FMT 60

Chapter 60 End of Main Story

After leaving the Zhang family, they returned to Kaoshan Village.

When the villagers heard that Chen Shuangning had changed to a new body, they all came to see. When they heard Liandan was moving to live in town, they were full of envy.

Tang Hua brought his daughter Li Ruyu to their house. He hugged Liandan and cried, saying that he had been gone so long without a word. Now hearing they would move to town made him even sadder.

Liandan comforted him. “Later, if you have time, come to town. It’s not far. If you want to see me, you can see me.”

Tang Hua held on to him. “It’s not the same.”

It was indeed not the same. Liandan also felt sorrow at parting, reluctant to leave Tang Hua. But he was no longer a Chen family member and could not stay here.

When the noisy crowd dispersed, Liandan spoke with Aunt Wu, who had come to check on the children, about giving the house and fields to Chen old lady’s maternal relatives.

Aunt Wu didn’t know the family’s grudges, she only said it was a pity. But this was Liandan and Shuangning’s decision, she would not interfere. She only reminded Liandan to beware Chen family’s relatives causing trouble.

That night it was too late, so Shuangning and Liandan stayed one night there.

The next morning, as Aunt Wu had warned, Old Chen came to the door. He said since they were moving, the house and land would be left unattended, so he would take over.

Liandan spoke directly. “Zhang family will come later. I have already told them. This house and land will go to them.”

Old Chen was furious, he pointed at his nose, shouting, “You two useless things, this belongs to Chen family. How can you give it to Zhang family?”

Liandan was no longer afraid. He answered calmly, “Don’t think I don’t know. When the family split back then, it was already unpleasant. The old man only got thirty mu of land. At that time it was agreed there would be no more ties. Even this house was built later by the old couple themselves. No matter how you count it, this house and land cannot belong to Chen family’s relatives.”

Old Chen did not expect him to argue back. After being stunned, he raised his hand to hit Liandan, but someone blocked in front of him.

He looked and saw Chen Shuangning’s terrifying gaze. His lifted hand froze.

At that moment, the courtyard gate opened. Zhang family’s two brothers had arrived.

Shuangning shook his head at Liandan. The two of them ignored the matter and went to pack their things.

Once the Zhang family entered, Old Chen started cursing, unwilling to give up what he coveted, he at least wanted to vent. But the Zhang brothers were not easy to bully. The two sides quarreled.

Zhang Xing gritted his teeth. “Old bastard, go out and ask. Our Zhang family has many people. We’re not afraid of trouble. If you dare come, let’s see whether you die first or I do!”

Old Chen could not out-curse or out-threaten them. For face, he left behind a couple of lines like “You wait and see,” then ran away.

Shuangning and Liandan gave the house deed and land deed to the Zhang brothers, packed their things, loaded the carriage, said farewell to Aunt Wu and Tang Hua, also greeted the village chief, then left Kaoshan Village.

Liandan turned back, watching the village grow smaller and finally vanish. After living there for years, he was familiar with the place. He inevitably felt sad.

Shuangning held his hand, squeezed lightly, and said, “If you miss Aunt Wu and the others, come back and visit. It’s not far, it’s easy with the carriage.”

His tone was like when he coaxed Xiaodan to leave the house. Hearing it, Liandan could not help laughing. Seeing him laugh, Shuangning laughed too. His smile was beautiful.

When they arrived at their house in town, Shuangruo and Liu Shuqi had already cleaned it spotless. Liandan said they had worked hard. That night, he cooked a full table of dishes. The whole family sat together and ate their first meal in the new home.

The next day, Shuangning gathered everyone, including the shopkeeper of Xinglong Treasure Shop. He spoke about plans for the future.

Moving here, even if they did nothing, they had enough money. But they should still have a livelihood.

Shuangning’s idea was to open an apothecary in town. Besides selling herbs, they could also treat illness. Shuangruo could be the doctor. Shuangning and Liu Shuqi could treat common ailments too.

Everyone agreed the idea was good.

The shopkeeper said, “The shop across from us happens to be for transfer. The couple running it are old and want to go home.”

Shuangning said, “That shop’s location is good. Please help us ask.”

The shopkeeper agreed right away.

Shuangruo’s eyes lit up. “I can also make ready-made pills with different effects. They sell for more than herbs.”

Liu Shuqi added, “I can buy herbs directly from farmers and gatherers. Prices are much cheaper than in town.”

The shopkeeper reminded, “Aren’t you missing a shopkeeper?”

Shuangruo suddenly realized. “Right.”

Then everyone looked toward Liandan.

Earlier, everyone had been talking and giving ideas. Liandan had said almost nothing.

He knew nothing of medicine, nor business. Because he could not help, he felt a little dejected.

Now with everyone looking, he grew nervous. He quickly waved his hands. “I can’t. I really can’t.”

