Chapter 7

Yan Lei called Yan Xiang out for dinner.

Qiao Wei told him, “The bath basin is too heavy; I can’t move it.”

Yan Lei lowered his head, fiddling with the lunchbox lid, and asked her, “Why are you wearing my shirt?”

Qiao Wei pulled the corner of the shirt and said, “My clothes are uncomfortable.”

She glanced at her clothes in the wardrobe. Most of her clothes were made of synthetic fibers, while Yan Lei’s shirts were all made of pure cotton.

Wearing synthetic clothes could be uncomfortable, so she picked one of Yan Lei’s shirts with a thin fabric, suitable for summer.

Rolling up the sleeves and letting the hem hang loosely, it was loose, breathable, and comfortable.

Yan Lei imitated her tone: “Your clothes are uncomfortable.”

With a mocking tone, as if finding it amusing.

Qiao Wei was puzzled and was about to ask him what he meant when he said, “All your clothes are made of ‘tumbleweed’ fabric.”

Some dormant information in her mind was activated, and Qiao Wei suddenly realized.

It turned out that synthetic fabric was a good thing in this era.

Buying cotton fabric required cloth coupons, and cotton fabric was not durable. People in this era had very few clothes, maybe just two or three, which easily wore out.

Synthetic fabric, on the other hand, was a new thing in this era, with a good drape that was not easily wrinkled, known as “shake material” fabric.

Dou Dou fabric didn’t require cloth coupons, but its price was higher than that of cotton fabric. Most ordinary families hesitated to buy it.

So, there was a saying, “Wearing a shabby fabric, you must be a high-ranking official.”

Qiao Wei understood the sarcastic meaning in Yan Lei’s words. Many of the clothes in her wardrobe were made of shabby fabric.

In other words, Yan Lei had not treated the original owner poorly in material terms.

But the original owner had run away.

Qiao Wei felt a headache coming on. Because the person who ran away was not her, but now she had taken over the original owner’s role, and the actions of the original owner naturally had to be counted on her.

She smiled helplessly. Now, instead of being herself, she had to deal with the consequences of the original owner’s actions.

Yan Lei, meanwhile, continued to eat without paying much attention to her. She was just a relative’s niece, helping with the soup. He had no idea about the subtle changes in Qiao Wei and Lin Xixi’s interactions.

In the midst of his meal, Yan Lei suddenly asked her, “Are you wearing pants?”

Qiao Wei lifted the corner of the shirt and said, “I’m wearing shorts.”

Inside were floral shorts—what would now be called casual home shorts. However, Yan Lei was too tall, and his shirt was long enough to cover them. At a glance, only the white thighs were visible, which startled him for a moment. It could easily give the impression that she forgot to wear pants.

Yan Lei furrowed his brows. “What’s with this look? It seems like you’re not wearing anything. Fortunately, it wasn’t Old Zhao who came over just now.”

He had been startled when he came in earlier. Fortunately, it was Old Zhao’s niece who followed. A female Qiao Wei simply tucked a corner of the shirt into the shorts, exposing a corner of the shorts so as not to give the impression of not wearing pants.

“Is it okay now?”

Yan Lei frowned. “Looking weird.”

In this era, the locals wouldn’t understand or accept this kind of dressing in the future.

Qiao Wei said, “I think it looks good.”

Yan Lei didn’t bother with her and lowered his head to open another lunchbox, then looked up. He saw her walking into the kitchen.

From behind, it still looked like she wasn’t wearing pants, wearing his shirt, or revealing her fair thighs.

Yan Lei felt a slightly strange sensation in his heart. He averted his gaze and, after a couple of seconds, turned back. Qiao Wei had already gone into the kitchen.

They were an old couple; why did he have such a feeling?

They had been sleeping in separate beds for a long time, and he was used to it.

This kind of situation was okay as long as she didn’t run away again and didn’t make a fuss about a divorce. They could just get by like this.

