Chapter 3 – This ‘Ger’ is Really Shameless
The next morning, Xia Yi woke up starving. It seemed like this body, having endured hunger for a long time, would wake up immediately if the stomach was empty, no matter how deep the sleep.
The courtyard was silent. Xia Yi lay in bed, recalling that Gu Wenzhu said he was going out today, and then quickly got up. Rubbing his stomach, he went to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat.
Lifting the pot lid, there was nothing inside. Opening the cupboard, there was only half a bowl of leftover noodle soup from last night. He remembered Gu Wenzhu had told him to cook for himself today, so he lifted the lid of the rice bin in the corner to check. There was still half a bin of rice and flour.
He peeked into the stove and then crouched beside it, starting to feel troubled.
“179, is it possible for us to cook together?”
Xia Yi had been pampered since childhood. When his parents passed away, he was already working, employed as an illustrator. He spent most of his time holed up in his studio, relying on food delivery services.
A while later, the kitchen was filled with thick, black smoke. Xia Yi, his eyes red and watering, rushed out, coughing heavily.
“179, you don’t even know how to cook.”
“179, I’ve realized you’re completely useless. Don’t you systems need to be evaluated for your competence?”
System: [Host, you need to get the fire going first, and then I can tell you how to cook.]
As the sun set, smoke rose from distant houses, adding a cozy, homely feeling to the village nestled among the mountains.
Gu Wenzhu jumped down from Old Zhang’s cart, carrying a large basket on his back and a hefty bundle in his hand. Just one more turn on the mountain road, and he’d be able to see the village.
As soon as he rounded the corner, he spotted a small, thin figure standing under the old tree at the village entrance, eagerly looking in his direction. The moment the person saw him, they ran over, the oversized clothes flapping in the wind.
Xia Yi, looking excited, dashed toward Gu Wenzhu, shouting as he ran, “Brother Zhu, you’re finally back! I missed you so much.”
Gu Wenzhu froze at those words, stiffening awkwardly. He wanted to turn around and leave but realized that wasn’t appropriate, so he just tightly gripped the bundle in his hand.
Xia Yi ran up to him in one breath, “Are you tired? Have you eaten yet? You must be hungry. Let’s go, let’s go home and cook something to eat.”
Gu Wenzhu opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. He walked home with a stern face, while Xia Yi followed closely behind.
Back home, after putting down the basket and bundle, Gu Wenzhu went into the kitchen. He frowned at the stove, which was stuffed full of dry wood, yet none of it had burned.
“What did you eat today?” Gu Wenzhu asked, puzzled.
“Noodle soup.”
“Was it the leftover half bowl in the cupboard?”
“Mm.” Xia Yi shamefully lowered his head.
Gu Wenzhu didn’t say anything more. He returned to the main room, opened the bundle, and handed Xia Yi a paper-wrapped package. “Eat this for now, dinner will be ready soon.”
Xia Yi unwrapped the package to find two greasy meat pies, their aroma wafting into the air. Delighted, he immediately picked one up and offered it to Gu Wenzhu. “Brother Zhu, you have some too.”
Gu Wenzhu shook his head and walked back into the kitchen. “I’ve already eaten.”
Xia Yi had only eaten half a bowl of noodle soup all day and was starving. Now, with the fragrant meat pies in front of him, he took a big bite.
He felt like crying.
Though the two meat pies filled him up, Xia Yi thought he could still manage two bowls of dinner.
“Tomorrow, I’ll go clean out the old house, and you can move in,” Gu Wenzhu said after dinner. “But you can still come here to eat.”
Xia Yi was finishing the last of the meal when he heard this, mixing the remaining sauce with rice. He looked up, and Gu Wenzhu’s words lingered in the air.
Xia Yi, with his mouth still full of food, could only nod vigorously since he couldn’t speak.
“179, Brother Zhu is really so good to me. I must repay him well in the future.”
