Chapter 89: Her Man Seems Quite Impressive

Seeing Xia Li furrow her brows again, her face wary, he lowered his voice and added, “It’s nothing.”

Half of Xia Li’s face was hidden by her scarf, and the cold wind made the tip of her nose slightly red.

Her pale face, with sharp, cold eyes, was poised on the donkey cart, looking down from above without a hint of fear. A faint impatience radiated from her expression. “What is it? Cut the nonsense.”

Oh?

The thugs following behind were stunned.

Her tone—was even more unceremonious than Bin Ge’s.

It didn’t sound like the words of a simple student, but someone who might be mingling with people like them.

Zhou Zhengbin decisively stopped his motorcycle and walked toward the donkey cart with a solemn expression.

When he got a closer look at Xia Li’s face, a subtle emotion stirred within him.

Her skin appeared even paler in the cold wind, and her slightly reddened cheeks and nose gave her a delicate, almost porcelain-doll look—as if she were someone wronged.

Xia Li coldly tightened her scarf, her brows drawn in disdain.

Zhou Zhengbin watched her for two seconds before speaking. “You mentioned before that Xiao Man has issues with bedwetting and migraines, how do you know that? Did someone tell you?”

It was clear now he had come because of his nephew.

Xia Li smiled inwardly.

It seemed… there might be a chance to make use of this.

She kept her face impassive, her tone icy. “How would that concern you? Good dogs don’t block the way. This is a small issue, don’t waste my time.”

Zhou Zhengbin’s underlying memories seemed to have stirred within him, a reminder of how he disliked her.

Moreover, she hated arrogant men, and his tone was far from polite.

The thugs behind him froze in place, speechless.

Who was this girl??

She dared speak to Bin Ge like this?

Only one of the thugs—Dogwa—looked half-dazed, his gaze mixed with confusion.

Zhou Zhengbin’s expression was dark.

But as he continued to size up Xia Li, his eyes gradually softened, with a trace of a smile barely visible, and he calmly continued:

“Xiao Man has seen many doctors lately, but his condition hasn’t been cured, and now it’s become more severe.”

“If you want to know who told me, or how I know, it doesn’t matter. If you have a way to treat his illness, you can tell me your conditions.”

Zhou Zhengbin’s temperament was unpredictable, and to hear him speak so calmly and ask for help was a first.

In fact, he had intended to find her some time ago.

Xiao Man had been skipping school recently, visiting several hospitals in the city, but to no avail.

Zhou’s family had suggested that he look for the girl who had once spoken so confidently about Xiao Man’s problems, even going as far as to suggest she might have some expertise or connections to heal his nephew.

For rural people, sometimes a wandering doctor could be more trustworthy than a big city hospital.

Zhou Zhengbin had been helping to take his nephew to the doctor and decided to take action.

He heard Xia Li was back at school, and today he happened to borrow a motorcycle from a friend, his mind inexplicably fixated on finding her.

He spoke, his gaze still fixed on her, like a cold snake in a mountain hollow.

Xia Li, however, was unbothered by being scrutinized.

She was confident and beautiful, and there was no reason to feel guilty being stared at.

She returned his gaze openly, and their eyes met. She let out a cold laugh:

“I thought it was something serious. This minor illness—seeing so many doctors and still no cure? Are you joking with me?”

“Besides,” she paused, her expression turning cold, “That incident with Xiao Man was because he offended my sister’s daughter. The Zhou family didn’t even offer an apology. Why should I help you?”

With that, she motioned to the old man driving the donkey cart to continue.

The donkey flicked its tail arrogantly, and Zhou Zhengbin’s expression darkened as he opened his mouth to speak but quickly swallowed his words.

“By the way,” Xia Li suddenly remembered something and turned her head to look at him, “I heard from Xueling that your Zhou family still wanted to cause trouble for me back then?”

Her gaze was cold. “I really appreciate your mercy for not causing me trouble because of Xueling. Heh, families like yours are ones I can’t afford to offend.”

She turned back and the cart sped off.

Zhou Zhengbin stood still, his expression fluctuating.

The thugs behind him whispered, wondering if Bin Ge had lost face because of the woman.

One of them hesitated and spoke up: “Bin Ge, is this the Xia Li girl? She’s got quite the temper. Should we go to her house and break the door down? Aren’t we worried she won’t give us face?”

Zhou Zhengbin said nothing.

A skinny thug cautiously added, “Bin Ge, maybe it’s better not to. I’ve seen her once. Her man seems pretty tough…”

He remembered her now—it was the same girl they had encountered when they caused trouble at the widow’s stall.

“What?!” The other thug’s jaw dropped, shocked. “She has a man? What, Bin Ge likes this type?”

The group fell silent.

The thug quickly covered his mouth.

Seeing Zhou Zhengbin’s expression, they all shrank back, not daring to speak.

---

For Xia Li, she felt confident in her ability to handle Xiao Man’s condition.

Whether she would treat him or not, though, was entirely up to her.

She wasn’t so saintly as to pity a cruel kid who had hurt someone younger than herself, nor was she willing to help a mama’s boy who couldn’t take responsibility for his actions.

