The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 543: Village Chief

Chapter 543: Village Chief

The second voice came from an unexpected source, Lu Lizheng.

It took a moment for Xu Feng to even place the source of the voice. It had been some time since he’d been back in this world, to talk about mingling with the locals.

When he thought back at it, it had always been his goal to build relationships with those around him, including those in Nanshan Village, if it was possible. He had met the village head and his sons, and even built a favorable relationship with some from the village, but...

But things happened nonstop. He had an entire Estate to care for, an evil mother-in-law, and a lecherous father-in-law to deal with. There was even the super cliché steward who was bent on sapping all his resources dry.

Plans were always changing.

Then after that, there was internal conflict he had to deal with, with the servants in his estate challenging him... and trying to get into both Xuan Jian and Xuan Yang’s beds... thinking about it now, Xu Feng shouldn’t have even poked his nose there.

He smiled. His men could handle themselves well enough. He didn’t need to stress about everything, although there was more than enough to stress about at any given time.

He couldn’t help but be happy about all he was able to do in the last two years, but at the same time, there was so much more he lost track of. Building relationships was really important. If Xuan Jian and Xuan Yang decide to leave Dongzhou one day, he wants his people in Nanshan Estate to have a good relationship with their neighbors.

No matter how much he could prepare on his own for a rainy day, having trustworthy neighbors was always worth it.

The first time he’d met Lu Lizheng, the village chief looked to be in his 60s even though he was closer to 40. Now the refined older man looked firmly in his early 50s, which was more youthful.

Despite his decades exposed to the elements, and building a prosperous family, the man with his distinguished look seemed to have grasped the hands of time and was pulling backward as hard as he could.

Xu Feng’s brows raised as he took in this detail, his curiosity peaked.

"Young Master Xu!" The village head’s face was filled with a joy one couldn’t fake. Xu Feng knew it was genuine joy from his eyes to the lines of his body, the old man was brimming with excitement.

"It’s been so long, I thought..." He started, but then realized he needed to reign himself in. The man cleared his throat and brought his emotions back under control before his excitement struggled out again, but in a more "controlled" form.

"I’m glad Master Xu of our Nanshan Estate is doing well. The people of Nanshan Village will always be glad to see our neighbor looking well." At this, the man looked Xu Feng up and down, taking in his strange attire, but also, the bundle—correction, the plump bundle strapped to his chest.

"Baby!" He was visibly excited but then calmed himself down again.

This time he began to smooth out his clothing, his eyes shining brightly. He seemed more excited that Xu Feng had a baby than if he were holding his own grandchild in his arms.

Xu Feng couldn’t help but relax his smile even more. Whatever sense of alarm he had seemed to fade with this final burst of excitement. Reaching for Da Long’s hand placed against his chest, he squeezed the little fist gently.

"Yes, the boys and I... went for a little walk in the early morning." It was true. They walked. They walked too much even.

"Boys?" Lu Lizheng only noticed the second child when Xu Feng turned, showing the second bundle that was partially covered by a bit of silver hair and his broad back, which was angled away from the village chief.

Lizheng was excited, then his face fell, then he became excited again. There was quite a bit of information Xu Feng was missing. Even if he’d just made it back, he hadn’t become dumb in a matter of days... weeks... months...

"Did the village chief want to come inside for some tea?" Xu Feng asked kindly, but his eyes were sharp, making sure to capture any new changes.

"Ye—" Lu Lizheng was eager to get away from the gates of Nanshan Estate, looking back as if someone was following him.

As they entered the guard room by the gate, Xu Feng could feel a hint of tension lingering in the air. The guard who had first noticed him quietly dispersed his fellow guards from the building, offering Xu Feng a dark cloak to conceal himself more fully and handing a second to Lu Lizheng.

Xu Feng hadn’t meant to have some tea in the guard’s quarters, but instead of fighting to "assert" himself, he was paying attention to the two men who noticed him as he snuck up to the gates of Nanshan Estate.

They were more alert than he was, and there should be a reason—other than he almost or probably died three months ago.

This guard’s demeanor showed he was focused on protecting Xu Feng’s presence(?) here as well as the village chief’s. Welcoming the village chief in the general greeting room didn’t seem like a wise choice in his mind, and Xu Feng noted the caution.

Now wasn’t the best time to press for an explanation, especially with the two boys strapped to him, but he had no plans to lower his guard. It was enough for the moment to hear Lu Lizheng out and to figure out just what was going on in his own estate.

Xu Feng’s thoughts drifted briefly to a certain possibility, which made his face twist. Maybe his in-laws had paid a "surprise" visit.

The thought of his mother-in-law’s judgmental gaze or his father-in-law’s perverted one made him wince involuntarily before he smoothed his expression and replaced it with a mild, pleasant smile.

He shifted his gaze back to Lu Lizheng, hoping there were no other "guests" in his home.

"It is so nice to see the village chief," Xu Feng greeted warmly as they sat. "How are your sons, Lu Dalang and Lu Erlang? It’s been so long since I’ve seen them."

Lu Lizheng’s face lit up with a sincere look as the bulky guard entered with a fresh pot of tea, quietly bowing before leaving them alone in the guard room. The older man’s hand trembled slightly as he accepted the cup of tea Xu Feng poured for him, clearly moved.

"Thank you, Master Xu, for your generous gift for Dalang’s wedding," he replied, his tone brimming with respect. "I understand the pregnancy must have been a difficult one for you. It means much to us that you thought of our side even with so much happening in your own family."

The warmth in his voice was genuine, his eyes glancing briefly down at the two sleeping children—although only one was in eyeshot. Xu Feng hadn’t bothered with taking the boys out of the baby carrier.

They were sleeping deeply even with the noise, and he wasn’t going to wake anyone up when he wasn’t even prepared for what might be going on inside the estate.

Lu Lizheng knew how difficult carrying twins could be, even for a woman. For a ger to go through such a challenge was rare, perhaps unheard of in most of Dongzhou. Yet, Xu Feng not only carried it off but had two strong, healthy boys to show for it, and Lu Lizheng couldn’t hide his amazement.

"It’s been quite a while since we’ve had the chance to connect," Xu Feng noted, his tone thoughtful. "It means a lot to know the village chief is doing well."

Yet he could sense a hesitation in the man sitting across from him. Xu Feng sipped his tea, taking a moment to study the older man’s face, noting the deep lines and the way he glanced over his shoulder, even in the enclosed space.

The village chief gave a small sigh. Lu Lizheng spoke, his voice a low murmur as if even the walls might be listening.

"It’s difficult to explain, but things around here have changed, Master Xu. Things have felt... uneasy." He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"There are strangers. People who’ve come through Nanshan Village claim to be travelers or traders. It’s not that such people never come by, but these... they linger. I don’t know their exact purpose, but something feels off."

Xu Feng leaned forward as if there was more than one pot of tea in the room. "Strangers in the village, what type of questions are they asking?"

"Yes," Lizheng continued, lowering his voice even further. "They inquire about Nanshan Estate, about you, about the affairs of those inside these walls. At first, I thought perhaps it was just curiosity. The town’s folk are like that, but this is different. These people come too often and ask too much."