Ch 3: The Scumbag’s Daily Wife-Doting Life [QT]

Xie Li quickly arrived in town.

The town itself was not prosperous. After wandering around for a while and barely seeing anyone, he gritted his teeth, got back on the bicycle, and headed toward the county city instead.

The county city was far livelier than the town. Crowds moved back and forth through the streets, accompanied by the constant hum of conversation.

Carefully observing his surroundings, Xie Li followed several women carrying baskets and eventually found the busiest food supply store. He stepped inside to take a look.

Rice cost one mao eight fen, cornmeal nine fen, potatoes five fen, fatty pork one yuan two mao per jin, lean pork ninety-five fen…

Besides money, these goods also required ration coupons.

Within moments of entering, Xie Li had already seen several people painfully counting the ration tickets in their pockets before reluctantly giving up and leaving empty-handed.

That meant the black market definitely still had demand. A place like this was bound to have an underground market somewhere.

Having made up his mind, Xie Li walked out of the food store.

The moment he stopped outside, he noticed a young woman dressed simply, with only two patches on her clothes. She looked relatively well-off. Though her basket remained empty after leaving the store, she showed no panic. Instead, she cautiously glanced around before heading toward a secluded alley.

Speak of the devil. Another person lacking enough ration coupons.

Pushing his bicycle, Xie Li quietly followed after her.

He watched as she walked to the very end of the alley and entered a tightly shut courtyard. More than ten minutes later, she emerged again, this time with her basket filled with goods, leaving with a satisfied expression.

After checking carefully to ensure nobody was around, Xie Li stored the bicycle inside the space in a hidden corner. Carrying the eggplants from the sack, he walked forward and knocked on the courtyard door.

Half an hour later, Xie Li left the place. In another quiet alley, he cautiously retrieved the bicycle again along with another batch of eggplants from the bamboo cottage, then returned to the courtyard. This time, the owner welcomed him warmly inside.

“Excellent! These are the same quality as the earlier eggplants. Little brother, if you get fresh vegetables again in the future, bring them straight to us. We’ll give you a good price.”

Xie Li did not insist on ration coupons and was willing to accept cash only, which made him exactly the kind of supplier the owner liked. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Smiling broadly, the man eagerly tried to build a relationship with him while already reserving future vegetables in advance.

Once eggplants started growing, they obviously would not only be harvested once. New ones would continue maturing every day, enough to keep harvesting for months. This was no small business, so naturally they wanted to secure the supply.

Xie Li paused slightly before saying thoughtfully:

“In a few days, I might have a batch of napa cabbage. Are you interested?”

Selling things like long beans and pumpkins in this season was somewhat risky. Xie Li planned to go back and plant some cabbage to sell together with the eggplants. After all, spring was cabbage season. That way, it would not attract too much attention.

As for the other crops already planted and nearing harvest, he could simply store them inside the bamboo cottage until the proper season arrived, or slowly consume them himself.

Lesson learned. Next time, he absolutely had to plant seasonal crops.

“Of course we’ll take them! Bring whatever vegetables you have.”

The owner was delighted, thumping his chest in assurance that as long as Xie Li brought produce over, they would buy everything.

Xie Li nodded. After agreeing on a date for the next delivery, he prepared to leave.

Just as he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something. Pausing, he took out some money and turned back.

“Wait a second. I’d like to exchange for a ration ticket…”

After finally making a trip to the county city, how could he possibly not bring back a gift?

Because he made another trip to the supply cooperative and food store, by the time Xie Li returned to the village, the sky was already beginning to darken. Coincidentally, the production team had just finished work.

Glancing at the groups of villagers packing up and heading home along the field ridges, Xie Li did not hesitate. He first returned the bicycle to Li Dasheng’s family, then headed toward the corner near the village entrance and stopped there to wait.

Before long, the person he was waiting for appeared.

“Comrade Li Tiantian, I have something I’d like to say to you. Could I trouble you to stay for a moment?”

Li Tiantian, who had been chatting and laughing with her friend Qian Lanxiang on the way home, froze upon hearing his voice.

Looking up, she saw the young man’s tall figure standing beneath the setting sun, along with the faint warmth in his eyes.

Boom.

Her entire face flushed bright red instantly.

“Why are you here again? Didn’t I already say I’d give you a chance and watch your behavior?” she stammered.

“I went to the county city and brought you some snow cream.” Xie Li smiled helplessly. “See if you like it.”

Li Tiantian froze.

“What?”

Her face filled with confusion as she watched Xie Li hold something out toward her. Her hand instinctively reached out to accept it, but halfway through she suddenly snapped back to her senses and tried to return it.

“I don’t want it.”

Touching his nose, Xie Li smiled with helpless indulgence.

“You really don’t want it? I worked so hard just to get one. The supply cooperative only received ten boxes in total. I bought one, and the other female customers practically looked ready to tear me apart.”

His other hand remained extended stubbornly, as though he had decided he would not leave unless Li Tiantian accepted it.

