bigabreads Chapter 75 The night market is as bright as day! The eldest brother lifts her high in a domineering
Chapter 75 The night market is as bright as day! The eldest brother lifts her high in a domineering
"Sizzle—!" A handful of cumin was sprinkled on the charcoal fire, the oil dripped down, and an enticing wisp of white smoke rose up.
"Lamb skewers! Authentic Qin-style large lamb skewers! One penny a skewer!"
"Beer! Iced ale! One sip and you're hooked!"
As night fell, the once quiet northwestern border region erupted into unprecedented clamor in Langya Village.
Qin Family Night Market is now open!
Thanks to the biogas lamps invented by the twins, the entire commercial street was as bright as day.
That ethereal, bluish-white light illuminated the streets with crystal clarity, making even the ants on the ground visible. For the ancients, accustomed to resting at sunset and confining themselves to the darkness at night, this was nothing short of a life of paradise!
"Don't push! Don't push! I want to eat that 'tornado potato'!"
"Oh my god! Will this light really not go out? It's so bright!"
Villagers from the surrounding area, and even the usually self-proclaimed refined scholars and poets from the county town, disregarded all decorum and flooded into the narrow street like a tide.
……
in the crowd.
Su Wan was struggling to move through the crowd, holding a string of candied hawthorns in her hand.
Today, she specially changed into a light lotus-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and styled her hair in a drooping bun, making her look charming and lovely.
But in the face of such a terrifying flow of people, her small frame looked like a tiny boat on the ocean.
"Excuse me...excuse me for a moment..." Su Wan was jostled and almost had her shoes stepped on.
The surroundings were filled with the smells of sweat and cosmetics, as well as the rude shouting of those grown men.
Suddenly, a large, iron-like hand reached out from behind and grabbed her waist, pulling her tightly into its embrace.
"Bang." Su Wan's back slammed into a wall of flesh as hard as iron. The familiar scent of soapberry, mixed with a strong smell of male hormones, instantly dispelled the murky air around her.
"Big brother?" Su Wan looked up.
Qin Lie wasn't wearing armor today, but only a dark, tight-fitting outfit with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing his muscular forearms.
He was like a moving iron tower, protecting Su Wan with one hand, his cold eyes sweeping over the crowd trying to squeeze through.
"There are too many people." Qin Lie frowned, his voice low and tinged with displeasure: "Haven't these people ever seen a lamp before? What are they pushing and shoving for?"
His cold, hard face and intimidating aura did indeed scare away many people.
But tempted by the delicious food and lively atmosphere, the people behind kept pushing forward.
"Ouch!" A burly man was shoved and stumbled towards Su Wan.
Qin Lie's eyes narrowed. He didn't push the burly man (fearing it would cause a stampede). Instead, he made a move that made all the young women and wives in the audience scream.
He suddenly gripped Su Wan's slender waist with both hands. He gathered his strength in his dantian. "Rise!"
Su Wan felt her body lighten, and she was instantly lifted into the air! The world spun around her.
She found herself... riding on Qin Lie's neck!
"Ah! Big brother!" Su Wan exclaimed in fright, instinctively hugging Qin Lie's head and running her fingers through his stubble hair.
Suddenly, my vision cleared up! The back of my head and shoulders that were just dangling in front of me were gone.
Instead, there was an endless stream of lights, bustling shops, and a sky full of stars in the distance.
She became the tallest person in the entire room!
"It's...too high! Put me down! So many people are watching!" Su Wan's face turned as red as the candied hawthorn in her hand.
This posture... is so embarrassing! It's like riding a horse! It's like a father comforting a three-year-old! She's the sister-in-law! She's the hospital director! How can she ride on her older brother's shoulders?
"Don't move." Qin Lie's large hands firmly grasped her two ankles, fixing her legs against his broad chest.
His voice came from below, muffled, yet carrying a reassuring steadiness:
"The air is better up there."
"It's too crowded down there. If someone careless steps on my foot... I'd be heartbroken."
"But..." Su Wan felt her inner thigh pressed against his warm neck, the intimate touch of their skin making her feel hot all over.
"Hold on tight to me." Qin Lie ignored the shocked and envious looks from those around him.
He strode forward, carrying Su Wan on his back, steadily weaving through the crowd. Like a giant ship breaking through ice.
"The candied hawthorn is about to fall," he warned.
Su Wan quickly gripped the candied hawthorn in her hand, and had to use her other hand to support his forehead to maintain her balance.
From this angle, she could see Qin Lie's high nose bridge and his slightly bobbing Adam's apple.
"Big brother, look at that lantern, it's so beautiful!" Since she couldn't get down, Su Wan simply gave up and went for broke.
She commanded the world from above, while Qin Lie served as her personal mount below.
"Hmm. It's beautiful." Qin Lie didn't even look at the lantern.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at Su Wan's smiling face, radiant in the lamplight. Her skirt draped over his chest, gently brushing against his pectoral muscles with each step. It tickled him. But the tickling sensation went straight to his heart.
……
"Wow! Who's that? That guy is so doting!"
"Isn't that General Qin and his wife? Good heavens, I wish my husband could carry me like that!"
"Come on, your husband's arms and legs are so skinny, carrying you on his back? His back would break!"
A murmur of discussion arose from the surrounding crowd. This wasn't a night market stroll; it was a massive "dog slaughter" scene!
……
At the end of the commercial street, there's a barbecue stall.
The third brother, Qin Meng, was frantically flipping the grilled meat, sparks flying everywhere. "Big brother's here! Save a seat for him!"
Qin Lie carried Su Wan over, but didn't put her down immediately. Instead, he walked to the stall and let her order.
"Jiaojiao, what do you want to eat?" He held her ankle and gently squeezed it. The pressure carried a subtle hint, one that only the two of them understood.
"I want... I want two skewers of mutton, and that grilled eggplant..." Su Wan's voice was trembling.
Because when Qin Lie spoke, the vibration of his vocal cords traveled down his neck to her legs.
It feels tingly and numb.
Qin Lie then crouched down slightly and, as if setting down a rare treasure, put Su Wan down from his shoulder.
But he didn't let go. Instead, he naturally put one arm around her waist, pulling her close to him and shielding her from the surrounding fumes.
"Big brother, you should have some too." Su Wan held the candied hawthorn in her hand to his mouth.
Qin Lie lowered his head and took a bite of her hand. Sour. Sweet. Just like the feeling she gave him.
"It's delicious." He looked at Su Wan, his eyes as deep as the night: "But... not as sweet as you."
"Cough cough cough!" Qin Yue, the fourth brother who was counting money nearby, almost choked on his own saliva. He stopped fanning himself and looked at his eldest brother with a horrified expression: "Big brother! Your image is ruined! Is this the kind of slutty talk you should be saying?!" "These are supposed to be my lines!"
Qin Lie glanced at him indifferently, then pulled Su Wan even closer to him: "You talk too much nonsense."
"Tonight's profits will be split in half with my sister-in-law."
"Why should I?!" Qin Yue exploded.
"Because she's the mistress of this place." Qin Lie pointed to the lights that filled the sky and the bustling crowd, his tone domineering and proud: "This city that never sleeps was brought to Wolf Fang Village by her."
"She can ride on whose shoulders she wants to see...anyone is fine with her."