Extra 3.9

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, which was the day for younger generations to pay their respects to their elders, Aunt Wang and her daughter left early in the morning.

Even the house of Li Xiao and Jiang Rou seemed a bit quieter than usual.

Li Xiao and Jiang Rou did not have to visit their relatives to pay respects.

Li Xiao had had some kind of falling out with his mother last year and they were now almost estranged. Their relatives no longer visited them, so they did not need to go out.

Jiang Rou was in a similar situation. As someone who had transmigrated, she lacked the memories of her previous self and was unclear about the family situation of the original Jiang Rou.

However, Li Xiao had told her that there was no need for her to visit anyone, as the previous “Jiang Rou” had also not gone back.

This was different from Jiang Rou’s past experience. During previous New Year’s, her home had always been lively. Her family would visit her grandparents and in-laws, and their home would be filled with people, with a whole separate table just for the younger generation.

It was not quiet and serene like it was now.

Noticing Jiang Rou’s boredom, Li Xiao decided to take her to visit Jin Dayou in the morning, and also to visit her “sister.”

Jiang Rou nodded.

She did not have strong feelings towards this newly discovered sister. She had been the youngest in her previous life, with her older siblings always looking after her. She had never been an elder sister and did not know how to act as one.

Especially since she was not close to Fu Xiaoyue. Before the New Year, she had invited her over for a meal, but Fu Xiaoyue had declined, possibly because Jiang Rou was not someone she felt comfortable with.

However, it was still good to visit. Since she had decided to take responsibility, she would see it through.

Jiang Rou and Li Xiao brought some gifts and went to Jin Dayou’s house with Xiao Feng.

Jin Dayou and his grandmother were at home. There were no other relatives around. Jiang Rou had heard from Li Xiao that his mother had been searching for his missing brother outside, but she had never returned. His father had also been searching for a time but eventually gave up and started a new family.

The year before, Jin Dayou’s grandfather had died in an accident, and his father had come back with his stepmother and two children for a visit.

Li Xiao also mentioned that, if he remembered correctly, Jin Dayou had later found his mother in his previous life, but she had gone mad.

Jin Dayou had been studying while taking care of his mother and continued to search for his brother. However, until Li Xiao had encountered trouble, there had been no good news.

Jin Dayou had also never married. In his own words, there was no need to delay a good girl; a person like him would be a burden to anyone who married him.

Jiang Rou felt deeply saddened upon hearing about Jin Dayou’s family situation. “I hope he can find his brother later,” she said.

Li Xiao acknowledged her sentiment with a soft “mm,” but he knew the chances were slim.

After so many years, the likelihood of finding Jin Dayou’s brother was low. Jin Dayou’s brother had gone missing when he was seven. At that age, he should have had memories and could potentially return even if he was abducted. Since he hadn’t returned, it was likely something unfortunate had happened.

Li Xiao understood that Jiang Rou was tender-hearted. She had previously been in low spirits for days due to others’ experiences, so he didn’t want to contradict her feelings on this matter.

Li Xiao adjusted the position of his daughter on his shoulder, making her more comfortable.

Xiao Feng, sitting on her father’s shoulder, had a wide view and was in high spirits, especially since she could see her mother when she looked down.

Jiang Rou, carrying the gifts, occasionally lifted her hand to adjust Xiao Feng’s scarf, ensuring her face was well-covered.

There were few cars on the road today. Most people were walking, with only a few riding bicycles or motorcycles.

The family of three, Jiang Rou, Li Xiao, and Xiao Feng, was similar to the other people out visiting for New Year greetings.

When they arrived at Jin Dayou’s home, Jin Dayou was squatting at the door, brushing his teeth, looking like he had just woken up.

Fu Xiaoyue was also there, sitting at the door and washing clothes.

Having been cared for for half a year, Fu Xiaoyue ‘s complexion had improved significantly. Her cheeks were fair and rosy, her hair was black, and she had gained quite a bit of weight. Although she still seemed a bit thin by ordinary standards, she no longer looked unattractive.

She appeared as a typical sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, beautiful and bright.

However, due to her past experiences, her demeanor was somewhat reserved. When she saw them arrive, she merely gave them a brief glance.

But her heart was in the right place. As Jin Dayou greeted them, she quietly went to the kitchen to prepare hot tea and snacks for them and brought out a fire bucket from the room to help them warm up.

