My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 184: Don’t think about messy things

After a week of study, May was already halfway over.

The electric fan was now constantly on. During the day, temperatures hovered above 30℃, and lighter clothing became the norm. At home, Jiang He still preferred wandering around in pajamas if she didn’t need to go out.

What she couldn’t understand was why poems and articles, along with those pointless scenarios involving Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong, always revolved around doing such ridiculous things.

Why couldn’t they just walk out together instead of one person leaving first and walking slowly, waiting for the other to catch up?

Why count the heads directly when you could count the legs of rabbits and chickens?

Clearly, the person raising these rabbits must be some foot-obsessed weirdo like Xu Qing.

Jiang He clenched her fists and glared at Xu Qing with hostility, transferring her irritation from the farmer in the problem to him.

“Reading has many benefits, you know. The most obvious is making money!”

“The fastest way to make money is robbing a bank. But if you use violence, you’ll get caught and executed. If you’re literate, you can study their systems, get hired, and infiltrate the bank. Then, by working diligently and hiding your intentions, you can quietly siphon off the money without the police ever catching you.”

“...”

“...”

“That’s called working, isn’t it?”

“Congratulations, you’ve evolved into Clever Little Seedling Version 1.0.”

Jiang He had already grown immune to Xu Qing’s antics. This guy just loved teasing her for no reason.

“Stop pinching my feet,” she said, lowering her head to look at the book in her hands, her feet resting on the couch and swinging back and forth. Though she wasn’t shy about it anymore, Xu Qing still enjoyed poking and prodding her feet.

“Alright, I’m heading out. Stay home and behave.”

“Okay.”

Hearing Xu Qing grab his keys and phone before stepping out, Jiang He immediately tossed her book aside with a loud “pia,” stretched lazily, and sighed. Then, she crawled off the couch and peeked out the window, cracking it open slightly to watch Xu Qing leave the residential complex. 𝔯ΆℕꝊ𝔟ƐṢ

The sun blazed outside. What’s so fun about going out in such heat?

She snorted, confirmed that Xu Qing had left the area, then turned to adjust the fan’s direction.

“Woooooo~”

“Awooooo~”

Amusing.

Her phone chimed with a WeChat notification. Jiang He picked it up to see the message:

Xu Qing: "Stop making weird noises into the fan."

Startled, Jiang He ran back to the window to check, making sure Xu Qing hadn’t turned around.

Jiang He: "I didn’t!"

Xu Qing: "Good. Remember, you’re already nineteen, a mature adult now."

Putting her phone down, Jiang He leaned on the balcony, staring outside. After a while, she debated whether to go out too but ultimately gave up.

Books didn’t interest her either. Whenever she saw those nonsensical math problems, she couldn’t help but get angry.

Why not just look at the clock to tell time?

Why not run faster if you want to catch up?

Why not just wait for it to fill up and see how much time has passed?

Why must everything involve calculations?

Jiang He clenched her fists, resisting the urge to slice her math book into pieces with a sword, and plopped herself in front of the computer instead.

The Windows startup screen flashed—this was the best part of her day.

As a modern person, learning so much felt overwhelming. Jiang He thought back to her childhood, basking in the sun on a rooftop. At her age, the younger Xu Qing had likely been hunched over a desk, studying just as she was now.

Computers truly were treasures...

Grabbing the mouse, she clicked around until she opened “Computer Tutorials: From Beginner to Pro.” After all, learning this counted as studying too.

She immersed herself in this until the sun began to set, then stared at the D-drive's space issue.

Only one folder, labeled "Movies," occupied it, but it was over 300 GB, leaving no space. Could the drive be broken?

She picked up her phone to ask Xu Qing but hesitated, then decided to look it up on Baidu. Using her index finger to poke at the keyboard, she typed:

"D-drive shows insufficient space due to possible hidden system files or cache. Solutions include:..."

Following the steps, she uncovered another folder larger than the movie folder. Solving this issue herself brought her immense satisfaction.

By the time Xu Qing returned, Jiang He had already prepared dinner: a plate of stir-fried garlic scapes with pork, tiger-skin green peppers, and a dish of cold bitter melon salad—a simple yet satisfying homemade meal.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“N-No reason.”

“Did you study this afternoon?” Xu Qing felt like something was a bit off.

“Stu...studied... Yeah, studied.” Jiang He buried her head in her food, sneaking glances at Xu Qing.

“Your face looks a bit red,” Xu Qing noted.

“It’s the heat.”

