For the past two days, this is the first time Jiang Rou has gone out.
It’s not that she didn’t want to go out, but she searched through every cabinet and drawer in her house and couldn’t find a single penny.
According to Jiang Rou’s memories, all the money at home is with Li Xiao, and he regularly leaves money for her.
This time, his sudden visit to the police station was unexpected.
Speaking of it, the relationship between “Jiang Rou” and Li Xiao is somewhat complicated, not like a typical married couple.
In the previous life, although the police investigated Li Xiao quite thoroughly, due to the limited criminal involvement of Li Xiao’s ex-wife and the passage of time, many things were hard to trace. It is known that his ex-wife gave birth to a daughter for him, and when the daughter was three years old, she abandoned the child and ran off with a wealthy businessman from Hong Kong. The police tried to contact her before, but couldn’t find her. Some said she went abroad, while others claimed she died of an illness.
With “Jiang Rou’s” current memories, everything becomes more complicated.
The original owner’s parents favored sons over daughters. There were two older sisters, and below them, a pair of fraternal twins, boy and girl. Due to the family’s extreme poverty, they couldn’t afford to raise all the children. The parents even gave away the youngest sister to someone else.
The original owner was sandwiched in the middle and belonged to the kind of sibling who wasn’t given much attention.
However, the original owner had a proud temperament and excelled in academics from a young age. Unwilling to be stuck in the village for her entire life, she worked hard, studied, and managed to get into the county high school.
However, despite her good performance in the past, which was achieved through rote memorization, her grades noticeably declined after entering high school. Additionally, as she grew more attractive, her parents began to have ulterior motives. They wanted to marry her off to a local steamed bun seller, and the prospective groom’s family offered a dowry of ten thousand yuan.
The original owner naturally refused. The steamed bun seller was old and unattractive. If she were to marry, she at least wanted to marry into the county.
Under the relentless pressure from her parents, she set her sights on a schoolmate who came from a well-off family but had a rebellious personality. In order to get close to him, she found out that he often went to nightclubs. To pursue him, she skipped evening self-study every day, sneaking out of school to work as a waitress in a nightclub.
The nightclub was owned by the rebellious schoolmate’s uncle. He and his friends often stayed overnight, and there were special rooms for them to rest in.
It was a twist of fate. One night, the original owner, taking advantage of the rebellious schoolmate being asleep, climbed into bed. To her surprise, when she woke up after a night’s “sleep”, she realized that she had mistaken the person for Li Xiao.
She knew Li Xiao as well. He was a year older and got expelled in the first semester of sophomore year, causing quite a commotion at school.
However, as the saying goes, what’s done is done. “Jiang Rou” decided not to care about how others would perceive her and simply moved in with Li Xiao.
Two months later, she discovered that she was pregnant, and Li Xiao had no choice but to acknowledge it.
However, their relationship remained very cold.
Li Xiao hardly came home, and even when he did, there was little conversation. While he refrained from physically harming women, he couldn’t forget the manipulation that led to their situation. Moreover, the man desired by the original owner was not him.
Internally, the original owner was in great dilema and torment. On one hand, she liked Li Xiao’s appearance and his assertive personality. With him around, no one dared to bully her. On the other hand, Li Xiao was too poor, had a bad reputation, and couldn’t provide the life she desired.
It can only be said that there were hints of dissatisfaction from the very beginning in the previous life before the original owner finally left.
“Jiang Rou” has been living in the county for half a year, but she rarely goes out for shopping and is not very familiar with the area.
Following the route based on her impression, Jiang Rou went to the market. Li Xiao’s biological mother sells vegetables in the market. She deliberately took a detour to a meat stall, carefully selected a pound of lean meat, which cost four yuan. Then, she went to the neighboring vegetable stall to buy chili, potatoes, green peas, spring onions, and garlic, spending one yuan and seventy cents.
The small basket was filled and felt quite heavy.
After making the purchases, Jiang Rou sneaked out through the back door of the market. There was a pastry shop at the entrance; the storefront didn’t look very clean, appearing dark. However, Jiang Rou didn’t mind. She bought two yuan worth of pumpkin cakes and Huangshan roasted cakes.
As she walked and ate, going back from the market required traversing a large part of the county. Halfway through, she got tired of eating. Passing by a convenience store, she couldn’t resist buying a red bean popsicle.
The convenience store was located at a crossroads. On the opposite side was a river flowing through the county, with a stone bridge spanning it. There were railings on both sides of the river, and at intervals, willow trees were planted.
On this side, the economy seemed to be more developed, with buildings already constructed nearby.
In the distance, under the shade of the willow trees, a few people were smoking. They spoke loudly, laughing and joking, dressed in flashy and eccentric clothes, standing or squatting, lacking in decorum.
With just a glance, Jiang Rou felt that these individuals were not up to any good.
Without looking sideways, she continued walking forward, holding the basket on her shoulder.
She even deliberately took a detour to avoid getting too close to them.
