Qiu Mingjie noticed her gaze shifting between him and Lu Changfeng, a strange smile lingering on her face. He asked discontentedly, “What do you mean by that?”
Su Wanqing snapped back to reality. “Nothing much. If you’re staying for lunch at my place, I’ll make an extra dish.”
Qiu Mingjie said, “I’ll stay. I just want to see if your cooking is even edible.”
Lu Changfeng shot him a glare. “Su Wanqing’s cooking is quite good.”
As he spoke, he handed the retrieved money to Su Wanqing. She looked at the stack of bills, her hands trembling with excitement.
This was three thousand yuan in 1983—almost equivalent to hundreds of thousands in the future.
It was a pity she couldn’t buy property now; otherwise, she would have hoarded houses. By the time they were demolished for redevelopment, she could have become wealthy.
Su Wanqing cautiously asked, “Are you giving all this money to me?”
Lu Changfeng replied, “It was yours to begin with.”
His attitude annoyed Qiu Mingjie, who gritted his teeth and said, “Wait, so I spent all that effort just to get the money back for her? Aren’t you afraid she’ll turn around and give it all to her family again?”
Su Wanqing rolled her eyes at him. “Am I that stupid?”
“Yes!” Qiu Mingjie answered without hesitation.
Lu Changfeng frowned, defending Su Wanqing. “Getting the money back was her idea.”
Qiu Mingjie still found it hard to believe. “You’re really not going to give money to your family anymore?”
Su Wanqing nodded solemnly. “They have hands and feet; why should I support them? It’s better to spend the money on the children.”
Qiu Mingjie looked as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Lu Changfeng pulled him to sit down, while Su Wanqing poured each of them a glass of water and brought out two pieces of walnut cookies before heading into the kitchen to cook.
Leaving a bewildered Qiu Mingjie behind, he muttered, “Has Su Wanqing been possessed?”
Lu Changfeng said, “She told me she had postpartum depression before, gave up on herself, but now she’s come to her senses. I looked it up—there is such an illness that can cause a drastic change in someone’s temperament. Since she’s willing to be good to the children, I’ll give her a chance.”
Qiu Mingjie felt something was off in every way. “You, a man of exceptional talent and background, are going to spend your whole life with this… overweight woman?”
Lu Changfeng sighed. “She’s quite pitiful too. After all, I was the one who got her pregnant back then.”
Qiu Mingjie felt exasperated. “Can you tolerate a woman like this for a lifetime?”
Lu Changfeng was handsome, came from a good family, and was talented himself. To end up with such a woman, Qiu Mingjie felt he had the worst luck imaginable.
Lu Changfeng fell silent. He didn’t know either. Perhaps they would separate once the children grew up.
Lu Changfeng said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. What about you? Any plans lately?”
Qiu Mingjie was currently working as a speculator, dealing in scarce goods on the market and making a fortune.
Lu Changfeng reminded him to be careful and avoid getting caught. Qiu Mingjie might seem loud and impulsive, but he was actually meticulous.
“Don’t worry, I’m being careful.”
The two chatted for a while, and by then, Su Wanqing had already efficiently prepared lunch.
She made stir-fried celery with dried tofu, braised chicken with chestnuts, steamed sea bass, stir-fried Shanghai greens with mushrooms, and tomato and meatball soup.
She made so many dishes to thank Qiu Mingjie and Lu Changfeng for their help. She didn’t have much else to repay Lu Changfeng with, so she wanted to make his time at home more comfortable.
The table was filled with dishes that were aromatic, flavorful, and visually appealing, making Qiu Mingjie even more convinced he was witnessing something supernatural.
Was this really the lazy woman from Lu Changfeng’s household?
The children were called back for lunch. Faced with such a feast, the three children immediately buried their heads in their meals.
Qiu Mingjie tried each dish, and surprisingly, the flavors were exceptionally delicious.
Since Su Wanqing had bought Red Plum monosodium glutamate, she added a moderate amount while stir-frying, greatly enhancing the taste.
Su Wanqing served a bowl of tomato and minced pork soup to Lu Changfeng. After tasting it, Lu Changfeng found the lean meat tender and smooth, and the soup savory. This dish wasn’t available in Jiangcheng, so Lu Changfeng had never tried it before. He asked her, “Where is this dish from? How do you know how to make it?”
