Chapter 60 Zhu Mingyue clearly stated that she and he would not...
Zhu Mingyue clearly knew there was no reasoning with him, so he simply stopped talking. The stir-fried pork with chili peppers had become a bit overcooked from all the delay. He scooped up the dish, locked it in the cupboard in front of the child, and then grabbed the other man by the collar and half-dragged, half-threw him out the door.
As I walked into the yard, I saw two adults standing not far from the front door, clearly aware that their child had entered someone else's house without permission, yet they did not stop him.
He also had no liking for this kind of parent. It is said that if any child has a problem, he is definitely the least ill in the family, and he knows this all too well.
As expected, when Wang Damaizi and his wife saw their child being dragged out by Zhu Mingyue, they immediately flew into a rage: "What are you doing, hitting my child!"
Zhu Mingyue ignored them, panting as she threw the child in front of them. The child's mother quickly and tenderly helped the child up and brushed the mud off his bottom.
Lin Dama ignored the child. He couldn't accept being ignored, so he yelled, "What do you mean? You're such a grown man, why are you picking on a child!"
"So noisy! Like father, like son. Their bad habits are inherited." Zhu Mingyue said expressionlessly, "Keep an eye on your child and don't let him steal my food."
People started looking over after hearing the commotion. Thinking about what their own children had done, Lin Damazi blushed, but stubbornly refused to admit it: "My child is not like some people. He would never steal food! That's a joke. My child doesn't lack meat to eat."
Zhu Mingyue's expression darkened further; he roughly understood who Lin Dama was referring to when he mentioned "certain people."
Xie Hong once said that Xie Pei didn't have a good reputation in the village, and many families thought he was dishonest. As for who spread these rumors, that remains unknown.
Zhu Mingyue didn't spell it out, but turned to the mischievous child and asked, "Is the meat delicious? Do you want more?"
The brat yelled at the top of his lungs, "Delicious! I want more! If you weren't stopping me, I could have eaten the whole pot!"
Zhu Mingyue smiled as she watched Lin Dama's wife hastily and tightly cover the child's mouth to prevent him from speaking.
Zhu Mingyue deliberately raised her voice: "Now I heard you, your child came to my house to steal meat!"
Lin Dama couldn't bear the sight of so many people watching, so he kicked the child hard. He was angry and kicked the child so hard that the child fell to the ground and cried loudly, which attracted the attention of another group of people.
Lin Damazi: ...
His wife, however, remained calm and tried to smooth things over without changing her expression: "Look at you, why are you arguing with the child? How old is he?"
Zhu Mingyue scoffed. If this child had barged into his house merely to politely ask for some meat, he would have felt offended but wouldn't have bothered, simply giving him some meat to send him away. But this child was a scoundrel, like father, like son. He was already sick of the family's ugly behavior; what did it matter to him how old the child was? Was he supposed to be bullied by a child?
That dish was specially made for Xie Pei's birthday, and it was almost ruined. He was angry just thinking about it.
He adopted a fierce posture: "Fine, just consider it as being eaten by a dog. Stay away from my house from now on."
As more and more people gathered in the distance, he felt like he was being watched as a spectacle. Unwilling to argue with the three, he turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him.
Lin Dama looked at the tightly closed door, a deep sense of humiliation rising in his heart.
His wife tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Let's go."
Lin Dama ignored his wife and children and walked away quickly, cursing as he went: "That poor bastard thinks it's a big deal to eat meat. My family eats meat every meal. The kids just don't know any better."
He knew Zhu Mingyue could hear him but couldn't be bothered to pay attention; he was speaking to the villagers watching, not to Zhu Mingyue.
"father!"
Lin Dama glared at the child, warning him not to talk nonsense.
The child's voice softened slightly: "How about we have meat for dinner tonight?"
How could he refuse? He had just boasted that he would make his wife cook a pot of meat dishes tonight, and that the smell would be even better than what wafted from the Xie family's, so that the neighbors could smell that the Lin family had no shortage of meat.
