Zhao Ce listened to the little girl's murmurs and couldn't help but chuckle, patting her small forehead. "Eat up. Although there isn't much rice left at home, there's no need to worry. Tomorrow, I'll go to the city's bookshop and see if I can get some copying work to do. Let's first make sure we have enough food to eat for these days."

Su Caier nodded her small head and took the initiative to divide the tasks between them.

"I'll go to the mountain tomorrow to dig some wild vegetables and chop some firewood to bring back."

The two of them divided the work and finished their bowl of porridge. Su Caier rubbed her round belly, feeling satisfied. She used to only cook a little bit of rough rice porridge for herself. She would add a few more grains of rice only when she was really hungry.

But now, she had eaten until she was full after only one day in her husband's home.

Zhao Ce, on the other hand, drank some water and felt a little unsatisfied after two meals of tasteless white porridge. As a modern person used to all kinds of delicious food, he was used to strong flavors even in plain porridge. He couldn't help but think that two meals of bland porridge were as good as not eating.

But seeing the little girl next to him with her big eyes half-closed and a satisfied look on her face, he thought that sometimes, it was good to have a clear stomach.

After finishing their meal, Su Caier cleaned up the kitchen while Zhao Ce stayed by the pot of boiling sugar. The water inside had evaporated almost completely, and a layer of white sugar glaze had formed on the pot's walls.

He stirred the sugar with a pair of chopsticks, and white sugar grains began to appear at the bottom of the pot more and more frequently.

He cleared the rest of the fire and left only a few charcoal pieces burning. He then scooped out some of the sugar with the chopsticks, showing it to Su Caier. "Look, this is white sugar."

The white sugar wasn't completely dry yet, but it was clear what it was supposed to look like.

Su Caier was amazed at the clean and transparent sugar crystals. "This is white sugar! It looks so good."

Zhao Ce smiled and said, "After the sugar in the pot dries a little more, we can pour it into a bowl and let it cool. Tomorrow, I'll take this sugar to the city and see if they'll buy it. If we can get a good price, I'll buy more sugar to refine it. That way, we can have a proper business."

"Oh, and let's see how sweet it is," he said, holding out the chopsticks with sugar grains to Su Caier. He gestured for her to taste the sugar.

The little girl was a little confused and didn't react immediately. "You can taste it first, husband."

Zhao Ce smiled and said, "I don't like to eat sugar this way. Can you taste it for me?"

Su Caier then extended her small pink tongue and gently licked the sugar grains on the chopsticks. After tasting it, she involuntarily exclaimed, "It's so sweet..."

Realizing what she had done, she blushed and looked up at the tall man in front of her. Zhao Ce also felt a little uncomfortable and coughed lightly. "It's too hot today, and the kitchen is also a bit hot..."

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Zhao Ce felt a bit uncomfortable and coughed lightly. "The weather is too hot, and the kitchen is also a bit hot..." The little girl in front of him was thin and small, just a child. Why was he feeling uneasy?

He pushed those feelings aside and said, "Do you want to leave some to eat at home?" Su Caier quickly shook her head and refused, "No, it's too precious." "You can get a lot of money if you bring it to the city to exchange. With the money, your husband can buy white rice to eat." Given their current situation, there wasn't much they could do.

Zhao Ce gestured for the girl to eat all the sugar on the chopsticks, then wash them and take a warm bath with the hot water in the pot.

He left the kitchen and took a deep breath, seeing that the sun was almost down. Only a faint glow remained in the sky, and there was nothing much to do in this ancient night.

He had sweated a lot today and decided to wash up early and go to bed. He took the clean clothes that the little girl had found and went to the courtyard to wash himself with water.

Looking down at his skinny body, he couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted. "I have to exercise tomorrow morning." He poured a bucket of water over himself, instantly cooling the hot air.

When he finished washing up, the sky had gradually darkened. He lightly knocked on the kitchen door and pushed it open when he heard Su Caier's reply.

The little girl had just finished washing up, and her face was flushed. When she saw Zhao Ce come in, she looked at him with her big watery eyes before quickly lowering her head. "Did you wash up too? There's still hot water in the pot," she said.

He opened the pot lid and saw that there was still a lot of water left. "Why didn't you use it all? Firewood can also be exchanged for money," he said with a smile.

Children of farmers generally don't use hot water to bathe, even in winter. They usually wait for the sun to warm up a few pots of water in the courtyard and then wash with the remaining warmth. This was the first time Su Caier had used hot water to bathe in her life. "I only used some,” she said seriously. "The rest is for you." Zhao Ce thought for a moment and decided that it was okay not to use hot water as the weather was still very hot, but he would have to let her use hot water in the future, especially as the seasons changed. As for himself, he would continue to use cold water to prepare for the imperial examinations.

Zhao Ce picked up the pot and put it in the cupboard, wrapped it in a cloth, and let it dry overnight.

Tomorrow, he should be able to get completely dried white sugar. There were also a pair of chopsticks on the bowl with some sugar on them that Su Caier had tasted. This thrifty little girl had only licked a small amount and didn't want to eat anymore. Zhao Ce sighed inwardly,

I need to earn money quickly...

After putting things away, Zhao Ce continued speaking: "From now on, use the hot water in the pot for yourself."

"No need to save it for me."

Su Caier blinked her eyes.

"But husband is a scholar, his body is precious."

Su Caier blushed. Her mother had told her that during the wedding night, she should boil some hot water. So she didn't refuse today. From now on, she would leave all the hot water for her husband to use.

Yesterday, her husband got drunk and slept on the bed while she slept on a bench next to the wall. She felt embarrassed to sleep with him on the bed. Tonight, she will finally have her first night together with her husband.

She couldn't help but clench her small fists. She heard what his uncle said today.

He said she was too thin and it would be difficult for her to give birth. She had to work harder, sleep more with her husband, and have a baby as soon as possible. Then his uncle wouldn't let him send her away.

Zhao Ce didn't know what was going on in the little girl's mind. He shook his head and said, "Using cold water will help me study better."

The little girl looked at him in confusion.

Zhao Ce smiled and said, "Just listen to me."

Su Caier quickly said, "Yes, I'll listen to you."

She closed the cupboard door and turned around. he saw the little girl looking determined and full of fighting spirit. There seemed to be two small flames burning in her pupils.

Zhao Ce couldn't help but smile. This little girl was probably thinking about something again. He rubbed her small head and said, "Let's go, there's nothing else to do in the kitchen."

"Let's go sleep."

Sleep?

Su Caier's eyes lit up.

"Yes, let's sleep!"