Chapter 14

With a serious expression, Jiang Rou looked at him and said, “We don’t own this money. All of this money belongs to innocent victims who were deceived. We are not so poor that we can’t get by, and even if we were, we can’t take other people’s hard-earned money. You should return this money; the police will handle it. Consider it a good deed for our baby, okay?”

Li Xiao listened and snorted, wearing a look that said, “Are you joking?” He replied, “The victims you mentioned are all people who wanted to get rich quickly. If they were hoping for a windfall, they should have been prepared to be hit by the pie. Have you ever seen a gambler asking for a refund after losing? This money serves as a lesson for them.”

He didn’t empathize with those people, and he even spoke these words with a smile on his lips, looking indifferent.

Jiang Rou didn’t argue with him but continued to speak in a calm tone, “But this money wasn’t earned by us. It doesn’t feel right to spend it. No matter what the original intentions of those who were deceived were, the fact is that this money belongs to them. It’s our duty to give it back. One must live with integrity; we shouldn’t take what isn’t ours. There are many ways to make money. I believe with your ability, you will earn even more in the future. Isn’t it better for us to spend clean money? Imagine if one day we lost our money and someone returned it to us, wouldn’t you be happy?”

As Li Xiao listened to Jiang Rou’s words, the smile on his lips deepened, and he finally retorted, “Did you become silly because of pregnancy?”

“……”

Seeing Jiang Rou still trying to speak and persuade him, his expression grew impatient.

He sneered, “How is this not our money? I earned it with my skills. Why should I return it? I didn’t deceive them.”

“Even if I lost money, I’d consider it bad luck.”

Jiang Rou saw that he was unyielding and unreasonable. She couldn’t hold back her anger and said, “I don’t care; you need to return this money. I won’t use it, and you can’t use it either.”

“Are you trying to control me?”

The smile faded from Li Xiao’s face, and his dark eyes looked deeply at Jiang Rou.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Rou’s heart tightened. She almost forgot that he wasn’t a good-tempered person.

She pursed her lips but did not give up. She would not bow her head in if it involved her integrity and principles.

She looked at him stubbornly but softened her tone a bit. “I’m not trying to control you. I just don’t want you to do something wrong. This money isn’t ours, and we really can’t take it. We must have a bottom line in life.”

Before she could finish speaking, Li Xiao sneered and said, “Bottom line? You’re talking to me about a bottom line? Who was the one who clung to me after sleeping with the wrong person?”

Jiang Rou fell silent. She looked at his sarcastic face. He was smiling, but his eyes were a bit cold. The more he stared at her like that, the more she felt he was unfamiliar.

For a moment, she didn’t know if he was joking or serious. Maybe he really thought that way.

After all, he was the one being taken advantage of in the beginning, so it’s normal for him to hold a grudge.

But did that make Jiang Rou feel better?

She was forced to travel here, became pregnant without even experiencing dating someone, and now she had to bear the debts of “Jiang Rou.”?

Hearing him use these words to humiliate her, she couldn’t even argue back.

Jiang Rou felt a stab of pain from his gaze.

She fell silent.

They stared at each other for a while, neither willing to give in.

Finally, Jiang Rou nodded at him and suddenly said, “Fine, do whatever you want. It’s all my fault. It was wrong of me to cling to you. Don’t worry, I won’t do it anymore.”

After speaking, she didn’t look at him again. She got out of bed and walked out. After a while, she returned with a cold expression, carrying a snake-skin bag. She started stuffing the recently bought items from the wardrobe into it.

Li Xiao sat up in bed and watched her. Seeing her angry and acting as if she was going to leave, he knew she was mad but didn’t want to back down. He had never bowed his head to anyone.

Besides, why was she allowed to speak and he wasn’t?

His lips tightened, and his face gradually darkened.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.

Jiang Rou finally took out the sock where she kept all her savings, pulled out five hundred yuan, and placed it on the table, her voice calm as she said, “This is more than half a year’s food expenses. Here, take it back.”

Without even looking at him, she turned around, grabbed the snake-skin bag, and left, closing the door behind her.

