Chapter 50.2

In the evening, Li Xiao did not come home for dinner. It was only after Jiang Rou had managed to put An An to sleep that he returned. After quietly washing up, he climbed into bed.

Jiang Rou was almost asleep when he held her close and kissed her. He pushed against her twice but could not move her away. Then he reached to touch his chin, feeling the rough stubble of his beard.

The man seemed to find it somewhat itchy, chuckling softly, and then buried his face in her neck, giving it a kiss.

Now Jiang Rou felt a bit itchy herself and could not help but say, “You’re so heavy.”

The man did not respond but lifted her leg.

Afterward, Li Xiao held her from behind. Jiang Rou felt a bit hot, and even though she moved closer, she could not shake him off.

Li Xiao whispered from behind, “I ran into Zhao Yun today. She said she hadn’t seen you for several days and wants to invite you to dinner this Saturday.”

At that time, Zhao Yun had been shopping with Chang Yong’s sister and had mentioned this specifically.

Jiang Rou did not quite understand. Her relationship with Zhao Yun did not seem that close. What did she mean by not seeing her for several days? They had only met a few times, the last being several months ago.

“Does she want something from me?”

Li Xiao leaned closer to her ear and said, “What else could it be? It’s Chang Yong. If she asks you about Chang Yong, just tell her the truth. She will definitely help your sister with the school issues. We won’t be at a loss.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Rou understood. “What happened with Chang Yong?”

Li Xiao sneered, “Chang Yong is not as clever as his wife. He thought he was hiding things well, but in reality, his wife knew everything. Inviting you to dinner is probably just to confirm. If she asks you anything, just tell her that the woman he’s seeing is pregnant with a son.”

Jiang Rou abruptly turned over, “How did you find out?”

Li Xiao pecked her lips and then replied softly, “It’s probably from the time we ran into them at the hospital. He mentioned it himself, and the woman was quite smug, saying she was going to move into a bigger house.”

Jiang Rou felt quite disgusted. She remembered the last time she ran into Chang Yong, he had spoken so casually in front of her, even encouraging Li Xiao to find women outside. Even if Zhao Yun didn’t help Li Xin with the school arrangement tomorrow, she would still say something.

She found the man detestable.

Thinking about it, she couldn’t help but feel upset. “What’s the point of knowing this?”

She had heard too many similar stories, where most women ended up doing nothing, letting their men continue their affairs.

Li Xiao was not as pessimistic as she was and replied casually, “That’s not necessarily the case. Zhao Yun, fortunately, is a housewife. The type of person I fear the most in business is exactly like her. She’s manageable when collaborating, but if she were a competitor, she’d be the type to strike decisively when you’re down. You’d need to be on constant alert.”

“Don’t be fooled by her seemingly pleasant demeanor. Chang Yong doesn’t even have half her cunning. If you don’t believe it, just wait. Chang Yong’s days of crying are still ahead.”

Chang Yong had reached this point largely due to her behind-the-scenes strategizing; otherwise, how could he handle her brother-in-law’s two children and that little sister-in-law on his own?

Jiang Rou was surprised by Li Xiao’s high regard for Zhao Yun.

The next day, Jiang Rou received a call from Zhao Yun at home, arranging to meet at a Western restaurant for dinner.

Jiang Rou also brought Li Xin and An An along. Upon arriving at the restaurant, she had them sit at a table near the entrance, ordered two desserts and a drink for them, and went over to Zhao Yun’s table.

Zhao Yun was seated by the window and had already noticed Jiang Rou’s arrival. She watched her until she approached, then greeted her with a smile, “Come, sit down. I just got here too. I wasn’t sure what you liked to drink, so I ordered you a sweetened coffee.”

Jiang Rou nodded, “That’s fine.”

After Jiang Rou sat down, Zhao Yun glanced at Li Xin and An An by the door and smiled, “Your sister is looking better and better. The high school entrance exam ended this year, right? How did she do?”

Jiang Rou smiled and replied, “Quite well.”

“That’s great. Do you remember what I mentioned last year? The attached middle school is quite good. A friend of mine teaches there. My father used to be a teacher at that school too, but he retired a few years ago. If your sister’s grades are good, getting in shouldn’t be difficult.”

Zhao Yun’s words were quite direct.

Jiang Rou was not naive. Even though the teaching quality at the county high school was good, it could not compare with the one here. Moreover, Li Xin was growing more attractive, and leaving her alone in the county made Jiang Rou a bit uneasy.

Since she had chosen to be Li Xin’s guardian, she would take on the corresponding responsibilities and try to provide the best for her.

