Chapter 23: Second Update

Instead of returning home directly, Lin Xuexia had Fu Wei drive her to buy meat and vegetables. It was late, so the meat was discounted. The fatty pork was already sold out, but Lin Xuexia managed to snag some beef, purchasing five jin of beef and two jin of pork foreleg.

She let Fu Wei continue holding her coin purse. With his imposing stature, he possessed a natural deterrent; the chaotic marketplace was a haven for petty thieves, but none would be foolish enough to target Fu Wei.

After picking up a few more items, Lin Xuexia was satisfied and had Fu Wei drive her back. Once they arrived at the apartment building, Fu Wei carried the bags up to the second floor for her. She immediately began boiling brine and preparing the beef, keeping herself busy.

Seeing her scurrying about like a little bee in a flower garden, Fu Wei opened his mouth, wanting to tell her to rest, but knowing he couldn't persuade her, he simply stepped in to help.

"It’s not really hard work," Lin Xuexia said with a smile.

Braised dishes only required watching the heat, which wasn't too strenuous compared to the heavy labor of a chef flipping pans in a kitchen. "Don't worry, I won't wear myself out. I plan to hire someone tomorrow to help sell meals and porridge, so I can just handle the money." Her eyes brightened. "You can help me count the money later."

Fu Wei was silent. Having guarded her purse for most of the day, he was also curious about how much was inside.

That night, Lin Xuexia cooked several dishes, and they sat down under the light to eat: a stir-fry, a vegetable medley, cilantro beef, braised eggplant, seaweed egg drop soup, and lettuce with oyster sauce.

Fu Wei ate heartily. It seemed that ever since he met Lin Xuexia, the quality of his diet had skyrocketed. He wasn't a picky eater and had no specific requirements as long as he was full. Usually, he just ate communal meals at the construction site, grabbed a bite at restaurants, or drank and dined while entertaining for work.

Lin Xuexia’s cooking was different from anything else he had tasted. He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but it was delicious and had completely captured his appetite.

He just ate a bit too much. Lin Xuexia had prepared so many dishes, and eighty percent of them ended up in his stomach. Knowing that women generally had smaller appetites and preferred to chew slowly, he urged her to eat more, but she simply claimed she was full. She wasn't actually full, but she ate very slowly; it wasn't until Fu Wei had finished everything that she finally finished her own bowl.

Fu Wei felt quite embarrassed. He had intended to leave leftovers for her, but she kept urging him to eat, and he had accidentally cleared the table. The ingredients were bought with her money and cooked by her hands; he had intended to be the one to provide for his future wife, yet he suddenly realized he was the one being provided for.

Lin Xuexia didn't mind that he ate so much or that he loved meat. If he just gave her money, she certainly wouldn't accept it. Should he bring meat and vegetables next time? He knew that if he did, he would inevitably buy too much, and he worried about burdening her. If there were a freezer in the apartment, it would be much easier for her to store ingredients. He knew she rented space in the downstairs shop's freezer, but he felt it wasn't ideal; things were better kept on one's own turf.

"Since you finished it all, go wash the dishes," Lin Xuexia said naturally.

Fu Wei went to help her wash the pots and bowls. Halfway through, he felt something was off. Except for when he was in the kitchen detail in the army, he had rarely seen men wash dishes. She was his future wife, shouldn't she be the one doing it? But she had already cooked the meal, and he couldn't bring himself to say it.

He obediently finished washing the dishes. It wasn't that he minded the chore, but he feared being teased by his old comrades. Was he really the type of man to wash vegetables and dishes just because a woman told him to? He remained silent. Thinking of the day's events, he realized he had no leverage against this woman, so he decided to focus on earning money to hire a nanny in the future.

After he finished, Lin Xuexia was already happily sipping warm milk while counting money in the living room. She had spread an old newspaper over a folding round table and emptied her purse, creating a small mountain of coins and bills. Most were small denominations, and there was a wide variety of coins.

