Chapter 16.2

Li Xiao returned home and, upon pushing open the courtyard gate, saw Zhou Jian snoring away in the rocking chair under the tree.

He couldn’t help but frown, walk over, and pull Zhou Jian up from the chair. “What are you doing here?”

The rocking chair was covered with a soft cloth, clearly something Jiang Rou usually sat on. 

‘Why is he sitting there? He is dirty.’

Zhou Jian, unaware of Li Xiao’s disdain, was startled when he was suddenly lifted and then yawned. “Bro, why are you back so late? I almost fell asleep.”

After that, he nodded at him and asked him to look at the bowl of rice on the small table next to him. “I was afraid that you didn’t eat, so I brought you food. My mother made braised pork this morning.”

Li Xiao then remembered that today seemed to be Zhou Jian’s birthday.

“Hmm.”

Li Xiao responded and didn’t bother to be polite with him. He picked up the bowl of rice, ate it, and sat directly in the spot Zhou Jian had just vacated.

He hadn’t eaten in the morning or at noon, and he was so hungry that his stomach was almost pressing against his belly.

Zhou Jian was already accustomed to Li Xiao’s domineering attitude. He took the small stool next to him and sat down. Then he looked at Li Xiao’s face but couldn’t discern what he was thinking. Unable to figure it out, he couldn’t help but ask, “Did you coax your sister-in-law?”

Li Xiao’s hand holding the chopsticks paused, and he replied calmly, “Why do I have to coax her? She’s not angry.”

“……” She had even left the house, and he still claimed she wasn’t angry?

Zhou Jian felt that he was just being stubborn.

But he didn’t dare to say it out loud and merely looked at him with an “I see” expression, considering his boss’ pride.

Li Xiao felt a little embarrassed under Zhou Jian’s gaze. Reflecting on how he had been humble in front of Jiang Rou just moments ago, he felt a bit strange. It was the first time he had ever bowed his head to please someone.

But he didn’t feel too bad.

But he definitely couldn’t let Zhou Jian know. Who knew if he was genuinely concerned or just enjoying the show—this kid could be pretty cold-hearted.

He gave Zhou Jian a disdainful glance. “You wouldn’t understand if you don’t have a wife.”

“……”

Zhou Jian was so angry that he didn’t want to talk anymore.

Is he still a human being?

After finishing his meal, Li Xiao sent Zhou Jian away and spent the rest of the time at home washing the clothes Jiang Rou had soaked the night before, drying them, tidying up the kitchen, and cleaning the entire house inside and out.

After returning to his room, Li Xiao found an old, worn-out backpack he used to use and put the money he had thrown on the bed that morning into it. Since he had promised Jiang Rou to return the money, he was determined to keep his word.

He still valued his integrity.

He couldn’t use the money, leaving him with not a single cent to his name.

In fact, for this operation, “take down the pyramid scheme,” there was a reward from the police, and it was quite large. Li Xiao alone had received a thousand yuan, while the other two had received a bit less—three hundred yuan each.

However, at the time, Li Xiao hadn’t thought much of it, considering the thousand yuan as a windfall. He spent it without hesitation, buying clothes and a train ticket, and even giving Zhu Qiang two hundred yuan. After all that, he was left with nothing.

This time, he really didn’t make a penny.

Li Xiao gritted his teeth and felt that he really had married an ancestor.

Whose wife is stupid enough to push money away?

Nevertheless, he took the five hundred yuan Jiang Rou had given him that morning, went to the new bus station to buy a ticket for the next morning, and then bought a lock since the door had been damaged earlier and needed replacing.

He had initially planned to buy a new door, but after inquiring about the price and finding it expensive, he decided to just buy a lock.

When he got home, he found the tools his grandfather had used before and unearthed a piece of wood covered in thick dust. He began making furniture himself.

Around four o’clock in the afternoon, he stopped, thinking that Jiang Rou should have woken up. He washed his face, grabbed some clean clothes and a worn schoolbag, and went out.

He planned to leave the hotel directly the next morning and expected to return within three days.

Before leaving, he closed the door to the house. When he entered the kitchen, he saw the pig intestines that Aunt Wang had sent over in the morning.

With Jiang Rou not at home, he wasn’t sure how to handle them.

Li Xiao went to the hotel, buying a bowl of dumplings on the way.

Fearing the hotel staff would stop him again, he climbed through the window.

He agilely reached the second floor. When he pushed open the window, he saw Jiang Rou lying on the bed, looking as if she hadn’t fully woken up. Her eyes were wet, and she was staring at the window in a daze. 

When their eyes met, she took a long time to react and frowned. When Li Xiao entered, she threw a pillow at him.

He was quite unhappy and said, “Why are you here again?”

Li Xiao reached out to catch the pillow, placed the things he had brought on the table, and changed the subject. “Aunt Wang sent a lot of pig intestines this morning. I came to ask you how to handle them.”

Jiang Rou glanced at the things he put down. She knew that he was just using it as an excuse, but she didn’t want to actually chase him away. After all, making money was still more important.

She showed a hint of hesitation, clearly not wanting to go back today, making it seem as though she was easy to please.

Sensing Jiang Rou’s reluctance to go back, Li Xiao added, “Just tell me how to prepare them, and I’ll take care of it when I get back.”

Jiang Rou looked up at him with a doubtful expression on her face.

“Your cooking is so terrible; can you even handle it?”

Li Xiao looked at her expressionlessly.

Jiang Rou had no choice but to get out of bed reluctantly. Not wanting to speak with him directly, she decided not to trust that he would remember instructions and instead took out her notebook and pen from her bag. She tore out a page and wrote down the recipe for him.

It wasn’t that she had softened or forgiven him; rather, she had thought long and hard about it and realized she couldn’t be foolish. The child in her womb wasn’t solely her responsibility. Why should she suffer alone while raising the child? Was he planning to reap the benefits later, when the child grew up?

That would be too unfair.

Moreover, the child hadn’t been born yet, and the original parents couldn’t be relied upon. With no mother-in-law to help, who would take care of her and the baby after the birth?

Considering this, she could only pinch her nose and accept her current situation.

Jiang Rou had been making braised pork intestines for so long and was very familiar with the Li family’s kitchen. She wrote down the quantities of water and seasoning needed.

After finishing, she handed the instructions to him with a stern expression. “You can go back now.”

Li Xiao took the paper. He had never seen Jiang Rou’s handwriting before, and now he found himself squinting to read it.

The writing was as small as ants.

Knowing that his words were not pleasant to listen to, he stopped talking and glanced at Jiang Rou. “Eat the dumplings. Lie down after you’re done eating. I’ll head back now.”

Jiang Rou watched his retreating figure and replied irritably, “Don’t come over tonight.”

Li Xiao didn’t respond and left directly, not taking anything with him. ——