Roaring with anger, Luo Yingshu slapped the back of his head. "All you think about is food! Have I ever starved you?"
They had used up their monthly egg quota, and there were only a few eggs left at home. To help Xiaohu grow, they hadn't even dared to eat meat this month. Instead, they queued up every day to buy the fattiest cuts of meat to render lard, adding a bit of oil to their stir - fried vegetables.
She and Liu Xiaocheng had even used their own food rations to supplement Xiaohu's diet, yet this little rascal still complained about being hungry all day.
Luo Yingshu couldn't figure out how such a small body could have such an insatiable appetite. He drooled over everyone else's food.
"Go home quickly! If you want eggs, go cry to your dad!"
Xiaohu could only sniff the tantalizing aroma of cooking from the neighbors and gnaw on his hand dejectedly.
...
Li Chuchu returned home and started cooking. First, she blanched the ribs she had bought. Then she caramelized some rock sugar in the pot, added a few bay leaves, ginger slices, and soy sauce, and tossed in the cleaned ribs to stir - fry a few times.
This dish didn't have a very strong smell.
She also lit a candle beside the stove. The smoke from the burning candle could reduce the spread of the ribs' aroma.
Besides sweet - and - sour ribs, she also made a vegetable soup, and it was time for dinner.
Shen Yanshan brought the steamed rice to the table, and the two sat down to eat.
...
Just then, Xiaohu showed up.
Shen Yanshan suspected that he had followed his nose here.
"Brother Shen, the verdict for Ma Tian is out. He got three months!"
He swaggered in and happened to see Brother Shen and Sister - in - law having dinner. He immediately greeted, "Hello, Sister - in - law!"
Li Chuchu frowned slightly. "Ma Tian?"
Wasn't that her cousin's son?
She cast a puzzled look at Shen Yanshan. "How did you get involved with Ma Tian?"
Xiaohu was stunned and stood there stupidly at the door. "Brother Shen, you didn't tell Sister - in - law?"
That's not right!
Shouldn't Brother Shen have dropped a hint or two and waited for Sister - in - law to reward him?
Oh my god!
He knew Brother Shen was useless when it came to this.
He had to step in!
Li Chuchu shook her head in confusion. "He didn't tell me. What happened?"
She casually fetched a pair of chopsticks and a bowl for Xiaohu and invited him to sit down and eat with them.
Sister - in - law's ribs smelled so good! He couldn't resist.
So Xiaohu half - heartedly sat down.
Food was scarce for everyone these days. If it were someone else inviting him to dinner, Xiaohu might have felt embarrassed. But he knew Brother Shen wasn't short of money.
Xiaohu stole a glance at Brother Shen. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, he quickly said, "Brother Shen knew that the Li family was going to cause trouble for you, Sister - in - law. So he set a trap for Ma Tian. Now he's sitting quietly in prison. Don't worry, Sister - in - law. No one will bother you for at least a few months!"
Li Chuchu looked at Shen Yanshan in disbelief and exclaimed in surprise, "Why didn't you tell me anything?"
By this time,
Xiaohu had already gobbled up two pieces of ribs.
The ribs were fragrant, tender, and had a hint of sweetness. They were even better than those in the state - owned restaurant.
Xiaohu shoveled a couple of mouthfuls of rice with the ribs.
While eating, he mumbled indistinctly, "Sister - in - law, don't blame Brother Shen. Talk things out nicely!"
Li Chuchu suddenly remembered that the argument a few days ago might have been because she hadn't told him something.
Since he had known about this all along, he had deliberately pretended not to know on the way back.
He really lived up to his reputation as a scheming villain.
She had really underestimated him.
Realizing this, Li Chuchu's feelings towards Shen Yanshan became complicated. On one hand, she was grateful for what he had done for her. On the other hand, she realized that he hadn't been completely open with her.
She squinted slightly.
This guy was more devious than a lotus root.
Shen Yanshan sensed the sudden anger radiating from Li Chuchu.
For some reason, he felt a bit nervous. But he still stubbornly said, "There's nothing worth mentioning. It was just a piece of cake."
Xiaohu was really loyal. For a couple of mouthfuls of food, he had revealed all his secrets.
All Shen Yanshan wanted now was for Xiaohu to leave quickly. "These ribs cost one catty of meat coupons. You can give me two catties."
Xiaohu knew that Brother Shen was getting angry.
After finishing his meal, he wiped his mouth, patted his butt, and left, leaving a mess for his dear Brother Shen.
"Two catties of meat coupons, right? I'll bring them to Sister - in - law next time. Bye."
...
After Xiaohu left,
Shen Yanshan stole a glance at Li Chuchu.
The sparkle in her eyes seemed to have faded, replaced by a sense of estrangement and defensiveness. Her rosy lips were slightly pursed, clearly showing that she didn't want to talk to him.
This wouldn't do!
Alarm bells rang in his mind. After dinner, he put down his chopsticks and said seriously to Li Chuchu, "Chuchu, Chuchu? How about we have a talk?"
Hearing his unusually nervous tone, Li Chuchu felt like laughing, but she still kept a straight face and replied indifferently, "About what?"
Shen Yanshan swallowed hard.
He had only heard of the term "hen - pecked husband" before.
When he was young, he had thought those men were spineless. But now that it was happening to him, he felt that the world wasn't so wonderful anymore.
All his gloom and possessiveness were forgotten. All Shen Yanshan wanted now was for Li Chuchu to talk to him like she did on the way back. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just happened to catch Ma Tian alone, so I decided to deal with him."
Shen Yanshan had actually prepared several plans in advance. He just took advantage of the opportunity when Ma Tian was alone.
"Moreover, I wasn't sure if it would work. If I had told you but it didn't succeed, wouldn't that be a laughingstock?"
Shen Yanshan spoke in a hurry, as if he was afraid that Li Chuchu would ignore him if he spoke a bit slower.
Li Chuchu retorted, "Who would laugh at us?"
Hearing this, Shen Yanshan immediately shut up.
No one would dare to laugh.
Shen Yanshan's life motto had always been "if you don't submit, fight until you do." But for the first time in front of Li Chuchu, he had the option of "giving in."
If only Li Chuchu knew, she could laugh if she wanted to.
Li Chuchu was amused by his frustrated expression and burst out laughing, with a hint of relief in her smile.
Seeing Li Chuchu happy, Shen Yanshan finally relaxed. He seemed to have figured out the way to please her. Taking the opportunity, he asked, "Can I still sleep with you outside tonight?"
Which husband and wife slept in separate rooms?
But the original owner and Shen Yanshan were like fire and water. It was a miracle that they didn't fight, let alone sleep together.
So outsiders didn't know that even after getting married, Shen Yanshan had slept alone for a year.
Now that Li Chuchu had changed for the better and Shen Yanshan found himself starting to like her,
Wasn't it time for him to make their relationship more intimate?
Li Chuchu was speechless.
She didn't know whether to agree or refuse.
All she could do was stand there blushing.