Chapter 12: On Purpose

The next day, Li Luo was awakened by voices in the courtyard. When she opened her eyes, the sun was already shining brightly.

Sunlight streamed through the window at an angle.

She lifted the quilt and walked to the window. Across the way stood her female neighbor, Liu Qian.

Liu Qian was twenty-three, with a fair and delicate appearance. She taught first-year students at the city’s No. 3 Middle School.

From the original body’s memory, Li Luo knew that her mother-in-law had once favored Liu Qian as a potential daughter-in-law. But because she herself had arrived, that plan had fallen through. As a result, every time Liu Qian came by, the original Li Luo would get scolded for no reason.

“Next time, don’t bring anything when you come over. It makes you seem too much like an outsider,” Madam Qin said.

“It’s just a little token of my heart. Has Brother Qin come back yet?” Liu Qian glanced at the men’s clothing hanging in the yard.

“It’s Luoluo,” Madam Qin replied.

“Huh? Didn’t Uncle drive her off to the northwest?” Excitement flickered in Liu Qian’s eyes. Could it be that Qin Brother had sent her back again? She always knew Qin Brother would dislike her. Was this finally the divorce?

That ugly, fat, dark woman—didn’t she ever take a look in the mirror? How could she possibly be worthy?

At that moment, Li Luo opened the door. She first greeted her mother-in-law politely: “Good morning, Mom.” Then, turning to Liu Qian, she smiled with her eyes cold: “Good morning, Sister Qianqian.”

“Morning.” Madam Qin’s smile crinkled into her eyes. Her daughter-in-law’s mouth was a hundred times sweeter than before. She said to Liu Qian, “Doesn’t our Luoluo look prettier now?”

Liu Qian was stunned.

The person in front of her was Li Luo?

After just over a month, she had slimmed down noticeably. She was still fat, but no longer bloated and clumsy. Her skin had lightened, her eyes looked larger under long lashes, and her small nose and mouth were quite delicate. Judging from Madam Qin’s tone, she seemed very satisfied with Li Luo?!

This made Liu Qian uncomfortable. In the past, every time she came by, Madam Qin would say things like: “If I’d known, I would’ve had you betrothed to our youngest last year. Then my old man wouldn’t have been tricked into marrying him off to that black pig spirit.”

“You… you look so different now?” Liu Qian could hardly believe her eyes. Was it possible to lose this much weight in a month? And how had her skin gotten so fair?

Li Luo smiled cheerfully. “Dieting and exercising every day.”

Liu Qian didn’t believe her. She had a fat friend with a similar body to Li Luo’s. That friend had tried dieting for a month, only losing five pounds, fainting from hunger twice. Exercise? She’d tried too—gasping for breath every few steps—then gave up.

Deliberately, Liu Qian moved to stand side by side with Li Luo, straightening her back, showing off her elegant posture. In a soft tone, she said, “I’ve also gotten chubbier recently. How exactly do you diet? Share your method with me, I’d like to try too.”

Madam Qin instinctively compared the two. Before, she had always thought Liu Qian was the prettiest—educated, refined—the perfect candidate for a daughter-in-law.

But now, looking at them side by side, her thoughts changed.

This daughter-in-law had slimmed down—wasn’t she actually quite pretty?

Liu Qian’s eyebrows were carefully shaped, but her daughter-in-law’s natural brows were better, shaped like willow leaves.

Liu Qian’s eyes weren’t as large or round, her nose not as high, her mouth slightly wide with thin lips that made her look harsh.

But her daughter-in-law’s mouth? Rosy and soft, like red cherries on her round face.

Her youngest really had a knack for this—who would’ve thought a once ugly wife could be tidied up into something so decent?

Thinking this, Madam Qin said, “You’re still dieting? Being a little plump looks good. Too thin and you’ll look like a stick.”

Liu Qian faltered. “But being Li Luo’s size isn’t exactly good either, right?”

“This figure is great! Big chest, big hips—guaranteed to give birth to sons,” Madam Qin declared.

Li Luo silently touched her hip. Not only was it big, but a little saggy too. From the side or back, it must look awful.

She realized she’d been so focused on losing weight quickly that she’d ignored the side effects: loose skin, sagging muscles. She’d need to eat a little more and increase exercise to tone up.

Otherwise, when she reached 100 pounds, she’d just be a sack of skin.

Even uglier!

She silently made her plan.

Liu Qian gave a half-hearted response and left.

Li Luo and Madam Qin walked her to the gate.

“Luoluo, there’s food in the pot. Eat some, don’t keep dieting. You look fine now. Too thin isn’t pretty,” Madam Qin said warmly.

Li Luo had thought Qin Mian only said “you look fine” as comfort. Now she realized he might actually mean it—since his mother thought the same.

But she still had to lose weight. Being fat was inconvenient—hard to bend or squat, couldn’t even see her feet when she walked.

She ate half a bowl of porridge, grabbed her water bottle, and went out for a run.

As she passed Liu Qian’s house, Liu Qian called out: “Luoluo.”

Li Luo stopped.

“Where are you going?” Liu Qian came out with another young woman, Wang Ju, whom Li Luo had met once. Wang Ju’s features were just passable—she was Liu Qian’s colleague.

Li Luo answered naturally, “Running to lose weight.”

“How long do you run every day?”

“Five or six hours,” Li Luo said. If she wanted to lose weight, she couldn’t waste a moment.

She had learned this during the ditch-digging days. Working from dawn till dusk had been exhausting, but the weight came off the fastest. Running was effective, but not as much as hard labor. “Sister Qianqian, I’ll get going.”

“Eh…” Liu Qian stared at Li Luo’s broad back and unconsciously pursed her lips. Running five or six hours a day? Wouldn’t her shoes wear out? At least make your lies believable.

Li Luo ran all the way along the countryside road, greeting villagers she passed. Many didn’t recognize her at first and asked who she was.

When they confirmed she was Li Luo, their faces filled with disbelief.

Li Luo relished it.

Their astonishment was proof of her success.

She kept running westward until her water bottle was empty, then turned back home.

Old Master Qin and Madam Qin were sunbathing under the eaves.

“Where have you been, all sweaty? Your father’s birthday is next week—we’ll invite more than a hundred guests. Here’s the shopping list I just made, with prices noted. Tomorrow morning, you go and buy them,” Madam Qin said, handing her a slip of paper.

Li Luo glanced at it—mostly dried goods like mushrooms and black fungus. She accepted it. “Alright. Who’s cooking?” She didn’t mind cooking for a dozen people, but for a hundred? No way.

“We’ll hire a chef,” Old Master Qin replied.

Relieved, Li Luo washed her face, drank a large glass of water, and rested a while.

Half an hour later, she went to bring in the laundry. She folded the undergarments neatly by shade and stacked them on the wardrobe shelves. The outerwear she hung by color as well.

Afterward, she cleaned the living room—mopping the floor, wiping tables, dusting furniture.

Madam Qin was delighted. “She’s really so diligent. I’ll finally be able to relax.”

Old Master Qin said flatly, “Not that unusual.”

“You praised her yesterday, and now you say it’s not normal? Just trying to disagree with me?”

“There are many kinds of diligence. Our eldest daughter-in-law is diligent too, but she doesn’t work nonstop like this. Hired help is like this—never idle—but if they don’t want to work, they leave.”

Madam Qin was taken aback. “Hired help isn’t married to our family. But she is. Where can she go? Back to her parents? If they could support her, they wouldn’t have foisted her off on us in the first place.”

“You have a point,” Old Master Qin admitted.