The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 376: That One

Chapter 376: That One

Even at this time when farmers were more lax in the thick of summer and Xuan Jian was actively repairing the greenhouse, the estate coffers were at an astonishing surplus of 750 taels of gold minus the 12 taels Xu Zeng had and 2 plus taels Xu Hu Zhe had directly from Xu Feng that the two kept as talismans.

This was the most currency the estate had to its name in the last year. Xu Zeng’s slow moving plan, was still slow moving, but he had been hunting tirelessly with the other able bodied men of the estate to build this pile of gold to fund a steadier life for the residents of the estate.

The months and years to come would be filled with security.

The grounds of Nanshan Estate were still confusing for Xu Zeng. Up until last week, when he finally stopped getting outright lost in the estate, the layout was like a maze. This brother was clearly directionally challenged and often got lost in the mountains as well.

He would always find his way back to the eggs though.

This curse seemed to be a blessing in the case of his nephews. He wasn’t sure when they’d finally fallen asleep, but they were clearly unconscious. Not only had they stopped swaying along to his steps, the outside of both egg’s shells had cooled slightly.

This slight change of temperature wasn’t obvious enough to humans, but for demon beasts it was like breathing. Something he checked with ease and often had Midwife Lee in shock.

For human gers, it was difficult to monitor their eggs. They could only use all their efforts to keep the eggs warm until they hatched, but for demon beasts—not to be confused with those of immortal bloodline—caring for their offspring in an egg state was natural and second nature.

*Those of immortal bloodline are basically mixed breed demon beasts that wouldn’t survive outside of Dongzhou. They would either be human or demon beasts of strong or weak heritage. Immortal bloodline are humans with very weak demon beast blood that can occasionally show their demon beast traits.

Navigating the sprawling grounds of Nanshan Estate remained a confusing ordeal for Xu Zeng. His exploration led him to Flowering Courtyard, a space brimming beyond capacity, its two cellars spilling over with the abundance of wine jars.

The shaded areas of the front and back courtyards doubled as storage areas, providing shelter to the numerous jars and cradling unprocessed fruits. The sheer scale of this business seemed almost absurd, prompting Xu Zeng to ponder the success needed to justify the time and effort invested.

The weightiest decision loomed—when to sell the products.

Autumn’s allure beckoned, promising a continuous harvest of fruit for more processing, yet winter held the appeal of higher product value during the colder months. Wine drinking would be more fun on a chilly evening. Maybe?

Before this problem, a pressing task awaited—Sun Village. He needed to pay a visit sooner rather than later. This wasn’t a visit completely driven by revenge.

He wanted to get something for his nephews that had been on his mind for the last two months, there just hadn’t been a good time to leave the eggs alone. He needed to retrieve the rest of his "dad’s" things and most importantly his eggshell.

It would provide sustenance for the newly hatched cubs. The reason he wasn’t allowed to consume his own shell on hatching was to keep a low profile in their small village, but now it was a good thing. He had something valuable to offer the two little ones.

Strolling through his quarters in Budding Courtyard, Xu Zeng obtained a light blanket, carefully tucking in the slumbering eggs so they would retain their warmth even on this summer day.

Swift and cautious, he aimed to keep them undisturbed during the process. His nephews, notorious for their fussiness, required extra finesse to ensure a deep slumber when they finally fell asleep.

Even as he smirked at the cheeky grey and silver eggs, their abnormal resistance to naptime bewildered him. He needed to keep them moving so they would fall deeper before he was confident enough to place them somewhere safe for the duration of their nap.

And it was naptime for the other two children in Nanshan—Xiao An and Xiao Momo—why were his nephews the only ones fighting so hard against their naps?

If they wanted to fuss in the nighttime, that was a different story entirely. Then they would be Xuan Jian’s concern or Xuan Yang’s whenever he returned from the capital. Giving them sleepless nights wasn’t too pitiful...

Withdrawing the mischievous glint that lingered in his eyes, he briskly greeted Midwife Lee with a nod. The ger also lived temporarily lived in Budding Courtyard, and he would occasionally come across Midwife Lee without his children in tow.

The ger was courteous but often had a red face when he noticed Xu Zeng’s presence. Their living quarters were well separated, with them in two separate budlings with a distance between them.

Still, Xu Zeng wished he had opted to stay in Flowering Courtyard. He knew Midwife Lee would eventually move to the servant’s quarters and was living nearby to care for his nephews if needed, but their interactions were always strangely charged(?)

"Master Zeng." Midwife Lee greeted shyly, following with a small bow.

To Xu Zeng this feeling made no sense. Why was the ger always blushing in his presence?

The presence of that one which he was either avoiding or chasing came in handy here. When Xu Hu Zhe was around, he worked as a great foil against Midwife Lee. The gloomy raven haired half breed...well he should be a half breed right?

Xu Zeng abruptly took his leave from the courtyard. Instead, he thought about what lineage Xu Hu Zhe might have. He was either a snake breed or a dragon breed. But there were no more dragons in this world, at least, that was what his dad said.

The last of the Dragonborn was exiled to this forsaken continent in a bid for power among the other demon beasts, and had long since breathed their last. All that was remaining was likely lifeblood, if that.

Still, Xu Hu Zhe didn’t smell like snake, but not like dragon either...

Unknowingly, Xu Zeng’s steps veered from the path to Blooming Courtyard and instead visited the servant’s quarters.