Doctors are kind-hearted, sure, but if you’re not kind, don’t blame me for being ruthless.

Her thoughts ended there. If Zhou Zhengbin wanted to come back, treatment was possible, but she wouldn’t mind taking advantage of the Zhou family.

When she got off the donkey cart, she gave the old man an extra five yuan—after all, the trip had delayed her.

The old man had initially refused but eventually accepted with a grin.

Xia Li thought the old man wasn’t so bad after all.

In these times, with the crackdown period over and the rural economy growing further apart from the cities, the local police force was not as effective. Highway crime was common.

She had heard of a robbery just days ago on the outskirts of a nearby town, where a truck driver was ambushed and both his goods and truck were stolen. Worse still, the driver was injured and now in the hospital.

The most frightening part was that the thieves hadn’t been caught, and no one knew where they had gone. It was causing unease among the locals.

As the old man drove the donkey cart, the sky was nearly dark, and they were blocked by Zhou Zhengbin and his gang of thugs.

If it had been someone less scrupulous, they might have thrown Xia Li off the cart to avoid getting involved in any trouble.

Getting off the cart, the cold wind pierced through her clothes, making it even colder.

Xia Li tightened her scarf and continued on her way home.

Something warm suddenly covered her head!

She quickly pulled it away, revealing her face.

Before her stood a tall man who had appeared out of nowhere. When he saw her, a silent smile appeared on his face, and in a steady voice, he said, “Li Zi, put on your hat. I’ve warmed up a hot water bottle for you. Is it still warm?”

Xia Li smiled faintly in response to his inexplicable joy. She put her hat back on and lightly complained, “You suddenly popped out and gave me a scare.”

Jiang Cheng gazed at his wife, wrapped in her scarf and hat, with only her bright eyes visible, looking like a fluffy little animal. He felt a warm, happy sensation in his heart.

The days got darker earlier. By six or seven in the evening, it was already difficult to see anyone. Sometimes Jiang Cheng would wait for her at the village, and Xia Li wasn’t particularly surprised by this.

The two walked side by side down the road.

His figure was always half a step ahead of hers, instinctively blocking most of the cold wind.

“It’s getting late,” he suddenly said.

“Have you been waiting long?” Xia Li realized that he had probably been waiting for her at the village.

She didn’t say much on the road, casually adding, “I got delayed by something.”

“On such a cold day, you shouldn’t have come out to wait. What if something happened at school? How long would you have waited?” She looked up at him.

He was just half a step away, wearing many layers, and their sleeves brushed against each other as they walked.

He turned his head and lowered it, asking, “I didn’t hear clearly. What did you say, wife?”

In the darkness, everything looked like a blur.

Getting closer, Xia Li noticed his exceptionally upright face, and the faint light reflected in his narrow eyes.

She pulled off her scarf and, with a smile, said, “I said… you warmed up the hot water bottle and the hat. Why didn’t you just bring the hot water bottle too? Wouldn’t that be better?”

Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow, pretending to understand. “Oh, right.”

He straightened up, reached over, and adjusted her scarf before wrapping it securely around her again. Then, his hand moved to gently pull hers closer.

Xia Li instinctively tried to pull her hand away and stared at him in surprise.

His palm was strong and warm, holding her hand with just the right amount of pressure.

His fingers gently wrapped around her hand, spreading warmth.

She laughed lightly and thought to herself, “This guy is getting more clever.”

Still, she didn’t resist.

She might as well just let him hold her hand.

With both hands tucked tightly under his coat sleeves, she let her fingers sway, and with a slight grin, she teased him, “I’m not letting go. Not letting go.”

Jiang Cheng’s face turned helpless. After walking a few steps, he said, “If you don’t let go when we get home, it’s fine. But out here, it’s cold. I have to hold your hand… I must keep it warm.”

Xia Li quickly glanced at him, shut her mouth, and gently pinched his palm.

Why did he always manage to turn everything into something so strange?

Suddenly, something warm dropped down onto her head!

She quickly pulled it off, revealing her face.

Before her stood a tall man, who seemed to have appeared from nowhere. When he saw her, his brows lifted with a silent, pleasant smile. His deep voice called out, “Li Zi, put your hat back on, I’ve already warmed the hot water bottle for you, is it still warm?”

Xia Li couldn’t help but smile faintly at how inexplicably happy he looked. She adjusted her hat and lightly complained, “You suddenly popped up and scared me.”

Jiang Cheng watched as his wife bundled up in her scarf and hat, leaving only her bright eyes exposed, looking like a fluffy little animal. It warmed his heart to see her like this, and his heart swelled with joy.

The sky grew dark early, and by six or seven in the evening, it was already hard to see anyone. Sometimes Jiang Cheng would come to the village to wait for her, so Xia Li wasn’t too surprised.

They walked slowly along the road together.

The man was always half a step ahead, instinctively shielding her from most of the cold wind.

“It’s getting late,” he suddenly said.

“Have you been waiting long?” Xia Li realized he had likely been here for a while, waiting for her.

She didn’t go into detail on the matter and casually responded, “I got held up with a few things.”

“It’s so cold today. You shouldn’t have come to wait for me. What if something came up at school? How long would you have to wait?” She looked up at him.

