Xu Yaoyao’s lips curved upward. She smiled proudly at her mother as if to say see my husband just loves spoiling me! She suddenly noticed Jiang Chiye had quite a few good qualities. Her mother had excellent taste. Xu’s mother rolled her eyes feeling utterly speechless and stood up. “I am going to cook now. What would you like to eat?”
“Sweet and sour ribs numbing spicy chicken and steamed meat buns” Xu Yaoyao answered eagerly.
Xu’s mother ignored her and looked straight at her son in law. “Chiye what would you like to eat?”
“Mother I also want sweet and sour ribs” Jiang Chiye answered earnestly.
Xu’s mother glanced at her daughter and said exasperatedly “You just keep spoiling her like this!” She turned and walked into the kitchen feeling like every extra second spent there would only raise her blood pressure. This son in law was a fine man but he spoiled her daughter far too much. And her daughter was exactly the kind of person who would take full advantage and push her luck further. It would not be long before she walked all over Chiye.
Her feeling was entirely correct. Now that she had his promise Xu Yaoyao felt invincible and ordered Jiang Chiye around without hesitation.
“Husband”
Jiang Chiye stiffened all over. He looked down at her deeply his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “What is it?”
“My legs feel a little sore. Could you massage them for me?” As she spoke she rested her legs quite naturally across his thighs and blinked at him. “Please?”
Jiang Chiye paused for a moment his gaze falling on her legs covered neatly by jeans. His eyes darkened a shade. He placed his hands over them and said simply “Of course.”
He rolled up her trouser legs layer by layer revealing slender fair calves. The memory of those very legs from the night before flashed through his mind. His breath caught sharply. His large hands cupped her legs gently and began to knead with soft steady pressure.
“Mmm” Xu Yaoyao lay back in the rattan chair and let out a soft involuntary sound. She had not expected Jiang Chiye to be so skilled at massage. The dull aching heaviness in her calves was already fading.
Hearing that tender sound Jiang Chiye’s mind drifted back to their very first time together. His ears turned bright red instantly. He pressed a little firmer.
“Mmm” Xu Yaoyao looked up at him and asked “Are you doing that on purpose?”
Jiang Chiye feigned innocence. “Doing what on purpose?”
Xu Yaoyao felt a little frustrated and started finding fault. She complained it was too hard then too soft. Jiang Chiye simply let her be.
Xu’s father returned home and saw the scene. His eyes twitched and he gave a quiet deliberate cough.
Jiang Chiye looked up. “Father you are back.”
“Yes” Xu’s father set his bag down glanced at his daughter but said nothing further. He walked into the kitchen and lowered his voice. “Dear I think I saw my mother in the compound.”
Xu’s mother kept stirring the food without even looking up. “That was your mother.”
Xu’s father took the spatula from her hand frowning deeply. “What is she doing here?”
“What else could she be doing? Someone told her Yaoyao got married and now she has her eyes set on our daughter’s dowry” Xu’s mother said. “She also said because I did not give you a son there would be no one to care for us in old age. She told me to leave everything to Huzi and he would look after us.”
Bang Xu’s father slammed the spatula hard against the wok his voice icy with rage. “I am not even dead yet and they already dare to scheme against me. Do they really think I am someone they can push around?”
Xu’s mother looked at him. “She said I did not give you a son and there will be no one to care for you when you are old.”
“Nonsense. I have always loved having a daughter” Xu’s father said firmly. “Dear please do not look at me like that” he added nervously looking at her with genuine hurt in his eyes. “What do you plan to do about your mother? We cannot let her starve here.” She was after all his own mother. If something happened to her here he would never forgive himself and the neighbors would talk endlessly behind their backs.
He spoke with steady resolve. “Dear leave this to me. I will send her back tomorrow. She will not take a single thing that belongs to Yaoyao.”
“Alright” Xu’s mother nodded and stepped back in to take over cooking. Xu’s father helped beside her and soon the meal was ready.
After dinner Xu’s father went out. Xu Yaoyao had a fair idea where he was going and did not press him further.
“Daughter both of you go back to your place to sleep tonight” Xu’s mother said. Her son in law only had a few days of leave and would be returning to the base soon. It did not look right for a newlywed couple to stay apart. Besides now that Sujuan’s daughter had gone to the countryside the house felt far too quiet. She wanted her children to be together even if she did not say it aloud. She understood how things should be.
“Mother are you asking us to leave?” Xu Yaoyao’s eyes went wide in genuine surprise.
Xu’s mother huffed playfully. “You two just got married. It is not proper to spend all your time here at your mother’s home. Your other mother also misses you both.” She still found it a little strange getting used to the fact that her daughter now had another mother to turn to. She felt a tiny twinge of jealousy. It must be the sweet and sour ribs making me feel this way she told herself.
Xu Yaoyao understood her mother’s meaning and did not argue.
Jiang Chiye looked at Xu’s mother his expression serious and sincere. “Mother from now on I am your son. I will take care of you both in your old age. There is no such thing as in laws home versus birth home. This place is our home too.”
Xu’s mother felt her throat tighten and tears pricked at her eyes. She quickly pushed them both toward the door trying to sound casual. “Alright alright. This is your home. Now go and be together at your other home.”
As soon as the door closed Xu’s mother let the tears fall. They were tears of joy. Giving birth to her daughter had been difficult and had left her with poor health. She had never been able to have another child. For years she had endured endless criticism from the old woman for failing to produce a son. Those hurtful words about ending her husband’s family line had haunted her and so she had poured all her love into Yaoyao. If things had been different they would never have moved here and never have met the Jiang family. She had been right all along. Chiye was a man worthy of her daughter. He was responsible strong and dependable.
Meanwhile Xu Yaoyao stepped into Jiang Chiye’s room and looked around. It was simply furnished everything neatly arranged. The quilt was folded into perfect sharp squares. There was even a private bathroom larger than the one in her room.
“Your room is so big” she said. She turned around and bumped straight into his solid chest. Jiang Chiye wrapped his arms around her trapping her gently. She had to tilt her head all the way back just to look at him. He stood well over one hundred and eighty centimeters tall. At one hundred and sixty eight centimeters she was not short yet she still felt small beside him.
A mischievous glint lit her eyes. She reached up and wrapped both arms around his neck jumped up and wrapped her legs firmly around his waist. His hands settled naturally supporting her hips. Their eyes met and Xu Yaoyao could clearly see the deep burning desire in his gaze. She softened her voice and called softly “Husband”
Mmm Jiang Chiye claimed her lips hungrily and kissed her deeply. He kissed her with a hunger that seemed to want to consume her completely. His hands roamed over her caressing her gently then firmly. Xu Yaoyao shivered all over. This was far more thrilling than she had imagined.