Chapter 145 Extra 1

Brick and tile houses are warm and cozy, unlike mud houses which are drafty and leaky, and you always have to worry about rats sneaking in.

After a long day of running around, Zhao Xiheng slept surprisingly well that night.

At six o'clock in the morning, she rubbed her eyes, her mind was blank for a moment, and she couldn't immediately tell where she was.

She sat up, clutching the blanket, and only then did she vaguely remember that this was her new home.

The person who slept with her last night is no longer here.

I went to get my marriage certificate yesterday, and I already asked the village school for a class leave. I should go back to teach today.

The bedroom door creaked open, and Wei Li, seeing that she had gotten up, no longer needed to be discreet. Leaning against the door frame, he nodded at her and said, "Come and eat."

Zhao Xiheng was a little embarrassed. According to tradition, the bride should cook on the first day of her wedding.

For breakfast, I made rice porridge and steamed buns. The buns looked soft and fluffy, and when you pressed a big, white bun, it would leave a dent but quickly bounce back.

She hadn't expected that Wei Li was such a good cook; she herself was terrible at cooking, even her rice stew was a complete mess.

The two of them repeated the awkwardness they felt when they went to bed the night before; neither of them spoke.

The atmosphere was far too stiff, so Zhao Xiheng tried to make conversation, saying, "Mom probably hasn't woken up yet."

"He's not awake yet. The food is still in the pot. I'll go out for a bit and should be back this afternoon."

"Oh, um." Zhao Xiheng nodded.

The two of them fell silent again; they were really not familiar with each other.

At 6:30, after finishing her meal and washing up, Zhao Xiheng loosely gathered her hair back with a red ribbon, leaving a few wisps of curly hair in front of her forehead. She no longer looked as naive as a young girl, but rather like a pretty young married woman.

She wrapped the remaining half-pack of White Rabbit milk candy from yesterday in a handkerchief and took it to school, intending to share it with the students and Teacher Z.

"Sharing wedding candy?" Wei Li tried to make conversation.

"Um."

"Can't you say anything other than 'uh-huh'? Can't you say a few more words?" Wei Li tugged at her hair, but Zhao Xiheng slapped her hand away.

"Don't you have something to do? If you do, get out of here."

"I'll see you off, there's no rush." ​​He took the candy from Zhao Xiheng's hand and held it for her, then naturally took her hand. "Come on."

The village is only so big; if two people walk around hand in hand, everyone will know in no time.

"That good-for-nothing Wei Li from the village is dating the pretty girl who just came back."

Oh dear, everyone grimaced, feeling a little disappointed.

Knowing the inside story, Aunt Liu couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out that Wei Li had married Zhao Xiheng for two thousand yuan.

Everyone had an "Ah, I see" expression.

Zhao Yatou's mother was quite ill and needed money for treatment. Luckily, that scoundrel had some money, so he went along with her.

Although everyone thought it was reasonable, they couldn't help but gossip and look down on her, saying that Zhao Xiheng was a self-deprecating girl who had followed such a rootless and homeless brat.

They then brought up Wei Li's background.

His parents were among the first wave of educated youth sent to the countryside. Being unfamiliar with the place and its people, they gradually developed feelings for each other. Later, feeling hopeless about returning to the city, they simply got married and had children here. However, after 1970, the national policy changed, and the educated youth returned to the city one after another, leaving Wei Li as a burden.

His parents flew away separately, leaving him behind in the village.

"When that little brat was starving to death, it was my family who gave him a meal. Now that he has money, he doesn't even know how to repay us."

A group of people laughed at her, "Come on, didn't you break his leg when he went to your house to steal pig feed?"

"Go away, you're still laughing? He ate a bite of my food, and you haven't even given him a bite yet."

Wei Li escorted Zhao Xiheng to the entrance of the village school, patted her hair, gave her some candy, and said, "Go in."

Normally, in a more modern way, he should have kissed her as a farewell, as is always done in movies. But Zhao Xiheng took the things and ran away, giving him no chance at all.

Zhao Xiheng took leave yesterday. There are only two teachers and five students at the school, excluding her, and everyone knows that she took leave to get married.

As soon as she returned this morning, the principal and vice-principal surrounded her, smiling broadly, and said, "Comrade Zhao has changed after getting married; she's become beautiful."

Zhao Xiheng felt embarrassed by their praise and took out some candy to share with them, saying, "Wedding candy."

"Oh my, it's White Rabbit candy!" the principal exclaimed, popping a candy into his mouth. It was so sweet! "Who did Xiao Zhao marry? Bring her over another day so we can see her. Is she from our village?"

He shook his head again, "No way, you've only been here a short time."

Zhao Xiheng scratched her head. The principal and the others really disliked Wei Li. If she were to say his name, the two of them would probably be so shocked that they would mutter to themselves while looking at the portrait of the chairman.

But sooner or later they would have to find out, "Wei Li".

The principal stopped chewing the candy with his broken teeth, startled so much that the wrapper fell off. After confirming several times, he realized it was Wei Li, the person he knew.

"Hey, Xiao Zhao, you..."

He was furious. How could such a beautiful young woman marry such a scoundrel? Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event! Even the candy didn't taste good anymore.

"Did he force himself on you because you're handsome?"

Zhao Xiheng shook her head. "I think he's a good person."

The principal was heartbroken and beat his chest in despair. Just then, the school bell rang, and Zhao Xiheng ran off to class as if fleeing.

She distributed the remaining candy to the students in the class, one piece to each person.

They all liked this young, beautiful, and cultured new teacher, and since they received candy, they listened even more attentively in class.