After dinner, Gu Wenzhu rummaged through his bag and took out two new sets of clothes, handing them to Xia Yi. “I don’t really know what kind of clothes gers like, so I asked the shopkeeper to help me pick these. Go try them on.”
Gu Wenzhu’s face turned a bit unnatural as he recalled the shopkeeper’s remarks in the clothing store, something along the lines of “your ger sure is living the good life.”
Xia Yi, rubbing his hands, took the clothes. “I’m not picky. As long as it’s wearable, I’m fine. I could even wear these old clothes, no problem.”
With that, he happily took the clothes into the inner room.
The clothes were knee-length tunics, well-made with flawless stitching. After putting them on, Xia Yi examined himself in the bronze mirror.
“179, how do I look?”
[You look great, especially the waistline. It’s perfectly accentuated] 179 replied, seizing the chance to shower praise.
Xia Yi rubbed his chin, a bit suspicious. “It does look good, but isn’t this color… a bit too ‘girly’?”
He’d been a little sensitive to these things lately.
[Come on, there’s no such thing in this world. You’re overthinking it.]
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Dressed in his new clothes, Xia Yi cheerfully walked outside, calling out, “Brother Zhu!” while standing by the door with a big smile.
Gu Wenzhu was adjusting the plow in the yard when he heard Xia Yi’s voice. He raised his head and froze for a moment when he saw Xia Yi.
There stood Xia Yi, slim and slender in his new outfit, his figure lithe, with a soft waist and sharp, yet delicate, features. The setting sun cast a gentle orange glow over him, giving him an almost ethereal aura.
These past few days, Xia Yi had either looked like a dirty beggar or was wearing Gu Wenzhu’s oversized clothes. Now that he was properly dressed, it turned out he was quite a handsome ger.
Xia Yi walked up to Gu Wenzhu, smiling. “So, how do I look?”
Gu Wenzhu didn’t answer and immediately turned his head away.
“I’m going to check on the fields,” he said quickly, walking out of the yard without looking back.
That night, there was a thunderstorm, with lightning flashing and heavy rain pouring down. The entire village was engulfed in a thick curtain of rain, the sound of water pattering, tiles clinking under the rain, and the occasional rumble of distant landslides.
Xia Yi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep due to the noise. Half-asleep, he thought he heard Gu Wenzhu getting up and leaving the yard. It was over half an hour before he returned.
The next morning, Xia Yi was awoken by the sound of birds chirping. The rain had stopped, though water still dripped from the eaves.
In the main room, Gu Wenzhu sat amidst a pile of bamboo, meticulously working on bamboo strips with a machete.
Hearing footsteps, Gu Wenzhu didn’t look up as he said, “The old house’s wall soaked in water and collapsed; you can’t live there anymore. You’ll stay here. I’ll make another bamboo bed and sleep on that from now on.” He paused before adding, “There’s breakfast in the pot. Go eat.”
Xia Yi responded with a soft “oh” and went to the kitchen. He scooped a bowl of porridge and grabbed three large buns with chopsticks, then carefully walked over to watch Gu Wenzhu make the bamboo bed.
Gu Wenzhu’s hands were large, with long fingers and thick calluses. His rolled-up sleeves revealed his tanned forearms, strong and well-defined. The bamboo strips danced under his skilled hands, slipping neatly into the wooden frame.
What man doesn’t love watching craftsmanship and machines at work?
Xia Yi became mesmerized by the sight, inching closer and squatting across from Gu Wenzhu, munching on his bun while staring intently.
Gu Wenzhu’s movements gradually slowed under Xia Yi’s intense gaze. Finally, he turned slightly, giving Xia Yi his back.
Xia Yi shuffled closer again, this time squatting beside him, shoulder to shoulder.
Under the scorching gaze, Gu Wenzhu finally put down his work, turning his head to stare at Xia Yi.
Xia Yi slurped his porridge, his cheeks puffed as he gestured toward the bamboo strips with a nod, silently telling Gu Wenzhu to continue.
