Xu Chuan gave Cheng Baozhu a meaningful look.
Outside, the rain had picked up again, pattering loudly against the roof tiles, making Cheng Baozhu’s heart pound with unease.
Xu Chuan said nothing. He somehow produced several large steamed buns, then opened the door and went to the kitchen.
If he had said something, it might have been better. His silence only made Cheng Baozhu more anxious.
Has Xu Chuan figured it out?
Of course he had.
Did she really think he wouldn’t?
Xu Chuan thought to himself that it would be impossible not to notice. Still, seeing her flustered expression, her small hands twisting the hem of her clothes, he was afraid that if he exposed her now, she might burst into tears on the spot.
After being dragged into cooking for so many days, his palate had improved somewhat. That black stuff just now had a slight bitterness, melted instantly in the mouth, and clearly wasn’t brown sugar.
Cheng Baozhu wasn’t even good at lying. If she had simply stayed silent, he might not have immediately guessed that it came from the system.
Was he angry?
Not really. Why?
Perhaps because he had gradually accepted this system that both tormented him and brought him endless benefits.
The kitchen was filled with steam, the mist swirling like gauze in the light.
The buns were quickly heated. They were pork and scallion buns from the state-run restaurant.
Although Xu Chuan lived in Laokeng Village, he had quite a number of connections in the county.
He had met Master Li from the state-run restaurant three years ago. Despite their age difference spanning three full zodiac cycles, they had become friends.
Ever since befriending him, Xu Chuan had found it much easier to buy food there. Normally, buns wouldn’t be available at this hour, but Master Li had saved him four.
They were large, each the size of his fist.
Xu Chuan brought the plate into the room and asked teasingly, “Are you still going to eat?”
Cheng Baozhu’s face flushed instantly. His words clearly carried another meaning.
What did he mean, was she still going to eat?
She felt guilty but didn’t dare get angry, so she bluffed, “Of course I’m eating, I’m hungry,” and picked up a bun, hesitating before taking a bite.
Hungry? Not at all.
Before eating the chocolate cake, she had already eaten half a bowl of zenggao. It was filling and hard to digest. If she forced down a bun now, she might actually throw up.
Though Cheng Baozhu cared about saving face, she wouldn’t go so far as to make herself suffer for it.
After one bite, she looked at Xu Chuan pitifully and said earnestly, “You’ve been working so hard for our family this late at night. Why don’t you eat them instead?”
Xu Chuan raised an eyebrow. “Weren’t you hungry?”
“I can endure it. For your sake, I really can,” she said quickly, stuffing the bun into his hands before dashing into the kitchen to boil water for a bath.
Xu Chuan: …
If she couldn’t eat, she couldn’t eat, yet she had to dress it up as doing it for him. Cheng Baozhu really never let herself take a loss.
That night—
Cheng Baozhu tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and in turn kept Xu Chuan awake.
“Do you have something to tell me?” Xu Chuan finally gave her an opening.
She replied too quickly, “No.”
The moment she said it, she regretted it.
After a long pause, she buried her head under the blanket and muttered, “I do.”
Xu Chuan chuckled softly and hugged her through the blanket. “Then say it. I’m listening.”
“I’m afraid you’ll blame me, so now I don’t dare to tell you,” she said, feeling a little sad.
“I won’t blame you,” he reassured her, stroking her hair. It was thick, smooth, and never tangled. She kept it clean, washing it every couple of days, and it felt pleasant to run his fingers through it.
Her expression softened. After some hesitation, she turned toward him and said in a small voice, “The system you have… I have one too.”
Xu Chuan remained calm. “Mm.”
Then he added, “You first or me first?”
At times like this, Cheng Baozhu really wished he were a little less perceptive.
She buried her head lower. “Me first.”
Xu Chuan said nothing for a long time. She didn’t dare speak either. After a moment, she quietly reached out and hugged him.
With her nestled against his chest, her faint fragrance lingering in the air, Xu Chuan’s resolve completely melted.
His heart softened into a puddle.
He didn’t ask much more. He could guess most of it. Since he had points, she must have them too. She had probably been secretly eating quite a bit.
Still, he was curious. What exactly had she been learning?
Cheng Baozhu didn’t know much, so what could she possibly be studying?
“Medicinal cuisine,” she said.
Xu Chuan paused. “So when you said your grandmother taught you…”
“That part is true. I didn’t lie about that.”
As she spoke, she quietly tightened her grip on his hand, afraid he might throw her off the bed in anger.
Xu Chuan thought it through and nodded. “One last question. Is there anything else you’re hiding from me?”
Her body stiffened. Her reaction said everything.
“You might as well tell me now,” he said earnestly. “It’ll be harder to explain later.”
“You’re in a good mood today?” she asked.
“Of course. We’re starting to make money tomorrow.”
“Oh.” She thought for a moment. “There is one small thing.”
“Go on,” he said gently.
Relaxing slightly, she spoke in a soft, obedient tone, “Actually… we share the same system. For some unimportant reason, every time you earn points, a portion is transferred to my account…”
“Ah!”
“Xu Chuan, you said you wouldn’t be angry!”
“Cheng Baozhu, you’re going to drive me mad!”
The next day, the sky cleared.
Before going to bed, Xu Chuan had already soaked the glutinous rice and red dates. Before dawn, he got up to light the fire.
After catching two more hours of sleep, the zenggao was ready, and the sky was beginning to brighten.
He left two portions in the pot to keep warm, wrote a note, and set off on his bicycle toward the county with a large wooden container.
It was still early, and few people were awake. When he arrived at the courtyard, only a handful were there.
Chen Bing had long been curious about what Xu Chuan planned to sell. Seeing it was a sweet dish unlike anything they had before, he finally relaxed.
“You’re a good man!” he said, patting Xu Chuan’s shoulder.
Xu Chuan smiled. “Of course. I wouldn’t cheat you.”
Chen Bing was touched. “I’ll introduce you to customers with deep pockets.”
Ban Ming: …
Foolish! If Chen Bing were sold by Xu Chuan one day, he’d probably still help count the money.
After settling the details, Xu Chuan rode back home.
One day, he would buy his own bicycle. When he returned, Cheng Baozhu was still asleep.
The night before, she had stayed up late, forced by Xu Chuan to confess in detail how she had spent her points.
To his surprise, she hadn’t bought much. He felt relieved, as if his foolish wife had finally matured.
The only irritating thing was the system taking forty percent of his points.
“From now on, without my permission, don’t transfer points to her,” he said.
[Understood. But she needs points for medicinal studies.]
“Then deduct it from me only when she runs out.”
After venting his frustration, he finally felt better.
…
Days passed. Once the rain stopped, everyone returned to the fields.
Cheng Baozhu rarely went out, only occasionally wandering around the yard or being taken to Da Wang Mountain by Xu Chuan.
Only there did her rare skills shine.
“This is Hecao Ya. It can treat throat inflammation and tonsillitis,” she explained.
“This is Shegan, also called scissors grass. Its roots are useful for coughs.”
Xu Chuan nodded along, though he barely understood.
Then he asked the most important question, “Is it worth money?”
She paused. “If it were, it wouldn’t be growing here waiting for you.”
“Then let’s go.” Back home, Xu Chuan counted his earnings again and again.
Thirty-eight yuan. More than many people’s monthly wages.
He felt immense satisfaction. Cheng Baozhu clapped. “Amazing.”
She understood it in her own way.
A kind of— Spiritual victory method.