Chapter 24.2

In mid-December, Li Xiao went to the city to sell marinated snacks and brought Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang back. 

Uncle Wang’s injuries were not fully healed, and he needed a wheelchair.

When they arrived at the door of the Wang family’s house, Li Xiao carried Uncle Wang on his back while Aunt Wang pushed the wheelchair behind them.

It was just around the time when people were getting off work. Some neighbors who saw this scene stopped to inquire about the situation.

This village was small, and everyone was familiar with each other. News about the Wang family had already spread.

People had thought that after Uncle Wang’s accident, Aunt Wang would be in tears and looking haggard. However, seeing Aunt Wang, who hadn’t been seen for a month, she looked neither thin nor haggard and had a smile on her face.

A short-haired aunt couldn’t help but stop Aunt Wang and ask, “Aihua, how is your husband? Did you find the driver who was responsible? ”

When Aunt Wang heard this, she said unhappily, “Found him? Xiaoxiao helped me report the case, but there’s been no news. You all know that the road is remote, with only some tire marks to go by. What can anyone tell from that? I told him not to go, but he went anyway. If you want to blame someone, blame Old Wang himself. He brought this on himself.”

The more she talked, the angrier she became. Aunt Wang had been in the hospital for some time with no one to talk to, and she felt very depressed. When she saw the neighbors asking, she wanted to pull them aside and share how miserable her life had become. She lamented how, at her age, she still had to run around dealing with such things. She complained that she couldn’t eat or sleep well in the hospital and said that if it weren’t for Li Xiao, she would have been completely lost.

You really don’t know how good this kid, Li Xiao, is. That night, he was the one who found Old Wang. The doctor said if Old Wang had been even a bit later, he would have been gone. Isn’t that terrifying? During this time, Xiaoxiao often came to visit us in the hospital. I even encountered a scammer. If I hadn’t told Xiaoxiao about it, I probably would have been completely swindled.”

She sighed deeply. “I used to think it was impressive when my daughter got into college, but looking at it now, it doesn’t matter how impressive it is. I called their school, and they said she was out for a competition. Xiaoxiao is the only one who’s really good. The old woman in the next bed even envied me for having such a good son. Even blood relatives can’t compare.”

Aunt Wang’s voice was loud, and Jiang Rou could hear her clearly from the kitchen.

She put down the spatula and brought An An out to see Aunt Wang surrounded at the door. It seemed like Aunt Wang was enjoying the attention, talking rapidly without taking a breath.

Jiang Rou moved to the edge of the crowd.

The gate to the yard next door was open. Li Xiao saw that the door was blocked and hesitated whether to come out.

Jiang Rou smiled. Li Xiao seemed to notice her gaze and looked over. When their eyes met, he smiled faintly in return.

Fortunately, Uncle Wang in the house couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted outside, “Ma Aihua, you’ve talked enough.”

Aunt Wang outside was not afraid at all and said to the audience around her, “You see, he has a bad temper. Only I can stand him.” 

After greeting others, she reluctantly went back inside. It wasn’t long before Aunt Wang’s shouting grew louder.

Li Xiao climbed back over the wall from the next yard, arriving back in the yard even before Jiang Rou. He didn’t go inside but took An An from Jiang Rou’s arms and asked, “Was she good today?”

Jiang Rou replied with a bit of frustration, “You don’t know your own daughter? Eating and sleeping, just like usual.”

In just two months, An An had grown as chubby as a piglet.

She has even started eating food from the plate now. These past few days, she had a slight cough, and the old doctor on the street said it wasn’t serious. For such a small child, medicine wasn’t ideal; a bit of loquat water would be enough.

Last night, she borrowed some loquat leaves from a neighbor and boiled them for the child to drink. Li Xiao fed her. After drinking it, she seemed to feel much better today.

However, to ensure the illness was fully cured, Jiang Rou fed her a bit more today. Unexpectedly, the child would look at them and stop drinking after just a sip. Her little mouth was tightly shut, clearly dissatisfied with the taste.

Jiang Rou mentioned this to Li Xiao, who was surprisingly amused. He gently shook the girl in his arms and teased, “You’re just being tough on your mother, aren’t you?”

Although Jiang Rou was usually strict, she was also understanding. If the child was unhappy with something and kept insisting, Jiang Rou would eventually give in. For instance, the little girl disliked wearing socks and often kicked them off after they were put on. Jiang Rou, with a softened heart, let her go without them.

But Li Xiao was different. Though he seemed to have a good temper and often held his daughter, laughing with her every day, once he made up his mind about something, he wouldn’t yield, even if it upset the child. Just like these past few days, the child no longer licked her hands in front of him.

Of course, she still did it when her father wasn’t home.

Usually, he would feed her milk in the morning, and she would drink it quickly, unlike when Jiang Rou fed her, which required gentle patting and sometimes distracted her.