Gu Wenzhu let out a deep sigh, staring at the corner of the wall in silence as if he was suppressing something. Then, he stood up, put away the bamboo strips, and stacked them in the corner of the room. After grabbing a few buns and a jug of water, he picked up the plow. “I’m going to the field.”
His voice sounded both frustrated and awkward.
[Host, aren’t you going to follow him to familiarize yourself with the work?] 179’s voice suddenly chimed in.
…
“Brother Zhu, wait!” Gu Wenzhu had just led the ox out of the village when Xia Yi came running after him, panting heavily.
“Brother Zhu, I want to see you work in the fields.”
Xia Yi, breathless, his face flushed, held a cloth bag containing buns and water. Gu Wenzhu paused, wanting to say something but closing his mouth. Without a word, he continued walking forward, and Xia Yi quickly followed.
As they passed by a small river outside the village, several people were washing clothes. When Xia Yi and Gu Wenzhu walked by, they all turned to stare at them.
Gu Wenzhu quickly picked up his pace, putting some distance between himself and Xia Yi.
“Gu Wenzhu, is that Li Xiu’er’s nephew?” one of the women straightened up and shouted over.
Li Xiu’er was Gu Wenzhu’s deceased stepmother, also Xia Yi’s aunt.
Gu Wenzhu responded with a cold “yes” and hastened his steps, as if something was chasing him. The ox had to trot to keep up.
“Oh wow, he’s quite handsome!” The women started laughing.
Xia Yi smiled politely back at them, noticing two slender men with red marks on their foreheads, wearing makeup, among them.
“179, don’t tell me those are gers too.”
[Yes, host, they are just like you—gers.]
“…”
Xia Yi slowed his pace, discreetly studying the two gers. He noticed that when they smiled, they naturally raised their hands to cover their mouths.
…
“System, is there really no way to go to the cultivation world?”
[No way, host.]
When he turned around, he realized that Gu Wenzhu had already disappeared. Hastily, he quickened his pace and caught up, only to find Gu Wenzhu waiting with the ox after turning a corner.
Seeing Xia Yi approaching, Gu Wenzhu kept his distance, maintaining a gap of about ten paces as he walked toward the fields.
“179, to be honest, Gu Wenzhu’s reaction makes me feel like I’m a woman.”
[Host, you’re really overthinking. I think Gu Wenzhu’s behavior is quite normal.] 179 quickly refuted, trying to ease the host’s doubts and focus on farming.
“Maybe ever since I found out that this is such a twisted world, and that I’m a ‘ger’, I’ve felt mentally unstable.” Xia Yi let out a long sigh, feeling a bit uneasy.
[Host, you need to adjust your mindset. Don’t start seeing things and suspecting everything you encounter.] 179 reassured him.
…
In the field, Gu Wenzhu urged the ox to start plowing. Under his control, the plow smoothly cut through the dark soil.
Xia Yi sat on the edge of the field, carefully observing every step, trying to memorize each movement.
“179, the plow needs to be at a 45-degree angle.”
“179, you have to use leverage to push the plow down.”
[Host, you also need one hand to whip the ox. It’s not that easy to control the plow.]
“179, look, he’s barefoot in the field. What if he steps on worms? I don’t think I can handle that.”
[I could censor all the worms with mosaics.]
“But there would still be the texture.”
[I’ll block your sense of touch for that.]
As Gu Wenzhu plowed, Xia Yi and 179 had an intense academic discussion in their heads.
…
Gu Wenzhu felt that plowing this small patch of land today was the hardest it had ever been. The two eyes glued to him from the edge of the field were so intense that he forgot to guide the ox several times, with his hands and feet out of sync.
Why doesn’t this ‘ger’ know how to be shy? Staring at a man so intently without even blinking.
When he turned to glare at him, Xia Yi only responded with a sweet smile.
He knew Xia Yi was interested in him, but they had only known each other for a few days! Every day, he found new ways to flirt and seduce him.
Where’s the modesty of a ‘ger’?
Such a shameless behavior.
