Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 407: Quite Childlike

However, it’s uncomfortable.

Being forced to start work is really too uncomfortable.

Wen Shi noticed that his wife’s mood seemed off. She left home full of excitement, but returned looking pitiful and dejected.

Seeing her holding a needle and thread in front of the embroidery frame without moving, occasionally sighing, Wen Shi couldn’t help but set down the cloth he was using for cleaning and warmly asked her what’s wrong.

"What’s up?"

"I have to go to work!"

"??? Go work at Uncle Yaozi’s?"

"Hmm."

Wen Shi fell silent. How could he put it? There wasn’t much he could do to help with this situation.

"You can do it, honey!"

After holding back for a while, he managed to give a somewhat unconvincing piece of encouragement.

Yi Chichi sighed, "Now I won’t have time to spend with you."

Wen Shi twitched his mouth, glancing at her embroidery frame and then back at her, unable to resist the urge to quip, "In your mind, making money is more important than spending time with me."

After all, ever since he returned, his wife hadn’t stopped her embroidery work.

If she didn’t embroider during the day, she’d do it at night with the lights on, unable to feel at ease otherwise.

As for today...

"You keep working, I’ll keep cleaning, and later head out to the woods with Dongzi and the others."

Yi Chichi turned to look at him, "Why are you going to the woods?"

The snow in the woods was probably thick and frozen solid, making it dangerously slippery. If they really went, chances were they’d slip without a sound.

"To set traps."

"Can’t you not go?"

"Dongzi and the others came by and invited me. Growing up together as childhood friends, I can’t just not go."

Well, there wasn’t a choice. So off he went.

"Be careful in the woods, don’t break any bones."

"Understood."

The herbal stew wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly tasty either.

It was too bland, and besides the faint herbal aroma and the original flavor of the ingredients, there was no taste to speak of.

Nevertheless, it was bearable—better than swallowing bitter medicine or pills.

"I’ll be back soon."

"Where’s mom and Uncle Kang?"

"After taking Xiao Jiu to school, they went to Uncle Team Leader’s house to chat with Aunt Ma and the others."

There wasn’t much work to do on this day, so they gathered to chat and do needlework.

Not bad.

It wasn’t tiring, and it passed the time.

"Set a few more traps later and prepare more meat for your grandpa and them."

The meat in the house was consumed too quickly; it felt like storing more wasn’t enough.

"Honey, I feel like we’re quite extravagant."

Yi Chichi paused, having just threaded the silk and stitched a couple of times, "Eating a bit of meat counts as extravagant?"

"Life is too good; I feel guilty."

This reasoning was so strong that Yi Chichi shot him a big eyeroll.

"Since you feel guilty, just eat cabbage and sauerkraut every day, and forego meat."

"That’s not feasible. We’re family, how could I be left out? That would make you all feel guilty instead."

"Okay, go do your cleaning then."

Not wanting to waste words with him, Yi Chichi, not wanting him to disrupt her work, hurried him away.

Wen Shi acknowledged and stopped while he was ahead.

If he kept babbling, his wife might get angry.

Hence, the couple each busied themselves with their tasks.

After ten, the sun came out. Yi Chichi’s embroidery frame was placed by the window, and with the curtains open, the light was good and not harmful to the eyes.

Now that the sun was out, twinkling spots of light fell onto the embroidered cloth from the window.

Sitting in front of the embroidery frame, Yi Chichi didn’t notice the problem, but Wen Shi did.

There was a faint hint of gold caught in his peripheral vision.

Adjusting his gaze, he saw a domineering leopard’s eyes and a pair of tiger eyes filled with fierce and dominant aura, both staring directly at him, with open mouths baring sharp fangs that made his throat ache.

It felt as if his throat was locked on by the leopard and tiger.

Frankly, this feeling wasn’t pleasant.

Wen Shi couldn’t control his muscles from tensing up, and his body instinctively assumed a posture ready for both attack and defense. Yi Chichi noticed his odd behavior and raised an eyebrow.

"Did a donkey kick your head?"

There were no dangerous animals at home, so why was he assuming a combat-ready stance?

Wen Shi, "..."

This was definitely his wife.

"Not my fault, your embroidery makes the tiger and leopard look so lifelike."

It even gave him a sense of crisis.

Yi Chichi glanced at her work, "I haven’t finished the embroidery yet."

"The eyes’ spirit is already captured."

Key point is his wife somehow embroidered it so their eyes showed different expressions from various angles.

He leaned in for a closer study and asked, "Honey, did you use gold thread for the eyes?"

"Not the eyes, but there is gold silk thread on the fur."

"Where?"

"Here."

Yi Chichi pointed it out for him.

However, the thread was so finely split that even as Wen Shi almost crossed his eyes, he couldn’t determine where the gold thread was used.

"I feel this one’s really valuable."

Wen Shi, unwilling to admit his poor eyesight, just made conversation.

Yi Chichi was silent for two seconds, "In any case, Uncle Ning won’t underpay me."

"He wouldn’t dare." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The craftsmanship was too exquisite; if mistreated, she would just leave, and the loss surely wouldn’t be hers.

Just then, Dongzi’s voice shouted from outside, "Wenzi, are you done yet?"

"Honey, I have to go."

Upon hearing the call, Wen Shi exuberantly replied like a husky, tossing out the words before darting out.

Yi Chichi raised her voice, "Remember to dress warmly, wear your hat, scarf, and gloves."

Don’t end up with frostbite.

"Got it!"

Two minutes later, Wen Shi, fully geared up and wrapped so that only his eyes were exposed, ran to the door and said, "Honey, I’m leaving. If mom asks, let her know."

"Okay."

Yi Chichi nodded and reminded him once more, "Make sure to stay safe."

Wen Shi acknowledged and headed off to the forest with Dongzi and the others, chatting and laughing.

He didn’t return until dinner, almost as frozen as a dumb deer.

His face was blue and purple.

At that time, Yi Chichi had already stopped her work and was critiquing and advising Niu Niu on her homework that she brought over for inspection.

"Wi-wife, come quick and warm me up."

Trembling, a voice suddenly called out. Yi Chichi turned and saw his odd expression, hurriedly putting down Niu Niu’s peach blossom to rush over and check his temperature.

It wasn’t hot; instead, it was cold.

His hands were cold, and so was his face.

"??? Did you take off your coat and gloves?"

"The coat stayed on, but I took off the gloves and hat—they were inconvenient for digging traps."

Yi Chichi glared at him, "Tell the truth."

"...Alright, I played snowball fight and built snowmen with Xiao Jiu and the others."

It was quite childlike fun.

"Then you should be warm. Why are you so cold?"

Complaining as she was, Yi Chichi dug out a steaming hot jar filled with boiling water from the quilt and handed it to him.

"Hold it to warm your hands."

Wen Shi nodded and took the jar, looking towards Niu Niu who was curiously observing him, "Niu Niu’s grown so big now."

Niu Niu grinned widely and called him ’big brother.’

Yi Chichi, "That’s the wrong address; you should call him uncle or brother-in-law."

Wen Shi was of the same generation as Niu Niu’s dad, calling him brother was a clear downgrade in rank.

If Uncle Team Leader knew, it would surely make his gums ache.

Niu Niu nodded and readily corrected herself, "Brother-in-law."