Chapter 103
Xu Nuo frowned, her eyes full of rejection. Her upbringing made her feel that even spitting on the table was impolite, let alone spitting on Li Xian's hand.
The lion's head meatballs at the state-run restaurant were too firm. She took a big bite and her throat felt sore and itchy, and she couldn't help but want to cough.
With a cough, half of the lion's head fell into Li Xian's hand.
Xu Nuo's fair and delicate cheeks flushed red, and she blinked her big eyes a couple of times, looking like she had done something wrong and was about to cry: "Waaah."
She felt disgusted with herself, but Li Xian remained calm. He washed his hands and came back to find her sitting there obediently without moving. Perhaps she was afraid of choking, as she hadn't eaten and was just staring at him with her big, watery eyes.
Those captivating eyes were so deadly that Li Xian looked at himself uncomfortably.
The clothes weren't dirty.
The clothes I'm wearing today were a gift from her. They're very new; I wore them once before and carefully put them away. Li Xian couldn't bear to wear them again.
She went into the box today and found the item for him to change into.
She was still staring at him, her face flushed and her lips pursed into a small arch. Li Xian asked cautiously, "Wh...what's wrong?"
Xu Nuo wiggled her little bottom, her cheeks puffed up with two little buns, making her so cute that it melted anyone's heart.
She was embarrassed, and her voice was weak and soft: "It's okay, the lion's head meatballs... are too, too big."
I stared at her for two seconds, remembering that she had just choked, and then looked at her thin neck and asked, "Does your throat hurt?"
Xu Nuo swallowed and checked her throat; it seemed fine.
"It doesn't hurt."
"Eat slowly, it's all yours." Li Xian breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the lion's head that she had bitten halfway through, and used her spoon and chopsticks to cut it into small pieces.
"Ugh." Xu Nuo, like a little animal that had lost face, slumped her shoulders and pouted with her pink lips, "I want to try if I can finish it in two bites."
Last time, Li Xian swallowed a big steamed bun in two bites, which amazed her. Today, she wanted to challenge herself with her own little mouth.
Who would have thought that taking such a big gulp would almost choke them to death?
Li Xian's cold, hard eyebrows showed surprise, a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
Seeing the corners of his mouth turn up, Xu Nuo's guilt about spitting on his hand vanished. Like a little kitten climbing up a pole, she pouted and glared at him coquettishly: "You're making fun of me."
She was as delicate as a flower bud just beginning to bloom in spring. Her gaze, which seemed both smiling and coquettish, did not intimidate anyone; instead, it made one feel a surge of warmth in their heart.
Li Xian sat up straight and explained, "I didn't."
“Yes, your mouth looks like this.” Xu Nuo mimicked Li Xian’s earlier expression, like a tattletale, her rosy lips curving into a charming arc.
The man at the next table was staring at her, which Li Xian noticed, and he gave him a cold look.
The man was watching with great interest, wondering how such a beauty could exist in Lu County, when suddenly he felt a thorn in his side.
He looked towards Li Xian.
The two eerie, icy pools, with their oppressive aura and warning, made him feel as if he were being coiled around by a terrifying venomous snake.
My hands and feet were cold, and I couldn't bear to look anymore.
After looking away, he realized something was off. He clicked his tongue and muttered, "No, what am I afraid of? It's just a..."
He turned around and looked at it again.
I was startled by his gaze and didn't look closely. Now that I've looked carefully, he's stopped talking, blinked awkwardly, and turned away.
Li Xian sat upright, his expression stern and cold.
He doesn't look like someone to be trifled with.
…
The meat in the shredded pork noodles is from the front leg, cut into shreds and blanched in the noodles, making it more tender than braised pork or spare ribs.
Li Xian picked out all the meat from the shredded pork noodles and put it into Xu Nuo's bowl.
"It's not hot anymore, eat it."
Xu Nu chewed on the braised lion's head meatball, her lips glistening with oil, and picked up her chopsticks, saying, "The lion's head meatball is so delicious."
Although the meat was a bit tough, it was chewy and had a sweet and savory flavor.
"There are two more, you can have them both."
Xu Nuo puffed out her cheeks and reached out to pick one up and put it in his mouth, but then realized they were outside, so she pulled back and pointed, saying, "You eat this."
"I don't…"
here we go again.
Xu Nuo's face darkened, and she glared at him in what she thought was a fierce look: "Eat."
Li Xian obeyed and was about to take a bite when he suddenly saw her smiling with her eyes crinkling, saying, "Try to see if you can eat them one by one."
Li Xian: "..."
Under her expectant gaze, Li Xian opened his mouth expressionlessly and ate the lion's head in one bite.
Xu Nuo was full of admiration, and an exclamation escaped her lips: "Wow! Your mouth is so big too."
Li Xian was chewing on the lion's head meatball in his mouth when he was choked by her very misleading words.
