Liu Lei’s cries were so loud that his grandmother and mother heard him from across the courtyard and came running. “Dabao^[1]Dabao (大宝) is a common affectionate nickname in Chinese families, meaning “big treasure.” It is often used for the eldest child or as a term of endearment regardless of birth order., my precious boy!”

The two women rushed in, grabbing Liu Lei into their arms before turning to scold Jiang Ling. “You’re a grown adult, how could you bully a child like this?”

They could more or less guess what had happened. Song Guanshu’s new wife must be stingy and unwilling to let the Liu family’s precious grandson have even a bite of meat.

“Xiao Song, you’re a grown man—you need to manage your wife. You can’t let her climb all over you and act like she’s the boss,” Granny Liu scolded.

Jiang Ling shook her head in disdain. “You two are adults. How can you not even manage your own child? Always asking neighbors for food, people might think you’re beggars from the old society.”

That line hit the two women right in the lungs.

“Who are you calling beggars?” they snapped.

Jiang Ling casually dug at her ear. “Whoever’s always begging for food, that’s who.”

At that moment, Song Guanshu stepped in, playing the role of the peacemaker. “Alright, alright, no matter what, let’s not escalate things.”

While speaking, he shot a look at the grandmother, mother, and child, signaling them to leave quickly. “My wife has a bit of a temper. Please be understanding.”

In her heart, Jiang Ling rolled her eyes. This damn man, throwing mud on me to save face.

She had just turned her head when that man added, “We’re all neighbors, no need to bring out the kitchen knife.”

The Liu family trio had only come hoping to mooch a bit of meat. They hadn’t planned on risking their lives. The moment they heard mention of a knife, they quickly made their exit.

Usually, when Liu Lei’s attempts at “begging” failed, he would cry, make a scene, and throw a tantrum. His grandmother and mother would come rushing over, and the family being pestered would often choose to give up a few pieces of meat just to keep the peace. After all, no one wanted it getting around that they bullied a widow and her orphaned children.

For this trio, it was a routine they’d mastered—but this was the first time it ended in total failure.

Once the Liu family left, the cramped kitchen suddenly felt much more spacious.

Jiang Ling huffed in annoyance. “You slandered me. My reputation has been damaged.”

Song Guanshu didn’t respond. She went on talking to herself, “I’m going to eat two extra pieces of pork liver tonight to make up for my emotionally wounded heart.”

Song Guanshu was speechless for a moment. Her heart seems to revolve around nothing but food.

He sliced the pork liver into thin pieces. Even just dipped in soy sauce, it was delicious.

As the two of them were eating, the sound of someone scolding and beating a child suddenly rang out from outside. “So short-sighted. Have I ever let you go hungry or thirsty? Just because someone else is eating meat, you want it too…”

Even with the door and windows closed, the yelling was clearly audible. It was hard not to feel that this performance was being deliberately put on for their benefit.

What struck Jiang Ling as odd was that under such fierce scolding, the child who had just moments ago wailed loud enough to shake the roof now made no sound.

Could this really all be for show? Could even the beating be fake?

Listening carefully, Jiang Ling thought she could hear, beneath the woman’s voice, a soft, kitten-like whimper.

She asked the person beside her, “Did you hear that faint crying?”

Song Guanshu replied calmly, “Mm, that’s their eldest daughter.”

Jiang Ling recalled that when Liu Lei came into the courtyard earlier, there had been a little girl about her height walking beside him.

Song Guanshu turned to look at her, carefully observing her expression. “Do you feel sorry for her?”

Jiang Ling smiled. “I feel more sorry for myself, for having to live next to their family.”

For a young bride who had just moved in, encountering something like this right after marriage, most people—whether out of guilt or just to avoid conflict with neighbors—would rush over to mediate, and maybe even bring a bowl of meat along.

Song Guanshu asked her, “You’re not going over to stop the fight?”

Jiang Ling raised an eyebrow. “Well, you didn’t go either. I’m just a newlywed who barely moved in—I don’t know any of the customs. You should go instead.”

