"Get going, Grandmother Ye. Stop shouting."

The villagers helped her get up from the ground and carried her away from the scene as she continued talking rudely.

They felt that she would not win even if the ruckus continued.

Worse, she might lose the forty wen offered to her!

Ye Yang watched them go before returning to the yard.

"Is she gone?" Aunt Li asked.

She heaved a sigh of relief when Ye Yang nodded in confirmation. "If she comes back again, let's not waste any more breath and just set Xiaomeng on her!"

She might have felt that Hei Xiaoming was quite scary when it bit Grandmother Ye, but the threat had worked.

At least it showed that they were not pushovers to be taken advantage of at any time.

They should put the loyal family dog to good use when the need arose!

Hei Xiaomeng heard its name and settled itself next to Aunt Li.

"Right, whatever you say," the others laughed.

They stayed to chat a little bit more before Ye Yang and Aunt Li resumed their work. Liu Duo and Ye Ling stayed in the house as villagers would come by to sell tomatoes every once in a while.

Liu Duo sat in her rocking chair and observed Ye Ling with his nose in the account book. She was delighted by what she saw.

Somehow, she had a feeling, an illusion perhaps, that Ye Ling seemed to have become a little more handsome?

Adding on to that, he seemed to be giving off more mature, masculine vibes.

"Duo Er, why are you staring at me like that?" Ye Ling felt her gaze on him and glanced at her curiously. "Is there ink on my face?"

He wiped his cheeks with his sleeves.

"No, I just feel that, since you're going to be a father, you seem to have matured. I can't help but feel a bit more attracted to you." Liu Duo grinned broadly, her dimples showing.

Ye Ling's cheeks flushed red. He smiled and said, "Is that right? Look all you want then, Duo Er. I didn't charge."

Pffft, haha…

Ye Ling laughed along with her. His smile gave off a particularly fuzzy feeling.

Liu Duo felt that Ye Ling had gotten funnier with the way he talked.

She wondered about the baby she was carrying now. Would its personality be more like hers, or the fathers'?

In terms of appearance, she hoped they would resemble the fathers more.

After all, she was not as good-looking as the men were.

Night fell. Aunt Li's family stayed for a little while after dinner before they went home.

"Duo Er, is there anything in particular you'd like to eat? Liu's going to town tomorrow. He can bring some back for you."

"Just name it, Little Duo. We'll buy whatever you want."

Liu Duo, with her hand on her chin, could not think of anything she wanted to eat. But since they cared for her so much, she thought of a dish she had not tasted in a long while.

"I'd like some roasted duck in honey sauce then."

It was actually Peking duck, but they called it something different here.

"Sure, I'll get some tomorrow."

Nearby, Ye Yang was polishing and sharpening the array of weapons he had previously used to hunt. He was getting ready to go hunting in the hills tomorrow, even if it rained.

The sky darkened. They washed themselves and headed upstairs to sleep.

"Little Duo, I'm here." Ye Liu pushed the door open and entered the room, grinning.

It was his turn to sleep with Liu Duo that night.

Liu Duo had been lying on the bed, thinking about her unborn child, when she heard him.