After some thought, Jiang Rou asked, “What’s the process for getting into the attached middle school? My sister did quite well in this year’s exam, ranking third in the county. The total score was seven hundred and fifty, and she scored seven hundred and sixteen.”

Zhao Yun nodded with satisfaction, “That’s indeed very good. Even without me, she would be able to get in, but the paperwork might be a bit of a hassle. If you trust me, I can take her to the school in a few days to do a few practice tests.”

Jiang Rou hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Alright, thank you for your help.”

At that moment, the waiter came over with the dishes. Zhao Yun had ordered five beautifully presented dishes, each looking quite elegant, though the portions were not very large.

When Jiang Rou ordered cakes and drinks for Li Xin and An An earlier, she noticed that the items in this restaurant were quite expensive.

She couldn’t help but think to herself that Chang Yong’s family must be very wealthy.

Zhao Yun did not start eating. Instead, she took a sip of her coffee before speaking, “I won’t beat around the bush with you. The main reason I invited you to dinner today is to ask about my husband. I haven’t been able to see him for a while. Since Li Xiao is out every day, he should know more than I do. I’m wondering if Li Xiao has mentioned anything about him to you?”

Jiang Rou was taken aback by Zhao Yun’s directness and looked up at her.

Zhao Yun smiled, “It’s fine, just say it. I’ve known for a long time that he has other women outside. It’s just that things have changed recently; he often doesn’t come home, so I couldn’t help but come and ask.”

Jiang Rou didn’t know how to begin. She pressed her lips together and hesitated before saying, “The last time Li Xiao and I went to the hospital, I saw Manager Chang with a woman there.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yun’s face turned pale.

Jiang Rou felt that what she was about to say was somewhat harsh. Lowering her voice, she continued, “I heard from Li Xiao that the woman is pregnant with a boy.”

Zhao Yun’s hand, which was holding the cup, trembled slightly. She put the cup down on the table with a thud and clenched her fist tightly.

She bit down hard on her cheek, her neck veins bulging, and breathed heavily.

For a long while, she did not speak. The atmosphere at the table became somewhat tense. Jiang Rou heard An An’s babyish voice from a short distance, though she couldn’t make out the words, and heard the child’s giggles.

The laughter was innocent and cute.

Zhao Yun seemed to be affected by the sound of the laughter. Gradually, she regained her composure, though her eyes were still a bit red. She took a deep breath, turned her head, and quickly wiped her eyes with her hand, struggling to force a smile. “I’m sorry for making you see this.”

Jiang Rou shook her head.

Zhao Yun looked in the direction of An An and suddenly said, “When I first found out about his affair, I felt like the whole world had collapsed. Later, I attributed it to money. When we were poor, our family of four lived a simple and happy life. It was money that ruined my family. But I understand, it’s not just Chang Yong who can’t return to the past of modesty; neither can I, so I chose to endure.”

“He used to say that daughters were the best, that he liked daughters. But now, it’s really laughable…”

Zhao Yun picked up her bag and stood up. “Thank you for today. I will make sure to handle your sister’s matter properly.”

As Zhao Yun walked toward the exit, she suddenly turned around and paused before saying, “Just a friendly reminder: keep an eye on your man. Things might seem fine now, but they may not be in the future.”

Jiang Rou nodded in response, “Alright.”

Zhao Yun left, walking with her back straight.

After Zhao Yun had departed, Jiang Rou waved to Li Xin, signaling her to bring An An over. She had not touched the food and did not want it to go to waste.

Li Xin brought An An over, and An An had a black smudge around her mouth from eating.

Jiang Rou took An An and started cutting some beef for her to eat.

Li Xin then went back to get the leftover cake and drink and sat down opposite Jiang Rou. “Sister, was that auntie okay?”

She remembered their previous encounter in the supermarket, where Zhao Yun had teased her, and her kindness had left an impression. Despite her own clumsiness, she hadn’t said much and had even comforted Zhao Yun in return.

Li Xin remembered even the smallest acts of kindness from others.

Jiang Rou had initially not wanted to talk about it but, seeing Li Xin’s clean and beautiful face, she decided to share what had happened with Zhao Yun.

Li Xin looked disgusted after hearing the story. “Her husband is disgusting. Men are just no good.”

She seemed to recall something and added, “Except for brother-in-law.”

Jiang Rou smiled, knowing she would say that. “You can’t look at things that way. There are also many women who are not good. I’m telling you this so you can be more careful when looking for a partner in the future. Don’t take good treatment as the only standard. A man can be good to you and still be good to others. Character should be the primary consideration. Pay attention to how he treats people and handles matters. Even if you make a mistake in choosing, don’t be afraid. If necessary, withdraw in time. Don’t waste your precious years on the wrong person.”

