Chapter 16: Xiao Qingru’s Hope

When Xiao Qingru got home from work, she heard about Jiang Chuan and Du Wanqiu.

“Jiang Chuan’s lost his mind. He insisted his dad help keep Du Wanqiu in the residential area, and it almost made his dad disown him.”

“His mom came over today, and we chatted she even started crying.”

“Think about it if Jiang Chuan decides to keep Du Wanqiu here, he’ll be responsible for her for the rest of her life.”

“That’s a huge responsibility, and he can’t just shrug it off. If something happens later, everyone will blame him, won’t they?”

How could a man support a woman’s entire life? The answer was clear.

It was hard to tell if Jiang Chuan was genuinely clueless or just playing dumb.

Thank goodness Qingru hadn’t married him. She’d regret it so much now.

As she spoke, Xiao Qingru’s mother kept an eye on her daughter’s reaction. She noticed that Qingru looked completely indifferent, as though listening to a story about someone unimportant. This pleased her mother greatly. It seemed Qingru had truly moved on.

Living in the same residential complex, they’d inevitably see Jiang’s family. Her mother talked about them partly to gauge her daughter’s feelings and partly to show that avoiding Jiang’s family would only make it seem like Qingru hadn’t let go of Jiang Chuan.

Let everyone see they didn’t need Jiang Chuan at all.

Missing out on Qingru was his loss!

Xiao Huaishu, Qingru’s brother, glanced at her and decided he should say something for his sister’s sake. “Mom, don’t talk about upsetting people while we’re eating.”

“Or at all,” he added. “Otherwise, I might get so angry I’d go and beat him up one of these days.”

“That’s not worth it!” said her mother. “Fine, I won’t bring it up anymore. It’s not our business anyway let them do whatever they want.”

She then gave each of her children an extra steamed bun. “It’s cold out, so eat more to stay warm.”

“Mom, you should eat too.”

Xiao Qingru handed her mother a bowl of hot porridge and split her steamed bun in two. “I can’t finish it by myself.”

Her mother took it naturally. “I’ll boil you some eggs with ginger and brown sugar tomorrow morning. You’ll be warm all day.”

Ever since Qingru fell ill from the cold, her mother had been taking extra care to nurse her back to health.

“The basket Xiao Xu brought will last you a month. When it’s gone, I’ll buy more from the supply center or trade with someone.”

“Mom, we should all share it together,” Qingru insisted. “It wouldn’t feel right for me to keep it to myself.”

“Why not? You’re the one recovering from surgery. Who else should eat it?”

“But I’m the one who got sick, and you’re all the ones helping out. We should all benefit.”

Her father chuckled, “Our family isn’t that tight on food, no need to pinch every bit. If you run out of tickets, tell me, and I’ll figure it out.”

Xiao Huaishu pulled out a bundle of tickets from his coat pocket. “Mom, take these.”

She looked at them food stamps, meat tickets, oil tickets, and more.

“Save them, they’re your allowance, and you’ll need them one day to get married.”

“I’ve got money set aside for that,” he said, pushing the tickets toward her. “I’m over twenty, I can’t keep eating for free.”

“Well, then, I’ll take them. If you need any, just ask.”

“Sure.”

This incident had made her realize how important it was to take care of one’s health, so she declared, “I’ll boil an egg for each of you every day from now on.”

“Don’t forget to have one too,” her daughter said.

“There’s no need. I don’t work outside, so why waste it?”

Her son objected, “Who says you don’t work? You handle everything at home cooking, cleaning, laundry. Those are all tough jobs, aren’t they? Eating an egg is nothing.”

Her daughter agreed, “You’re the biggest contributor in our family.”

“Dad, you should give her a salary.”

“My paycheck already goes to her,” he laughed, embarrassed.

Their mother beamed, “He’s got an empty wallet and even relies on me for pocket money.”

Mr. Xiao coughed, “Alright, let’s eat.”

She smiled at her husband she’d spare him the teasing for now.

Her husband was caring, her kids were thoughtful, and no one had ever looked down on her for not earning money. Mrs. Xiao’s heart was filled with warmth. She couldn’t believe her luck, having such a husband and children.

“Old Xiao, drink more soup. It’s easy to digest.”

“Sigh, seems like I’m stuck with congee as I get older.”

“Anyone who thinks I mistreat you is wrong.”

“Who’d dare think that? Tell me, and I’ll set them straight. You’re just looking out for me with this meal.”

“Just eat your dinner,” she laughed.

Watching her parents, Xiao Qingru couldn’t help but feel envious.

To outsiders, her father was strict, but at home, he was just a regular husband.

She once thought that she and Jiang Chuan, as childhood friends, would have an even deeper bond. But she’d been naive.

Now, though focused on dancing and her career, Xiao Qingru couldn’t help but hold onto a hope.

She hoped that her future husband would be like her father kind, reliable, and someone who, no matter what, would always choose her. That was all she wanted.