Zhou Yueshen's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

He just watched her.

Her slender hands held the bowl, and as she lowered her head slightly to drink, the bow at her chest remained untied, revealing the delicate skin of her neck.

Her fair skin was dotted with kisses, and though he couldn't see further, he knew that underneath, it was no less marked.

Not a patch of skin had been spared.

Thinking about last night, Zhou Yueshen's throat tightened. He restrained himself, forcing his gaze away, though his dark eyes grew even deeper.

"What else do you want to eat?"

Si Nian stopped drinking and shook her head slightly. "Nothing more."

Just as Zhou Yueshen was about to say something, the door handle turned from the outside, and a pair of small hands pushed it open.

The door swung with little Yaoyao's small body. Unsteady on her feet, she clutched the door handle and toddled in with wide, eager eyes.

"Mama, Mama~" Yaoyao rubbed her eyes, her hair tousled, and walked over to Si Nian, reaching up to be held.

The little girl had been somewhat neglected in the past few days, as everyone had been busy with the wedding preparations. Her two older brothers had been taking care of her.

Now, with her brothers at school and no one to play with, she had naturally found her way to Si Nian's room.

Si Nian wanted to pick her up, but moving made her body ache.

Zhou Yueshen stood up, lifted his daughter, and placed her on the bed.

Yaoyao immediately crawled into Si Nian's arms, her big, beautiful eyes looking at her with attachment.

In that moment, Si Nian felt as if this little one was truly her own child.

The subtle feeling softened her heart immensely.

She had indeed been busy these past few days and had somewhat neglected the little one.

Since she and Zhou Yueshen had shared a room, the children had been sleeping with their brothers.

She hadn't expected Yaoyao to come looking for her.

She gently patted the little girl's back. "Does Yaoyao want to sleep with Mama?"

Yaoyao, clinging to her, nodded sleepily.

Little children often need a lot of sleep. When Si Nian had free time, she would nap with Yaoyao, creating a habit. Usually, Yaoyao would fall asleep quickly, but today she had fought off sleep to find her.

Si Nian's heart melted; the little one hadn't been doted on in vain.

Seeing this, Zhou Yueshen stood up.

"Then sleep a bit more. I'll go downstairs and tidy up."

Si Nian nodded, feeling still somewhat tired. She snuggled back under the soft covers with little Yaoyao.

She had to admit, the wool blankets of this era were much more comfortable than the ones in the future, incredibly soft to the touch.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

Zhou Yueshen watched the mother and child for a moment, adjusted the blanket, and then took the bowl and left the room.

When Si Nian woke up again, it was already afternoon.

Yaoyao, who usually played quietly by herself after waking up, was calmly staying at home.

As soon as Si Nian went downstairs, she saw the little girl feeding a large cabbage to the rabbits.

In a short time, the rabbits had grown considerably.

They were now plump and looked extremely cute.

Their mouths moved adorably as they nibbled on the cabbage, which Yaoyao could watch for a long time without getting bored.

Si Nian didn't see Zhou Yueshen and thought he must have gone out for something.

She had been worried that the house would be a mess when she got up.

After all, they hadn't completely cleaned up after the previous night's festivities.

But now, everything was already tidied up. The yard had been washed clean, smelling only of fresh earth.

Inside, the house had also been cleaned, everything neat and orderly.

Si Nian found herself with nothing to do.

The weather wasn't great today; it felt like it was starting to get colder, with a chilly breeze blowing.

Si Nian wrapped her clothes tighter around herself and was about to call Yaoyao inside when she heard someone knocking on the iron gate.

She turned her head and saw it was one of the women who had come to help yesterday.

She walked over and asked, "Sister Zhu, are you looking for me?"

The woman, about the same age as Si Nian, had a child on her back.

She looked a bit embarrassed as she said, "Si Nian, I wanted to buy something from you."

"Buy something?" Si Nian was puzzled.

Sister Zhu nodded. "My kid brought your mung bean cakes home yesterday, and all the other kids are clamoring for more. I can't make them, and my child is making a fuss, so I thought I'd come over and buy some from you."

Thinking about Si Nian's mung bean cakes, Sister Zhu couldn't help but swallow. The sweet and soft mung bean cakes were a hit not only with the kids but even with adults.

With so many people around yesterday, she had only tasted a small piece, and she still remembered the delicious flavor.

At home, with so many children, when the eldest brought the cakes home, the younger siblings cried and demanded more.

She had no choice but to come to Si Nian's house, hoping to buy some with money.

The village had a small general store, but it mostly sold junk food. She felt that spending money on those snacks wasn't worthwhile. It was better to buy Si Nian's homemade mung bean cakes.

Si Nian was a bit surprised but then smiled. "Oh, it's about the mung bean cakes? Let me check. I think I still have some left."

She had made a lot, thinking there would be many children at the wedding. The cakes were delicious but could become cloying if eaten in large quantities, so she hadn't put out too many yesterday. There should still be some in stock.

She went inside, wrapped a small bag of cakes in newspaper, and handed it to Sister Zhu.

Mung bean cakes were dense, and even though the bag looked small, it was quite heavy.

Sister Zhu immediately became flustered and waved her hand. "No, no, I don't need so much. Just two pieces will be fine."

She was concerned about the cost. In the city, such pastries were prohibitively expensive, and under normal circumstances, they wouldn't indulge in such luxuries.

If it weren't for Si Nian's skill, she wouldn't have come to buy any. She just wanted a little bit for the kids to taste, not a large amount. It wasn't that she didn't want more, but she simply couldn't afford it. Families in the village lived frugally, and such extravagance was beyond their means.

Si Nian smiled. "It's not much, really. Take it. I still have plenty at home."

"No, no, it's too much. I don't have that much money. Si Nian, just give me five cents' worth, I, I don't have that much money on me," Sister Zhu said, her face turning red.

Si Nian shook her head. "I don't want your money. You helped me out yesterday, so I feel indebted. This little bit of mung bean cakes is nothing."

"But, but I can't accept this. I'm really embarrassed."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. If you feel awkward, you can pay me back with green beans. If the kids like them, bring over some extra green beans tomorrow, and I'll make you more cakes," Si Nian added.

Upon hearing this, Sister Zhu didn't know what to say and quickly expressed her thanks.

After Sister Zhu's reminder, Si Nian thought that maybe she could indeed make some pastries at home to sell when she had nothing else to do.