Chapter 20
20.
Once Guan Yue calmed down, Cheng Lingjun told her to go back to her room while he went to get the food he had prepared.
"I can't accept this..." Guan Yue declined, but the expectation in her eyes was undisguised.
She can't cook or do anything right now, so Cheng Lingjun cooking for her is a real lifesaver.
Cheng Lingjun said, "It was prepared a long time ago, but I was worried that you hadn't woken up yet, so I kept it on the stove to keep it warm."
Guan Yue's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful... Thank you so much. It's my fault for dragging you into this and having to ask you to take care of me."
Cheng Lingjun paused for a moment, then said, "It's not a case of being implicated."
"Of course I'm a burden," Guan Yue said regretfully. "If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have come here to cause trouble. Luckily you're alright, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do."
“You also protected my father and me, so I should thank you,” Cheng Lingjun waved his hand. “Alright, wait a moment, I’ll go get the food. It’s so late, you must be starving.”
"Okay, okay, I'm not in a hurry, take your time," Guan Yue said obediently, as if a tail was wagging behind her.
After Cheng Lingjun left, Guan Yue pondered that she had eaten a lot of Cheng Lingjun's rice these past few days, and she should repay him some. The two of them, father and son, had not had an easy life. They had no choice before, but now she finally had something to give Cheng Lingjun, and her uneasy heart, which always felt indebted, could finally be at ease.
Just then, Guan Yue heard footsteps approaching and looked at the person with anticipation.
But it turned out that not only Cheng Lingjun came over, but he was also holding someone's hand with his left hand, his son: Li Guang.
Guan Yue almost jumped off her chair. "Xiao Guang is here too!"
Cheng Lingjun looked at her amusedly, "I was a little worried about him being home alone, and since it was only a short walk, I let him follow me."
"Ah, oh, oh..." Guan Yue stared at Li Guang stiffly, like a frozen puppet. She didn't know whether to touch the child or leave her hands where they were. In the end, she didn't dare to raise them. She just straightened her back and forced a smile, saying, "Little Guang is so big now... Um, have you eaten?"
Looking at this woman who seemed even more nervous than him, Li Guang didn't want to talk to her, but he felt it would be impolite and his father would definitely scold him, so he could only pout and say, "I ate."
Li Guang didn't reject her as he had before, which was a huge surprise to Guan Yue. She didn't expect to get along with him well; she was content with just being able to interact with him in this peaceful way.
Guan Yue pointed to the chair next to her and said, "Please sit wherever you like. My home is simple. It's probably not comfortable for Xiao Guang since this is his first time here."
“There’s nothing I’m not used to,” Cheng Lingjun said, placing the lunchbox on the table and serving Guan Yue.
Today was different from usual; there were three dishes: stir-fried chrysanthemum greens, radish and chicken soup, and finely shredded white cabbage, which made Guan Yue's eyes widen in surprise.
"This is so lavish!" Before transmigrating, these dishes would have been considered ordinary, but after transmigrating, Guan Yue felt as if she were seeing a Manchu Han Imperial Feast. The aroma made her wonder if she was dreaming.
"There are chickens too?" Guan Yue looked at Cheng Lingjun. "Where did these chickens come from?"
Cheng Lingjun brought the food over. He brought a large bowl of rice, as if afraid that Guan Yue wouldn't have enough to eat. He filled a bowl for Guan Yue, and it looked like there was room for another bowl. Guan Yue was no longer flattered, but shocked and stunned.
Cheng Lingjun seemed unwilling to answer, but simply handed the bowl and chopsticks to Guan Yue, telling her to eat first.
Li Guang couldn't help but blurt out, "Of course it was bought. Dad bought a chicken with someone else, but he won't let me eat it, saying he wants to..."
"Bang!" Cheng Lingjun slammed the bottom of the bowl heavily on the table. Without saying a word, he stared at Li Guang with his dark eyes, displaying the majesty of a patriarch.
“…I’m leaving it all for you to eat,” Li Guang said, despite the pressure from his father. He looked at Cheng Lingjun defiantly, as stubborn as a little bull.
Guan Yue felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at this person, then at that person, and asked, "How about we all eat together?"
“No need,” Cheng Lingjun turned her head, her voice still somewhat heavy, “He’s already eaten at home. You’re the patient, this is for you.”
“Actually, I…” Guan Yue looked at him nervously, “I’m not that seriously ill…”
Cheng Lingjun gave her a look, and Guan Yue didn't dare to speak.
She nervously accepted the food and chopsticks from Cheng Lingjun, and said timidly, "Th-thank you."
"Have some soup first," Cheng Lingjun said, taking the spoon from Guan Yue. Guan Yue didn't dare disobey him and could only drink the soup.
The broth is delicious and rich, and Guan Yue becomes more and more addicted to it.
Turning around, she realized she had already drunk half a bowl. She looked at Cheng Lingjun somewhat embarrassedly and said, "What you made is really delicious."
A smile appeared in Cheng Lingjun's eyes as he picked up a little of the thin white shredded vegetable for her.
“There’s still some meat at home. Xiao Guang is just a child and can’t eat much, so just eat yours,” Cheng Lingjun said. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s already had some soup.”
Guan Yue felt much relieved upon hearing this. Her body was in pain, so she couldn't hold the bowl and chopsticks with both hands at the same time. She could only put the bowl on the table and use her right hand to pick up rice and put it into her mouth with the chopsticks.
