Seeing that Xia Xiaowan was ignoring him, Liu Xun grew even angrier. He stood up and walked toward her. “You’re not allowed to stay in my room. There are four bedrooms on this floor. You can stay in the one next to mine!”
Xia Xiaowan nodded, a smile on her face.
Liu Xun said, “You’re the daughter-in-law married into the Liu family. I don’t like you, but I can still give you all the dignity due to a Liu family daughter-in-law. I won’t touch you. Remember that?”
Seeing that Xia Xiaowan was still looking at him with a smile and had not become angry at all, Liu Xun felt that he had lost face. He turned to Lao Ayi and said, “I’m going out to eat. Don’t make dinner for me!”
Whistling, Liu Xun disappeared from Xia Xiaowan’s sight.
Xia Xiaowan smiled and went upstairs to take an afternoon nap.
A little after two in the afternoon, Xia Xiaowan got up and took a bath. She opened the bedroom next door. Its furnishings were no worse than those in Liu Xun’s room. It had windows on both the north and south sides, making it airy and bright, and was more than twenty square meters—almost as large as Uncle’s home.
Lao Ayi had cleaned the room until it was spotless. The bed was covered with brand-new bedding, and an enormous bookcase stood behind a desk. Neatly arranged writing brushes and ink had been placed on the desk.
It looked like Liu Xun’s study.
Xia Xiaowan hung her clothes in the wardrobe and tidied up a little.
She raised her head and looked at the rows of books on the bookcase.
In her previous life, Xia Xiaowan had liked reading. She had even tried writing some short essays and submitting them to magazines, but she had never received a reply.
Her favorites were Xu Zhimo’s poems and Lao She’s novel Thunderstorm.
The bookcase was too tall. Xia Xiaowan brought over a chair, stepped onto it, and took down those two books.
She sat beside the desk and began reading attentively.
Someone knocked on the door.
Lao Ayi brought in a bowl of sweet soup. “Xiaowan, this is sweet soup. Have it while it’s hot!”
Xia Xiaowan was somewhat dazed. Just the day before yesterday, she had still been working like an ox or a horse at Uncle’s house. Now that she had married into the Liu family, she could actually drink sweet soup…
When Lao Ayi saw that she did not say anything, she put down the sweet soup and went out to get back to work.
The Liu family had two buildings.
When Grandpa Liu was alive, he had owned more than a dozen buildings and countless shops in the city. He had been the richest man in Peony City.
Later, they had all been taken over by the state.
Only two buildings and more than a dozen shops had been left behind.
The lumber-processing factory had also been left by Grandpa. Liu’s father and mother served as the factory directors there, managing more than a thousand people.
Xia Xiaowan lived in the front building.
Liu Xun’s Second Uncle and Second Aunt lived in the rear building. His Second Uncle had been married twice. His former wife and his current wife both lived there together, along with the five children born to the two wives.
Xia Xiaowan set down the book and picked up the sweet soup, taking a sip. It was delicious. The soup was not overly sweet, but it was rich with flavor. The mung beans and lilies had been cooked until they were soft and mushy, clearly after simmering for a long time.
Lao Ayi was an excellent cook.
After reading for a while, Xia Xiaowan became sleepy. She leaned over the desk and fell asleep.
“How could you use a book as a pillow? What if you damage it? Can you afford to pay for it?” The man stood beside the desk, his fair and handsome face flushed red with anger.
Xia Xiaowan slept deeply and had a long dream. In it, her father and mother were together. Her mother’s sweet smile and her father’s caring words filled her heart with warmth.
Awakened by the man’s voice, Xia Xiaowan rubbed her eyes and looked at him.
“I’m talking to you, Xia Xiaowan. Did you hear me? I was kind enough to let you stay in my study, but you’re not allowed to touch my things. I worked hard to find all these books!” Liu Xun looked somewhat adorable when he was angry, and Xia Xiaowan found it very amusing.
“Liu Xun, I didn’t damage your book. Don’t be angry. I’ll be more careful!” Xia Xiaowan had only just married into the family. Knowing that Liu Xun disliked her, she did not want to get into a conflict with him for the time being.
Liu Xun paused, then turned and left.
Xia Xiaowan loved reading and cherished books even more.