“Is it really that hot?”

“Yeah, really hot.”

“Then bring the fan over here.”

Xu Qing set down his bowl and adjusted the fan to face Jiang He, turning off the oscillation and setting it to the lowest speed.

He didn’t feel hot himself, likely because he hadn’t been cooking. Cooking during the summer was indeed unpleasant... Xu Qing contemplated buying a larger fan to place by the kitchen door to make it more comfortable while cooking.

After dinner, Xu Qing habitually cleaned up the dishes and went to the kitchen. Jiang He stayed seated, her head turned toward the kitchen doorway. The sound of running water and clinking dishes floated out as she took a deep breath, her gaze drifting towards the computer.

“All right, let me know what you don’t understand, and I’ll explain it,” Xu Qing said, stepping out of the kitchen.

The time between finishing the dishes and seven o’clock was designated for tutoring, and Xu Qing took this seriously. He was determined to enrich the cultural knowledge of this little granny from the Tang Dynasty while subtly asserting his authority at home.

If physical dominance wasn’t an option, then intellectual dominance would have to do. After all, he was a Jiang City University graduate—helping with elementary school-level homework was a breeze.

Jiang He looked distracted. Holding her math book, she didn’t even get angry at Xiao Ming’s ridiculous problems. Her gaze wandered over Xu Qing now and then, and when he turned to look at her, she quickly pretended to listen intently.

When it was time for the livestream, Jiang He went to the bedroom to change. In just a few minutes, she emerged in a shirt and sun-protective clothing, her hair neatly tied back.

“Why’d you turn off the speaker?” Xu Qing asked while setting up the livestream. He fiddled with it for a while before realizing the speaker had been switched off.

“I... I got tired of listening to cross-talk.”

“...”

Xu Qing scratched his head, puzzled, but didn’t dwell on it. He turned on the TV and fetched his coat rack and chainmail from the storeroom, ready to handcraft armor live.

The livestream had stabilized at a few hundred viewers. Even Xu Qing didn’t fully understand why these people kept tuning in. He’d experimented before: when Jiang He wasn’t on screen, the number of viewers dropped by half. When she wasn’t gaming, the viewership plummeted further.

Apparently, the charm lay in having the two of them, plus Zhong Kui's (the cat’s) occasional appearance, creating a unique vibe. The goofy audience enjoyed it thoroughly.

Jiang He silently played her game while Xu Qing worked on crafting his iron rings, chatting with the audience in the meantime. After half an hour, he switched to stance training, and the stream quieted down except for the sound of Jiang He’s game and the background music.

Jiang He’s game rank had risen to over 1,500 points, which was relatively high in the dueling arena. Given her ragged beginner outfit, it was exceptionally high. Some viewers even offered to buy her a costume set to push her score past 1,600, but the idea was vetoed by the audience.

“We’re here to see the basic outfit thrash those flashy players!”

“Exactly! If she wanted to spend money, she would’ve done it herself. Look at her, messing around crafting armor and training martial arts every day—does she look like someone who’s short on cash?”

“She’s all about this aesthetic. Climbing the ranks with basic gear is the way!”

“If she hits 1,600, I’ll send a rocket gift!”

“Finish crafting the armor, and I’ll send two!”

“Wake up; there are no rockets here.”

“Is the armor for sale, streamer?”

“+1”

“+1”

“I’ll give 800 for it!”

“I’ll pay 900!”

The few hundred viewers made the stream feel like it had thousands of participants. The chat buzzed nonstop, livelier than many streams featuring singing or dancing.

“I’m not selling it; it’s for personal use. I plan to wear it to battle,” Xu Qing replied, continuing his crafting while answering questions.

This was all just fooling around with Jiang He at first, but now that the stream was gaining some traction, he felt a bit conflicted. Could this actually become a thing?

Probably not, unless Jiang He climbed to the top of the national server rankings in her tattered outfit.

“Wait, this armor could sell for 900?” Jiang He asked.

“I spent a month crafting just the sleeves. It’d be worth at least 9,000.”

“I’ll take it for 9,000!” a viewer joked.

“Wow, a rich player!”

“Amazing!”

Xu Qing shook his head at the chat, amused.

“It’s just talk. You can find similar ones on resale platforms like Xianyu for much cheaper.”

Chatting with the goofy viewers was actually enjoyable—it was much better than silently working alone. When Xu Qing first started as a content creator, it was tough with no audience. Over time, as more people interacted, it became much more fun.