Shuangruo said, “How do you know if you don’t try?”

Liu Shuqi said, “I think you can.”

The shopkeeper also said, “Try it. I think you can too.”

Liandan looked at Shuangning. He smiled and said, “It’s all family. Everyone will back you up. What’s there to fear? Try.”

Though still nervous, Liandan bit his lip and said, “I’ll try.”

Once the matter was settled, everyone got busy.

The shopkeeper found a reliable nurse to help watch the children. With that, Liandan had time to go with the shopkeeper to see the shop, negotiate price, sign contracts, and hire workers to renovate.

At first, he was timid. After handling a few matters, his courage and confidence grew. He became more and more motivated.

In the beginning, Liandan was the busiest. He often returned home after dark.

At night, before sleeping, Shuangning had him lie on his stomach. He massaged his back and legs. Most of the time, Liandan fell asleep while he was massaging .

One day, Liandan came home early. Xiaodan clung to his father, insisting on sleeping with him.

Liandan also felt he had neglected the child recently, so he let Xiaodan stay. The child went to bed early, and soon after lying down, he fell asleep.

The two husbands were not sleepy yet. Liandan took out a book, planning to read it with Chen Shuangning, but Shuangning put the book away.

Liandan looked at him in surprise and asked softly, “What is it?”

Shuangning did not say anything, he just looked at him.

After a while, Liandan understood. Only then did he realize that in these recent days, what he had neglected was not only the child.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the young man’s neck. His face was red as he whispered something by his ear. Shuangning bent down and carried him out of the room, into the next one.

After a long time, the two came back again, one after the other.

Liandan adjusted his underclothes. His eyes were moist, and his lips were red.

Back on the bed, Liandan lay on his side. He looked at Xiaodan, who was sleeping soundly, and he bent down to kiss the child’s cheek.

From behind, an arm wrapped around his waist. Liandan held the hand that rested on his belly and felt the light kisses fall on the back of his neck.

Liandan could not hold back. He turned around, nestled into the man’s arms, lifted his head, and kissed him.

Shuangning pressed against his lips and asked softly, “Still uncomfortable?”

Liandan shook his head. “Just my waist is sore.”

The hand at his waist began to rub gently, easing the ache in his waist and hips.

As he breathed, he was filled with the man’s unique scent. Liandan let out a sigh of comfort, lifted his head again to ask for a heated kiss, and closed his eyes.

Shuangning said, “You are tired. Sleep.”

Liandan answered “Mm,” and soon he was asleep.

More than a month later, when all preparations were complete, they chose an auspicious day and opened the apothecary

That morning, firecrackers crackled. Shops around them came to offer congratulations.

Tang Hua and Aunt Wu came, and so did Lianye and Zhang Qingyi.

Liandan arranged a few tables at the nearby restaurant, and they had a lively meal together.

After the apothecary opened, because prices were low and herbs were good, business was good from the start.

Later, as Shuangruo’s medical skill became known, business got even better.

Besides being the shopkeeper, Liandan also handled the shop accounts. Every entry was written clearly, and at the end of each month, he calculated everything without mistake.

Most of the time, Liu Shuqi was out in villages, searching for good herbs. Sometimes he had to travel dozens of li away.

On regular days in the apothecary, many patients asked specifically for Shuangruo to treat them. Shuangning was actually the most free, so he often cooked at home and brought meals at noon.

He still cooked those troublesome noodles, making Shuangruo’s face bitter, though she endured it.

When visiting patients at their homes, since it was inconvenient for Shuangruo as a young woman, it was often Shuangning who went with her, or sometimes he went alone.

After their business stabilized, Liandan and Shuangning discussed with the landlord and bought the house they were living in.

The house was comfortable, close to the apothecary, it was very convenient.

When Shuangruo heard, she was especially happy. That evening, she drank quite a bit of wine at dinner.

After the meal, Liandan stayed with her in the courtyard to help her sober up. She held his hand and choked out, “You don’t know how happy I am. My brother, me, and Senior Brother, we finally have a home.”

Liandan’s heart ached. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and stroked her hair gently to comfort her.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival that year, the apothecary closed for a short while, and they went back to the mansion to celebrate.

The trip took five or six days. When they entered the valley and reached the gates, Xiaodan was the first to get off the carriage. He ran straight to the Bai family’s little girl who was waiting at the entrance.

The two children hugged each other, jumping and shouting in joy.

As soon as they entered the mansion, Liandan noticed something was different.

The courtyard was full of lanterns and decorations, even more festive than at New Year.

When they reached their residence, Liandan saw a pair of big red wedding characters pasted on the courtyard gate.

He froze, dazed. Chen Shuangning pulled his hand and led him inside. Red lanterns already hung in the courtyard.

Inside the house, red candles were arranged, red bedding and covers embroidered with mandarin ducks were all ready.

