Chapter Twenty-Three: Husband and Wife Hand in Hand
Shu Yao was the only one in the women's restroom, and she used a flashlight to illuminate the space, so it wasn't dark at all. She was in a good mood after confronting Sun Yaozu, and when she heard footsteps approaching, she didn't sense any danger, assuming it was just some woman coming to use the restroom.
Thump, thump, heavy footsteps echoed in the darkness, like the pounding of a hammer. They grew closer and heavier until she realized something was wrong. The footsteps were too heavy; they didn't sound like a woman's voice. And people usually rushed to the toilet late at night; such a heavy, steady sound was unusual.
She quickly tidied herself up, pulled up her pants, and gripped the flashlight tightly in her hand. She tiptoed to the entrance, her eyes scanning the surroundings for anything she could use as a weapon.
The toilet walls were made of blue bricks, and sometimes there would be half a brick or something on the top of the wall. She quickly swept the area with her flashlight, then reached out and picked up the half brick.
In the dead of night, in the exceptionally quiet space, the footsteps were all the more distinct. Each step felt like a blow to the heart, making Shu Yao's heart tremble with nervousness. In terms of sheer physical strength, a woman is certainly no match for a grown man. But could it be that bastard Sun Yaozu? How could he be so bold?
"Sun Yaozu,"
She shouted, and the footsteps outside stopped. But no one answered, and then the footsteps resumed quickly. From this, it was clear that it was most likely Sun Yaozu who was about to come in. If it were someone else, the neighbors would have spoken up, but he didn't.
"daughter in law,"
At the gate of the Su family mansion, a man shouted, and the footsteps outside paused before suddenly resuming their hurried running. But they were no longer heading towards the women's restroom; instead, they gradually disappeared into the distance. They were fleeing in disarray.
Shu Yao breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that although she was nervous, she also felt anticipation and a sense of security. Subconsciously, she knew that Su Xiangdong would definitely come looking for her.
My heart relaxed, and I felt my legs go weak. Just now, my adrenaline was surging, and I wasn't scared at all; I was only thinking about how to fight back. Now that the danger had passed, I felt my heart racing.
"Wife," Su Xiangdong called again, already outside the toilet.
"I'm here," she answered softly, feeling reassured. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and slowly walked out.
Are you alright?
"fine."
She had been reckless just now. Provoking a young man in the dead of night was certainly unwise. If it weren't for that bastard Sun Yaozu being so infuriating, she would never have acted this way. Perhaps deep down she was incredibly confident, which was why she wasn't afraid at all. And the facts proved that; before Sun Yaozu even came in, her husband had already come out of the house looking for her.
"Let's go home," he said, taking her hand since it was night and no one was around. "That person ran really fast. It's not that cold yet, is it?"
He assumed it was because of the cold that people were rushing home. Shu Yao nodded but didn't mention what had just happened. She knew Sun Yaozu's personality; he wasn't the kind of person who would act recklessly. Otherwise, he would have run in and attacked them directly.
Whether he was deliberately trying to scare her or was genuinely angry to the point of losing his temper, he was definitely scared and even regretful now. She wasn't afraid of him at all, given his cowardly nature.
Sun Yaozu was indeed filled with remorse, leaning against the street gate, his heart pounding with anxiety. He had almost made a terrible mistake. If he had killed Shu Yao, the result would have been that they both perished. At that time, there were no suspended sentences or life imprisonment for murderers; they were almost always shot.
He had finally been given a second chance at life, and he couldn't let a small thing ruin everything. He wanted to live a good life, to live a vibrant one, and to spend his life loving his beloved right under Shu Yao's nose—he wanted to infuriate her.
He slowly returned home after closing the gate. Meng Xi was already asleep inside. He thought about what Su Xiangdong had done earlier and immediately felt unhappy. Meng Xi hadn't fallen asleep and opened her eyes when she heard the noise.
"Why are you only getting back now?"
"You know I've been gone for a long time, so why didn't you say you were coming to look for me?"
Meng Xi rolled her eyes. This grown man was acting all cute with her. "Aren't you ashamed to act cute with your wife like that?"
"Don't be ashamed." It was Shu Yao who had always taken care of him before. As a wife, of course she should be considerate and gentle.
