The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 596: Start Now Not Later

Chapter 596: Start Now Not Later

The family ended up staying in town longer than expected.

It wasn’t an inconvenience, though. With the children well-fed, napping in the back quarters of the Silver Scale, and the adults comfortably settled, there was no rush.

A delivery arrived not long after noon—neatly packaged snacks, carried over by the servants of the teahouse’s chef.

Xu Feng raised an eyebrow at the sight of the parcels stacked on the table, each carefully wrapped with twine, the aroma of honey and delicate spices wafting through the air. The quantity was... excessive.

They hadn’t even ordered that much when they were in the tea house!

Liu, who had accepted the delivery, confirmed the sender. "These were sent as a gift from Chef Tang."

Xu Feng hummed thoughtfully. Was it a ploy to get on his good side? Possibly. But if it was, the man had chosen the most effective method. The children would be delighted by the treats, and their happiness naturally softened Xu Feng’s wariness.

Still, maybe the chef wasn’t so bad after all. At the very least, as fellow food lovers, they could see eye to eye on that.

Lunch had been ordered from their usual wanton shop, but rather than taking their full entourage there—something that would have completely overwhelmed the small store—Liu and Xu Hu Zhe went to retrieve their meal.

Xu Feng glanced at his brother, who, despite his usual composure, was visibly annoyed at being left out of the errand.

Even with the mask concealing most of his face, Xu Zeng’s posture said it all—stiff, unamused, and utterly displeased by the unanimous decision to keep him in the shop for the time being.

"It’s not my fault you’re impossible to disguise," Xu Feng teased, nudging his brother lightly with his elbow.

Xu Zeng scoffed. If it was just Xu Hu Zhe’s opinion, there likely would’ve been a fight judging by Xu Zeng’s reaction. That much was obvious.

But this time, Xu Zeng had relented—perhaps because it wasn’t just Xu Hu Zhe pushing for it. Even without the mask, he was hard to miss. His striking silver hair alone was an unmistakable marker of who he was or at least who Xu Feng was.

It wasn’t just a problem for Xu Zeng, it was one he had to deal with as well. It took a lot of work to dye their hair, and when Xu Feng had done it—the fake color, had messed up his clothing for the day.

It was a hassle! A messy hassle!

The meal itself was satisfying, warm bowls of wanton soup and hand-pulled noodles filling their table.

For the children, milk wasn’t needed this time—the baby bag, packed with their usual formula, had been more than enough.

Afterward, it was decided that the younger ones would nap in the back quarters, using a clean, unused room Liu had set aside. The strollers, once again, proved their usefulness. The little and big treasures, tucked beneath soft coverings, settled easily into sleep.

Meanwhile, Xiao An and Xiao Momo were still brimming with energy.

While the younger children rested, the two older ones made full use of the backyard, running in playful circles, their laughter—the one they tried to muffle—carrying through the crisp afternoon air.

They weren’t nearly as energetic as they had been earlier, but it was clear that they were riding out a second wind.

Xu Feng watched them with quiet amusement. Their routine had shifted since coming to the north, but it had turned into something stable—play, food, rest, repeat.

A good routine for children.

Children should have that kind of stability. Play, food, and sleep should always be unconditional when it could be provided.

Even with a second wind, the two energetic Lee children finally succumbed to sleep. The yawns between giggles were telling. The second wind didn’t even last a full stick of incense.

With the children settled, Xu Feng turned his focus back to the adults.

Both Xuan Yang and Xuan Jian seemed particularly invested in his next steps. It was comforting, in a way, to see how much his husbands supported him—not just with words, but with action.

The Silver Scale had been built with the bits of his vision he had shared with them during his pregnancy. But now that he was here, seeing it with his own eyes, he wanted to refine that vision.

One thing he knew for sure—he wanted a stove. Not just any stove. A craftsman’s stove. Something designed for serious baking.

Xu Feng wasn’t sure if there was such an oven in use anywhere in Donghua or even all of Dongzhou, but the experts would be better at crafting a working stove than he could.

The makeshift oven at Blooming Courtyard worked well enough for their family, but it wasn’t something he could confidently have the shop imitate.

It was fine for personal use. But for paying customers?

