Lin Jiayi hadn’t let him touch her since she got pregnant, having kept her distance for over half a year already.
The doctor clearly said they could after three months, and he even heard brothers from the same village saying that there was no need for avoidance during pregnancy, that things could continue as normal.
Why was Lin Jiayi so delicate?
It wasn’t his fault, not his fault at all; it was Lin Jiayi who didn’t want him to touch her.
He was a normal, healthy man; he couldn’t always hold back, and today he had drunk a bit too much, with alcohol adding to his mischief.
Psyching himself up, Li Guangyuan finally pushed open the door in front of him.
The lights were off in his mother’s room; she must have been resting already, but their room still had the oil lamp burning.
Li Guangyuan parked his bike under the eaves, their room’s door was open, too.
“Why are you coming back now?” Lin Jiayi asked as she saw Li Guangyuan.
Li Guangyuan glanced in the direction of the neighboring room and pushed Lin Jiayi back into theirs.
“Keep your voice down, they’re all sleeping, don’t wake everyone up.”
The man’s approach came with a faint scent, one that didn’t belong to Li Guangyuan.
Lin Jiayi immediately widened her eyes, “You haven’t told me yet, where have you been all day in this rain? What did you do that made you come back so late?”
Li Guangyuan closed the door with the back of his hand and explained in a low voice, “Where else could I have gone? I went to see if there was a night market, thinking if there were stalls, I’d set up one, too; sell something if I could. But everyone was afraid of the rain, so I just wandered around. Haven’t you always wanted me to try other businesses? Then the rain started pouring…”
“Even if you got caught in the rain, it stopped early. You’re back so late; you must be hiding something from me, right?”
A flicker of guilt crossed Li Guangyuan’s face, and he turned to walk into the room, “What would I hide from you? Our home is over 20 miles from the county; when the rain stopped here, it didn’t stop there, only stopping at dusk. Once it stopped, I hurried back.”
He gave a nonchalant explanation and casually took off his clothes.
Lin Jiayi thought about it, the rain did indeed come sporadically, often falling in one village and not another.
Just as she relaxed, she looked up and saw the red marks on Li Guangyuan’s back.
In that moment, Lin Jiayi felt her breath stop for an instant, and she quickly grabbed Li Guangyuan’s arm, dragging him to the light.
Li Guangyuan was confused by her pulling, “What are you doing? It’s late, let’s rest. I’ve been on the run all day, exhausted.”
Lin Jiayi stared intently at his back, her voice sharp, “What did you actually do? How did these marks get on your back? Which wench scratched you? Good for you, Li Guangyuan, slaving away at home, taking care of the elderly and the young, and I’m pregnant with your child, yet you’re out there flirting with women – was it that widow?”
Li Guangyuan felt a jolt in his heart, now only remembering how vigorously he and Tian Cuihua had been fooling around, that flirtatious Tian Cuihua scratching and biting him; he reminded her not to scratch, but who could pay attention to that when things got intense?
Surely those marks on his back were now discovered by Lin Jiayi.
But the panic was only fleeting. Li Guangyuan turned around, a serious look on his face. “What nonsense are you talking about? I’ve been roaming around the town all day, where would I have the time to find Tian Cuixia? How many times do I have to tell you, I only helped her out when selling vegetables, and that was just to secure a spot for myself. There’s nothing more to it.”
“Then tell me, how did you get those marks on your back?”
“How would I know? Maybe I was scratched by some branches. Look at you overthinking again. I’ve told you, you are the most important to me.”
“Spare me those sweet nothings.”
In the past, Lin Jiayi might have believed Li Guangyuan’s explanations, but now? His elder sister constantly returns to her maternal home, causing trouble for no reason, and he doesn’t even speak up for her, just expecting her to always give in.
Is this what’s important?
Lin Jiayi thought again about the last time she brought food, how Li Guangyuan and Tian Cuixia were getting along so warmly, and she went up to him like a madwoman, hitting him.
“What do you mean scratched by branches? The branches only scratched your skin, not your clothes? Li Guangyuan, do you even have a conscience? Your sister comes home and causes trouble for no reason; you go outside chasing after other women. How am I supposed to live? I’m carrying your son! You bastard, who is that woman? If you don’t explain clearly to me today, this isn’t over.”
“I was pampered at home, but I come to your family and get treated like this. If not for me, you’d still be scrounging for food in the soil. Now you’re earning a bit of money from doing business and already think of chasing women outside? Is the little money you make enough for your mother and your insatiable sister?”
“You promised to treat me well, is this how you do it? Look at what your whole family is like, how can you be worthy of me…”
Her fists pounded Li Guangyuan’s back and shoulders, and a slap landed squarely on his face.
Li Guangyuan looked at Lin Jiayi, who seemed maniacal, his gaze gradually deepening. His hand by his side shook slightly, then clenched a bit tighter, but in the end, he exhaled.
“Jiayi, I really didn’t do what you said, I’ve been around town looking for a proper business, isn’t that what you wanted? If you think I’ve been outside to find other women, then from now on I’ll go nowhere. I’ll just stay home every day to accompany you, it’s not like we have a shortage of land to farm at home—I can support us just by farming.”
The fists suddenly stopped mid-air. Lin Jiayi, with tears still on her face, looked at Li Guangyuan’s calm face and his deep eyes, which jolted her back to her senses.
Stay home every day? Impossible. Wasn’t she counting on having better days ahead?
Seeing her calm down, Li Guangyuan went straight to bed without any intention of comforting her.
……
When Lin Chuxia arrived at Xiyang Food Factory, Su Wensong and Pang Yongli were already waiting there, and the ingredients purchased early that day have been placed inside the workshop.
“Mr. Lin, are these correct? These are the best ingredients chosen according to your requirements, and these seasonings are the freshest available on the market.”
Lin Chuxia checked the ingredients one by one and then took a handful of seasonings to sniff, which were indeed not bad.
Today, she planned to make a pot of beef sauce for everyone to taste, to boost everyone’s confidence. Calling Pang Yongli over, she intended to eventually pass on the key to making the beef sauce to him.
He and Ma Yingzi, the couple, had talent in food making, whether it was the heat control or the flavor. With just a little guidance, they could achieve the effect she desired.
Of course, these seasonings were only the basics, the essence still lay in her secret recipe.
“Not bad,” Lin Chuxia patted her hands and glanced around at the prepared household wares, “Then I’ll get started. For lunch today, we’ll have an extra dish for the workers of our factory.”