Chapter 13
“How come you suddenly thought of coming to my house?” Li Nianqiu asked as she pulled out a stool for her to sit on.
Wen Yue’s watery almond-shaped eyes curved into a smile. Her voice was soft and gentle.
“I need a little favor.”
Li Nianqiu raised an eyebrow, looking exactly as if she’d expected that answer.
“I knew it. What is it?”
“I was wondering if you still have your first- and second-year high school textbooks. Could I borrow them for a while?”
As she spoke, Wen Yue placed the gifts she’d prepared on the table—rice cakes, walnut pastries, and a handful of White Rabbit candies.
“Don’t worry, I’m not borrowing them for free!”
Li Nianqiu glanced at the snacks, then got up and rummaged through her wardrobe. A moment later, she returned with several textbooks that had been carefully preserved and placed them beside Wen Yue.
“You can borrow the books. Take the snacks back.”
Her tone remained calm.
“Do we really need to be this formal with each other?”
Waaah, the heroine is such a good person.
Wen Yue felt genuinely touched.
Smiling brightly, she asked, “Then surely it’s okay if I share some treats with my best friend?”
Li Nianqiu pressed her lips together.
Just then, the half-closed door creaked open.
Li Xiangdong had come home.
Wen Yue waved her over and picked up a walnut pastry.
“Xiangdong, come have some walnut pastry.”
The little girl blinked and stood rooted to the spot. Without saying a word, she looked toward Li Nianqiu, silently asking for permission.
Her expression barely changed, but a trace of longing flickered through her dark eyes.
After all, she was still a child. Temptation was harder to resist.
“Go ahead,” Li Nianqiu said with a nod.
The little girl’s eyes immediately lit up.
She hurried over, accepted the pastry from Wen Yue with both hands, and thanked her crisply before taking tiny, careful bites, savoring every mouthful as though it were something precious.
Wen Yue picked up another pastry and handed it to Li Nianqiu.
“You should try one too.”
Faced with those sparkling eyes full of expectation, Li Nianqiu couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She accepted it and took a bite.
“Well?” Wen Yue asked eagerly.
Li Nianqiu shot her a glance.
“It’s good.”
Grinning, Wen Yue pushed the snacks further toward them.
“Then eat more.”
She casually unwrapped a White Rabbit candy for herself.
The candies from this era were huge—one piece was almost the size of two modern ones put together. No wonder people used to say that two White Rabbit candies were equal to a glass of milk.
Her mouth was too small to fit the whole thing comfortably, so she bit it in half and slowly savored it.
Sweetness spread across her tongue.
Her eyes narrowed contentedly, a rare look of relaxation and happiness softening her features.
Li Nianqiu’s gaze lingered on her, thoughtful.
Ever since getting married, Wen Yue had changed dramatically.
Before, she rarely smiled. Every time they met, she wore a perpetual frown, carrying an air of bitterness and sorrow, as though she resented the entire world. Even the way she spoke had always felt strange and awkward.
But now?
The gloom that used to cling to her had vanished completely.
Her eyes were clear and bright.
Her voice had become soft and gentle.
And the smile on her face seemed endless.
Was marriage really that wonderful?
The thought surfaced briefly before she dismissed it.
No.
The wonderful thing wasn’t marriage.
It was escaping that suffocating family.
Li Nianqiu thought that if she could leave this place too, she couldn’t even imagine how much happier and more carefree she’d become.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yao carried a bowl of braised pork to Fang Shitao’s house.
The Fang family lived near the foot of the mountain at the far end of the village. Their courtyard was surprisingly spacious, though only four people lived there. Ever since Ren Yeliang had become close friends with Fang Shitao and Zhou Yao, he’d practically moved into the Fang household as well.
Grandma Fang sat beneath the eaves threading a needle. A dark blue shirt with two holes in it rested across her lap.
Hearing movement outside, she lifted her head and peered toward the gate with cloudy eyes.
“Who’s there? Xiao Yao, is that you?”
“It’s me.”
Zhou Yao pushed open the gate and strode inside with practiced familiarity. Seeing her struggle, he frowned.
“Let me do that. Where are those two?”
Grandma Fang handed him the needle and thread. Her face split into a warm smile, revealing two missing front teeth.
“Shitao and Xiao Liang just went to fetch water. We ran out at home. Lulu went with them.”
“Mm.”
