Chapter 30

When dinner time arrived, Cheng Jingmo asked them, “Today we bought some flour. Do you want to have noodle soup?”

Both of them nodded.

Cheng Jingmo scooped two bowls of flour, added water to make dough, rolled it out into thin sheets, and then cut them into long strips.

Next, he picked a tomato, some green onions, and washed and chopped them along with some pumpkin.

Then he started cooking. Once the pot was hot, he added a spoonful of lard, followed by the chopped pumpkin and tomato. After stir-frying them with salt, soy sauce, and other seasonings until fragrant, he added water and brought it to a boil.

He then took the strips of dough, stretched them with his hands into long, thin pieces, and put them into the boiling pot.

Yu Xiangnian stood at the stove, flipping the noodles in the pot to prevent them from sticking together, while watching Cheng Jingmo’s skilled movements.

She was from the south and didn’t know how to make noodles, but she knew how to eat them!

After about ten minutes, the noodles were cooked.

Cheng Jingmo took three large bowls, sprinkled them with chopped green onions, and ladled the noodles from the pot into the bowls. One bowl of noodle soup was ready.

The three of them sat around the table, enjoying the meal.

“Cheng Jingmo, this noodle soup of yours is as delicious as the one I eat outside,” Yu Xiangnian praised sincerely.

“Oh.”

See! This straight-faced guy didn’t even know how to say “If you like it, I’ll make it for you again in the future!”

After finishing the meal, Cheng Jingmo went to wash the dishes.

Yu Xiangnian began to understand why the original owner’s parents insisted on marrying her off to Cheng Jingmo.

Besides excelling in his career, Cheng Jingmo was also exceptional at home. Unlike other men who did nothing at home, he did everything—laundry, cooking—and without sweet words, he was a good man for daily life.

There was a knock on the door, and Cheng Jingmo went to open it.

Outside was Xiao Tuanjie, holding a newly woven basket and a small dustpan.

Xiao Tuanjie handed over the items, “Deputy Chief Cheng, I finished weaving the basket today.”

He hadn’t gone anywhere today and had spent the whole day weaving.

Cheng Jingmo asked, “Why is there also a dustpan?”

Cheng Jingmo knew that Yu Xiangnian liked this dustpan, but he hadn’t told Xiao Tuanjie beforehand, so how did he weave it?

Xiao Tuanjie said, “The other day, Comrade Yu kept staring at the eggs in my hands, but she didn’t want them. When I got home, I thought she might want the dustpan in my hands, so I just made one.”

Cheng Jingmo silently complained to himself. How did Xiao Tuanjie figure it out while he didn’t?

He took the basket and dustpan, “Captain Xiao, thank you.”

“The neighbor’s, don’t be polite. If you need anything in the future, just ask.”

Seeing Cheng Jingmo come in with the dustpan, Yu Xiangnian’s eyes lit up, “How did Captain Xiao know I liked this?”

“He said you kept staring at the eggs in his hands and then thought you might like this dustpan.”

“Captain Xiao is really smart!” Yu Xiangnian picked up the small dustpan and examined it, “It’s beautifully woven. I should go thank him.”

Yu Xiangnian grabbed a handful of White Rabbit milk candies and was about to go out.

Cheng Jingmo didn’t know why, but he felt a bit uncomfortable. He said, “Between neighbors, this kind of thing can create distance.”

“What do you understand? I’ll still ask him to make other things in the future,” Yu Xiangnian said as she left.

She knocked on the door next door, and Sister Liu Zhen opened it.

Seeing Yu Xiangnian standing at the door with a smile, Liu Zhen was surprised.

“Sister Liu Zhen, I’m here to thank you all for the well-woven basket and small dustpan.” She stuffed the candies into Liu Zhen’s arms.

The sudden gratitude left Liu Zhen momentarily bewildered, holding a handful of candies. She hesitated before saying, “It’s nothing, just a basket. Don’t mind its roughness.”

“You don’t know how important this basket is to my family. It will make shopping in the city much easier in the future. And that small dustpan, it’s especially delicate! Captain Xiao’s craftsmanship is really good!”

Liu Zhen listened contentedly and said, “If you ever need anything, just ask. Old Xiao may not be good at much else, but he’s skilled at this.”

Yu Xiangnian had been waiting for this moment. “Sister-in-law, thank you in advance then.”

“Don’t be so polite.” Liu Zhen suddenly realized she was still holding the candies and hurriedly tried to return them. “These are for your kids. It’s not much, just a taste. Please don’t refuse, or I’ll feel bad asking Captain Xiao for help.”

With the door open, Cheng Jingmo could hear their conversation.

Yu Xiangnian wasn’t just good at rebuttals; she could also speak sweetly when she wanted to. It all depended on whether she felt like it.

After taking a shower at home, Yu Xiangnian felt happy seeing this diligent and clean man. She walked out, squatted beside Cheng Jingmo, and said, “Cheng Jingmo, thank you for the gifts today.”

It was the first gift she had received since coming here.

Cheng Jingmo didn’t know what she was referring to. “What?”

“The lipstick!” Yu Xiangnian said, “I really like it!”

Cheng Jingmo recalled Yu Xiangnian’s method of elimination and said dryly, “It’s nothing.”

“Starting tomorrow, make a cup of milk with malt for Xiaojie every morning.”

After saying this, Yu Xiangnian happily twisted her waist and went back to the bedroom. Cheng Jingmo finished washing the clothes and also returned to the room to sleep.

Lying on the bed, he calculated today’s expenses. Excluding those bills, he had spent more than fifty yuan.

Before, money was just numbers to him, and he wasn’t good at spending it. But today, he felt the joy of spending money.

Thinking about today’s events, he felt sweet inside.

At the same time, he could understand why every month giving Yu Xiangnian eighty yuan, plus her salary, wasn’t enough for her to spend in just a few days.

Next door, in Liu Zhen’s house.

Liu Zhen placed the candies on the table and counted them. There were twenty, which meant it was quite a bit.

This kind of milk candy was usually not shared with outsiders, kept for the children to eat at home.

But Yu Xiangnian had given so many at once!

She felt uneasy and said, “Old Xiao, Comrade Yu gave so many candies.”

Xiao Tuanjie glanced at the candies on the table. “If you didn’t want to take them, why did you? Can you still return them now?”

“She insisted!” Liu Zhen said, “She said it was to thank you for weaving the basket and dustpan for her.”

“Well, that settles it. Why are you worrying so much?” Xiao Tuanjie asked.

“But the basket—wasn’t it our way of thanking her for saving Fangzi? How did it turn into her thanking us?” Liu Zhen wondered aloud.

Xiao Tuanjie thought about it and realized it was true!

But it wouldn’t be appropriate to return them now, and giving them to someone else, they probably wouldn’t accept them either!

Xiao Tuanjie was straightforward, “I think they’re not the kind of people who calculate such things. If they took it, they took it! If there’s a chance to help in the future, we’ll do our best.”

Liu Zhen nodded obediently and muttered quietly, “I feel like Comrade Yu has changed a lot. She used to dismiss everyone, but today she’s so polite.”

Xiao Tuanjie said, “I’ve told you before, don’t judge people with old-fashioned eyes. You women always overthink things.”