This is terrible! My future prime minister keeps trying to kiss me forcibly.

Ye Xiaoxiao stiffened. She wanted to ask He Jing what he thought of the layout of the house, but she didn't expect that his mind was full of images that were not suitable for children.

but......

She likes it! Hahahaha, hehehe—

Seeing the smile in her eyes that she couldn't hide, He Jing leaned down and gently pecked Ye Xiaoxiao's soft red lips.

Ye Xiaoxiao was a little distracted by his pecking, so she grabbed his neck and stopped He Jing from leaving.

A flicker of surprise crossed He Jing's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a burning lust within them. Unable to contain himself any longer, he pressed one hand against the back of Ye Xiaoxiao's head and viciously pressed it against hers.

The two whispered sweet nothings, their kisses lingering, reluctant to part. A subtle, ambiguous atmosphere permeated the small pavilion on the second floor...

"Ouch! My eye—I have a sty!"

A voice abruptly interrupted their tender moment.

The atmosphere between the two froze for a moment, their movements stiffened, and then they parted as if nothing had happened.

Ye Xiaoxiao looked in the direction the sound came from and saw her neighbor's yard.

Inside the courtyard, a woman was deftly hanging out laundry, occasionally glancing at the two people standing on the opposite building.

"To be all lovey-dovey in broad daylight, aren't you ashamed! Humph!"

Ye Xiaoxiao moved her lips but didn't say anything. It's just a little kiss, right? Humph! She glared at the woman downstairs, then raised her eyebrows defiantly, grabbed He Jing's collar, stood on tiptoe, and gave him a firm kiss on the cheek.

"My man! I can kiss him whenever I want!"

After saying that, she deliberately grabbed He Jing and kissed him hard a few more times.

This was the first time He Jing had seen her act so childishly, and he couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. He smiled and his eyes were full of doting affection as he let her be.

"Ouch—ouch—" The woman from the opposite courtyard cried out again, shaking her head, and quickly walked into the house with the wooden basin in her hand.

Ye Xiaoxiao snorted, turned her head, and pulled He Jing downstairs without saying anything more, pondering in her mind how to arrange and decorate the room after moving in.

Seeing that she remained silent and her expression became somewhat serious, He Jing assumed she was angry.

He spoke cautiously, "Xiao Xiao, are you... are you angry?"

"Huh? What are you angry about?" Ye Xiaoxiao looked at He Jing with her big, innocent eyes.

Her gaze was completely drawn to He Jing's thin lips, which were as red as a honey-colored grapefruit, clean and translucent, with an unparalleled and vibrant color, as if they were about to bleed.

Thinking of the passionate kiss the two had just shared, the man felt an urge to devour him whole.

Ye Xiaoxiao suddenly laughed, her dark eyes seeming to gleam.

At this moment, He Jing possessed a fatal attraction, like a sage flower being pulled down from its pedestal.

He Jing's expression changed slightly; he didn't quite understand why she was so serious one moment and bursting into laughter the next. But one thing he was certain of was that Xiao Xiao wasn't angry.

The two locked the door and left the new house. Ye Xiaoxiao didn't have to see patients today, so they bought some groceries in town and went back.

......

When I got home, I ran into Aunt Wang.

Grandma Wang's family grows a paddy field full of lotus roots. Now the elderly couple are getting old, and Grandpa Wang broke his leg a while ago. Although he has recovered, he can no longer do strenuous physical work.

Aunt Wang came today hoping He Jing would help her dig lotus roots in the paddy field.

The able-bodied men in the village were unwilling to do this hard work; digging lotus roots was much harder than farming.

He Jing's family had received a lot of help from Aunt Wang's family on weekdays, so he readily agreed. After lunch, he picked up his load and went to the fields.

Ye Xiaoxiao had nothing to do in the afternoon, so she went along. Several children also thought digging for puppets was fun and clamored to go, so He Jing led the way, followed by a line of people, a big black dog, and a big white goose.

In late July, the sweltering heat hit us like a blast from the summer sun.

Grandpa Wang's lotus pond isn't very big, but it's still a full half-acre.

The lotus leaves, rising and falling in varying heights, covered the water's surface, a vibrant green. Clusters of pink lotus blossoms nestled among them added to the charm.

He Jing went down into the lotus field first, picked a large, round lotus leaf, and handed it to Ye Xiaoxiao on the bank.

"The sun is strong, wearing this will protect you a bit."

Ye Xiaoxiao took the large, green lotus leaf and put it securely on her head. Sure enough, it made her feel much cooler.

The little kids nearby started yelling and fussing when they saw that He Jing had only picked leaves for Ye Xiaoxiao. Although the lotus pond was full of lotus leaves, it was still a bit difficult to stand on the bank and pick them; if you weren't careful, you would fall in.

Lu Shi'an's voice was the loudest: "Big brother, why are you only picking lotus leaves for your sister-in-law? I want some too!"

He Jing gave him a look that Lu Shi'an could interpret himself.

You know she's my sister-in-law? I love my wife, do you have a problem with that?

Seeing the look in his elder brother's eyes, He Wuyou swallowed the words he wanted to say.

He Wuyang looked at Ye Xiaoxiao with pitiful, doe-like eyes.

"Ah Jing, pick more lotus leaves. We can make beggar's chicken, and the rest can be used to make lotus leaf porridge tomorrow morning."

He Jing had always been accommodating to Ye Xiaoxiao's requests. When he heard her say she wanted to pick more lotus leaves, he knew her true intention was definitely for the sake of these kids.

Sure enough, as soon as he handed her a handful of fresh lotus leaves, the next second, everyone had a lotus leaf on their head, even Xiao Hei.

He Jing looked at the people squatting in neat rows on the ridge of the field, their eyes fixed on him, their faces beaming with joy. He was infected by their smiles and couldn't help but smile as well. He turned around and bent down to touch the lotus root sections buried deep in the mud.

The water was very deep when digging lotus roots, almost up to chest level. You had to wade through the mud, one step at a time, and you could easily slip and fall.

Fortunately, He Jing had helped Grandpa Wang dig lotus roots in previous years, so this task was not difficult for him.

A short while later, he pulled a long and large lotus root from the mud.

Although they grow in dark mud, the lotus roots that are dug up are indeed white and tender.

"Wow--"

Wow—Big brother, you're amazing!

"Ah Jing—you're amazing!"

"Big brother, big brother—the most powerful in the world!"

Cheers and shouts of joy erupted from the edge of the field, which undoubtedly gave He Jing even more motivation. He gradually became engrossed in the praise and dug with even greater enthusiasm.

In previous years, he would dig lotus roots alone in the lotus field, with the scorching sun overhead and the mud of unknown depth beneath his feet. There was not a breath of wind around him, and the heat waves lapped against the water's surface, surging among the lotus leaves.

After half a day, he was exhausted, sunburnt, and thirsty. His back ached terribly, and he couldn't straighten his back. It was truly a miserable experience.

But this year was different. Listening to the laughter and chatter on the shore, he didn't feel tired at all. He only felt the refreshing fragrance of lotus leaves and flowers lingering around his nose.

He casually broke off a lotus seedpod and tossed it onto the edge of the field.

Ye Xiaoxiao smiled broadly as she parted the lotus pods and ate the fresh and delicious lotus seeds with the children, her eyes half-closed in contentment.

"Roar—roar roar—"

The black dog's barking broke the tranquility of the field.

"Roar—roar—roar—"

He Wuyou patted Xiao Hei's head, trying to calm him down, but Xiao Hei kept staring at a certain spot in the lotus field and barking incessantly.