Chapter 11: The Chili Pepper

Lin Xuexia was quite surprised to see the younger Fu Wei before her. He wore a pair of black leather shoes, gray suit pants, a white shirt, and a striped tie, looking exceptionally handsome and debonair.

Nowadays, many men on the street kept their hair long, thick, and unruly, but Fu Wei’s distinctive short haircut was especially neat and tidy, perfectly accentuating his facial features and bone structure, giving a refreshing impression.

This Fu Wei resembled more and more the one from her past life memories. As his business grew, he became increasingly adept at putting on a facade. Knowing she liked cultured men, he would always scoff at them verbally but secretly compete with them by forcing himself to read and practice calligraphy, cultivating an elegant scholarly aura. In the office, he was never without a book and often joked that it was all for her. That particular trait was especially annoying.

Outwardly refined and scholarly, yet mischievous and teasing toward her!

Recalling those old times, a blush rose to Lin Xuexia’s cheeks. At that moment, she hesitated internally, wondering if she should tell Fu Wei that she didn’t really care so much for cultured men.

There was no need for him to dress in a suit and tie, wear glasses despite not being nearsighted, and put on airs. Beneath that gentlemanly exterior lurked a rough, vigorous body and a domineering, forceful nature.

“It’s alright, just make me a bowl,” Fu Wei said, his eyes burning as he looked at the woman before him. Only when he saw Lin Xuexia did the heavy weight in his heart truly lift.

What happened that day was no dream.

A smile curved at the corner of his mouth.

Lin Xuexia felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze. She lowered her head and replied, “Then you sit and wait for a moment.”

No matter the age, Fu Wei’s eyes that looked at her were always the same—like a hungry wolf, green and penetrating, fixated on a piece of meat. And she was that very piece of meat.

No matter how much he devoured, he never grew tired of it.

For some reason, Lin Xuexia swallowed hard. She was quite afraid of this younger Fu Wei’s rough advances, even though he was still just one man. Now, they were strangers.

Fu Wei, many years later, had softened considerably. But this one was not.

Brash, overbearing, and authoritarian… He disliked her selling goods on the street, not wanting her to overwork herself. He said he would support her; if she was short of money, she only needed to ask. He called her a foolish woman, poor health, wasting good days and choosing hardship.

Lin Xuexia detested this attitude. Perhaps other women might be moved by “I’ll provide for you,” but she only felt uneasy.

She preferred the taste of earning her own money.

Since earning her first paycheck working in the factory, she realized she had the capability to earn money and enjoyed the feeling.

Every time she earned through her own effort, it gave her a unique confidence, making her feel useful and capable of supporting herself.

Whether it was ten yuan, a hundred, or a thousand… day by day accumulation, planning how much to earn tomorrow, and how to improve her life. As her daily needs improved, life became promising, like the carrot dangling before a donkey.

The key was not whether the “carrot” was delicious, but the state of living with hope and purpose.

Just like some people who collect trash but do so joyfully—not for the value of the trash, but for the anticipation of what treasures the next dumpster might hold, hoping tomorrow’s haul will surpass today’s.

Money gained too easily only causes confusion and loss of life’s goals and direction. If she did nothing and relied on others for support, she feared becoming a purposeless wastrel.

Living under someone’s watchful eye was difficult; whoever controlled the finances held the real power.

On this point, Lin Xuexia preferred to earn her own money. She wanted to be the master of her own finances, to do whatever she wished with her money without needing anyone’s permission.

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As Lin Xuexia cooked the fragrant clam noodles, she thought about how Fu Wei still wouldn’t let her sell on the street to earn money this time. If he interfered with her freedom, she vowed she would scold him into silence!

She was no longer the same Lin Xuexia.

She rolled up her sleeves, full of fighting spirit.

Fu Wei sat down on the bench facing Lin Xuexia, but she turned her back to him, so he could only see her silhouette.

Compared to the red dress she wore that day, today Lin Xuexia dressed very simply: a blue shirt, black pants, and black cloth shoes—an unremarkable, honest outfit. Her beautiful curly hair was tied up at the nape of her neck in a bun, revealing a section of fair, graceful neck.

She had pierced ears but wore no earrings, instead stuffing tea leaf stems into the holes. Fu Wei had just looked down at her and noticed her small, delicate ears and plump earlobes—quite cute.

From behind, he could see her wearing a white apron tied tightly at the waist, outlining her slender figure.

Fu Wei’s breath grew heavier. He longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her cheek.

But when he noticed her hand movements, his brow furrowed suddenly—she had just burned herself.

Finally, Fu Wei turned his gaze away and focused on the modest noodle stand. He looked at the prices written on the board, his sharp brows twitching.