His wife hesitated for a moment, then ran to catch up with him and whispered, "Where's the meat at home? Maybe there's still some left in town at this hour, but... we're out of money."
"You damned woman, I let you manage the money all the time, but when it really matters, you can't even afford meat. Is this how you manage things? What are people going to say about our family? Even the Xie family can afford meat." In the end, he still looked down on the Xie family. He was convinced that the money the Xie family had to buy meat came from Zhu Mingyue's daily trips to town through improper means. As for Li Zhengyang, who followed her around every day, he pretended not to see him.
"Manage the money, manage the money, then make some money for me to manage! What am I supposed to manage if there's no money?" his wife grumbled indignantly.
Lin Dama swayed, his blood rushing to his head. He would never admit that he couldn't earn money. He pretended to be impatient: "Alright, alright, what do you know? I'm going hunting in the mountains later. I guarantee you'll have meat to eat tonight."
Of all the people in the village he knew, Xie Pei was the only one who frequently went hunting in the mountains. He had been going up the mountains frequently since he was a little over ten years old. He didn't know how well he had done, but seeing that Xie Pei hadn't gotten into any trouble over the years, he figured it wouldn't be too difficult for him.
He was also craving meat.
Zhu Mingyue knew Lin Dama's idea but didn't care. Xie Pei would be back in about half an hour. He had to finish cooking the dishes before he returned to surprise him.
He gently rubbed his lower back and began to braise the pig's trotters. The trotters were stewed until tender, and then stir-fried in a rich, dark sauce until they were practically falling off the bone.
Zhu Mingyue took a small bowl, scooped up a piece, and tasted it. It was so delicious that it made her feel like she was in heaven.
Not to brag, but he does have a real talent for cooking. Almost none of his dishes are bad. If he makes a mistake twice, he learns from it and can cook very well again.
He had even thought that given the grim employment situation, even though his grades were good, he might not be able to find his ideal job immediately after graduating from a good university. In that case, he could apply for a chef job as a temporary measure.
After cooking the pig's trotters, he quickly stir-fried a plate of cabbage with pork cracklings in it. Xie Pei likes to eat meat, and he won't eat vegetables without oil.
In addition to these, there's taro braised chicken, braised beef, and a refreshing vegetable and egg soup to cleanse the palate, and you're all done.
Zhu Mingyue would take a bite of each dish as soon as it was cooked, and if it suited his taste, he would take a couple more bites. He was already half full when the dishes were finished.
I put the vegetables on the rice steamer to keep them warm, and after a while I heard noises outside the door.
He was still wondering if it was that clueless brat again! Just as he was about to go out to check, he heard Er Ya's duck quacking, and for some reason, he breathed a sigh of relief.
As the sun was about to set, the kitchen was especially dim. Zhu Mingyue splurged on two candles, and the two of them enjoyed a particularly cozy dinner by candlelight.
It was Xie Pei's first birthday, and he finally experienced what it felt like to be valued. He couldn't speak, but he felt a sweet warmth throughout his body.
In the dim candlelight, when Zhu Mingyue wasn't looking, he repeatedly traced his outline. The person under the candlelight was even more captivating. He felt that the person in front of him was good in every way, so good that there was no one in the world more pure and kind than him.
Perhaps this was a gift from heaven, seeing that he had struggled in the mud for too long, and sent him to earth.
Zhu Mingyue, unaware of what was going on, smiled and said, "Xie Pei, happy birthday, may you have boundless blessings."
Xie Pei gave a deep "hmm," silently wishing that he didn't have boundless good fortune, but only that every year he could have this day again, and that he could remain the same year after year...
After dinner, Xie Pei went to wash the dishes. Zhu Mingyue didn't stop him just because it was his birthday. He figured Xie Pei wouldn't listen, since washing dishes was a regular part of Xie Pei's nightly routine.
He teased Er Ya from the side, his smile as cunning as a fox: "Hurry up and wash, I have something for you when you're done." From his tone, it was clear that this was another surprise prepared for him.
