The bright moon had just risen, and the sparkling stars added an extra chill to the night.
Inside the warm house, Li Yingtang and Qin Xian sat across from each other at the table. As she tasted the braised fish with radish, she showered him with praise for his cooking, while he simply listened in silence.
Her eyes sparkled expectantly.
“A’Xian, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Qin Xian smiled faintly.
“If I praised your cooking like this, how would you respond?”
“Well, of course I’d say that since you like it, next time I’ll con—”
Li Yingtang stopped mid-sentence.
Darn it!
He had actually turned her own trick back on her.
There was no way she would admit defeat. She suddenly cried out and pointed at herself, smoothly changing the subject.
“A fish bone is stuck in my throat.”
Qin Xian lowered his eyes calmly.
“It’ll be fine. Swallow a mouthful of flatbread.”
Li Yingtang froze.
“You! When you’re old and get a fish bone stuck in your throat, I’ll tell you to swallow bread too.”
Qin Xian laughed helplessly.
“I’m afraid of you already. Let me take a look.”
“Let me rinse my mouth first.”
She picked up her teacup, drank some water to make sure no food residue remained, then opened her mouth.
“Ahhh…”
Qin Xian’s eyelid twitched.
If she really had a fish bone stuck, would she still have the leisure to drink water first?
And she didn’t look uncomfortable at all.
“It’s perfectly clean. There’s no fish bone. Are you sure one was stuck?”
Li Yingtang closed her mouth.
“How could I lie about that? Maybe the water washed it down.”
“I’ve finished eating. I’m going to bed.”
Qin Xian thought to himself…
Running away because she felt guilty?
…
The next morning, Li Yingtang was awakened early by loud voices.
Aunt Liu had brought Liu Lirong and was calling from outside her room.
“Xiao Qin’s wife! It’s already seven o’clock and you’re still asleep?”
“Get up! I’ve got good news!”
Suppressing her irritation, Li Yingtang opened her eyes and glanced at the wall clock.
It was clearly only six-thirty.
“What good news? Your niece’s blind date worked out?”
Aunt Liu was immersed in happiness and completely failed to notice the impatience in her tone.
“It did! Thanks to the makeover you gave Lirong. The young man fell for her at first sight. He said he’ll come after work at noon to take her into the city for a movie.”
“Xiao Qin’s wife, I’ll have to trouble you to fix up her face again.”
Li Yingtang originally wanted to refuse.
She had no interest in helping Liu Lirong’s romance any further.
It wasn’t worth it.
But just before the words left her mouth, she changed her mind.
The higher someone was lifted…
The harder they would fall.
Once Liu Lirong eventually showed her real appearance, would that man still like her?
“Alright.”
She got out of bed and let them inside.
Liu Lirong quietly watched Li Yingtang move around the room.
From behind, wearing thick cotton pants and only a sweater, she looked no different from any village girl.
So why had a doctor fallen for her?
After washing up, Li Yingtang put on her coat and sat before the vanity to begin her skincare routine.
Aunt Liu clicked her tongue in amazement.
“You put so many things on your face. No wonder your skin is so soft. Can our Lirong use these too?”
“Yes.”
“Can she pick two boxes? I’ll pay you.”
Li Yingtang gave Aunt Liu a meaningful look.
Pay?
If she actually accepted money, within an hour the entire village would be spreading rumors that she was selling goods.
She had lived here long enough to understand the local customs.
The villagers looked down most on merchants.
Even if they were poor, they refused to do business, believing merchants cheated people and made dishonest money.
Qin Xian was highly respected.
If such gossip spread, wouldn’t his reputation suffer because of her?
Aunt Liu certainly understood that.
She only mentioned paying because she hoped to get something for free.
That wasn’t happening.
“Isn’t Lirong going into the city with her date today? She can buy whatever she wants there. Her boyfriend can pay.”
Aunt Liu was immediately persuaded.
