Chapter 147: The Large Wooden Tub (Bonus chapter for three hundred monthly votes)

Carrying the kettle, Chen Liang walked over to the next door. "Aunty, thank you for lending us your kettle. I have a few White Rabbit creamy candies here. Take them back for your grandson to sweeten his mouth!"

"Oh, Second Chen, you're being far too polite! Aren't neighbors supposed to help each other out? It's just a kettle of water, how could I possibly take your White Rabbit candies?"

Aunty Yang, the neighbor, immediately turned down the candies.

Although they hadn't lived in the same alley before, they were all neighbors living on the same street. Aunty Yang felt that if she accepted Chen Liang's candies just for a kettle of water, what would people say if word got out? They would talk her family's ears off with gossip!

Unfazed by the rejection, Chen Liang instead waved at Aunty Yang's children, who were drooling with temptation.

Even though the kids were dying for the candy in Chen Liang's hand, they still looked at Aunty Yang and kept their discipline, refusing to break the rules just because of their craving!

"Come on, Aunty Yang, you're in the wrong here. We've been neighbors for years—it's just a few candies, is it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it?"

After a pause, he continued, "Look at how tempted you've made these kids. How can your heart bear it?"

Aunty Yang glanced back at her children, let out a long sigh, and finally said, "Go on then, a bunch of little debt collectors!"

"Yay!" Several cheers erupted from the younger kids. Even so, they didn't swarm forward. Instead, the oldest child walked over, took the candy from Chen Liang's hand, bowed gratefully, and said, "Thank you, Uncle!"

Only then did he return to distribute the candies one by one to his younger siblings in order of age, from youngest to oldest.

Looking at the children raised by the Yang family, and then thinking of his own little Chen Hong, Chen Liang felt a headache coming on. There was simply no comparison; the gap was just too wide.

Returning home, seeing that the rooms were no longer empty now that they had furniture, Chen Liang completely pushed little Chen Hong to the back of his mind.

The antique furniture added a touch of history to the house. Chen Liang reached out to touch the tables and chairs, feeling the full weight of historical sediment.

By the time everything was tidied up, it was already too late. If he went over to Old Man Lu's place now, they certainly wouldn't have prepared food for them, so he simply decided against it.

While having dinner at home that evening, Chen Liang brought up his decision to move tomorrow so that the house could be freed up, sparing his younger sister the need to cram in with their parents whenever she came home.

Little Chen Hong kicked up a huge fuss, insisting on going with her Second Uncle and Second Aunt to sleep at the new house tomorrow. Unfeelingly, Chen Liang rejected her outright. When she tried to keep throwing a tantrum, her eldest aunt promptly suppressed her and gave her bottom two smacks.

Seeing little Chen Hong staring at him with tearful, pitiful eyes, Chen Liang pretended not to notice. Just kidding, the first night in the new house had to be a world for just him and Xiaoyu.

As for little Chen Hong—well, as long as he pretended not to see her crying, it would be fine. After all, those were just crocodile tears; they were worthless and could be turned on at a moment's notice!

Realizing her Second Uncle wasn't responding, little Chen Hong tried to go hug her Second Aunt's leg, but no sooner had she crawled up from the floor than her eldest aunt scooped her up and carried her back to the room. As she was leaving, little Chen Hong shot her final, pitiful signal toward Chen Liang.

*Second Uncle, you've changed! I'm your dearest niece! Have you forgotten the happy times we spent fishing and grilling fish together by... wait, no!*

Seeing how truly pitiful little Chen Hong looked, Chen Liang couldn't help signaling with his eyes: *Next time, definitely not tomorrow!*

Little Chen Hong snapped back: *Deal! But as compensation, I want satay beef jerky tomorrow!* Then she cheerfully skipped back to the room with her eldest aunt.

"Pfft!" Chen Liang spat out a mouthful of metaphorical blood. Sure enough, no matter how much you guard against it, you can never escape little Chen Hong's traps!

Having been successfully outsmarted by Chen Hong, the anger in Chen Liang's chest had nowhere to go, so he could only drown his sorrows in this cup of blood—bah! Wine. He tossed and turned Xiaoyu for half the night, making her softly chant the melody of "Let's Learn to Meow Together!"

Awakening early in the morning, Chen Liang and Xiaoyu had breakfast and, skipping work entirely, began packing up their personal belongings.

This couple of professional slackers was becoming increasingly experienced at finding excuses to skip work.

The young couple didn't have many things; two large bundles and a big wooden chest were basically enough to hold everything. Chen Liang hung the items on his bicycle and moved out in a low-profile manner.

Upon arriving at the new home, Xiaoyu busied herself cleaning up. When she was tidying up the bedding on the bed, Chen Liang watched her shapely hips swaying as she knelt on the mattress right in front of him, instantly triggering a physical reaction from his lower half.

Such a fine piece of bed-warmer material would be a waste not to use. Besides, the courtyard gate was already bolted shut by Chen Liang, so he pounced on her like a hungry tiger descending upon a sheep.

The sudden attack startled Xiaoyu, but upon catching that familiar scent, she relaxed and coquettishly scolded, "Aigoo, what are you doing again, big brother? I'm trying to clean the house, it'll be done in a moment!"

"Don't move!..."

Huang Zhong was entirely right: old soldiers never die, they just gradually fade away. With Xiaoyu as the bed-warmer, who wouldn't fade away? It was practically lethal!

After a thorough investigation into the origins of life, Chen Liang shuddered and involuntarily entered a state of sage-like detachment, feeling that everything had become utterly tasteless.

What is a woman? A woman can only slow down the speed at which you draw your blade! Hmph, page one of the Heart-Forgetting Sword Technique: forget your beloved, and drawing your blade becomes divine!

"Aigoo, big brother, come help me tie the straps at the back of my dudou!" Lying on the bed and unable to reach, Xiaoyu asked Chen Liang for help.

"Coming." Feeling Xiaoyu's smooth, flawless, and soft back, Chen Liang promptly tossed the Heart-Forgetting Sword Technique into some unknown corner of his mind. Bah! What utter trash of a sword technique, get lost! How could practicing swords ever be as fun as playing with his wife?

While tying the strings, Chen Liang's hands somehow wandered to the front again. The two of them resumed their research into the human embryo incubation project, once more arguing back and forth over the funding for those several billion projects as they entered and exited.

Having done a bit of housework early in the morning, Xiaoyu mustered absolute willpower to pull herself out of Chen Liang's arms. After pounding him a few times with her little fists, she went back to cleaning.

Now in this new home, without Mother Chen's suppression, Chen Liang was undeniably the master of the house and could do whatever he pleased.

Taking advantage of the gap while Xiaoyu was busy cleaning, Chen Liang pulled out the large wooden bathtub he had been drooling over for ages from his supermarket space.

The only drawback to this era was the inability to take baths at home; taking a Mandarin duck bath with Xiaoyu was simply out of the question.

Chen Liang had been craving this large wooden tub for a very long time—ever since he married Xiaoyu up until now—and his wish had finally come true.

Carrying the wooden tub in one hand, Chen Liang walked to the storage room next to the kitchen, intending to convert it into a bathroom and turn it into his and Xiaoyu's ultimate paradise of happiness!