Qiao Wei’s heart was like a stagnant pond, and Yan Lei was no different. They both had no expectations for this marriage anymore. Just getting by was enough.

The family of three sat in the courtyard for dinner, with mosquito coils burning to keep the bugs away. Despite not having much meat, the dishes were quite delicious. The balance of green onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar was just right.

Yan Xiang enjoyed the meal, saying, “It must be Sister Lin who cooked.”

Qiao Wei asked, “How do you know?”

“Since Sister Lin came, she’s always been the one cooking.” Yan Xiang’s cheeks bulged as she spoke. “Uncle Zhao and Aunt Yang praise her cooking a lot and commend her for being hardworking. They even told Sister Yingzi to learn more from Sister Lin.”

Not having disposable tissues was really inconvenient. Qiao Wei could only use her fingertips to wipe the oil stains from Yan Xiang’s mouth. “Swallow the food before talking. It’s not good to talk with food in your mouth. Eat with your mouth closed and don’t slurp; it’s not good.”

Yan Xiang was extremely obedient, immediately closing her mouth to chew. Her cheeks puffed up, resembling a small hamster.

Yan Lei’s son was so cute; he had to thank his dad for that.

Qiao Wei looked at the oil on her fingers, glanced around but found no place to wipe, and instinctively looked at Yan Lei.

He paused, took something out of his pocket, and threw it on the table.

A handkerchief?

Qiao Wei was a bit surprised. “You still carry a handkerchief with you?”

He gave her a glance. “Wasn’t it you who insisted I carry one?”

He married a wife with an education.

During the collective blind dates, as a young officer, he was a sought-after candidate. Leaders and comrades advised him to be cautious, saying, “That girl doesn’t look like someone who can endure hardship.”

However, he had little education himself and really wanted to find someone with an education. Having a high school degree was already considered highly educated, and she was also good-looking.

Later, facts proved that the leaders and comrades were right. Not only could she not endure hardships, but she also had a strong, petty bourgeoisie mindset. She disliked hard work and looked down on the simple and hardworking rural folks.

Yan Lei chewed his food, making sure he didn’t make any noise.

He had changed all those bad habits he had brought from the countryside because of her disdain. No chewing with the mouth open, carrying a handkerchief, washing feet every day, taking frequent baths… He did them all. But so what? She still ran away.

Yan Lei looked at Qiao Wei fiercely and vigorously started to eat.

Qiao Wei wiped her hands with the handkerchief, contemplating.

After finishing the meal, Yan Lei carried the basin into the kitchen to deal with the bathwater.

Qiao Wei conscientiously started to clean the dishes. Household chores were meant to be shared; he worked, and she worked too.

Although she had a lot of information in her mind, it was like watching a movie, and when entering the scene, she had to adapt. For example, there was no dishwashing liquid specifically for dishes; the washing tools were pieces of loofah.

Loofah could also remove grease, but it had no sterilization effect. Qiao Wei felt a bit uncomfortable about this mentally.

Sighing, she had to adapt slowly.

The sky darkened.

Yan Lei cleaned the bath basin and hung it on the wall.

According to her memory, Qiao Wei moved the dining table under the eaves.

Yan Xiang, with her short legs, ran back and forth, placing the washed dishes on the small wooden table, turning them upside down, and starting to dry them. She was particularly sensible.

“Yan Xiang,” Yan Lei wiped his hands, “go back to your room.”

His expression was stern, and he glanced at Qiao Wei.

Qiao Wei patted Yan Xiang lightly, and she went back to her room.

“Follow me,” Yan Lei said, turning to enter the main room.

Qiao Wei washed her hands, dried them, and followed him. Turning left into the west room, the study was empty. Going further inside to the bedroom, Yan Lei stood there with his arms crossed.

His body must be tense, and the muscles on his arms were bulging.

This kind of tension was like an attack and also like a defense.

Qiao Wei entered, and he looked at her, his eyes dark and profound.

