Chapter Thirteen: You Would Marry Him?

“Where are the legs?” the old man asked.

Tang Fei lowered his head to search for Phoenix’s legs.

“I meant the rabbit’s legs,” the old man said irritably. Looking at this rascal’s leering expression—even if her legs are slender and long, you can’t just keep staring…

“I gave them to An Ning,” Tang Fei replied nonchalantly.

“Again? You’re giving things away again? Didn’t you just send a big chunk of lamb a few days ago? How much can those two women eat? Do you know what you’re doing?” The old man grumbled, “A beggar hosting a banquet—being generous with nothing.”

Tang Fei glanced at him, sneering, “Last time I dug up a sack of cassava—how come there’s only half a sack left?”

“Of course we ate it. There are so many mouths to feed at home, plus that gluttonous Xiao Pang—what’s wrong with eating quickly? Isn’t it normal?” The old man retorted, raising his voice in mock indignation.

“I saw it at Madam Cheng’s house,” Xiao Pang said with a sheepish smile, worried he might anger the old man. He spoke quietly, “When I went to the kitchen to grab the knife for the rabbit legs, I found half a sack of cassava in the corner. I don’t recognize cassava, but the sack is ours—big brother marked it with charcoal.”

The old man shot Xiao Pang a fierce glare, then explained to Tang Fei, “I figured we’ve got plenty of meat now—the two-headed sheep you brought back is still not finished, and now there’s another red-eyed rabbit… Besides, you two brats like meat, not cassava. How much can I eat by myself? Madam Cheng came over to help tidy up, patched your torn clothes and shoes, and even made new soles for your shoes from old cloth, planning to sew fur-lined boots with animal skin soon…”

“It might seem hot now, but in two months the temperature will drop, and the snow will likely reach your knees. How can you survive winter without fur-lined boots?”

“When have we ever looked down on cassava? When we were starving, we drank root soup plenty of times. Xiao Pang nearly gnawed on tree bark…”

Tang Fei waved his hand with casual grace, “Forget it, what’s done is done. We’re not complaining. Xiao Pang and I gave openly—not like some people who sneak around gifting things… What’s there to hide? Why act guilty?”

“I did not! You’re wrongly accusing me…” The old man was furious.

Seeing Tang Fei, Xiao Pang, and even the newly arrived woman watching him with strange eyes, the old man felt his explanation was feeble. Affairs between men and women only get murkier the more you try to clarify, since most people prefer to believe you “have” than “have not.”

If there’s nothing going on, it isn’t any fun—doesn’t satisfy people’s curiosity.

“Think whatever you want,” the old man said, adopting a shameless air of resignation. “I said I didn’t sleep with her, and that’s that. Even if I did, it’d be for you two brats’ fur-lined boots, sacrificing my fine body for your sake.”

Tang Fei looked at him with disgust, “Don’t flatter yourself. You may want to, but Madam Cheng might not accept you. With her looks and figure, plenty of men would chase her—why would she choose you?”

I can refuse, but you can’t say I’m incapable.

What men fear most is being called incapable.

So the old man hurried to clarify, “I just don’t want to. If I did, Madam Cheng would’ve been your godmother long ago… Back in the day, I was known as the Empire’s Double…”

Reminiscing about the past, the old man couldn’t help but feel wistful, his mood sinking.

He worried his words might spark further curiosity. Xiao Pang was no concern; you could hand him the conversation and he’d never chew out anything meaningful. But Tang Fei was too clever—keen-eyed, quick to catch hints, able to dig out countless details from the faintest clues, sharp as a ghost, impossible to fool.

He was nothing like his father, but very much like his mother, famed as the Empire’s Talent…

And Phoenix, the delicate guest from New Star—even though they hadn’t spent much time together, her demeanor revealed she wasn’t someone easy to deal with.

He understood the danger of saying too much—better than anyone else, from bitter experience.

“What Empire’s Double what?” Tang Fei asked.

As expected, he seized on the slip and pressed for answers.

Phoenix’s eyes brightened, sizing up the thin, somewhat shifty old man with new curiosity.

“When I was young, I was known as the Empire’s Twin Heroes, the Flower of the Galaxy, the Blue Star’s ambassador,” the old man said seriously, “I’m not exaggerating—I was handsome back then, everyone who saw me would give a thumbs-up, calling me an elegant and dashing youth. Women who liked me ranged from eighteen to eighty, enough to circle Blue Star, more terrifying than the sales of fragrant milk tea…”

Indeed, when someone says “I’m not boasting,” everything that follows is pure boasting.

