Wheat Seedlings - Chapter 18

Chen Li went to the commune early in the morning to look for Chief Li, only to find him absent.

He rode his bicycle, asking for directions along the way, and when he reached the alley entrance, he saw neighbors crowding their doorways watching the commotion, murmuring things like "They're fighting" and "They're hitting each other."

Then came Chief Li's loud shout: "Everyone, stop!"

"If there's any dispute, the two families should discuss it properly. Anyone who dares to lay another hand will be taken to the station—everyone will spend a couple of days locked up!"

After a while, the crowd dispersed.

Chief Li walked out, wiping his sweat, and was about to get on his bicycle when he spotted Chen Li and called out, "Ah, Comrade Chen."

Chen Li followed Chief Li to the factory.

There was a small factory in the village. As soon as they arrived, the factory director came out to greet them.

"This is the place I mentioned to you last time," Chief Li said, unlocking the door with a key.

Chen Li looked around the room—it had originally been a dormitory for four people. Now that the factory had expanded, the workers had moved to new accommodations, leaving this place unused.

Chief Li said, "With a bit of tidying up, it's still quite decent." He pointed toward the back, "There's a kitchen out back, running water, and the toilet's just outside—very convenient."

After inspecting the place, Chen Li found it much better than he had expected.

Without hesitation, he decided to take it.

Chief Li refused to accept even a single cent, waving his hand dismissively. "This is state property—it's just sitting empty anyway. Since no other use has been decided yet, you can stay here for a while without worry. If anything comes up, I'll let you know."

Chen Li had long considered building a new house.

But now, with time running short, and with other plans forming in his mind, he decided to move temporarily to a better place first, then take things step by step.

As for Mai Miao's situation, Chen Li had a serious talk with Chief Li as soon as he returned to the village.

He selectively disclosed that Mai Miao had a unique constitution. In this era, people like them weren't officially acknowledged by the authorities—in fact, public discussion was deliberately suppressed to minimize instability and rumors.

Chief Li only knew more because of his long-standing friendship with the Chen family. Otherwise, grassroots cadres in the village rarely had access to such information.

Chen Li himself hadn't fully understood what an Omega's heat cycle entailed, let alone ordinary people.

Not wanting to trouble others, Chen Li shared just enough facts to keep Chief Li informed—if villagers asked about Mai Miao's "condition," they were to say it wasn't contagious and that people shouldn't speculate.

"Absolutely!" Chief Li said earnestly. "Our village values civility and morality! We won't let baseless rumors disrupt our community's harmony."

Chen Li knew he couldn't control everyone's words. Normally, he wouldn't care what others thought or said about him—but he couldn't stand anyone calling his younger brother foolish.

The same applied here. For the short time they remained in the village, Chen Li wanted to shield Mai Miao from disdain and gossip as much as possible.

Once he had the keys, Chen Li returned to the compound to pack up.

Chen Li borrowed the donkey cart from Aunt Liu's family, securely fastening their belongings onto it. Turning around, he saw Mai Miao stepping out with a bag slung over his shoulder, carrying chicken cages in both hands, and a dog leash tied around his waist. The scene was a vivid depiction of utter chaos.

The two brothers moved into the old factory dormitory first.

Surprisingly, Mai Miao adapted to the new place much faster than expected.

Chen Li told him to stay put, so he watched from the side as Chen Li tidied up, occasionally lending a hand. When he saw sweat dripping from Chen Li's forehead, he would even stand on tiptoe to wipe it off for his man—showing a bit of a "wife-like" demeanor.

On their first day there, the factory director came by for a look and even brought them an unused electric fan from the factory.

"You're too kind, thank you, thank you, comrade," Chen Li hurriedly said, fetching a cured meat to return the favor.

As dusk fell, the room was still a bit messy, but at least it had taken shape. The bed was made, and above the headboard, a colorful photograph was pasted.

In the photo, two men sat close together, their features somewhat similar, both with dimpled cheeks.

Mai Miao had already taken a bath. Excited, he rushed to the fan, plugged it in, and turned it on.

Chen Li walked into the room drying his hair and saw Mai Miao standing in front of the spinning fan, mouth wide open, letting out a long "Ah—"

Chen Li walked over. "Come here, dry your hair properly, or you'll catch a cold."

Mai Miao turned around and insisted on drying Chen Li's hair instead.

Chen Li obligingly sat on the edge of the bed, letting Mai Miao tend to him for once, though he couldn't help wondering where he'd picked this up.

"Sister Zhang always dries Brother Zhuzi's hair," Mai Miao muttered.

Brother Zhuzi was Liu Zhu from the compound, and Sister Zhang was his wife. The couple had only gotten their marriage certificate a few months ago and were still in their honeymoon phase.

Chen Li didn't respond. Instead, he shifted slightly, wrapping an arm around Mai Miao's waist.

Mai Miao paused for a moment before continuing to dry his hair.

The man's hand gradually slid down to his backside, kneading lightly, then firmly.

Now, the old dormitory housed only the two brothers—the other workers had already moved out.

Quiet and undisturbed, it was like their own little world.

The electric fan whirred softly, blowing a faint, cool breeze.

Inside the mosquito net, two figures intertwined.

