Chapter 16: What If She Runs Away Again

After her initial failure in the kitchen, An Huan resolved to redeem herself.

The key was mastering the use of the traditional clay stove.

After seeking guidance from Zhou Meihua and repeatedly practicing, An Huan had finally grown comfortable with using it.

That evening, as soon as Xiao Zheng stepped into the Courtyard, he was greeted by a rich, savory aroma.

“Daddy, come quick! Mommy made something delicious!” Dongdong heard the sound of his father returning and dashed out to greet him, waving his tiny hands excitedly.

Surprised, Xiao Zheng raised his eyebrows, took off his hat and held it in his hand as he followed his son to the dining table.

On the table were two dishes and a soup: stir-fried cucumber with egg, a small plate of pickled vegetables, and a soup with dried shrimp and tofu. Xiao Zheng stirred the soup with his chopsticks.

“Here comes the main dish—”

Following the voice, Xiao Zheng turned to see An Huan walking over, carrying a platter of braised pork belly.

The deep red, glossy meat gleamed invitingly on the pristine white plate. The rich sauce, perfectly reduced, clung to each piece of pork, making it almost too tempting to resist.

Xiao Zheng couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. “You… you made all this?”

Dongdong jumped in proudly, “All made by my amazing mommy!”

An Huan waved her hand at her son. “Shh, keep it low-key.”

Xiao Zheng chuckled.

Regardless of how it would taste, the presentation alone was top-notch—no one would question it if she said it had come from a state-run restaurant’s head chef.

Just as Xiao Zheng was about to pick up his chopsticks, An Huan stopped him. “You haven’t washed your hands. Go on, wash them first.”

Xiao Zheng wasn’t in the habit of washing his hands before meals—he did it when he remembered and skipped it when he didn’t. But upon hearing her reminder, he obediently went to wash.

An Huan nodded in approval.

This man really did listen. Changing his other habits might not be so hard after all.

Once he returned, he eagerly picked up a piece of braised pork belly and popped it into his mouth.

Then, eyes sparkling, he looked at An Huan.

“How is it?” she asked.

Lacking the words to describe it, Xiao Zheng simply gave her a big thumbs-up. “Delicious!”

An Huan beamed, her eyes crinkling with delight. “Then eat as much as you want.”

“Mommy mommy mommy mommy…” Dongdong, noticing she was only talking to Daddy, pouted. Once he had her attention, he demanded, “Say it to me too—say I can eat more too.”

An Huan laughed, reached out, and gently tickled his little chin. “Our Dongdong can eat lots too.”

Satisfied, Dongdong grinned.

“You must’ve spent a lot of time learning to use the clay stove these past few days,” Xiao Zheng remarked as he glanced at her.

An Huan held out her right hand, showing the scrapes from the firewood and the small scars from splattered oil.

Without a word, the sight stirred a flood of emotion in Xiao Zheng—guilt, tenderness, and a happiness so overwhelming it was hard to describe.

He gently ran his callused fingers over the marks on the back of her hand with great care.

His rough touch made her skin tingle. An Huan flipped her hand over and teasingly scratched his palm.

A jolt shot from Xiao Zheng’s palm through his entire body. He quickly pulled his hand back and buried his head in his bowl of rice.

Trying to change the subject, he said, “I’m off tomorrow. I’ll try to buy the stone in the morning and pave the path in the afternoon.”

“What about the toilet? When can we start renovating it? I already gave you the design sketch,” An Huan asked. Of all the improvements, the toilet was the most urgent.

“I looked over the design. Cement is easy enough, but the tank and piping require chemical-resistant panels. I asked someone to buy them from out of town, so it’ll take a while.”

An Huan nodded.

Xiao Zheng glanced at her and suggested, “Why don’t we do what the Commander’s family did—pave the whole Courtyard with stone or cement? That way, there won’t be any mud even when it rains.”

At this point, he had completely forgotten how he had once scoffed at the Commander’s newly paved Courtyard.

Now, his only thought was: An Huan would surely prefer the kind of clean, tidy environment that had not even a speck of dirt—just like the Commander’s wife.