"What's wrong with you? Your mother bullies me and you don't even protect her. You didn't even accompany me to the toilet, and you expect me to accompany you? Are you even a man?"
"How can I not be a man..."
No man could stand such words, let alone someone like Sun Yaozu who was spoiled growing up. The two immediately started arguing, but kept their voices very low for fear of being overheard by their parents.
The two were so angry that they couldn't sleep all night, and Meng Xi overslept the next day. She had to report for her early shift at eight o'clock, and if she overslept, she wouldn't be able to cook for her family, so she hurriedly packed her things and was about to leave.
Sun's mother also woke up late and immediately berated her daughter-in-law for her behavior: "You barren hen, lazybones! Look at any other woman who gets up this late! You've become a lazybones..."
Meng Xi walked into the yard carrying her bag: "It's just that I overslept one day, and you're always scolding me. Look at any other mother-in-law like you, all you do is bully your daughter-in-law."
There was no time to lose. After retorting, she hurriedly pulled Sun Yaozu along. "Take me there first, or I'll be late."
Sun Yaozu's workday starts at 8:30, so he has enough time. He usually enjoys driving his wife there, as it pleases his wife and shows their marital harmony. But today he's unhappy, and his mother is adding fuel to the fire.
"Don't send her. She thinks she's some kind of pampered mistress, needing someone to take her to work. They don't even prepare breakfast or lunch for her. What kind of daughter-in-law acts like that?"
Seeing that Sun Yaozu didn't move, Meng Xi's chest heaved with anger. Without saying a word, she picked up her bag and turned to leave. Just then, she bumped into Shu Yao pushing her scooter out the door, her bag hanging on the handlebars. Shu Yao glanced at her and then rode away quickly.
Already angry, she felt even more choked up, tears streaming down her face as she ran. Unsurprisingly, she was late; three late arrivals meant losing her performance bonus for the month. She had already exceeded that limit, as she had to make breakfast every day, and there was a mountain of other things to do.
When Shuyao got home at noon and went to push her bike, she noticed something was wrong. Looking down, she saw that the tire was flat. She borrowed a pump and tried to inflate it, but it didn't work; the tire was punctured.
It was fine when I brought it here, how could it suddenly be punctured? But tire leaks are common, sometimes they just puncture a little bit and slowly leak air.
She pushed her bike outside to get a tire repaired. Luckily, there were many bicycles and tire repair shops in those days. Meng Xi, watching her push the bike from the workshop, had a cold smile on her lips. Zhou Aili, seeing that no one was around, whispered in her ear.
"You're really brave."
"What do you mean by 'big'? I don't know what you're talking about."
She wouldn't admit it, Zhou Aili gave a cold laugh and said no more. She had seen with her own eyes that Shu Yao had punctured Shu Yao's tires, and Shu Yao still wouldn't admit it. But it didn't matter; seeing how well Shu Yao was doing, who wouldn't be jealous?
If Shu Yao hadn't interfered and married Su Xiangdong so quickly, and if she had learned that Su Xiangdong's diagnosis was a misdiagnosis and taken the initiative to visit him, perhaps they could have rekindled their relationship. Shu Yao would be enjoying her leisurely life now.
People always tend to romanticize the path they didn't choose. They always assume others stole what they had, but they can't see their own mistakes.
She only learned a year later that Su Xiangdong's illness had been misdiagnosed, by which time she had already been taken to another hospital. If it weren't for Shu Yao, Su Xiangdong wouldn't have gone to the hospital for a follow-up examination so quickly.
She arrived at work before 3 p.m., and when she left at 6 p.m., she found that her tire was flat again. The tire repairman said there were two small cuts and advised her to be careful on the road while riding.
"I got a flat tire." That's how she answered her husband's question when she got home late. "It got flat in the morning and flat again in the afternoon. The thing is, I didn't notice anything wrong with the road."
Su Xiangdong nodded, "Feed the baby first, I'll figure something out."
"Could someone have deliberately punctured it? I haven't offended anyone." Sun Yaozu doesn't work at the same factory as her; could he have ordered Meng Xi to do it? A tire repair costs two cents; it doesn't cost much. Is it really necessary?
