The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 581: Empty but Full

Chapter 581: Empty but Full

The estate was quieter now.

Not empty—no, far from it. But with five people gone, the air felt... clearer. The spaces that once concealed whispered rumors and veiled discontent had been purged, leaving behind a steadiness that hadn’t existed before.

Still, despite the losses, Nanshan was far from abandoned. Certain spaces remained lively, particularly Blooming and Budding Courtyard, where the presence of children ensured there was never a true moment of silence.

The remaining staff, though few, formed a solid foundation.

A single family had stayed behind—a mother, father, and son who had been sold into servitude by their own relatives. They were hardworking, diligent, and surprisingly adaptable.

The mother was the primary cook for the main kitchen. Before today, she had worked alongside one of the women who was now possibly miles away, en route to the neighboring country. It had always been heavy work, feeding the servants, guards, and Xuan Jian’s men stationed at the estate.

With only one pair of hands remaining, the burden would be even greater.

Si and San handled the cooking for Blooming Courtyard, where Xu Feng and his immediate family resided, but the rest of the estate relied on the main kitchen. There was no getting around it—more hands were needed.

Still, even the husband of the kitchen auntie worked hard. He tended the fields at the back of the estate, directing the guards in planting and harvesting their first grain crops. The yield wasn’t bad, considering their lack of seasoned farmers. He supplemented this work with various odd tasks—helping in the kitchen, assisting his wife, or working alongside his son.

The son, now past the usual age of marriage, had primarily been assigned to minor estate tasks. Originally, he was Xu Feng’s carriage driver, but that role had long since been taken over—given back?—by Xu Hu Zhe, who hardly let anyone else steer Xu Feng’s carriage.

Instead, the young man had settled into caring for the animals and maintaining estate grounds as needed. And now, these three were being given a choice.

Xu Feng’s fingers whitened as he gripped the edge of the wooden table, listening intently for the answer.

From the adjacent room, the sound of children playing filtered into the space. It was a soft hum of life.

Beside them, the two newest babies lay nestled in their bassinets, waving their small hands at the cloth toys Xu Feng had brought out earlier.

"They decided to stay," Xu Zeng said, his tone matter of fact, as if anything else would have been an idiotic decision.

Xu Feng exhaled slowly, relief spreading through his chest that the family of three had chosen to remain with them instead of leaving. "That’s good."

But something about the way Xu Zeng had phrased it was... off.

His brows furrowed slightly, a creeping suspicion taking root. "Because they are so... loyal?"

Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t. Trust wasn’t easily granted anymore, and Xu Feng certainly wasn’t naïve enough to think loyalty was guaranteed. But it wasn’t just about trust. There were too many secrets in Nanshan, too many things lurking in the shadows of their quiet life.

If someone left voluntarily... how much would they take with them?

Xu Zeng didn’t answer right away.

Then, with a shrug, he murmured, "The Torann dealt with it."

Xu Feng’s lips parted, confusion settling over his features. "What do you mean, ’dealt with it’?"

Xu Zeng exhaled, clearly reluctant to explain further. But when Xu Feng leveled him with a glare, he sighed, knowing he wouldn’t escape without elaborating.

"He silenced them with an oath," Xu Zeng finally admitted, his tone dry. "I gave him my last energy stone to make sure he had enough power."

Xu Feng’s eyes narrowed. "Silenced them how?"

"They can’t speak of anything they’ve learned here," Xu Zeng clarified.

A long silence stretched between them.

Xu Feng exhaled sharply through his nose, rubbing his temples.

Xu Zeng’s expression remained blank. "Dongzhou is different from the zombie plane. Energy is harder to come by here, but we still had a few energy reserves from dad."

Xu Feng’s jaw clenched, his mind working through the implications as he held his brother’s hand. His younger brother had a look on his face, that said he didn’t want to talk about his ger dad, but he didn’t shake off the comfort.

Apparently, oaths made to a dragon weren’t something to be taken lightly. They were binding, their consequences severe. If the family... or the exiled servants ever tried to speak about what they had learned in Nanshan, their very life force would be forfeited as well as the chance to reincarnate.

It was ruthless. But it was effective. And in the end, it ensured Nanshan’s safety.

