even more confused. "If they’re not eating, then what are they doing?"

"It’s called flirting."

The straightforward Bing Sanniang had no idea what "flirting" meant. She just felt aggrieved—why did eating have to be so extra? Scholars were such a hassle.

Bing Wulang thought he’d spoken softly, but the whole room heard him clearly. Nan Jinping’s face turned red as a beet, his ears practically glowing.

Bing Wengu, however, approved—this kid might be young, but he had street smarts.

For Bing Wengu, this meal was a feast for the heart. But for Nan Jinping, it was pure misery—his face never stopped burning, making it the longest meal of his life.

After dinner, with most of the talking done, Liang Shi knew Bing Wengu must be exhausted from his journey and shooed him off to rest. The rest of the Bing family, however, didn’t disperse—they all rushed to the cowshed to check out the new ox.

The rest of the Bing family had noticed Bing Wengu's two large trunks. They were huge—no way they were just packed with books. That’d be way too many books! There must be other things inside, like food or daily necessities. Bing Wengu had always been open-handed with the family, so they were all waiting for him to distribute the goods. But even after the meal, when Liang Shi dismissed everyone, Bing Wengu still hadn’t mentioned it. By then, they knew it wasn’t in the cards.

The Bing family, including Liang Shi, felt somewhat disappointed, but no one dared to say anything. They had already begun to understand Bing Wengu’s temperament—what he gave, you could take. But if he didn’t offer it, you absolutely couldn’t ask for it.

Bing Sanlang was also fascinated by the ox cart. No farmer could pass up something like that. He followed the others to the ox shed to take a closer look.

Qian Shi, sitting inside the house, had already heard about the ox. She was itching with curiosity. Earlier, when the Bings had all entered the house, she had peeked through a crack in the door for a long time. Now that Bing Wengu had returned to his room, she couldn’t hold back any longer and rushed out to see the ox.

Qian Shi sidled up to Bing Sanlang and whispered, "Did Big Brother really buy this ox cart outright? He didn’t just rent it, did he?"

"No," Bing Sanlang replied absentmindedly, his attention fixed on the cart. "Big Brother said he bought it outright, and it even came with a carriage compartment. That compartment alone looks like it’s worth a few hundred coins."

Qian Shi frowned. "Tch, just how much silver did Big Brother walk away with back then? How could he afford to splurge like this? Buying an ox cart—it doesn’t make sense."

"How would I know?" Bing Sanlang shrugged her off.

Qian Shi muttered to herself, "If I’d known Big Brother still had silver, I would’ve asked for more when we divided the family property. Talk about a raw deal."

Her grumbling was so quiet that none of the Bings heard her clearly, not even Bing Sanlang standing right beside her.

Nan Jinping was also quite taken with the ox. No farm family could turn down an ox like this.

But clearly, Bing Wengu was more important than any ox. Biting back his curiosity, Nan Jinping stuck close to Bing Wengu as they returned to their room.

Bing Wengu felt rather smug about having won Nan Jinping’s attention over an ox. He figured his charm was really something.