Widow Remarries in Sixties - Chapter 34.2

He Yan nodded vigorously after listening, “Just like last year when Wu Xiaojun asked me to do his winter break homework, I flatly refused.”

Wu Xiaojun never played with him usually but remembered him only when he needed homework done. He Yan wasn’t stupid. Now he had friends and wasn’t afraid of having no one to play with.

He then told his sister, “When you start school, if anyone asks you to do their homework and threatens to hit you if you don’t, come and tell me.”

Fu Yanyan turned her head away, showing no appreciation.

He Yan looked at his mother with a grievance, “Look at her!”

Jin Xiuzhu quickly comforted him, “I know you’re a good brother.”

Only then did He Yan feel happy.

Jin Xiuzhu secretly pinched her daughter’s little cheek and whispered, “You little rascal.”

The pinch was gentle, but Fu Yanyan still felt her face warm up.

For some reason, hearing these words, she felt a sense of favoritism from Jin Xiuzhu.

Once Jin Xiuzhu and her daughter’s hair were dry, Jiang Mingchuan brought up the dish he had made, braised pork with radish. Seeing Jin Xiuzhu and their daughter with their hair down, he had their son go downstairs with him to bring up the food, worried about them catching a chill.

When they returned, He Yan was holding two small dishes, while Jiang Mingchuan carried a rice pot in one hand and bowls and chopsticks in the other.

They placed the three dishes on the table. With not enough chairs, Jin Xiuzhu and the children sat on the bed, while Jiang Mingchuan sat on a chair. The family of four enjoyed a warm meal.

The clay pot contained Jin Xiuzhu’s favorite braised pork with radish. The meat was cut into perfectly sized cubes, half lean and half fatty, with a delicious crispy taste.

Seeing her husband and sons eating heartily, Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t help but remember the past.

When she was still a concubine in the Marquis’s residence, she would be enjoying the delicacies prepared by the mansion’s chef around this time. During the New Year, the Marquis was the busiest, attending social engagements daily.

As a concubine, she didn’t have the right to accompany him. After dinner, she couldn’t rest until the Marquis returned. If he visited her courtyard, she had to get up to serve him. If he didn’t, only then could she sleep.

She never dared to imagine a day when a man would cook her favorite meals, with two adorable children by her side.

She used to disdain the simple happiness of poor families, but now, she wouldn’t trade it for anything, not even a fortune.

***

The next morning, Jin Xiuzhu said to Jiang Mingchuan, “How about we take your sister out to play today?”

Jiang Mingchuan was tempted but quickly became hesitant.

He had wanted to take his sister out to buy things before, but she was afraid to go out alone with him. Instead, Liu family’s younger daughter always insisted on tagging along.

Jin Xiuzhu saw through his hesitation, “I’ll handle it.”

After the brief interaction yesterday, she had roughly figured out the personalities of those two, knowing Song Xiaoru was easier to talk to.

Sure enough, when the family of four went to Liu’s house with a bag of apples, Jin Xiuzhu warmly held Song Xiaoru’s hand and said directly, “You’re amazing, raising such well-behaved children. After talking with Jingzhi yesterday, I learned a lot. Today, I shamelessly came over, hoping to take Jingzhi with me to buy some books.”

“You know how it is with the newspaper work. We need to read more works by great people to enrich our minds. Don’t you agree? Please don’t worry, we’ll bring her back in the afternoon. You must agree. I’m here with a sincere heart, so as a sister-in-law, you shouldn’t be stingy.”

Her words left Song Xiaoru no room to refuse. Complimenting her on one hand and implying she shouldn’t be stingy on the other, Jin Xiuzhu covered all bases.

Despite knowing that they actually wanted to take their eldest daughter out to have fun and get closer to her, Song Xiaoru and Liu Qin couldn’t bring themselves to refuse. They were worried that their daughter might not stay close to them if she enjoyed herself too much.

But they didn’t dare to voice their refusal, so after some hesitation, they agreed.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jingzhi’s eyes lit up.

However, Liu Aihua was dissatisfied. “Why only take my sister? I want to go too.”

Song Xiaoru sighed, “Why would you go?”

“Why not? I like reading books too.”

She turned to Jin Xiuzhu, not convinced, “You’re also my aunt. Why only take my sister and not me? Are you biased?”

Liu Qin quickly intervened, “Aihua, you’re still young.”

He then apologized to Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan, “This child is thoughtless. Please, go ahead.”

Liu Aihua, seeing her parents not coaxing her as usual, threw a tantrum, “You’re all biased towards my sister. You keep the best for her and only take her out to play. I hate you all. This is my home, get out!”

Liu Qin shouted, “Liu Aihua!”

The smile that had appeared on Liu Jingzhi’s face vanished. She pursed her lips and softly said to Jin Xiuzhu, “I won’t go, Aunt.”

“You and your fake kindness. I hate you the most.”

“Be quiet!”

Liu Qin apologized to Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan, “She’s still young and doesn’t understand.”

Jin Xiuzhu smirked slightly, but her words carried a deeper meaning, “At sixteen or seventeen, she’s not that young. Has Jingzhi been enduring this all the time when we’re not around? It’s truly heartbreaking and disappointing.”

As she finished, Jin Xiuzhu looked at Liu Qin with a cold gaze.

Jiang Mingchuan suddenly stepped forward, “Cousin, our family has never owed you anything.”

If Jin Xiuzhu’s words were a soft blow, making Liu Qin and Song Xiaoru defenseless, Jiang Mingchuan’s words were like a direct hit, exposing all their weaknesses.

The Bai family certainly did not owe them. The Bai patriarch had saved his father’s life and provided for their family during hard times. Without the Bai family, there would be no Liu Qin.

When Miss Bai handed over her child to them, she had arranged everything properly.

