Chapter 40 Have you eaten?

Xue Qingdai’s room had a makeshift clothesline tied to an iron frame by the window. With a coal stove burning, the clothes dried quickly and were warm to the touch. Xie Yan happily helped her gather the laundry, but hesitated when his eyes fell on a few items he hadn’t washed—particularly some tiny pieces of clothing. His phoenix eyes lingered for a moment. How could that tiny bit of fabric even cover anything?

He didn’t dare ask. Comparing it to the crook of his own finger, he immediately shook his head. Even thinking about it is just tormenting myself.

He tossed some fish food to the red and black goldfish on the windowsill. The little fish smacked their mouths eagerly, fighting for the morsels. Looks like Daidai was full and forgot to feed her fish, he thought.

Skipping past the crowd, Xie Yan stood at the gate of the Xie home waiting for her. The once quiet house was now bustling, mostly with women and children.

When silent, Xie Yan gave off a cold and aloof vibe. Leaning against the wall, he watched a few elementary-aged kids trying to play jump rope. The boys and girls, small and chubby like little radishes, were wearing hand-me-down clothes from older siblings. They mimicked the older kids’ moves, trying to jump in time but kept tripping, laughing and cheering each other on. They counted, “One, two, three…” but then forgot what came next.

The light in Xie Yan’s eyes gradually dimmed. The children playing in front of him slowly tiptoed away.

“That uncle is scary.”

“I don’t think he is. He’s even better-looking than my dad.”

“I’m telling Uncle Gao you said someone’s more handsome than him!”

“Hmph! Meanie! I’m not playing with you. I’m going to find my mom.”

The children, unable to count to ten, rushed into the Xie house and shouted, “Mama, when are we going home?”

Most mothers replied, “Just wait a bit. In a while, run to get some sauce for one or two eight cents.”

“Behave! Or I’ll smack your butt!”

A pack of kids then gleefully jumped back over the Xie threshold, “Hehe, you missed me!”

Xie Yan’s expression grew gloomy. He wished he could have bright, lively kids like that in the future. As he looked at the red-tinted evening sky, his brows furrowed. Why isn’t she back yet? It would be dark soon, and there were too many people around for him to leave.

Zhang Shuying, seeing that Xie Yan had come home, quickly rushed to find Xue Qingdai to warn her and give her time to mentally prepare. She regretted showing off—it had caused Daidai trouble. On the short five-minute walk, her heart pounded like a drum.

“Daidai, don’t be shocked when you see so many people at home.”

“It must’ve been that big-mouthed Guo Feng spreading gossip about us.”

“Don’t worry, I’d never make you do something you don’t like.”

“I came early to tell you, so you wouldn’t be afraid. It’s just people—they don’t matter. The Xie family doesn’t care about these social games.”

Xue Qingdai stayed calm. She had seen life and death while healing others—crowds didn’t faze her. “Auntie Shuying, what looks bad on the surface might turn out to be a good thing. Let’s head home first.”

It was Zhang Shuying’s first time giving someone a ride on a bicycle, and she wobbled all over, scaring off someone’s big yellow dog. Then they crashed into a wall, leaving a tire mark. The two of them looked at each other and laughed, shaking off the tension of the unexpected situation. In the end, they decided to walk home instead.

Three minutes later, Zhang Shuying and Xue Qingdai walked hand-in-hand. Xie Yan noticed his mom holding the now-useless bike and muttered to his dusty, dazed father, Xie Songshan, “This is all your fault!”

His mom had bought a bike she couldn’t even ride, and Daidai, with her weak frame, shouldn’t be riding double anyway. Now Daidai was tired… all Dad’s fault!

Xie Songshan silently reached for the ladies’ bike, only for Zhang Shuying to glare at him. “Your subordinate’s wife put Daidai in such an awkward situation. I’m not letting her off. Tomorrow I’ll peel her skin with words!”

“Guo Ju…hua!” (a mocking twist on Guo Feng’s name).

Xie Songshan followed behind, not daring to say a word. No matter what he said now, it would be wrong. How did I become the lowest-ranked person in this household?

Meanwhile, in a tiny back room of the courtyard’s west wing, Guo Feng sneezed several times while cooking. “Who’s thinking about me?”

Xie Yan followed behind Xue Qingdai at a respectful distance. They weren’t married yet, and walking too close might cause gossip.

Xue Qingdai casually handed her medicine bag to Xie Yan. She’d never carried anything herself when her brothers were around. Xie Yan, being barely acceptable, could handle it. He held the bag close to his chest.

“Daidai, tired today? Want me to bring you some foot-washing water around 7:30?”

“Seven-thirty’s fine… but ugh, I’m so full…” Xue Qingdai rubbed her stomach.

Her senior sister was great at stir-fry, and her senior brother could make noodles. She even joked they should form a “foodie couple” CP (couple pairing), but was sternly rejected. Sob sob sob.

Xie Yan: “???” Wasn’t she supposed to be tired?!

Xue Qingdai stepped into the Xie home before him. The moment she entered, the gossiping voices stopped, and the crowded courtyard instinctively parted to make way for her.

What’s with this red-carpet welcome? It felt so grand. She almost thought she was a celebrity. But she remembered what Auntie Shuying said—they weren’t here to welcome her, they were here to stir trouble.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Xue Qingdai greeted them with a local expression, “Eaten yet, have you?”

Her soft, cherry lips glistened with balm as she spoke. The sentence was an inverted phrasing from her hometown. Hope they don’t mind.

If people respected her, she’d return it tenfold. If they insulted her, she wouldn’t tolerate it.

Touching the belated medical payment from the police station hidden in her pocket, she felt… delightful.

Xie Yan smiled. “Daidai’s impressive. That’s how we greet people around here.”

Xue Qingdai gave him a sidelong look. Who’s “we”? Don’t lump me in with you.

Everyone originally thought the Xie family’s daughter-in-law was the cold and haughty type. But that authentic local dialect instantly shortened the distance between them. She suddenly felt like the girl next door—pretty, kind, and approachable.

A neatly dressed woman with shoulder-length hair stepped forward from the crowd. She wore a gray-blue top and simple black pants, her smile warm.

“I’m Luo Sujuan, here on behalf of this group. I apologize for disturbing your family like this.”

“You don’t need to,” Xue Qingdai replied, a bit stunned. I’m a junior here… it’s hard to properly respond to an apology.

“Good thing we didn’t believe that blabbermouth Guo Feng,” a forthright aunt added. “This young lady is polite and clever.”

The crowd chuckled in agreement, eyes full of warmth and approval.

Luo Sujuan said, “We came to ask you for a favor.”

Here it comes, Xue Qingdai thought. Auntie Shuying was right—trouble always arrives uninvited.

Can I still faint in time to escape? she wondered. I’m not some do-gooder. I’m only polite on the surface. Back in the village, I used to bully others into moral guilt trips.

Still, she calmly replied, “What is it?”

If it’s really bad… maybe then I’ll faint.

Her gaze briefly flicked toward Xie Yan standing beside her.

Xie Yan smiled faintly at her from her side.