Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife

Dong Li read through the agreement carefully before pressing his thumbprint. Though simple, the contract clearly stated the investment amount, share allocation, and profit distribution.

Once they had both signed, Lu Han handed Dong Li a copy and said, "Each of us keeps a copy. If any issues arise in the future, this serves as proof."

Dong Li smiled and replied, "Eldest Uncle, I trust you."

Lu Han looked at him and said, "Ah Li, no one knows what the future holds. People change, and we can't guarantee we won't change either. So, no matter how much you trust someone, always separate emotions from business."

"Eldest Uncle, I understand."

Lu Han patted his nephew's shoulder and said, "Good. It's late—you should head back."

Dong Li nodded and replied, "I will visit again soon, Eldest Uncle."

"Be careful on your way back."

"Okay."

After Dong Li left, Lu Han entered his bedroom, where his wife was already asleep. He carried his sons to the next room before climbing into bed. Pulling his wife into his embrace, he soon drifted off to sleep.

After returning from the Lu family's house, Dong Li carefully hid the agreement document in a secret compartment within the wall. He planned to show it to Chen Jianmin tomorrow.

Glancing at the table clock, he decided to finish some homework before going to bed. The clock had been a gift from his parents, ensuring he could keep track of time and avoid staying up too late.

Unlike other households that slept early to save candles or lamp oil, his family had no such worries. He wasn't sure how his father had acquired the lamp they used, but it was unlike anything he had seen before.

Though it resembled an oil lamp, it didn't require oil. Instead, it absorbed sunlight during the day, which allowed them to use it at night. Every morning, his mother would place the lamps outside to soak up the sun, and by evening, they would be ready for use again.

The lamp emitted a bright white light rather than the usual yellowish glow. As soon as he turned it on, his room became as bright as daytime, making it easy to read without straining his eyes.

He suspected that the lamp came from an unusual or undisclosed source. Even the best lamps produced by the government still required batteries or oil. Because of this, he was careful to hide it whenever guests visited—he didn't want to bring unnecessary trouble to his parents.

Three hours later, Dong Li finally completed all the homework assigned by his father and teachers. Rubbing his sore neck, he glanced at the clock—it was almost 11 p.m.

After stretching his stiff muscles, he went to the bathroom before heading to bed.

Early the next morning, Li Chenmo woke up at dawn. Opening his eyes, he saw his wife sleeping soundly beside him. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Her lips slightly parted as a soft snore escaped her, filling his heart with contentment. A warm smile appeared on his face as he stared at his wife.

After a moment, he carefully moved his arm from under her and placed a pillow beneath her head. Before getting out of bed, he pulled the blanket over her and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then, he quietly left the room.

When he stepped into the backyard, he was surprised to see his children already up, brushing their teeth—even Dong Huang, who usually loved to sleep in.

Walking over, he asked, "Ah Li, Xiao Huang, why are you two up so early?"

Hearing his voice, they spit out the foam and greeted him, "Good morning, Father."

Li Chenmo nodded before squatting beside them to wash his face.

As they rinsed their mouths, Dong Huang said, "Father, I woke up early to help Brother."

Dong Li added, "Father, from now on, we will wake up earlier to prepare breakfast and take care of the vegetable garden. You are already busy with the pigs, so leave this to us."

Thinking about the amount of work he and his brothers had to handle daily, Li Chenmo nodded and said, "Alright, thank you for your hard work."

Dong Huang smiled at her father and replied, "Father, it's not hard at all."

After their brief conversation, Dong Li and Dong Huang headed to the kitchen to boil water for drinking before collecting eggs and watering the vegetable garden.

Meanwhile, Li Chenmo fetched two buckets of water from the water vat before heading to the pigpen.

Besides using lake water, he also carried a package of spiritual herb powder. Every month, he would take out a jar of this powder when he entered his wife's space.

Through several trials and errors, he had determined the ideal ratio of lake water to spiritual herb powder for mixing fertilizer. Rather than adding the powder directly to the pit, he now mixed it with lake water first, using five ladles of the solution per pit.

Perhaps because the mountain soil had absorbed a significant amount of his wife's lake water over time, the rotten leaves he used to mask the scent of the spiritual herb powder also enhanced the fertilizer's quality.

When he arrived at the pigpen, he noticed an unfamiliar man speaking with his second brother. Setting the buckets outside, he stepped inside.

Hearing familiar footsteps, Li Lingyun turned and greeted him, "Third Brother, you are here."

Raising an eyebrow, Li Chenmo said, "Second Brother, it's rare to see you here this early."

Li Lingyun gestured toward the man beside him and introduced him, "Third Brother, this is my friend, Jiang Ziyu."

Then, turning to his friend, he said, "Ziyu, this is my third brother, Chenmo."

Jiang Ziyu extended his hand while saying, "It's nice to meet you, Brother Chenmo."

Shaking his hand, Li Chenmo replied, "Hello, Brother Jiang. I hope you enjoy your time here."

After the brief introduction, he pulled his second brother aside and asked in a low voice, "Second Brother, why did you bring your friend here? This isn't exactly the best place to entertain guests."