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

During dinner, He Wuyang mentioned something: the son of the very fierce person who caused trouble at her house last time broke his leg while going to the toilet last night.

Ye Xiaoxiao lowered her head and ate her meal, pondering, "Isn't that Zhao Chunhua's son?"

As expected, evil deeds are punished. Losing a leg was too lenient for him; he should have been paralyzed from the waist down!

As if thinking of something, she inadvertently looked up at the person who hadn't returned home all night. She saw him eating his meal calmly and unhurriedly, without anything unusual about him.

She couldn't help but wonder if she was overthinking things.

The next second, He Jing casually muttered to himself: I regret it. I should have broken both of his legs.

Ye Xiaoxiao: !!!

So, the reason He Jing didn't return home last night was because he went to the next village, broke someone's leg, and then went to hunt a wild boar.

Is he taking revenge for himself?

As she pondered, Ye Xiaoxiao felt as if the sweetness of the candied hawthorn she had eaten before the meal had quietly crept into her heart.

After the meal, Mother He thought that her health was slowly improving and she could do some work to supplement the family income.

She looked at her son and daughter-in-law and said:

“I plan to embroider some things so you can take them to town to sell. We can’t rely on just the two of you to support this family.”

Ye Xiaoxiao advised, "Mother, although you are feeling better, you are still very weak and need time to recover. Besides, embroidery is mentally and physically taxing, and it's not good for your health."

Hearing Ye Xiaoxiao's words, He's mother felt a warm current flow through her heart.

There's something else she didn't mention: there are five people in her family, but only two rooms. They're saving up to build another room for the young couple. How can a couple sleep in separate rooms?

She's noticed it recently; her son... seems to have finally come to his senses.

Hearing what He's mother was thinking, Ye Xiaoxiao's dark eyes flashed with light, and she swallowed hard, which was quite pathetic. This... is a bit dangerous!

Mother He continued, "I know you care about me, Xiao Xiao, but He Jing's studies have been delayed for too long, and Wu You and Wu Yang are long past the age of starting their education. There will be many places where we need money later."

Ye Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered that He Jing in her previous life had risen to the position of a court official through the imperial examination.

However, he hasn't been seen reading any books for a long time.

"He Jing, what do you think?"

Her eyes, bright as shooting stars, gazed at the man opposite her.

As the candlelight flickered, his expression was gentle.

"We'll talk about embroidery once Mother is better. As for my imperial examination, there are still more than two years until the provincial examination, so there's no rush. As for Wuyou and the other two's early education, I'll teach them when I have time."

Ye Xiaoxiao thought that retaking the exam wouldn't be a big problem for him, after all, he had a cheat code.

......

The next day, while Ye Xiaoxiao was still asleep, she vaguely heard noises outside.

Upon opening the door, one could see He Jing holding a twig, writing something in the courtyard, each stroke revealing a sharp and forceful style.

It rained yesterday. The soil on the ground is still wet, but it's not easy to write characters with strong, vigorous strokes. This shows that He Jing's skill is extraordinary.

He Wuyou, standing to the side, had a meticulous expression on her small face as she carefully looked at the words on the ground and silently memorized them.

When He Jing saw Ye Xiaoxiao come out, he threw down the branch he was holding and said, "Practice it a few times yourself, and then teach Ayang after you've mastered it."

After saying that, he walked towards the kitchen.

After Ye Xiaoxiao finished washing up, she saw He Wuyou writing a few large characters crookedly on the ground.

She walked over and patted his head: "Wuyou, write well. I'll buy you paper, pens, and ink in a few days."

Upon hearing that he could use pen and ink, He Wuyou's eyes lit up, and he began to write even more diligently.

Taking advantage of the break, Ye Xiaoxiao went and cut some fresh cypress branches.

She plans to use the remaining wild boar meat to make smoked meat, which she will then sell to restaurants, estimating it will be a good source of income.

The meat was carefully marinated yesterday, and we're just waiting to prepare the ingredients for smoking.

Ye Xiaoxiao walked to the riverbank, picked up a large machete, and chopped off five or six slightly larger cypress branches, as well as some smaller branches.

Cypress branches have a refreshing and pleasant fragrance, and using them to smoke cured meat can greatly enhance its flavor.

Slightly damp cypress branches, when burned, produce no open flame. The incomplete combustion of the plant oils within the branches transforms them into tiny particles that adhere to the cured meat. These particles slowly permeate the meat, adding a unique plant aroma.