Back in the military, Fu Wei had no concept of money. His parents were both officials; even after their divorce, they never let him lack financially. In the military, he had food, drink, and clothing, never worrying about money.

After leaving, he had earned large sums—tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands—so he paid no mind to small change of a few yuan.

Now that he had made a comeback, Fu Wei was confident he could expand his business further.

Making money was a man’s duty. Once Lin Xuexia married him, she would be like other wives of construction bosses—staying at home, raising children, managing the household.

No need for her to do hard work; he could hire a nanny. She could watch children, watch TV dramas, or play cards and mahjong.

“Your noodles are ready,” Lin Xuexia said, setting a bowl of clam noodles before him.

Fu Wei met her eyes for a few seconds until she looked away, then lowered his head to the bowl.

It smelled delicious, the broth rich and… red.

Lin Xuexia had added a lot of chili soup!

Fu Wei coughed violently on the first bite—too spicy, pungent and overwhelming. Being from the north, he was not used to chili peppers as a child. In the army, he could eat mildly spicy food, but this kind of fiery noodles was new to him.

He coughed repeatedly, suddenly thinking he didn’t need to persuade Lin Xuexia. With such spicy noodles, she probably wouldn’t sell many bowls—locals here didn’t eat spicy food!

This was Guangdong Province, after all. Where did she get such hot chili?

Fu Wei choked and coughed as he ate, feeling he should put down his chopsticks, but since it was cooked by her own hands, refusing to eat seemed impolite.

“Kid, how can you not handle a little spice?” someone teased.

“Wow—this bowl is so red! Boss, next time make me this spicy one too!” said a man, swallowing hard. He was from Jiangxi Province—he didn’t care about much, but loved spicy food. Unfortunately, after coming here, nothing was spicy enough; without spice, it wasn’t satisfying.

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Before 1988, most migrant workers here were from Guangdong, who generally didn’t eat spicy food. But this batch of newcomers from Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guizhou found the chili too much to handle.

Gao Chunyan was uncompromising when it came to chili—her noodles were always served very spicy, and she refused to change. She even told Lin Xuexia where to buy the hottest chili.

Her noodle stand’s reputation was exactly this: “The chili at her stall is extremely spicy.”

Many who hadn’t tasted spicy food for a while saw Fu Wei’s bowl of fiery red broth and their eyes nearly turned green with envy.

Fu Wei: “…”

Not just passersby, even Gao Chunyan, watching nearby, was drooling. Though she was passionate about chili, she had grown used to locals disliking spice, so even her chili was toned down to “just a little spicy” to avoid complaints.

The bowl Lin Xuexia made for Fu Wei was truly her favorite.

Fu Wei ate that bowl of clam noodles for half a day, finishing only at dusk when the sky darkened and the noodle stand’s customers had all left, leaving him alone.

Lin Xuexia and Gao Chunyan prepared to close the stall. Fu Wei wiped his mouth and came to help. Lin Xuexia glanced at him and introduced, “Aunt Chunyan, this is the new guy I mentioned.”

Fu Wei quickly said, “Hello, Auntie, I’m Fu Wei, Xuexia’s boyfriend.”

This was his first time saying “Xuexia” to an outsider. Saying it felt like a warm current flowing through his heart. Before this, he had rehearsed countless times in his mind.

Gao Chunyan was shocked. Looking at the tall, handsome Fu Wei before her, she was at a loss for words.

The man wore a suit, tall and handsome, radiating a noble and upright aura. Lin Xuexia had said he was a discharged soldier, and now it made sense—he was truly a son of the people’s army.

Lin Xuexia had told her she’d broken off the engagement with that university student fiancé. Gao Chunyan felt sympathy for her. After all, Xuexia was a good girl—pretty, diligent, and capable. She knew well the status of the three sisters in the village. Seeing such a fine young man like Fu Wei now, she sincerely felt happy for Lin Xuexia.

“Well, what a handsome young man!” Gao Chunyan smiled broadly, wiping her apron. Suddenly understanding, she said, “No wonder Xuexia treats you so well.”

Fu Wei looked puzzled. “Huh?”

“She made your noodles super spicy. Red chili, fiery and full of blessings. Putting so much spice means she’s fond of you.”

“That’s how girls back home are!” Gao Chunyan declared.

Fu Wei was stunned, then blinked happily. He looked at Lin Xuexia, who had turned her head away, avoiding his gaze. The smile on her lips stretched almost to her ears.

Lin Xuexia faced away, speechless.

No, Aunt Chunyan, she really didn’t mean it that way.

She just wanted to tease him a little.