Free Web NovelChapter 40: Chapter 40: Disgusting
Little Tang Mo held his breath, waiting for Su Li’s answer. Upon hearing him, Su Li’s heart twisted in pain.
She pushed open the door, hugged Little Tang Mo, and looked him in the eye as she earnestly explained.
"No, Little Mo. You’re already a very good boy. You don’t need to be any better... When I said not to call me Mom, it wasn’t your fault. It’s just that I’m more used to being called ’Sister’ or ’Auntie.’ That’s all I meant."
Little Tang Mo looked at Su Li intently, his expression puzzled after hearing her explanation.
"Can I still call you Mom, then? If you hear it enough, maybe you’ll get used to it?"
Su Li groaned weakly. "Little Mo, why are you so insistent on calling me Mom? Calling me ’Sister’ or ’Auntie’ is the same thing."
"How can ’Auntie’ and ’Sister’ be the same? You can have lots of aunties and sisters, but you only have one mom. You’re my mom, so I have to call you Mom."
Little Tang Mo said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, then lowered his head again. "Mom, I won’t ever run off to play and leave you behind again. Please, just let me call you Mom, okay?"
"Brother Gou Dan and Sister Zhaodi both have moms and dads. I want one too..."
Little Tang Mo’s voice was barely a whisper. He was utterly dejected, a stark contrast to the cheerful boy who had returned earlier.
Su Li thought of how Little Tang Mo had been just a moment ago, and a wave of regret washed over her.
’It was my fault. I shouldn’t have assumed Little Tang Mo didn’t understand what ’Mom’ means, trying to brush him off. And I especially shouldn’t have chosen New Year’s Day to bring this up. I was too impulsive.’
’Kids look forward to the New Year more than anything. It’s supposed to be such a happy time for them, and I completely ruined it. I could have just waited a couple of days until the holiday was over...’
"Little Mo, I’m sorry. I was wrong, I wasn’t thinking straight just now... If you want to call me that, then... go ahead."
Su Li picked up Little Tang Mo, patting his shoulder to comfort him.
Little Tang Mo hugged her tightly, asking cautiously, "Really? I can still call you Mom from now on?"
"Of course it’s true. If you really want to... you can call me that."
Su Li nodded and tried to cheer him up, hoping to make him forget the unpleasantness and recapture his festive holiday spirit.
Unfortunately, despite her efforts, Little Tang Mo’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was clear he was still upset. His mood remained low, and his earlier energy was completely gone.
Eventually, even Mrs. Tang noticed.
’Su Li was truly filled with regret. Right in the middle of the New Year, she had completely ruined the mood. They only had these last few days together, and she had to go and make Little Tang Mo sad.’
After thinking it over and over, Su Li finally decided to make some kid-friendly treats, hoping to cheer Little Tang Mo up.
Once she had the idea, she put it into action. Su Li got Little Tang Mo to help her with the preparations. Resources were scarce in this era, but because of Tang Yuanxiao, the Tang Family lived relatively well and still had many things. After rummaging around, Su Li actually managed to find quite a few ingredients. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Su Li hadn’t cooked a single meal since her rebirth; Mrs. Tang had always been the one to do it. Back in the kitchen again, she was clumsy and all thumbs for a moment.
There were no induction cookers or gas stoves. Back then, cooking was done over a wood fire. Having not tended a fire in years, Su Li was choked by the smoke until her eyes streamed with tears, and she even accidentally smudged some soot on her face.
In the end, Little Tang Mo couldn’t bear to watch any longer and offered to tend the fire for her.
Despite his small size, Little Tang Mo was surprisingly adept at managing the fire. Freed from that task, Su Li could focus on the food.
Su Li was a decent cook. Using the simplest ingredients, she made some cute, kid-friendly snacks for Little Tang Mo. They were as delicious as they were adorable. As he ate them, Little Tang Mo finally broke into a genuine smile, his excitement returning.
Su Li cooked dinner that night. Little Tang Mo ate until he was about to burst, and even Mrs. Tang had more than her fill.
Su Li had a good appetite as well. Everything in this era was all-natural. Even simply boiled, the food was bursting with its original flavor, unlike in the future where everything was artificially ripened and the taste had long since been lost.
