Chapter 6 Zhao Qingda is causing trouble again.
Zhao Qingda entered the courtyard humming a little tune, his steps almost unsteady.
I'm on a winning streak today, dominating the poker table.
Pushing open the door to the east wing, Wen Xiaoxiao was already asleep.
When you win money, you're in a good mood, and everything seems more pleasing to the eye.
Zhao Qingda tiptoed over and, using the dim light coming in from the window, peered at the person on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Wen Xiaoxiao's stray hairs clung to her sweat-dampened forehead, and beneath her thin summer jacket, her body curves rose and fell gently with her breath.
A surge of heat rose in his heart, an impulse carrying a sense of conquest welling up within him.
He was more patient than usual, slowly unbuttoning her blouse.
Wen Xiaoxiao opened her eyes groggily, and upon noticing the movement on her body, she almost instinctively raised her hand to push it away.
"Don't move..." Zhao Qingda lowered his voice, with a rare coaxing tone, "Be good, I'm happy today..." He covered her mouth, but his actions left no room for refusal.
Wen Xiaoxiao's struggles were futile against his absolute strength advantage.
She closed her eyes, her nails digging deep into her palms, her body stiff as a piece of wood.
Those unbearable memories and last night's argument still weigh on my heart; all that's left is numbly endurance.
Not long after, Zhao Fei, who got up to get a drink of water in the middle of the night, clearly heard a noise coming from the east wing.
It wasn't an argument, but a different kind of noise that made him instantly blush and feel extremely uncomfortable.
Zhao Qingda never knew how to restrain himself in this regard; when he got excited, he would shout and yell, which was particularly clear and jarring in the quiet night.
He's causing trouble again.
Zhao Fei stood frozen in place, holding the bowl of water. He suddenly turned around and went back into the house, slamming the door shut. He pulled the blanket over his head, his heart pounding wildly in the darkness, unable to tell whether it was disgust or something else.
Li Yugu was also awakened by the same commotion.
She sighed softly in the west wing and turned over. She'd been there all along; she understood.
Hearing that noise made me feel uneasy, yet I also secretly hoped that this might help me get pregnant.
The next morning, Zhao Qingda felt refreshed. He combed his hair neatly in front of the mirror, humming a song as he went out.
Li Yugu met him in the kitchen and whispered, "Be careful at night. Your older brother is still here. He's a bachelor. What kind of talk is that?"
Zhao Qingda casually replied with a "Hi," mumbled an "Okay," and slipped out the door.
In the car, Wang Juan, with her sharp eyes, noticed that he looked well and teased, "Master Zhao, did you find some money? You seem so happy."
Zhao Qingda chuckled, didn't respond, but the corners of his mouth remained upturned.
In the east wing, Wen Xiaoxiao got up very late.
She walked to the mirror and slowly unbuttoned her clothes.
Several fresh bruises were clearly visible on the body reflected in the mirror, standing out starkly against the delicate skin.
Looking at those marks, her heart felt like a spice shop had been overturned, a mixture of sour, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors, but no sweetness whatsoever.
In these matters, Zhao Qingda always only cared about his own pleasure, acting tyrannically and brutally, never considering whether she was in pain or willing.
Last night's so-called "patience" was nothing more than a generous act of kindness.
She silently dressed, covered her wounds, sat by the window, picked up her crochet hook and thread, and continued crocheting that flower that would never be finished.
The old sow at Zhao Fei's pig farm gave birth smoothly that night, producing twelve healthy piglets.
He stayed at the pig farm for most of the night and was exhausted, but seeing the lively piglets made him feel a little better.
In the afternoon, Zhao Yidi ran home like a happy little bird, holding up her test paper: "One hundred points! I got one hundred points!"
Wen Xiaoxiao took the test paper, looked at the bright red 100 points on it, and finally a genuine smile appeared on her face. She patted Yidi's head and said, "Our Yidi is great. She will definitely be successful in the future."
