Chapter 62.2

The next day, Jiang Rou woke up late and, in the end, Li Xiao drove her to school.

An An slept soundly through the night, and the new chamber pot wasn’t used. When she woke up in the morning, she found and put on a set of clothes by herself. However, the clothes she chose were a winter dress—pretty, but a bit too warm.

In the morning, Jiang Rou changed her into a pink tracksuit.

At lunchtime, Jiang Rou went to the cafeteria alone. Recently, the teachers had been extending their classes, while Dong Mingming seemed increasingly idle. Sometimes, she even skipped school to go directly to the company.

Jiang Rou expected to eat alone that day as well, but to her surprise, Dong Mingming came over with a plate as soon as she sat down. Sighing deeply she took a seat.

Dong Mingming twirled her chopsticks around on her plate, seemingly in a bad mood.

Jiang Rou looked up curiously and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Dong Mingming propped her chin on her left hand, glanced at Jiang Rou, and noticed the red marks on her neck. She curled her lips and said with a hint of envy, “You and your husband seem to have a really good relationship.”

Jiang Rou realized what she was implying and blushed, quickly reaching up to cover her neck.

She had seen the marks when she washed her face in the morning but had forgotten about them in her rush.

Seeing Jiang Rou’s attempt to cover up, Dong Mingming said with a hint of irritation, “What are you hiding for? There are several marks on your neck. Anyone who understands will get it.”

Jiang Rou’s face turned even redder, and she shyly lowered her head to eat.

Seeing Jiang Rou’s embarrassed reaction, Dong Mingming couldn’t help but smile. She thought Jiang Rou’s personality was appealing—not just to men but to her as well.

However, thinking about her own troubles brought back her frown, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What do you do to appease your husband if you upset him?”

Jiang Rou looked up at her, sensing something, and asked, “Did you and your boyfriend have an argument?”

Dong Mingming responded, “I’ve never had to appease him. He usually makes me angry.”

A few days ago, Li Xiao and her had argued over a trivial matter.

Jiang Rou washed the dishes with dish soap, rinsing them four times, while Li Xiao only washed them three times—just adding foam. Jiang Rou felt that he didn’t clean them properly and wasn’t meticulous, which led to an argument.

In the end, Li Xiao swore that he would wash the dishes six times in the future.

Jiang Rou was about to give her some advice when Dong Mingming interrupted her—

 “…My boyfriend found out about my family situation. He thinks I pursued him with bad intentions.”

She then threw her chopsticks down in frustration and said angrily, “I’m so mad. Remember the guy I went on a blind date with? I ran into him while shopping with my boyfriend, and he mocked my boyfriend in front of me, calling him a kept man. He said my dad would never approve of us being together, and that I was just playing around, using him to escape a family arranged marriage.”

“Now, Shen He doesn’t believe anything I say and even ignores me. It’s ridiculous. He believes a stranger over me.”

She concluded, exasperated, “If it comes down to it, I’ll just break up with him.”

Jiang Rou, feeling some sympathy, looked at her and said, “This situation is difficult. You shouldn’t have hidden things from him in the first place. When you pursued him, your intentions were indeed not entirely pure. If you want him to forgive you, you need to show him your sincerity.”

Dong Mingming bit her lip.

Jiang Rou added, “If you want him to be sincere, you need to be sincere with him too. I know your father has hurt you a lot, but you can’t let his mistakes make you doubt and be guarded against your boyfriend. It’s not fair to him.

To be honest, if your boyfriend weren’t upset, I think he might have already suspected something. He’s sensitive, and he’s genuinely hurt that you’ve hidden your real life from him.”

Dong Mingming propped her chin on her hands, nodded, and said, “You’re right.”

Suddenly, as if realizing something, she stood up, patted Jiang Rou on the shoulder, and said, “Okay, I’m going to find him right now.”

She didn’t even bother to clean up her plate and ran off. As she left, she shouted back, “Remember to clean up for me!”

“……”

—o—o—o—

When they returned home in the evening, Li Xiao learned about the situation and frowned, providing a blunt evaluation. “Your friend was never sincere. She was just disappointed with her father and wanted to find a man to take revenge. She enjoyed the affection from her boyfriend to satisfy her own desires.”

Jiang Rou fell silent upon hearing this. “It’s not entirely fair to say that. I think she genuinely likes her boyfriend.”

