Song Tian froze for a moment, then looked up, meeting Lu Beizhen’s dark, night-like eyes.
“Why are you back?”
Lu Beizhen’s thin lips pressed slightly together, a shadow flickering in his eyes.
Did this woman really not want to see him at all?
“Do I need a reason to go back to my own home?” Lu Beizhen countered.
Song Tian didn’t answer.
Of course—not her place to question him. After all, she was the one living under someone else’s roof.
Just as she was thinking this, a voice came from the open space not far away—Xiaoyu’s mother calling:
“You all come over to my place for a meal later! Xiaoyu brought back plenty of specialties from out of town—I can’t finish them all myself, so everyone should try some!”
Oh!
Song Tian understood.
Lu Beizhen had probably brought Jiang Xiaoyu home.
Since they were in the family compound, it was only natural to check in on Fang Shuqin.
“Mom… Aunt Fang is in the kitchen cooking,” Song Tian said, then reached out to him. “Can I have the wheel back?”
Lu Beizhen handed it over.
Song Tian crouched back in front of the bicycle, resuming her disassembly work.
Her delicate, green-onion-like hands now gripped the wrench and screwdriver, moving so fast that she dismantled the remaining parts completely.
The fragments of the bike were laid out neatly, organized by type—orderly and precise.
Even a mechanic with years of experience might not be able to arrange them so well.
She was impressive.
Lu Beizhen’s mind drifted back to the earlier scene in the hallway when he had confronted Song Tian.
The petite woman pressed against the wall, looking up with her adorable, sparkling eyes.
She had said:
“I dropped out because my family wouldn’t let me continue studying. After all, I’m only an adopted daughter, and to them, education is a waste of money. But not studying doesn’t mean I don’t like learning.”
So, her skill in repairing bikes—was that something she learned from books too?
How many books had she read? How many skills had she acquired?
Lu Beizhen’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze inevitably landing on Song Tian.
At that moment, Jiang Xiaoyu arrived and saw the scene.
She nearly crushed the box in her hands!
Song Tian was just taking apart some broken junk—why was Lu Beizhen staring so intensely?
She fixed all sorts of machinery at the base—far more advanced than this.
Could it be… because Song Tian had recognized that the mangosteen was bad, Lu Beizhen thought she was more knowledgeable and capable than her?
Jiang Xiaoyu’s gaze shifted back to the box in her hands.
Fine. If this woman wanted to show off, she could see how long she could keep it up.
“Song Tian, Beizhen, what are you doing in the yard? Come inside quickly, I have something good to share!”
Jiang Xiaoyu, full of enthusiasm, dragged them inside without waiting for a response.
Hearing the noise, Fang Shuqin came out of the kitchen.
Her eyes brightened at the sight of Lu Beizhen, but fell immediately at Jiang Xiaoyu’s appearance.
“This is Engineer Jiang! Back from your studies out of town—what hard work.”
Jiang Xiaoyu sensed the jab in the words.
Her eyes reddened instantly, voice quivering with grievance:
“Auntie, when Beizhen had the accident, I wanted to do something. I heard vegetative patients needed a lot of money for treatment. If I studied out of town and came back, I could get a raise and help cover some medical expenses.”
“…”
Fang Shuqin rolled her eyes, giving Jiang Xiaoyu no face, and bluntly said:
“Beizhen’s treatment is covered as a work injury—you don’t have to pay a cent. Didn’t anyone tell you that when you submitted your study application?”
Jiang Xiaoyu felt as if she’d been slapped, her face burning.
Yet her expression looked even more aggrieved.
Fang Shuqin’s anger surged.
She was telling the truth, yet Jiang Xiaoyu acted like she’d been wronged.
Unbearable!
Lu Beizhen, standing aside, said calmly:
“Let’s not dwell on the past. Move on.”
He knew exactly how fierce his mother could be.
If she scolded Jiang Xiaoyu, she could crush her completely. No need for that.
Jiang Xiaoyu had nothing to do with him—she could do whatever she wanted.
He didn’t care.
But to Fang Shuqin and Song Tian, it sounded like he was siding with Jiang Xiaoyu.