Li Xin nodded thoughtfully.

—o—o—o—

Jiang Rou noticed that An An was becoming increasingly articulate and thought about what else to teach her. Deciding to focus on something beneficial, she began teaching An An a Tang poem every day. An An had a good memory and, despite not knowing the characters, could remember the poem after Jiang Rou taught it to her twice.

Jiang Rou also considered that by this time next year, An An would probably be starting kindergarten, so she decided to teach her some basic English as well.

An An obediently followed along and, once she learned a new word, would proudly show it off to her father.

Li Xiao had previously studied English with Jiang Rou but had stopped when he became too busy. He also had a bit of a pride issue and was embarrassed to speak in front of Jiang Rou.

Since English is a spoken language, not practicing speaking made his learning less effective.

However, An An was different. Though she was naturally a bit shy, she was taught well by Jiang Rou and had become quite a confident little girl. When Jiang Rou asked her to read aloud, she did so earnestly, even if her pronunciation wasn’t perfect. She shared new words with her aunt and father.

Every day, when Li Xiao came home, An An would drag him to recite poems and show him the drawings she made during the day.

On the blank practice sheets, there were strange-looking drawings of her mother, her aunt in a dress, and herself holding hands with them. As for her father, he was drawn flying in the sky in the top right corner.

When asked why, she said it was because her father was Superman.

Li Xiao hadn’t had a chance to feel pleased yet.

Jiang Rou didn’t hesitate to point out, “It’s clearly because there was no space left.”

An An looked up at her father with a sweet smile and said, “Daddy, don’t be upset. An An will draw for you.”

She then went to her room to get a pen and drew a new picture on the back of the paper, including a drawing of Jiang Rou with many flowers on her head. As she drew, she sweetly chanted, “Mommy and Daddy are married.”

That evening, Li Xiao carefully folded and put away the drawing his daughter had made.

Jiang Rou had become accustomed to this scene. In Li Xiao’s eyes, anything An An did was always the best.

When Zhao Yun had earlier warned her to keep an eye on Li Xiao, Jiang Rou had thought that merely watching over him wouldn’t help; such matters relied entirely on self-awareness. She had always been clear about her own principles and knew that any significant mistakes should be addressed promptly.

She had once struggled to understand Zhao Yun’s reluctance to divorce despite the ongoing discomfort. However, she now realized that Zhao Yun’s reluctance might not have been solely about money. There might have been lingering feelings for Chang Yong, hoping he would return to his family.

For Jiang Rou, if she were to divorce Li Xiao, she would feel reluctant. She was attached to how he cared for her and their child, and the feeling of being loved and cherished was indeed addictive.

When Li Xiao returned to bed and embraced Jiang Rou, he asked about Li Xin’s school start date.

With An An asleep inside, Jiang Rou whispered, “They’ll have military training for thirty days, starting on August 20th.”

“Alright, I’ll find time to drive you there that day.”

Jiang Rou found a comfortable position in his arms and said, “Good, we can also check out the nearby kindergarten. I heard their facilities are quite good. An An will need to start school next year.”

Hearing this, Li Xiao felt a pang of sadness. “She’s growing up so fast; it feels like she was just born.”

Jiang Rou chuckled at his reaction. “You’ve been calling her your daughter for so long; how can she still feel like she’s just born?”

Li Xiao couldn’t smile and turned to look at the little figure lying inside. Unable to resist, he reached out and poked her back.

Jiang Rou tried to stop him, but it was too late. An An grunted and then suddenly sat up with a confused look, mumbling, “Mommy.”

Jiang Rou was so annoyed that she pushed him away.

Li Xiao awkwardly touched his nose. “I didn’t expect her to wake up so quickly.”

Jiang Rou couldn’t be bothered to respond to him. She knew that An An was usually coaxed to sleep by her at night, and even if she fell asleep earlier, she was prone to waking up.

She stepped directly over Li Xiao’s abdomen, picked up An An, and lay back down to soothe her.

Li Xiao grimaced from the pressure but remained silent.

Having slept for a while, An An was particularly energetic and stayed awake until late into the night.

On August 20th, Li Xiao drove the family to the附中 (Fuzhong) for registration.

At the entrance of the school, there were already many parents and new students gathered. After Jiang Rou got out of the car with the child, she spotted Zhao Yun, who was accompanied by her two daughters and a tall boy.

Jiang Rou recognized the boy as Zhao Yun’s niece’s child from her previous marriage, who was in his senior year of high school this year.