Li Xiao scoffed. “Even if she likes him, it doesn’t change the fact that she used him. Doesn’t she think her father prefers the woman outside, and that she wants to prove her own importance in someone else’s eyes? Your friend is just selfish.”

Li Xiao was resolute that he would never like someone like Dong Mingming. He thought Jiang Rou was much better—she appreciated kindness, repaying tenfold for any fivefold given, and never hid anything from him, which made him feel secure.

Recently, he had heard about an entrepreneur who, after making some money, had his wife demand a divorce and leave their child behind. After the divorce, she took the money and got involved with another man.

While others criticized the woman for her shameful behavior and felt sorry for the man, Li Xiao had little reaction. He knew such a thing would never happen to him; Jiang Rou would never do something like that.

Jiang Rou didn’t want to continue discussing this, feeling that if she did, Li Xiao might criticize Dong Mingming even more.

She suddenly remembered that Li Xiao’s branch factory seemed to be about to start production and couldn’t help but ask about the production license, hygiene standards, and cleanliness of the ingredients.

Li Xiao replied, “We’re almost there. The production license will take a few more days, but it’s not a big problem. I’ve brought people from the main factory to handle things; they know what they’re doing.”

Jiang Rou’s expression became stern. “The food has to be healthy and sanitary. It’s not just about passing inspections; if it’s not, accidents can easily happen. You’ll regret it if you’re not careful.”

She recalled that food safety had always been a significant issue, starting with outrage and eventually leading to numbness. People even joked about whether there was anything safe to eat. It was a challenge to live so long.

Jiang Rou didn’t want such problems to happen to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao understood her nature. “Don’t worry. I’ve followed your advice. We disinfect and sterilize the production area every day. Even if no one comes to inspect, we have our own checks to ensure everything is clean and sanitary. We return any substandard ingredients, and even the inspectors said we’re the most responsible food factory. They even bought some products when they left.”

Although Li Xiao was often careless in his daily life, he took his work seriously. If he was going to do something, he would do it to the best of his ability. He used only the best ingredients.

This might be related to Li Xiao’s mindset. He had no great ambitions and was content with his current life. He earned enough money and had a harmonious family. He didn’t want to ruin it all due to greed.

He was aware of various additives, inferior oils, and poor-quality ingredients. Even though he still didn’t believe in gods, he had some respect for the higher principles, influenced by his time with Boss You. He didn’t want to engage in dishonest practices, especially with Jiang Rou constantly reminding him, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.

He even had a feeling that if he ever did something wrong, given Jiang Rou’s nature, she might leave with their child.

Jiang Rou nodded. “That’s good.”

—o—o—o—

During the summer vacation, Li Xiao used his connections to find a new school for An An, and she ended up enrolling in Lele’s kindergarten.

Lele attended an international kindergarten, which offered bilingual education without the pressure of entrance exams. The school provided a continuous education from kindergarten through high school, with options to apply to either domestic or international universities afterward. Because it aligned with international standards, applying to foreign universities was easier compared to local high schools.

With Lele there, Jiang Rou felt much more at ease, knowing that An An would not be bullied.

However, the tuition fees for this school were significantly higher, and the curriculum was much more comprehensive. While the previous kindergarten only provided playtime, this new school offered a wide range of courses, including calligraphy, painting, dancing, horse riding, baseball, music, knitting, speech, and drama. After attending for a month or two, Jiang Rou couldn’t shake the feeling that An An had become much more confident and started actively engaging with other children.

An An expressed her thoughts to her father with clear logic. She insisted that she didn’t like the piano and didn’t want to learn it, suggesting that if Li Xiao wanted to, he should learn it himself.

Eventually, Li Xiao took up the piano himself, practicing a piece or two each day after work. According to him, he didn’t want to waste the money spent on lessons.

As he practiced more, both Jiang Rou and An An became accustomed to the routine. Sometimes, when he skipped a day of practice, An An would remind him to play. Afterward, she would mimic his previous inquiries about progress.

It nearly made Jiang Rou laugh out loud.

Li Xiao didn’t expect to be monitored daily by his daughter and felt as though she had become a father to himself.

Before going to bed, he told Jiang Rou, “Fortunately, we only have one daughter. If we had another, I really couldn’t handle it.”

Jiang Rou hugged him, shaking with laughter, finding the father-daughter duo truly amusing.

