Xie Sui’s eyes flashed with disgust. Though he had been one of them before, now, being reborn, he felt like a clown, fooling himself into thinking he was impressive. He didn’t know what filled his head when he was young.
The leader of the thugs was Chen Qiang, approaching thirty and a minor boss in town. The thirteen villages under Dawang Town, most of the idle vagrants were affiliated with him.
“Brother Qiang, hello! We’re just having trouble making ends meet, it’s unavoidable. Brother Qiang, what good fortune have you had lately? Count me in, brother!”
Xie Sui smiled obsequiously, blending in with them, expertly taking a cigarette. He sniffed it before taking a puff, his face a picture of bliss.
Chen Qiang sneered, thinking Xie Sui had truly reformed. He had overestimated him.
It was easy to say a prodigal son returns, but how many actually did?
“Alright then, you be busy. If there’s something to make money, you won’t be left out.”
“Thank you, Brother Qiang, don’t forget your little brother!”
Chen Qiang waved his hand, unbothered by this man who trailed him. He wasn't needed for serious matters, incompetent at everything else, and not much oil to squeeze out. Just a clown for leisure.
Xie Sui watched them leave, a cold smile playing on his lips. He tossed the cigarette away and continued selling wild vegetables.
Unbeknownst to him, his neighbor Wang Tie Zhu happened to see him mingling with Chen Qiang and his group. Wang Tie Zhu shook his head and sighed, feeling sorry for Sister Lin, to be married to such a scoundrel. How could a good woman encounter such a jerk?
Xie Sui was sweet-mouthed and had a young, handsome face. He called out to the elder ladies and aunties, and within an hour, he had sold all his wild vegetables, earning over five yuan. He finally had some startup capital.
He packed up the snakeskin bag and headed to the supply and marketing cooperative. He bought some empty glass bottles for ten cents each and two catties of white sugar. This stuff was expensive, costing one yuan and two jiao per catty. He spent four yuan in total.
It was only now that the restrictions on coupons weren't so tight. However, buying with coupons was cheaper, and without them, it was more expensive. White sugar was two jiao more expensive.
Don’t underestimate two jiao. In an era where the smallest denomination was one fen, two jiao could buy two catties of salt. S u d a n n o v e l . c o m
He had promised the children meat to eat. With limited funds, he could only afford one catty of meat and one catty of rapeseed oil, almost spending all his money.
The remaining few cents were spent on a few pieces of fruit candy to appease the two little rascals.
Returning home, he was initially happy. Seeing Lin Wan Wan’s teary eyes, he immediately tensed up: "Wife, who bullied you? Tell me, husband will get revenge for you!"
"Heh, besides you, who else would bully me? Xie Sui, aren't you tired of acting? Tell me the truth, what do you really want from me? Don't give me a sweet date and then hit me with a stick."
Xie Sui felt wronged: "I really don't want anything, I just want you and the children to be well-fed and clothed, to live a good life, my wife. Look, I even bought meat. We'll have meat noodles for lunch, I make the best noodles."
Before Lin Wan Wan could say anything, Xie Sui's face flushed. Damn it, thanks to those online slang words from his past life, such simple words now carried a different connotation.
"The neighbors saw you mixing with Chen Qiang and them. Do you still say you've sincerely changed? I warn you, if you dare to lay a hand on the children, I'll chop you first. I mean what I say."
Lin Wan Wan had been warned by village aunties that some men, blinded by gambling, would even sell their wives and children. Never underestimate the baseness of human nature.
Xie Sui certainly believed she could do it. He had witnessed this woman's ferocity in his past life, which had taught him a solid lesson. Never provoke a woman, especially a mother.
"Wife, I just said hello to them, I don't want trouble. I sold the wild vegetables and used the money to buy meat. I swear, I've really changed."
Who the hell was so gossipy, reporting him to his wife? If he found out, he’d beat him to death!
"Are you thinking of who complained? Want to take revenge on them?"
After all, they had been married for six years. Xie Sui’s eyes darted, and Lin Wan Wan knew what he was planning.
"No, I didn't..."
"Tell the truth!"
"Okay, I was thinking, if my wife misunderstands me, I'd be wronged and aggrieved. But if my wife says no, I definitely won't take revenge."
Seeing him with his head down, accepting the scolding obediently, Lin Wan Wan's anger suddenly dissipated. In the past, he would have been impatient, even hit her. How could he be so well-behaved now? He must have changed.
Ding Ding clapped his hands and giggled, "Daddy is shy, getting scolded by Mommy for doing wrong."
Xie Sui pulled the candy out of his pocket. "What did you just say?"
Ding Ding saw the candy, wrapped in colorful plastic wrappers. Which child, if they could have a piece, would be able to show off for half a month.
"Ding Ding said Daddy is very handsome."
"Good boy. You and your brother each get one. Next time, Daddy will earn more money and buy you White Rabbit milk candy."
"Really? Daddy is the best! Brother, brother, we have candy!"
Xie Sui found it amusing. Such little guys, bought with two candies, their cute hearts melted him.
Lin Wan Wan coughed, and immediately lowered her head, continuing to accept the scolding.
"It's time to cook. I'll do it."
"No, I'll do it. I was wrong. Wife, you rest. From now on, I'll serve you and the three children."
He knew how to make hand-pulled noodles too. In his past life, he had too much time to kill. Whenever he missed his wife and children, he would cook to pass the long hours of loneliness.
He diced the fatty pork and stir-fried it in the pot, rendering out the fat. He added homemade fermented bean paste, then water and brought it to a boil. A simple meat sauce was ready.
He rolled out the dough thinly, cut it into uniform strips, and with a flick of his wrist, the springy hand-pulled noodles were dropped into the boiling water. A few wild vegetables were blanched, and then the meat sauce was poured over. Fragrant meat sauce noodles were ready. Served with two cloves of garlic, it was better than any delicacy.
The little ones each ate a small bowl and finished all the soup, letting out satisfied burps.
Lin Wan Wan used a large bowl and unknowingly finished her bowl of noodles. She was surprised by her appetite. Had she eaten it all?
A blush crept onto her cheeks, her adorable appearance making Xie Sui stare.
"What are you looking at? I'll dig your eyes out."
"My wife, can I not look at you?"
Xie Sui blurted out, and Lin Wan Wan, feigning anger, playfully chased him with her small fists. They chased each other and laughed in the yard.
"Xie Sui, you're bullying Sister Lin again! Stop it, or I'll go tell your parents!"
The neighbor Wang Tie Zhu, perched on the wall, wished he could jump down and beat up Xie Sui.
Lin Wan Wan said shyly, "Tie Zhu, you've misunderstood. We're not fighting, we're just playing. Thank you for your concern."
Xie Sui looked at Tie Zhu with a half-smile. In his past life, after Wan Wan was gone, this guy had even beaten him up. Later, he realized that this fellow had developed feelings for his wife at some point!