Zhou Yao narrowed his eyes slightly.
Within seconds, he’d threaded the needle and handed it back.
“Next time make those two do it for you.”
Grandma Fang’s eyesight had deteriorated years ago after an illness she couldn’t afford to treat. Everything she saw now was blurry and indistinct.
“Alright, alright.”
Then she noticed the bowl in his hands.
“What’ve you got there?”
A faint smile tugged at Zhou Yao’s lips.
His voice carried a hint of pride he wasn’t even aware of.
“My wife made braised pork. She told me to bring some over for you all to try.”
He headed into the kitchen, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, picked up a piece of pork, and held it to her mouth.
“You first.”
Grandma Fang waved her hand.
“No, no. You young people eat it. My teeth are bad. I can’t chew meat.”
Zhou Yao didn’t budge.
“This meat’s been stewed until it’s tender. You can eat it.”
Unable to win against his stubbornness, Grandma Fang finally accepted the bite.
The pork practically melted apart the moment her teeth touched it.
Her cloudy eyes brightened.
“Delicious!”
She smiled warmly.
“Xiao Yao, your wife can really cook. And she’s generous too. You’ve married a good woman. Make sure you treat her well and live a good life together.”
“Mm. I will.”
Zhou Yao answered casually.
Just then, Fang Shitao and Ren Yeliang returned carrying buckets of water.
A little girl of seven or eight followed close behind them.
The moment she spotted Zhou Yao, her eyes lit up.
“Brother Zhou Yao!”
She ran into the courtyard and wrapped herself around his leg.
“Brother Zhou Yao, Lulu missed you so much!”
Ren Yeliang laughed.
“Old Fang, your little sister seems closer to Brother Yao than to you.”
Fang Shitao chuckled sheepishly.
“Brother Yao always brings her snacks. Makes sense she’d like him more than me.”
Then he remembered something.
“By the way, Brother Yao, I heard you went to the Wen family this morning to settle scores. Why didn’t you take me and Yeliang with you?”
Zhou Yao ignored them completely.
Using his free hand, he ruffled Lulu’s hair before picking up another piece of pork.
“Your sister-in-law made this. Try it.”
“Wow!”
Lulu’s eyes grew even wider.
Drool immediately pooled in her mouth.
“Is… is this for me?”
“Mm.”
She practically pounced on the chopsticks.
“Mmm! So good!”
“Your wife made this?” Ren Yeliang asked, surprised.
Zhou Yao shot him a sidelong glance.
“If not her, who? Me?”
Ren Yeliang fell silent.
“…Definitely not you.”
Everyone knew exactly how far Zhou Yao’s cooking skills extended.
Edible, yes.
Delicious? Absolutely not.
“And your wife told you to bring it over?”
“Yep.”
Zhou Yao lifted an eyebrow smugly.
“She also said you can come eat at our place next time.”
Ren Yeliang studied his expression before smiling knowingly.
“Sister-in-law is really kind.”
What he actually thought was:
This is the first time I’ve ever seen Brother Yao showing off like this. Looks like the newlyweds are genuinely getting along.
Then he tasted the braised pork.
The flavor hit him like lightning.
Holy hell.
Sister-in-law’s cooking is incredible!
I want to visit Brother Yao’s house right now!
Zhou Yao crossed one leg over the other and lounged on a stool. Seeing the looks on their faces, he chuckled.
“My wife said she’ll keep making different dishes for me from now on. Braised fish, braised pig trotters… whatever I feel like eating, she’ll cook it.”
Ren Yeliang immediately put on a shameless grin.
“Brother, you’re my real brother. Any chance you could bring me along?”
“We’ll see.”
Zhou Yao rubbed his nose, feeling slightly guilty.
“Been busy lately. Maybe after things settle down.”
“Oh right.”
Ren Yeliang remembered something.
“Are you bringing Sister-in-law with us to the city tomorrow?”
Zhou Yao waved a hand dismissively.
“She won’t be able to handle it. Maybe another time.”
After chatting a while longer, he left the empty bowl behind and headed home.
The sunlight fell across his sharp, handsome features.
His mood was excellent.
Golden light outlined his broad frame, even catching in his hair until it seemed to glow.
Wen Xiaoyu hadn’t expected to run into him.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she hurried over, eyes shimmering.
“Zhou Yao.”
She smiled softly.
