I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Carry Me

Li Qiaoqiao saw Wu Ya’s dismissive attitude and explained patiently, “Beans can be made into so many foods! You can cook bean rice, make tofu, sprout bean sprouts, and even grind soy milk! Our family’s grain supply is tight right now; these beans will last us quite a while!”

As she spoke, she had already squatted down to carefully check the ripeness of the bean pods.

“Mmh, it’s the perfect time for harvest. Any later and they’ll all drop to the ground,” Li Qiaoqiao muttered to herself, then turned to Wu Ya. “We’re going to harvest all these beans and take them back today!”

Hearing that he had to do farm work, Wu Ya’s face immediately fell. “Qiaoqiao, this is going to be so exhausting. How about I go back to the village and call a few people to help?”

“If you call people, we’ll have to split the beans equally,” Li Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes at him. “We found these first. Besides, you’re Wu Tieniu now a peasant man. How can you be afraid of farm work?”

Wu Ya was left speechless by her words and could only reluctantly nod in agreement.

Li Qiaoqiao took two sickles from the back-basket and handed one to Wu Ya. “Here, use it carefully, don’t cut your hand.”

Wu Ya took the sickle and made a few clumsy gestures with it. Seeing this, Li Qiaoqiao had no choice but to demonstrate for him first.

“Look, you hold the sickle like this. Don’t bend your waist too low, or it’ll give out in a moment,” Li Qiaoqiao explained while demonstrating. “When cutting, use a clever bit of force—pull it toward yourself, and the bean stalk snaps.”

Li Qiaoqiao’s hand rose and the blade fell; a patch of bean stalks went down in response, neatly piled to one side. Wu Ya tried to mimic her; though his movements were awkward, he finally looked somewhat like he knew what he was doing.

“Not bad, you learn fast,” Li Qiaoqiao encouraged.

Having been praised, Wu Ya’s spirits surged, and he began cutting with great effort.

The two worked side-by-side, and soon cleared an open space in the thicket of beans.

It was mid-afternoon, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the hillside. Li Qiaoqiao straightened her back and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. Her back and legs were already aching, but seeing the piles of harvested bean stalks filled her heart with the joy of the harvest.

“Take a break if you’re tired,” Wu Ya said upon seeing her state.

Although he had sweated quite a bit, his physical strength was clearly much better than Li Qiaoqiao’s, and he showed no signs of fatigue.

Li Qiaoqiao shook her head. “We need to finish cutting while it’s still light. It’ll be trouble if it rains.”

Saying this, she bent down again to continue working. Wu Ya looked at her back, shook his head, and followed suit.

Several hours passed. As the sun began to sink in the west, the two finally finished cutting the last patch of beans. Li Qiaoqiao was so exhausted that she sat directly on the ground, unwilling to move an inch.

“My waist… it’s about to break…” she complained incessantly, pounding her lower back with her hands.

Wu Ya, on the other hand, was still in good spirits. He looked at the hill of bean stalks and felt a bit worried. “There are so many, how are we going to transport them back? We definitely can’t carry them all in one trip.”

Li Qiaoqiao gave a mysterious smile. “I have a way.”

Wu Ya looked at her curiously. “What way?”

Li Qiaoqiao pulled out half of the Concentric Lock from her bodice and signaled Wu Ya to take out his half.

She lowered her voice. “My apartment terrace can temporarily store things. We’ll transport these bean stalks to my terrace and take them out when we need them.”

Wu Ya’s eyes lit up. He followed Li Qiaoqiao’s instructions and helped her pile the bundles of stalks together.

Li Qiaoqiao smiled triumphantly. “The beans are now safely stored on my terrace. I can take them out whenever I need them.”

She separated the Concentric Lock again and gave half back to Wu Ya.

After packing their tools, the two headed back along the path they came. The setting sun stretched their shadows very long, and the mountain breeze blew, bringing a hint of chill.

“Tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to make tofu,” Li Qiaoqiao said suddenly. “Tofu made from fresh beans is so fragrant!”

Wu Ya nodded with a smile. “Sure, but you have to teach me hand-in-hand.”

“In your dreams!” Li Qiaoqiao gave him a reproachful glare, but a blush unconsciously crept onto her face.

…

The sun sank below the horizon, and the light in the mountains faded exceptionally fast.

As soon as Li Qiaoqiao stepped out of the woods, she felt as if her legs were filled with lead, and her back was too sore to straighten. She looked at Wu Ya walking ahead and calculated how to speak up.

“Hey, you dead Wu Ya, wait for me.”

Wu Ya glanced back at her. He slowed his pace slightly but had no intention of stopping. “It’s getting dark; we need to get down the mountain quickly.”

Li Qiaoqiao grit her teeth. She leaned against a nearby tree and managed a few steps, but she truly couldn’t hold on any longer. She simply plopped down on the ground. “I can’t walk anymore. Carry me down the mountain.”

Hearing this, Wu Ya turned around, his brow furrowed tightly. “Walk yourself. I’ve been tired all day too.”

“What are you tired of? I didn’t see you complaining when we were cutting beans, but now you’re putting on an act,” Li Qiaoqiao snapped. ” I actually did several hours of farm work; I’ve never been this tired in my entire life.”

Wu Ya stood where he was, showing no intention of coming over to carry her.

Li Qiaoqiao’s eyes darted around, and a plan formed. “How about this: you carry me down the mountain, and I’ll treat you to steak. Ten fragrant steaks.”

Wu Ya’s eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. “You think you can order me around for ten steaks?”

“Then how many do you want?” Li Qiaoqiao cursed him inwardly; this guy was truly a sly fox.

“Twenty steaks,” Wu Ya said crisply.

“You think I run a steakhouse? Twelve, not a single one more!” Li Qiaoqiao said through gritted teeth.

Wu Ya pretended to think for a moment and finally walked back reluctantly, squatting down. “Get on. Twelve steaks, not one less.”

Li Qiaoqiao cursed him up and down in her mind, but she still obediently climbed onto his back. Though he was annoying, he carried her very steadily, much better than walking herself.

The mountain path was rugged and uneven, yet Wu Ya walked with great stability.

“You see? You clearly have the strength to carry me, yet you insisted on bargaining,” Li Qiaoqiao couldn’t help but mutter.

Wu Ya snorted. “If it weren’t for the steaks, I wouldn’t be carrying you.”

Li Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes but said nothing more. She stole a glance at the side of Wu Ya’s face and suddenly felt that this former wealthy young master was increasingly looking like a peasant man.

By the time they reached the village entrance, it was pitch black. From afar, Li Qiaoqiao saw a figure standing at their doorstep; as they got closer, she recognized Zhang Jinhua.

“Mother, why are you standing outside?” Wu Ya asked as he set Li Qiaoqiao down.

Seeing them return, Zhang Jinhua clearly breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s pitch black and you weren’t back; my heart was in my throat. What’s wrong with Qiaoqiao?”

“Nothing, she’s just tired from the mountain paths,” Li Qiaoqiao stood up straight and managed a smile.

Zhang Jinhua looked them over and nodded. “It’s good that you’re back. The food is kept warm; get inside and eat.”

The family sat around the dinner table. Though the food was simple, it was steaming hot. Zhang Jinhua served everyone rice before sitting down.

“Why were you so late today?” Zhang Jinhua asked, her gaze darting back and forth between Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya.

Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya exchanged a look. She spoke up first: “We had a good harvest today. We found a patch of wild beans and happened to hunt some small game, so we stopped by the county seat to sell the items.”