HBBMAWH Chapter 42

After the sixth day after the Lunar New Year, those shops began to open one after another, and Jiang Manyue's addiction to spending money became stronger, Yan Cai couldn't stop it no matter what he said.

Jiang Manyue had always been more extravagant than Yan Cai, and Yan Cai felt inferior in this regard.

Jiang Manyue would buy anything he saw, especially for the little baby. Yan Cai didn't mind much, but Jiang Manyue bought clothes, toys, and even had a new cradle made.

"But you've bought so much. The baby grows up fast." Yan Cai quietly put several pairs of shoes back. Seeing that Jiang Manyue wanted to take them again, he quickly added, "The ones made outside are not as warm as those made at home."

Jiang Manyue pondered for a moment and nodded, "You're right. Let Hong Yu make them." Clothes and shoes made by Hong Yu were warm, comfortable, and meticulously crafted. Not a single loose thread could be seen, and they felt smooth on the skin.

"Then, should we buy a little hat?" There are two leaves on the baby’s head, which cannot be covered without a hat.

"You've already got all the colors of the rainbow..." Yan Cai said dryly, "Babies grow fast, and the hat will soon be too small."

It was only when Jiang Manyue finally gave up that Yan Cai breathed a sigh of relief. However, the spendthrift Jiang Manyue didn't stop; he wanted to buy clothes for Yan Cai. It would have been fine if Jiang Manyue bought for himself, Yan Cai really didn't need it. Jiang Manyue had already bought him a lot of clothes before.

Thinking that many of the clothes at home had only been worn once, Yan Cai dragged Jiang Manyue out of the store.

Yan Cai was strong, and with Jiang Manyue holding the child, Yan Cai could easily drag them away. In full view of everyone. A faint blush appeared on Jiang Manyue's face. He glanced around, fortunately, not many people noticed, but he still felt embarrassed.

He must practice more when he goes back, otherwise he will one day be overturned by Yan Cai even in bed.

Yan Cai retracted his hands, looking innocent. He didn't mean to; he just had a bit more strength.

People from an apocalypse exhibit distinct spending habits compared to those from an aristocratic family. Considering Jiang Manyue's spending habits, Yan Cai would feel distressed every day, as if losing chunks of flesh from his body.

Raising a child was too expensive. Like most parents, Yan Cai began to contemplate the costs of raising a child from infancy to adulthood. Apart from the basics like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, education costs were also a considerable expense. Pens, ink, paper, inkstones, and books are not cheap. Once Qingke started school, there would be fees to pay. In the future, they would have to buy a house for Qingke as well...

The property prices here are not cheap, and if they want to purchase some land, it will add up to at least tens of thousands of taels. With a family to support, Yan Cai immediately perked up as if injected with chicken blood.

They needed to make money. However, he seemed to have forgotten completely about the treasure in the lake. When Jiang Manyue casually asked him about it, Yan Cai shook his head like a rattle.

"No, no, no."

When asked why, he couldn't give any reason.

"Anyway, it's not possible. Didn't we agree that this money is kept for emergencies, and we won't use it unless absolutely necessary?"

Caressing his face, Jiang Manyue just smiled faintly, as if indicating complete acceptance of any of his actions. Yan Cai couldn't help but blush.

Lu Ting loves tea and takes care of tea trees much more meticulously than Yan Cai. The workers under his command listened to his instructions and worked diligently, watering, fertilizing, and pruning without missing anything.

This time, Yan Cai didn't use a lot of his ability to stimulate growth, just a bit of nurturing. To avoid drawing too much attention, and besides, good things had to be scarce to be valuable.

Scarcity enhances value; by suppressing production, prices can be raised.

His idea was to turn his products into high-quality products. When he mentioned this idea to Jiang Manyue, Jiang Manyue readily agreed, so there was no need to be too tired. This way, their target customers were set to be the noble households who could spend lavishly.

Therefore, the quantity and quality of the tea this time were intentionally controlled.

It's not as good as the one sold to Lin Shu before, but still excellent, and the price was much lower. He didn't need to monitor it every day, freeing up Yan Cai's energy.

Now, his main focus was all on chili peppers. Yan Cai wasn't good at breeding, so he consulted some experienced vegetable growers. They shared methods for seedling cultivation, and Yan Cai applied these techniques to grow chili peppers.

After preparing a few acres of land, planting, watering, and using his ability to nurture, he waited for the seedlings to emerge. Yan Cai didn't make the chili seedlings grow during the day; instead, he did it at night when others weren't paying attention.

Of course, he didn't do anything too extreme, just slightly promoted the germination of the chili. To sustain continuous development, it wouldn't be possible to rely entirely on his abilities. Otherwise, he would be exhausted working alone.

Once the seedlings were nurtured and grown, there would be no need for his abilities. That's why Yan Cai didn't intervene too much with the tea leaves this time.

The moon was dark and the wind was high, and he really looked like a thief. When he turned around, a tall black figure stood behind him, which startled Yan Cai.

