Chapter 56

Cheng Jingmo and Xiao Jie arrived at the gate of the residential compound at exactly ten o’clock in the morning. They took the shuttle bus into town and walked to Yu Xiangnian’s house.

This time, Cheng Jingmo didn’t bring any gifts.

It was Sunday, and the entire Yu family was at home, except for Yu Xiangnian.

Xiao Jie had visited twice before and was already familiar with Guangming and Duoduo. He went straight in to play with them.

The family greeted Cheng Jingmo and invited him to sit down.

Cheng Jingmo asked Zhao Ruozhu, “Mom, how is Yu Xiangnian’s foot?”

Yu Xiangyang chimed in, “It’s fine! Last night she was even wrestling with me! In a couple of days, she’ll be able to do the jumping basket dance without any problem!”

Last night, when Yu Xiangyang got home, Yu Xiangnian had asked him about the bicycle and watch.

When she learned that he had given Bai Mei an extension of three days, she was so angry she punched him a few times.

When she found out that he had already given Bai Mei the two hundred yuan, she jumped on him, trying to strangle him!

Fortunately, he managed to appease her by giving her half of his two hundred yuan bonus.

Zhao Ruozhu scolded Yu Xiangyang with a smile, “You come home just to make Xiangnian angry! Maybe you shouldn’t come back!”

Then she turned to Cheng Jingmo, “You go upstairs and wake Xiangnian. It’s almost time for lunch.”

Cheng Jingmo hadn’t seen Yu Xiangnian for two days and three nights and wanted to see her.

Zhao Ruozhu’s suggestion was a perfect excuse. He got up and went upstairs to Yu Xiangnian’s room.

He knocked on the door, “Yu Xiangnian, time to get up.”

In her sleep, Yu Xiangnian vaguely heard Cheng Jingmo’s voice, thinking she was dreaming.

The persistent knocking, accompanied by Cheng Jingmo’s voice, made her open her eyes.

It really was Cheng Jingmo knocking on her door.

She lay in bed, too lazy to move. “Just come in yourself!”

Cheng Jingmo entered the room.

Yu Xiangnian was lying on her side in pink pajamas, with the blanket only covering her waist and abdomen. She looked at him with half-open eyes.

Her voice was still hoarse from sleep, “Why are you here?”

Cheng Jingmo stood a meter away from the bed, “I came to see…your foot.”

Yu Xiangnian stretched out both feet. “Take a look.”

Her feet were still a bit swollen, but much less than before.

Cheng Jingmo added, “Xiao Jie keeps asking when you’re coming back.”

Yu Xiangnian carefully observed Cheng Jingmo’s expression and saw no trace of the anger he had shown the other day.

It seemed he had calmed down.

But Yu Xiangnian still didn’t want to go back.

Living at home was so much more comfortable, with her father pampering her and her mother doting on her.

Why go back to that house, being a nominal wife and a thankless stepmother?

“My foot still can’t touch the ground. I want to stay a few more days.”

Disappointment flashed in Cheng Jingmo’s eyes. He took out the two hundred yuan he had won as a prize from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“Take this money.”

Yu Xiangnian said indifferently, “I told you before, I don’t want your money.”

“This money should be yours. Without you, I wouldn’t have gone wolf hunting, wouldn’t have earned the merit, and wouldn’t have won the prize.”

Yu Xiangnian had already heard Yu Xiangyang brag about this yesterday.

“You should thank me!” Yu Xiangnian said without modesty, “Without me, you would have faced a reprimand instead of getting a commendation!”

“But I don’t want the money!”

Yu Xiangnian thought to herself that once her foot healed and she performed the surgery on Brother Ping’s child, she would have money.

She had already calculated over the past few days.

Based on producing nine thousand pairs of rain boots, she could earn 900 yuan. After splitting it with the three who would flee at the slightest trouble, she would still have 225 yuan. Adding the 26 yuan she earned on the first day, she would have 251 yuan.