Zhao Yun also saw Jiang Rou’s family and approached them with a smile. “How come the whole family is here?”

Jiang Rou smiled back, “I wasn’t sure what to bring, so I just brought a bit more.”

Zhao Yun noticed Li Xiao unloading blankets and other items from the car and felt a pang of envy. Even her own husband had never been as considerate as Li Xiao, who had taken time off just to bring the child to school, and he was merely the brother-in-law.

She told Jiang Rou, “First, get the child registered. The teachers are at the entrance. After you pay and get the dorm number, you can go straight to the dorm. It’s better to go early; you might secure a better bed.”

Jiang Rou nodded and instructed Li Xin to handle the registration while she and Li Xiao took care of the luggage.

Li Xin hurried toward the main gate.

The boy standing next to Zhao Yun took the initiative to approach Li Xin and guided her to the registration area.

Jiang Rou and Li Xiao unloaded the basin, hot water bottle, and other items from the car. Zhao Yun noticed and smiled, “You brought quite a lot. My eldest daughter is also starting high school this year, and I’m about to take her shopping. By the way, let’s have a meal together later.”

Jiang Rou smiled and replied, “We already have most of these things at home, so I didn’t want to buy more.”

She then added, “We plan to take An An to visit the nearby kindergarten later. She’ll be starting school next year. Maybe another time.”

Zhao Yun was just making polite conversation and didn’t insist on the meal. “Alright then, we can have a meal together another time.”

Seeing that they had a lot of things, Zhao Yun stepped forward to help carry some of the items.

Jiang Rou thanked her with a smile. An An was set down by Jiang Rou and obediently held onto her mother’s clothes, also turning to say thank you.

Zhao Yun noticed Li Xiao taking the bag with books from Jiang Rou’s hands and passing her the lighter rolls of paper.

As they exchanged items, Jiang Rou lifted her hand to wipe the sweat from Li Xiao’s forehead, then wiped her hand on his chest. Li Xiao smiled broadly, and Jiang Rou also smiled.

It was clear to anyone watching that their relationship was very affectionate.

Zhao Yun’s youngest daughter observed this interaction and couldn’t help but ask her mother in a soft voice, “Why doesn’t Daddy smile at you?”

Zhao Yun’s heart ached at the question. She couldn’t find an answer.

In the past, there had been smiles, but some relationships simply faded over time.

After entering the school, they waited for a while. Li Xin received her military training uniform and dormitory number: Room 305 in the girls’ dormitory.

They then went to the dormitory. A girl had already arrived and chosen the upper bunk by the window, so Jiang Rou suggested that Li Xin choose an upper bunk on the other side. Once everything was arranged, they said their goodbyes. Before leaving, Jiang Rou reminded Li Xin to remember to use sunscreen.

Li Xin, holding An An, smiled and gave her daughter several affectionate kisses on her little face.

An An giggled and snuggled closer to her mother.

Li Xiao drove Zhao Yun to a nearby supermarket. After bidding her farewell, he drove back to the nearby kindergarten.

The kindergarten was not yet in session, and the school grounds were empty. However, they could see from the iron gate that the place was filled with a childlike charm: small mushroom-shaped classrooms, a spacious area with various play equipment, including seesaws, slides, and swings…

An An was immediately fascinated. She was small in stature, gripping the iron gate with her tiny hands and sticking her head through to get a better look. Eventually, she managed to squeeze herself through the gate.

“…”

Jiang Rou found it amusing and decided to follow her, squeezing through the gate herself. It was a bit tight, but since she wasn’t wearing many clothes, she managed to get through with a little effort.

Li Xiao, on the other hand, found it quite challenging. After several attempts, he realized it was impossible to fit through. Finally, he decided to climb over the iron gate and jump down.

An An saw this and exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration, “Daddy, so amazing!”

Li Xiao, feeling proud, clapped his hands and said, “Piece of cake.”

Jiang Rou played with An An on the slide and seesaw for a while, then asked, “Did you have fun? How about we bring you here to play next year?”

Without hesitation, An An replied, “Mommy, Daddy, together.”

Jiang Rou gently coaxed her, “Only well-behaved children can come here. Mommy and Daddy aren’t as well-behaved as An An, so we can’t come.”

An An furrowed her brows thought for a moment, and then said, “If An An is even well-behaved, then Mommy can come too.”

Not far off, Li Xiao couldn’t help but ask, “What about Daddy?”

An An replied seriously, “Daddy isn’t as well-behaved as Mommy. An An can’t help.”

“…”

Jiang Rou looked at her adorably serious face and couldn’t help but laugh, thinking she was just too cute.