Tang Ximian nodded: “Our wages will be paid next week! But with these, earning money will be easier!” She patted her bag.
This small bag was something she bought for herself after earning extra income from work. It cost one yuan and fifty cents, had a simple design, and was reasonably spacious enough to make do with.
After all, they were in someone else’s vehicle, so no matter how many sweet nothings she wanted to say, now wasn’t the time.
By the time they got home, it was already quite late. The old policeman didn’t stay for dinner and left.
However, when he returned to town to refuel, he saw the ten yuan.
“This girl!”
The old policeman chuckled helplessly; the money seemed to carry a new warmth…
In the Chu Family’s courtyard, Tang Ximian looked at Chu Jiangchuan, who was staring intently at her, her heart pounding wildly.
“What’s going on?” Seeing that the two seemed to be arguing, Xu Guangfen didn’t hesitate to scold her son first: “If you have something to say, just say it! Why pretend to be mute?”
Chu Jiangchuan pulled her into the house, carefully asking: “Do I have to follow you every single moment? Huh?!”
Tang Ximian flashed him a grin, showing her small white teeth, and smiled ingratiatingly.
Chu Jiangrong noticed her arm had swollen: “What happened to your arm?”
“Your sister-in-law is something else!” Chu Jiangchuan pointed at her arm: “While eating on the street, she saw someone wielding a knife and attacking people. She went to rescue them and got injured!”
Tang Ximian downplayed it: “I’m fine! That guy turned out to be a murderer, and he’s been arrested now! I even got two thousand yuan!”
She took out the money, but the old woman’s expression turned cold. She reached out and poked Tang Ximian’s forehead hard: “You silly girl! Money is important, but you’re more important!”
Chu Jiangrong carefully examined her injury and only relaxed when she saw the redness and swelling had subsided: “Mianmian, what were you thinking! Even if our family is short on money, you can’t do this!”
“Ah, Sis, don’t overthink it. I just saw there was a child there!” Tang Ximian wasn’t angry about being poked by the old woman; instead, her eyes reddened with emotion: “I’m really fine! It’s just not fully healed yet and still hurts a little!”
The family didn’t bring it up again. The old woman took over all the household chores, and whenever Tang Ximian tried to help, she’d smack her hand: “Go rest in your room!”
The family counted the huge sum of two thousand yuan several times. Combined with what Tang Ximian had earned before, they now had over two thousand five hundred yuan!
Adding the money from selling Mai Zi (wheat) and other miscellaneous income, it was almost three thousand.
Chu Jiangchuan wanted to add his own money to it, but the old woman refused: “Keep some money for yourselves!”
Nana held her worn-out cloth tiger and watched from a distance for a long time before speaking: “Grandma, Nana doesn’t want treatment anymore!”
Chu Jiangrong turned to look at her daughter, her heart aching: “Nana…”
“Auntie suffered so much because of Nana. Sorry, Auntie, Nana doesn’t want treatment anymore!”
Nana’s eyes reddened, and tears streamed down.
Contrary to her usual self, Tang Ximian didn’t offer comfort: “Why should you? You have to get better to repay me! This money is just a loan to your family—you have to pay it back after you recover! Do you think we’re not making you work now for no reason?”
Nana was stunned.
“Besides, your father Lu Dazhuang is still alive and kicking. Haven’t you seen that bad guy get what he deserves? Don’t you want to live? You’re just too useless!”
“You’re lying!” Nana abruptly stood up from the kang: “Nana didn’t!”
Tang Ximian snorted: “You won’t eat properly, don’t want treatment, don’t want to get better – you’re just a coward!”
“I’m not!”
Nana’s hands began trembling, but she forced herself under control, breathing heavily: “Nana didn’t! Didn’t!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, yet miraculously she didn’t collapse, stubbornly holding on: “Nana will get better! I’ll pay you back!”
Only then did a slight smile appear on Tang Ximian’s face: “That’s more like it!”
Whether out of spite or not, Nana ate quite a lot that evening and even volunteered to sweep the floor.
Seeing the child so energetic, the whole family secretly chuckled.
Tang Ximian: “If she’d attended even one day of school, she wouldn’t have been fooled so easily by me!”
Back in their room, Chu Jiangchuan’s first action was to remove Tang Ximian’s outer garment.
After confirming her arm only had one cut and there were no other injuries on her body, Chu Jiangchuan pressed her onto the kang: “Sit down!”
The man’s handsome face was dark, his voice extremely stern.
Knowing he was worried about her, Tang Ximian watched him leave with a smiling gaze.
Chu Jiangchuan soon returned with water, first washing her face.
“Don’t move.” He held her hand, his voice gentle yet restrained.
Tang Ximian let him wipe her face, smiling somewhat pitifully: “Can’t you smile at me…”
Chu Jiangchuan remained silent, bending down to remove her shoes and socks, slowly placing her feet into the water.
Splash!
The clear sound of water droplets made Tang Ximian startle.
“Mianmian…” Chu Jiangchuan looked up at her, his eyes brimming with tears: “Let’s not take risks, okay?”
“I don’t ask for great wealth, only that we can stay together safely!”
Looking at his tearful eyes, Tang Ximian unconsciously recalled her previous life, her hands trembling as she held his: “I’m sorry… sorry Jiangchuan… I’m sorry…”
She never thought she’d make him cry again in this lifetime, yet…
She still failed.
Chu Jiangchuan embraced her and kissed her fiercely, their tears tasting bitter, but neither cared.
He protected Tang Ximian’s injured arm carefully – even when she was pressed against the bedding, it remained completely unharmed.
The moment everything abruptly stopped, Tang Ximian pushed discontentedly at the man above her: “What are you doing!”
Chu Jiangchuan shielded her, one hand pulling open the quilt, breathing rapidly: “No, you’re still injured…”
Before he could finish, he was pressed into the bedding: “Such a nagging man…”
Chu Jiangchuan: “…”
A man who hadn’t properly eaten meat for two weeks was indeed formidable, Tang Ximian thought in a moment before losing consciousness – if I hadn’t held him down, would I have gotten any sleep tonight?
Waking the next morning with the sun high, she saw Nana washing clothes behind her mother, who didn’t speak when Tang Ximian emerged.
Chu Jiangchuan shook his head helplessly – such a stubborn little girl!
Naturally, Tang Ximian wouldn’t argue with a child, pulling Chu Jiangchuan to show him her spices: “This is what I mentioned for making barbecue. Now we only need to find Ziran and Xiao Huixiang.”
“What do they look like?” Chu Jiangchuan asked.
Tang Ximian casually picked up a tree branch and sketched it out for him: “It’s like this. I was thinking no matter what, we still need our own business. You can’t just rely on odd jobs to get by!”
Chu Jiangchuan looked at her drawing and nodded: “We have those in our mountains! I’ll go find some for you!”
Tang Ximian wanted to go with him, but Chu Jiangchuan refused: “You’d better rest at home. You’re still injured—don’t be reckless.”
“But you were the one who… yesterday…” Tang Ximian blushed and pinched the soft flesh at his waist.
Chu Jiangchuan covered her mouth: “Don’t you know what shame is?”