Xie Pei's heart stirred. On this day, he ate longevity noodles and a sumptuous meal made by Zhu Mingyue herself. He had never dared to dream of such a thing before, not even in his dreams. But Zhu Mingyue not only prepared it for him, but also told him just now that she had something else to give him.
The high earthen wall he had built in his heart crumbled and fell to the ground, allowing anyone to enter at will; from then on, he cared nothing more.
Watching Zhu Mingyue chatter and laugh with Er Ya, her laughter as melodious as silver bells, his heart softened terribly. His thoughts wandered, and he even began to worry about how he would repay Zhu Mingyue's sincerity a month from now.
What does Zhu Mingyue like? Zhu Mingyue only likes lean meat, and doesn't eat much of it. She prefers vegetables most of the time. Before meals, she always sips a bowl of soup, then chews her food slowly. She doesn't waste leftovers; instead, she mixes them with soup and slowly swallows them.
Zhu Mingyue actually likes brightly colored clothes, but seems unwilling to admit it. She is very clean and always makes sure she looks neat and tidy before going out. Ever since he learned from Zhu Mingyue that his family loved him very much when he was alive, he couldn't help but wonder what he used to be like, probably being carefully pampered and cherished like a young master from a wealthy family.
If they hadn't been stranded here amidst the chaos of war, the two would likely have been worlds apart and would never have crossed paths again in this lifetime.
The dishes were almost washed, and Zhu Mingyue said cheerfully, "Wait here, I'll go get something."
Xie Pei pursed her lips, her heart inevitably stirred with anticipation, influenced by Zhu Mingyue's feelings.
Clap clap! Clap clap clap!
The knocking on the door was as rapid and intense as a sudden downpour.
Zhu Mingyue paused in her steps toward the bedroom and exchanged a glance with Xie Pei.
Who would knock on someone's door at this hour, especially their own? The knocking continued, and there was something very unusual about it.
Xie Pei's face betrayed his obvious displeasure: "I'll go take a look."
Zhu Mingyue followed closely behind: "I'll go with you." As she spoke, she picked out a handy weapon, and after thinking for a moment, she placed the wide-eyed Er Ya on her shoulder.
As Zhu Mingyue got closer to the door, she heard faint sobs mixed in with the knocking.
"Who is it?" Zhu Mingyue asked the person outside before opening the door.
"Please, please open the door!" The woman cried uncontrollably, and after a long while she finally explained, "I'm from Wang Damaizi's family."
Wang Damaizi? Isn't that the family of three who came to bother him a few hours ago?
Zhu Mingyue hesitated to open the door, his hand still on the door. He had a really bad impression of this family; all three of them, regardless of age, had their own eccentricities.
"Second brother of the Xie family, please, open the door!" the woman cried and pleaded. "I'll kneel down for you, please? I just beg you to save my husband and child. They disappeared after going up the mountain and haven't returned yet. I don't know what to do."
Before Xie Pei could speak, Zhu Mingyue answered for him: "Your family members went to the mountains and haven't returned. What's the use of looking for Xie Pei instead of the village chief?"
He glanced at Xie Pei, whose expression was calm and showed no displeasure at Xie Pei's decision to act on his own. After thinking for a moment, he decided to open the door and talk to her face to face.
"I'll do it." Xie Pei stepped forward, and the door was suddenly pushed open from the inside. What came into view was the woman's resentful face. She seemed to be unable to contain herself for a moment and covered her face, crying as she tried to hide it.
Zhu Mingyue found it ironic that she had to play the double game of asking for help, even though she couldn't let go of her resentment towards the other party.
Speaking of grudges, Xie Pei had no connection with them whatsoever, so how could he have any enmity with them? As for himself, he had only exchanged a few words with them when the family had clearly made a mistake. He didn't take it seriously afterward, but he never expected that they would hold a grudge against him.
This kind of person is really scary; you have to stay far away from them unless absolutely necessary to feel at ease.
The other party was in a hurry, and he didn't want to kick them while they were down, so he softened his tone and repeated what he had just said: "Go and talk to the village chief. What's the use of sending Xie Pei up the mountain alone? Is your family's life more important than Xie Pei's?"
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