Song Tian didn’t react.
Fang Shuqin, however, was furious.
That brat’s brain isn’t working, right? He doesn’t like Xiao Tiancai but fancies this woman instead?
“Aunt Fang, don’t worry. I won’t leave again. As long as Beizhen needs me, I’ll help him,” Jiang Xiaoyu said.
She then opened the box.
“By the way, Aunt Fang, these are some candies I bought from abroad. The flavor is mild—try them.”
Fang Shuqin declined.
“I have rotten teeth, I can’t eat.”
Her cold attitude annoyed Jiang Xiaoyu.
How did she end up with such a future mother-in-law?
She would probably argue with Lu Beizhen often once married.
But judging by Lu Beizhen’s earlier attitude, he seemed to favor her.
Hmph—she would deal with Fang Shuqin properly later!
“Song Tian, you try it too. This candy is really popular abroad,” Jiang Xiaoyu said.
Song Tian looked down, seeing it was Blue Arrow gum.
Probably because it was the ’70s, the packaging and shape were unlike anything she’d seen.
The wrapper even had instructions in English.
Jiang Xiaoyu popped a piece into her mouth, then gave one to Song Tian, and dragged Lu Beizhen upstairs to the study to discuss work matters.
After about half an hour, she came back downstairs.
Song Tian was wiping the table, getting ready to eat.
Her mouth was empty while talking.
Jiang Xiaoyu was secretly pleased.
She hurried down the stairs, voice filled with surprise:
“Song Tian, the gum you were chewing—where is it?”
“What do you mean?” Song Tian asked, puzzled.
Jiang Xiaoyu looked anxious:
“You didn’t swallow it, did you? It’s my fault—I forgot you’re from the countryside and might not read English. I should’ve told you: this gum can’t be swallowed, or it sticks in the intestines!”
Fang Shuqin, hearing this from the kitchen, dropped her spatula and ran out.
They’d never eaten gum before, so naturally, they didn’t know it shouldn’t be swallowed.
Fang Shuqin, worried out of proportion, stared at Jiang Xiaoyu:
“Why didn’t you say so earlier? Song Tian, are you okay?”
Song Tian waved her hand, intending to explain she hadn’t swallowed it—and even if she did, it wouldn’t be a problem.
The idea that gum sticks the intestines together was just a myth.
If it were really that dangerous, it wouldn’t even be produced—safety checks would stop it.
Most people just blindly follow the rumor.
But Fang Shuqin didn’t let her explain. She shouted:
“Beizhen, go start the car! We’re taking Xiao Tiancai to the hospital!”
Lu Beizhen, hearing this, strode to the entrance and grabbed the car keys.
Jiang Xiaoyu hurriedly said:
“No need for the hospital. Even if swallowed by mistake, drinking some oil will be fine.”
Drink oil? Fine—drink plenty of it.
Song Tian would be forced to spend the next few days in embarrassing trips to the toilet!
Hmph—this is what happens when a country girl tries to act clever.
“Well, I’ll go pour the oil now,” Fang Shuqin said, rushing toward the kitchen.
Song Tian stopped her.
“No need. I didn’t swallow it. I just chewed it a bit, and it got stuck on my back molars. See?”
Song Tian’s soft, fair cheek moved, she puckered, and a white bubble popped out.
Jiang Xiaoyu was stunned.
Isn’t gum supposed to freshen the mouth? How can you blow bubbles with it?!
Fang Shuqin laughed through tears:
“You scared me—I really thought you swallowed it!”
She paused, then proudly added:
“Our Xiao Tiancai is amazing! She not only knows how to eat gum, she knows how to play with it. Beizhen, look! This bubble she blew—isn’t it big and round?”
Jiang Xiaoyu couldn’t stand it anymore.
She’d bought the gum, no one thanked her, and now everyone was praising Song Tian’s bubble.
It’s just a bubble! If Song Tian can do it, so can she!
She still had a piece in her mouth, so she imitated Song Tian—puffed out her cheeks, puckered her lips.
But she used the wrong technique, and as she inhaled, the gum went straight down her throat!