And just like that, the first day of the New Year came to an end.
The second day of the New Year was traditionally for a married daughter to visit her own family, bringing her husband and children to pay her respects. According to custom, Su Li should have gone, but she didn’t.
Of course she wouldn’t go back. She couldn’t possibly go back.
With Tang Yuanxiao away, and remembering what Miao Fenghua and Su Dan had done, Mrs. Tang didn’t press Su Li to go.
Miao Fenghua and Su Dan still hadn’t recovered from their last encounter. In previous years, if Su Li hadn’t shown up laden with gifts, they would have stormed over by the third day of the New Year. This year, however, they were remarkably quiet and didn’t dare to come at all.
So, Su Li spent a peaceful New Year’s holiday. She didn’t go out, staying home to study instead.
「On the fifth day of the New Year」
Zhao Wenming and his family finally returned from the hospital.
That fall into the water had nearly cost Zhao Wenming his life. He was already a frail, scholarly type, and the illness had left him looking even thinner, as if a strong gust of wind could knock him over.
He’d had a fever for two days and two nights that almost left him delirious. After the fever broke, a severe cold developed into pneumonia. If not for his decent constitution, he probably wouldn’t have pulled through.
Although he ultimately survived, the ordeal had taken a severe toll on his body. Even after returning to Xinghua Village, he couldn’t stop coughing. He spent another two days recuperating in bed at home, only starting to recover after his mother went to great lengths to kill their old hen to make him a nourishing broth.
But the moment he felt better, true to the saying "a dog will always return to its vomit," he sauntered right up to Su Li again.
As for Su Li, Zhao Wenming was now filled with a mixture of anger and resentment. As he lay in his sickbed for those few days, all he could think about was how to teach Su Li a lesson and make her feel ashamed and guilty.
’He’d told Su Li to get help quickly, but she’d dawdled for so long! She nearly got him killed!’
He had expected Su Li to be anxious and guilt-ridden, to be full of regret and too ashamed to face him. He never imagined that before he could even say a word, she would just frown, her eyes filled with impatience.
Su Li was, in fact, very impatient. The New Year holiday was over, and she was waiting for a letter from Tang Yuanxiao and news from Li Hongqin’s group. At the same time, her test with Teacher Li was fast approaching.
All three matters were critically important and all happening at once. Su Li felt like she was running out of time, yet also that time was crawling by too slowly. On top of that, Little Tang Mo was still calling her "Mom" at every turn. It was only natural that she was feeling on edge.
She was already on edge, and then Zhao Wenming had the bad timing to show up. It would be a miracle if she looked pleased to see him.
"What is it?" Su Li asked with a frown.
’If Zhao Wenming dared to try any of his disgusting, clumsy attempts at flirting with her again, she wouldn’t be so polite. He should take a good look at his own sharp-chinned, sunken-cheeked, monkey-like face!’
As Su Li was ranting internally, she saw Zhao Wenming adopt what he clearly considered the standard-issue frown of a melancholic poet.
"Su Li... is something the matter?"
Su Li looked at his squinted eyes and nearly gagged.
A pair of glasses was a rarity in those days. The pair Zhao Wenming had been wearing was washed away in the water, and who knew where they ended up. With it being the New Year, there was nowhere to get a new pair, so he had to go without.
Being nearsighted, he had a habit of squinting to see things clearly, and that’s exactly what he was doing now.
"Zhao Wenming, if you have something to say, say it. Stop beating around the bush. There’s no one else around, so it’s not appropriate for me to talk with you for long."
Su Li said in a cold voice, suppressing her disgust.
"Su Li, how can you speak to me like that? I just came to thank you. Even though you didn’t get help in time on New Year’s Day, I still wanted to thank you out of courtesy..."
Zhao Wenming’s face was filled with indignation, as if Su Li had committed some unforgivable sin.
Su Li couldn’t be bothered to listen to him ramble on and cut him off directly.
"What do you mean, ’how can I speak to you like that’? How do you think I should speak to you? Greet you with a smile and a gentle voice? What kind of relationship do we have?"