Including the 100 yuan from Yu Xiangyang and the fifty-odd yuan she already had, she was not short of money!

In the future, she would find more ways to make extra money, easily securing her finances!

Cheng Jingmo couldn’t tell what Yu Xiangnian was thinking, but she looked smug, as if she was very pleased with herself.

“Take this money and buy Xiao Jie some clothes and food,” he repeated.

“Stop trying to buy me off with money!” Yu Xiangnian retorted, mainly because such a small amount wasn’t tempting at all.

She got up from the bed, ready to wash up. Her foot had improved significantly, and she no longer needed to hop on one foot. She could put some weight on it and walk, albeit carefully. After a few steps, she remembered what she had just said about her foot not being able to touch the ground, so she retracted her right foot and hopped on one foot.

Cheng Jingmo saw all of this.

Yu Xiangnian was so adorable, making him both amused and helpless.

When she finished washing up and they went downstairs, the food was already laid out on the table.

Yu Xiangyang joked with Cheng Jingmo, “You were up there so long, I thought you’d taken a nap too!”

He was just making a casual joke, but Cheng Jingmo couldn’t help but blush.

After lunch, the family sat in the living room, chatting.

Zhao Ruozhu instructed Yu Xiangguo, “Xiangguo, you should drive Xiangnian and Cheng Jingmo back later.”

Yu Xiangguo, the factory director, had a car provided by his workplace.

Yu Xiangnian pouted, “Comrade Zhao Ruozhu, I’ve only been home for a few days, and you’re already kicking me out?”

Zhao Ruozhu always seemed to be trying to match her with Cheng Jingmo.

Cheng Jingmo had only come to check on her foot, not to take her back.

“We don’t support freeloaders in the Yu family,” Zhao Ruozhu said. “If you want to be a lazy bum, do it in your own home.”

Freeloader? Lazy bum?

Yu Xiangnian couldn’t argue with that.

“Anyway, I’m not going back!” Yu Xiangnian started to throw a tantrum.

Cheng Jingmo hadn’t asked her to return, so why should she?

Understanding social cues, Cheng Jingmo immediately responded, “Then I’ll trouble you to drive us, big brother. Yu Xiangnian’s foot isn’t fully healed yet, and I was wondering how to bring her back.”

Thus, Yu Xiangnian was sent back home.

As soon as she entered the house, she noticed two new red thermos flasks on the table, with “Outstanding Individual” painted in blue characters on them.

They were quite a sign of the times!

Other items around the house, like the basins, enamel cups, and lunch boxes used by Xiao Jie and Cheng Jingmo, also had similar inscriptions like “Commemoration” and “Award.”

Soon after, Wang Hongxiang and Liu Zhen arrived.

Cheng Jingmo was tending the vegetable garden in the courtyard, watching from a distance as the three women chatted inside.

Wang Hongxiang and Liu Zhen were animatedly recounting the events of the past few days, and Cheng Jingmo had a bad feeling about it.

Sure enough, Liu Zhen and Wang Hongxiang, each in turn, vividly described what had happened.

“Her face was painted like a monkey’s butt, her lips like she had eaten a person, alone in the kitchen with Deputy Commander Cheng, who knows what they were doing!”

“Deputy Commander Cheng even gave Dr. Wu a pound of pork. I handed it to her myself.”

“Xiao Jie went out to play, and it was just the two of them in the house. Who knows what they talked about, but Dr. Wu was crying, and Deputy Commander Cheng was comforting her.”

“…”

From their descriptions, Yu Xiangnian could imagine a tragic scene of unrequited love and unfulfilled longing between Wu Xiaomin and Cheng Jingmo.

The three chatted until it was time to make dinner, and Liu Zhen and Wang Hongxiang reluctantly left.

Before they left, they urged Yu Xiangnian, “Comrade Yu, your foot is injured. We can cook for you or bring you a bowl of food, but don’t go home!”

Yu Xiangnian smiled and nodded.

She wouldn’t let Wu Xiaomin have her way!