Xu Feng felt almost embarrassed at the thought of using such a crude setup in a professional space. No, they needed something better. Something that could bake pastries consistently, something designed to handle volume.

He was ambitious... sometimes.

Xu Feng glanced toward the backyard again, mentally mapping out where it could be placed.

If the backyard had a proper workstation, he wouldn’t need to confine baking to the kitchen alone.

And with the right tools? The Silver Scale wouldn’t just sell jam.

The backyard of the Silver Scale was now quiet, save for the occasional rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze passed through the trees. Xu Feng sat under the shade, hands curled around a warm teacup, his mind busy with plans. His husbands, seated beside him, listened as he voiced his concerns.

"It worked well enough," he admitted, fingers tracing the rim of the cup absently. "But the few times I actually baked something—before the boys were born—my masterpieces always ended up smokey."

Xuan Jian let out a low chuckle. "Masterpieces?"

Xu Feng huffed, nudging him lightly. "Yes, masterpieces," he repeated stubbornly. "Or at least, you downed them like they were masterpieces." Even through his teasing, Xu Feng had a point to make. "But my setup wasn’t exactly the best."

Xuan Yang took a slow sip of tea before setting his cup down. "Then we need something better."

That was the heart of it, wasn’t it? The makeshift oven at Blooming Courtyard had been fine for casual home baking, but if he was serious about introducing desserts to the Silver Scale, they needed something reliable.

Something professionally crafted. And this time he didn’t need to do it without the support of his men.

Xuan Jian leaned back against the bench, one arm resting along the back of it, fingers brushing lightly against Xu Feng’s sleeve. "I’ll speak with the craftsman who worked on the Silver Scale’s windows. He did good work—he might know someone who can build what you need."

Xu Feng exhaled in relief. "That would be perfect."

There was a brief silence before Xuan Yang sighed, his fingers drumming lightly against the table. He hesitated for a long moment before nodding. "I’ll go with him."

Xu Feng blinked, tilting his head slightly. It wasn’t as if the two men needed

to go together, but in the last few days, both of them had been... attached to him. More than usual.

Not that he minded... anymore. Still, this was a change—probably a positive one.

Xuan Jian studied Xuan Yang for a beat before the other man elaborated. "The furniture for the second floor needs to be ordered." Both the private rooms and the remaining furniture for the second floor needed to be designed uniquely and would take a craftsman’s touch.

That was enough to reassure Xuan Jian, there were still a few things to be done at the Silver Scale in addition to the construction at home. Xu Feng had given them an idea of how he wanted to decorate the upstairs of the restaurant. Why not handle it now?

Both men seemed to be on the same page now.

Xu Feng glanced between them. ’Is this about moving forward?’

Winter was coming. There was no avoiding it. And even if life was attempting to settle into a steady rhythm, there was a lingering weight in the air—a heaviness that hadn’t been fully addressed. Or maybe it had been.

They had lost time before. They had let life happen to them instead of deciding for themselves.

Would they make the same mistake again?

If they kept waiting, if they kept assuming there would be time later, would they regret it if tomorrow never came?

Time healed, but only if wounds were allowed to close.

For now, though, this was their love language.

Doing.

Action.

Xuan Yang hummed. "You’re satisfied with the first floor?"

Xu Feng smiled, fingers tapping lightly against the table, he couldn’t force himself to have anymore tea that wasn’t from his private stash.... He’d become a tea snob now that he was back in Donghua. "I am. Now, we just need to bring everything together."

With that settled, the two men prepared to leave, their departure following closely after Liu and Xu Hu Zhe, who had gone into town on an errand run.

That left only Xu Feng and Xu Zeng behind.

Xu Hu Zhe’s errand list was long. Not only was he gathering ingredients for Xu Feng’s baking experiments, but there were also additional supplies to take back to Nanshan Estate.

On the list: High-quality flour, preferably milled fine. Sugar and honey. A fresh batch of eggs. Butter or its closest alternative—hopefully he wouldn’t need to churn the butter himself, but Xu Feng would do what needed to be done for a happy belly.

The list also included: Fresh milk for the store. Rice starch for pudding. New kitchen tools (rolling pins, wooden molds, and small ceramic ramekins)—but these could be ordered now, for a later pick up or delivery.