Chapter 36: Want to Kiss You  

Both of them were stunned.  

Were these two coming one after another on purpose?  

Or had they planned it together?  

Shen Jiaojiao had a sweet smile on her face, deliberately limping as she walked, making it natural for others to feel sympathy for her.  

She placed a box of peach crisp on the stone table in the courtyard and said with a smile: “Uncle, Auntie, my mother sent me these peach crisps. She sent a lot, and she asked me to share some with you. So early this morning, I brought them over.  

It’s not much, and it’s not anything valuable, so please don’t dislike it!”  

The captain and his wife exchanged glances.  

They wanted to refuse, but they didn’t know how to say it.  

If they refused—  

People might think they were ungrateful and looked down on her gift.  

After all, she had already said it wasn’t anything valuable and told them not to mind.  

But if they accepted it—  

Something about it felt a little off.  

Wasn’t this the same situation as when Xu Mo came by earlier to give them pork?  

In the brief moment they hesitated, they didn’t even catch what Shen Jiaojiao said next. By the time they snapped out of it, she had already left after setting down the peach crisps.  

By the time they regained their senses, the two of them had already disappeared.  

Oh, wait—no, they weren’t a couple yet.  

Shen Jiaojiao walked toward the educated youth dormitory. Xu Mo, not quite at ease with letting her go alone, accompanied her.  

Xu Mo walked a few steps behind her, his gaze fixed on the back of the girl’s head.  

A faint smile appeared on his face—one that even he didn’t notice.  

After the two had walked a certain distance, Shen Jiaojiao suddenly turned around.  

She caught Xu Mo’s unabashed gaze on the spot.  

The man froze.

Xu Mo hurriedly turned his head away, trying to cover up his reaction, pretending to look elsewhere.  

Shen Jiaojiao lifted her small face and stepped in front of him.  

“Were you just looking at me?” she asked confidently.  

The man’s thick, dark eyelashes cast shadows over his eyes, hiding the nervousness within them.  

“Let’s go. I have to get to work soon.” Xu Mo urged.  

But Shen Jiaojiao had no intention of letting him off the hook so easily.  

Seeing that no one was around, she lowered her voice and whispered to Xu Mo, “Third Brother, you look really handsome today. I want to kiss you.”  

Xu Mo was completely defeated by the girl’s boldness.  

How was this anything like how a proper young lady should behave?  

If anyone overheard her, they’d surely start talking again.  

This time, however, Xu Mo didn’t scold her with his usual stern tone, telling her to mind her manners.  

His ears turned red, his gaze darting away as he mumbled, “I have to get to work soon.”  

What did that even mean?  

Shen Jiaojiao interpreted it in her own way—Work starts soon, so we don’t have time to be affectionate.  

Hmm… This man was changing.  

She pointed to the small grove nearby.  

“Third Brother, I’ll wait for you in the grove at 9 o’clock tonight.”  

She didn’t wait for Xu Mo’s response and simply turned around, heading toward the educated youth dormitory.  

The reason she chose 9 o’clock was that by then, everyone would be asleep.  

It would be more convenient that way.  

And most importantly—it would be dark.  

Xu Mo’s Adam’s apple bobbed.  

Who knew what he was thinking?  

Watching Shen Jiaojiao’s retreating figure, he hesitated for only a moment before following her.  

The two of them reached the village entrance, where a large locust tree stood.  

Just as Xu Mo was about to turn away, he happened to run into Liu Xiaolan, who was walking out of the educated youth dormitory.  

Liu Xiaolan’s gaze was dark and sinister as she looked at Xu Mo.

She had originally come to deliver soup, but upon arriving, she couldn’t find Shen Jiaojiao anywhere.  

So, she waited in front of Shen Jiaojiao’s room for a while.  

As it got closer to the time for work, and Shen Jiaojiao still hadn’t returned, she decided to go out and look for her.  

Well, now things had taken an interesting turn—she had run straight into Xu Mo.  

Liu Xiaolan’s gaze darkened as she looked at her son.  

Good for you, Old Third. Getting bolder by the day. Coming here early in the morning just to look for Educated Youth Shen.  

Not even afraid of people gossiping about you.  

However, she didn’t scold Xu Mo in front of Shen Jiaojiao. Instead, she put on a smile and walked up to the girl.  

“Jiaojiao, Auntie made some bone soup for you. It’s still warm, so drink it while it’s hot. If you like the taste, I can make more for you at noon.”  

“Thank you, Auntie. You’ve already helped me so much these past few days.” Shen Jiaojiao blushed slightly. “I’ve learned how to cook now, so you don’t need to bring me food anymore.”  

She felt a little embarrassed.  

After all, Liu Xiaolan worked so hard every day. Since she was no longer at risk of starving, she didn’t want to trouble her any further. She hoped Liu Xiaolan could use that time to rest instead of worrying about her meals.  

Besides, this would give her the chance to bring out the pre-cooked dishes from her space.  

Yes, this was a perfectly reasonable decision.  

But—  

She had underestimated Liu Xiaolan’s way of thinking!  

Liu Xiaolan’s expression changed instantly.  

Her voice even trembled.  

“Jiaojiao, you’re not…disliking my cooking, are you? Is it not to your taste?” She looked flustered. “Oh dear, I never asked what you like to eat, so I’ve just been cooking based on my own taste. If you don’t like it, just tell me! I don’t mind making adjustments. Please, don’t start disliking Auntie. If you don’t like me anymore, I really wouldn’t know what to do…”  

Liu Xiaolan was genuinely anxious now.  

At this moment, she truly feared that Shen Jiaojiao no longer liked her.

She was genuinely afraid that she had somehow made a mistake and scared away Old Third’s future wife.  

Xu Mo also looked at Shen Jiaojiao with uncertainty.  

Was she planning to stop liking him?  

Shen Jiaojiao had no idea that her well-intended words had sent both of them into overthinking mode.  

She quickly explained: “Auntie, I don’t dislike your cooking! I just feel bad for you—I’m worried you’re working too hard. And I really can cook now, so I just wanted to practice more on my own.”  

Then, she glanced at Xu Mo somewhat shyly.  

“If I get better at it, I can cook for Xu Mo in the future.”  

Both Liu Xiaolan and Xu Mo froze on the spot.  

They hadn’t expected Shen Jiaojiao to say something like that.  

She had always been pampered and spoiled—when did she start thinking about taking care of someone after marriage?  

Their initial shock quickly turned into deep emotion.  

Liu Xiaolan was immensely gratified.  

She knew she hadn’t misjudged this girl.  

Jiaojiao had truly changed, and—she even cared for Old Third.  

Liu Xiaolan’s eyes became misty with emotion.  

She spoke earnestly: “Jiaojiao, Auntie doesn’t mind the hard work. Auntie likes cooking for you. Besides, you’re about to become Old Third’s wife—so as your future mother-in-law, making meals for you is only natural.  

Jiaojiao, listen to me. You came all the way to the countryside, and it hasn’t been easy for you. Your family isn’t by your side, so of course, we’ll take extra good care of you. Don’t worry, as long as I, Liu Xiaolan, am here, no one will dare to bully you.  

And—if Old Third ever dares to mistreat you, just tell me. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson for you.  

So, Jiaojiao, let Auntie continue cooking for you. Stop refusing, okay? Besides, your foot is still injured, so you shouldn’t be moving around too much.  

Jiaojiao, be good. Don’t scare Auntie like this.”  

Liu Xiaolan spoke with such sincerity, pouring her whole heart out. She was just one step away from taking out her actual heart and handing it over to Shen Jiaojiao as proof.