After that, neither of them moved. They simply continued eating as if nothing had happened.

Song Guanshu commented, “You’re really cold.”

“Thanks. You’re just the same.”

Li Jun eventually grew tired of scolding and beating the child, but still, no one from across the courtyard came over to intervene.

Inwardly, she cursed them both. What a pair of cold-hearted people.

She blamed it all on Jiang Ling. Xiao Song used to be so nice.

The old saying is true, she thought bitterly. An unworthy wife brings ruin to three generations.

What had happened earlier that evening was just a minor incident. Neither Jiang Ling nor Song Guanshu gave it a second thought.

Before bed, Jiang Ling washed up using the enamel basin and pillow towels that the factory had given them as wedding gifts.

Those so-called gifts had been entirely claimed by her.

It just so happened that she needed a face basin and towel. As for the pair of pillow towels, she used one as a proper pillow towel and repurposed the other as a face towel. Her original towel, now past its prime, was honorably retired to become a foot towel.

She had just climbed up onto the kang when she heard a thudding sound from outside—it sounded like something heavy had landed. Almost like someone had jumped over the wall into the courtyard.

There were three households living in the courtyard. The owner of the place was Old Sun. His wife had passed away early, and he had raised their son alone. After the son grew up, Old Sun helped him get married and settle down, and eventually a granddaughter was born. The east and west wing rooms had originally been prepared as a wedding home for the young couple.

But Old Sun’s son had poor health and died young from illness. His daughter-in-law left their daughter with her father-in-law and remarried elsewhere.

To help make ends meet, Old Sun had rented out the east and west wing rooms.

Now, with just an old man and a little granddaughter living at home, Old Sun was especially mindful of safety. The courtyard walls were higher than anyone else’s in the area. While others had wooden courtyard gates, his was made of iron, topped with sharp spikes.

Every evening, after confirming that the tenants in the east and west wings had returned home, Old Sun would lock the main gate with a padlock, ensuring no thieves or troublemakers could get in.

Jiang Ling heard the noise and instinctively wanted to kick Song Guanshu awake, but remembering his aversion to mess, she froze mid-motion, her foot suspended in the air.

Her movements were so exaggerated that even Song Guanshu couldn’t ignore them. His gaze shifted from the pale, delicate arch of her foot to her face, a silent question in his eyes.

Jiang Ling gave a sheepish laugh and quickly pulled her foot back under the quilt. In a low voice, she asked, “Did you hear something outside?”

Peeking through the gap in the curtains, she noticed a tall man with a sneaky posture slipping into the courtyard.

It was the middle of the night, and instead of using the main gate, he climbed over the wall—he was definitely up to no good.

Then she heard Song Guanshu’s voice, tinged with amusement. “Did that guy go into the east wing?”

Sure enough, Jiang Ling saw the man glance around nervously before quietly knocking on the door of the east wing.

She couldn’t help but mutter a curse. “That bastard really went in.”

Song Guanshu asked again, “Was he tall? Built strong?”

Jiang Ling was genuinely surprised this time. “You know him too?”

Once the man went inside and it became clear he wasn’t a thief, Jiang Ling stopped watching from the window. She scooted closer to Song Guanshu. “You definitely know who he is.”

He replied curtly, “I do.”

Song Guanshu had well-defined features—a high nose bridge, long, upturned eyes.

Jiang Ling stared at him eagerly, but the answer didn’t come. He was dragging it out, keeping her in suspense.

Just as she was about to assume he wouldn’t say anything, he finally opened his mouth. “You know him too.”

I do? she thought.

Jiang Ling ran through all the men she knew in her head but still couldn’t match anyone to that sneaky figure.

Seeing that she was about to lose her temper, Song Guanshu finally added, “Section Chief Liu from the Security Section at the steel factory.”

Jiang Ling thought back to the man she had met that afternoon and asked in disbelief, “He’s having an affair with her? But Section Chief Liu’s wife is so pretty.”

“Want to know why?” Song Guanshu asked.