Naturally, Su Wanqing had learned it from a food blogger in her previous life, but she lied, “It’s a dish from southern Anhui, taught to me by a former coworker.”
Lu Tiantian said, “This meat is so delicious.”
The two boys ate so eagerly they nearly bit their tongues.
After the meal, Lu Changfeng offered to wash the dishes, but Su Wanqing refused. Having just taken so much money from him, she felt she needed to put in a good performance.
Lu Changfeng walked Qiu Mingjie to the door. Although Qiu Mingjie thought Su Wanqing’s cooking was good and she was no longer lazy, he still couldn’t accept the idea of his good friend being paired with such a large, overweight woman.
“Brother, consider my suggestion—divorce her and find someone better. She really isn’t worthy of you.”
Lu Changfeng shook his head. “I promised her three months, so I’ll give her three months.”
“Stubborn as a mule,” Qiu Mingjie muttered as he rode away on his bicycle.
Lu Changfeng returned home to find Su Wanqing still busy in the kitchen. When she finally finished and came out, he was talking to Lu An’an.
Lu An’an said, “Dad, can you leave tomorrow morning instead?” He was always reluctant whenever his father had to leave.
Lu Changfeng shook his head. “If I leave tomorrow morning, I might not make it to work on time.”
Lu An’an tugged at his hand reluctantly. “Alright then!”
Su Wanqing asked Lu Changfeng, “Do you need me to help you pack your luggage?”
Lu Changfeng replied, “There’s not much to pack—just a few clothes and some books.”
This man had been treated terribly by the original host, Su Wanqing thought. She needed to take good care of her benefactor.
“Then wait for me a moment. I’ll go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy you some snacks. I know you’re busy at the Research Institute and might not always have time to eat.” Lu Changfeng’s face was so gaunt it looked as if it had been carved with a knife.
Lu Changfeng was about to refuse, but Lu An’an chimed in, “Dad, don’t turn down Mom’s kindness!”
Su Wanqing took some money and food coupons and headed out. As soon as she entered the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, she ran into Song Tian’e, the belle of the Red Star Machinery Factory.
Song Tian’e was there to buy clothes for her wedding day. When she saw Su Wanqing, her face twisted with disdain.
“Fatty, you’re already so big, and you’re still here buying food?”
In her eyes, all of Su Wanqing’s family’s money should belong to her. She believed Su Wanqing was spending what was rightfully hers.
Su Wanqing glared at her. “Who do you think you are, meddling in my affairs? What business is it of yours how I spend my own money?”
Song Tian’e retorted, “I’m Su Jianjun’s fiancée. All your money should go to the Su Family. Do you think what you buy has nothing to do with me?”
Su Wanqing sneered and said loudly, “Have you no shame? Why should my money go to your Su Family? You’re young and able-bodied, yet you want to be a leech. Let me tell you, there’s no chance of that.”
Su Wanqing’s loud voice drew the attention of others nearby. Song Tian’e couldn’t bear such humiliation and lunged at Su Wanqing, trying to hit her.
Su Wanqing reacted swiftly, kicking her and causing her to miss her target and fall flat on her face.
Song Tian’e couldn’t understand how the usually timid Su Wanqing had suddenly fought back, making her look like a fool.
She quickly called out to Su Jianjun, who was not far away.
Su Jianjun hurried over upon hearing the cry and saw Song Tian’e collapsed on the ground. He quickly helped her up and asked, “How did you fall out of nowhere?”
Song Tian’e threw herself into Su Jianjun’s arms, crying, and pointed at Su Wanqing, who was already selecting food.
“She pushed me.” As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and Su Jianjun felt as if his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys were all shattered with distress.
Moreover, earlier that morning, she had even sent Lu Changfeng to their home to demand money. With old grudges and new grievances piled up, Su Jianjun was furious at the sight of Su Wanqing. He roared, “Su Wanqing, come over here and apologize to Tian’e!”
Su Wanqing, holding a can of Malted Milk Powder, glanced up at him and said, “Why should I?”