How could someone be unhappy living in a matriarchal society?

Chapter 23 First Separation

On the first day after Chu Ci left, Shi An stayed at home, concentrating on sewing shoe soles.

In fact, besides selling handkerchiefs, he had also tried selling embroidered shoes before, and found that embroidered shoes were more popular and sold better than handkerchiefs.

Therefore, he gradually shifted his focus to making and selling embroidered shoes.

Around noon, Shi An cooked a bowl of steaming noodles, then took the bowl and went to the yard to enjoy his lunch alone.

However, after only a few bites, he put down his chopsticks and stopped eating.

After all, it's already June, and the weather is starting to get hot, so Shi An's appetite has decreased significantly.

Nevertheless, to avoid wasting food, he forced himself to finish the whole bowl of noodles.

After washing the dishes, Shi An suddenly remembered something important.

His indenture has not yet been found!

He had completely forgotten about it because he had been so busy earning money for his trip.

"I wonder where my wife put my indenture. Should I wait for her to come back and ask her?"

With that in mind, Shi An decided to put down his work and search the house carefully to see if he could find the crucial indenture.

After searching for a while, he finally gave up in disappointment, thinking that he should wait until Chu Ci returned home before asking her.

As night fell and the sky had just darkened, Song He rushed over.

It turned out that Chu Ci wasn't home tonight, so he came here specifically to keep Shi An company overnight.

"Brother Shi An, are you there?" A clear voice came from outside the door. Shi An quickly put down his needlework and walked to the door to open it.

The boy stood at the door, his face beaming with excitement and anticipation.

He happily told Shi An, "This is the first time I've ever stayed at someone else's house."

Shi An smiled as she looked at him, feeling that the boy in front of her was like an innocent child, making her feel warm and friendly. "Treat this place as your own home, don't be too reserved."

Upon hearing this, Song He's eyes lit up. He smiled and nodded in agreement, then eagerly walked into the courtyard, looking around curiously.

When Song He saw the rabbits she kept in the yard, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

He excitedly ran to the rabbit hutch and carefully observed the adorable little animals.

"Wow, the little bunny is so cute!" Song He exclaimed, reaching out to gently stroke the bunny's soft fur.

Seeing this, Shi An carefully picked up a rabbit, placed it in her arms, and said softly, "They are all very well-behaved and won't bite."

Song He smiled happily and couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the rabbit's fur. "So soft, so cute," he murmured to himself.

Then, Shi An pointed to the little donkey on the other side of the yard and introduced it to Song He: "There is another little donkey over there. You can go and touch it too."

Upon hearing this, Song He excitedly ran over. He looked at the little donkey curiously, then turned to Shi An and asked, "Can I ride it?"

Shi An nodded and reminded him, "It's possible. This donkey is very docile, but you must be careful."

Song He nodded happily. He carefully climbed onto the back of the little donkey, reached out and touched the donkey's mane, and tried to ride it around the yard.

Before long, a smile appeared on Song He's face.

"Brother Shi'an, you are so lucky to have so many little animals at home."

Upon hearing this, Shi An's expression softened slightly. "These were all purchased by my wife."

Song He was very envious. "Sister Chu Ci is so wonderful. I wish I could marry a wife like her in the future."

Shi An put the rabbit down and walked to the donkey. "It's getting dark, let's go inside."

"Okay," Song He obediently jumped down and followed Shi An to the kitchen.

Shi An cooked two dishes, and Song He assisted him.

While washing the vegetables, Song He brought up the topic of children.

"Brother Shi'an, when are you and Sister Chu going to have a baby?"

"!!"

Shi An, who was starting a fire, was startled. "Child...child?"

"Yes," Shi An said, her face instantly turning red. She stammered, "I'm not... not planning to at the moment."

He lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously twisting together, feeling flustered and shy.

Song He nodded, analyzing to herself, "That's true, you've only been married for less than two months, it's still early." As she spoke, she peeled the potato.

"Hmm...hmm," Shi An responded twice, not daring to look up, just nodding haphazardly, hoping to end this awkward topic as soon as possible.

"By the way, when is Sister Chu coming back?"

Shi An thought for a moment and then said, "Um... I'll be back tomorrow."

Song He's eyes were full of admiration. "Sister Chu Ci is so amazing. She dares to go to such a far place by herself."

Shi An smiled, inwardly agreeing, "My wife is indeed amazing."

"Sister Chu likes you very much, Brother Shi'an," Song He blinked and said confidently.

Shi An asked in confusion, "How did you figure that out?"

"Little donkey, Sister Chu bought this little donkey so you wouldn't have to work so hard when you go to Lotus Town. How thoughtful of her! Unlike me, I'm exhausted every time I go to Lotus Town, and my dad always scolds me for being dramatic," Song He pouted and complained.

As Shi An listened to his complaints, she couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart.

He knew that his wife would always think of him, and that she was the most special woman he knew.

After dinner, a gentle breeze blew as the two cleaned up the dishes, washed up together, and climbed into bed, ready to end the day's fatigue.

However, as Shi An lay in her comfortable bed, she found her thoughts surging like a tidal wave, making it difficult to calm down.

He tossed and turned in bed, countless thoughts swirling in his mind.

Recalling the words Song He had once said to him, and her relationship with Chu Ci, Shi An couldn't help but feel a heavy weight on his heart.

He knew that the two of them might never have children of their own, let alone a future together.

This thought weighed heavily on his mind, as if a huge boulder was pressing down on his heart.

Each breath became difficult.

Shi An's heart began to ache faintly.

He tried to pat his chest gently to ease the pain, but no matter how hard he tried, the pain persisted.

At this moment, Shi An suddenly felt a deep sorrow, even more so than when he was killed by the Crown Princess in his previous life...

"Brother Shi'an, are you having trouble sleeping too?" Song He noticed Shi'an's little movements and started chatting with him.

"I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"

"No, no, it's my first time sleeping away from home, I'm a little excited and can't sleep."

"How about we have a chat?"

Shi An composed herself and nodded, "Okay."

"Brother Shi'an, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?" Song He asked first.

After thinking for a moment, Shi An replied earnestly, "Right now, I want to make the most beautiful shoes so that more people can wear them."

To earn more travel expenses and also to help Chu Ci take care of the household.

"Wow, that would be amazing!" Song He exclaimed sincerely. "I believe you can do it."

Shi An smiled slightly and looked at Song He gratefully, "Thank you for your encouragement. What are your thoughts?"