Seeing her so amused, Li Xiao’s eyes also carried a touch of a smile. He lowered his head and nuzzled his nose against hers.

As the weather began to cool, Jiang Rou suddenly remembered something. During breakfast, she turned to Li Xiao and said, “Lately, you should try to keep Zhou Jian from going out as much.”

Li Xiao looked up at her in surprise and asked, “What’s going on?”

Jiang Rou, who was wiping An An’s mouth before sitting back down to continue eating, wasn’t sure how to explain. If she remembered correctly, Zhou Jian had an accident early next year in her previous life.

She wasn’t sure when SARS had started; it was before her memory began, and she had only heard about it from her parents. They had mentioned that SARS was similar to a pandemic, with everyone staying indoors and avoiding going out. At that time, people didn’t know much about protective measures and would carry garlic with them, taking it out occasionally to sniff.

Since SARS hadn’t started yet, she wasn’t sure of the specifics. If Zhou Jian had had an accident early next year, he might have contracted it by late 2002.

Jiang Rou didn’t want such a thing to happen. However, she couldn’t explain it well, so she simply said, “It’s nothing. I’ve been having dreams about Zhou Jian lately, and my eyelids have been twitching, which feels like a bad omen. Just try to keep him indoors as much as possible. Not just him, but you too. Avoid crowded places.”

To avoid any misunderstandings, she added, “It’s better to be cautious about these things. It’s always better to be safe.”

Li Xiao frowned but didn’t ask any more questions. He simply agreed.

Jiang Rou let out a slight sigh of relief. In her previous life, Zhou Jian’s death had been a significant blow to Li Xiao, especially since Zhou Jian’s mother had passed away shortly after, which had tarnished his reputation in his hometown.

After Zhou Jian’s death, Li Xiao’s actions had become noticeably more extreme. He seemed to lose his scruples and assisted Chang Yong in many dubious activities, becoming solely profit-driven and devoid of any personal touch.

In this world, Li Xiao had very few people he truly cared about. Apart from her and An An, Zhou Jian and Jin Dayou were the only ones.

Jiang Rou hoped that this time around, Zhou Jian could avoid the same fate as in her previous life and have a good ending.

Chapter 62.2

The next day, Jiang Rou woke up late and, in the end, Li Xiao drove her to school.

An An slept soundly through the night, and the new chamber pot wasn’t used. When she woke up in the morning, she found and put on a set of clothes by herself. However, the clothes she chose were a winter dress—pretty, but a bit too warm.

In the morning, Jiang Rou changed her into a pink tracksuit.

At lunchtime, Jiang Rou went to the cafeteria alone. Recently, the teachers had been extending their classes, while Dong Mingming seemed increasingly idle. Sometimes, she even skipped school to go directly to the company.

Jiang Rou expected to eat alone that day as well, but to her surprise, Dong Mingming came over with a plate as soon as she sat down. Sighing deeply she took a seat.

Dong Mingming twirled her chopsticks around on her plate, seemingly in a bad mood.

Jiang Rou looked up curiously and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Dong Mingming propped her chin on her left hand, glanced at Jiang Rou, and noticed the red marks on her neck. She curled her lips and said with a hint of envy, “You and your husband seem to have a really good relationship.”

Jiang Rou realized what she was implying and blushed, quickly reaching up to cover her neck.

She had seen the marks when she washed her face in the morning but had forgotten about them in her rush.

Seeing Jiang Rou’s attempt to cover up, Dong Mingming said with a hint of irritation, “What are you hiding for? There are several marks on your neck. Anyone who understands will get it.”

Jiang Rou’s face turned even redder, and she shyly lowered her head to eat.

Seeing Jiang Rou’s embarrassed reaction, Dong Mingming couldn’t help but smile. She thought Jiang Rou’s personality was appealing—not just to men but to her as well.

However, thinking about her own troubles brought back her frown, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What do you do to appease your husband if you upset him?”

Jiang Rou looked up at her, sensing something, and asked, “Did you and your boyfriend have an argument?”

Dong Mingming responded, “I’ve never had to appease him. He usually makes me angry.”

A few days ago, Li Xiao and her had argued over a trivial matter.

Jiang Rou washed the dishes with dish soap, rinsing them four times, while Li Xiao only washed them three times—just adding foam. Jiang Rou felt that he didn’t clean them properly and wasn’t meticulous, which led to an argument.