To his surprise, An Huan shook her head. “Just pave a small path. I want to plant vegetables in the rest of the yard. I already got seeds from Sister Meihua. Once the path is done, I’ll start planting. You’ll need to supervise me.”

As a farmer’s son, Xiao Zheng naturally favored growing vegetables in the yard. Hearing this, he grinned. “Then our cesspit’s fertilizer will come in handy.”

An Huan’s expression changed immediately. “Absolutely not! I can plant vegetables, but don’t even think about using that… stuff. I can’t stand the smell.”

He had just been thinking how praiseworthy she was, and now—there it was again, her bourgeois fussiness.

Xiao Zheng grumbled inwardly but didn’t genuinely mind. An Huan had traveled all this way to join him, cooked his meals, and now even wanted to grow vegetables in the yard. That was already more than enough.

As for the rest—he’d just go along with her.

What if she ran away again?

At the thought, a shadow passed over Xiao Zheng’s face.

When she had asked for a divorce before, he could accept it. Their marriage hadn’t been good, and if she wanted to pursue happiness elsewhere, he was willing to let her go.

But now, An Huan said she’d changed. And in just these few days, she had painted him a picture of a beautiful, fulfilling life. He could already envision how wonderful it would be to live like this with the new An Huan.

And it scared him. He feared this was all just a dream. That the life he was imagining might never come true.

That’s why, even though he was on the verge of exploding, he hadn’t touched her.

If they had another child together, he would never let her go again.

He wanted to keep a clear head—for now—and give her space.

Though all these thoughts swirled inside him, Xiao Zheng didn’t show any of it on his face, and An Huan remained oblivious.

After dinner, Xiao Zheng washed the dishes without needing a word from her.

When An Huan told him to wipe down the stove, he immediately polished it until it gleamed.

When she mentioned wanting a dish rack that could stand upright for drainage, he agreed to build it without hesitation.

So obedient and well-behaved—it was a stark contrast to his tough exterior.

After Xiao Zheng left for work, it wasn’t long before Wen Xueman came by.

An Huan made her tea. Wen Xueman accepted the cup and glanced around.

The home was simple and tidy, nothing fancy—just like most of the other households.

Taking a sip, Wen Xueman said, “Longjing? Nice tea.”

An Huan smiled. “My father packed it for me. I don’t really know much about tea.”

Wen Xueman didn’t bother with small talk and went straight to the point. “I heard Xiao Zheng hit you?”

An Huan paused. “Who told you that?”

Wen Xueman shrugged. “It reached my ears—so you can imagine, the entire Courtyard must know.”

An Huan rubbed her forehead, exasperated. “That’s just a rumor.”

Wen Xueman nodded. “Since you say so, I believe you.”

Relieved, An Huan had thought she’d need to explain much more.

Wen Xueman added, “I was going to stop by the day you burned the kitchen, but there were too many people around, and since you seemed fine, I didn’t come in.”

“Thank you for your concern,” An Huan replied with a smile.

Wen Xueman continued, “Xiao Zheng earns enough. He can afford a maid. You really don’t have to do all the chores yourself… If you want, I can introduce someone.”

An Huan quickly waved her hands. “No need, no need. Actually, I quite enjoy cooking.” In two years, everything would fall into chaos—how could she dare hire a maid?

Wen Xueman had initially thought they were the same kind of woman and had intended to build a connection. But after two encounters, she realized she and An Huan had very little in common.

She stood up. “Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

An Huan hesitated, then called out, “There are a lot of families in the residential area, but I haven’t seen anyone actually hire a maid. Most seem to bring in relatives from the countryside to help.”

Understanding her meaning immediately, Wen Xueman gave a slight smile.

It was strange—Chen Gang had argued with her twice over the issue of hiring a maid. Wen Xueman had thought nothing of it and even felt that Chen Gang was inconsiderate for expecting her to do housework. But now, hearing An Huan’s subtle remark, she found herself genuinely reflecting.

She smiled. “Thank you for the reminder. I understand now.”