Chapter 131 Seeing how handsome the man was, she regretted it!
After entering the house and putting his things down, Zhao Wenchang did not take off his heavy coat. Instead, he walked to Jiang Wanqiu's side and began to unbutton her thick cotton-padded coat with his large hands.
Jiang Wanxia felt a pang of jealousy as she watched Zhao Wenchang's affectionate gesture, but she had to force a fake smile: "Sister, you're finally back. I missed you, so I came to see you."
Jiang Wanqiu let Zhao Wenchang take off her heavy coat, leaving her in only a close-fitting wool sweater that outlined her curvaceous figure.
She replied lazily, "I'm doing fine here. How about you? How's it going in the city?"
"It's just like that," Jiang Wanxia said, tossing her hair in a nonchalant manner. "City life is just like that, going shopping every day and eating big meals, it's pretty boring."
Jiang Wanqiu listened to her boasting and just smiled with her eyes crinkled, without calling her out on it.
Just then, Zhao Xiaohua took out a small basket from the cupboard, filled with roasted pine nuts, peanuts, and melon seeds. She also took out a jar of fruit candies, placed them on the table, and called to Jiang Wanqiu, "Try some! Mom specially saved these for you, just waiting for you to come back and eat them!"
Jiang Wanxia's eyes widened when she saw it, and she immediately exclaimed, "Hey, Auntie! I've been staying at your house for several days now, why haven't you brought out any nice things to treat me? Don't I count as a human being?"
The question was both impolite and blunt, causing Grandma Ma Jinhua, who was standing nearby, to frown.
Jiang Wanqiu picked up a plump peanut, peeled off the shell, put the peanut kernel in her mouth, and then looked at her with a smile: "I'm just afraid that you, a golden phoenix from the city, will look down on these rustic things from our countryside. I'm not giving them to you because I'm afraid of neglecting you."
One sentence left Jiang Wanxia speechless.
After settling his wife in, Zhao Wenchang turned around, extended his hand to Wang Jianjun, and said in a steady voice, "Hello."
Wang Jianjun quickly stood up from his chair and shook hands with Zhao Wenchang with his thick hand.
It's true what they say: comparisons are odious.
Jiang Wanxia looked at the two men standing side by side, and her heart felt even more choked up.
Wang Jianjun was short and fat, and his shiny forehead made him look even older. But Zhao Wenchang, after not seeing him for a while, had become more upright. His military uniform accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making him look heroic and dashing. His face was so handsome that it was hard to look away.
She was filled with regret; how could she have let such a perfect man go to that bitch Jiang Wanqiu!
Before long, a commotion came from outside the courtyard gate. Zhao Wenchang's father, Zhao Shan, had returned. He carried an old hunting rifle on his shoulder, a pheasant flapping its wings in his hand, and a bulging cloth bag in his other hand.
As soon as he entered the house, he gave Jiang Wanqiu a simple and honest smile and greeted her before turning around and going into the kitchen.
Zhao Wenchang followed him inside.
Jiang Wanxia rolled her eyes, nudged Jiang Wanqiu who was leisurely eating sunflower seeds next to her, and said sarcastically, "Sister, your father-in-law and the man are both in the kitchen, why don't you go and lend a hand? Isn't that too unvirtuous?"
Jiang Wanqiu blew the sunflower seed shells off her fingertips and answered slowly, "There's nothing I can do. I've never actually cooked in the Zhao family."
Jiang Wanxia immediately felt a sense of superiority and straightened her back: "Women should be more virtuous. When I'm at the Wang family's house, the whole family vie to praise the dishes I cook!"
"Really?" Jiang Wanqiu's clear almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents. "I never expected that you could even cook now. My skills have probably become rusty. How could I be as lucky as you to have the opportunity to cook for the whole family? Unlike me, Wenchang serves me food and drink every day, and I've become lazy."
These words, though seemingly self-deprecating, were in fact a boast in every word, making Jiang Wanxia feel uneasy.
Wang Jianjun, who had been silent until now, glanced coldly at Jiang Wanqiu and spoke up: "A woman who can't cook is useless. What's the point of marrying her?"
"You're talking nonsense!" Ma Jinhua slammed her cane on the ground and cursed loudly, "Then what are you men good for! You can't even cook at home, are you just standing there like door gods!"
Wang Jianjun's face darkened after being scolded, but he stubbornly retorted, "Then what are you women for? Women are born to serve men! Men are responsible for earning money outside! How much does Zhao Wenchang earn in a month? Is it more than me? I can only make five hundred yuan a month with my salary and extra income!"
He glanced disdainfully at the kitchen: "Only incompetent men spend all their time fawning over their wives and doing women's chores. If a man were capable, women would be lining up to throw themselves at him!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wanqiu was not angry at all. Instead, she laughed and said, "Wenchang's monthly allowance in the army is indeed not as much as what you, brother-in-law, earn."
Wang Jianjun's face showed a smug look.
“However,” Jiang Wanqiu changed the subject, “he receives a subsidy every time he goes on a mission, and there are also various government subsidies at the end of the year, which adds up to a considerable amount over the years. Moreover, his superior thinks highly of him, and he has many opportunities for promotion in the future. He won’t have to worry about making money. Oh, by the way, he also gave me 10,000 yuan a while ago, telling me to keep it and buy whatever I like.”