"You scared me to death." Yan Cai squatted halfway down on the ground, patting his chest. Facing the father and son, both of whom were looking at him with tilted heads.

His heart thumped, bang bang.

What's with the cute act? It's fine for the Qingke who have an inherent advantage of being young. However, for someone who's already a father at this age, celebrating another birthday during the New Year, it’s absolutely forbidden to act cute.

"You didn't come back for a while, so I came to see you."

Yan Cai opened his arms to take his son, but his hands were muddy. Too dirty. He retracted his hands and the two of them walked back shoulder to shoulder.

The road was flattened by the house servants, and there wasn't even a single weed blocking the way. It was as if all the wild plants obediently made way. The two walked side by side, chatting and occasionally making eye contact, with their shoulders close together.

After reaching home and shaking off the mud from their feet, Yan Cai went to wash his hands and then picked up his son. This was life, repeating the ordinary and simple day by day.

The next day, when the house servants who came to work saw that the crops in the field had already sprouted, they didn't have a particularly strong reaction.

Nothing strange, no expressions on their faces, they just followed Yan Cai's instructions to water the plants.

After about ten days, small seedlings grew, and it was time to transplant the chili seedlings. Some of them didn't go through the normal planting order, having been grown by Yan Cai's ability.

The chili fields that were transplanted, row by row, were neatly done, and Yan Cai praised them incessantly. These individuals were all quite good, diligent in their work, not talkative, and handled tasks beautifully. He was very satisfied.

More than half a month later, the pepper trees began to bear fruit. They were still green, not red, but very beautiful. Seeing the fresh green peppers, Yan Cai roughly confirmed that they resembled screw peppers.

Stir-frying screw peppers directly with green peppers was very delicious.

He picked a small basket full and brought it back to let Hong Yu try cooking it first. After this period of time, Hong Yu had already developed a liking for the taste of chili. In their household, chili was an essential spice, but eating it directly... Hong Yu was a bit skeptical.

No one would eat a whole bowl of stir-fried Sichuan peppercorns, right?

Hong Yu bit the bullet and followed Yan Cai's instructions to fry the chilies. The pungent and spicy aroma emanating from the kitchen filled the entire courtyard, making Jiang Manyue's eyes turn red, and he started coughing violently. Yan Cai quickly pushed him into the room.

Damn, there's someone who's particularly afraid of spicy food.

"Are you okay?" Yan Cai looked at Jiang Manyue with great concern. His eyes were red and moist. Yan Cai hoped he wouldn't cry from the spiciness; that would be his fault.

On the other hand, their son seemed unaffected by the spicy smell at all. Indeed, let him be; his body was strong.

"I'm fine." Jiang Manyue gulped down a glass of water. Normally graceful, his drinking motion now appeared much rougher.

"I won't make this dish again." Yan Cai handed a damp towel to Jiang Manyue and wiped his eyes. He couldn't neglect Jiang Manyue's dislike for spicy food just because he enjoyed it.

"No need, you go ahead and eat." Jiang Manyue smiled. "It's not a big deal."

However, even if Jiang Manyue said it so nonchalantly, Yan Cai couldn't eat the tiger skin chili that he liked without feeling burdened..

Usually, Jiang Manyue was very accommodating with his dietary preferences. Since learning that Yan Cai liked spicy food, almost all the dishes at home had chili in them. Yan Cai had told Hong Yu a few times to make some dishes without chili, but most of the time, the table was still filled with spicy dishes.

It turned out that not only had Yan Cai privately instructed Hong Yu, but Jiang Manyue had also told Hong Yu to cater to Yan Cai's taste. Faced with the instructions of both masters, Hong Yu hesitated for a moment and chose to follow Jiang Manyue's instructions.

For this kind of thing, it’s better to listen to Young Master Manyue.

Unable to help it, Yan Cai had to order dishes in advance with Hong Yu, often selecting non-spicy dishes like steamed fish and braised pork to balance the table with non-spicy options.

Gradually, non-spicy dishes began to claim their share of the dining table. Jiang Manyue's palate was clearly pickier than Yan Cai's. Although he had a light preference for flavors, he avoided certain foods for various reasons – unable to eat spicy, unable to eat sweet, unable to eat sour, and unwilling to eat bitter.

"It's not good to be picky about food."

Yan Cai spoke with great seriousness and earnestness. The response he received was a gentle collision, and Yan Cai's face blushed again.

Always blushing is not good. He began to suspect if he had contracted a "blushing disease."

When the chili peppers began bearing red fruits, they harvested a batch to dry for better storage. Carrying a basket of dried chili peppers, they went to Fuman Tower to sell them to Lin Shu.

If Lin Shu was satisfied after seeing them, they could continue discussing future matters.

Upon seeing Yan Cai, Lin Shu knew something good was happening and warmly greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hey, Brother Yan, come sit and have some tea." However, before the word "tea" could settle, he slapped his forehead and changed his words. "The tea here, besides yours, I reckon you won't fancy it. Come, let's try the new products in our shop."

