Hong Jia Yi got up earlier than Liang Meng Yao, as usual. He washed his face and brushed his teeth before beginning to make pastries and breakfast.

Liang Meng Yao had taught him a few recipes for jam pastries and he wanted to try them out for himself. He told himself that it was a good thing they bought eggs a few days ago. Hong Jia Yi used to make pastries for his parents before they died so he was confident he could follow Liang Meng Yao's recipes well.

His fathers had left him a good amount of money but the villagers had exploited his inheritance out of him. He was left with only three acres of land and a house in bad repair.

Liang Meng Yao woke up the delicious smell of breakfast and his stomach growled with hunger. He stretched his body and yawned before heading to the kitchen.

"Good morning," he greeted Hong Jia Yi with a warm smile.

"Good morning," Hong Jia Yi replied back with a more restrained smile.

Hong Jia Yi was a man of few words but Liang Meng Yao didn't mind it and even thought it was cute. Hong Jia Yi was person who would remain calm and untouched by anything that didn't touch his bottom line.

"That smells nice."

"It'll be finished soon. Go wash up."

Liang Meng Yao grinned and chuckled a bit, enjoy the domestic atmosphere between them. He left the kitchen to wash his face and brush his teeth, as instructed, and then went back to the kitchen where Hong Jia Yi served him breakfast and some delicious pastries.

"Your pastries are great," he complimented Hong Jia Yi, "didn't I marry lucky," he added in an undertone.

Hong Jia Yi heard the last part blush and blushed but said nothing.

After breakfast Liang Meng Yao went on to crush berries and put them into a pot with sugar to boil while he monitored the concoction.

Hong Jia Yi was outside washing the clothes when the village doctor came to the gate and started to call.

"Hey boy! Hey boy!"

Hong Jia Yi, who heard his cries from the back, came to the front with a wet sheet in his arms.

"Good afternoon, doctor," Hong Jia Yi said with his customary politeness.

"Hmph, I see you're doing your housing duties as a true wife should," the doctor said. "You should thank me for helping you to finally marry," he smiled with more than a little malice.

Hong Jia Yi paid no mind to his words. There was no need to carry his words to heart. He had long since grown numb to the constant criticisms of the villagers.

"Do you need something doctor?" Hong Jia Yi asked blandly.

"Ah! Right, where is that husband of yours?" The doctor wanted to know.

"He is occupied."

"Doing what?! Be a good she-man and go get him. Tell him it's me, his doctor," the doctor boldly ordered.

"He is busy," Hong Jia Yi repeated without inflection.

The doctor got angry.

"This is why you couldn't get married without someone being forced into it. You're too stubborn and unruly," the doctor sneered irritably.

Hong Jia Yi just turned around to return to his washing. This person was too rude.

As he was about to walk away, he saw Liang Meng Yao walking out of the house with a jar of jam and a pheasant. Liang Meng Yao walked up to them with a polite smile.

"Um?" Hong Jia Yi looked at his husband curiously.

"Boy, you're here! Give me some more jam," the doctor demanded impatiently.

"Okay doctor," he agreed, his smile remaining in place, "how much for my treatment, doc? I don't have much money to pay though."

The doctor grinned as he noticed the pheasant and jam. He naturally thought they were for him. He was convinced now that Liang Meng Yao was a sucker that he could play with.

"Four hundred coppers," he told the younger man.

Hong Jia Yi frowned, clearly upset. Liang Meng Yao had obviously been fine when he brought him to the doctor's house. Besides, the doctor had said there was nothing wrong with him but exhaustion.

"Doc-"

Liang Meng Yao stopped him with a gentle squeeze of his hand. Hong Jia Yi felt wronged. Why did he stop him?! Hong Jia Yi shut up and turned his face away from the other two.

"Four silvers! I see... Well, too bad," Liang Meng Yao frowned, putting a dejected expression on his face.

"Is that so?" the doctor said, anticipating a windfall from the naive man.

"Which one do you want?" Liang Meng Yao asked suddenly.

"What?"

"The pheasant is four silvers and the jam is one gold," Liang Meng Yao said with his polite smile in place.

The doctor was stunned.

"Boy, what are you saying?"

"Isn't it obvious? Since I can't pay in full, I'll pay you with one of these two things; the pheasant or the jam. But if you take the jam, you will owe me," Liang Meng Yao said, his darkening as his anger finally showed.

Hong Jia Yi was dumbfounded. Ten silver was equal to one gold! To sell the jam for such a price was scam but the doctor tried to scam his husband first... It was scammer versus scammer and Liang Meng Yao was clearly the better of the two.