She didn’t intend anything by it, but perhaps she used too much force, and the door slammed shut with a loud “bang.”

Jiang Rou paused for a moment but then continued walking without a care.

Inside the room, Li Xiao’s face darkened the moment he saw her take out the money. When he saw her leave without hesitation and slam the door in anger, his expression became indescribably grim. His hands, hanging by his sides, were clenched into tight fists.

It was the first time anyone had acted so boldly in front of him.

Hearing the sound of the courtyard gate opening and closing outside, his chest heaved, and he finally cursed through gritted teeth, “Damn!”

He roughly threw off the covers and got out of bed. When he tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge.

Frowning, he twisted the round doorknob again but still got no response. It seemed that the force of the door slam had caused it to stick, and the lock had come loose.

“……”

Li Xiao kicked the door and took a deep breath.

He tried to open the door again, using more force and directly pulled the lock off.

He didn’t pay attention to the extra hole in the door and walked out with a dark face.

Just as he was about to open the main door, he heard the sound of the courtyard gate opening. He paused, thinking Jiang Rou had regretted her decision and come back, and his expression softened a bit.

He forcefully opened the door, ready to say something sarcastic, only to see Aunt Wang entering.

Aunt Wang looked at the door in surprise. She had been about to knock but found it opened as soon as she touched it, thinking Jiang Rou had carelessly left it unlocked the night before.

Hearing the noise, she instinctively looked up, intending to remind Jiang Rou of something, and saw Li Xiao standing at the door with a sullen expression.

She didn’t think much of it. She hadn’t interacted much with Li Xiao since he grew up. Every time she saw him from a distance, he always looked fierce, hanging out with a bunch of hooligans. Even if she did see him, she would take a detour. So she didn’t realize he was particularly angry and assumed he just looked like that.

When she saw him, she greeted him with a smile and said, “Xiaoxiao is back. Did you make a lot of money this time?”

In her hands, besides pig intestines, she had two pieces of fresh meat and a pig’s tongue, hoping to smooth over the awkwardness from yesterday.

She didn’t stand on ceremony, walking familiarly into the courtyard. Glancing behind Li Xiao and not seeing anyone, she lowered her voice and asked, “Where’s Xiao Rou? Still not up? Let her sleep. I brought two catties of meat for you both.”

“It’s good you’re here this morning. That way, your mother won’t wrongly accuse Xiao Rou without understanding the situation. This child has it hard.”

As she spoke, she walked straight into the house with a wooden basin and a scale, asking him about his recent trip.

She acted as if she were a family elder.

Li Xiao furrowed his brow subtly, feeling strange in his heart. He had never seen such a familiar expression on Aunt Wang’s face before.

He was unclear about what had happened at home during his absence.

He glanced at the open door, pressed his lips together, and did not mention the argument he had with Jiang Rou.

He could not help but frown and ask, “Did my mom come by?”

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang turned her head to look at him. Perhaps the words Jiang Rou said yesterday touched her maternal instincts. For Li Xiao, Aunt Wang now felt more sympathy than fear, believing that the child was pitiful and burdened by his family.

Thinking that he might misunderstand, she recounted the events of yesterday in full detail and added, “Xiao Rou and I have always done business with clear accounts. No one is at a loss. Your mom must have heard something from somewhere and came here making a fuss. Xiao Rou, with her big belly, stood at the door trying to reason with her. I felt heartbroken just watching.”

“Li Xiao, Xiao Rou has no fault in this. As an outsider, I shouldn’t say too much, but Xiao Rou’s intentions are not wrong. You two have your own little family now, and there’s a baby on the way. You must think carefully for yourselves and the child. Your mom is completely biased on that side. I often see the stall’s records, and the meat has hardly ever been out of stock. Xiao Rou saves money but won’t even indulge herself in good food. You mustn’t let her down.”

Aunt Wang went to the kitchen, drained the braised pork intestines, and placed them on a clean white cloth in a basin. She used a scale to weigh them.

While busy, she continued talking to Li Xiao, recounting some of the things she overheard Jiang Rou say to her classmates recently. Those words were said to protect him.

