The evening breeze of July, carrying the delicate fragrance of rice, gently swept across the courtyard of the Xia Family Village in Xiaoyu Township. Xia Huai'an lay on a bamboo rocking chair, resting on a soft cushion Yufang had sewn with her own hands. The legs of the chair scraped against the bluestone slabs, producing a faint creaking sound. He tilted his head to look at the starry sky, where the Milky Way stretched across the night sky like a ribbon of silk.
"My lord, the watermelon is chilled." Yufang walked over holding a watermelon that had been cooled in well water, the hem of her skirt brushing against the night dew on the stone steps. In the moonlight, a magnolia flower was pinned to her coiled hair—one that Xia Huai'an had casually plucked earlier today while inspecting the mountain-behind mine.
Xia Huai'an took the watermelon, his fingertips touching the beads of condensation on the rind, sending a refreshing chill through him. With a gentle tap of his palm, the melon split open in response, revealing its bright red flesh. Juice trickled down his wrist, glittering in the moonlight.
Chapter 166