“Bah!” Tang Fei scoffed.

“Shameless!” Xiao Pang muttered.

Phoenix’s probing look vanished instantly—it seemed she’d overcomplicated things. After all, how could an old man picked up on a ruin be anyone important? How could he be connected to the Empire?

“Men on Old Earth love to brag!” Phoenix silently made a fresh mental note about Old Earth.

“Even if none of your words are believable, I did reach one conclusion from your evasions,” Tang Fei said.

“What conclusion?” the old man asked.

“You really didn’t sleep with Madam Cheng,” Tang Fei replied. “Didn’t succeed?”

“…I told you, it wasn’t that I didn’t succeed—I just didn’t want to. I resisted.”

“If you put in a bit more effort, the two families could become one. Then you’d have proper reason to look after Madam Cheng, and she could help with the housework. Xiao Pang and I would have a better life,” Tang Fei said thoughtfully.

He had considered this possibility: if the old man and Madam Cheng got together, their families would merge, and it would be perfectly legitimate to take care of Madam Cheng and her daughter. Gossipers would have nothing to target.

If we’re sleeping together, what’s the point of saying we’re having an affair?

My bottom line is lower than your firing line—your insults lose all impact.

Madam Cheng and her daughter were diligent and skilled, able to keep the household orderly. Xiao Pang and Tang Fei’s lives would surely improve.

At the very least, after hunting each day, they wouldn’t have to cook for the old man…

There’s nothing like a mother’s love—a child with a mother is a treasure.

Tang Fei and Xiao Pang had no mother, but they could find the old man a companion.

The old man curled his lip, glancing sidelong at Tang Fei. “A few days ago, Madam Cheng mentioned that you and An Ning aren’t young anymore, grew up together, feelings are good… Why not make a match?”

Tang Fei was shocked. “You’ve set your sights on me? I’m still a child!”

“A child? Look at Old Wang’s kid—he’s fifteen or sixteen and already has a baby. Look at Blacksmith Zhang’s daughter, same age as you, soon to be married by year’s end… You think these are peaceful times?”

After the catastrophe, animals lived longer, but humans’ lifespans grew shorter.

There’s no helping it—animals’ survival abilities far surpass humans’.

At first, animals were dying off in large numbers too, but their sheer numbers and breeding ability were overwhelming. Once they adapted to the harsh environment, they kept mutating, becoming the overlords of this black land.

Humans struggled to survive under high radiation. After massive deaths, people didn’t want children, and even those born rarely survived…

So, the ruins saw fewer and fewer humans, but more and more animals.

That’s why humans were squeezed into small enclaves, while fierce beasts occupied most of the land and sea.

After all, humans always stuck to the basic principle: if you can win, eat; if not, run.

Humans began “reverting,” lifespans shortening and marriage happening earlier.

They say Blue Star’s old laws required men and women to be eighteen before marrying—now there are no laws, who cares?

“Impossible,” Tang Fei shook his head. “An Ning and I are impossible. I’ve always seen her as a sister—we just can’t.”

“What’s impossible? Finding a wife these days is tough. I’m telling you, plenty of lads like An Ning… How many girls your age are there in the whole settlement? Madam Cheng said you get first pick; if you don’t want her, she’ll be promised elsewhere.”

“That’s their family’s business, not mine. Anyway, An Ning and I are impossible,” Tang Fei insisted.

“Though An Ning has a scar on her face, the girl’s got a good foundation, a good heart, can paint, and you two get along…” The old man looked at Tang Fei with concern. “You don’t like girls like An Ning? What do you like then?”

Tang Fei, as if possessed, glanced at Phoenix, only to find her staring back. He felt as though caught red-handed doing something wrong, his face flushed, neck stiff. “I don’t know what I like. Anyway, don’t worry about it… I’m busy hunting every day, no time for such things.”

Phoenix chimed in, “Yes, scientific studies show marrying too young isn’t good for health—especially for women, early childbirth can affect…”

Phoenix couldn’t bring herself to talk about “uterus” and “ovaries” in front of these “strange” men, so she forced herself to continue, “Anyway, it’s especially bad for women—very harmful. I suggest they wait until after eighteen to consider marriage and childbirth. On New Star, it’s clearly stated—no marriage before eighteen.”

The old man caught their interaction, his eyes flickering, and stared at Phoenix. “What’s it got to do with you? I finally found him a wife, and you dismissed it in three sentences… If he never finds a wife, will you marry him?”

…