Chapter 37
They walked in silence for a few moments, the only sound the low bellow and huffing of cattle and the chirping of insects. Zhengri glanced at her, noticing the way her eyes scanned the herd, assessing their condition with a practiced eye. She was a farmer, a rancher, a businesswoman, a mother, and his wife. He fell more in love with her the more he looked it was an obsession that was bordering fanatic.
Zhengri almost gave away but held back.
“So,” he said, trying to sound casual. “What’s your strategy for selling them? Auction? Private sales?”
“A bit of both,” she replied in an offhanded manner. “The prime cuts will go to high-end restaurants in the city. The rest will be sold at auction to local butchers and farmers.”
“Smart. Diversifying your market reduces your risk.” He said with a pleased nod.
She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “You actually do know your stuff, Mr. Hui.” Zhengri knew she had an idea, after all, he looked almost the same as his last life with even the same name Zhengri Hui.
He grinned, emboldened by her unexpected compliment. “Thank you,” Zhengri said as the two continued moving forward at a somewhat leisurely pace.
They reached the edge of the herd, the cattle regarding them with mild curiosity. Vanity stopped, her gaze sweeping over the animals. “Curren, bring me the sorting stick.”
Curren handed her a long, thin pole, and Vanity began to move through the herd, occasionally tapping a cow on the flank to direct it towards a separate pen. Zhengri watched, fascinated, as she moved with a confident grace, her presence commanding respect from both the animals and the people around her.
He saw one of the Pan brothers approach Vanity, whispering something in her ear. She listened intently, then nodded curtly. The Pan brother retreated, looking relieved.
“What was that about?” Zhengri asked.
“One of the heifers is showing signs of illness,” she replied. “We need to isolate her and call the vet.”
“Can I help?”
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “You can hold the gate open while Curren and I move her.”
Zhengri felt a surge of pride. She was trusting him, even if only with a small task, it reminded him of back then when the five of them had previously worked together. He followed her to the gate, his heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
As they worked together to move the sick heifer, he found himself stealing glances at her. Her face was flushed with exertion, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was beautiful, strong, and fiercely independent. And he was determined to win her, no matter the cost. Loving her in the last life but unable to take the iniative whhile in this one he had already married her and sired a son from her, there is simply no way he would let any chance in making her his in all ways possible perminently his.
Later, after the heifer had been safely isolated and the vet had been called, Vanity turned to him, her eyes softening slightly. “Thank you, Mr. Hui. I appreciate your help.”
“Anytime, Miss Mi,” he said, his heart swelling with hope. “Anytime.”
He knew he had a long way to go, but he was willing to do whatever it took to earn her love.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of activity. They inspected the sheep and goats, haggled with Reruken over fleece quality, and discussed the logistics of transporting the livestock to market. Zhengri tried to make himself useful, asking intelligent questions, offering helpful suggestions, and generally trying not to get in the way. He was surprised by how much he enjoyed it. The physical labor, the fresh air, the sense of being part of something tangible – it was a welcome change from the sterile environment of his law office.
Anyway, where she was had always been better than anything else.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the fields, they gathered by the helicopter for the return trip to the villas. Vanity looked tired, but her eyes still held a spark of satisfaction. She handed Tian Kuo to Curren, then turned to Zhengri. “Thank you for your help today. You were…surprisingly competent.”
Zhengri felt like a fool wanting to smile like one but instead focused his gaze on his wife and nodded curtly.
It could not be helped he wanted her so much but feared her outright rejection.
He grinned. “It was a pleasure, Miss Mi.”
She chuckled softly, a sound that sent a shiver down his spine. “Don’t get any ideas, Mr. Hui. One day of manual labor doesn’t erase the past.”
“I’m not expecting it to,” he said, his voice low and sincere. “But I am hoping it’s a start.”
She looked at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, without a word, she turned and climbed into the helicopter. He followed, his heart heavy but not without hope.
Arriving back at her villa, Zhengri lingered.
He wanted to say something but could not bring himself to. She is his wife in this life, the child is his but they had only spent one night together, the two barely remembering. Worse, she had given birth and spent her confinement alone. Sure he had searched for her with his brothers and clearly she had no desire to be found, but he could not help but to think he was incompetent and the almost hundred years of his life was worthless.
Zhengri opened his mouth to speak but then stiffened when he heard a voice almost the exact one of his own.
“Eldest brother running off like this makes us worried,” Zhengri turned to look at his two replicas who appeared, stepping out a sleek off-road vehicle. Zhengri looked at his brothers with a frown, they were triplets, identical and seemed to be his bane.
Vanity is his wife but he had to share her. As a man he felt that these two were in his way and sharing his woman made him uncomfortable but she had written the book…and anyway they all had feelings for her so…after discussing with them they came to a compromise, but did he really accept?
No!
He could not help but to be greedy like his brothers but with their connection, it was impossible. They had to share her!
Pursing his lips, Zhengri for a time remained silent.