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
After finishing work, Meng Xi didn't go back to her husband's house. Instead, she carried her cloth bag and went back to her parents' home. Her family wasn't well-off; her father had been paralyzed in his lower limbs due to a work injury a few years ago. Unlike in later years, when compensation was much greater and the factory continued to support him, people were poor now. The factory provided some medical expenses and a replacement worker position.
Her third brother got a factory job, so the family's income didn't decrease overall. But the amount that reached her parents was much less, and they barely made ends meet each month with the help they received from their children. Housing was also tight, and the whole family was crammed together.
When she returned, she found that her bed had been given to her third brother's son. Her mother was old and distressed, and her dinner consisted of thin rice porridge so watery you could see your reflection in it.
"Why are you back?"
"You still have all my dowry in your hands, so why are you eating such thin porridge?"
"Who knows how many more years I'll live? I have to plan for the future."
Meng Xi felt sorry for her parents, and she had agreed to the bride price. The little money her brothers gave was simply not enough; they had been supporting them with her salary. Now that she was getting married, her parents needed to have some savings.
"I had a fight with my in-laws, Mom, can I stay at home for a few days?"
"If you don't mind your dad wetting the bed, then squeeze in with us."
Upon hearing this, Meng Xi let out a long sigh, her feelings towards her parents incredibly complex. She felt both heartache and resentment towards them. Her father had been paralyzed for years, and the house reeked of urine. She couldn't bear the thought of her sleeping in that place stained with urine.
"Is your mother-in-law bringing up your pregnancy again?"
"Um."
"You've been pregnant for half a year now, it's time to get pregnant."
"Why are you saying that too?" Meng Xi stood up angrily. "I'm leaving."
"Sigh," her mother sighed helplessly, muttering under her breath. "A woman has to have a child as soon as she enters the family in order to gain a foothold."
Meng Xi couldn't stay at her parents' home any longer, so she had to return to her husband's family. These days, everyone is short of housing, and there weren't any options for visiting her friends. When her mother saw she was late, she started yelling at her again.
"I've soaked your clothes. I'm such a good mother-in-law, doing so much for you. You can ask around the world, who else has had a daughter-in-law for six months and still no kids? I'm telling you, is there something wrong with your health?"
What problem could I possibly have?
Next door, Shu Yao was pushing a small bamboo cart, with her two children inside, each munching on a biscuit. She listened intently to the sounds from next door, trying to determine if it was the Sun family who had punctured her tires. But after listening for a while, she realized that the Sun family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were arguing about the children.
"You're in a bad mood, so you're taking it out on my car?"
Su Xiangdong heard her words as soon as he entered the room and asked, "Do you think Meng Xi did this?"
"Not sure. I saw her at the gate when I left this morning. If she hadn't ridden her bike, she would definitely have been late. Sun Yaozu had enough time to take her to work, but he didn't. She loses her performance bonus if she's late three times. Maybe she was jealous when she saw me ride away?"
The man nodded: "Your guess makes some sense. But don't worry about it, I'll handle this."
"All right."
Sun Yaozu would pass by the Su family's house first on his way home, and then go to his own. From the Su family's side, one could hear laughter and cheerful voices as they played with the children. The whole family was happily enjoying their time together.
Passing the Su family's house and arriving at his own, he heard his mother and wife arguing again at the front door. His already gloomy mood darkened further; he couldn't understand why things were like this. He had just resolved to be happy for Shu Yao, only to contradict himself as his family was arguing terribly.
In his past life, he and Meng Xi had a long, ambiguous relationship, but they only slept together twice. Even so, she got pregnant with his child. Now they're married and together every day, so why is there still no sign of pregnancy after six months?
Chaos erupted at the Sun family's house as the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's battle attracted a large crowd of onlookers. Aunt Xu from the east side, who was on good terms with Third Aunt, even came to the Su family's house to learn from her after watching the commotion.
"I had no idea that Granny Sun was still so formidable. Before, when Shu Yao was at her house, there was never any news about her. Oh dear, poor Shu Yao, I wonder how much she had to endure behind the scenes."
"What can we do? She has no relatives here. If it weren't for the government's organization, she would have been trapped by the Sun family for the rest of her life."