Jin Dayou quickly finished his morning routine and then joined them in the house for a chat.

In the kitchen, Grandma Jin was making steamed buns. With two children in the house now, it was livelier than before. She wanted to make some tasty food to nourish the children.

When they heard the noise and went outside to check, they saw it was Li Xiao and the others. She smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits and told them to sit down quickly, saying the buns would be ready soon.

At noon, they had a lively meal at Jin Dayou’s house.

When they were leaving, Jin Dayou and Fu Xiaoyue accompanied them to the door. After Jiang Rou walked a short distance, she couldn’t help but look back. For some reason, from a distance, she found that the two of them seemed quite compatible.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but frown and asked Li Xiao beside her, “Xiao Yue is still young. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for her to stay at your friend’s house?”

Li Xiao understood the meaning of her words and confidently replied, “It’s fine. He won’t get married in the future.”

Jiang Rou looked at him with suspicion, but seeing that Li Xiao had said so, she didn’t think much of it.

Later, at Jin Dayou and Fu Xiaoyue ‘s wedding, Jiang Rou suddenly remembered Li Xiao’s unbending statement and couldn’t help but ask him, “Is this what you meant by not getting married in the future?”

Fu Xiaoyue got her marriage certificate with Jin Dayou right after graduation.

Jin Dayou’s eager appearance made Jiang Rou wonder if Li Xiao’s memory was mistaken.

Li Xiao couldn’t find the words. In his past life, Jin Dayou indeed hadn’t married; he had explicitly said he didn’t plan to marry.

He could only say that some things had indeed changed.

—o—o—o—

They had walked a lot today. At this time, winter was still very cold. In the future, snow would fall less and less each year, unlike now, where thick white snow covered up the calves.

Li Xiao hadn’t brought any shoes back from S City. The new shoes he bought for the New Year were for warm weather. Today, he wore a pair of handmade, fleece-lined, warm shoes that Jiang Rou had bought for him for two yuan. These shoes were purchased from a small stall at the market, made by some old grandmothers. They were warm and thick but suitable only for indoors; they weren’t very practical for going outside as they could easily get wet.

When Li Xiao returned home, his socks were wet. He didn’t say anything; he just changed into a dry pair and went to warm himself by the fire. Jiang Rou didn’t think much of it.

It wasn’t until they were lying in bed at night that Jiang Rou accidentally touched his foot and found one of his feet was exceptionally cold. She instinctively asked, “Why is your foot so cold? Do you want to soak it in warm water?”

Li Xiao’s brows slightly furrowed, as if he was enduring something, “It’s nothing. It’ll get better soon.”

But when Jiang Rou touched his foot again later, she found it was still cold, while the other foot was at a normal temperature.

Jiang Rou directly asked him, “What’s really going on?”

She suddenly remembered that in his past life, he had injured one of his feet and walked with a limp.

Li Xiao glanced at her and had to explain, “Previously, I had a minor injury on my left ankle in the south, but it wasn’t very serious. It just hurts a bit in damp and cold weather. Usually, it’s fine; it might be due to my feet getting wet today.”

To him, it really wasn’t serious. Compared to his past life, it wasn’t very painful, and he usually took care of himself.

In his past life, he had resumed work before his foot injury had fully healed, which left him with a hidden problem. Eventually, when he was injured again, that foot was rendered useless.

Seeing him so unconcerned made Jiang Rou angry, and she gave him a stern look before getting out of bed to prepare hot water for his foot bath.

There was still some mugwort given by Aunt Wang last year, which she said could help ward off the cold when used in a foot bath.

Jiang Rou put the mugwort into the bucket and then poured half a bucket of boiling water into it. She draped a towel over the bucket and carried it back to the room for Li Xiao to soak his feet slowly.

Seeing Jiang Rou enter the room with a serious face and carrying a bucket, Li Xiao sat up obediently from the bed. After entering the room, she sternly said, “From now on, you have to soak your feet properly every night. If it gets really bad, go to the hospital.”

Li Xiao obediently sat up from the bed.

Worried that he might not take it seriously, Jiang Rou said more, “My parents were educated youths when they were young and injured their bodies during their time in the countryside. Especially my father, who developed chronic cold legs. Every rainy day and winter, his legs would be both cold and painful. My mother used to scold him, saying it was his fault for not taking care of himself when he was young.”

