Otherworldly Space: A Tale of Love and Growth

“Come on, let me show you how to throw it,” Song Ci said.

Then, Song Ci moved behind Lin Xiaohe, gently placing his left hand around the slender waist of the other, while his right hand held Lin Xiaohe’s small hand. Before Lin Xiaohe could notice his little maneuver, he quickly shifted the focus, “Look, this is how you hold the dart, and this is the angle you need to throw it at so you don’t hurt yourself.”

Song Ci guided Lin Xiaohe through two trials, teaching him step by step, and in the process, he couldn’t help but take a few liberties.

Lin Xiaohe quickly picked it up; the rest was just a matter of building wrist strength and becoming more proficient.

After all, knowing how to do something doesn’t mean you’re accurate, and being accurate doesn’t mean you’ve mastered it.

“Xiaohe is really smart,” Song Ci praised sincerely, and unconsciously, he hugged a little tighter.

“Let go!” Lin Xiaohe finally realized that Song Ergou was taking advantage of the situation again. He had really thought Song Ergou had changed a few days ago, but he had been blind. Song Ergou had indeed changed, but for the worse—becoming even more shameless and more calculating.

“Ah.”

Song Ci was bewildered. Just a moment ago, they had been talking amicably. Why had Lin Xiaohe suddenly become so stern and harsh?

The young man’s thoughts were hard to fathom, no matter how much he tried to guess.

“If you don’t let go, I’ll use the dart to prick you,” Lin Xiaohe brandished the shiny darts in front of Song Ci’s eyes and threatened through gritted teeth.

Then Song Ci realized that, at some point, both of his hands had become attached to his young wife’s waist, unwilling to let go.

What a fine move!

However, just after teaching him how to use the darts, Lin Xiaohe was now threatening to use the very item he had just given him. The change of heart was too swift.

“You ungrateful brat,” Song Ci muttered, releasing his hold.

The two were standing so close, almost touching, and Lin Xiaohe naturally heard what Song Ci had said. He stomped on Song Ci’s right foot and pressed down hard twice.

“Ouch, trying to murder your own husband?” Song Ci jumped up, clutching his foot. This young man hadn’t changed at all; he was still the same as when they first met, seizing any opportunity to give him a hard time.

How ruthless, truly a heart of stone.

What kind of grudge could there be? Song Ci felt his foot was swelling up.

His temperament was really different from his appearance, not soft at all.

It was just a tease, and he couldn’t take it. When they got married in the future, he would have his comeuppance in bed.

Song Ci was feeling quite pleased with himself, but Lin Xiaohe wasn’t having it. A few days ago, he had been so submissive, but now he was acting aggressively. Indeed, time reveals true character. Song Ergou’s words couldn’t be trusted!

“If you say things like that again, I won’t come anymore!” Lin Xiaohe said indignantly.

“No, no, don’t be like that. I’m wrong. Xiaohe, don’t be angry. I won’t speak like that again. Aren’t you going to practice darts? Start now. I’ll stand here and watch to make sure you don’t accidentally hurt yourself.”

“Humph.” Lin Xiaohe huffed and took a position six steps away from the old willow tree to begin practicing.

Song Ergou had said to start practicing at a close range, and once he had good aim, gradually increase the distance. When he could hit the target from forty steps away, he would have truly mastered the darts.

Lin Xiaohe practiced for a long time in the afternoon. The darts were thrown out one after another. Out of ten tries, he might occasionally hit the tree once or twice by luck, but most of them fell to the ground. When his arm became so sore he could no longer lift it, he reluctantly ended the practice.

“I need to go back now,” Lin Xiaohe said, lifting his wooden basket that was only half full of pig fodder, annoyed that he had played too much today. He decided to finish his chores first before coming to practice in the future.

“It’s getting late. I’ll walk with you,” Song Ci said, hopping along behind Lin Xiaohe.

The pitiful look on Song Ergou’s face made Lin Xiaohe feel a bit guilty. It wasn’t that he regretted stomping on him, but he shouldn’t have been so mischievous at the end. After all, Song Ergou had been really good to him. No other man had ever been so kind and yet so bad to him at the same time.

Thus, Lin Xiaohe kept stealing glances at Song Ci from time to time, checking to see if he was alright. He was amused by the way Song Ci hopped down the mountain.

Song Ci saw the sly, look on Lin Xiaohe’s face and felt delighted inside. How naive! He was walking right behind him; as soon as Lin Xiaohe turned his head, he would see him. There was no way to be stealthy.

However, the fact that Lin Xiaohe was sneaking peeks at him made Song Ci very happy. No matter the reason, it showed that Lin Xiaohe was gradually thinking of him.

As for the foot stomp, he had brought it upon himself by teasing him first. It wasn’t Lin Xiaohe’s fault. Any decent young man would be angry if teased like that.

Song Ci reflected on his impulsiveness once again, but he just couldn’t help himself. What could he do? How could he quickly bring the person home as his wife? Thinking of Lin Xiaohe’s slender waist and fair skin, Song Ci’s mind wandered again.

In fact, Lin Xiaohe looked even more attractive when he was angry.

“Ergou, what happened to you?” Old Lady Song saw Song Ergou limping back and quickly went to check on him.

“Mother, I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just tripped over a stone while coming down the mountain and fell. I’ll be fine after a rest,” Song Ci said.

With the miraculous healing spring water at hand, I’ll be hopping around lively again tomorrow.

These days, when Song Ci speaks with Old Lady Song, he no longer overdoes it as he did when he first arrived. Although he still indulges Old Lady Song, he no longer deliberately acts coquettish or overly sweet.