However, over the years, hearing their eldest daughter call them mom and dad daily, they had almost forgotten that connection, only remembering it during the New Year.

The eldest daughter was obedient and sensible. Most of the time, she would voluntarily make compromises without them even needing to say anything.

Liu Jingzhi listened to her uncle and aunt defending her. Though she didn’t understand some of what they said, she could feel their concern for her. It was the first time someone stood by her side without hesitation and spoke up for her.

She couldn’t describe it, but she felt that being openly favored by someone was a wonderful feeling.

She bit her lip and looked at her parents.

Liu Qin and his wife didn’t dare meet her gaze. Liu Jingzhi thought her parents disagreed, and she felt a bit disappointed. But perhaps because of a rebellious streak, she stubbornly refrained from saying she didn’t want to go out.

Liu Aihua was still shouting, telling Jiang Mingchuan and his family to get out of their house, even reaching out to push Jin Xiuzhu.

Jiang Mingchuan stepped aside, standing in front of Jin Xiuzhu. His demeanor changed completely, and his gaze was like a cold blade cutting through the air.

Liu Qin quickly pulled his younger daughter back. He knew that although Jiang Mingchuan appeared easygoing and good-natured, he had endured many hardships in the army.

He remembered the first time he saw this boy.

Back then, Jiang Mingchuan wasn’t even as tall as him, skinny as a bamboo pole, cautiously asking if he was his sister’s adoptive father. Over the years, he matured and became more stable, but one thing remained constant: every month, without fail, he sent money, which helped their family through many difficult times.

With a lack of confidence, he said, “Come back early.”

Jiang Mingchuan nodded and left with Jin Xiuzhu and his sister.

Jin Xiuzhu held Liu Jingzhi’s hand tightly. Liu Jingzhi was also holding Fu Yanyan’s hand. Once they were out the door, Liu Jingzhi looked down and met the obedient eyes of the little girl.

Her heart softened, but she still felt a sense of unreality. Her sister had thrown such a tantrum, yet she was able to go out and have fun. She didn’t know how her aunt and uncle managed it.

Even though she knew her sister would be angry with her for a long time, she was still very happy.

As they walked, Liu Jingzhi seemed to remember something and took out a red envelope from her pocket, handing it to Jin Xiuzhu. “Aunt, I think you gave me the wrong red envelope yesterday.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. “No, it’s not wrong. It’s for you.”

Liu Jingzhi looked at her incredulously. “But…my sister only got two yuan, and there’s a hundred here…”

Jin Xiuzhu’s eyes curved into a smile. “That’s right.”

Liu Jingzhi was too surprised to speak.

Jin Xiuzhu snorted. “Someone was too foolish before to not know how to separate them and secretly give different amounts. He actually gave the same to both.”

She deliberately glanced at the man beside her after saying that.

Jiang Mingchuan heard this and smiled.

It was the first time Liu Jingzhi had seen her uncle smile so happily. Although she had seen him smile before, his expression always seemed heavy, as if he wasn’t truly happy. They weren’t close, so she didn’t dare ask. He always came and went in a hurry.

She bit her lip, not understanding why they were so good to her.

Jin Xiuzhu, seemingly unaware, chatted with her about life in the army and among military spouses. Liu Jingzhi listened, her concern growing when she heard that Jin Xiuzhu’s job in the canteen had been reported. But when she heard about Jin Xiuzhu’s efforts in studying, discovering her talent for drawing, and getting noticed by a newspaper, she couldn’t help but feel moved. “Aunt, you’re amazing.”

“You’re amazing too.”

As they walked and talked, with He Yan occasionally adding a few words, they completely diverted Liu Jingzhi’s attention. When they reached the department store, Liu Jingzhi realized they weren’t there to buy books but to buy her clothes. Liu Jingzhi initially refused, but Jin Xiuzhu deliberately picked out the most expensive ones since they were about the same size.

Liu Jingzhi reluctantly accepted, fearing her aunt and uncle would spend even more. But they still bought a lot: sweaters, pants, coats, and shoes.

After shopping, they went to a state-run restaurant and ordered a large table of delicious dishes.

Both her uncle and aunt kept putting meat on her plate, and even the two children gave her their favorite foods. Her bowl was piled high.

The feeling of being surrounded and doted on made Liu Jingzhi’s nose tingle.

In a gentle voice, Jin Xiuzhu said, “We’ll be here for a couple of days. Tomorrow, we’ll take you to the guesthouse. Your uncle’s cooking is the best, and I’ll make some pastries for you.”

“The clothes, we’ll send them directly to your school. These are for you, not for anyone else. You’re starting school soon, right? Is the dormitory quilt warm enough? We can make quilts where we are, and they’re very cheap. We’ll send you a couple…”

Before Jin Xiuzhu could finish, a big tear fell from Liu Jingzhi’s cheek.

Realizing her loss of composure, she quickly wiped it away and didn’t dare look up, fearing they would see her red eyes.

Jin Xiuzhu gently patted her back. “No matter what happens, big or small, you can always come to us.”

Jiang Mingchuan, sitting across from them, had also noticed, holding his chopsticks in mid-air for a long time.

Jin Xiuzhu saw his slightly reddened eyes.

After dinner, they mailed the clothes and then took Liu Jingzhi to see some nearby sights. Although she had grown up in the area, she rarely went out, so many places were new to her.

Around four o’clock, they went to a state-run restaurant for another meal, ordering several bowls of dumplings. After eating, they finally took Liu Jingzhi back home.

Jin Xiuzhu and the two children waited downstairs, giving Jiang Mingchuan and his sister some time alone.

Liu Jingzhi wasn’t foolish. As they climbed the stairs, she couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle, why are you and Aunt so kind to me?”