Chapter 9: He’s Back

The two elders reluctantly accepted the gift, their hearts filled with uncertainty.

“You don’t need to buy us gifts in the future. Just the thought is enough to make us happy,” Mrs. Jiang said, trying to keep her tone gentle.

Li Yiyi could tell that both of them were just looking out for her. She smiled and agreed, “Alright, I’ll listen to Mom next time.”

When Mrs. Jiang heard her respond so readily, a smile tugged at her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, she secretly observed this daughter-in-law who had changed so much.

At that moment, Mr. Jiang, who had been silent, suddenly slapped his thigh with delight and exclaimed, “This—this is tobacco leaf, isn’t it? It smells wonderful. In my entire life, this is the first time I’ve smelled such a nice tobacco leaf. This must not be cheap.”

Li Yiyi saw the smile on the old man’s face and knew that the tobacco leaf had hit the mark.

Mr. Jiang took a pinch of the tobacco leaf and sniffed it with satisfaction.

“Old Third’s wife, this tobacco leaf isn’t cheap, right? You shouldn’t buy such things next time, it’s a waste of money,” he said, though his hands never left the tobacco.

Li Yiyi smiled and replied, “Dad, this tobacco leaf was something I bought from an old man. It wasn’t expensive, and it didn’t require a ticket. He said he made it himself and secretly exchanged it for some goods to get by.”

Mr. Jiang was about to speak again when Mrs. Jiang cut him off, “You old fool, why are you talking so much? This is a kind gesture from Old Third’s wife. Don’t say too much, or you’ll make the child feel disheartened.”

Mr. Jiang dared not argue. He glanced at Mrs. Jiang and muttered under his breath, “You said ‘Old Third’s wife’ just a minute ago, but now you’re acting all upset. This old woman only allows officials to set fire but forbids common people from lighting lamps. Hmph.”

Mrs. Jiang rolled her eyes at him and then continued, addressing Li Yiyi, “Old Third’s wife, your dad is right. Don’t waste money next time. We appreciate your kindness.”

She then added, “Also, don’t worry about the house matters. I’ve already sent a telegram to Old Third. He’s probably on his way back. If there’s anything you can’t solve, discuss it with him. You two can solve it together.”

At that moment, Li Yiyi’s mind was buzzing. All she could think about was what Mrs. Jiang had just said about Jiang Hong being on his way back.

“Mom, wait a second. You just said Jiang Hong is on his way back?” Li Yiyi swallowed and interrupted Mrs. Jiang, seeking confirmation.

Mrs. Jiang, not noticing anything unusual, happily replied, “Yes, he’s probably on his way back now. This time when he returns, you two should spend more time together to build your relationship. Although Jiang Hong doesn’t talk much, he’s attentive and responsible.”

At this moment, Li Yiyi couldn’t hear any of the praise for Jiang Hong. All she could think about was the big news that he was coming back.

She had just made the decision to slowly adapt to life here, but now the man of the house was returning!

“Make more food tonight. You three, mother and sons, stay here for dinner,” Mrs. Jiang said, looking at the changed daughter-in-law in front of her.

Li Yiyi wasn’t in the mood to eat. The moment she thought of Jiang Hong coming back, her scalp tingled.

“No need, thanks Mom, dinner is already being prepared at home.” She absentmindedly replied.

Finally leaving the Jiang family home, Li Yiyi went over all the information she had about Jiang Hong from the original memories as she walked back.

It was unclear whether it was because the two had been apart for so long, but she couldn’t find any information about his appearance. All she could find was that the original owner seemed to be quite afraid of this man.

Having found no useful information, Li Yiyi could only hope that he had been delayed with something and hadn’t returned yet.

But little did she know, fate doesn’t always go as planned. That night, as she was drifting to sleep with the two children, she suddenly heard noises coming from outside the yard.

Li Yiyi immediately woke up, thinking at first that it was just her imagination. But when she was about to fall back asleep, she heard the noises again, confirming that someone was indeed outside.

It was the dead of night, and with no one living on either side of the house, even if she screamed for help, no one would come.

After some thought, she decided to rely on herself.

She got up quietly from the bed, grabbed a thick, wooden beam from behind the door, glad she had placed it there beforehand, or tonight might have been dangerous.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered up the courage to open the door and followed the source of the sound step by step.

When she reached the kitchen door, she saw a tall figure rummaging around in the kitchen under the light. The only word in her mind was “thief!”

Remembering the rice and meat she had bought from the market earlier that day, Li Yiyi tightened her grip on the beam and slowly approached.

Just as she was about to strike the tall figure, the person suddenly turned around, raising a muscular arm to block the blow.

Li Yiyi, seeing her strike blocked, looked at him urgently, trying to pull the beam from his grip.

In her panic, the man suddenly spoke her name, “Li Yiyi, it’s me.”

Hearing her name, Li Yiyi paused, slowly letting go of the beam. She took a cautious glance at his face as he turned to face her.

Not bad-looking at all—short hair, handsome and sharp features, although his skin was a bit dark, it only added to his masculine charm.

“Did I scare you? I was planning to take a shower before entering the house, but I didn’t expect to wake you up,” Jiang Hong explained.

“Jiang Hong?” Looking at his face, which resembled the two children sleeping inside by about seventy to eighty percent, she immediately made the connection.

Jiang Hong nodded gently, “It’s me, I’m back.”

Li Yiyi, with a flustered smile, said, “You’re back? You came back really quickly.” The last part, she almost muttered through gritted teeth.

As expected, what she feared most had come to pass—this man had returned.

The atmosphere grew tense. Li Yiyi stole a glance at the tall man in front of her, realizing that every feature of his was exactly what she liked in a man.