Huo Zheng glanced at him indifferently. “What? You’ve got a problem with it?”
Zhao Yingjun shook his head quickly. “How would I dare have a problem!”
Seeing that Su Qian’an wasn’t around, he lowered his voice and continued, “But seriously, Brother Zheng, don’t you think sister-in-law has changed a lot recently?”
So much so that he almost felt like she had become a completely different person.
If it weren’t for the fact that superstition was not allowed now, he would have seriously suspected she was possessed or something. It was just too abnormal.
Huo Zheng replied calmly, “No matter how much she changes, she’s still Su Qian’an.”
Zhao Yingjun nodded. “That’s true.”
“But—”
“Enough. Stop talking. Watch the fire. If the food burns later, you’ll eat it all.”
Zhao Yingjun immediately shut his mouth.
With their cooperation, the meal was quickly finished. Huo Zheng went to call Su Qian’an for dinner.
Today’s dishes were simpler than before: steamed eggs, stir-fried shredded potatoes with cured meat, and a plate of greens.
Zhao Yingjun ate heartily, praising nonstop. “Brother Zheng, I didn’t expect you to cook this well. If Song Huaisheng knew I was eating your cooking, he’d be jealous to death.”
Song Huaisheng was one of their group of friends.
Huo Zheng looked at him in disgust. “Can’t you shut up while eating?”
Zhao Yingjun grinned foolishly and continued chatting about other topics.
Su Qian’an ate quietly in small bites. She wasn’t interested in their conversation, but occasionally responded a little.
After the meal, Huo Zheng told Zhao Yingjun to wash the dishes, and Zhao Yingjun obediently did as told.
Not long after eating, Su Qian’an yawned lazily. Her large almond eyes were covered in a layer of mist, full of sleepiness.
“If you’re sleepy, go sleep.”
“Mm.” she replied softly.
After she went inside, Huo Zheng took a shovel and went to the small patch of land outside the house, clearing the weeds so she wouldn’t have to do it after waking up in the afternoon.
Zhao Yingjun came out after washing the dishes and drying his hands, leaning by the door as he watched.
Tsk. Married men really were different—no longer as free as when they were single.
In the afternoon, when Su Qian’an woke up, little Huo Jibei had also woken up. He was playing with his own chubby little feet happily, neither crying nor making a fuss.
Her heart softened. She leaned down and kissed his soft little cheek.
The baby froze for a moment, then realized it was her and immediately grinned happily, giggling sweetly.
His voice was soft and babyish, extremely adorable.
Su Qian’an got out of bed and planned to weed the small field outside, but when she went out, she found that not only had the weeds been removed, the soil had also been turned over. No need to guess—it was definitely done by Huo Zheng.
She couldn’t help but laugh softly. All her work for the day had already been done. She had nothing left to do.
The clothes hanging in the yard were already dry. She took them down and folded them neatly. Seeing that some of Huo Zheng’s clothes were torn at the seams, she found a needle and thread and mended them, then also took out the folded clothes in the wardrobe and repaired them all together.
Little Huo Jibei played quietly by her side the entire time.
Time passed quietly. The sun slowly slanted westward. She blinked her tired eyes, rubbed her stiff shoulders, and looked outside in surprise.
How did time pass so quickly?
Little Huo Jibei had fallen asleep at some point, sprawled out with drool at the corner of his mouth.
She gently wiped him clean with his bib and patted his little face before going outside.
Normally, Huo Zheng would already be back by now, but today he was still not home.
She went to the kitchen and found some potatoes and two white radishes. That would be enough for dinner.
She began peeling and slicing them. Her movements were awkward at first, but gradually became smoother and more skillful.
After preparing the food, the work bell rang.
She started lighting the fire and cooking.
When Huo Zheng returned, dinner was already ready.
“You’re back? Wash your hands and eat,” she said with a smile.
Huo Zheng had thought he would be late tonight and hurried back, but unexpectedly she had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him.
An indescribable warmth surged in his heart.
“Mm.” His voice was slightly hoarse.
At the dinner table, the two of them ate in a warm, peaceful atmosphere.
Noticing his appetite seemed unusually good tonight, Su Qian’an saw him already on his third bowl of rice, about to go for a fourth, and couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you full eating so much?” She had cooked extra tonight—it should be enough.
Her gaze fell on his unchanged stomach, and she blinked in confusion.
Where did all that food go? Why wasn’t his stomach even slightly bloated?
Huo Zheng paused. “I’m fine.”
“Oh.”
She didn’t ask further and continued eating slowly.
“Why are you back so late tonight?”
“Something came up,” he replied while quickly eating.
She lowered her gaze obediently. This was already the second time she had heard him say that. The first was the day they registered their marriage when Zhao Yingjun came to look for him.
What exactly was he busy with outside?
Just as he was about to get a fifth bowl, she stopped him. “Won’t you feel bloated eating that much?”
He usually ate three bowls, but today it was already five. She was worried he might hurt his stomach.
“It’s fine. I can still eat.”
He mixed the remaining soup into his rice and finished it quickly.
“…”
Forget it. If he eats himself sick, that’s on him.
After dinner, Huo Zheng insisted on washing the dishes. She let him, and carried little Huo Jibei to the gate to sit.
It was just getting dark. In this era, there wasn’t much entertainment at night—people mostly came out after dinner to chat.
Several villagers passed by the Huo house, and their attitudes toward her were noticeably better than before, though no one came too close.
She didn’t mind.
An older woman directly sat down beside her and started chatting. She didn’t know her, but the woman was very familiar.
“Those rumors about you and that educated youth were all misunderstandings. I don’t know which gossiping fool made up such nonsense to ruin your reputation,” the woman said angrily.
The woman’s name was Ma Youlan, living not far away—less than a hundred meters from them. She had heard about it in the fields today and had even scolded the rumor spreaders.
Su Qian’an raised her eyebrows slightly. So it seemed the women from yesterday had helped clear her name.
She pretended to be moved. “Thank you, Aunt Youlan, for believing me.”
Ma Youlan looked at her with sympathy. Such a good girl… before those rumors, she had even considered proposing a marriage between her son and the Su family.
But thinking of the Su family’s big household, she gave up that idea.
That family… was no good.