In the end, Li Xiao swore that he would wash the dishes six times in the future.

Jiang Rou was about to give her some advice when Dong Mingming interrupted her—

 “…My boyfriend found out about my family situation. He thinks I pursued him with bad intentions.”

She then threw her chopsticks down in frustration and said angrily, “I’m so mad. Remember the guy I went on a blind date with? I ran into him while shopping with my boyfriend, and he mocked my boyfriend in front of me, calling him a kept man. He said my dad would never approve of us being together, and that I was just playing around, using him to escape a family arranged marriage.”

“Now, Shen He doesn’t believe anything I say and even ignores me. It’s ridiculous. He believes a stranger over me.”

She concluded, exasperated, “If it comes down to it, I’ll just break up with him.”

Jiang Rou, feeling some sympathy, looked at her and said, “This situation is difficult. You shouldn’t have hidden things from him in the first place. When you pursued him, your intentions were indeed not entirely pure. If you want him to forgive you, you need to show him your sincerity.”

Dong Mingming bit her lip.

Jiang Rou added, “If you want him to be sincere, you need to be sincere with him too. I know your father has hurt you a lot, but you can’t let his mistakes make you doubt and be guarded against your boyfriend. It’s not fair to him.

To be honest, if your boyfriend weren’t upset, I think he might have already suspected something. He’s sensitive, and he’s genuinely hurt that you’ve hidden your real life from him.”

Dong Mingming propped her chin on her hands, nodded, and said, “You’re right.”

Suddenly, as if realizing something, she stood up, patted Jiang Rou on the shoulder, and said, “Okay, I’m going to find him right now.”

She didn’t even bother to clean up her plate and ran off. As she left, she shouted back, “Remember to clean up for me!”

“……”

—o—o—o—

When they returned home in the evening, Li Xiao learned about the situation and frowned, providing a blunt evaluation. “Your friend was never sincere. She was just disappointed with her father and wanted to find a man to take revenge. She enjoyed the affection from her boyfriend to satisfy her own desires.”

Jiang Rou fell silent upon hearing this. “It’s not entirely fair to say that. I think she genuinely likes her boyfriend.”

Li Xiao scoffed. “Even if she likes him, it doesn’t change the fact that she used him. Doesn’t she think her father prefers the woman outside, and that she wants to prove her own importance in someone else’s eyes? Your friend is just selfish.”

Li Xiao was resolute that he would never like someone like Dong Mingming. He thought Jiang Rou was much better—she appreciated kindness, repaying tenfold for any fivefold given, and never hid anything from him, which made him feel secure.

Recently, he had heard about an entrepreneur who, after making some money, had his wife demand a divorce and leave their child behind. After the divorce, she took the money and got involved with another man.

While others criticized the woman for her shameful behavior and felt sorry for the man, Li Xiao had little reaction. He knew such a thing would never happen to him; Jiang Rou would never do something like that.

Jiang Rou didn’t want to continue discussing this, feeling that if she did, Li Xiao might criticize Dong Mingming even more.

She suddenly remembered that Li Xiao’s branch factory seemed to be about to start production and couldn’t help but ask about the production license, hygiene standards, and cleanliness of the ingredients.

Li Xiao replied, “We’re almost there. The production license will take a few more days, but it’s not a big problem. I’ve brought people from the main factory to handle things; they know what they’re doing.”

Jiang Rou’s expression became stern. “The food has to be healthy and sanitary. It’s not just about passing inspections; if it’s not, accidents can easily happen. You’ll regret it if you’re not careful.”

She recalled that food safety had always been a significant issue, starting with outrage and eventually leading to numbness. People even joked about whether there was anything safe to eat. It was a challenge to live so long.

Jiang Rou didn’t want such problems to happen to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao understood her nature. “Don’t worry. I’ve followed your advice. We disinfect and sterilize the production area every day. Even if no one comes to inspect, we have our own checks to ensure everything is clean and sanitary. We return any substandard ingredients, and even the inspectors said we’re the most responsible food factory. They even bought some products when they left.”

Although Li Xiao was often careless in his daily life, he took his work seriously. If he was going to do something, he would do it to the best of his ability. He used only the best ingredients.

This might be related to Li Xiao’s mindset. He had no great ambitions and was content with his current life. He earned enough money and had a harmonious family. He didn’t want to ruin it all due to greed.