Zhao Xiheng encouraged them, "Study hard, and when you have education and a job, you can eat milk candy every day."

"Okay!" the child nodded in a sweet, childish voice, with candy in his mouth.

Zhao Xiheng sighed and opened the book. Actually, she also wanted to continue her studies.

School ended early, at four in the afternoon. When Zhao Xiheng came out of the school gate, she saw Wei Li already standing there waiting for her. The children whispered among themselves, talking about how the person Zhao Xiheng was talking about was actually Wei Li.

Their parents said Wei Li was a bad guy and not someone to mess with, but how could Teacher Zhao's man not be a good person?

Zhao Xiheng walked towards Wei Li, and the principal, though furious, dared not speak out and could only take a detour.

Wei Li didn't let him off the hook, raising his arm and waving, "Hey, hello principal."

The principal slipped and almost fell. Why is this little brat being so polite today?

Honestly, if only he had been this polite when he was a child.

This little rascal has been smart since he was a child. If he had studied hard, he would have made something of himself. But he wouldn't listen to advice and wanted to go out and make money. I tried to persuade him to go back to school, saying I wouldn't even ask him for tuition fees, but he kicked me out. Poor guy with nothing but bones.

Zhao Xiheng nudged Wei Li's waist and whispered in his ear, "Don't be so rude to the principal. He's getting old." The important thing is that he's a really nice person and cares deeply about the children.

Wei Li twitched his lips and made a cut.

Before Zhao Xiheng came to the village, he was always the best to this Z guy. Every time supplies were sent to the school, it was always Z guy who gave them away for free. Otherwise, who else would donate to this poor, remote place?

After leaving the school, walk one kilometer east, and you'll be home.

Wei Li went around behind her and blindfolded her.

"What are you doing?" Zhao Xiheng asked in a muffled voice, clinging to his hand.

She couldn't see the road and felt completely unsafe.

"Don't ask, just come inside with me, you won't fall."

Only after he said that did Zhao Xiheng put her hand down and carefully move forward step by step.

She faintly heard laughter.

As he stepped over the threshold, Wei Li released her eyes.

The once empty house is now filled with furniture, tables, chairs, benches, wardrobes, and cabinets.

Two young men stood at the door, looking at her mischievously. "Hello, sister-in-law."

One was named Chen Ruojiang, and the other was named Yang Zeli.

"I was wondering why Brother Wei suddenly wanted us to go to the factory to move things. Hehehe, turns out he just got married and needs to furnish the house." Chen Ruojiang laughed.

Zhao Xiheng looked at Wei Li in astonishment. How much money would all this stuff cost? His entire fortune was enough to ruin him.

Chen Ruojiang seemed to understand Zhao Xiheng's surprise and hurriedly tried to save face for Wei Li, boasting, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, our Brother Wei is very capable. He didn't even have to spend money. The furniture factory manager owes him a favor, so he just took whatever he wanted, and it's all the best."

“Brother Wei can make money, so you can spend it as you please, sister-in-law. There’s no need to save money,” Yang Zeli added, not to be outdone.

Zhao Xiheng was a little dazed. "Oh, um." She touched the table; it was solid wood, all of good quality, and looked very sturdy.

Wei Li thought they were talking too much and wanted to send them away, but Zhao Xiheng stopped him, saying, "Stay for a meal before you leave."

It's not right to leave without even having a meal after someone has helped you move things.

They glanced at Wei Li's expression and quickly ran off, saying, "No, no, sister-in-law, we have things to do today, so we'll be going now. Remember to let us know when you're having the banquet."

How could I dare to interfere with the newlyweds' intimacy?

Wei Li looked at her smugly and tapped the table. "How about that? Aren't I amazing? I got it for you right away if you wanted it."

He then pulled her into the bedroom, where a dressing table was placed by the window, specially prepared for Zhao Xiheng.

"Are you happy? Are you happy?" He was like a butterfly, almost circling around.

"Mm." Zhao Xiheng nodded.

Wei Li is not a bad person at all; she thinks he is a really good person.

Fate is predetermined by heaven; even in a rush, you can still meet the right person.

"Then will you cook for me tonight?" He saw that other wives cooked for their husbands, and he wanted the same treatment after marrying a wife.

Zhao Xiheng hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Really, are you really going to eat it?"

Seeing how determined he was, she couldn't possibly be dissatisfied.

That evening she cooked three dishes, a soup, and a pot of rice.

The rice was undercooked, the soup was salty, and the vegetables were sweet.

As soon as Zhao's mother tasted it, she knew it was her daughter's cooking. She took a couple of bites as a symbolic gesture, said she was full, and went back to her room to lie down.

Wei Li felt numb from eating, but he still forced down two bowls of rice, and his stomach ached in the middle of the night.

He thought to himself, "Has Zhao Xiheng gotten the money and is now planning to murder her husband? I'd better not let her into the kitchen anymore."

Without having to eat Zhao Xiheng's cooking, Zhao's mother was in a good mood and had a good appetite. She was in much better health these days, and her complexion was much rosier. She was even able to get out of bed and walk around occasionally.

The county doctor came to see her and said that her health condition was okay, and that if she went to Shanghai now, there wouldn't be any major problems.

Zhao's mother was reluctant to go, as the treatment would cost too much money, and her daughter and son-in-law still needed to make a living. The expenses would be even greater when they had children in the future. She wanted to take advantage of her improved health now so she could help the young couple take care of their child.

However, she was still tricked and lured onto a train to Shanghai by the two men, which made Zhao's mother angry for several days.