Seeing Qian San’s expression had already turned extremely unpleasant, someone finally stepped forward to smooth things over. “Xiao Ji is newly married and should head home early to accompany his bride. We brothers have plenty of chances to drink together. Let’s allow Xiao Ji to return home early today.”
Xiao Ji wasn’t the type to press an advantage, so upon hearing this, he smiled, cupped his hands in farewell to the group, and took his leave.
Watching his retreating figure as he strode quickly toward the city, the men couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement. Someone remarked, “Who would have thought Xiao Ji would be so doting on his wife.”
Xiao Ji was already far away by then, so they weren’t afraid of him overhearing. One man said with a sly grin, “If you’d been a bachelor until twenty-five like Xiao Ji, you’d be doting too.”
This comment sparked a round of hearty laughter from the group.
Only Qian San remained sullen and unhappy.
His position at the Guard Station was also secured thanks to his wife’s family. However, with a shrewish wife at home who seized his entire monthly salary the moment it arrived, he had to shamelessly mooch drinks off his colleagues whenever he wanted a tipple outside, which depressed him greatly.
Yesterday, during his day off while idly wandering outside, a few local ruffians suddenly approached him. They said someone had taken a dislike to Xiao Ji’s newlywed wife and wanted him to use some petty tricks to make the Xie family’s young mistress suffer a bit.
Qian San had no past grievances or recent conflicts with Xiao Ji and initially had no desire to make trouble for him. But the man immediately took out ten taels of silver, stuffed it into his hand as a “hardship fee,” and promised another ten taels upon successful completion.
Qian San, a man with few principles to begin with, accepted almost without a second thought for the sake of the silver. He figured making a woman suffer couldn’t be hard; he just needed to wag his tongue and stir up a little trouble to achieve the goal.
Thus, as soon as his shift ended today, he eagerly gathered a bunch of men to invite Xiao Ji for drinks. But he never expected Xiao Ji to be someone who didn’t play by the usual rules. Not only did his words fail to provoke Xiao Ji, but he ended up being publicly ridiculed by Xiao Ji in front of so many people. It was utterly infuriating.
Most hateful of all, since he failed to achieve his objective, not only would he not get the remaining ten taels, but he’d probably have to return the ten taels already in his pocket.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt cheated.
After leaving the Guard Station, Xiao Ji wasn’t in a hurry to go home. Instead, he turned a corner and headed for the Tu Family Butcher Shop.
The Tu brothers were united and hardworking, running a very prosperous butcher shop. Mentioning the Tu Family Butcher Shop in West City was quite well-known.
As soon as Xiao Ji stood there, Tu Laosan recognized him as his brother-in-law’s colleague and hurried over to attend to him.
Xiao Ji had come precisely to stir the pot, so he didn’t beat around the bush. He straightforwardly mentioned how Qian San had gone gambling with others the month before last, instantly infuriating Tu Laosan.
“His sister gets up before dawn and works until dark, slaughtering pigs and selling meat to support the family, and Qian San dares to gamble outside!” Tu Laosan said bitterly.
Having achieved his purpose, Xiao Ji returned home satisfied. Just as he entered the alley, he saw the wispy smoke rising from his own kitchen chimney, making his steps even lighter.
Xie Linlang had been doing embroidery work for half a day. Seeing that it was about time, she got up and entered the kitchen to prepare dinner.
When steaming the rice, she had originally put in only two bowls of rice. But remembering what Sister-in-law Qiao said during the day about Xiao Ji eating a whole bucket of rice in one meal, she added another bowl of white rice to the pot.
Thinking that Xiao Ji endured wind and sun all day at Zhengyang Gate and wouldn’t have the strength for duty if he didn’t eat well, she also stir-fried a meat dish for dinner.
Just as Xiao Ji entered the door, Xie Linlang’s meal happened to be ready.
Seeing him return, Xie Linlang gestured with her chin toward the corridor. “There’s warm water in the basin. Wash your hands and come eat.”
