I Only Choked on Noodles, Why Am I Here?! [BL]

Chapter 49: Chapter 49 – The Terrifying Gentle Wife

-----

His voice carried both confusion and concern.

"Where did all this money come from?"

Even little Dong Hai immediately perked up his ears.

Clearly, he wanted to know as well.

Under the combined gazes of the two of them, Han Yan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He had already expected this question. Even Wei Jun had been unable to resist asking earlier.

However, with so many villagers gathered outside, he had not pressed the matter and simply left it at that. Lin Xin, on the other hand was different.

Han Yan, however was not particularly worried.

Ten taels of silver was certainly a large sum for an ordinary villager, but it was not so outrageous that it could not be explained.

At most, people would be surprised that he had managed to save so much money without anyone noticing.

As for the truth...

Han Yan silently swallowed it back down.

There was no way he could tell them that the savings actually belonged to the original Han Yan.

Nor could he explain that he was a transmigrator from another world who had only discovered the hidden money after arriving here.

Some things were simply too absurd to speak of.

Even if he spoke the truth, nobody would believe him. They would think he was crazy or possessed by an evil spirit.

Han Yan quickly stopped dwelling on the matter.

Lifting his head, he met Lin Xin’s gaze.

"Well, I actually saved that money over the years."

Lin Xin blinked.

"You saved it?"

Han Yan nodded.

"Over the years, I secretly put aside some money. I was afraid that something unexpected might happen, so I hid it carefully."

He paused.

"After leaving the Han household, I finally had a chance to use it."

Lin Xin listened quietly.

His gaze lowered slightly, lost in thought as he processed Han Yan’s explanation.

Han Yan continued.

"I didn’t tell you before because I wasn’t sure how to explain it, and I didn’t want you to worry unnecessarily."

He gave a small smile.

"I wasn’t trying to hide it from you."

The moment those words fell, the courtyard became quiet.

Lin Xin’s eyes met his.

For a brief moment, Han Yan thought he understood.

But then...

Lin Xin’s expression became serious.

Seeing such a look on his usually gentle face felt strangely out of place.

Han Yan’s smile immediately froze.

This was definitely not the reaction he had been expecting.

"Xin’ger?"

"Why did you not tell me?"

Lin Xin’s voice was unusually cold as he asked.

Though his tone remained soft, it lacked its usual warmth.

For some reason, that made Han Yan even more nervous.

At this moment, Han Yan firmly believed that this was the most terrifying Lin Xin could possibly be.

Many years later, he would learn just how wrong he was.

Han Yan opened his mouth but found himself unable to immediately respond.

Lin Xin looked at the mountain of supplies behind him.

"We are husband and wife."

The words were simple.

But they struck Han Yan directly.

"You carried such a heavy burden alone and never told me?"

There was no anger in Lin Xin’s voice.

Only a faint sense of hurt.

Han Yan immediately became flustered.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Han Yan discovered that explaining himself was unexpectedly difficult.

For a moment, he didn’t know what to say, what to do or even where to put his hands.

He had awakened in a completely unfamiliar world and accepted his new life.

He had faced Madam Wei’s schemes without batting an eye.

Yet a slightly unhappy Lin Xin nearly left him defenseless.

For some reason, he suddenly felt as though he had encountered the greatest challenge of his life.

"That’s not what I meant."

Han Yan quickly shook his head.

"I wasn’t trying to keep it from you."

The instant the words fell, Han Yan already knew he had misspoken.

They sounded suspicious no matter how he looked at them.

Sure enough, Lin Xin remained silent.

Han Yan suddenly felt a headache coming on.

"I..."

He paused then quickly explained.

"I just thought there was no need to mention it."

The moment he finished explaining, Han Yan felt a sense of despair. Somehow, his attempt to explain himself had only pushed him deeper into trouble.

Lin Xin’s expression did not improve in the slightest.

Han Yan nearly covered his face.

What kind of explanation was that?

Beside them, Dong Hai quietly looked between the two adults.

Although he was young, he could tell something was wrong.

The courtyard fell silent once again. An awkward silence descended over the two of them.

Han Yan took a deep breath.

"What I mean is..."

He rubbed his forehead.

"The money had been hidden for a long time."

"I almost forgot about it myself."

"When I left the Han household, I went back and checked the place where I hid it."

"Only then did I see how much was there."

Lin Xin did not interrupt him, quietly listening as Han Yan explained.

Han Yan continued.

"After that, I kept thinking about what our family needed."

"Food."

"Clothes."

"Winter supplies."

"Things for the house."

"The more I thought about it, the more things I wanted to buy."