Watching the scene unfold, Qian Lanxiang looked from Li Tiantian to Xie Li and back again before suddenly revealing an enlightened expression. Wiggling her eyebrows mischievously, she urged:

“Take it, take it! This is Comrade Xie Li’s heartfelt gift.”

“Stop stirring things up!” Li Tiantian snapped, pretending to hit her in embarrassment.

Qian Lanxiang dodged aside and hid behind Xie Li while continuing to shout:

“Take it, take it!”

Li Tiantian rushed forward to pinch her waist. Qian Lanxiang pushed Xie Li at the same moment.

Caught off guard, or perhaps simply taking advantage of the momentum, Xie Li stumbled forward directly into the rushing Li Tiantian. The two of them crashed together into a full embrace.

Boom!

Li Tiantian flushed from her cheeks all the way down to her neck, turning as red as a cooked shrimp from sheer embarrassment.

“This female comrade, don’t make trouble,” Xie Li coughed lightly and advised in an utterly serious tone. “Tiantian is thin-skinned. She gets shy easily.”

Seeing Li Tiantian looking both embarrassed and furious, almost on the verge of tears, even Qian Lanxiang felt a little guilty.

“Sorry.”

After all, hugging openly outside was inappropriate, especially since Xie Li and Li Tiantian were still not particularly close. If someone saw them and started gossiping…

Qian Lanxiang had already heard about the morning’s events from Li Tiantian while working earlier that day. She knew Xie Li had only just begun pursuing her and that the two were still unfamiliar with each other.

After apologizing, she awkwardly retreated several steps away and stationed herself at the corner to keep watch for them.

With the extra person gone, Xie Li gently patted the girl in his arms and coaxed softly:

“Don’t be afraid. She won’t tease you again.”

Li Tiantian broke free from his embrace and murmured softly, “Do you really like me?”

Looking at the girl whose eyes held both nervousness and a faint trace of expectation, Xie Li answered in a tone that allowed no doubt:

“That’s right.”

“But why do you like me?” Li Tiantian looked up at the tall, straight-backed young man before her, sounding puzzled. “I’m not pretty, I’m not very strong, and I’ve never gone to school. I can’t compare to the other female educated youths. You’re clearly so wonderful, so why would you like me?”

Xie Li laughed softly.

“Do you really think you’re not good enough?”

In his old way of thinking, every girl in the world was a unique treasure. He especially admired girls who were open and straightforward, carrying a bit of pride, because they were confident, self-loving, and had independent thoughts and lives of their own.

Li Tiantian being this insecure was something he had never expected.

“How are you not good enough?” Recalling their few brief interactions, Xie Li slowly began listing her strengths. “You’re filial to your parents, warm and generous, you have many close friends, and you’re clever and intelligent. You’re kind-hearted too. You called people over to take me to the clinic. Most importantly, you were willing to stay behind and care for someone unrelated to you in the clinic…”

After listing so many things, Xie Li concluded:

“You’re already wonderful.”

“You… really think that?”

Li Tiantian felt embarrassed from all the praise, but after thinking about it carefully, she really was quite good. It was just that nobody had ever praised her before, so she had never realized she was this excellent.

Now that someone suddenly had, for some reason, her heart felt strangely sweet.

“Absolutely true. In my eyes, you’re the best,” Xie Li declared solemnly.

Only then did Li Tiantian finally brighten up. Pressing her lips together shyly, she said:

“You’re not bad in my eyes either.”

Watching the girl regain her usual confidence, Xie Li secretly found it amusing. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He gently smoothed down her hair and tidied the loose strands before asking:

“So, do you still not want the snow cream? If you don’t take it, I can’t return it anyway. It’ll just go to waste.”

Li Tiantian stretched out her hand.

“Give it to me.”

…

The feelings of first love had begun blooming in Li Tiantian’s heart, and she chatted with Xie Li for a very long time.

But as the sky grew darker and darker, she could only reluctantly say goodbye and head home, afraid her family would worry.

“Go on,” Xie Li said.

Li Tiantian turned back every few steps as she walked away.

On the way home, she kept her head lowered, lost in thought, saying nothing at all.

Qian Lanxiang apologized:

“You’re still angry? Don’t be mad anymore. I know I was wrong. Next time I definitely won’t fool around like that again.”

“No…” Li Tiantian lifted her face, still flushed red. “I was thinking about what we should name our future child.”

Qian Lanxiang: “……”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Tilting her head, Li Tiantian spoke with complete seriousness. “He already said he likes me. We’re definitely going to get married in the future. Isn’t it normal to think about what our child will be called?”

Qian Lanxiang froze.

“But aren’t you thinking too far ahead? He only confessed not long ago. Shouldn’t you spend some time together first? What if you’re not compatible?”

“I think he’s really good!” Li Tiantian nodded earnestly. “He’s handsome, intelligent, and I heard he graduated from high school. That’s amazing already. Most importantly, he treats me well too. That’s enough. We won’t be incompatible.”