Qiao Wei understood. It was impossible to bypass the issue of the original owner abandoning her husband and child.

She went back and closed the door to the west room, then closed the study and bedroom doors. Two layers of doors prevent Yan Xiang from hearing anything.

When the doors were all closed, Yan Lei spoke first, “Speak.”

Qiao Wei calmly said, “What do you want me to say?”

She couldn’t think of anything to say. After all, it wasn’t her who wanted to elope with someone else. But now she was Qiao Weiwei, and she couldn’t deny it wasn’t her.

She said, “You say it; I’m listening.”

Yan Lei stared at her, ensuring her emotions were calm, not acting out of spite, not engaging in a cold war or sarcasm.

He pulled out a folded object from his pocket and threw it onto the bed.

Surprisingly, it was the letter the original owner left for Yan Lei before eloping. She didn’t need to open it again; the information about the contents of the letter was already activated in her mind.

Yan Lei said, “Express your stance. Continue like this or get a divorce?”

Qiao Wei paused for a moment, telling the man, “I want a home.”

Yan Lei frowned. “So you don’t want a divorce?”

Qiao Wei thought for a moment, “If you really want a divorce, then get one. If you don’t want a divorce, then don’t.”

Yan Lei’s expression darkened. “When did I say I wanted a divorce?”

Clearly, it was her misunderstanding. She explained, “I mean, the decision is up to you.”

He pressed on, “So do you want a divorce or not?”

Qiao Wei looked at him and felt like he was very insistent on getting a definitive answer from her. She had a vague understanding and said, “I don’t want a divorce.”

She looked into his eyes, telling him, “You’re an outstanding man, and I want to continue living with you.”

It might be his male pride, Qiao Wei thought. In that letter, the original owner mentioned feeling unhappy and miserable living with Yan Lei, and she wanted to end this pain.

The way to end it was to find another man.

 Yan Lei’s pride and self-confidence must have taken a hit.

So, she kept her gaze fixed on Yan Lei’s eyes, demonstrating sincerity.

When she said he was an outstanding man, it wasn’t just flattery. Because she had read this book, and as the male lead, he was indeed outstanding. Even from today’s observations, she could sense his outstanding qualities.

Therefore, her praise was genuine.

To her surprise, Yan Lei averted his gaze, looking a bit unnatural.

Not just in this era, but even in Qiao Wei’s time, many people didn’t know how to accept compliments and expressions of emotion. It was a common trait among the Chinese.

He appeared unnatural for two seconds, then turned his gaze back. “So, you mean we’re not getting a divorce?”

Qiao Wei nodded affirmatively. “Yes!”

Yan Lei took the farewell letter from her hand, tore it into pieces in a few swift motions, and threw it into the dustpan by the door.

“Well, let’s live our lives properly from now on. You don’t have to worry about providing for the family, and I don’t have any other demands on you,” he said. “Just take care of the family and our son.”

When he mentioned not having to worry about providing for the family, it seemed like he had regained his self-esteem and confidence.

But indeed, as a military officer, his salary and benefits were good, comparable to those of elite professionals or managers in the modern world. However, it was still different. Qiao Wei wasn’t comfortable depending on others for money, mainly because of a lack of security.

In this era, though divorces were difficult, Yan Lei didn’t seem like someone eager to get divorced. However, economic stability determined the superstructure.

If economically threatened, one would naturally find themselves at a disadvantage.

Qiao Wei realized that his request was not much different from asking for a housekeeper.

Yet emotionally stable men seemed to have no expectations in marriage.

Qiao Wei recalled that in the novel, the relationship between Yan Lei and the female lead was portrayed as a marriage of convenience that later turned into love. However, it was always from the female lead’s perspective, and there were no insights into Yan Lei’s inner thoughts.

Even from the female lead’s perspective, descriptions of Yan Lei were always “cold and stern expression,” “icy demeanor,” and “cold gaze.”

Was there any charm in someone being perpetually cold and stern? Qiao Wei wondered.