Xiao Ji had long been lured by the enticing aroma from the kitchen. Hearing her call, he walked to the corridor, washed his hands and face thoroughly, and then sat down at the dining table.
On the table, a bowl of braised pork with a glossy, reddish-brown sheen looked incredibly tempting. Xie Linlang brought over the rice and, seeing him staring at the meat, smiled as she said, “The weather is hot, and meat doesn’t keep well, so I made a bit extra today. Have more.”
Xiao Ji took the rice and nodded instinctively. “Alright, you have more too.”
Xie Linlang’s braised pork had been taught to her by the cook at Xie Manor. Not only did it look appealing, but its flavor was also top-notch.
Xiao Ji ate one mouthful after another with his rice, not even lifting his head. Xie Linlang, however, wasn’t particularly fond of fatty meat and only picked out the potatoes stewed with the meat, along with another plate of greens, to go with her rice.
Seeing Xiao Ji enjoy the meal made her happy too. After all, she had put effort into making it, and if he didn’t like it, it would be both a waste and a futile effort.
Xiao Ji loved meat, and he felt that Xie Linlang’s braised pork was quite different from what he usually ate. It melted in his mouth and carried a subtle hint of wine—though he couldn’t quite describe it, it was simply delicious.
But he didn’t just focus on eating by himself. Seeing Xie Linlang only picking at the potatoes, he assumed she was being frugal and quickly pushed the plate toward her. “There’s plenty left. Have some too.”
In Xiao Ji’s mind, no one in the world disliked meat. Xie Linlang didn’t argue with his kindness and smiled as she picked up a piece. “You eat it. I don’t like fatty meat.”
Xiao Ji, on the other hand, loved fatty meat, finding lean meat too dry and tough to chew.
But perhaps it was just that girls from wealthy families disliked fatty meat. Soon after, Xie Linlang noticed that whenever Xiao Ji picked up a piece of braised pork, he would split it in two—taking the fatty part for himself and leaving the lean meat in the plate.
With just the two of them at home, it was obvious who the lean meat was meant for.
Xie Linlang felt a warmth in her heart. Though it was a small gesture, the fact that Xiao Ji thought of it and acted on it touched her deeply.
Seeing Xie Linlang eat the lean meat he had separated for her, Xiao Ji breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t overthink it, simply assuming that Xie Linlang’s poor health was likely due to picky eating and not eating properly.
As her husband, it was only right for him to be more considerate.
After dinner, Xiao Ji took the initiative to wash the dishes.
His wife was in poor health, and cooking was already tiring enough for her. Making her wash pots and dishes on top of that would be unreasonable.
The more Xie Linlang observed, the more she found Xiao Ji agreeable. She didn’t hold to the idea that “a gentleman stays away from the kitchen.” After all, she had married an ordinary man, and if even ordinary people clung to such outdated rules, who would help in the kitchen if she became pregnant or gave birth in the future?
While waiting for Xiao Ji to finish washing the dishes, Xie Linlang mentioned her idea of building a small stove in the kitchen. Without hesitation, Xiao Ji agreed right away.
A few days later, when Sister-in-law Qiao brought her children to visit the Xiao household, she noticed that the courtyard had changed significantly.
In one corner of the east wing, a chicken coop had been added, with several hens clucking inside their cages. The coop was kept clean, with no unpleasant smell even up close.
Near the courtyard gate, against the wall, stood a peach tree that had been transplanted from somewhere. Its leaves were lush and vibrant, full of life.
Beneath the tree, a set of stone table and stools had been placed, with soft cushions thoughtfully laid on the stools—clearly a woman’s touch.
Shitou excitedly ran to the tree and, pointing at the peach tree, asked Xie Linlang, “Auntie, when can we eat the peaches?”
Sister-in-law Qiao also said with a smile, “When did you plant this peach tree?”
Xie Linlang carried the teapot to the stone table and invited Sister-in-law Qiao to sit down. “A few days ago, I mentioned that the courtyard felt too empty. As soon as Xiao Ji got off duty, he somehow brought back such a large peach tree. I was quite startled at the time.”