When Li Feng saw his wife and children, he hurried over to greet them. “I brought you some fried noodles. Come over and eat.”
Lin Qingxue was taken aback. “Fried noodles?”
“There wasn’t anything else to cook at home, so I could only make fried noodles. Just make do with these for now. Tomorrow, I’ll buy some groceries and make you something delicious.”
Shock filled Lin Qingxue’s beautiful eyes. “You… you didn’t come here to ask me for money?”
How… could that be?
Whenever Li Feng came to her workplace, it was always because he wanted money.
If she said she didn’t have any, he would hit her right in front of the customers.
Even when Aunt Wang and Uncle Zhang tried to protect her, Li Feng always managed to get his way.
And now he was saying he’d made fried noodles and brought them for her and the children?
Li Feng answered earnestly, “I promised I wouldn’t ask you for money again. A man keeps his word.”
He quickly wiped his hands clean, then held the bowl of noodles out to Lin Qingxue, watching her expectantly. “Eat before they get cold. It’s all right if we adults go hungry for a while, but the children shouldn’t.”
Lin Qingxue glanced down at the two little ones behind her. Her heart softened. “Mm.” She took the bowl and led them to a seat nearby. “Eat nicely, you two. Mommy has to get back to work.”
Li Feng hurriedly said, “Wife, you can’t go hungry either. I’ll do your work for you. You take a break.”
Lin Qingxue looked at him in surprise. “You’re willing to work?”
“Of course it’s only right that I work for my wife. You’ve been busy all day, so you must be tired. Just eat in peace. I’ll get to work.” With that, Li Feng hurried off to help serve the customers.
Lin Qingxue stared blankly after him. Only after a while did she murmur, “Has he really repented?”
“Mommy, these fried noodles are yummy. Try some.” Xiao An’an awkwardly picked up a strand of noodles with her chopsticks and held it out to Lin Qingxue.
Lin Qingxue leaned forward and took a bite.
The moment she bit into them, her eyes lit up.
The noodles were chewy, and the pickled vegetables added a tangy flavor that whetted her appetite.
She turned to look at Li Feng. The chubby man was weaving through the crowd, sweat covering his round face.
Li Feng really did seem like a different person.
Deep in her heart, a glimmer of hope rose, and a light flashed in her eyes.
An’an asked happily in her little voice, “Is it good?”
“Mm, it’s delicious,” Lin Qingxue replied gently. “If you like it, An’an, eat some more.”
The little girl nodded vigorously, then turned to feed Xiaoze. “Big Brother, have some too.”
Xiaoze turned his face away. “I don’t want any!”
An’an pouted. “But it’s really yummy.”
Lin Qingxue stroked Xiaoze’s hair and smiled. “If you don’t eat any, An’an will be sad.”
Xiaoze’s little face was torn.
He looked at his bad Daddy, busy in the distance, then at his little sister, gazing at him expectantly. Finally, he gave in. “I’ll eat.”
An’an immediately cheered up and fed him.
As Li Feng worked, he kept his wife and children in the corner of his eye.
Seeing them happily eating the noodles he’d made filled him with contentment.
Qingxue, An’an, and Xiaoze were all willing to eat the food he made. That was wonderful!
If he kept trying, one day he’d win their hearts back.
Li Feng threw himself into the work. Besides wiping tables, he kept volunteering for more.
Lin Qingxue was just about to take a customer’s order when Li Feng rushed over and took the job from her. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Go rest, Wife. I’ve got this.”
Lin Qingxue had just picked up a plate to wash when Li Feng took it from her too. “How could I let my wife do this kind of rough work? Go keep An’an and Xiaoze company.”
Aunt Wang stopped Lin Qingxue. “He’s finally gotten off his backside and worked for once. Don’t bother; just leave the work to him.”
“But he’s never done this kind of work before. I’m afraid he won’t be able to keep up…” Lin Qingxue explained to Aunt Wang.
The barbecue stall was busy. Even she, an experienced hand, could barely keep up. Li Feng wasn’t used to the work, so he was bound to be flustered.
And on top of that, he was fat. Making him handle everything alone was asking too much of him.
Aunt Wang raised her voice, deliberately speaking so Li Feng would hear. “He seems to be doing a pretty good job to me, doesn’t he, Li Feng?”
“Absolutely,” Li Feng chimed in. “The more I work, the more weight I can lose.”
Aunt Wang nodded with satisfaction. “Well, look at you acting like a decent human being for once. Treat Qingxue better from now on.”