Chapter 11 – There Is a Heat Period?
Gu WenZhu began to explain what had happened.
It turned out that Yu Chengzhi, the man they encountered in the city last time, couldn’t let go of his grudge after returning home. So he set up a banquet, inviting three constables from the county office, asking them to come up with an excuse to arrest Gu WenZhu, beat him, and lock him up for a few days to vent their anger.
Luckily, the head constable at the office was well-acquainted with Gu WenZhu. After learning about the situation, he reported it to the county magistrate. With the magistrate’s permission, he and his men waited at the road, stopped Gu WenZhu and his group, questioned them, and released them immediately.
As for the three constables, they were taken back to the county office for punishment.
After Xia Yi returned home, having been scared, exhausted, and caught in the cold, he came down with a mild illness and coughed intermittently for more than half a month. Gu WenZhu stayed by his side, tending to a small fire and brewing medicine for him daily. Whenever he heard about a family slaughtering a pig in the village, he rushed to buy some meat to make stew, and he even went to the river several times to catch fish for soup.
By the end of the illness, Xia Yi had gained a few pounds from all the care.
Even Qilin, the dog, had benefited from the fish soup and meat juices mixed into its meals. In half a month, it had grown into a sturdy young dog, its fur shiny and smooth, always frolicking at Xia Yi’s feet.
Before they knew it, the fennel in the field had matured. With only half an acre, Gu WenZhu harvested all 300 pounds by noon.
“Master, the 9,000 pounds of fennel from your three-acre target has been stored in the system space,” 179 reported, excited.
“Congratulations, Master. You’ve completed half of the task.”
The task interface appeared in Xia Yi’s mind once again.
[Task Description: Reach Foundation Establishment and obtain a spirit beast.]
[Completion Progress: 1/2 ]
[Reward: Foundation Establishment Gift Pack]
“Since I’ve completed half, can I claim my reward?” Xia Yi asked, thinking that even though the reward might be useless, something was better than nothing.
“Master, the reward will only be given when you reach 2/2 completion,” 179 responded.
Xia Yi shrugged, “Alright, fine.”
In the evening, Gu WenZhu was preparing dinner, and Xia Yi sat in the yard, nibbling on a fragrant pear. He took a bite and then fed a piece to Qilin. “Qilin, I gave you the wrong name. I should’ve called you Taotie. Is there anything you don’t eat?”
Qilin, chewing on the pear, let out a dissatisfied huff.
When dinner was ready, a small table was placed in front of Xia Yi. On it was his massive personal soup bowl, filled with noodles and topped with two golden fried eggs.
Gu WenZhu sat across from him, and they began to eat.
Xia Yi took a big bite of noodles, slurping them up. As he chewed, he grabbed one of the fried eggs and took a big bite, his mouth full. With his cheeks puffed out, he continued to chew, already reaching for more noodles.
Just as Xia Yi was about to slurp up the next bite, he suddenly froze, his chopsticks suspended mid-air.
At some point, Gu WenZhu had put down his chopsticks and was gazing at him with a gentle smile.
Xia Yi slowly came to his senses, suddenly feeling embarrassed by how he must’ve looked—his mouth stuffed full and his messy eating habits on display. A wave of shame washed over him as he discreetly swallowed the fried egg and carefully returned the noodles to the bowl, then began eating them slowly in small, quiet bites.
Realizing that Gu WenZhu was still watching him, Xia Yi lowered his head, his face growing hotter by the second. He could barely continue eating, his embarrassment making it difficult to take another bite.
Gu WenZhu chuckled softly, no longer staring at Xia Yi, and picked up his chopsticks to continue eating his own meal. “I just love watching you eat. The more you enjoy your food, the happier I feel,” he said casually.
“Master, why is your heart rate increasing again?” 179 asked, ever-vigilant.
“The noodles are just that delicious, can’t you tell?” Xia Yi snapped, slightly annoyed. It felt like being watched by a nosy parent constantly worrying about a secret romance.
Xia Yi ate his noodles slowly, sneaking glances at Gu WenZhu. When he saw that Gu WenZhu was about to look his way again, he quickly lowered his head.
What’s going on with me? Why do I get so nervous when he looks at me? I used to joke around with my dorm buddies all the time without my heart skipping a beat. What’s wrong with me? Is this weird world getting to me?
Ahhh, he’s looking again. I can’t even lift my head…
*
When the onions were harvested, the system not only announced the completion of the second task but also issued Xia Yi’s third task.
[Task Description: Obtain information on the Sect Leader’s whereabouts.]
[Completion Progress: 0/1 ]
[Reward: Rare Gift Pack]
Xia Yi shrugged indifferently. “Sure, whatever. Even if it’s ten Sect Leaders, I can grow them out of the ground.”
“And what’s the corresponding farming task this time?” Xia Yi asked. “Let’s skip the ten-acre, twenty-acre nonsense.”
“One plot of radishes,” 179 replied, sounding somewhat defeated.
“Just regular white radishes?” Xia Yi asked suspiciously.
“Just regular ones.”
“No problem.”
Growing radishes was easy, and they sold well. The last batch of onions and fennel that Gu WenZhu sold not only went to the military camp but also several dry goods stores before they were completely sold out.
It took only a day for Xia Yi to plant the radishes. As the sun set, he slung his hoe over his shoulder and hummed a tune as he walked home.
