How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 325 - 327: Picking Her Up_1

Li Qiao: "Jin learned how to cook from the chef, and the ingredients he uses are pretty much the same as ours, but they know how to control the heat and manage the flavors."

"Jin is really capable," Li Jiaoyang couldn’t help but exclaim, as appearances can be deceiving.

Initially, Jin had a bad reputation.

She had urged her younger sister not to marry him, but her sister retorted that she should persuade their stepmother instead.

She approached their stepmother about it, but for reasons unbeknownst to her, her sister backed the stepmother and scolded her together for meddling.

It left her feeling very disheartened.

Thankfully, her sister didn’t marry the wrong person.

Li Qiao nodded in firm agreement: "He has always been very impressive."

Li Jiaoyang went on to ask, "When are you going back to Beijing? Have you bought your ticket yet?"

"I’ve bought it, tomorrow morning’s ticket," replied Li Qiao.

After a satisfying meal. Li Jiaoyang laughed and said, "The fish really tastes good. I was planning to take some home, but all that’s left is the soup."

Li Qiao suggested that they could buy another portion to take home for the grandparents to try.

"I’ll go buy it," Song Lin said, taking a dish home would also be nice, and his old mother wouldn’t complain so much.

Otherwise, for the next two or three days, she’d keep nagging about them going out for fun, without considering their parents at home.

Li Qiao hadn’t paid yet: "I can do it, I’ll pay together."

"You can’t spend any more on us," Song Lin said.

Li Qiao took out her wallet nonchalantly, pulled out a large denomination note: "The bill for room 5, and add another portion of pickled fish. I’ll come back for it at five o’clock."

"Okay."

Song Lin, holding the crumpled note, felt embarrassed to unroll it in his palm, and after Li Qiao had finished paying, he pulled Li Jiaoyang, who had been pacifying the children, aside: "Qiaoqiao paid for our meal too."

"Let her pay then. Next time she comes to our place, we’ll treat her to a good meal in return," Li Jiaoyang said.

Qiaoqiao is willing to treat them to a meal, so she definitely won’t accept the money for the dish.

"She really has money, a stack of large bills in her wallet. I bet you could buy a bicycle with that," Song Lin whispered.

Li Jiaoyang was surprised, a stack of large bills? No wonder she could afford to give away a bicycle so freely, and she felt a surge of pride: "My sister is amazing." In the past, her sister often visited her home, taking both food and items. After the mother-in-law expressed disapproval a couple of times, even she couldn’t stand it and scolded her. Her sister then declared she would never bother her again.

Now, she thought they had been too stingy.

Her sister was still young back then. What did it matter if she ate and took a little more?

Song Lin also felt proud: "Let’s take the children to visit her this winter break. We’ll see her school and give the kids a goal to strive for."

"Agreed."

.....

After paying the bill, Li Qiao came out: "Big sister, brother-in-law, there’s a cinema nearby, let’s go."

"Eh."

The cinema was still showing ’The Legend of Nezha’. The little kids didn’t need tickets, and Li Qiao bought three for the adults.

The second and third, like the eldest when he first arrived, were thrilled. Li Qiao took out some candy she had prepared earlier, and the two quieted down as they ate it.

After the movie, they hit the streets again.

They bought toys, headbands, and hair clips for the children.

Li Jiaoyang objected, "We just bought some last time, and now we’re buying again."

Li Qiao: "You eat breakfast in the morning, isn’t it the same to eat lunch at noon?"

Li Jiaoyang: "...."

There was a fabric sale at the storefront, and she intended to buy some.

Li Qiao said, "Jin is now dealing in fabric trade. Tell me what kind of fabric you need, and I’ll have his brother bring some back for you when he returns to his hometown."

Li Jiaoyang: "Alright."

By this time, the third child had already fallen asleep on Song Lin’s back. "It’s getting late. After we’re done with this street, your brother-in-law and I will take the kids straight home," she said.

Li Qiao: "Okay."