He was aware of various additives, inferior oils, and poor-quality ingredients. Even though he still didn’t believe in gods, he had some respect for the higher principles, influenced by his time with Boss You. He didn’t want to engage in dishonest practices, especially with Jiang Rou constantly reminding him, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.

He even had a feeling that if he ever did something wrong, given Jiang Rou’s nature, she might leave with their child.

Jiang Rou nodded. “That’s good.”

—o—o—o—

During the summer vacation, Li Xiao used his connections to find a new school for An An, and she ended up enrolling in Lele’s kindergarten.

Lele attended an international kindergarten, which offered bilingual education without the pressure of entrance exams. The school provided a continuous education from kindergarten through high school, with options to apply to either domestic or international universities afterward. Because it aligned with international standards, applying to foreign universities was easier compared to local high schools.

With Lele there, Jiang Rou felt much more at ease, knowing that An An would not be bullied.

However, the tuition fees for this school were significantly higher, and the curriculum was much more comprehensive. While the previous kindergarten only provided playtime, this new school offered a wide range of courses, including calligraphy, painting, dancing, horse riding, baseball, music, knitting, speech, and drama. After attending for a month or two, Jiang Rou couldn’t shake the feeling that An An had become much more confident and started actively engaging with other children.

An An expressed her thoughts to her father with clear logic. She insisted that she didn’t like the piano and didn’t want to learn it, suggesting that if Li Xiao wanted to, he should learn it himself.

Eventually, Li Xiao took up the piano himself, practicing a piece or two each day after work. According to him, he didn’t want to waste the money spent on lessons.

As he practiced more, both Jiang Rou and An An became accustomed to the routine. Sometimes, when he skipped a day of practice, An An would remind him to play. Afterward, she would mimic his previous inquiries about progress.

It nearly made Jiang Rou laugh out loud.

Li Xiao didn’t expect to be monitored daily by his daughter and felt as though she had become a father to himself.

Before going to bed, he told Jiang Rou, “Fortunately, we only have one daughter. If we had another, I really couldn’t handle it.”

Jiang Rou hugged him, shaking with laughter, finding the father-daughter duo truly amusing.

Seeing her so amused, Li Xiao’s eyes also carried a touch of a smile. He lowered his head and nuzzled his nose against hers.

As the weather began to cool, Jiang Rou suddenly remembered something. During breakfast, she turned to Li Xiao and said, “Lately, you should try to keep Zhou Jian from going out as much.”

Li Xiao looked up at her in surprise and asked, “What’s going on?”

Jiang Rou, who was wiping An An’s mouth before sitting back down to continue eating, wasn’t sure how to explain. If she remembered correctly, Zhou Jian had an accident early next year in her previous life.

She wasn’t sure when SARS had started; it was before her memory began, and she had only heard about it from her parents. They had mentioned that SARS was similar to a pandemic, with everyone staying indoors and avoiding going out. At that time, people didn’t know much about protective measures and would carry garlic with them, taking it out occasionally to sniff.

Since SARS hadn’t started yet, she wasn’t sure of the specifics. If Zhou Jian had had an accident early next year, he might have contracted it by late 2002.

Jiang Rou didn’t want such a thing to happen. However, she couldn’t explain it well, so she simply said, “It’s nothing. I’ve been having dreams about Zhou Jian lately, and my eyelids have been twitching, which feels like a bad omen. Just try to keep him indoors as much as possible. Not just him, but you too. Avoid crowded places.”

To avoid any misunderstandings, she added, “It’s better to be cautious about these things. It’s always better to be safe.”

Li Xiao frowned but didn’t ask any more questions. He simply agreed.

Jiang Rou let out a slight sigh of relief. In her previous life, Zhou Jian’s death had been a significant blow to Li Xiao, especially since Zhou Jian’s mother had passed away shortly after, which had tarnished his reputation in his hometown.

After Zhou Jian’s death, Li Xiao’s actions had become noticeably more extreme. He seemed to lose his scruples and assisted Chang Yong in many dubious activities, becoming solely profit-driven and devoid of any personal touch.

In this world, Li Xiao had very few people he truly cared about. Apart from her and An An, Zhou Jian and Jin Dayou were the only ones.

Jiang Rou hoped that this time around, Zhou Jian could avoid the same fate as in her previous life and have a good ending.