While Little Ye was thinking, Xiao Baoshan’s handsome face suddenly appeared in front of her. He was tanned from all the sailing, making him look more manly.
“Why are you…here?” asked Little Ye.
“I came to see if there’s anything I can help with.” Xiao Baoshan said.
He was just idling around in the backyard and did not feel like going out.
Xiao Baoshan then turned to Xian who was tending to the fire. “Xian, why don’t you go and help Little Six to wash the dishes? I can offer some help here.”
Xian seemed to understand something and then ran out immediately.
Little Ye had already found that Xiao Baoshan was acting rather strange since coming back this time. He had not only given her a present specially but had actually made a move this time. Could it be that Xiao Baoshan had suddenly fallen for her?
Although Little Ye had long been trying to make a pass at Xiao Baoshan, she had implied it to him many times yet he did not respond at all, but suddenly he had stepped up instead, it somehow made Little Ye lose her bearings.
When Xian was here, normally she would let her do the chores but for now she was not even sure if she should give him orders.
Besides, the kitchen usually looked pretty spacious but how come it looked so narrow now?
“Baoshan, it’s rare that you come home. Why didn’t you rest a bit more in the room?” asked Little Ye.
Xiao Baoshan said, “Being here is more or less a rest too.”
In fact, with the two others, Little five and Little Six, sleeping together in that room, he felt it smelled a bit more in there so he did not really want to stay inside.
Little Ye then just let him do what he liked.
As for Xiao Baoshan, he was tending to the fire while thinking about how he should make her feel his passion?
He had left home when he was little and then stayed at the battlefield for many years. He had hardly talked to any women.
Still, he had heard a lot about women from his comrades-in-arms. Soldiers talked about women all the time as if this added some spice to their boring and dangerous lives. As he had listened quite a lot he had picked up a few things but not much.
Until he found himself having some thoughts about Little Ye, especially after being ignored by her last time and hearing that a scholar sorted her problem out for her, he felt that he missed her more and more.
When he went sailing to Fu, the businessman, Wen Lei, had found him and chatted away with him again. When they got onto the topic of women in their family, Wen Lei asked him how his wife was doing and he then explained his situation. It turned out that Wen Lei had given him quite a few suggestions.
Wen Lei was a rich merchant who had a few wives back at home and they all had different personalities. For someone like Little Ye, Wen Lei suggested that Xiao Baoshan should make the first move, otherwise, judging by Little Ye’s personality, she would divorce her husband sooner or later.
It had made Xiao Baoshan begin to feel impatient.
When they reached Fu, Wen Lei suggested again that Xiao Baoshan bring some fabrics back and also taught him how to give it to her. Xiao Baoshan found his method quite excellent and decided to be steadfast to the end.
Little Ye had finished grinding some garlic and was looking for a bowl to put it in. Xian was usually supposed to do this job but the one who was sitting there at present was Xiao Baoshan, so she did not feel right to order him around and decided to do it herself.
However, Xiao Baoshan was keeping an eye her all this time, knowing that she was looking for a bowl, so he was also went to pass a bowl to her.
The two of them put their hands on one bowl at the same time. Seeing that they were going to take it at the same time, they simultaneously loosened their grip also.
The bowl was wonky and fell to the ground but it did not shatter.
The both of them went to pick it up but once they squatted down they almost head butted each other.
They both felt rather embarrassed and the atmosphere was very subtle. Little Ye was going to give up on this bowl and reached out for another one, but at that moment Xiao Baoshan suddenly grabbed her hands.
Little Ye paused in a daze, feeling as if there were a shooting electric current brushing over her body.
Xiao Baoshan…what is he doing?
Although Little Ye was from the modern era she had never been in a relationship, so facing a girl-meets-boy situation she also did not know how to behave properly.
“Little Ye…” Xiao Baoshan said her name.
She replied, “Yes?”
“I…”
Little Ye looked at him, not knowing what he was going to say.
But no matter what he was going to say she knew, judging from his behaviour, that he was going to make a move and court her, surely?
Little Ye was still waiting for him to speak up but at that very inopportune moment Li Hongmei suddenly entered. “Little Ye, there are customers ordering…”
Li Hongmei was here to deliver the order but saw that Little Ye and Xiao Baoshan were squatting down on the floor and that Xiao Baoshan was holding Little Ye’s hands. Just from a glance she could tell that there was something going on between them.
“Or, shall I…ask the customers to wait for a second?” asked Li Hongmei tentatively.
“Ma, no need! We’re doing business and customers are gods. How could we make our customers wait?”
Little Ye said to Xiao Baoshan, “Baoshan, I’ll just cook dishes first. Shall we talk later after work’s done?”
Xiao Baoshan could only nod. “Sure, I’ll look after the fire for you.”
After that, everything was going smoothly. Little Ye had stopped being afraid of ordering Xiao Baoshan around. She just gave him orders as she did to Xian.
Xiao Baoshan was of course more capable than Xian and he had lived with Little Ye in the old home for a while, becoming familiar with Little Ye’s lifestyle, so he actually knew what Little Ye wanted better than Xian did.
Little Ye, though she looked very busy, was still wondering what Xiao Baoshan had tried to speak to her about.
Although she had been quite disappointed in him before, she saw hope again as he made the move to reconcile. She liked him very much after all.
One would not always bump into such a rugged guy in ancient times or even in the modern era.
What was more important was that he did not believe the ancient dogma that women were inferior to men at all. He genuinely respected her and treated every human being equally.
The only thing was that Xiao Baoshan was only giving her a hand that day as she had to cook with more customers coming to dine. She did not have time to talk to him at all, so the matter had been delayed until the evening. Still, they seldom had a moment alone.
Little Ye was sleeping in the same room as Xian now and after having dinner and washing up she simply went back to her room.
Also, after Xiao Baofeng came back, he was pestering Xiao Baoshan with some academic questions and the matter had been delayed further until late that night.
Little Ye thought about Xiao Baoshan holding her hands during the day and she could not sleep, so she decided to take a walk.
She did not expect to see that large figure standing at the door the moment she opened it. He had obviously been waiting for her for some time.
Xian had already crashed, so Little Ye dared not make much noise and closed the door quietly, walking towards Xiao Baoshan and whispering, “Baoshan!”
Xiao Baoshan turned around.
He had hung a lantern on a tree in the yard. Against the light of the lantern it seemed as if there was starlight in his eyes.
“Little Ye.” He said her name also quietly.
“Are you waiting for me?” she asked.
He nodded and then said, “Yes.”
Little Ye felt amused. He did not even tell her that he would be waiting here. What if she had not come out of her room? Would he have been waiting all night in vain? Or was he so sure that she would come out tonight?
“What do you want to say to me then?” Little Ye asked.
“I want to say that I’m sorry,” said Xiao Baoshan.
“Oh? Why?”
Xiao Baoshan lowered his head. After a while he reached out his hands and held hers. He was holding her hands gently and gradually gripped them more firmly, expressing the complications in his mind.