A group of people walked out onto the main street, and when they passed a restaurant, Li Qiao went in to get some food. Coming out, she said, "It’s still hot. It’ll be just right to eat when we get home."

"What about this lunchbox?"

"I bought it. It’s the same price as the disposable ones outside, quite a good deal," Li Qiao said.

When they reached the crossroads, she waved goodbye to her eldest sister’s family.

The two girls were very reluctant to part and cried, wanting Li Qiao to go back home with them.

Li Qiao calmed the children down, promising to write to them when she had time, and only then did they break into smiles through their tears.

"Auntie Jin, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Li Qiao returned to her empty home and sighed softly at the desolate surroundings.

It’s better when it’s lively.

Being alone is too quiet.

If she had a child, that child could keep her company right now.

The three kids at her big sister’s house seemed easy to mind, with only the youngest one being a bit of trouble when eating food with bones, needing an adult’s help; the rest of the time, the two elder sisters played with her while the adults did their own things.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt she should have a child while she was still young.

When she returned to Beijing, she would talk to Qin Jin about having a baby.

.....

As the moon reached its zenith, Li Qiao prepared to go to bed, but a noise came from the front door outside.

"Who is it?"

No one answered, yet the door continued to make noise. A burglar? Could they be that bold?

She turned on all the lights, locked the living room door tightly, and peered through the window, only to see the tall figure of a young man. She quickly opened the door and scolded, "I thought you were a thief. Why are you back? Didn’t I tell you I’d walk home by myself? I’ve even bought the ticket for tomorrow."

"What thief would come through the front door? Even if the ticket is bought, we can refund it and buy another one."

"Shall we delay by a day? Shall we try for a baby at home tomorrow?" Li Qiao whispered.

Qin Jin: "... Try for a baby?" He squinted, his voice hazy and suggestive: "Missing it, huh?" Whatever she said always seemed so pure and fresh.

Li Qiao: "I’m serious. It’s easier to recover from childbirth when you’re young. Look at my eldest sister: she got married early, with a bit of makeup she could pass for twenty-five or twenty-six, and people would believe it. My second sister even more so." Her brother-in-law’s family was well-off, so she hardly did any farm work. Plus, her fair complexion made her look younger, nothing like someone close to thirty.

"Are you just playing with me, not planning on studying anymore?"

"It’s not like you get pregnant right away," Li Qiao said.

Qin Jin threw his luggage aside and lunged towards her: "Then shouldn’t we hurry up!"

Li Qiao: "....."

.....

The next day, the weather was gloomy, soon turning into thunder, lightning, and a torrential downpour.

Li Qiao sat in front of the vanity, resting her chin in her hand as she stared blankly at the rain outside. She turned her gaze back to the person who was sound asleep on the bed and murmured discontentedly that he’d promised a night of fun, yet hadn’t made it past midnight.

Waiting for the rain to let up, she took an umbrella and went to a nearby bun shop to buy two breakfasts.

Qin Jin was already awake, sitting on the bed with his legs half-crossed, staring blankly at her: "You got up really early, it’s not even bright outside yet."

Li Qiao laughed: "It’s already eight-thirty, okay?"

Qin Jin checked the alarm clock on the bedside. It really was. "I’ve been really tired these past few days. I not only have to work, but also to coach Fugui and Feng Kui in business. Those two idiots are no match for Li Jianguo and Liu Er in wits, and it’s giving me such a headache."

Li Qiao: "Wouldn’t it be better to have Li Jianguo and Liu Er guide them?"

"That’s an idea!" Qin Jin brightened, then added, "That Daxue guy got beaten by Feng Kui again. She’s throwing a fit now, refusing to work, but also doesn’t want to go back to her hometown. Damn annoying. Who do you think we should find in the village to replace her?"

Li Qiao: "Cuiying would be a good choice. My eldest sister said that after the village stopped accepting the weaving products, only Cuiying didn’t badmouth her. She’s discreet, reliable, meticulous in her work, and willing to learn. Why not go to the countryside and ask her if she’d like to come to Beijing with you?"