Zhao Hanzhang sneezed heavily and shivered, frightening Fu Tinghan so much he immediately sat up. “You’re not getting sick, are you?”

In this era, a cold was no laughing matter.

Zhao Hanzhang rubbed her nose and assessed herself, shaking her head. “Probably not. Maybe someone’s thinking of me? My health is excellent.”

Fu Tinghan thought about it and agreed, lying back down. “But you still need to be careful. You absolutely cannot get sick at this time.”

After thinking, Fu Tinghan still lay down beside Zhao Hanzhang, separated by a layer of thatch grass, half-leaning against her. This way both of them would be warmer.

Zhao Hanzhang: …

She turned her head to look at the team leader, Qiu Wu, Fu’an and the others.

They immediately turned their heads away, pretending they saw nothing.

Zhao Hanzhang was satisfied. Lying on the cloak, she spoke quietly with Fu Tinghan. “Actually I don’t feel very cold right now.”

Fu Tinghan said quietly, “Sleep. Don’t you still want to personally go to the fields tomorrow to watch them sow seeds?”

Zhao Hanzhang had high expectations for next year’s grain production, so she took this year’s winter wheat planting very seriously.

She not only spent a large sum of money personally returning to the fortress to ask each family to sell her their stored good wheat seeds, she also had people go to other counties to purchase a large batch of wheat seeds.

All to ensure grain production from the very beginning.

The next day before dawn, Zhao Hanzhang’s biological clock told her it was time to wake.

She opened her eyes to see Fu Tinghan’s face. She froze for a moment, memories slowly returning, only then discovering that at some point Fu Tinghan’s arm had draped over her body. The two of them were leaning together separated by a layer of thatch grass, warm and cozy.

The sleeping Professor Fu lacked his waking coldness and seemed very well-behaved.

Zhao Hanzhang looked and felt that his sleeping appearance quite resembled his true nature.

She couldn’t help but smile. Just as she was about to carefully move his arm, she met Fu Tinghan’s opening eyes.

Fu Tinghan’s eyes showed little drowsiness. Meeting Zhao Hanzhang’s frozen gaze, he didn’t move either, asking quietly, “What are you smiling about?”

For some reason, Zhao Hanzhang didn’t dare move a muscle, her whole body stiffening. She looked away uncomfortably. “Good morning. The sky seems about to lighten.”

Only then did Fu Tinghan’s gaze leave her face, sweeping over the still dark wilderness. By the already dimmed firelight, he glanced back at her and responded lowly with acknowledgment.

Zhao Hanzhang then moved her arm, saying softly, “We can get up now.”

Only then did Fu Tinghan calmly withdraw his arm and sit up.

Zhao Hanzhang’s mind was in shock—when did Professor Fu’s courage become so great?

Just as she was about to sit up, her gaze swept over his ear. His ink-black hair had fallen to one side, accidentally revealing his right ear. In the faint firelight’s reflection, even his earlobe was red enough to bleed.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately calmed down. She clicked her tongue twice mentally, thinking to herself, who would have thought, who would have thought.

She regained her composure, sitting up and patting his shoulder, saying generously, “Leaning against you was quite warm. Next time we sleep outdoors, let’s do this again.”

Fu Tinghan froze.

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but smile silently. Her mouth had just opened when Fu Tinghan turned to look at her.

Zhao Hanzhang tried to close her mouth and pretend to be serious, but it was too late. She saw Fu Tinghan nod and respond, “Alright.”

Fu’an was startled awake and suddenly sat up, looking left and right. Finding that only the young master and Third Miss had woken, and seeing nothing unusual around them, he relaxed.

He rubbed his eyes, looking sleepily at Fu Tinghan and Zhao Hanzhang. “Young Master, Third Miss, why are both your faces so red? Could you be running a fever?”

Qiu Wu and the team leader opportunely “woke up.” After rising, he smacked Fu’an’s head. “Now that you’re awake, go fetch water to attend the young master. Why so much talk?”

Fu’an felt wronged—he was concerned about the young master and Third Miss!

Fu Tinghan had already stood up to arrange his clothes. “I’m fine. You go fetch water.”

When selecting settlement sites, Fu Tinghan and Zhao Hanzhang not only considered geographical location and the fields they would cultivate, they also factored in water usage.

Most settlement sites could find water sources nearby. If not, they would have to dig wells.

This location was fairly good—there was a small river flowing from the other side of the mountain along the mountain’s base. Though small, it still had water at this time, and wasn’t very far from where they were camped.

Fu’an and the soldiers borrowed a wooden bucket to fetch water. By the time he returned, the sky had grown light, and the soldiers had all risen and were preparing to cook breakfast.

Zhao Hanzhang was practicing martial forms with vigorous intensity. The soldiers all stared in amazement.

Although they had become Zhao Hanzhang’s soldiers, before that they were all farmers working the land. After pledging allegiance to her, though they’d had some training, apart from forming ranks it was just holding sharpened wooden sticks like spears and thrusting forward repeatedly. Most of the time they were still clearing wasteland and planting crops.

So in their hearts they still saw themselves as farmers. In their view, they had merely changed locations to continue farming.

And here, they didn’t need to worry about taxes and still had food to eat.

Seeing Zhao Hanzhang practicing martial forms now, they realized they were no longer farmers but soldiers.

Everyone stood dazed.

The team leader came to his senses and urged them, “What are you looking at? Hurry up and wash, those making breakfast get to it, those going to the fields head to the fields.”

Everyone snapped out of it and busily turned to leave.

That’s right, everyone was going to the fields. Making breakfast took time and only required five people. Naturally the rest couldn’t idle about—everyone shouldered their hoes and carried seed bags to the fields.

After Zhao Hanzhang finished her forms and warmed up her body, she also ran to the fields to watch them sow seeds.

“Have these seeds been sun-dried?”

The team leader followed beside her. “Yes, according to your instructions, all the seeds distributed were spread on mats and sun-dried for two days before planting. These are all dried ones.”

Although he felt the wheat seeds were quite dry and didn’t understand why they needed to be dried again, he was obedient.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded in satisfaction. After watching their seeding density for a while, she rolled up her sleeves. “Give me a seed bag. I’ll sow.”

The container for seeds was a small cloth bag. The sower held the small cloth bag and scattered seeds row by row.

Fu Tinghan also took a bag, and the two of them bent over and worked with the soldiers for an hour. When the gong at the camp sounded indicating breakfast, everyone finally stopped their work and returned to eat.

After just this one hour, Zhao Hanzhang felt her back was a bit sore. Farm work really wasn’t simple—even harder than martial practice.

Fu Tinghan also felt it was more tiring than solving math problems.

He instinctively calculated at this speed, and by the time they returned to camp said, “In three more days, the fields allocated to them should be all planted.”

The team leader beside them immediately responded, “Yes, Master Fu has a good eye. By our calculations it will also take three or four days to finish planting.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “After planting is done, prepare for winter—build houses, chop firewood and make charcoal, and also prepare as much thatch grass as possible. I wonder if there are reeds nearby. If so, prepare more reed down. The county seat has already started making quilt covers and clothes.”