"Absolutely. We're fortunate to be living in such a good era; we have the government to thank."
"Yes, thank you to the government."
Shu Yao was inside taking care of the child, so she naturally heard the commotion at the Sun family's house. Old Mrs. Sun was always eager to have a grandson, and with Meng Xi not getting pregnant for so long, the family was bound to be in turmoil.
Meng Xi was naturally furious, her belly full of anger. Sun Yaozu was so good before the marriage, but he was a completely different person afterward. He always subtly sided with her mother when they were together, advising her to be tolerant.
“That’s my mother, the one who gave me life and raised me. What can I do? Think about it yourself. If your son grows up and sides with his wife against you, wouldn’t you feel heartbroken? We have to set an example and not argue with our elders.”
Meng Xi nearly suffocated from anger and couldn't sleep all night. The next day, she got into an argument with someone in class and, under the pretext of having a stomachache and diarrhea, hid the needle in her sleeve and left.
For four hours that morning, Shu Yao had no idea when the other party would make their move, and she couldn't possibly stay there watching her car all morning. Su Xiangdong said he would try to find a solution, but no one knew what solution he was thinking of.
Meng Xi looked left and right; everyone was working at this hour, and no one was paying attention to this area. She slowly moved to the bike shed and accurately located Shu Yao's bicycle inside.
The brand-new 26-year-old lady's car filled her with hatred every time she saw it. Why didn't Shu Yao have any family burdens? Why was she able to conceive twins so soon after getting married and be pampered by her husband?
She took out a thin steel needle and viciously plunged it into the tire. Listening to the car hissing as it deflated, the pent-up frustration in her heart seemed to dissipate. Having a car is nothing special; you still have to get a tire fixed. You won't arrive until I get home by bus.
She had another argument with her in-laws yesterday, and this morning Sun Yaozu didn't drive her home. She had originally planned not to get her tires put on today, fearing that repeated incidents would arouse Shu Yao's suspicion. But she was just too angry and couldn't help going out. As the tires deflated, she finally released all the pent-up anger.
Slowly getting up from the ground, she imagined Shu Yao pushing the cart to get the tire fixed, clapped her hands and laughed. But just as she turned to leave, a sudden turn of her head startled her.
"You, you guys," she stammered, instinctively backing away and nearly falling onto a row of bicycles, before being pulled back by the two men in front of her. The men were wearing red armbands; they were from the factory's security department.
"Putting a tire and letting the air out is considered damaging someone else's property. Come on, come with us."
Shu Yao was notified to go to the factory's security department. As soon as she entered, she saw Meng Xi sitting dejectedly in a chair. The head of the security department let her in and explained the situation to her.
"This is Meng Xi from Workshop Two. We just caught her and let the air out of your tires. She admitted it herself; it was retaliation against you. She intentionally damaged other people's property, and we've already reported it to our superiors. In this situation, the usual penalty is a fine. As the victim, how do you plan to seek compensation?"
What should be done from a public perspective?
"Tenfold compensation."
"Two cents for a tire, two times yesterday and one time today, that's six cents in total. Ten times that is six dollars. Okay..."
Upon hearing this, Meng Xi looked up abruptly. She knew that her actions would result in a month's salary being deducted from her salary at the factory. If she had to pay Shu Yao another six yuan, she would be left with nothing and in debt for the rest of the month.
"Shu Yao, I didn't mean it. I was just momentarily out of my mind. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I apologize to you."
"If apologies were enough, what would be the point of rules and regulations?"
Shu Yao sneered, completely rejecting her apology. "You punctured my tires three times, and you think you can just let it go like that? No way." She insisted on not accepting the apology, and that Meng Xi's compensation would be withheld by the factory and given to her directly. The head of the security department said it would be paid to her next month.
"Come to the security department to collect it, and we will deduct it directly from her salary through the accountant."
"OK, thanks."
"Shu Yao," Meng Xi completely broke down. Sure enough, besides the pain of losing flesh, the pain of spending money was even greater. For people who are not wealthy, spending money is more painful than losing flesh.
"How could you be so vicious? You wicked woman, you know my situation perfectly well, yet you still force me like this. It's Sun Yaozu who likes me, not me who seduced him. He doesn't like you, so what's the use of your resentment towards me?"
