Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 53: A Child or Something
Su Li’s heart skipped a beat. After a moment, she finally processed it and couldn’t help but scoff, grumbling internally.
’Kill him? So tough. In my last life, you were cuckolded twice—once for real, once by rumor—and I didn’t see you kill a single soul.’
Su Li finished her silent scoff and looked over at Tang Yuanxiao, but he... had already turned back to his work.
Su Li said, "...Tang Yuanxiao, a divorce. We have to get divorced. I am absolutely getting this divorce."
She had only just spoken when she heard Little Tang Mo’s young, curious voice right next to her ear.
"Mama, what’s ’divorce’?"
Little Tang Mo had just come over, just in time to hear the word "divorce."
Su Li turned stiffly to look at Little Tang Mo. "..."
Tang Yuanxiao stopped working, turning to watch Su Li with a leisurely air, curious to see how she would respond.
Su Li bent over and pinched Little Tang Mo’s cheek. "You misheard."
Little Tang Mo didn’t press the issue. He just looked up with a smile and asked, "Mama, what are we eating today?"
"Are you hungry?" Su Li asked Little Tang Mo.
"Uh-huh, I’m hungry." Little Tang Mo rubbed his small belly and nodded.
Su Li glanced up at the sky and wrestled with herself for a moment. "Alright, I’ll go make lunch."
’I really don’t want to cook for Tang Yuanxiao, but... Little Tang Mo is hungry, and with Mrs. Tang out, there’s no one else to do it.’
’A child can’t go hungry... *Sigh*.’
Su Li sighed, shot Tang Yuanxiao a glare, and silently mouthed the word "divorce" through clenched teeth. Then, exasperated, she went to the kitchen to cook.
’A whole night and morning have gone by, and I’m *still* not divorced. This is so frustrating.’
Tang Yuanxiao watched Su Li enter the kitchen, put down what he was holding, and squatted down, calling Little Tang Mo over to speak with him in a hushed voice.
After exchanging a few words, Tang Yuanxiao held Little Tang Mo’s hand, his expression dark and gloomy.
’This visit home was completely different from the idyllic one he had imagined... Not at all!’
’Sure, he was seeing the picture-perfect scene of a loving mother and doting son, but the harmony between husband and wife was a million miles away.’
Tang Yuanxiao... was very unhappy. He was practically sulking in a corner.
He was unhappy, but Su Li felt she was the one with a grievance.
Not wanting to cook in the first place, Su Li made a particularly simple lunch: a stew of cured meat, pumpkin, and potatoes, some flatbreads, and a large pot of noodles.
The huge pot of noodles was mainly for Tang Yuanxiao; his massive appetite last night had stunned both Su Li and Little Tang Mo.
"You should have stewed the cured fish, too. How could you only make this little? How is Tangyuan supposed to get full?"
Mrs. Tang had just returned, and she couldn’t help but nag upon seeing the meal.
Tang Yuanxiao quickly interjected, "Mom, it’s enough. This is more than enough."
He didn’t want them to use up all the good food in the house within a few days.
Su Li had anticipated Mrs. Tang’s nagging, so she paid it no mind, simply placing the bowl she was holding in front of Little Tang Mo.
"Little Mo, this is your steamed egg custard. It’s nutritious, so it will help you grow up big and tall."
’The eggs from this era were truly free-range and so delicious. In the future, no matter how expensive so-called free-range eggs became, they never had this same fragrance.’
’Simply steamed with a bit of cured meat and a pinch of salt, it turned out unbelievably tender and savory. It was so good.’
"Mama, you have some too. And Grandma and Papa should eat too." Little Tang Mo’s eyes brightened, but he was still thoughtful enough to offer to share.
"You have it. We only used one egg."
Su Li patted Little Tang Mo’s head, paused for a moment, and then sat down.
It used to be just the three of them—Mrs. Tang, Little Tang Mo, and herself—for meals. Having Tang Yuanxiao there suddenly felt strange. He was so tall and broad that his presence made the dining table seem small.
