At noon, Lu Jiao came home to find the house completely transformed. Clean blankets were drying in the yard. The fallen leaves and weeds were swept spotless. The lifeless house suddenly came alive.
"You're back!" I peeked out from the living room, cleaning cloth in my hand.
He looked at me, wearing a light yellow sweater with my hair in a bun. He seemed to freeze for a moment when I peeked out. He put a lunchbox on the stone table and said, "I should be doing these things. It's not convenient for you. Just tell me what needs to be done. You just need to rest well."
He took the cloth from my hand. My attention was completely on the lunchbox. I rinsed my hands and said, "Don't worry. I'm being careful. It's not tiring."
I sat up straight on the stone stool and opened the lunchbox. Tender braised pork belly, golden pan-fried prawns, and stir-fried green vegetables with fragrant rice. It made my mouth water. My eyes grew hot and I felt like crying.
At home, I had a soft, submissive personality. My only hobby was eating. But at home, I never got to eat the good food. It was common for me to not have enough to eat. Meal after meal of dried sweet potatoes. I'd been hungry for so long, I'd already forgotten what it felt like to be full.
I sniffled and asked him as he was washing clothes by the tap. "Aren't you eating?"
He didn't even turn his head. "I already ate before I came back. You go ahead and eat."
Under the warm autumn sun, I blissfully ate the braised pork and rice with the sound of him scrubbing clothes beside me. Life felt wonderful, and my affection for Lu Jiao grew a little more. Living like this didn't seem so bad.
After a little while, while hanging the clothes to dry, he said, "The woman who bullied you is named Li Qiu. The inspection team is investigating what happened. There should be a result soon. Don't worry." His voice was laced with a coldness. "Also, Auntie Wei said she wants to meet you. I told them to let you rest for a few days."
I asked who Auntie Wei was. He explained briefly.
I said, "Wouldn't that be a bit rude? After all, the senior leader has been very good to you. It seems impolite to keep making excuses when she wants to meet."
Lu Jiao, still hanging clothes, said, "It's fine. Auntie Wei's family won't overthink it. Besides, we have something else to do tomorrow."
Hearing this, I was confused. "What is it?"
Just then, he dried his hands and walked over. He glanced at my stomach and said flatly, "A prenatal checkup."
I nodded obediently. "The last checkup was two weeks ago. After such a long journey, I really should get checked."
Just then, his gaze fell on the empty lunchbox, and he raised an eyebrow. He didn't expect that for someone my size, I had quite an appetite. He had specifically gotten a large portion. But then he remembered I was carrying another person inside me, so eating a lot was normal.
"Are you full?" Lu Jiao thought about balanced nutrition. "Should I go buy some fruit?"
I shook my head vigorously. I was so full after finishing the meal. Even the most delicious food wouldn't have tempted me then.
He bent down to pick up the lunchbox. When his eyes grazed my fair cheeks, they flickered for a moment before he quickly looked away and said, "You'll have to make do for now. The cafeteria food is always like this. If you can't get used to it, or you don't like it, you can cook for yourself. You'll just need to get your own pots and pans." He paused for a second, then added, "The food at the state-run restaurant is pretty good. I'll take you there someday."
I shook my head. "Wouldn't that be expensive?" I felt a little embarrassed.
"Don't worry, I can afford it."
He washed the lunchbox and went back. Watching him leave, I felt a warmth spread through my heart. Lu Jiao might look and sound cold, but he was actually very thoughtful toward me. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the clothes he had washed and hung up to dry, and I liked him even more.
He wasn't one of those macho guys either. He actually helped out around the house. Thoughtful, responsible, respectful of his wife, and on top of all that, he's handsome. Isn't he exactly the partner I've always wanted?
Right then, I decided to stop being prejudiced against him. I happily sunbathed for a while by myself, mentally planning what to add to the yard. I drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
That evening, Lu Jiao came home from work early. For dinner, we had beef brisket stew with potatoes, stir-fried bean sprouts, pan-fried tofu, and a meatball soup. He hadn't eaten at the cafeteria this time. He'd gotten two servings of food and rushed back.
We ate in silence, and his eyes never left my face. As he watched me, he seemed to get lost in thought.
He hadn't even wanted to go to the blind date that day. His mind wasn't on getting married. All he cared about was getting a promotion. But the village chief had pleaded with him, afraid he'd end up a lifelong bachelor like Pockmarked Wang at the edge of the village.
He was an orphan with no family. The year he enlisted, it was the village chief who had raised the money to send him off. He didn't expect him to become a big shot, just that he wouldn't bring shame to the village. He never thought Lu Jiao would be the one to become the most successful. And so it was. He couldn't bring himself to refuse the village chief, so he went on the blind date.
The girl was pretty and seemed to have a nice personality. She was lively and animated, but he felt like something was missing. At lunch, the Lin family's parents were very warm. They seemed to be quite pleased with him. But the strange thing was, while they were all chatting in the living room, come lunchtime, a whole spread of food suddenly appeared from the kitchen. It was as if a household fairy was living in the kitchen.
He made an excuse to use the restroom. He slipped around the corner to the kitchen in the backyard, wanting to see who it was. Most rural kitchens are black with soot, but our kitchen was spotless and tidy. The moment he pushed the door open, his eyes met mine.
I was sitting by the edge of the stove, nibbling on an egg. There were two little chicks on my lap, and I was talking to them while I ate. "I'm sorry for eating your brothers and sisters. How about I become your big sister from now on? Okay?"
Lu Jiao was dying of laughter inside, but managed to keep a straight face.
I hadn't expected anyone to walk in. I shoved the entire egg into my mouth at once. My cheeks puffed out as I stared at him warily. His gaze, however, was fixed on my face and wouldn't move.
Even though I was wearing a simple coarse cloth shirt, my face was truly lovely. I had big dark eyes and slender arched eyebrows, a small nose and rosy lips, even with my cheeks puffed out like that. A smudge of flour on my face didn't detract from the sight at all. Sitting there, I looked like a painting. Prettier than Lin Man.
"What are you doing here? Are you one of the Lins? Why aren't you eating with everyone else?"
He was genuinely curious. The entire Lin family was in the living room eating while this girl was hiding in the kitchen. On closer inspection, she didn't look like a maid either.
I hugged the little chick tightly and glared at him, not answering a single question.
He flicked the door frame and asked roguishly, "Are you a mute?"
At that, I glared even harder. He had wanted to ask for my name, but had to leave in a hurry when someone called for him.