A helpless smile appeared on his face.

"By the time I realized it, I had already bought a lot."

Dong Hai immediately nodded in approval.

"You did."

Han Yan: "..."

The little boy’s agreement was far too quick.

Seeing Han Yan’s speechless expression, even Lin Xin’s lips twitched slightly.

Seeing this, Han Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least the invisible tension between them had finally dissipated.

"I should have told you sooner."

His voice became more serious.

"I was the one who made a mistake. Please forgive me."

"I was too focused on making preparations for the future."

"I didn’t consider how you would feel."

Lin Xin lowered his eyes.

The coldness around him seemed to lessen slightly.

Han Yan noticed it immediately.

Encouraged, he continued.

"I truly wasn’t trying to hide anything from you."

"If I had known it would make you unhappy, I would have told you from the beginning."

Another silence followed.

Lin Xin quietly looked at the courtyard filled with supplies.

The sacks of grain, bundles of cloth, jars of seasonings, and all the other necessities were things they truly needed.

Yet the more he looked, the more stunned he became.

Just how much had Han Yan bought?

The amount of supplies before him was far beyond what an ordinary household would purchase at once.

Even if they used everything carefully, these things could likely last them a very long time.

Every single item carried traces of Han Yan’s careful planning.

From food for their daily meals to cloth for new clothes, even the small details that could easily be overlooked had been considered.

It was clear that Han Yan had not simply gone to town and bought things on a whim.

Yet Lin Xin could not ignore another matter.

Han Yan had carried all of this by himself.

He had planned their future and shouldered the responsibility of their household without allowing him to share the burden with him.

The thought made Lin Xin’s heart feel both warm and slightly sour.

He was happy that Han Yan cared so much about them.

But he also felt a faint sense of helplessness.

They were husband and wife.

They should have faced such matters together.

A complicated feeling slowly rose in Lin Xin’s heart.

Han Yan waited nervously.

He suddenly felt as though he were standing before a strict teacher waiting to hear his verdict.

After a long while, Lin Xin finally spoke.

"Tell me something..."

He raised his eyes and looked at Han Yan.

"How much did you save?"

Han Yan paused slightly.

"And how much remains?"

The question made him fall silent for a moment.

He had expected Lin Xin to ask about the money, but he had not expected him to ask so directly.

After thinking briefly, Han Yan answered honestly.

"I had around ten taels of silver saved."

Lin Xin’s eyes widened slightly.

Ten taels.

That was not a small amount.

For an ordinary village household, it was enough to support them for a long time.

Han Yan continued.

"Aside from that, I also earned one tael of silver and some copper coins from the goods I sold with Wei Jun today."

"After buying all these things..."

His gaze swept over the courtyard filled with supplies.

"The rice, flour, seasonings, cloth, chickens, bow, and other necessities..."

He paused.

"There should be around three taels of silver and some copper coins remaining."

Lin Xin fell silent his gaze unconsciously shifted toward Han Yan.

He knew better than anyone what Han Yan’s situation had been like in the Han household.

Madam Wei had always controlled the family’s money.

She rarely allowed Han Yan to keep any silver for himself.

Even the money he earned from doing work around had most likely been taken away.

Then how had Han Yan managed to secretly save such a large amount?

A trace of confusion appeared in Lin Xin’s eyes.

Had he been saving it little by little over many years?

Or had he found some other way?

The more Lin Xin thought about it, the more surprised he became.

Seeing that Han Yan was not going to say anything more, Lin Xin did not press further. He let out a soft sigh before speaking.

"Then promise me something."

Han Yan immediately nodded.

"Anything."

The speed of Han Yan’s response was so fast that even Dong Hai looked impressed.

In the little boy’s mind, Brother Xin had suddenly become an extremely powerful figure.

After all, Han Yan could hunt in the mountains and solve all sorts of problems.

Yet a few words from Brother Xin had immediately left him looking defeated.

Truly formidable.

Lin Xin, unaware that he had gained such a reputation in Dong Hai’s heart, looked at Han Yan with a light smile.

"If something important happens in the future, don’t keep it to yourself."

Han Yan was slightly startled.

Lin Xin lowered his gaze, his fingers unconsciously tightening around his sleeve. After a moment, his expression softened slightly.

"We are family."

His voice was soft.

"If you’re worried, I can worry with you."

"If you’re carrying a burden, I can carry part of it too."

"You don’t have to handle everything alone."

The courtyard suddenly became quiet.

Only the gentle breeze passing through the trees and the faint chirping of insects could be heard.

Han Yan stared at him.

For a moment, he found himself unable to speak.

-----