He was only half a step away, his coat brushing against hers as they walked.

He turned his head and asked, “I didn’t catch that, wife, what did you say?”

In the dark, everything appeared like a shadow.

As he leaned closer, Xia Li finally saw him clearly, his tall figure slightly bent forward, with a faint light reflecting in his narrow, long eyes.

She pulled off her scarf, revealing her lips as she spoke, “I said… since you warmed the hot water bottle and the hat, why didn’t you just bring the hot water bottle too? Wouldn’t that be better?”

Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow as if something clicked. “Ah, right.”

Straightening up, he reached over and adjusted her scarf, then let his hand fall naturally, gently grasping hers.

Xia Li instinctively pulled her hand back, surprised, and looked at him.

His hand was warm, firm, and strong, holding hers just right.

His fingers, with their thin calluses, enveloped the back of her hand, warmth spreading through her.

Squeezing her hand gently, Jiang Cheng gave her a sincere, innocent look. “It’s my fault, I didn’t bring the hot water bottle. But this way, I can warm your hand first.”

Xia Li replied, “No need.”

She shook her hand, “Let go first.”

Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow, his face suddenly serious. “But your hands are cold, I can’t let go. I have to warm them up.”

Xia Li almost laughed.

This man was getting better at this.

And he’d purposely not brought the hot water bottle.

Well, if he wanted to hold her hand, then so be it.

Her hands, tightly clasped in his, swayed under their sleeves. She smiled and teased, “I won’t let go. I won’t, I won’t.”

The man’s face showed helplessness as he walked a few steps before saying, “You don’t have to let go when we get home, wife. But out here, it’s cold. I have to hold your hand… I must warm it up.”

Xia Li glanced at him quickly, then shut her mouth, her fingers tugging at his palm.

Why did he always manage to make everything sound so strange?

---

The next morning, Xia Li finally had a weekend off.

She had planned to sleep in, cozy under her warm blanket, not wanting to move.

However, every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the mountain of things she had to do for school and the homework she still needed to write. Letting out a long sigh, she sat up slowly, battling with her messy hair.

There was a knock on the door outside.

She blinked in confusion for a moment, then sluggishly put on some clothes and went to open the door.

“Who is it?”

It couldn’t be Jiang Cheng, he never knocked—if he didn’t get an answer, he’d have already climbed over the yard wall.

To her surprise, it was Zhao Xueling at the door.

“Li Zi, you’re just getting up? What time is it?” Zhao Xueling gave her a deep look, half-smiling, before walking into the house.

Ever since Xia Li started attending school, they hadn’t seen each other for a while.

Zhao Xueling was wearing a bright red cloak-like top, a fitted yellow woolen skirt, and black tights—a stylish “tomato egg” color scheme that was very trendy in the city.

Her curly hair had gotten even more exaggerated, and her face was heavily made up with foundation.

At first glance, she seemed more mature, even a bit older, unlike the young, fresh girl she had been in her twenties.

She really enjoyed dressing in this mature, even slightly over-the-top, way.

Xia Li thought to herself.

Zhao Xueling smiled at her, but there was still a hint of suspicion in her eyes that was hard to shake.

“What’s up?” Xia Li caught the look and asked indifferently.

She already had a good idea of what was going on—likely something related to Zhou Zhengbin, who had caused her trouble yesterday.

Sure enough, Zhao Xueling had been pushed by Zhou Zhengbin to act as a mediator.

Though unwilling, she had to pretend to be a close friend of Xia Li to Zhou Zhengbin.

She hadn’t wanted to come, but if Zhou Zhengbin himself came over, it would be even worse.

She had heard all about what happened yesterday.

Zhou Zhengbin had gone after Xia Li on his motorcycle.

Some local punks were gossiping, saying how rude Xia Li was to Brother Bin, but that he hadn’t gotten angry, which surprised them.

They also mentioned that even though Xia Li was headstrong, she was very pretty—if they were in his shoes, they wouldn’t have been able to bear bullying her.

When Zhao Xueling heard this, she turned green with envy.

She wanted to clarify things, but Zhou Zhengbin’s face revealed nothing.

She was frustrated and, with no other option, came to find Xia Li.

Zhao Xueling took a deep look at Xia Li before asking casually, “I heard you went back to school to study? Your grades weren’t exactly outstanding before, so why bother going back?”

Her tone carried a hint of regret as she continued, “You’re so pretty and have such good conditions. Wouldn’t it be better to just marry a reliable man instead of tiring yourself out studying?”

“Back then, you envied those who had the chance to study, but I envied you! A man would want to take care of someone like you. You could easily find someone, no matter what.”

She babbled on and on.

Meanwhile, Xia Li was calmly washing up and getting ready.

She gathered her hair into two loose braids, with stray hairs hanging by her ears, giving off a lazy vibe.

She wore a pearl-white knitted sweater on top, a plaid wool skirt below, and threw on a long coat—simple but stylish.

She glanced at Zhao Xueling in the mirror, blinking innocently. “Oh, sorry, I spaced out. What were you saying?”

Zhao Xueling’s face stiffened a little.