As she passed by, the loud conversation of those people abruptly stopped, making Jiang Rou’s heart skip a beat. She silently prayed, “Please don’t come over”; she couldn’t handle a confrontation right now.
Once she was at a safe distance, Zhou Jian nudged the man beside him with his elbow and asked uncertainly in a low voice, “Is that the sister-in-law?”
Why didn’t the sister-in-law greet them when she saw them?
The man leaned against the tree trunk with his back, his left leg supporting him on the ground, and his right leg bent, resting on the tree trunk. His posture was casual, and his dark eyes followed the figure that was walking farther away. He exhaled a puff of white smoke, squinted his eyes, and remained silent.
Unable to resist speculating, Zhou Jian asked teasingly, “Is she angry?”
After all, he had been gone for several days.
The man turned his head slightly, giving Zhou Jian a cold look. Zhou Jian awkwardly rubbed his nose, “Just kidding.”
he was aware of the situation between them
Jiang Rou wouldn’t dare to speak loudly in front of the boss, let alone show anger.
The man seemed indifferent. He took his final drag, tossed the cigarette butt on the ground, casually crushed it with his foot. His eyes instantly turned fierce, “Let’s go. Time to settle the score.”
Without hesitation, he turned and walked in the opposite direction.
Zhou Jian immediately became excited, without giving it much thought, he called out to the others, “Let’s go.”
“Damn, we must show that guy surnamed Zhang some colors.”
“Xiao Ge, today we have to get revenge!”
…
At noon, Jiang Rou had lunch outside,
she passed by a noodle shop where she ordered a plate of dumplings.
It must be said that the working people of this era are quite honest and straightforward. When they say “dumplings,” they truly mean dumplings – large, with a generous filling consisting of half meat and half vegetables. A big bowl contains twenty dumplings.
The taste was also good, and after eating, one could hardly get up due to being so full.
It was still early when she got back home, around 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Jiang Rou washed her face and neck with a basin of cold water. By this time, her stomach had digested some of the food, so she went back to her room for a nap.
Today’s nap was not long because, before sleeping, she suddenly remembered a major matter. Back when her sister-in-law was pregnant, the whole family was on edge. Her mother and sister-in-law had started preparing for the baby as soon as they found out about the pregnancy, checking the brands of formula to buy, stockpiling a large quantity of diapers, bibs, baby clothes, and socks…
At that time, she was still in university and had asked her friend who was studying abroad to help with purchasing formula and bottles. Consequently, she was quite knowledgeable about these things.
However, being pregnant for so long, it seemed that the original owner hadn’t considered any of these preparations. Not to mention baby clothes, there weren’t even any diapers at home.
With the concern on her mind, Jiang Rou couldn’t sleep well during her nap. She got up a little after two o’clock, flipped through the wardrobe in her room.
It was empty inside. She had only three or four sets of autumn and winter clothes, and Li Xiao had even fewer – just a washed-out black button-up shirt with a turned-down collar, camouflage work pants, and an added cotton-padded jacket.
There were some old clothes in the lower compartments, but they seemed to have been there for a long time, emitting a strong musty smell as soon as she took them out.
Moreover, these clothes seemed to belong to Li Xiao’s deceased grandfather and father. She felt it inappropriate, even for use as diapers.
Jiang Rou felt incredibly downhearted, thinking about the treatment her little nephew received when he was born and comparing it to the situation with the child in her belly.
Even if she was an unexpected mother, she didn’t want to compromise the well-being of the child in her womb.
Becoming a good father wouldn’t happen overnight for Li Xiao, and Jiang Rou didn’t want to place all her hopes solely on him.
Moreover, even if that man turned into a good father in the future, it didn’t necessarily mean he would be a good husband.
Jiang Rou couldn’t bring herself to abandon her daughter like the previous “Jiang Rou” did three years later, but she also hadn’t thought about spending her entire life with Li Xiao. Life was long, and whether she could return to her previous life or not was uncertain. Still, she had to plan ahead for herself.
With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Rou went out again with the money. In the morning, she visited the market, and later, she noticed a fabric store nearby.
Yesterday, her mother-in-law gave her thirty yuan. In the morning, she spent ten yuan, and although she hesitated over the money, she still spent eight yuan on purchasing a lot of thin cotton fabric at the fabric store. She also bought some cotton.
This shop could also customize clothing, but Jiang Rou didn’t opt for it due to the additional cost of manual labor.
Seeing her buying a substantial amount, the shopkeeper even gave her a packet of needles and thread.
Jiang Rou returned with her purchases in the basket, thinking about the style of her little nephew’s clothes from before. It didn’t seem too difficult.
The child would be born in cold weather, so she needed to prepare a thick winter jacket and a warm blanket.
Oh, and she would need to observe traditional postpartum confinement, eating well, dressing warmly, and taking care of herself.
It would also be a good idea to buy some formula and other nutritional supplements.
The more Jiang Rou thought, the more things she realized were lacking, making her feel increasingly uneasy.
By the time she returned home, her mood had soured. Feeling restless, she decided to cook all the meat she bought today – shredded green pepper pork, vinegar-glazed shredded potato, and green bean and egg soup.
