Chapter 159 Rapid Progress

Jiang Zhizhi laughed heartily, but fearing that Fang Hua and the others might suddenly come downstairs, she let go of Fang Hua's hand, put her little hand behind her back, and stood at the door: "You wash the dishes first, I'm going to take a shower."

He then skipped and hopped away.

Zhou Xiye smiled helplessly and continued washing the dishes.

Zhou Xiaochuan ran into the house, stomped his feet at the door, brushed the snowflakes off his clothes, peeked into the living room and saw that no one was there, only his older brother was in the kitchen, so he went over with peace of mind.

"Brother, why are you washing the dishes today? Mom and Dad have already gone upstairs?"

Zhou Xiye had just finished wiping the stove, slowly washed the rag, wrung it out, folded it into a small block like tofu, and placed it aside.

She looked up at Zhou Xiaochuan, who was leaning against the door, and asked, "I heard from Mom that you're going to work at customs?"

Zhou Xiaochuan paused for a moment: "I told Mom not to tell you yet, but it's okay. Tonight, I confirmed the start date with Xiao Liu's uncle, and I'll report for duty next Monday."

Zhou Xiye knew he couldn't stop him: "When you go to work, you must be careful. Be extremely cautious about everything you handle. When you're alone, don't touch anything you shouldn't. Also, no matter who asks you to do anything, even if it's just a small favor, you must refuse."

Zhou Xiaochuan frowned impatiently: "Brother, do you also think I'm brainless? It's just a job, how big of a mistake could I possibly make?"

Zhou Xiye's tone became more serious: "Even a casual signature of yours could be used against you. Don't think too highly of outsiders; caution is always the best policy."

Zhou Xiaochuan felt that Zhou Xiye was exaggerating a bit: "Brother, don't worry, I'm not stupid."

Seeing Zhou Xiaochuan's nonchalant attitude, Zhou Xiye knew that if he didn't let him suffer a loss, he would never learn his lesson.

She pursed her lips, too lazy to talk to him anymore.

He took the unfinished Moutai from the cupboard and left the kitchen.

Zhou Xiaochuan was also a little angry, feeling that his sixth uncle was right. When there is an outstanding child in the family, the other child will always be brought up for comparison.

No matter how hard someone who isn't good at something tries, their family will never see it.

This time, he was determined to succeed and show them all.

...

When Jiang Zhizhi returned to her room after taking a shower, she found Zhou Xiye already there, with a bottle of Moutai and a plate on the table.

Somewhat puzzled, she went over and asked, "Hey? Isn't this what Dad drank yesterday? What are you doing with it?"

Holding the bottle, he looked at Zhou Xiye with suspicion: "You wouldn't be thinking of having a drink and then taking the opportunity to do something, would you? After all, alcohol emboldens heroes."

Zhou Xiye reached out and poked Jiang Zhizhi's forehead: "Where did you learn all this nonsense? Doesn't your shoulder hurt? Let me rub some alcohol on it for you."

He took the wine bottle from Jiang Zhizhi's hand and gestured for her to lie down on the bed: "Show me your shoulders."

As Jiang Zhizhi obediently lay down on the bed, she asked in confusion, "You noticed all this? You're feeling much better now, you should be fine after a while."

Thinking that wearing pajamas wouldn't be convenient, she took off her last piece of clothing while Zhou Xiye turned around to pour wine, then crawled into bed, exposing most of her right shoulder.

I saw it when I took a shower; the skin was delicate and tender, but the area around the shoulder was covered in bruises.

Zhou Xiye turned around, carrying a tray of wine, and saw that Jiang Zhizhi was already lying down obediently, covered by a blanket...

With a sigh, he placed the plate on the bedside table, reached out and pulled Jiang Zhizhi's blanket up a little, then turned around, lit a piece of paper with a match, and threw it into the plate.

The wine in the dish ignited instantly, with blue flames shooting high into the air, startling Jiang Zhizhi.

Before she could react, Zhou Xiye quickly dipped four fingers together into the burning wine, then patted her bruised area.