Jiang Rou had noticed that while An An was well-behaved, she had plenty of little thoughts of her own.

The two went to the kitchen to cook. Since Aunt Wang had just returned from the hospital and the house was probably quite busy, Jiang Rou prepared a couple of extra dishes and asked Li Xiao to deliver them.

Li Xiao went with his daughter.

Jiang Rou started cooking the rice and tidying up the kitchen, but after waiting a long time, she didn’t see them return.

Hearing a noise outside, she went out of curiosity and saw Li Xiao and An An surrounded at the door. The neighbors were holding dishes of food, saying, “We made too much food at home, so we’re bringing some over for you.”

“Oh, An An, do you remember Grandma? Grandma held you yesterday.”

“Oh, An An, what are you reaching for? You can’t eat that yet, little greedy cat.”

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

When the aunts saw Jiang Rou, they insisted on having her stay to eat the dishes.

Jiang Rou did not want to be rude to them, so she went back inside and put the dishes into her own bowl, saying, “Thank you, Aunties.”

The aunts waved their hands and smiled, saying, “Little Xiao is a good child. We used to misunderstand him too much.”

“Little Xiao, don’t mind it. We won’t talk about you anymore.”

“That’s right. Remember to bring An An out to play more often. My Niu Niu likes An An the most.”

After sending them off, Jiang Rou returned to the house, smiling especially happily.

Li Xiao, holding An An at the door, couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you smiling so happily?”

Jiang Rou curved the corners of her lips and said casually, “I’m happy for you. So many people like you; aren’t you pleased?”

Li Xiao glanced at her without a word, then turned and headed to the kitchen with the child in his arms.

He asked himself, Was he happy?

Maybe just a little.

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

After dinner, Li Xiao prepared a new batch of loquat water for An An. He held An in one arm and fed her with a small spoon in the other, his face showing no expression.

An An nestled in his arms, remaining still and focused, taking a sip each time without fuss.

After feeding, Li Xiao raised his eyebrows in satisfaction and looked at Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou shot him a disapproving glance, took An An, and told him to get some water to wash An An.

Li Xiao took the bowl and went back to the kitchen.

As soon as he left, Jiang Rou noticed that An An had yellow loquat water dripping from the corner of her mouth. Jiang Rou was stunned for a moment and met An An’s round, bright eyes.

After realizing what had happened, she burst out laughing and immediately called out to Li Xiao in the kitchen, “You’re no better. Your daughter secretly spat out everything you fed her.”

There was even a hint of amusement in her tone.

Worried he might not believe her, Jiang Rou quickly brought the child to the kitchen to show him.

Li Xiao, who was washing dishes, turned his head at her words. He then saw that the white bib tied around their daughter’s neck was stained with a large yellow spot. “…”

He suddenly wondered if, as Jiang Rou had said, this child hadn’t drunk Meng Po’s soup when she was reincarnated.

Had she become wise so early?

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

The next morning, Jiang Rou took An An next door to visit.

Aunt Wang had not seen An An for over a month. She had been thinking about her in the hospital, and now, seeing her, she exclaimed with delight as she held her, calling her “little darling” repeatedly and expressing how much she liked her.

An An was not afraid of people and, while held by her, looked around curiously, seeming puzzled as to why she had not been here before.

When Uncle Wang, who was lying on the bed, saw the chubby little girl in Aunt Wang’s arms, he felt a surge of envy. It was the first time he had seen such a beautiful child. She looked just like a plump baby from New Year’s paintings, radiating blessings at first glance.

“Is this An An? She’s so beautiful.”

He hadn’t seen An An yet, but he thought that if Li Xiao and his wife had a baby, it would be a good-looking child.

Jiang Rou smiled and replied, “Yes, she looks more like Li Xiao, but her temperament is different. She is much more obedient and easier to care for, which has reduced my burden significantly.”

Although An An was still young and couldn’t speak yet, Jiang Rou was mindful of the language she used when talking about her in public. She would never belittle her out of modesty. After all, most people’s impressions of a child are shaped by their parents. If the parents belittle and look down on their child, the impression that outsiders form will only worsen.

Li Xiao was a prime example. Lin Meiru was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. When Li Xiao’s father was still alive, he had a tendency toward domestic violence. For some reason, she always spoke of herself as a victim and badmouthed both Li Xiao’s father and Li Xiao, leading the neighbors to form a poor opinion of Li Xiao.

It’s not just Lin Meiru who did this; many parents have a habit of belittling their children in front of others. Some do it to garner more praise, while others take pleasure in putting their children down. Regardless of the reason, children who are constantly belittled by their parents are more likely to develop psychological issues as they grow up.

Specifically, those with weaker willpower may develop an inferiority complex and become hesitant to express their needs, while those with stronger willpower might grow up to be too cold, lacking empathy and understanding of others’ feelings.

And Li Xiao should be the latter.

