Lin Xiuqing noticed his movement and understood his intentions, promptly turning her back to him.
Ye Yaodong placed his hand on her waist and softly said by her ear, "Aqing, why don’t we sleep a little later? It’s only a bit past seven. Still early."
"Early? I have to wake up early tomorrow for work. You sleep your own sleep."
As his own wife, how could she refuse him? Ye Yaodong decided to take matters into his own hands.
Feeling conflicted, Lin Xiuqing bit her lip, wanting to refuse but finding it hard to do so.
If only she hadn’t eaten earlier! Ye Yaodong teased her for a while, then turned her body to face him and gently leaned over.
"Hurry up," she said.
"Got it!"
After a bit of busy movement, just when Ye Yaodong was fully engaged, he furrowed his brows, caught between pain and pleasure, and couldn't help but curse internally.
Damn!
"Are you done?"
Seeing her incredulous eyes and surprised tone, a hint of embarrassment crept onto his face.
"But you told me to hurry!"
Lin Xiuqing was speechless.
"If you’re done, then get off and lie back in your position."
He felt the need to explain, “I’ve been a bit tired lately. Let me rest for a moment, then I'll come back!”
He had just been eating and drinking daily without doing any labor.
How could he even claim to be tired? She didn’t want to deal with him and pushed him away.
Ye Yaodong felt his pride had taken a blow!
It had been over a decade since he had been with a woman.
Suddenly returning to his youth, it felt normal to be excited, right?
While he was still wrapped up in his unsatisfactory emotions, Lin Xiuqing had already tidied up, put on her vest and shorts, and lay down next to their two sons.
"What are you lying there for? Come over here and sleep together!"
"Uh? Go over? It’s been a while since we slept together."
"Did you hear me? Come over here!"
"Is it because I didn’t perform well? Didn’t you tell me to hurry?"
Lin Xiuqing felt her head throb.
What nonsense was he talking?
"Be quiet and sleep!"
"I can’t sleep. You come over, let’s talk!"
"Let’s talk during the day!"
"You won’t have time during the day. Either you’re with the kids or making fishing nets. Tomorrow we need to go to the sea again, hurry over…"
It sounded like it was all her fault.
Who was it that stayed out all day?
"Come on, come over~"
"If you won’t come, I’ll lie over there instead."
Seeing she remained silent and unresponsive, Ye Yaodong had no choice but to crawl over to her.
"What are you doing? Are you annoying? Why don’t you just sleep over there? Why keep shifting around?" she said, glaring at him impatiently.
So annoying! What was wrong with him tonight? Why did he want to talk to her at this hour? Couldn’t he leave her in peace for a while?
Ye Yaodong lay next to her, wrapping his arms around her, inhaling her faint scent of soap, feeling somewhat at ease.
"Are you hot? Is it cramped? It’s hot summer, we shouldn’t be so close. I’ll lie at the other end."
"No need, it’s quite cool with the window open. It’s not hot at all."
Back then, there wasn’t even an air conditioner and they didn’t even have a fan.
But the countryside was pretty cool, and they could just wave a hand fan.
Lin Xiuqing slapped his hand on her waist, but Ye Yaodong wouldn’t let go, placing a foot on her, pinning her down so she couldn't escape.
"What are you doing? It’s late; what kind of nonsense is this? Can’t you let someone sleep?"
"Let’s sleep a bit later."
"You’re not doing any work; I still have to wake up early! Stop bothering me!"
"I’m working! Tomorrow I’ll go with you to the sea and help look after the kids, okay?"
He could be trusted like a ghost! He barely watched the kids for a bit this afternoon before sneaking away.
How could he even mention that?
"Don’t touch me, stop it!" Lin Xiuqing grabbed his wandering hand, knowing he didn’t just want to snuggle and talk.
"Hey, be good, don’t wake the kids! If you do, you’ll have to calm them down for half the night!"
At this remark, she didn’t dare struggle.
It had been difficult enough to get them to sleep.
If they woke up again, she would collapse.
All she could do was feel gloomy and go along with him.
Ye Yaodong was pleased by her restraint and suggested, "Let’s switch places. Let’s lie at the other end to avoid waking the kids."
She didn’t want to move!
If she didn’t move, he just pulled her up!
Lin Xiuqing slapped his paw away, glancing at their restless son, and had no choice but to glare at him, reluctantly shifting toward the foot of the bed.
Now he had gained the upper hand!
But the bed creaked, which annoyed him…
Turning in bed was fine, but the sound was becoming a bit repetitive…
Lin Xiuqing bit her lip.
"Can you be quieter?"
"I’m already trying my best to be quiet…"
This old bed frame was like that.
It creaked at every little movement.
Occasionally it would creak when turning over, and he could accept that, but this was driving him a bit mad!
He could only hastily wrap things up…
Damn!
He needed to earn money to buy a proper bed!
If this went on, he felt it would affect his ability!
"Stop dawdling. At this rate, even the children might wake up!" After Lin Xiuqing saw he was done, she couldn’t help but mumble.
“It’s you who complains I’m too fast. You also complain I’m too noisy. And now you’re complaining I take too long. You’re really difficult to please, you know that?” Ye Yaodong teased, giving her a playful pinch.
"Get off, sleep on your side. I’ll sleep with the two kids."
"Let’s sleep together!"
Trapped in his hold, Lin Xiuqing was infuriated.
She opened her mouth to curse him only to remember not to wake the kids, so she swallowed her words.
With a heart full of reluctance, she could only lie down with him.
Yet Ye Yaodong felt quite satisfied!
In his past life, after his wife passed away, he suddenly realized that at fifty years old, without even two hundred coins to his name, he had no ability or thought of remarrying, living alone for over a decade.
After all, he had been drifting at sea, returning to the village only during the fishing off-seasons.
Without a wife, it didn’t matter much; he had already reached a certain age.
But now, he felt a sense of fulfillment as if he had something that had been lost, returned to him.
"Aqing, once we split up the family, let’s live a good life together!"
Lin Xiuqing rolled her eyes.
"So you won’t plan on living well till we split, huh? Don’t use laziness as an excuse."
"No, I’m speaking from the heart."
She closed her eyes, not wanting to discuss this with him.
After so many years, she was already deeply disappointed.
Whether good or bad, her life had turned out this way, and she was resigned to live with it!
Seeing she wasn’t in the mood to talk, Ye Yaodong didn’t press.
Time reveals people's true hearts.
He believed that no matter what, he couldn’t make life any worse.
Gently stroking her face, he said softly, “Sleep now.”
Closing his eyes, he felt he hadn’t slept long before the cries of a child calling for their mother woke him up.
His wife immediately got up.
Before long, she tossed the blankets from both children onto the side table, and took the blanket from him to cover the kids.
"Did they wet the bed?"
"Yeah!"
"This little brat, tomorrow I’ll give him a piece of my mind!"
His wish to hold his wife and sleep until dawn evaporated on the first night.
(End of Chapter)