With nimble movements, Jiang Zhizhi stared wide-eyed as the flames were still burning on Zhou Xiye's fingertips. She thought they would be very hot, but when she patted them onto her skin, they felt a little cool and very comfortable.

Zhou Xiye quickly patted it for him until the flames in the plate went out.

Zhou Xiye gently rubbed the spot where he had just patted the wine with his fingers: "Don't exert yourself too much these next couple of days. Although the injury on your back has healed quite a bit, it's still in the recovery period."

Jiang Zhizhi found it amazing: "What kind of folk remedy is this? I've never seen it before. But it feels quite comfortable after using it."

Zhou Xiye rubbed the shoulder earnestly without looking at it: "This can relieve sprains and bruises. When you go out tomorrow morning, remember to wear thick clothes and don't let your shoulder get cold, otherwise you will easily get rheumatism when you get old."

Jiang Zhizhi: "..."

That sounds so familiar; my adoptive parents used to say it all the time.

The grandmothers at the orphanage would say the same thing.

She chuckled, then unexpectedly reached out and grabbed Zhou Xiye's wrist, pulling his hand under the covers.

Zhou Xiye was stunned for a moment, then placed his palm on the soft surface.

His gaze towards Jiang Zhizhi deepened and darkened, his breathing quickened, and his voice was hoarse as he spoke again: "Zhizhi..."

He called softly, leaned down, and kissed her on her eyebrows, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

Gently tug and bite, like when you were a child and received a piece of candy, reluctant to eat it all at once.

You always have to hold the candy in your mouth for a long time, letting it melt little by little on your tongue and fill your mouth. The sweetness doesn't just stay in your mouth, but also in your throat.

Finally, it continues downwards, all the way to the very tip of one's heart.

Outside the window, snowflakes fell softly, tapping against the glass with a soft, dense sound.

These sounds became infinitely loud in Jiang Zhizhi's ears, and she felt as if her whole body was about to burst into flames, but she didn't know where the fire had started.

Zhou Xiye's coarse, short hair stung her skin, and she wanted to push him away.

But his hand was held tightly in his grasp.

Next...

Jiang Zhizhi was vaguely expectant, but Zhou Xiye suddenly got up, wrapped her in the blanket, and then leaned close to her ear to calm her breathing.

Jiang Zhizhi looked somewhat bewildered, her eyes sparkling, and she felt sweat trickling down her hair and onto her pillowcase.

The fire in her heart burned very brightly because of Zhou Xiye.

Zhou Xiye calmed down and said, "There's nothing at home, and you still have to go to school, so you can't get pregnant right now."

Jiang Zhizhi's mind cleared up. Right, she had almost forgotten about such an important thing.

I originally thought it would all fall into place naturally.

Thinking about it, she chuckled again: "Won't you feel terrible?"

Zhou Xiye seemed to have calmed down, sat up and patted her head: "As long as you're happy, go to sleep first, I'm going to take a shower."

Jiang Zhizhi pursed her lips and smiled secretly. Zhou Xiye knows quite a lot.

I'll have to ask him later where he learned all these underhanded tricks!

...

Fang Hua came downstairs to pour water and heard the sound of running water in the bathroom. He checked the time and realized it was almost one o'clock. Why was he still taking a shower?

As I carried the water upstairs, I was still wondering whether I should tell my son that no matter how beautiful his wife is, she still needs to take care of her health.

That doesn't seem like the right way to put it.

Finally, with a sigh, I thought to myself, "Young people, everything is ultimately carefree and wonderful."

When Jiang Zhizhi woke up, she felt that her shoulder was not so painful anymore, and it only hurt slightly when she made large movements.

Surprisingly, Zhou Xiye's folk remedy worked quite well.

When I went to brush my teeth, I discovered that my neck and lower body were covered in red spots, even on my stomach and inner thighs!

Fortunately, it's winter now, so we're wearing a lot of clothes, mostly high-necked ones, so there's nothing to worry about.

Jiang Zhizhi happily brushed her teeth and went out. Fang Hua called out, "Come and eat quickly. It's just the two of us this morning. The others are either at work or have left. After we eat, we'll go for a walk."