"All eight servants, including those who remain, as well as Lee Hua and the guards, were silenced." Xu Zeng’s voice was unbothered, casual as if he were discussing the weather.

"Silencing vow..." Xu Feng murmured, a flicker of awe slipping into his tone. At this point, nothing should surprise him, but still...

Xu Zeng only nodded, his silver hair catching the dimming light of the late afternoon.

"Silencing them all is a waste of resources, in my opinion." He shrugged. "We should have just killed those who weren’t a fit for our—"

Xu Zeng stopped himself mid sentence, his gaze locking onto his brother’s glare.

The sharpness in Xu Feng’s eyes was... unnerving while also leaving no room for argument. Slowly, almost begrudgingly, Xu Zeng’s gaze flickered away—settling on the two babies lying contently in their bassinets beside them.

"Children. More children."

Xu Feng knew exactly what his brother was doing—changing the subject before Xu Feng could lecture him. But instead of pressing, he simply rolled his eyes and let it go. He would spoil his brother, so long as he wasn’t actually going around murdering people.

Probably.

Still, he said nothing more, focusing instead on the babies, lifting their cloth toys and wiggling them playfully in front of their small faces. His usual poker face melted into something far softer, his grin mirroring the innocent amusement of the infants.

Both brothers were alike in this—they had the same love for children... and cute things.

"Mmm," Xu Feng hummed thoughtfully. "I don’t think my conscience will allow me to let another winter pass without doing something about the homeless and abandoned children in Yilin. If we can, we should also visit nearby towns."

Last year, he had sent food to the homeless—anonymously, of course—but there were still deaths. Winter was cruel. Dongmen had been a disaster, but in this world, a little food and shelter could go a long way.

And their resources were a lot more substantial this year, with a stash of gold just waiting to be used. The currency flow would help others too—more people would have silver to spare if Xu Feng spent more.

Xu Zeng’s hands stilled on one of the baby’s tiny feet. "People die every day..." His voice was low, distant, but after a moment, he continued, softer, "But I’m glad you’ve thought of a way to help those who have no one to help them."

Xu Feng studied his brother’s face, knowing what he wasn’t saying.

Xu Zeng had once been a child who had "family," and yet he had spent many nights hungry, and many days struggling alone.

"—And if we raise them in the estate, we’ll have people to help with running the estate in the future," Xu Zeng added, his voice returning to its usual smooth cadence. "We need manpower."

Xu Feng let out a sigh, leaning back slightly. "Hah. At least Jie will return with more people. Will they be a fit? Who knows, but we need to start somewhere."

"For now, we’ll rely on as many outside resources as possible," he decided.

The evening had darkened already, the air colder with the shift in seasons. The sky stretched above them in hues of deep indigo, the faint glow of the dual moons casting long shadows across the courtyard.

Much had happened today.

Xu Feng’s gaze drifted across the courtyard, his lips quirking up as he took in the sight before him.

Xuan Yang and Xuan Jian were "playing" with the four older children—if their serious yet oddly engaged expressions could be called playing. Their movements were precise but careful, matching the enthusiasm of the little ones with calculated patience.

The mobile children clambered excitedly around them, their delighted shrieks echoing against the stone walls. Xuan Yang had both of their boys strapped to his body like treasures as they played. Xiao An and Xiao Momo, used their little legs to play with the two uncles who were usually so serious.

Even after all that happened that day, both men were in the mood to play games with the children and spend time in the same space as their lover.

It was an oddly heartwarming sight.

Everyone else was busy, with two of the masters left to watch the children. Even Xu Feng was technically busy, but for now, he sat comfortably with his brother, watching over the youngest while keeping an eye on the pot still simmering on the stove.

Lu Lizheng was set to come over for dinner soon, and naturally, Xu Feng had insisted on cooking. He wasn’t making anything enhanced with energy, but still—meat dishes would be bountiful.

The village chief had made his loyalties clear the moment Xu Feng had returned.

Winter was fast approaching. There were still several renovations to be done across the estate, and it only made sense to contract the overflow business to the villagers closest to them. Some work could be outsourced, but Lu Lizheng had proven his capability before.

He had done a great job finding workers last time.

He would do the same again.