Shu Yao had already reached the door, but then turned back. "Are you crazy? Only you would treat that mama's boy Sun Yaozu like a treasure. I don't care about him at all. He's a dog who hasn't been weaned... And you, you got scolded by your mother-in-law, and your husband didn't protect you. Instead of fighting them to the end, you turned around and slashed my tires. You pick on the weak, but let me tell you, you've picked the wrong one."
After Shu Yao finished speaking to her, she turned and left. Meng Xi thought about the money she was fined and Shu Yao's cold face just now. She broke down and cried, full of regret.
"How did I end up out again?" She had thought she couldn't commit the crimes repeatedly, otherwise she would be suspected. But she was just too angry and jealous, and she couldn't suppress it.
This time, it's not just a simple fine. She maliciously damaged other people's property, so in addition to the fine, she will also be publicly criticized throughout the factory. Her name will be written on the bulletin board at the factory gate, but instead of bringing honor, it will bring her a stain.
"Wow, slashing someone's tires. How could this person be so malicious?"
"I know Meng Xi from Workshop Two. She sews for Shu Yao in the printing workshop. The man she married is Shu Yao's ex-husband."
"How could there be such a relationship? Tell me, tell me, why did she puncture Shuyao's tires?"
Gossip flew everywhere, and Meng Xi went home that night with her head down, too ashamed to face anyone. But you can't hide forever; at the factory meeting the next day, she was dragged onto the stage. As a negative example, she was severely criticized, and she held the self-criticism she had stayed up all night writing, keeping her head down the entire time, too ashamed to face anyone.
Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast; the story quickly reached Sun Yaozu's ears. The man was furious, his face turning red, and he started cursing at her the moment he saw her.
"You're so stupid!" Such a small thing, and she still got caught red-handed. Yes, Sun Yaozu's first reaction wasn't that she did anything wrong, but that she was incredibly stupid. To get caught doing something like that.
"It's all your fault." Meng Xi was also furious. "Your mother bullied me. I was going to be late, and you have a car but you won't give me a ride. Look how good Su Xiangdong is to his wife. He bought Shu Yao a bicycle."
Seeing Sun Yaozu's face turn deathly pale, she deliberately stepped on his sore spot. "No wonder Shu Yao doesn't want you anymore, you're just a useless man."
"You...you dare to look down on me?"
The two had previously agreed not to be so noisy at home, as it would make Shu Yao next door laugh at them. But now, neither of them cared, and their voices were getting louder and louder. It was impossible for Shu Yao, who lived just a wall away, not to hear them.
She held her daughter, listening to the couple arguing fiercely. Thinking of Sun Yaozu's words about their loving relationship, she couldn't help but laugh. This is love, isn't it? They can't even handle the smallest things, and they start poking at each other's sore spots.
Su Xiangdong returned home, washed his hands upon entering, and first held his child. His daughter happily reached out to him, and he glanced into the inner room, asking with his eyes whether his son was asleep.
"Yes. We slept together. My daughter woke up as soon as I got back."
He smiled and tapped his daughter's nose. "You little rascal, why don't you sleep a little longer with your brother? Children need to sleep more to grow tall."
"ah,"
The little one couldn't understand her father's words, but happily reached for his finger. He teased his daughter with one finger, while Shu Yao, who was sitting nearby, took a sip of water and sat down to chat with him.
"You asked the security department to arrest Meng Xi, right?" Otherwise, with such a large factory, the security department couldn't possibly keep an eye on the carport all the time.
"Yes. The head of the security department is my comrade-in-arms. Next time you need anything, just go directly to him."
"Meng Xi has to pay me six yuan. That's a month's salary for her. She's really learned her lesson this time."
"Serves you right." He heard the commotion next door, his face cold and indifferent. You family can argue all you want, but you'll never get away with bullying my wife.
The Sun family was in chaos for several days. Sun Yaozu, after all, was a second-life person. He quickly realized something was wrong and made adjustments. He was trying to appease his mother and wife at the same time. Shu Yao lived next door; he couldn't let her see him make a fool of himself.