She sorted the coins into a jar, shaking it to hear the clatter—the sound of money! A relaxed smile appeared on her lips. The total wouldn't exceed three hundred, but the sheer volume was exciting.

She sat on a wooden chair with her warm milk, a new notebook, a blue ballpoint pen, and a small brown abacus. She began to tally the accounts. Fu Wei came over to help, stacking the bills in tens. He glanced at the sorted cash and stated the total: "One hundred ninety-eight yuan, seven jiao, and three fen."

"Is that right?" Lin Xuexia didn't quite trust his count. She listed everything out and clumsily added them up, deducting costs. She didn't like math much and was grateful for the invention of the calculator. While she might lack patience for other numbers, when it came to money, she wished she could count even slower.

Her method made Fu Wei twitch. It wasn't that she was wrong, but she was so slow and meticulous that it made him anxious. He realized his future wife was poor at math and made several typos.

Seeing him look at her notebook, Lin Xuexia pushed it toward him. She had always felt insecure about her lack of education. Though she had learned basic accounting and reading, she still felt self-conscious. But facing Fu Wei, she felt she could show off a little.

She pursed her lips, suppressing her glee, and adopted the confidence of a top student before a dunce. "Look, don't you think my handwriting is beautiful? My teacher used to praise it in elementary school!"

Fu Wei watched her turn her head. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide and bright, and her tied-up hair was slightly loose and fluffy. The pride she couldn't hide added a playful, childlike charm to her. She didn't look like the gentle hostess she was with guests, nor the resilient woman who handled everything alone; she looked like a child asking for a treat.

"It's very neat," Fu Wei said, choosing his words carefully. Her writing was neat, but it was undeniably elementary-school level.

Seeing her like this, Fu Wei couldn't resist showing off a bit himself. He reached his right hand over her shoulder, covered her hand with his, and guided her pen to write their names on the notebook: Lin Xuexia, Fu Wei.

He wrote them twice—once in a popular clerical script and once in a running script. His writing was bold and magnificent. Even though Lin Xuexia didn't know much about calligraphy, she knew he was talented.

Lin Xuexia was stunned. She turned to look at the man beside her. Because he was holding her hand from behind, their cheeks were very close, and she could clearly see his straight nose and long, thick eyelashes. He had a sharp, heroic face, but up close, his features revealed an unexpected gentleness.

Lin Xuexia, however, was in no mood to admire his handsomeness. She cursed inwardly: *This liar. Fu Wei is a total liar!*

She remembered that in her previous life, Fu Wei’s handwriting had been sloppy and ugly at first. When she told him it was bad, he had promised to improve it for her and frequently showed her his progress, claiming he worked hard just for her sake. She had been quite touched then. Now, that sentiment felt completely wasted.

"How is your handwriting so good?" she asked, feigning nonchalance while staring dangerously at his Adam's apple, wanting to bite it to vent her frustration.

Fu Wei smiled, oblivious to her hostility. He looked at their names written side by side, imagining how they would look on a marriage certificate. His gaze softened. "I was an officer in the army, and we had calligraphy classes during our advanced training. I did quite well in those classes."

Lin Xuexia sat there expressionless, her mind racing with memories of her previous life. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got! This dog of a man! A bowl of snail noodles was too good for him; he deserved ten!

Seeing her reaction, Fu Wei nudged her cheek. "I saw you staring at the university gate for a long time today. Do you want to go to college?"

Lin Xuexia was stunned, finding the question absurd. "Me? Go to college?" She had never considered it; how could she?

"Don't you want to be a college student?" Fu Wei asked.

"How could I? I didn't even finish middle school..." her voice trailed off. Even if she tried, she wasn't sure she could pass the entrance exam.

Fu Wei replied, "You can take the self-taught higher education exams. There are no academic requirements. As long as you pass all the exams, you'll earn a degree."