At Uncle’s house, she had not had time to read. She had only possessed one book, the Xinhua Dictionary, and whenever she had nothing to do, she would read it seriously. Once, Xia Xiuxiu had seen her and said that she had the body of a young lady but the fate of a servant.
Xia Xiuxiu did not like reading and was even less willing to attend school. She often skipped class to go out and play with Chen Lili. After finally making it to the sixth grade of elementary school, she still refused to continue studying no matter how Uncle tried to persuade her. In the end, she dropped out and stayed home pasting matchboxes.
Xia Xiaowan, however, was different. She had been an excellent student and had passed the entrance examination for the city’s key high school. Wang Xiumei had been unwilling to pay for her schooling, saying that girls did not need to read so many books—wouldn’t they just get married and have children in the future anyway? If Xia Xiaowan had not pasted matchboxes at night to earn money for her tuition, she would only barely have been allowed to finish high school.
In the end, Xia Xiuxiu threw Xia Xiaowan’s Xinhua Dictionary into the stove and burned it.
Uncle Xia Zhiyuan had angrily scolded Xia Xiuxiu, then secretly used his own pocket money to buy Xia Xiaowan another copy of the Xinhua Dictionary.
Xia Xiaowan treasured that dictionary beyond words, and it had come with her when she married into the Liu family.
When it was time for dinner, Xia Xiaowan helped Lao Ayi with the preparations. Lao Ayi had not wanted her to help at first, but Xia Xiaowan was not someone who could sit around doing nothing.
There was nothing shameful about helping with housework.
Once the dishes had been set out, her Mother-in-Law and father-in-law came home from work.
Xia Xiaowan had just sat down when she saw a handsome man walking down from the second floor. He had long legs, an excellent figure, and was wearing a tracksuit. He was strikingly handsome.
Xia Xiaowan was quite satisfied with Liu Xun’s appearance. His handsome face in particular was beautiful even when he was angry!
Liu Xun greeted his parents, sat down, and began eating.
“Xiaowan, tomorrow is the day you return to your parental home. Take this money and buy some gifts you like to bring over. Lao Ayi, there are some local specialties in the trunk of the car. Take them out for Xiaowan!” Mother-in-Law said to Lao Ayi, her eyes flicking toward Liu Xun from time to time.
“Mom, why do you keep looking at me? Returning to her parental home is Xia Xiaowan’s business. What does it have to do with me? Besides, I have something to do tomorrow. Zhang Guangcheng is coming from Beijing, so I’m driving to pick him up. Oh, right, and there’s also… Han Xuemei…”
Liu Xun spoke slowly as he ate, as if none of it had anything to do with him.
“Han Xuemei… Why does that name sound so familiar?” Mother-in-Law Song Han put down her chopsticks and thought carefully.
“Han, could she be Liu Xun’s classmate…?” Father-in-law’s eyes sharpened, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Liu Xun, tell me honestly. Is this Han Xuemei your classmate—the one you used to date?” Mother-in-Law also remembered.
Liu Xun had a classmate named Han Xuemei. She was short, fair and clean-looking, with large eyes. But no one should underestimate that girl. Back then, she had Liu Xun completely under her thumb, and it had taken him a great deal of effort to finally escape.
Mother-in-Law said, “Liu Xun, no. You’re already married. You can’t keep seeing that Han Xuemei…”
“Mom, I have nothing to do with her anymore. She’s had a boyfriend for a long time. This time, Zhang Guangcheng and she just happen to be passing through here together. I’m merely fulfilling my duty as host!” Liu Xun was somewhat displeased. He felt that his mother was making a mountain out of a molehill and deliberately making the whole family unhappy.
Father-in-law glanced at Liu Xun. “If they’re only stopping by for a simple visit, then there’s no problem. Take your wife with you.”
Liu Xun’s eyes turned cold. He thought that Xia Xiaowan did not know any of his classmates, and it would be awkward to have her tag along while they spent time together. But if he refused to listen to his father, he would make his parents unhappy again.
Forget it. He would just take Xia Xiaowan with him.
……
Today was the day to return to her parental home.
After breakfast, Xia Xiaowan saw cigarettes and bottles of liquor placed on the coffee table in the living room.
“Xiaowan, take these things with you when you return to your parental home. If anything is missing, go buy it at the Supply Cooperative. Your father-in-law and I are going to work!” After saying this, Mother-in-Law linked arms with her husband and went to work.