“You’re right. Lirong, ask Feng Dong to buy them for you.”
Liu Lirong shyly lowered her head again and nodded.
Li Yingtang sneered inwardly.
“Didn’t you wash your face before bed last night? Go wash it first.”
Liu Lirong flushed crimson, as though someone had publicly exposed her embarrassment.
“There wasn’t any hot water last night.”
The moment she heard that, Li Yingtang’s gaze dropped to Liu Lirong’s feet.
No water to wash her face…
Did that mean she hadn’t washed her feet either?
How unhygienic.
…
While she was applying makeup, Qin Xian knocked gently on the door.
“Tangtang, are you done? Breakfast is ready.”
“It’ll take a little longer. Go ahead and eat first. I’ll eat when I’m finished.”
After Qin Xian left, Aunt Liu teased her.
“You’ve got a grown man cooking in the kitchen every day. Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at him?”
Li Yingtang looked puzzled.
“Why would they laugh? Shouldn’t they learn from him instead?”
“Haven’t you heard the saying? A man who mistreats his wife will never prosper.”
Aunt Liu scoffed.
“How is cooking mistreating anyone? The old saying is right—a man who cooks has no future. And if a woman runs the household, the whole house will fall apart.”
“I don’t mean to offend you, but if you don’t learn from the women in our village, Xiao Qin will dislike you sooner or later.”
Li Yingtang took a long, deep breath to stop herself from getting angry.
She quickly finished Liu Lirong’s makeup and packed away her cosmetics.
Aunt Liu thanked her and left.
Passing the kitchen, she greeted Qin Xian.
“Xiao Qin, we’re leaving.”
Qin Xian acknowledged her and stepped outside.
His cool gaze settled briefly on Liu Lirong.
She was looking at him too.
After only one glance, she quickly looked away, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her lips.
Once they had walked some distance from the clinic, she finally spoke.
“Auntie… Dr. Qin kept looking at me just now.”
Aunt Liu beamed.
“Men are men. Which one doesn’t like a pretty girl?”
“Who do you think is prettier? Me or his wife?”
“Of course it’s you.”
“That girl is just lucky. She was born into a wealthy city family and raised like a treasure.”
“If she’d grown up like us—worrying about every meal, getting up before dawn, sleeping late every night, endlessly doing housework and farm work—who knows what she’d look like now?”
…
After the aunt and niece left, Li Yingtang immediately complained to Qin Xian.
From Aunt Liu trying to get free cosmetics to lecturing her, she listed every grievance.
“She acts like she’s my mother. So nosy!”
“And saying that if women run the household the house will collapse… She thinks memorizing a few old sayings makes her qualified to teach people?”
“So uneducated. A complete illiterate!”
Qin Xian smiled as he watched her puffing up with anger.
“Mhm. She’s uneducated. An illiterate.”
But…
When you put makeup on Liu Lirong…
Were your intentions really that innocent?
She had quietly set a trap.
Today’s makeup made Liu Lirong even prettier than yesterday.
But beauty created by cosmetics…
How long could it last?
If her date fell for her looks, then after some time realized she looked completely different without makeup…
Would the match still succeed?
“Next time I’m ignoring her.”
Having made up her mind, Li Yingtang went into the kitchen for breakfast.
Qin Xian had made plain rice porridge and roasted sweet potatoes.
After eating, she went for a walk.
Several village women were chatting together at the entrance of the village.
Wu Hong greeted her.
“Doctor Qin’s wife, have you eaten? Come join us.”
“I have.”
Li Yingtang walked over with a smile.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Morning to you too.”
“We heard Aunt Liu’s niece found herself a young man who works in the township.”
“They’ve gone into the city to watch a movie today.”
“Is that true?”
Whenever the village women had nothing to do, they loved gathering together under a sunny wall, warming themselves while exchanging gossip.
Stories about one family…
Rumors about another…
Even the smallest incident would be exaggerated endlessly and passed around for everyone’s amusement.