"Cough cough..."
Xu Nuo handed her a glass of water: "Take your time."
Li Xian took the drink and drank a sip. Then he heard her say with a hint of reproach, "Eat slowly, it's all yours."
Xu Nuo's appetite returned to normal; she finished the shredded meat and half a bowl of noodles and was full.
Li Xian poured the rest of her noodles into a bowl, ate them up in a few bites, and drank every last drop of the soup.
I only ate a few bites of the braised pork and spare ribs; there was still a lot left.
Xu Nuo had a lunchbox in her bag, and Li Xian packed the remaining meat into her small bag.
Liu Yushan, who had been standing at the cashier the whole time, saw this, rolled her eyes speechlessly, and felt a pang of sadness.
In an era of scarcity, ordinary families could only afford to eat meat a few times a year. For this man to give the other person a whole box of meat was excessively generous.
…
The streets were bustling with traffic, and the clanging of bicycles could be heard everywhere.
The girl, with her bright eyes and white teeth, wearing a white shirt and black pants, added a rare splash of color to the drab street.
Behind her stood a tall figure, dressed in black with black hair, silent and steady.
His gaze remained fixed on the beautiful figure ahead.
Two pebbles had fallen to the ground. She was always a bit absent-minded when walking, and if she wasn't careful, she might step on them and fall.
“Be careful…” Li Xian’s eyes narrowed.
Sure enough, she stepped on it, her body swayed slightly, and then she patted her small chest. How embarrassing it would be if she fell flat on her face in front of Li Xian!
The people behind her breathed a sigh of relief.
She was charming and radiant, attracting many eyes on the street. If it weren't for the fact that this era doesn't allow it, many young people would probably blush and ask for her contact information.
A young man on a bicycle looked amazed. His foot slipped on the pedal, and the ground was slippery from the recent water. He was about to crash into her.
Xu Nuo had nowhere to hide, and her eyes widened in shock.
A figure rushed up, like a wall, steadily protecting Xu Nuo behind him.
A mark was left on the ground. Li Xian took a big step back, his long legs one in front of the other, his arms like iron clamps, firmly nailing the front of the car, using his own strength to force the forward-moving car to stop in place.
Su Chun stared wide-eyed at the bent and deformed bicycle handlebars.
This was his brand new bike, and it had only been ridden for a short time before it was damaged like this. He was heartbroken and glared angrily at the culprit.
He had intended to confront the other person, but the look in their eyes made his legs tremble, and he stammered, "You...you..."
The other person's eyes were terrifying, as if they wanted to tear him to pieces.
Liu Chun took a step back: "Comrade... what are you doing... you broke my car."
Li Xian's eyes were cold and gloomy. His hands clenched so tightly they cracked. He gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, I also want to break your neck."
Liu Chun: "..."
Xu Nuo, standing not far away: "..."
Seeing that passersby were stopping to look, Xu Nuo was afraid that something might happen, so she quickly stepped forward and pointed at Liu Chun, saying, "Comrade, how are you riding your bike? If it weren't for this comrade, you would have almost hit me just now."
Liu Chun was already in the wrong, and he couldn't get anywhere with Li Xianchu, so in the end he had no choice but to push his bicycle and slink away.
For the rest of the journey, Li Xian stopped walking behind Xu Nuo and walked beside her, his sharp eyes scrutinizing their surroundings, keeping a close watch on her.
Upon arriving at Xu Nuo's house, the two went up to the second-floor staircase.
Li Xian's eyes remained fixed on her, asking, "Are you alright?"
Xu Nuo took his hand and saw that his wrist was indeed swollen. She said with heartache, "It's all swollen. You have to drink the herbal water when you get back, okay?"
Li Xian nodded, thinking that he would be taking her home soon. He resisted the urge to carry her away, took out a stack of things from his pocket, stuffed them into her small cloth bag, and handed them over along with the lunchbox.
What is it?
Xu Nuo flipped through the stack of money and saw a thick stack of bills. The outermost stack consisted of several hundred-yuan bills, about a dozen in total, while the rest were fifty-yuan and ten-yuan bills in a stack.
Without even counting, you can tell it's an astonishing sum of money.
Xu Nuo looked up at him curiously. Li Xian had already given her the three hundred yuan for the herbal tea, so what were these?
Li Xian's face flushed slightly. This money was what he had earned from dealing in illicit goods these past few days. He said in a low voice, "Here you go."
Xu Nuo looked up at him: "Do you want me to keep it for you?"
Li Xian was stunned for a moment. It was for her. She was his girlfriend, and he wanted to give her the money he earned so she could spend it.
He shook his head: "What you're supposed to spend, you can have."
Seeing Xu Nuo frowning and not speaking, Li Xian assumed she thought it was too little. His eyes dimmed slightly as he looked at the stack of money and said carefully, "I will earn more in the future, it's all for you, Nuonuo."