“I don’t want to be in a position where I have to take care of you when I’m old. If I’m already too weak to do any work and still have to care for an old person, that would be too miserable.”

Li Xiao’s feet touched the scorching hot water gently. Because there was mugwort in the bucket, the room filled with a strong aroma.

He watched the steaming mist and listened to Jiang Rou’s words as if he could already see what their future would be like when they grew old together.

He selfishly thought that if such a day really came, it might not be too bad.

She might not know that the ordinary life others took for granted was something he had once longed for.

Once, every New Year’s Eve, he would spend the night with a pack of instant noodles or a few biscuits. While others enjoyed a joyful family reunion, he could only sit by the roadside and watch, and then leave quietly alone.

After soaking his feet, Li Xiao returned to bed, and Jiang Rou touched his feet again. This time, they were warm. She deliberately asked softly, “Is it better now?”

Xiao Feng lying in the middle had already fallen asleep, so Jiang Rou did not dare to speak loudly.

Li Xiao glanced at her and gave a gentle “mm” in response.

He wasn’t lazy; he had simply become accustomed to living alone and making do with whatever came his way.

Back then, he lived day by day, indifferent to everything, including himself…

—o—o—o—

The next day, Jiang Rou, concerned about Li Xiao’s legs, especially went to the hospital to buy some ginseng. She didn’t understand much about it, but whenever someone in her family got sick, her mother would buy ginseng or red ginseng to make chicken soup or ribs for nourishment after they recovered.

Since her family had just bought a lot of ribs for the New Year, Jiang Rou spent the following days making ginseng rib soup for Li Xiao every day.

He would be leaving soon and would have to exert himself again, so if he didn’t take this opportunity to replenish his strength, his body would definitely not be able to handle it.

It was unclear whether it was the foot soaks or the ginseng rib soup, or perhaps both, but Li Xiao felt that his left foot was indeed no longer cold. Not only was it no longer cold, but his body also felt warm, and after meals, he even had to take off his cotton-padded jacket to avoid sweating.

At his age, full of vitality, such a rich diet was indeed a bit overwhelming for his body, especially noticeable in the changes he felt each morning.

—o—o—o—

On the morning of the eighth day of the New Year, Li Xiao even experienced a nosebleed from being too warm. His “body” was extremely excited.

Jiang Rou was woken up by him and was startled to see him wiping his nosebleed.

She carefully moved to the middle of the bed, still groggy and not paying much attention. It seemed she accidentally pressed on something, causing him to grunt in pain.

Realizing what had happened, Jiang Rou’s face flushed red, and she asked softly, “Are you okay?”

Li Xiao had already wiped his nosebleed and said softly, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Feeling somewhat guilty, Jiang Rou offered, “Do you want me to help?”

She also just said it casually, but didn’t expect the man to get up and stop, as if he had misunderstood something, and then looked at her deeply with a low, husky voice: “How can you help?”

Jiang Rou wasn’t a child and naturally understood his gaze. Her face turned red, and she whispered softly: “You can lie down.”

Li Xiao really did lie down.

Jiang Rou forced herself to say: “Close your eyes.”

He closed his eyes.

Jiang Rou was afraid that he wasn’t closing his eyes properly, so she stretched out one hand to cover them, and then slowly reached out for that thing with the other hand.

After a while, she got a bit impatient and asked: “Are you done yet?”

Li Xiao was silent and didn’t respond….

—o—o—o—

Xiao Feng was going to start school on the 17th, and Li Xiao was planning to wait until the 24th to leave.

After sending the child to school, the two of them returned home without anything to do, so they just started watching TV together, and before long they were stuck together, and eventually ended up in bed kissing each other.

—o—o—o—

On the 23rd, it was Saturday, and when they were eating lunch, Li Xiao told Xiao Feng to go play at her Grandma Wang’s house later.

Xiao Feng didn’t usually rely on her mother, and was very responsible as she nodded slightly: “I know, Daddy and Mommy want to give me a younger sibling.”

“…?”

Jiang Rou’s face turned bright red as she quickly said: “Who said that? We are not doing anything.”

She kicked Li Xiao hard under the table.

Xiao Feng looked up at her with a hopeful expression: “But I want a younger sibling. They all have younger siblings. I’ll be a good older sister.”

Li Xiao remained silent and just said: “Let’s eat.”