Along the winding country road, Daniel slowly carried Hannah forward on his back.
His large hand rested against her lower body for support, and as he felt the softness beneath his palm, his grip unconsciously tightened.
Lying against his back, Hannah blushed deeply but said nothing.
She was afraid that if she complained, Daniel might simply put her down and leave.
The snow crunched beneath his feet, leaving a long trail of footprints behind them.
"Sister Hannah, why do you smell so sweet? It's like a soft milky fragrance," Daniel said with a smile.
Hannah blushed and laughed softly.
"Daniel, you look so honest and kind, but I never expected you to be so smooth-talking and naughty. Where exactly are you touching?"
"How am I being naughty?" Daniel protested playfully.
"Sister Hannah, you really do smell like milk."
Even as he spoke, his hand still did not stop pressing lightly where he supported her.
Hannah, sitting on his back, felt his large hand kneading slightly against her.
She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, lightly spat in mock annoyance, and said,
"I can't believe you don't know why. My youngest child hasn't even been fully weaned yet."
"You're asking a question you already know the answer to, and then you still say you're not naughty?"
Daniel laughed mischievously.
"Besides that milky scent, did you also put on face powder? There's a faint fragrance that smells really nice."
"You really do have a sharp nose," Hannah asked with a smile.
"You noticed it immediately?"
Daniel laughed.
"Come on, Sister Hannah. We're this close. If I still couldn't smell it, then there'd be something wrong with my nose."
Hannah smiled.
"This snow powder Jack bought for me has a very light fragrance. You can hardly notice it unless you smell carefully."
"Even I can barely notice it anymore. Is there something wrong with my nose too?"
"That's because you've already gotten used to the scent," Daniel said with a laugh.
He paused for a moment, then added,
"This fragrance is so intoxicating. I wish I could smell it more often."
"I'm really jealous of Brother Jack. He must be incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful wife like you."
"He's probably the luckiest man alive."
Hannah covered her mouth and laughed.
Daniel's words were straightforward and bold.
Although she felt a little embarrassed, she secretly loved hearing them.
"Daniel, you're almost twenty this year, aren't you?" Hannah asked with a smile.
"Have you started thinking about girls?"
Daniel nodded repeatedly.
"Of course. I'm a young man full of energy. How could I not think about women?"
Hannah asked,
"Would you like me to introduce you to a girl?"
Daniel shook his head.
"Oh, Sister Hannah, I'm not trying to insult you, but you rarely go out in our compound."
"You probably don't know as many people in Red Star Township as I do."
"What kind of girl could you introduce me to?"
Hannah thought for a moment, then nodded helplessly.
"That's true. My life has really passed by in vain. I honestly know very few people."
The two talked and laughed, and before long they arrived at Daniel's house.
Daniel stepped under the eaves, carefully lowered Hannah from his back, and asked her to hold onto the wall for balance.
Then he removed the basket from her back and carried the collected supplies into the inner room.
"Let's go to the kitchen," Daniel said as he took out the key.
"When I went up the mountain earlier, I had a fire going. It probably hasn't gone out yet."
"If we throw in some dry wood, we can stay warm."
Hannah quickly stopped him.
"Don't do that in the kitchen. Even though your house stands alone, it's still close to Carter Village."
"If people come by and see me here, they might misunderstand."
"Then where? The main room or my bedroom?" Daniel asked in surprise.
Hannah thought for a moment before answering.
"Let's go to the bedroom. Even if someone comes, they won't just walk inside."
"And don't light a fire. I only need to rest for a little while."
"Please keep your voice down. Could you bring me a basin of water and a towel so I can wipe the mud off myself?"
"Once it dries, I'll head back to my parents' house."
Daniel nodded.
"Alright. I'll do as you say."
As he spoke, he opened the main room door, turned back, and lifted Hannah into his arms with a smile.
"I'll carry you into the bedroom and help you sit down."
"You probably can't walk in this condition."
"I'll bring you some snow later to press against the swelling."
Hannah blushed and gave a soft hum of agreement, nestling silently into Daniel's arms.
Daniel smelled wonderfully clean, with a subtle masculine scent that made Hannah unconsciously take a few deeper breaths.
The moment they entered the bedroom, Daniel carefully helped Hannah sit on a chair.
Then he turned and went into the kitchen to bring back a basin of warm water.
He placed a tall stool in front of her, set the basin on it, and smiled.
"Sister Hannah, wash your face first, then wipe the mud from your clothes."
"I'll step outside and get some snow for your ankle."
Hannah nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, Daniel."
Daniel smiled.
"It's nothing. No need to thank me."
Then he turned and went outside for the snow.
Inside the room, as Hannah washed her face, she quietly looked around the bedroom in surprise.
The last time she had visited her parents' home, Daniel's parents had still been alive.
Back then, the family only had three old tiled houses that were nearly falling apart.
But now, Daniel's home had five main rooms and two side rooms.
Judging by the condition of the house, it looked as if it had been built no more than a year or two ago.
Clearly, Daniel had slowly built it himself after starting work.
Besides the house itself, there was also a great deal of furniture inside.
The room was fully furnished:
a large bed, wardrobe, desk, table, grain cabinet, wooden chests, and a complete matching furniture set.
Even if someone bought the wood themselves and hired a carpenter, it would still cost a lot of money.
What a clever devil, Hannah thought inwardly, almost complaining to herself.
Back in the city courtyard, Daniel never acted like this.
He always pretended to be poor.
Just a few days ago, he had even managed to coax a pair of thousand-layer cloth shoes from his mother-in-law, Mrs. Miller.
She had been so upset afterward that she tossed and turned for several nights.
Hannah had been speechless watching how little Daniel seemed to treasure things.
The moment she saw him in the mountains earlier, she immediately recognized the shoes.
They were the very pair Mrs. Miller had made.
Even in the heavy snow, Daniel didn't care at all, running all over the mountain in those new shoes.
Even Hannah had felt sorry for them.
But she couldn't say anything.
What shocked her even more was that when her husband Jack had tried to get the shoes back, Mrs. Miller had actually scolded him too.
How did he even manage to get shoes from my stingy mother-in-law? Hannah wondered.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
Soon Daniel returned, holding several snowballs in his hands.