Just as Jiang Rou was putting rice into the pot, she heard loud knocking on the door from outside.
She perked up her ears, confirmed that she hadn’t misheard, furrowed her brows, covered the pot, and then walked outside. In the courtyard, instead of immediately opening the door, she asked, “Who is it?”
A hoarse voice of a boy going through puberty came from outside, “Third sister, it’s me, open the door!”
He knocked hard again.
Hearing this, Jiang Rou’s footsteps abruptly stopped. Initially, she thought it might be Li Xiao returning, and even if she felt a bit anxious, she was ready to open the door. But now, hearing the phrase “third sister,” she knew who it was – her younger brother, the perennial debtor who came every month asking for money.
In fact, the money Li Xiao gave was sufficient for the original owner’s needs. However, due to the upbringing that emphasized supporting their younger brother, the three sisters always gave him money whenever he asked. Last month, they had already given him everything. However, this month, Li Xiao was detained at the police station and hadn’t returned, leading to the family having no money.
The person outside continued to shout, “Third sister, I’m hungry. What are you cooking? It smells so good. I want some too.”
Jiang Rou didn’t want to play the role of the supportive sister. Without thinking, she pinched her voice and shouted back, “Your sister moved out. I’m not your sister.”
The knocking on the door momentarily stopped, but it quickly resumed even louder. “You’re lying to me. Your voice just now wasn’t like this.”
Seemingly angered, he forcefully kicked the door with his foot. “Jiang Rou, you slut, open the damn door!”
The door made a loud “THUD” as it was kicked, and the latch loosened a bit, revealing a few inches of the door crack.
Jiang Rou stepped back in fear, furrowing her brows.
Afraid of startling the child in her belly, Jiang Rou quickly soothed her stomach with her hands. Through the door crack, she saw the menacing face of a chubby, dark-skinned boy outside. Apparently, seeing the effectiveness of kicking the door, he increased the intensity of his kicks.
Kicking and cursing simultaneously, he shouted, “You filthy $lvt, I’ve seen you!”
Jiang Rou hadn’t expected her younger brother to be of this character. Her expression soured, and being pregnant, she couldn’t confront him directly. Without further thought, she hurriedly retreated into the house.
The main door of the house had three bolts, making it not easy to kick open.
The boy outside saw this and became enraged, shouting, “You dare run? I’ll show you how I’m going to beat you to death later!”
“You little b!t(h, I’ll go back and tell Mom you won’t let me in.”
Jiang Rou didn’t react much. Calmly protecting her stomach, she quickly walked to the doorstep, just as a loud “bang” echoed from behind her.
Followed by the boy’s pitiful scream.
Closely after that, a deep and icy voice of a man came, “Who gave you the guts to cause trouble here?”
Hearing the commotion, Jiang Rou’s steps halted. She placed her hands on the door frame and subconsciously turned her head back.
She then witnessed the arrogant boy who had been kicking the door crashing to the ground, along with a piece of the door. His forehead and mouth were bleeding, and he lay there in pain, gritting his teeth and trembling.
At the entrance of the courtyard gate, there stood a tall figure whose features gradually became visible as he walked in from outside.
It was an extraordinarily handsome man. His ink-black eyebrows were arched gracefully, and his narrow phoenix eyes were dark and profound. His nose was straight and majestic, as if carved by a knife, making his entire face appear three-dimensional. Below, his crimson thin lips were tightly pressed, and there was a hint of bruising at the corner of his mouth.
Yet, this did not diminish his looks. The exquisite features, impeccable facial structure, and perfect face shape melded together seamlessly. Not a bit more, not a bit less – each detail was just right.
To add to his allure, he kept long hair, uneven black strands flowing down to his shoulders. Paired with his cold, fierce eyes, this feature did not make him seem effeminate at all. Instead, it added a sense of danger and a sinister quality to his whole persona, creating a visage that couldn’t be captured even in a manga.
Similarly, this was a face that once seen, would never be forgotten.
He casually approached the chubby boy lying on the ground. With every step, the loosely-hanging white shirt he wore swayed, revealing a chest with well-defined muscles, bathed in a tan hue, as only the middle two buttons were fastened.
Approaching, he stepped on the chubby boy’s face, exerting some force and grinding it twice. His voice was chilling as he asked, “Do you know whose place this is?”
The chubby boy, in pain, whimpered and begged, his speech unclear, “Brother-in-law, I was wrong, I won’t dare again.”
Seeing this, the man sneered, “I’ll break your legs next time. Get lost!”
He released his foot but delivered a harsh kick to the chubby boy’s arm.
The chubby boy let out a painful scream and, with a face full of tears and blood, crawled up from the ground. Holding his arm, he limped away, not daring to linger for a moment, seemingly afraid of being kicked again if he ran too slowly.
Once he left, the courtyard fell into silence.
Jiang Rou withdrew her gaze from the chubby boy. Sensing something, she cautiously looked in another direction and directly met a pair of familiar indifferent eyes.