Xu Nuo felt a sweet warmth in her heart. The money in her hand seemed to transform into Li Xian's care and love for her. She thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll keep it for you. Ask me for it when you need it."
As long as she doesn't refuse, that's fine. Li Xian nodded: "Okay."
…
"Bang bang."
The door was opened quickly. Xu Nuo thought it would be Xu Jinan or Xue Ping, but unexpectedly it was a girl with two braids.
Wearing a floral shirt and beige pants, she greeted Xu Nuo with "Cousin".
Xu Nuo paused for a moment, then quickly smiled and said, "Cousin."
"Second Uncle said you went to teach and won't be back for a few days. Let me get it for you." Xu Yunyun eagerly reached out to grab the bag from her hand, and accidentally touched something hard, like a lunchbox, which was still warm to the touch.
Xu Yunyun glanced at the small cloth bag and asked, "What's this? Why is it still warm?"
"It was just packed from a state-run restaurant," Xu Nuo replied naturally, taking off her shoes, opening the cabinet, and putting on her own slippers.
"State-run restaurant? Is it braised pork? The braised pork at state-run restaurants is delicious."
Xu Nuo didn't recognize Xu Yunyun, so she said naturally, "It's braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, and a lion's head meatball. Just heat it up and you can eat it."
"Really?" Xu Yunyun was very envious. Her family was not as well-off as her second uncle's family, and they couldn't afford to eat out at all. The only time they ate out was when her second uncle treated them.
"Who is it? Nuonuo." Xue Ping stormed out, wanting to see who it was this time, but unexpectedly saw her precious daughter. She excitedly went up to her and asked, "Why are you back?"
Xu Nuo had been wronged in Luxian Village, and when she saw Xue Ping, she snuggled into her arms affectionately and said coquettishly, "I came back as soon as class was over."
"It's good that you're back." Xue Ping's anger had all dissipated. Hugging her little cotton-padded jacket, she couldn't help but sniff it twice: "It smells so good."
Xu Yunyun stood by watching, and seeing Xu Nuo and Xue Ping so close, she felt both envious and jealous. She timidly called out, "Aunt."
Xue Ping glanced at her, but was too embarrassed to lash out at her, so she just coldly replied, "Hmm."
Xu Nuo's house is not big; the entrance hall and the living room are separated by only one wall.
Upon entering the living room, Xu Nuo noticed that the coffee table was somewhat messy, with some fruit peels scattered around, including the summer mangoes that Li Xian had bought for her. Judging from the pile of pits in the bowl, she estimated that he had eaten four or five of them.
Some noises came from the room that originally belonged to Xue Ping and Xu Jin'an.
Xu Nuo noticed that Xue Ping's expression was a bit off. As she walked closer, she heard a man's voice: "We need to buy the things that need to be bought. Second brother, it wasn't easy for Mother to raise us. You must take good care of her."
Xu Jinan said he was standing on the outermost edge, and nodded upon hearing this: "Yes, I understand."
After I finished speaking, I heard a soft, sweet voice say, "Dad."
Xu Jinan quickly turned his head, and at the same time, Xu Jinhong's family and Xu's mother Xu Guihua, who was sitting on the bed, also looked over.
Xu Guihua only glanced at it indifferently, but unexpectedly Xu Jin'an walked over excitedly and said, "Nuobao, why are you back?"
Xu Guihua scoffed, "A treasure? She's just a money-loser."
Xu Nuo saw the old lady with a full head of white hair in the room and was not sure who she was. She didn't dare to call out to her easily, so she smiled and replied, "I came back as soon as class was over."
Xu Jinan asked, "Have you eaten?"
Xu Nuo nodded: "I ate at the state-run restaurant."
Xu Jin'an nodded in satisfaction upon hearing that he had eaten, while Xu Guihua and Xu Jinhong, who had remained silent, frowned.
Xu Guihua said, "Erniu, you really don't know how hard your parents work. You even go to state-run restaurants to eat. Do you know that your uncle is so poor that he can't even afford to eat?"
Xu Nuo paused for a moment, then looked at Xu Guihua. From her words, she could tell that this person must be her grandmother, and the man and woman standing next to her must be Xu Nuo's uncle and aunt.
The book doesn't mention Xu Nuo's family, but judging from the man's tone and the awkward atmosphere, Xu Nuo wondered if she had encountered the legendary "extremely difficult relative."
As she was thinking about how to reply, Xue Ping spoke up. She was furious, but out of consideration for Xu Jin'an, she only said, "Nuonuo spent her own money."
Xu Jinan nodded: "Yes, Nuonuo is a sensible child with good grades. People hire her to teach children and pay her a salary."
Xu Guihua disagreed: "You can't go to state-run restaurants, they're too expensive. If you want to eat something, can't you just come back and cook it yourself? The money she saves on this meal could feed your brother several meals."
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