Bailee had always been soft-hearted, especially when it came to his younger brother. Even though their family wasn't well-off, he always tried to save the best for Lorrie.
It's not that he didn't care about Haven—it's just that Haven had always been obedient and responsible, never causing trouble and helping with chores from a young age. He made things easier for the family.
You know how they say, "The crying child gets the candy"? That fit Lorrie perfectly. He was always lively and talkative, liked to act cute, and was several years younger than them. Whenever Lorrie cried, Bailee would instinctively try to comfort him.
Haven knew better and would sometimes scold Lorrie with a stern face, because if he didn't, no one else would. Their big brother was too gentle, too kind, and didn't have much of a temper.
But after Lorrie met Julie, he started to change for the better, which made them all feel relieved. As long as his wife could manage him, it was fine. That's why there's a saying: there's always someone who can keep someone else in check.
Bailee had already forgotten how frustrated he was with Lorrie earlier. Seeing him crying so miserably now, he walked over and gently hugged him, softly patting his back without saying anything, just quietly staying with him.
After crying for a while, Lorrie looked up and said louder, "Brother, it hurts so much…" He had wanted to endure it, but he just couldn't.
He whimpered… Julie had left. Did she dislike him now?
He started to worry: "Where is my wife? Where did she go?"
Seeing how emotional he was, Bailee tried to calm him. "Don't worry. She went back to her room. Now be honest with me—what exactly happened?" He didn't think it was her fault. Lorrie must have said or done something.
Lorrie's eyes were red, and snot was running down his face as he kept hiccuping from crying too hard. Bailee took the handkerchief from the desk and wiped his tears and nose.
Once Lorrie calmed down a bit and was breathing steadily, Bailee gently asked again, "Now can you tell me?"
Lorrie looked a little embarrassed and guilty. "I just… I couldn't help it… I pushed her away." Thinking back, her face was so dark it could've been charcoal.
Bailee was surprised.
Seriously? He'd heard that… well… you're not supposed to stop at a time like that. Was she okay?
Now he was worried about Julie. And for the first time, he felt truly angry at Lorrie. Maybe he had been too soft all this time. When Haven scolded him, Bailee shouldn't have always stepped in to protect him.
Feeling bad for Julie, Bailee couldn't help but give Lorrie a light smack on the butt. Sometimes, you had to teach a lesson. He couldn't always do whatever he wanted.
As he went for a second smack, Lorrie started to whine and act cute. "Brother, I'm sorry, I really am… My mind just went blank, I didn't do it on purpose."
It didn't really hurt—Bailee had held back. And as soon as Lorrie started acting soft and apologetic, Bailee stopped.
He couldn't stay angry at his own brother. He was just upset earlier and also a little worried. He gently poked Lorrie on the forehead and even checked to make sure he was okay, putting some ointment on him.
Honestly, he didn't really need it—he wasn't actually hurt…
Eventually, Lorrie got sleepy and drifted off.
Just before falling asleep, he mumbled, "I'll apologize to my wife tomorrow…"
Once he was asleep, Bailee tucked the blanket around him and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.
He went to Julie's door, thinking about checking in, but when he saw how late it was, he figured she was probably already asleep. After standing there for a moment, he turned around and went back to his own room.
The next morning at breakfast, Julie calmly ate her bowl of noodles like nothing had happened.
The meal was tomato and egg noodles, savory with a bit of tang. A few drops of sesame oil and a handful of chopped scallions were added on top, making it smell delicious.
Lorrie had planned to apologize.
But saying something like that at the breakfast table—even though the other two were his older brothers—was just too awkward and embarrassing.
He kept sneaking glances at his wife, but she didn't look at him even once. It made him feel bad and useless.
He had messed things up again. She probably wouldn't come to his room for a long time.
Bailee also glanced at her a few times, a bit worried.
Was she okay?
He wanted to ask, but it felt inappropriate.
Not asking made him feel even more uneasy.
Haven, the most observant of the three, didn't know exactly what happened, but he could tell the mood at the table wasn't right. He kept his head down and quietly ate his noodles without saying a word.
He figured he'd ask his older brother about it later.
Julie didn't eat much. She wasn't very hungry, so after finishing her bowl, she got up and went back to her room.
Last night, in the middle of everything, she had gotten stuck halfway—emotionally and physically. She was frustrated and had wanted to scold Lorrie.
That brat.
If you're going to flirt, then follow through with it.
Being curious and wanting to try—there's nothing wrong with that.
But she hadn't even done much yet, and he was already crying like crazy. It ruined the mood and killed any interest she had.
It was just frustrating.
Not everyone is into forcing things or enjoys seeing someone cry and struggle. That's not her thing.
So when he started crying like that, Julie stopped immediately.
Julie was never a gentle or sweet-talking kind of wife. Seeing him cry like that, she couldn't bring herself to fake comfort him.
Honestly, it was a miracle she didn't spank him.
She decided to say nothing and just walked out.
She went outside and stood in the cold air for a while.
It helped her calm down.
Even though they hadn't actually gone all the way, she was still a bit worried about Lorrie's health.
She asked Bailee to check on him, then went back to her room.
Back in her room, she sat cross-legged on the bed, closed her eyes, and rested for a bit. Once she was fully calm, she began to think things through.
The good part was that Lorrie was now probably scared and wouldn't bring it up again anytime soon.
It was better that way. At least he wouldn't be expecting something every day.
They could take things slowly. His older brothers weren't even pregnant yet—what was he in such a hurry for?
…
Seven days later, on the first day of the twelfth month, Julie got busy.
The crops in the fields were ready for harvest.
She worked non-stop for several days, from morning to night, to get everything harvested.
She didn't even think about hiring help.
At this time of year, every household was busy with their own fields. Who would leave their own work for a few coins just to help her?
And the truly poor families—those who didn't even have enough to eat—wouldn't take this kind of job. They'd go to the town docks and work as porters. It was exhausting, sure, but the pay was better.
She first laid out the wheat to dry. After it had been left out for a day, she ground it into flour using a stone mill.
As for the rice, it had to be pounded to remove the husk.
Julie didn't have a proper rice pounder at home.
But she understood how it worked, so she made a simple wooden version using leftover tree stumps that Liu Ying hadn't used.
This kind of tool required manual pounding. It was boring work but not too hard.
The men in the house took turns using it in the main room. When one got tired, another took over. So it wasn't too bad.