“Where are you headed?”
She wore a blue-and-white striped dress. Her freshly washed hair hung loose all the way to her waist.
Every detail—from the smile on her face to the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear—had been carefully practiced.
Wen Xiaoyu was pretty.
She had inherited the best features of both her parents, and because she’d received an education, she carried herself with a refined, scholarly air that set her apart from most village girls.
Many women in the village dreamed of having her as a daughter-in-law.
It was something to brag about.
Zhou Yao glanced at her once.
Then his brow furrowed.
The warmth vanished from his eyes instantly.
“What’s it got to do with you?”
He was already sick of the entire Wen family.
The smile froze on Wen Xiaoyu’s face.
“…What?”
She blinked.
For a moment, she wondered if she’d misheard.
“What did you say?”
“I said, what’s it got to do with you?”
His hands remained tucked in his pockets.
“If your hearing’s gone bad, go see a doctor. Stop wandering around in front of me. You’re annoying.”
Wen Xiaoyu had never been spoken to like this in her life.
Her eyes reddened immediately.
“Can’t you speak properly?”
Zhou Yao couldn’t be bothered answering.
He stepped around her and continued walking.
“Zhou Yao!”
Unwilling to give up, Wen Xiaoyu hurried after him.
Taking a deep breath, she softened her voice.
“I think you’ve misunderstood my family. My parents have already done everything they could for Wen Yue.”
“Wen Yue’s personality is just… strange. She always sulked around the house, never talked to anyone, never socialized. I even caught her sneaking into my room to wear my clothes once. You can’t believe everything she says. You need to make your own judgments—”
Zhou Yao laughed.
“You want me to doubt my own wife and trust you people instead?”
To his disbelief, Wen Xiaoyu actually nodded.
“You should trust the facts.”
That genuinely amused him.
Stopping in his tracks, he looked down at her with a half-smile.
“The facts?”
He stepped closer.
At over six feet tall, he felt like a wall standing in front of her.
The masculine presence rolling off him made Wen Xiaoyu’s cheeks instantly burn.
Zhou Yao didn’t notice.
His gaze was cold and sharp.
“That dress you’re wearing cost more than ten yuan, didn’t it?”
“My wife came into this marriage with three outfits. From what I’ve heard, they were all your castoffs.”
His eyes swept over her.
“Look at you. You’ve got enough flesh under your chin to form a second layer. Meanwhile, the doctor said my wife was malnourished. She was thin as a bamboo pole.”
“So here’s the fact.”
“You took my wife’s money and abused her with it.”
“How do you even have the nerve to stand here talking to me about facts?”
He let out a mocking laugh.
“Not only are you thick-skinned, you’ve got quite the oversized ego too.”
The flesh under her chin.
A second layer.
Oversized ego.
Thick-skinned.
Each phrase struck like a thunderbolt.
Wen Xiaoyu’s tears burst forth instantly.
“Zhou Yao!”
Her voice trembled.
“How can you say that to me? I’m still a girl!”
Zhou Yao replied coolly,
“Exactly. If you weren’t a woman, I’d have hit you already. Why would I waste my breath talking?”
He wore a dark blue jacket over a white undershirt.
The fabric stretched over the powerful lines of his muscles.
His rolled-up sleeves exposed tanned forearms crisscrossed with prominent veins, radiating explosive strength.
Even his relaxed fingers looked dangerous enough to crack bones once clenched into a fist.
For a moment, Wen Xiaoyu couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
She could only stand there crying pitifully.
Zhou Yao took one look and grew even more irritated.
“Cry if you want. Just don’t block my way.”
“…”
Wen Xiaoyu nearly exploded.
Whoever marries a man like this must have been cursed for eight lifetimes!
Then she remembered that Wen Yue had, in fact, married him.
And she remembered how fiercely he’d marched into the Wen household that morning to demand money and farmland on Wen Yue’s behalf.
Her tears flowed even harder.
Why does he treat people so differently?!
Why?
What does Wen Yue have that I don’t?!
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt.
Even after finally managing to calm herself down, she looked up—
—and realized Zhou Yao was long gone.
Not even a shadow remained.
“…”
That blind idiot of a man.
Just wait until she got into university.
Then he’d regret it.
Biting her lip, Wen Xiaoyu glared hatefully at his retreating back before storming toward home, unwilling to accept her defeat.