"Don't be angry. I'm only so anxious because you're not pregnant yet. Once you're pregnant, I naturally won't treat you like this."
Meng Xi wiped away her tears. She had been subjected to too many cold shoulders lately, so she still appreciated her husband's gentleness and thoughtfulness. "But it's not up to me to decide. I can't just get pregnant whenever I want."
"Okay, stop crying. It's all my fault for not trying hard enough. I'll try my best every night from now on, and I'll make sure you get pregnant soon."
Suddenly, the intimate words between the couple made Meng Xi laugh through her tears. "What are you saying? People will laugh if they hear you."
He reached out and put his arm around her. "Okay, don't cry. Let bygones be bygones, and we'll live a good life together from now on."
She nodded gently. "Then will you take me to school tomorrow?"
"Okay, here you go."
Their good mood lasted only one night. The next day, payday came. Meng Xi's monthly salary wasn't even enough, and she would have to pay 9.2 yuan less next month. Shu Yao went straight to the security office to collect her money; six yuan was enough for her to buy a new dress.
“Shu Yao,” she stood by the roadside, her face full of indignation, “don’t you feel like you’re wasting your time holding this money?”
“You should compensate me for what you did wrong. It’s perfectly reasonable and legal. Why should I feel guilty?” After she finished speaking, she retorted sarcastically, “But you are. Everyone in the factory knows how ruthless you are. You damage other people’s property without cause. You have a really thick skin.”
"You..." This knife struck her right in the heart. These days, she had been keeping her head down, afraid to see anyone.
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'stay away from me'? I don't like you."
Meng Xi's face turned pale, then white, then pale again after being rebuked. Besides the psychological humiliation, what hurt her most was the excruciating pain of having her flesh torn away. She received no salary, and it would be deducted again next month.
My legs felt weak as I got off the bus and went home. As soon as I entered the door, my mother-in-law stretched out her hand. "Time to get paid today."
"No."
She turned and went back to her room, her mother-in-law following closely behind. "How could there not be? It's always opened on this day every month. Let me tell you, don't lie to me, this old woman knows everything. Shuyao has never been late before, she'll give it to me right away when it's opened."
Upon hearing the name Shu Yao, she could no longer contain her emotions. "Shu Yao, Shu Yao, you miss her so much, why don't you go find her?"
"What are you saying?" Sun's mother was annoyed. "You are my daughter-in-law now. How can you talk to your elders like that?"
The Sun family started arguing again, and it was still going on when Shuyao got home from work at six. Her aunt, holding the child, shook her head and told her about the argument in the Sun family; even the two children were used to the noise from next door.
"It seems like I didn't hand over my salary. That's how people are; if you're soft, they'll be hard. I'm just that kind of soft-hearted person. For years, I've stayed home doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of the kids, but I've never been in charge of the household. As a result, when I get sick, I have no money and people look down on me."
Shu Yao nodded. Grandma Sun was indeed the kind of domineering elder. In her previous life, she had been controlled for many years, only taking charge after her parents passed away. Later, with the reform and opening up, her parents asked someone to find her. She was already running a small business, and with her parents' help, she quickly rose through the ranks, finally achieving true financial freedom.
Next door, the argument at the Sun family's house was eventually quelled by Sun Yaozu. He handed over all his wages to his mother, explaining that Meng Xi had something come up this month and her salary had been deducted, asking her to understand. After appeasing both sides, the storm was finally calmed down.
"Alright, honey, don't cry. Be good. I'm here for you, your man is here." Sun Yaozu deliberately stood not far from the wall connecting the two houses, his voice not too loud, not too soft, just loud enough for the neighbors to hear.
"Yes. I'm so glad I had you."
"Of course. Don't cry, I'll take care of anything that might happen to you."
Meng Xi didn't realize that he was saying these words to Shu Yao next door. He was so pleased with himself that she obediently went to the kitchen to cook. Sun Yaozu glanced at the neighboring house, imagining whether Shu Yao was extremely jealous at that moment.
Shu Yao didn't hear a thing. Knowing the Sun family was in chaos, she took her child and went back inside. Sun Yaozu was stupid; how could she possibly be jealous of others because of what she possessed? She felt nothing but contempt and anger towards him.