Ten thousand yuan!
"What?!" Jiang Wanxia jumped up from her chair, her voice sharp and distorted.
She simply couldn't believe her ears!
Ten thousand yuan! Zhao Wenchang was actually willing to give Jiang Wanqiu ten thousand yuan!
Back in the Wang family, she only received twenty yuan a month from her mother-in-law for groceries! If she wanted even a penny more, she had to be subservient to her mother-in-law and would get a scolding. This forced her to secretly take odd jobs to earn a pittance.
But when she married Zhao Wenchang in her previous life, he never even produced a single ten-thousand-yuan bill, let alone ten thousand!
Jiang Wanxia felt a sharp pain in her chest and regretted it so much that she wanted to beat her chest and stamp her feet on the spot.
Jiang Wanqiu seemed oblivious to her distorted expression, and looked at Wang Jianjun with a smile: "I can't expect to live a good life. My brother-in-law is so rich, he must be very generous to my sister, right? She must be living a much more comfortable life than me."
Wang Jianjun never expected that a soldier would be so rich. Now that he was in a difficult position, he could only brag, "Of course! She spends money extravagantly, buying clothes and cosmetics indiscriminately. I give her several hundred yuan a month just for pocket money!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wanqiu smiled without saying a word.
She knew exactly what kind of person Wang Jianjun was in her past life.
However, she didn't expose her, but instead smiled knowingly, even with a hint of envy, and said to Jiang Wanxia, "Your brother-in-law is so good to you. You get several hundred yuan of pocket money every month, and you can buy whatever you want. It's really enviable. Sister, you are so lucky."
Listening to their conversation, her face contorted in pain, her lips twitching. It took her a long time to manage a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Then...of course."
A while later, a rich aroma of meat wafted from the kitchen.
Zhao Shan carried out a steaming pot of pheasant stew with mushrooms, while Zhao Wenchang followed behind, carrying freshly steamed white flour buns.
Zhao Xiaohua called out, "Hurry up, get ready, let's eat!"
She needed to clear away all the melon seeds, peanuts, and candies on the table to make room for bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanxia quickly stood up and eagerly went over to help: "Auntie, let me do it, let me do it."
She deftly scooped up the basket of fruit candies and, taking advantage of the moment when everyone turned to get their bowls, quickly grabbed a handful of candies from her large pockets.
The movements were quick and discreet, as if afraid of being seen.
On the other hand, Jiang Wanqiu didn't move an inch from beginning to end.
She was like a pampered doll.
Zhao Xiaohua handed her the clean enamel bowl first, and Grandma Ma Jinhua poured her a glass of warm water with trembling hands. Zhao Wenchang naturally set out her bowl and chopsticks, and placed a dish of dipping sauce in the most convenient place next to her.
This family seemed to have been born to revolve around her.
Wang Jianjun sat firmly at the table, but seeing Jiang Wanxia still dawdling, he impatiently yelled, "What are you standing there for? Are you dead? Hurry up and get me some rice!"
Jiang Wanxia trembled from the shout, feeling both angry and aggrieved.
She caught a glimpse of Jiang Wanqiu being pampered and waited on, and a surge of anger welled up inside her!
In her past life, when she married Zhao Wenchang, these people from the Zhao family served her in the same way!
Zhao Xiaohua always spoke softly to him, and when Zhao Shan hunted game, his first thought was to make her some nourishing soup. Back then, she hardly needed to serve herself a bowl of rice.
An inexplicable resentment welled up inside her, and Jiang Wanxia walked up to Zhao Xiaohua, mimicking her self-righteous tone from her previous life, and said imperiously, "Auntie, help me and Jianjun serve the rice."
Zhao Xiaohua and Zhao Shan were both stunned when they heard this, and then looked at her with some confusion.
Zhao Xiaohua frowned: "Aren't the bowls and spoons on the table? Serve yourself as much as you want. How would we know how much you eat?"
After saying that, he ignored her and went to serve food to his own mother.
Jiang Wanxia blushed; she didn't understand why this was happening.
The Zhao family members, who were so obedient to her in her past life, seem like completely different people in this life. They won't even serve her a bowl of rice anymore.
Reluctantly, she had no choice but to do it herself, hastily shoveling two large bowls of rice into her mouth and slamming them down in front of Wang Jianjun.
At the dinner table, Zhao Shan took a sip of wine, in a good mood, and said to Zhao Wenchang, "Wenchang, after dinner, take your wife and your sister-in-law out for a walk tomorrow. The supply and marketing cooperative got a new batch of fireworks a few days ago, and I bought some so the kids can set them off and have some fun."
Zhao Wenchang's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Wanqiu. Upon hearing this, he replied without looking up, "I understand, Dad."
As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out with his chopsticks, picked up the most tender piece of chicken leg, and placed it steadily into Jiang Wanqiu's bowl: "Eat more, you've been traveling all night and you've lost weight."
Jiang Wanqiu's cheeks flushed slightly under his blatant gaze. She gave him a coquettish glare before lowering her head and eating in small bites.
Jiang Wanxia, on the other hand, was a completely different story.
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