“We’re just streaming for fun, nothing serious. If you feel like sending gifts, do it within your means. Watch happily, but don’t go overboard, or you might get scolded by your spouse for overspending...” Xu Qing casually remarked as he crafted iron rings.

Immediately, the chat exploded:

“What spouse? What even is that?”

“Wait, there are husbands in this world? I’ve been alive for over 20 years and never seen one!”

“Watching a stream and getting emotionally attacked? Being single is too hard.”

“Ah... Sorry, bad habit. I assumed everyone had one.” Xu Qing rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, “Actually, having a spouse is great. Look—spouse, give me a kiss.”

“...” Jiang He’s hand trembled, and her game character was immediately caught in a combo attack. “Get lost!”

The chat erupted with laughter.

Hu Tong, watching the stream on his computer while gaming, also couldn’t help but smile. At first, he had been drawn in by the novelty of the male streamer’s stance training. But over time, he grew fond of the relaxed and chaotic atmosphere of the stream.

They never begged for attention or gifts. They didn’t pander to the audience’s whims. Instead, Xu Qing and Jiang He simply did their own thing. One played games seriously, the other either crafted armor or stood around, chatting idly with the audience. It felt less like a performance and more like hanging out with friends.

To be precise, they had never even asked for follows—not once. Whenever someone sent gifts, they didn’t make a big deal out of it either. Occasionally, Jiang He would curiously ask who the gift was for, and the silly viewers always said it was for Xu Qing.

If Xu Qing asked, then the gifts were apparently for Jiang He instead. If they both asked, the gifts would mysteriously end up being for Zhong Kui the cat.

“Years ago, when we first met, your face stayed in my heart.

Even after all this time, your love hasn’t faded.

A country as picturesque as ours couldn’t compare

To the scenery you gave me...”@@novelbin@@

Singing softly along with the background music from the stream, Hu Tong suddenly felt like falling in love.

Then again, thinking about the inevitable arguments, he sighed. Too exhausting. Better not.

“Do you two ever argue?” a viewer asked in the chat.

Xu Qing snorted. “Argue? We settle things with a good fight.”

“What?!”

“Whoa, details, please!”

“Who fights who?”

“Let’s just say we never argue. No need for details—too violent,” Xu Qing replied with a grin.

Jiang He shot him a sideways glance.

“I think I know why you’re making armor,” a viewer commented.

“Now that I think about it... terrifying!”

“The ultimate defensive measure!”

“Come on, a martial artist bullied by his girlfriend?”

“Stop stirring the pot. My armor’s not even finished yet,” Xu Qing said, laughing and shaking his head.

“Are there couples who never argue? As long as you can resolve things, it’s fine...”

“You resolve problems by getting beaten up!”

“Exactly. That’s the truth.”

“You’re so pitiful, you even had to start crafting armor!”

The lighthearted banter passed half an hour, during which Xu Qing transitioned to stance training, prompting another wave of joking sympathy in the chat.

Not only did he get “beaten,” but he also had to “stand in punishment.”

Of course, the goofy viewers were just joking, and Xu Qing didn’t mind. What he didn’t expect, however, was that the chaos would escalate into a meme-worthy edit of his punishment stance.

“All done, calling it a day!”

After an hour, Jiang He ended the livestream, uploaded the day’s recording, and stretched lazily.

“You’re better suited for this than me. You’re good at chatting with them and cracking jokes.”

“Why don’t you consider becoming a food blogger?” Xu Qing suggested.

“I... I’ll think about it.” Jiang He hesitated.

Xu Qing nodded and flexed his wrists before packing up the coat rack and the two iron sleeves into the storeroom. He neatly put away the iron rings and pliers—he disliked cluttering up the living room. Once everything was tidied, he sat back down at his workstation and started editing videos.

“Why are you sitting so far away?” Xu Qing asked, realizing Jiang He had moved to a small stool on the other side of the room instead of their usual spot on the couch together.

“Huh? Oh.”

Jiang He seemed startled by his question. Slowly, she dragged herself back to the couch and sat down beside him.

She glanced at Xu Qing, then glanced again.

“What’s up with you?” Xu Qing asked.

“Nothing!” Jiang He suddenly raised her voice, leaning against him with righteous confidence, her book still in her hands.

Xu Qing blinked, confused.

“Focus on your work. Don’t think about anything weird.” Jiang He turned his face back to the screen, acting as if nothing had happened.

If he dared try anything funny, she’d kick him straight back to his room.