The latter half of the sentence was directed at the attendants in the shop. Yan Cai originally wanted to say that he didn't care about the quality of the tea. He was just an ordinary person, and even if there was good tea at home, it didn't make much difference to him.

As long as it was tea, he quite liked drinking it. However, Lin Shu mentioned having a new product, so Yan Cai respectfully agreed without declining.

Lin Shu's store boasts a pleasant ambiance, and it consistently introduces new and unique dishes. The establishment is always exploring ideas for innovative and distinctive additions to their menu.

While entertaining Yan Cai, Lin Shu completely ignored Jiang Manyue, who was following behind Yan Cai. Jiang Manyue's expression turned very gloomy. He had long been dissatisfied with this little pretty boy.

However, Yan Cai always treats him like a brother. It is precisely because of this reason that even though Jiang Manyue has reservations about Lin Shu, he has never stopped Yan Cai from coming here.

If he plays some tricks and says a few bad things about that pretty boy, Yan Cai will definitely side with him, then turn around and leave without saying a word.

Jiang Manyue didn't do this because of the words "brotherly affection." Not because the mutual calling of brothers made him feel at ease, but because Yan Cai rarely had friends.

Yan Cai had confessed his origins to him. He had almost no friends before, and that stinky fox was one of the few friends he had. Because the fox was a friend, Jiang Manyue, despite hating the sly creature, allowed it to be kept in the house.

Of course, that fox would never be allowed into the bedroom. Jiang Manyue was very sensitive to smells, so Yan Cai could only comfort the little fox with a few extra chicken legs. There was no choice; his husband was too possessive and jealous!

Jiang Manyue hoped Yan Cai could have more friends.

He may be possessive, but he hopes Yan Cai wouldn't be lonely. Therefore, Jiang Manyue never stopped Yan Cai from becoming friends with Lin Shu. He just coldly watched that little pretty boy he didn't like.

The pretty boy doesn't seem to like him either. From the first time they met, he has been completely ignoring him. Fortunately, Jiang Manyue also paid him no attention. He didn't care how the little pretty boy ignored him. The first thing Yan Cai thought of was him anyway.

Jiang Manyue lowered his head and gently shook the baby: "Baby, do you think it's true? Your father likes me the most and doesn't like that pretty boy at all."

As for Lin Shu's new product, Yan Cai only took one look and found it very familiar. In a beautiful blue-and-white porcelain cup, apricot-colored milk swirled, and the rich milky fragrance was irresistible as soon as it was served.

It’s the sweetness that Yan Cai likes.

Yan Cai's taste is completely opposite to Jiang Manyue's. He eats spicy food, sweet food, and sour food. It could be said that his preferences were quite heavy.

When he saw his eyes light up, Lin Shu knew instantly that Yan Cai would love this tea. Since Yan Cai's tea had become popular in their shop, he started exploring other ways to consume tea. This time, he focused on researching black tea, learned from a foreigner.

The women who came to their shop seemed to love this taste.

Yan Cai… should also love sweet things.

The temperature was moderate, so Yan Cai directly drank a little. The taste was excellent, pure, and not too sweet. He glanced at the small stack of white sugar placed beside it, probably prepared for customers to add themselves.

Since it wasn't too sweet, the first person Yan Cai thought of was Jiang Manyue. Anything he considered good, he wanted to share with Jiang Manyue.

"It tastes great. Try it; it's not too sweet." Yan Cai lifted the cup and brought it to Jiang Manyue's lips. Although Jiang Manyue wasn't a fan of sweets, the intimacy of sharing made him feel comfortable. When he saw a certain single man's gaze, he felt even more content.

Their son pouted, appearing extremely eager. However, neither of his two fathers considered him.

With a pout, their son strategically feigned crying. Yan Cai promptly slammed the milk bottle onto his face. This bottle was handmade by Yan Cai and Jiang Manyue.

The bottle's spout was made using a plant that secreted a gelatinous substance, similar to rubber trees, but Yan Cai didn't know the name of the plant. The bottle body was crafted from ceramic, covered with a layer of cloth for insulation.

it was much more convenient when going out. Otherwise, it would be challenging to bring their son out; you never knew when he would suddenly feel hungry.

Because they hadn't taken their son out before, Lin Shu only just realized that they actually had a child. Single man Lin Shu was truly shocked.

Their relationship was so good. Did one of them go out and have a child? It didn't seem likely in this situation. Perhaps they adopted one.

Lin Shu sized up their son. Compared to when he was born, the Qingke had already grown quite a bit. Lin Shu sometimes felt he resembled Yan Cai, sometimes Jiang Manyue. In the end, a terrifying thought popped into his head.

Could this be their biological child?

Lin Shu shivered at the idea, finding his imagination a bit terrifying. If these two grown men could have children, he would not be a bachelor until now. Although Lin Shu looks young, he is actually several years older than Jiang Manyue.

The suspicious look in Lin Shu's eyes couldn't escape the two men. However, their attitude indicated that it was Lin Shu's business to figure out.

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