Previously, Tang Ximian had always slept on the kang while Chu Jiangchuan slept on the long bench, but now that everything was out in the open…
“Wait.” Tang Ximian mustered her courage and grabbed Chu Jiangchuan as he headed toward the bench. “Sleep on the kang!”
Chu Jiangchuan’s eyes were deep and intense. “Do you know what you’re saying?”
“I’m telling you to sleep on the kang, not with me…” Tang Ximian’s voice grew softer as she spoke. “What are you misunderstanding?”
Chu Jiangchuan couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “You silly girl.”
This was the first time Tang Ximian had ever shared a bed with a man. Although she had come to Chu Jiangchuan out of gratitude and knew he had feelings for her, still…
“Don’t worry,” Chu Jiangchuan said gently. “If you’re not ready, I won’t touch you. I suppose this counts as… a good start for us, doesn’t it?”
Tang Ximian murmured in agreement, “Mm… I suppose so! Oh, by the way, you didn’t soak your feet long enough today—tomorrow you need to do it longer!”
“Alright, let’s sleep.”
Though they left enough space for two people between them, both slept soundly.
Tang Ximian dreamed for a long time and woke to bright daylight.
Xu Guangfen was already turning the Mai Zi. Tang Ximian hurriedly got up to prepare breakfast.
“Up so early?” After yesterday’s events, Xu Guangfen’s attitude had softened considerably.
“Yes, Mom, I’ll make breakfast!” Tang Ximian smiled warmly at her mother-in-law.
Anyone would be unhappy marrying a restless daughter-in-law, and she understood why her mother-in-law had been harsh in her previous life.
Xu Guangfen felt as if she hadn’t fully woken up and rubbed her face.
Chu Jiangchuan soon got ready as well, changing into a black shirt. “Mom, where’s Mianmian?”
“In the kitchen!” Xu Guangfen grumbled, “You only recognize your wife on the kang and your shoes off it!”
Chu Jiangchuan chuckled and went to help Tang Ximian tend the fire in the kitchen.
Noticing they still had a few eggs left, Tang Ximian boiled three and warmed up some flatbreads.
Xu Guangfen’s heart ached at the sight of the eggs, but she held her tongue.
Oh well, everyone needed energy for work. If this young lady was finally willing to cook, she wasn’t about to complain. It was enough that they weren’t arguing!
“Mom, our days of earning money are still ahead!” Tang Ximian said only this.
Xu Guangfen didn’t believe her, but she’d be content if Tang Ximian just stopped causing trouble.
What could she do? Her son was smitten.
There was more work to do that day. When lunchtime arrived, Tang Ximian volunteered to go home and cook. “Mom, Jiangchuan, I’m going to make sure everyone eats well today! We still have some rice, right? I’ll stir-fry some dishes to go with it!”
Xu Guangfen couldn’t hold back any longer. “Mianmian, we can’t spend money like this! The flatbreads are enough to fill us up!”
Tang Ximian turned to Chu Jiangchuan. “But I feel bad for Jiangchuan~”
The older woman fell silent.
Her son was her weak spot!
A triumphant smile spread across Tang Ximian’s face. She shot Chu Jiangchuan a playful glance and headed home.
On the way, she ran into Fang Juan, who had been waiting for her.
“Mianmian, are you really planning to spend your life with that cripple?” Fang Juan’s eyes darted around. “You can’t just confine yourself to this little place!”
“Who are you calling a cripple?” Tang Ximian’s expression darkened. “Listen carefully—I am Chu Jiangchuan’s wife! If you ever speak of him that way in front of me again, just see what happens!”
“But what about you and Xia Wenbo…”
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do!” Tang Ximian didn’t want to talk to her any longer and walked past her.
Fang Juan glared fiercely at her retreating figure.
Why did she suddenly change her mind? Then how could she marry Chu Jiangchuan? Would all the good days in the future become hers? What did she mean by those words earlier?
No!
Having been reborn, she couldn’t stay in this small mountain village for the rest of her life…
Back home, Tang Ximian steamed rice, picked cucumbers and green beans from the field by the house, and bought a jin of meat from the small grocery store.
She smashed the cucumbers, shredded the green beans and stir-fried them with meat. Once the rice was cooked and the dishes were ready, she packed them into two large lunchboxes and headed straight to the fields.
She had used the entire jin of meat in the dish!
When Xu Guangfen lifted the lid and saw the smashed cucumbers, she remained relatively calm. But when she saw the generous amount of shredded meat mixed with the green beans, she was furious: “This is money we’re eating!”
“We’ll have money after selling the wheat!” Tang Ximian didn’t back down: “Shouldn’t I feed you and my husband?”
Her round eyes stared directly: “If you’re so upset, then eat more!”
“Alright, it’s already done. Let’s eat first. After we’re full, we’ll work harder!” Chu Jiangchuan said, holding the old woman back.
Their field was next to the village chief’s. Seeing this, the village chief felt unexpectedly relieved: “Mianmian has grown up!”
Tang Ximian picked up several chopsticksful of vegetables and a scoop of rice, bringing them over: “Uncle, thank you for looking after us all these years!”
Lin Zhiguo shook his head: “Take it back and eat it yourself! You have it hard enough!”
“Please eat it. We won’t miss this portion—just want you to have a taste!” Tang Ximian said, taking one of the cornbread cakes made by the village chief’s wife: “Let me try one of Auntie’s cakes!”
Waving her hand: “I’m off now!”
Watching her like this, the village chief’s wife whispered: “This is much better than how she used to be!”
“Yeah…”
The snow-white rice was soft and glutinous, the shredded meat and green beans were fragrantly stir-fried, and with a serving of cold smashed cucumbers, Chu Jiangchuan couldn’t help but praise: “It’s really delicious!”
Lin Song, Lin Zhiguo’s son, laughed: “Brother Chuan! Sister-in-law’s cooking is great! You should open a restaurant someday!”
Although Xu Guangfen complained about the cost, the two large lunchboxes of food were completely finished, without a single grain of rice left.
After a busy day, the two mu of land was finally fully tended to. They returned by lantern light, but before they could enter the house, Tang Ximian was startled by a figure curled up by the firewood pile.
“Who’s there?”
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Jiangchuan had already stepped in front of her.
“It’s me!”
It was a woman. She stepped out, and by the dim lantern light, her features bore some resemblance to Chu Jiangchuan.
“Eldest sister?!”
Chu Jiangchuan was stunned: “Why are you back at this hour?”
Tang Ximian understood—it was Chu Jiangchuan’s sister. She had met her once in her previous life, but back then, her heart was set on Xia Wenbo, so she hadn’t paid much attention.
“I…” The woman burst into tears as soon as she spoke.
“Sister, let’s talk inside,” Tang Ximian offered proactively.
Chu Jiangrong had married into the Lu family in the neighboring village the year before last and only had a daughter.
More importantly, the child had been frail since birth, often suffering from shortness of breath and turning pale, costing a lot in medical expenses. Everyone said she wouldn’t survive.
“Mom, this past year has been so hard for me. Lu Dazhuang, he…”
Lu Dazhuang resented Chu Jiangrong for not giving him a son—the daughter she bore was a sickly child. He often mistreated her, and the sweet words from the beginning were long forgotten. This time, because Chu Jiangrong talked back and the old lady added fuel to the fire with her nonsense, Lu Dazhuang resorted to violence.
Chu Jiangrong fled the house. She couldn’t bring the child with her, but as it was getting late, she didn’t dare disturb anyone and had been waiting here all along.
“Lu Dazhuang…” Chu Jiangchuan gritted his teeth until they creaked.