After kissing every inch of each other, Chen Li knelt up, pulling off both his and Mai Miao's undershirts and tossing them carelessly to the floor.

Mai Miao watched as his man got up and rummaged through the cabinet, unsure what he was looking for.

Restless with desire, he rubbed his legs together on the bed before slipping a hand between his thighs, brushing against the sensitive bud hidden in the folds. Unable to resist, he pressed down with his fingers.

Chen Li returned to the bed with a yellow jar of Vaseline cream—bought at an export market in Shanghai.

He unscrewed the lid, scooped out a dollop, and smeared it over his hardened length. Then, he pinned Mai Miao's hands to the pillow, settling between his legs before pushing into the tight little slit.

With the lubrication this time, it went much smoother than before.

For once, things progressed effortlessly—Chen Li barely needed to grind before sinking in fully in one thrust.

"Does it hurt? Hmm?" Chen Li murmured between kisses as he moved.

Mai Miao panted softly, shaking his head. "...N-no, it doesn't."

No sooner had he said it didn't hurt than he furrowed his brows again. "Gently..." he muttered, blushing with complaint. "If you're this rough, Mai Miao will... will break..."

With him saying that, how could Chen Li possibly hold back his strength?

On the first night after moving, the old iron bed creaked incessantly with squeaky noises.

***

Though they no longer lived in the compound, Mai Miao still went back every now and then—it wasn't far anyway.

Since chicken coops weren't allowed in the factory, Chen Li had left the two old hens in the backyard, usually asking Aunt Liu to feed them when convenient. The old yellow dog, however, was kept at the factory, just right for guarding against thieves.

Mai Miao went to the backyard to feed the chickens when he heard some commotion outside.

Stepping out, he saw Sister Zhang squatting by the door, retching, her face pale.

Her mother-in-law hurried downstairs after her, handing her a preserved plum with a delighted expression. "Don't work today. When Zhuzi gets back, I'll have him bring some meat from the slaughterhouse. We'll nourish you these next few days."

Mai Miao led the dog back to the dormitory. Before nightfall, Chen Li returned too.

After coming back from the city, he no longer worked the fields. Now he was always out and about, busy with who-knows-what.

Chen Li made it back before dark to cook for Mai Miao.

After eating, the two freshened up before turning off the lights and going to bed.

These days, as autumn slowly approached, the nights grew cooler.

Pressed close together, they didn't feel too hot.

Mai Miao quietly opened his eyes, watching Chen Li for a while until he felt a tickling sensation and giggled, pushing Chen Li's hand away. "Hey!"

Chen Li stopped pretending to sleep, opening his eyes with unconcealed amusement.

Chen Li: "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Mai Miao told Chen Li about what he'd seen in the compound that afternoon and added, “Aunt Liu said Sister Zhang has a baby in her belly now."

Chen Li pinched the back of his neck. These past few days, Mai Miao's scent had grown stronger-so much—so that even when they weren't together, the fragrance lingered thickly, as if constantly tempting him.

He had a feeling Mai Miao's second heat was approaching.

Chen Li asked knowingly, "Then why isn't Mai Miao happy?"

Mai Miao pouted. Wasn't his restlessness proof enough of his anxiety?

His brother was so dense, treating him like a wife—how was he supposed to magically produce a baby?

Chen Li still hadn't properly explained to Mai Miao the differences between the two of them and ordinary people. He didn't want to add to Mai Miao's worries.

Mai Miao's world was simple, and he didn't want him to think of himself as an anomaly.

Chen Li leaned in, sniffing at Mai Miao's neck.

Mai Miao was already used to his brother randomly nuzzling close to smell him. Every time Chen Li finished sniffing, he'd end up pulling down his pants.

Chen Li: "I'm not going out tomorrow. You shouldn't either."

Mai Miao didn't understand why.

Chen Li, inflamed by the intoxicating scent, impatiently yanked off his undershirt and gritted out, "Be good. Your brother will give you a child."

Chen Li's prediction wasn't wrong—Mai Miao "fell ill" the very next day.

For two or three days straight, Mai Miao didn't step out of the room. Not just Aunt Liu, even the factory workers would ask Chen Li why they hadn't seen Mai Miao.

Chen Li simply said his younger brother was sick.

Gradually, the rest of the village learned that Mai Miao's last "illness" hadn't been cured even after treatment in the city—and now, barely over a month later, it had flared up again.

This time, it took Mai Miao a full three days before the fever of his heat finally subsided.

Fortunately, once the onset period passed, the companion's body could recover quickly.

But Chen Li still wasn't entirely at ease. He kept Mai Miao at home for two more days to replenish his energy before letting him move about as usual.

However, this only strengthened his resolve—no matter what, he had to make arrangements before winter and move to the city with Mai Miao.

***

A/N : 

Final chapter.

Thank you all for accompanying me on this journey.

Though neither Chen Li nor Mai Miao is perfect, I'm grateful for your love for them.

There are some bugs in the story, which I'll fix if I get the chance in the future.

Once again, thank you all.

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T/N: The story didn't end here! The final chapter is the next one, and then we have many more side chap. It looks like the author have more fun writing the side chapters than the main story LOL

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