As he approached the gate, he heard loud laughter coming from inside.
“It’s one of those women from the riverside,” 179 answered before Xia Yi could ask.
Pushing the gate open, Xia Yi was hit by a wave of perfume, and Li Auntie’s booming voice followed: “Xiao Yi, you’re finally back! I’ve been waiting for you all day.”
“Auntie Li, what brings you here?” Xia Yi asked politely, though feeling puzzled.
“Come, come, I’ve got good news for you,” Auntie Li said cheerfully, pulling him over to a chair under the tree, where she sat down beside him.
Xia Yi looked in confusion at Gu Wenzhu, who was standing with his arms crossed under the corridor. However, Gu Wenzhu wasn’t looking at him. He leaned against the wooden pillar, head lowered, and remained silent.
Aunt Li took Xia Yi’s hand and smiled, “Xiao Yi, you’re not that young anymore. You’ve already turned 17, right?”
Xia Yi nodded, recognizing the familiar prelude… In his previous life, every time a relative came to introduce a potential partner, they would start with this line.
“This time, Aunt Li is here to talk about a good match for you.” Aunt Li pulled her stool closer. “I’ve got an old friend in Wangzhuang who asked me to find a ger for her son. Her family is well-off, with land and a house. Any ger who marries into that family would be stepping into a gold mine…”
“179, is she matchmaking me? And she’s asking me to marry?” Xia Yi was shocked.
“Yes, host, if you want to marry.”
“Aunt Li, please stop. I’m not suitable for this. You should find someone else,” Xia Yi quickly interrupted Aunt Li’s introduction.
“Xiao Yi, don’t be shy. They just want a good-looking, pure ger, preferably from a simple family without too many relatives.” Aunt Li tried to persuade him.
Xia Yi was horrified. He shot up from his seat, knocking the chair back slightly, startling Aunt Li.
“Aunt Li, this isn’t about being suitable or being shy. I… I won’t marry. I swore long ago that I would never marry. I’m going to live alone for the rest of my life.” Xia Yi stammered, his sincerity apparent, nearly raising his hand to swear on the spot.
Standing in the corridor, Gu Wenzhu, who had been silent with his head down, looked up in disbelief when he heard this vow, a flicker of hurt passing through his eyes.
Aunt Li’s mouth dropped open in shock, “How can you not marry? A ger not marrying? How will you deal with your heat cycle?”
“Heat… heat cycle? What heat cycle?” Xia Yi was completely confused.
“You’re a ger, and you don’t even know about the heat cycle?” Aunt Li raised her voice, then glanced at Gu Wenzhu standing under the corridor before lowering her voice, “Gers start having their heat cycles after they turn 16.”
“179, isn’t this… like a period?” Xia Yi asked the system in confusion.
“Host, it’s not a period,” 179 replied in a calm, robotic voice. “It’s a heat cycle.”
“A… a heat cycle?” It was like lightning had struck Xia Yi’s mind.
“Yes, a heat cycle,” 179 confirmed.
“And when your heat cycle comes, how will you handle it? Hmm?” Aunt Li was still gently coaxing, but Xia Yi couldn’t hear a word. His brain was stuck on one phrase, “heat cycle.”
He had read about this in many novels before, like those set in an ABO world. But… this is supposed to be a farming novel, right? It’s weird enough that there’s a third gender ger, but now there’s a heat cycle?
Xia Yi stood there, frozen, as if he had turned to stone. He couldn’t process anything, only mechanically repeating, “No… I won’t…”
“Alright, Aunt Li, stop it. If Xia Yi doesn’t want to marry, then he won’t. I’ll go collect some ‘heat suppressant’ for him,” Gu Wenzhu suddenly interrupted loudly.
“Heat suppressant? That’s hard to find. Can you even get it?” Aunt Li screeched.
“Yes, I’ll find a way to get it. Aunt Li, you don’t need to worry about Xia Yi anymore,” Gu Wenzhu replied coldly before turning away and heading into the house without looking at anyone.
Aunt Li stood up, dusted off her already clean clothes, and left the courtyard without a word.
The courtyard was now quiet, leaving Xia Yi still stunned, overwhelmed by the revelation of a heat cycle.
“Host, don’t worry. Gu Wenzhu just said he would find ‘Heat suppressant’ for you,” 179’s voice echoed.
“Heat suppressant? What’s that?” Xia Yi asked.
“’Heat suppressant’ can prevent a ger from entering their heat cycle.”
“This is really a farming novel, right? Not some fantasy world?” Xia Yi questioned in disbelief.
Inside, Gu Wenzhu sat sharpening a plow, exuding a strange aura of suppression. Xia Yi timidly approached and sat next to him.
“Brother Zhu, can you help me find ‘heat suppressant’?” Xia Yi asked, nervously fiddling with his fingers.
For a long moment, there was no response. Feeling uneasy, Xia Yi glanced over at Gu Wenzhu.
Gu Wenzhu’s hands were still busy, but his face was cold and indifferent, his eyes lowered, devoid of any emotion. His lips pressed into a straight, thin line.
Just as Xia Yi thought Gu Wenzhu wouldn’t reply, a faint voice spoke, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to marry? I’ll go find ‘heat suppressant’ for you. You don’t need to worry.”
With that, Gu Wenzhu put down the plow and walked out of the courtyard.