Having been through similar experiences herself, Aunt Wang knew how unreliable men could be. Her own husband had always listened to his mother for everything. She was worried that Li Xiao would do the same. During the time she spent with Jiang Rou, she truly felt that Jiang Rou was a good child, so she couldn’t help saying more.

Li Xiao stood there in a daze, not reacting for a long time after hearing these words.

The braised intestines weigh over 20 pounds, and after braising, they usually shrink somewhat. Aunt Wang kept adjusting the weights and showed the result to Li Xiao. “18 pounds and 3 ounces. Write this down. We’ll calculate at 5 yuan per pound and settle it every half month.”

Li Xiao did not look at the scale but hoarsely asked, “Did she really say those things?”

Aunt Wang, thinking he did not believe her, gave him an annoyed look. “Why would I lie to you? If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. The house is clean inside and out, and she makes money. Where else can you find such a good wife? Don’t be foolish and bully her. If she runs away with another man one day, let’s see what you’ll do then.”

She just said it casually, but Li Xiao’s expression changed slightly upon hearing it.

Without waiting for Aunt Wang to say anything further, he said, “I have something to do, so I’m heading out. Auntie, remember to close the door.”

Then he turned around and ran out.

“Hey?”

This child is so fast that even Aunt Wang can’t react. “This child…”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The sky was slightly bright outside, and as soon as Li Xiao ran to the doorstep, he was warmly pulled aside by several neighbors.

The neighbors who used to ignore him now greet him with smiles and say, “Li Xiao is back.”

“Did you eat this morning? My aunt bought deep-fried dough sticks. Have some.”

“Li Xiao, is your wife available today? Can she teach my mom how to make brown sugar rice cake? The child is clamoring for it.”

“……”

Li Xiao looked at the scene before him with a strange expression.

He had only been gone for two months, but it seemed like everyone around him had changed.

After dealing with the people, he headed outside the county town. Since she had no relatives in the county, the only place she could go was back home.

But even after Li Xiao circled around the county town, he still did not see Jiang Rou. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy. He continued searching and only then realized she hadn’t returned home.

He clicked his tongue in frustration, thought for a moment, and then ran to Zhou Jian’s house.

She knew few people in the county town, and during these two months he had been away, she should be familiar with Zhou Jian.

Unexpectedly, when he arrived at Zhou Jian’s house, Zhou Jian had just woken up and was squatting at the door, brushing his teeth.

Seeing him approach, Zhou Jian, who had not yet had a chance to be happy, immediately frowned when he heard Li Xiao’s request and complained, “Brother, how can you treat sister-in-law like this? Sister-in-law is such a good person. You’re really taking her for granted. You usually don’t care about us, but sister-in-law is a woman; she needs to be pampered.”

Zhu Qiang treated Mei Zi with such care, and Mei Zi wasn’t even half as good-looking as his sister-in-law.

Li Xiao, feeling extremely frustrated, realized Jiang Rou wasn’t there and turned to leave. “Alright, alright, I know.”

Seeing this, Zhou Jian stopped brushing his teeth, hastily finished up, and followed him.

As he jogged alongside him, he continued to nag, “Brother, we need to have a conscience. Sister-in-law is really a good person. Even my mom says she’s great and that you must be really lucky to have married her. It’s a bit excessive to drive her away when she’s such a good person.”

Li Xiao was annoyed by him and turned his head to give him a cold glance.

In the past, Zhou Jian would have been scared when he saw him like this. Now, however, he glared back at him angrily and said, “Brother, do you still have the face to glare at me? It’s clearly your fault. No wonder your sister-in-law ran away. Who can handle your temper?”

Li Xiao stopped in his tracks; his face darkened as he looked at Zhou Jian.

Zhou Jian held his ground, not willing to back down.

“……”

“Damn it.”

Li Xiao rubbed his short hair and muttered under his breath, “Fine, I’m wrong.”

He turned and walked away.

Zhou Jian was finally satisfied and followed him again and asked, “How should we find her?”

Li Xiao did not look at him and furrowed his brow. “We’ll split up. You go to the school; I’ll check the nearby hotels. Let’s meet at the North Street intersection later.”

Then he left without looking back.