After thinking about it, Qian Lanxiang suddenly felt she made sense.

Such an outstanding man, and an educated youth too, so cultured and refined. If he liked her, she probably would have agreed to marry him the moment he confessed. The fact that Tiantian had managed to delay for a whole day was already impressive.

“Then do your best. I’ll wait to drink at your wedding banquet.”

As they spoke, they had already reached Qian Lanxiang’s courtyard. She stopped there, waved goodbye after saying those words, and entered her home thoughtfully.

Receiving her friend’s blessing, Li Tiantian’s eyes sparkled happily. Waving back, she continued home alone.

After arriving home, she greeted her parents, hurried into her room to carefully put away the snow cream, then came back out to wash her face and hands before sitting down for dinner.

Today, someone from the neighboring village was holding a wedding banquet and had slaughtered a pig. The Li family had managed to buy two jin of pork through connections, so besides pickled vegetables, the dinner table also had a dish of cabbage braised with pork.

Seeing it, Li Tiantian’s eyes lit up in delight. She sat down holding her bowl and had just been about to pick up her chopsticks when Li Jianguo suddenly spoke.

“Tiantian, I heard that educated youth named Xie Li stopped you to talk this morning?”

As head of the household, Li Jianguo sat at the place of honor. Picking up a piece of cabbage and pork with his chopsticks, he asked casually.

Li Tiantian hesitated, unsure whether she should tell the truth.

When Xie Li first came to the village, her father had already said he was unreliable and told her to stay away from him. Now that Xie Li liked her and wanted to pursue her, would her father object?

“I…”

Li Tiantian thought for a long time before finally preparing to answer, but before the words left her mouth, shouting suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

“Why’s the courtyard gate locked? Anyone home? Uncle, Auntie, I need something from you. Open the door!”

Li Tiantian’s expression instantly darkened.

“Why are they here again?”

Li Jianguo had once had a younger brother. Years ago, the man had been publicly paraded through the streets for harassment offenses. Unable to endure the humiliation, he took his own life, leaving behind an eighteen-year-old son named Li Erniu.

Out of sympathy for his nephew, Li Jianguo had even paid for Li Erniu’s marriage. Unfortunately, that kindness only invited trouble.

The entire family of three was lazy to the core. They worked three days and rested five, and whenever they ran out of grain or work points, they came shamelessly to the Li family home to freeload food.

When Li Tiantian was younger, the couple had even tricked her out of a white flour steamed bun.

A white flour bun!

Not only years ago, but even now, the Li family could not afford to eat those every day. One could easily imagine how wronged Li Tiantian had felt. Now, seeing them only filled her with anger.

“They always come to our house to eat. We finally bought some meat today, and their noses are sharper than rats’. They smelled it and came right over.”

Just moments ago, Li Tiantian had been reluctant to eat the meat herself. But now that she realized if she did not eat it, others would, she immediately took a huge bite while muttering complaints under her breath.

Li Jianguo frowned and swept a stern gaze over her.

“They’re your cousin and cousin-in-law. What kind of talk is that? If other people heard you, how bad would your reputation become? How are you supposed to get married in the future?”

Li Tiantian looked aggrieved.

“I just don’t like them.”

Wang Cuihua patted her daughter gently.

“If you don’t like them, then don’t look at them. Mom will go open the door. Take some food and go eat slowly in your room.”

Seeing his wife speak up, Li Jianguo did not dare continue arguing. He muttered quietly:

“How can she eat in her room when relatives are visiting? What kind of parenting is that?”

“Li Jianguo, haven’t disciplined you in three days, huh? Feeling itchy for trouble again?”

Li Jianguo instantly fell silent.

Only then did Li Tiantian brighten up happily and carry her bowl back to her room.

She knew both her parents loved her equally. But compared to her father, who cared about face because he was the brigade leader, her protective mother definitely made people feel happier.

The Li family house had poor soundproofing. Even from inside her room, Li Tiantian could hear her cousin and cousin-in-law loudly chatting outside. Before long, she could even hear the sounds of them helping themselves to bowls and chopsticks, acting completely at home. Their shameless ease practically seeped through the cracks in the door.

After finishing dinner, Li Tiantian had no desire to go back out. Setting her bowl aside, she flopped onto the bed.

Pulling out the snow cream from beneath her pillow and tracing the delicate box surface with her fingers, her irritated mood gradually calmed down. Sweetness curled onto her lips as she thought of Xie Li.

Had he eaten dinner yet?

He had said he liked how kind and clever she was. It was probably because she had helped save him during the wild boar incident, right?

Li Tiantian could not help laughing softly. What else could she have done? She had never seen someone so clumsy before. He had actually stood there and let a little wild boar knock him over. If villagers had not happened to arrive and frightened the boars away, he might have suffered even worse injuries.

Still, she ought to thank those little wild boars.

If not for them, how could she and Xie Li have met like this?

Li Tiantian burst into giggles, lying on the bed with her chin propped in her hands as she sank into sweet fantasies…

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