She was focused on eating and didn't see Li Guang pouting in dissatisfaction. His father only gave him soup and a few pieces of radish. The family only kept scraps. He had been craving chicken legs for a long time, but his father just wouldn't give him any. He was being unfair!
Guan Yue put the shredded vegetables into her mouth and felt a sweet and sour taste stimulating her taste buds. The richness of the chicken soup was immediately diluted, and her appetite was whetted.
Li Guang sat in the chair, swinging his legs, "These are pickled radish peels that Dad made, aren't they delicious?"
"Haochi haochi..." Guan Yue mumbled incoherently as she swallowed large mouthfuls of rice.
"Don't just eat rice, have some vegetables too," Cheng Lingjun tapped the table. "Eat some meat too, it'll help you recover faster."
"Mmm," Guan Yue ate so much she almost cried tears of joy. This was paradise on earth! She could get beaten up and still have such delicious food. She would be willing to get beaten up every day... no.
Although Guan Yue was willing, she was unable to finish the meal, which took a very long time. In the middle, Li Guang became impatient and wandered around her weedy yard. Cheng Lingjun wanted to stop him, but Guan Yue said that he should play as he pleased. She had searched the yard for the past few days and there was nothing dangerous. She told him to let the child play if he wanted and not to restrict him too much.
"Boys should be quieter..."
Guan Yue almost spat out her soup when she heard Cheng Lingjun's sigh.
Although she accepted the worldview of this world, she hadn't really seen many men and women, and she lived in a village where all children were equally mischievous in her eyes. Cheng Lingjun's thinking was quite feudal.
“No need for that…” Guan Yue wiped her mouth, her gaze following Li Guang in the courtyard. “Children are naturally playful, it has nothing to do with whether they are boys or girls. When he grows up, he can be quiet if he likes it, as long as he doesn’t bother others.”
Cheng Lingjun looked at her with a hint of surprise in her eyes, "You're being far too lenient."
"Hahaha," Guan Yue chuckled, "Really? I just feel that if you don't have enough fun and mischief when you're young, you'll always have some regrets when you grow up."
A hazy mist enveloped Guan Yue's eyes, as if she saw herself many years ago, trapped in a wall, unable to break free, yet believing that the world was only so big. Even after she slowly emerged, she still regretted not enjoying happiness sooner, only to be blocked by the leaves in front of her, mistaking it for being blocked by a mountain.
Children from single-parent families often have some psychological issues. For her, it felt like the world changed overnight. She couldn't empathize with adults, nor could she clear away those psychological poisons. She let them fester and grow in her heart, creating a barrier. Her mother was busy all day and she couldn't see her even once a day. The barrier grew thicker day by day, eventually becoming a wall. And when it came time to dismantle that wall, it took an unknown amount of time.
Guan Yue envied Li Guang. He was with his father, and Cheng Lingjun was clearly handling things well. Li Guang didn't resent Cheng Lingjun. Sometimes, just looking at them made her feel peaceful and calm, as if her regrets and resentments were being soothed by little Li Guang. At the same time, she secretly hoped that she could see a different fate in him.
"What's wrong?" Guan Yue turned around and saw Cheng Lingjun staring at her in a daze.
"It's nothing, I just felt..." Cheng Lingjun frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Never mind, it's nothing."
"Really?" Guan Yue touched her face and turned her head away, somewhat puzzled.
I felt a faint sadness emanating from her, as if she were looking at someone through the light. Could someone with amnesia have such heavy emotions? Did she remember the past? Did she remember her family?
To be honest, I've never met Guan Yue's family; I'm afraid they've long since...
Cheng Lingjun sighed softly, his voice as ethereal as mist, but Guan Yue, who was sitting next to him, heard it. She glanced at him and saw Cheng Lingjun looking at her with a loving gaze, which immediately gave her goosebumps.
What are you doing?
Cheng Lingjun noticed her gaze and asked, "Have you finished eating?"
Guan Yue had finished eating and was quite full, but there was still some food left. Not wanting to waste other people's good intentions, she continued to eat. Now that she had almost finished, she nodded and said, "I'm done eating... I've made you wait."
Guan Yue actually wanted Cheng Lingjun and Li Guang to go back first, but Li Guang was playing around here again, and Cheng Lingjun didn't take the initiative to leave. It wouldn't be polite for her to ask them to leave. The two chatted casually, and time passed quite quickly. Guan Yue felt even more guilty as she watched Cheng Lingjun clean up the dishes.
"I'm so sorry to have troubled you with this injury," Guan Yue said, sitting at the table and watching others busy themselves for her. She felt both pleased and distressed.
"It's nothing," Cheng Lingjun said gently and tolerantly, without a trace of reluctance.
Guan Yue couldn't stand seeing others treat her so well, so she immediately led Cheng Lingjun to the kitchen and insisted that he pack a bag of rice and take it with him.
Seeing Cheng Lingjun's surprised look, Guan Yue was so anxious that she almost bit her tongue. "This, this... my injury will take several more days to heal. I can't cook. You can use my rice to cook, otherwise I won't eat."
After saying that, Guan Yue's ears turned red with embarrassment. Fortunately, it was nighttime, otherwise the other party would have noticed. Was she so sure that Cheng Lingjun would cook for her? She clearly wanted to repay Cheng Lingjun, but now it seemed like she was morally blackmailing him.
Guan Yue lowered her head, not daring to look at him, but a soft laugh reached her ears.
"How many days will it take for your injury to heal?"
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