However, not everyone is born indifferent. At least Jiang Rou noticed that Li Xiao had changed a lot and was quite different from the person she had learned about from the documents.

After chatting with Aunt Wang for a while, Jiang Rou took An An and went back home.

As soon as she entered her yard, she saw Lin Meiru.

Lin Meiru’s eyes scanned Jiang Rou’s arms where the chubby, fair-faced An An was, then she tugged at the corners of her mouth to show a faint smile, though it was hard to tell how genuine it was.

She quickly shifted her gaze to Jiang Rou and asked, “When will Li Xiao be back?”

Jiang Rou glanced at her, carried An An inside, and before she left, she hadn’t locked the yard gate but had locked the main house door. She used one hand to find the key and open the door while turning her head to look at Lin Meiru. “Why did Mom come over?”

Lin Meiru rolled her eyes. “I’m not telling you. I’m looking for Li Xiao.”

Jiang Rou replied, “He’ll be back in the evening. Why don’t you head home for now, and when he returns, I’ll have him come find you?”

When Lin Meiru heard that Li Xiao would be the one to come to her, she hesitated. Li Xiao didn’t get along with Old He and his son, and it would be troublesome if they ran into each other and started a fight.

After some thought, she decided to reveal the reason for her visit. “Give me some money. Before Li Xiao went to the police station, I paid to bail him out. Could you return that money to me? You two are making a lot of money now. I heard he’s been doing business in the city, so he shouldn’t be short on cash. Just give me two hundred.”

“…”

The way she said “just two hundred” made it seem like such a small amount.

However, Jiang Rou still asked, “Why does Mom need the money? Did He Wenhua have an accident? ”

Lin Meiru was unhappy when she heard it: “What are you talking about? How can you be so vicious?”

Then she became quite proud and said, “Ah, Hua has become successful. He was chosen by the school to go to the capital with his classmates for a math competition. He needs to pay for accommodation and travel expenses. I see, you just can’t stand to see him do well.”

Jiang Rou was puzzled: “Since he was chosen to attend the competition with his classmates, the school should cover the expenses. Why does he still need to pay? ”

She found it hard to believe.

Unexpectedly, Lin Meiru looked at her with disdain. “What do you know? You didn’t even graduate from high school.”

“…” Jiang Rou was speechless, but she couldn’t help thinking, ‘But He Wenhua didn’t attend a good school either.’

A guy who repeated his senior year three or four times and barely got into a second-tier university—how could he be going to the capital for a competition?

It sounded far-fetched.

Yet Lin Meiru was completely convinced. “Just tell me if you can return the money.”

“No.”

Jiang Rou refused directly: “The money is with Li Xiao, and I don’t know where he hides it.”

Lin Meiru’s face fell upon hearing this, but she didn’t doubt it. She angrily muttered, “A pair of worthless scoundrels.”

Then she gave Jiang Rou a disdainful look and said, “Useless.”

She turned around and left in a huff.

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

In the afternoon, when Li Xiao returned, Jiang Rou told him about the incident.

As Li Xiao ate and played with his daughter, he listened to her words with a blank expression and simply said, “Ignore her. If she comes again, just say there’s none.”

After a moment, he added, “I’ll earn some more money in the coming days. Next year, Zhou Jian and I will go to the south for a visit.”

Jiang Rou frowned and asked, “Is it necessary to go? ”

She felt their current life was quite good, with no worries about food or clothing.

Li Xiao looked at his daughter’s chubby face and gently responded with an “mm.”

He used to be indifferent about the idea of living a successful life, but now his perspective has changed. He doesn’t want An An to be looked down upon because of poverty when she grows up, nor does he want anyone to think that Jiang Rou chose the wrong person to be with.

He now has a wife and a child, and it’s his responsibility to provide them with a stable home and ensure they live a good life.

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

After Aunt Wang came back, her yard became lively again. Although An An was still young, she seemed to enjoy the commotion, no matter who she took after.

Every morning and afternoon, Jiang Rou would carry her to visit the neighbors next door.

Don’t underestimate the gossiping skills of these grandmothers and aunts; within a few days, Jiang Rou heard that Wang Tao and Zhu Qiang were close, and Zhu Qiang had managed to get Wang Tao’s wife into Jiangnan Villa.

That evening, Jiang Rou mentioned this to Li Xiao. Since Zhu Qiang had left after their last meeting, he hadn’t been seen again, and they had naturally cut off contact.

Fearing that Li Xiao might be upset, she especially comforted him: “Life is like a journey. We often encounter crossroads, and because of different choices, some people drift apart. Don’t be too sad; you’ll meet more and better friends in the future.”

She felt her words were very insightful and philosophical, and she thought Li Xiao would be deeply moved.

But the man simply looked up at her with an expression that clearly said, ‘What nonsense are you talking about? ’ and said, “I’m not upset at all!”

Jiang Rou: “……”

She instantly lost the desire to talk to him.