Liandan slowly looked at the young man beside him. Shuangning held his hand, smiled faintly, and said, “These past two days, our senior brothers have been returning one after another. Besides celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, they also came to celebrate our wedding.”

Liandan’s eyes turned red. He was on the verge of tears, but his lips were smiling.

Behind them, Xiaodan understood what was happening. He shouted with the Bai girl as they bounced around the room, calling out, “Daddy is going to be a bride! Daddy is going to be a bride!”

Liandan’s face turned scarlet. The tears that nearly fell were forced back by shame.

On Mid-Autumn day, the mansion was lively the entire day.

That night, the groom, after being pestered endlessly, finally slipped away to return to the bridal chamber.

The slender figure under the red veil stirred when the door creaked open, he was about to rise, but remembered the old maid’s instructions and held back.

The groom’s steps were steady as he came to the bedside, picked up the weighing rod, and lifted the veil, revealing a face full of worry.

Almost as soon as the veil was lifted, Liandan rose and asked, “Shuangruo said they forced you to drink a lot. How do you feel, is it hard to bear?”

As he spoke, he moved to help him, wanting to let Chen Shuangning lie down.

Shuangning stopped him. “I’m fine. Liu Shuqi and the others blocked some for me, I didn’t drink much.” Then he asked, “Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”

Liandan said, “I’m full. Shuangruo and the others brought me plenty of food from the banquet.”

Shuangning pulled his hand to the table, where a pot of wine and two cups were set.

Liandan worriedly said, “After drinking so much, you still want more?”

Shuangning smiled helplessly. “It’s the wedding wine. We must drink it.”

Liandan had been worrying about him drinking too much and had completely forgotten about this. At that moment, his face flushed red.

Shuangning filled both cups, handed him one, and took the other himself. He looked at him steadily.

Liandan raised his hand with a red face. Their arms crossed, and both tilted back the cups, drinking them dry.

They put the cups down and gazed at each other under the candlelight.

Shuangning raised his hand and stroked Liandan’s cheek softly. “You in wedding clothes look even better than I imagined.”

Liandan’s eyes glistened. He blinked and said, “You in red look good too.”

Shuangning glanced around at the room, filled with festive red, and sighed. “Back then, I never would have thought I’d have a day like this.”

Liandan lightly embraced his waist, leaning in with love. “Me too.”

Shuangning lowered his head. Liandan leaned up. Their lips met.

After the kiss, Liandan’s small body was lifted into his arms and carried to the bed.

Liandan pressed his cheek to the man’s neck and whispered, “You’ve been busy all day, aren’t you tired? Maybe not tonight…”

Shuangning kissed his ear and cheek, and huskily whispered by his ear, “This wedding night comes once in a lifetime, it cannot be wasted.”

Hearing this, Liandan’s face flushed. His body softened, letting himself be laid on the red wedding bed.

When the man pressed down on him, he clung tightly to his neck, lifted off the bedding, and sought his lips for a kiss.

Clothes fell away. Behind the bed curtains, sounds of passion filled the night.

Liandan, once like an unripe fruit, after knowing intimacy and giving birth to two children, grew into mature beauty. His unique allure as a ge’er made the man sink deeply into him.

The two were already well attuned to each other. Both tried their best to give the other the greatest pleasure.

That night was boundless, utterly satisfying.

After it ended, Shuangning still kissed him again and again. Liandan’s body was tingling, limp and unwilling to move, letting the man kiss him as he pleased.

But after a while, something felt wrong. Liandan pushed him weakly and asked, “W-why again?”

Shuangning kissed his lips, and when the numbness spread from the tongue tip and his body was once more taken, Liandan could no longer say any word of refusal. He was swept along, unable to pause.

The next day, Liandan woke late. He leaned lazily against the bedhead, letting Shuangning feed him spoonfuls of porridge.

When the porridge was finished, Shuangning carefully wiped his lips with a cloth. Then, after looking at him for a while, he lowered his head to kiss him.

Liandan could do nothing, only submit, letting himself be kissed for a long while.

After the kiss, they stayed embraced on the bed for some time. Liandan pushed Shuangning and said, “There’s a book in the cabinet, bring it here.”

Shuangning got up and fetched it. It was the inner cultivation manual he had once given Liandan.

Liandan took it, glanced at it, then placed it back in Shuangning’s hand. “Whether this manual should be passed to Xiaodan and Changle later, you decide.”

Shuangning nodded. “Alright.”

He set the book aside. Liandan nestled into his arms, hugging his waist. “You must live a long life.”

Shuangning nodded again. After promising, he said, “You too.”

Liandan hummed in response and hugged him tightly.

The road had been difficult, but at last the clouds had parted and the moon was seen.

From now on, they did not wish for a smooth path, only to walk hand in hand together.