As Song Ci spoke, he hopped towards the small stool in the courtyard. The proud rooster, strutting around the yard with its head held high, glanced disdainfully at this foolish human and then went off to chat with its hens.

“Be careful when you go up the mountain. You don’t know how to hunt, so don’t venture into the deep mountains. It would be hard to escape if you encountered wild boars or the like,” Old Lady Song warned anxiously, fearing that Ergou might think he’s the best just because he knows how to set a trap and then go after those large animals.

Ergou had never suffered hardships since childhood. Naturally, he would run into problems when he suddenly started working. Thinking of the blisters on his hands from working in the fields the other day, Old Lady Song felt heartbroken and wished she could spare Ergou from such toil.

However, it was she who had insisted that Ergou work in the fields, and now saying he didn’t need to anymore was hard for her to bring up.

Ergou had never been so persistent in working with her for such a long time. His father was no longer around, and he would have to rely on himself in the future. He couldn’t be indulged any longer.

In the afternoons, it was time for Ergou to relax a bit at home. There was no need to work so hard.

In fact, if Ergou was afraid of hardship and didn’t want to work in the fields, Old Lady Song wouldn’t force him. She could still manage the household chores and would just have to take care of things for a few more years for her child.

If Song Ci knew what Old Lady Song was thinking, he might feel utterly frustrated.

The young master was working so hard to win her favor, yet she seemed indifferent.

“Mother, I don’t go into the deep mountains. I just stay on the outskirts,” he said. Even though he had participated in some survival training in his previous life, he had never hunted wild boars, tigers, or bears. Those were protected animals, and hunting them was illegal. Although it wouldn’t cost him his life, he would still face fines and imprisonment.

“As long as you know your limits, that’s good. By the way, I ran into the family of Tian Dafu today. She hinted that they would like to arrange a marriage with us. Your father has been gone for many years now. I think it’s time to start considering your marriage,” Old Lady Song said.

“Me, so soon?” Song Ci pointed to himself, wondering who would be so foolish as to push their own child into the pit of fire that was Ergou.

“Who else if not you? It’s not too early. You’re already eighteen. If you wait any longer, it will be hard to find a good match. Tian Dafu’s sister-in-law has a young man who is about your age and quite presentable. Their family is known for having healthy children. Your Uncle Tian has had four sons and two daughters since he married. If you’re willing, I can start looking for a matchmaker for you in the next few days. If you have someone you like, you can tell me now. It’s not too late,” Old Lady Song continued.

Here we go again.

Another round of marriage pressure.

His body was only eighteen years old, just reaching adulthood, and already he was considered an old bachelor.

Lin Xiaohe was sixteen this year, and in the next year or so, the Lin family would also have to decide on a candidate for the son-in-law by marriage.

This ancient era was really suffocating.

He hadn’t even managed to get the person he wanted into his life yet, and he was already being pressured to get married.

“Mother, you should decline Uncle Tian’s offer. With someone like me, it’s better not to trouble a good young man from another family,” Song Ci said.

Old Lady Song didn’t like hearing this. The silly boy didn’t realize how much his changed demeanor had improved his prospects. “What do you mean by ‘someone like you’? Even if you were a bear, with our family’s wealth, there isn’t a young man or woman in this area who wouldn’t be a suitable match.”

“My dear mother, keep the money my father left for your own use. Also, please don’t push me so hard. I know what kind of person I am. I’m not a match for a good young man. You should decline, just decline,” Song Ci pleaded.

“Do you have someone you like?” Old Lady Song looked at Song Ci suspiciously. He wasn’t usually shy about such things. Why couldn’t he just say if he had someone he liked? What was even stranger was that he wasn’t asking for money anymore, which he used to do quite often.

Song Ci, of course, dared not reveal the truth. Just look at what he had agreed to do!

Adopting a child, taking care of Lin Xiaohe’s parents in their old age—none of these things would be forgiven by Old Lady Song if she found out. In any era, having an heir and taking care of the elderly are significant matters.

He wasn’t a heartless person who only thought about himself.

Although he knew he would eventually have to face this situation, Song Ci felt it was better to be prepared first. He needed to think of a way to minimize Old Lady Song’s anger before revealing the truth.

As for the money in Old Lady Song’s hands, Song Ci didn’t care much about it. Focusing on his own mother’s private savings was too petty.

“Mother, rest assured, in another two years, I’ll definitely give you a grandchild to hold,” Song Ci said.

“Why wait two years? Can’t it be done now?” Old Lady Song was impatient. Her son had already wasted three years observing the mourning period.

“Good things come to those who wait. I’ll definitely bring you a beautiful daughter-in-law who will give you a grandson or granddaughter in the first year after she enters our home,” Song Ci assured her.

“I just want a grandchild, not a grandson or granddaughter,” Old Lady Song huffed. It seemed she was offended by the idea that the young man might not be good-looking enough.

This persistent mother of his was really something. She was even more troublesome than when Lin Xiaohe was angry. Song Ci felt somewhat overwhelmed. “Ouch, Mother, my foot hurts. I think I might have broken a bone. I didn’t notice it before, but now it’s really painful. Do we have any medicinal oil at home? Bring it for me to rub on,” he said, hoping to divert her attention.

“Ergou, don’t worry, Mother will find the medicinal oil for you,” Old Lady Song said as she rummaged through the boxes. Just as she was about to find the oil, she slapped her thigh, realizing how silly she had been. Why look for medicinal oil when Ergou might have injuries from the fall? It would be safer to see a doctor.

“Ergou, you stay at home. Mother will go find a doctor for you right away. Dr. Wang will give you a thorough check-up,” Old Lady Song said, rushing out the door.

Song Ci was left there, dumbfounded.

Had he overplayed his hand?