A pale, clean little face suddenly appeared right in front of him. Normally arrogant, Jiang Ling’s tone at this moment was unusually humble. “Please do tell,” she said, clearly just in it for the drama.

Song Guanshu was startled by how close her face was and instinctively stepped back two paces, retreating to what he considered a safe distance.

That unconscious movement was rather hurtful, but Jiang Ling didn’t care much. What she really wanted was to hear the gossip between Section Chief Liu and Li Jun.

Worried she might suddenly lean in again, Song Guanshu didn’t bother dragging it out any longer. “Section Chief Liu and Li Jun used to be married. Then they got divorced.”

Jiang Ling scratched her head. “They divorced and still live front and back? And he’s still climbing the wall in the middle of the night? What is this—divorced but not separated, trying to play out some ancient palace drama with two queens?”

“That, I wouldn’t know,” Song Guanshu replied.

Jiang Ling leaned in close to Song Guanshu, firing off questions. “And Section Chief Liu’s wife is okay with this?”

Song Guanshu brushed her off. “You can go ask her yourself.”

Jiang Ling answered righteously, “Of course I’m going to ask.”

In addition to thinking she was a foodie, Song Guanshu now added gossipy to his impression of her.

“You’re not even curious? You live next door to them.”

Song Guanshu shed his usual gentleness and replied coldly, “We’re just neighbors. I’m not like you—so invested in other people’s business.”

Jiang Ling replied modestly, “Caring for your neighbors is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation.”

She clicked her tongue twice. “Comrade Song Guanshu, your true colors are showing.”

Song Guanshu pressed his lips together. She’d already seen through him anyway, so there was no point pretending anymore.

Jiang Ling told him to turn off the light—so she could lean on the window and spy without being seen.

Surprisingly, Song Guanshu obeyed for once and casually switched off the lamp.

Just as they were talking, they heard the faint creak of a door opening, and a figure slipped into the darkness.

Sure enough, it really did match the Section Chief Liu they had seen that afternoon.

Jiang Ling couldn’t help but sigh. “That was… really fast.” From going in to coming back out, had it even been three minutes?

Song Guanshu’s face darkened. “Go to sleep!”

Jiang Ling lay under the quilt, unable to fall asleep. She asked Song Guanshu, “What are we eating tomorrow?”

Before he could answer, she replied to herself, “Let’s have braised pork, okay?” Just thinking about rice soaked in braised pork sauce made her mouth water.

After the lights were out, Song Guanshu’s eyes gleamed in the dark. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the woman lying beside him looking at him with hopeful eyes.

The darkness stripped away all pretense. Song Guanshu said, “If you have money, you can have braised pork.”

Jiang Ling stretched out her arms and legs, trying to worm her way into his quilt.

“Oh come on, we’re a married couple, your money is my money.”

Song Guanshu tightened the quilt around himself and, gritting his teeth, growled, “Fine! We’ll buy it tomorrow!”

He was starting to regret registering the marriage with Jiang Ling. How had he ended up bringing home a shameless woman who always wanted to get handsy?

Fueled by dreams of braised pork, Jiang Ling finally made it to the end of her workday.

True to his word, Song Guanshu took her straight to the supply and marketing cooperative on his bike.

They queued at the meat stall for half an hour, only to be told that the pork belly was already sold out.

All that remained on the stall was a set of pig intestines. The shop clerk asked if she wanted them.

Song Guanshu curled his lips into a slight smile and asked, clearly amused, “Want some?”

Jiang Ling actually didn’t mind eating intestines, but she had spent the entire day craving braised pork.

As they walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative, it was Jiang Ling’s turn to hang her head in disappointment.

When Song Guanshu got on the bicycle, he threw out a sarcastic remark from the front, “It’s not that I didn’t take you to eat—your luck’s just bad. All the pork belly was sold out.”

“You must have some other way,” she grumbled.

Song Guanshu said nothing, just kept pedaling.

The next second, something slipped under the hem of his padded jacket and pressed against his back.

It was Jiang Ling—she had actually slid her hand inside!