To celebrate, Wen Xiaoxiao prepared the dough, chopped the filling, and steamed a whole pot of plump, white meat buns.
The courtyard was filled with fragrance.
Zhao Yidi, biting into a steamed bun, mumbled, "Auntie's steamed buns are the best! My dad also loves meat steamed buns the most!"
Hearing this, Li Yugu, who was sewing shoe soles, looked up at Wen Xiaoxiao and said, "That's right, Feizi loves to eat this. Xiaoxiao, pick a few and take them to Feizi at the factory while they're still hot. He's been keeping watch all night, he definitely hasn't had a hot meal yet."
Wen Xiaoxiao paused in her actions, instinctively wanting to refuse: "Mom, I...I don't know where the pig farm is."
Li Yugu gave her a reproachful look: "Just follow the main road east, and once you leave the city, you'll see a cluster of low houses. You can walk there. Why are you so incompetent? He's your brother-in-law, and he's helped our family so much. Delivering a few steamed buns shouldn't be tiring for him, right?"
Wen Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, silently picked out a few of the most evenly shaped and plump buns, wrapped them in a white cloth, placed them in a bamboo basket, changed into a plain dress for going out, and went out with her head down.
The road wasn't short; it took her a full half hour to walk, and her legs started to ache.
Finally, she saw the low-lying factory sheds. She hesitated at the entrance for a moment before whispering to the gatekeeper, "I'm looking for Zhao Fei."
Zhao Fei was squatting in the delivery room examining the piglets when he heard that a woman was looking for him, and his heart skipped a beat.
He hurriedly washed his hands and came out. When he saw Wen Xiaoxiao standing at the factory gate with a bamboo basket, he was clearly stunned.
"Xiaoxiao? What brings you here?" He walked over quickly.
Wen Xiaoxiao handed the basket forward, her eyes fixed on the ground, her voice barely audible: "My mom asked me to deliver these... meat buns. They're still warm." With that, she turned to leave.
"Wait," Zhao Fei called out to her, his brow furrowed slightly, "How did you get here?"
“They came on foot.”
Zhao Fei glanced at the ordinary cloth shoes on her feet, then looked at the bright, white sun outside.
“It’s so far… wait a minute.” He turned and ran back to his office, pulled out his bicycle, and said, “Ride my bike back.”
Wen Xiaoxiao quickly waved her hand, her face turning even redder: "No...no need, big brother...I can't ride."
Zhao Fei thought for a moment, and just then he saw the small truck returning empty after hauling feed. "Xiao Liu!" he called out to the driver, "Are you going back to the city? Give my brother and sister-in-law a ride on your way."
The driver, Xiao Liu, was a straightforward young man. He peeked at Wen Xiaoxiao and said with a smile, "Alright, boss! Sister-in-law, get in the car!"
Wen Xiaoxiao felt uncomfortable being called "sister-in-law" and hurriedly corrected herself: "No... I'm his sister-in-law."
Xiao Liu laughed heartily: "Same here, sister-in-law is also a sister-in-law! Get in the car!"
Wen Xiaoxiao had no choice but to get into the passenger seat.
As the car started, Xiao Liu, a chatterbox, asked while driving, "Sister-in-law, are you related to Boss Zhao? He's a really good person, but he works too hard."
“Um… he’s my older cousin,” Wen Xiaoxiao replied softly.
"Oh—!" Xiao Liu drawled out, then stopped asking questions and began to recount what he had seen and heard on the way.
The car soon arrived at the entrance of the alley. Wen Xiaoxiao thanked them and got off the car with her empty basket.
Xiao Liu waved to her and drove away.
Zhao Fei opened the still-warm cloth covering the cage. He picked one up and took a big bite.
The buns have soft skin, savory meat filling, plenty of juice, and just the right amount of saltiness.
He ate slowly, one bite after another.
The only sound in the empty office was the sound of him chewing.
He looked at the remaining buns, and a tiny smile unconsciously curved his lips upwards.
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