"Xu Xu, be careful, don't hit your sister with the rattle."
This wasn't her name in her past life, but she'd grown quite used to calling her that now. The children's names were chosen by Su Xiangdong after consulting a book; she hadn't known their meanings beforehand. She simply thought they sounded nice and easily accepted the change.
Today, while flipping through a book, I came across this line by chance: "The wheat and barley stretch before our eyes, we lean on each other, promising to be together." No wonder his face was flushed then; he was confessing his feelings to her.
We pledged to be together forever.
Although she had been given a second chance at life, this was the first time a man had confessed his love to her like this. What woman doesn't yearn to be loved, especially her? At the age of twelve, she was separated from her family amidst the chaos of war, utterly alone and helpless. How she longed for someone to love her, someone to lean on.
Joy, but even more so, she was deeply moved. She didn't know when he had fallen for her, but she sensed his affection in the details of daily life. He gave her a warm home, allowing her and her two children to live in peace. He gave her an unparalleled sense of security, making her fearless and able to handle even the Sun family with ease.
"What's wrong?"
As soon as Su Xiangdong entered, he saw his wife with her head down, and it looked like tears were streaming down her pale cheeks. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly threw his coat aside and sat down next to her.
"What's wrong? Who bullied you?"
She looked up, tears still streaming down her face. Her eyes were glistening and watery, reflecting his image clearly, and revealing the concern in them.
"It's alright." She reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek tightly against his chest. "The wheat and barley are all in sight, we've made a promise to each other." She looked up at him: "We've made a promise, we'll be together for a lifetime."
His eyes lit up instantly, and his wife belatedly realized his feelings. Although a little embarrassed, she was overjoyed. He happily hugged her and nodded.
Before, she only had eyes for Sun Yaozu and the Sun family. Now, she finally has herself and understands the importance of loving herself first and taking care of her own needs.
He lowered his head and kissed her red lips, lingering with longing. No matter how many times they met, the touch alone could ignite the passion within him. But even in his excitement, he didn't forget the time; he kissed her briefly and then quickly pulled away.
She swiftly caught her son as he lunged at her, lifting the little rascal into her arms. "You little rascal, what if you fell?"
"ah,"
His son's jarring shout ruined the mood, and he pinched the little guy's cheek with a mixture of helplessness and happiness. Little He Xu reached out and pulled at his father's hand, protesting with cries of "Ah ah," as if saying, "Don't pinch me!"
"Want to protest to Daddy? Your little arms and legs aren't big enough yet. You need to eat your food properly so you can grow bigger than Daddy in the future."
He Yi watched as her brother was being held by their father, then looked towards her mother, only to be pulled into Shu Yao's arms. "Why are you so good? If you want Daddy to hold you, just say so bravely. Otherwise, your brother will take it all from you."
"Ah!" The little one happily hugged her mother, and Shu Yao felt incredibly warm from her daughter's gesture. "You like Mommy, right? You can hug me too, can't you?"
"ah."
Although it wasn't the intimate, intimate time of a couple, the family of four had a unique warmth and coziness. A cold wind picked up outside; the gloomy night might bring snow. Inside, laughter and joy filled the air, the two children melting their parents' hearts.
The child slept soundly beside them that night, and the couple, after a passionate night in bed, embraced each other, unwilling to part. He kissed her forehead and cheeks repeatedly, their affectionate gestures softening and tingling in her heart.
"Su Xiangdong, do you like me?"
"Nonsense, you're my wife, who else would I like if I didn't like you?"
She chuckled softly, "So you like your wife, not Shu Yao?"
He released her and took a step back, gazing into her eyes in the darkness. Words that would normally be too mushy to say suddenly seemed easier to utter now, after their intimate moment.
"I like Shu Yao, and I only like you."
She was overjoyed to hear what he wanted to hear and hugged him tightly. Life can be peaceful and stable, but it should also be full of love. Marriage involves more than just responsibilities and obligations; affection is like the seasoning in cooking—it makes life more delicious.
His wife's happiness was obvious, and he was happy along with her. Women are indeed more emotional; she likes to hear these kinds of sweet words, so he'll say them more often in the future. He needs to show it through actions and words, making her feel secure.
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