Chapter 18: Foresight
“You can't have your cake and eat it too. Everything involves trade-offs. Aci is an adult; he must have considered what he would miss by choosing to go to university, right, Aci?”
Ying Sisi's voice was gentle and soft, like a warm spring breeze, slowly blowing into the young man's heart.
He smiled at her. “Yes.”
Qin's father's deep gaze swept over Qin Yanci, finally resting on Ying Sisi. Most women, if they knew their husband was giving up a stable job for an uncertain future, would have lost their minds. But she didn't argue or make a fuss; she calmly analyzed the situation.
She had some foresight.
“Your father said you haven't studied much, but you understand the principles just as well.”
Ying Sisi felt embarrassed. “I learned from listening to the elders in the village. Don't laugh at me if I'm wrong.”
“You learned well.”
As they were chatting, Qin's mother and Qin's elder brother, Qin Jin, returned with their New Year's goods.
Ying Sisi stood up to greet them and helped them organize the goods.
Qin's mother smiled. “We're family now; there's no need to be so polite.” As she spoke, her gaze lingered on the girl.
Her movements were quick and efficient, clearly showing her to be a diligent person.
She couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness and started chatting casually, asking about how the New Year's goods were prepared and which relatives they would visit after the New Year.
Ying Sisi answered everything without hesitation, sharing anything that was appropriate to share with outsiders.
After organizing the New Year's goods, Ying Sisi followed Qin's mother into the kitchen to wash rice, wash vegetables, chop meat, and fry meatballs.
At first, Qin's mother worked with her, but after Lu Yuechun called out twice, Qin's mother stayed in the main room.
Ying Sisi had to tend to the stove and the frying pan while also keeping an eye on the fire.
Qin Yanci entered the kitchen several times, his expression growing darker each time.
Ying Sisi noticed this, and the rumors about him started to play in her mind, creating various scenarios of him getting physical with her. The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became. She said nervously, “Aci, are you cold? Why don't you help me stoke the fire?”
If he dared to lay a hand on her, she would be ready to douse him with hot oil, subdue him once and for all, and make him fear her instead.
Humph!
She wouldn't be as meek as she was now.
She would show him what a shrew was like.
“Not cold.”
Qin Yanci's expression was emotionless. He sat down, seemingly agitated, and kept adding firewood to the stove.
“Aci, the fire is too big; it's making me feel hot standing here.”
Qin Yanci hurriedly pulled the firewood out again.
Ying Sisi watched his movements and thought to herself: if he was going to hurt her, he wouldn't need to waste time with her. He could just find an excuse, call her into the room, cover her mouth, and attack her; that would be easier. Was he hungry? People tend to get irritable when they're hungry. She picked up a warm meatball and brought it to his mouth. “Try this.”
Qin Yanci looked at her with warm eyes as he bit into the meatball. After chewing it twice, he said, “Delicious.” It was just the right amount of salt and pepper, tender and flavorful. “Are you tired?” She hadn't sat down much since coming to his house, and she had been working nonstop. It was almost dark, and she still hadn't stopped.
These were normally her mother's tasks.
She didn't want to do them, so she could have asked her elder brother or him.
Why did she have to hand them off to his newly married wife?
Was it because she was young and from out of town, easy to talk to, so she could be exploited as a maid?
“Not tired.” Ying Sisi noticed that his expression had brightened after eating the meatball.
She realized he was hungry.
She couldn't help but find it amusing.
She laughed at his childish nature.
She also laughed at herself for letting others’ provocations lead her to repeatedly misinterpret her husband's actions with malice.
She lifted the lid of the earthen stove and ladled a large bowl of rice for him. She then picked out some of the braised pork and pig trotters from the pot and put them in the bowl. “You must be starving. Eat up. From now on, whenever I cook, you come over and help me with the fire, and I'll save the best meat for you.”
(End of Chapter)
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