Su Li had made a simple meal, but her skill was undeniable. Even with the same ingredients, what she cooked simply tasted better.
From the very first bite, Mrs. Tang stopped nagging. All she could do was urge Tang Yuanxiao to eat more.
"Tangyuan, have some of this potato and pumpkin... and the flatbread... and the noodles."
Indeed, with every dish she tried, her eyes grew brighter, until she had encouraged him to try them all.
Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes gleamed as he ate. He devoured his food with a ravenous hunger, like a wolf.
After eating the noodles she made last night, he had already discovered how good her cooking was. Today’s meal only confirmed that pleasant surprise.
While Tang Yuanxiao devoured his food, he kept glancing over at Su Li, and his gaze made her very uncomfortable.
’What was with that look? It was like he’d just discovered a treasure and was now feeling pleased with himself, wanting to keep it all to himself.’
Su Li watched Tang Yuanxiao warily.
Little Tang Mo, who was happily slurping down his food with his head down, didn’t notice their interaction, but Mrs. Tang did.
Last night, after leaving the bedroom, Tang Yuanxiao had felt unbearably hot. He had gone out late and walked around the village a few times, then splashed his face with cold water before finally returning.
He had been very quiet upon his return, and Mrs. Tang, who was already asleep, hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
He had also woken up very early this morning, so Mrs. Tang was still unaware that they hadn’t shared a room last night.
Seeing the way they looked at each other, Mrs. Tang assumed they had already... done the deed. Her mind filled with all sorts of wonderful possibilities, and she was secretly overjoyed.
"Here, Su Li, you eat more too. Put some meat on your bones. You’re too skinny right now."
She actually placed a large piece of meat into Su Li’s bowl. This was an absolute first.
Su Li looked up at Mrs. Tang in disbelief. Mrs. Tang was beaming, her eyes fixed on Su Li’s stomach.
"You just get some good rest for the next few days. Don’t worry about doing any work. You’re still young, you have to pay attention to your body. You wouldn’t want to be pregnant and not even know it."
Tang Yuanxiao, who had been listening intently to his mother with a puzzled expression, immediately choked when he heard the word "child."
"COUGH, COUGH... Mom, what nonsense are you talking about!"
It was hard to tell if he was red from choking or from something else that came to mind, but Tang Yuanxiao’s whole face felt like it was burning up.
He didn’t dare look at Su Li as he spoke, his face flushed crimson.
’He hadn’t even touched a single one of her fingers! How could she be talking about a child? It was... it was...’
Su Li looked from Mrs. Tang to Tang Yuanxiao, completely speechless. The piece of potato stuck in her throat could neither be swallowed nor spat out. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Su Li’s face turned red as she choked.
And so, the two of them sat there, blushing furiously, which only sent Mrs. Tang further down the path of misunderstanding, never to return.
Mrs. Tang still remembered how shy she had been as a new bride, so she was completely understanding.
"Alright, alright. You two are so bashful. I won’t say another word, I won’t."
Mrs. Tang shot her son a playfully chiding look, a smile on her face.
’It was normal for Su Li to be shy, but Tangyuan... his own son was already this big, yet he was still as bashful as he was years ago. Honestly...’
Mrs. Tang felt a surge of exasperation at his lack of progress.
The scorned Tang Yuanxiao: "..."
A mocking smile touched Su Li’s lips. She was about to say something, but someone else spoke first.
"Grandma, what are you guys talking about?"
Little Tang Mo, who had been blissfully eating, looked from one person to the next, swallowed the food in his mouth, and finally couldn’t resist asking.
"It’s nothing. You just keep eating." Mrs. Tang said gleefully as she put a piece of meat in Little Tang Mo’s bowl.
"Mmm, it’s delicious! Really delicious!" Little Tang Mo praised Su Li.
"If it’s good, then eat up." Mrs. Tang’s face was filled with affection. She glanced at the hopeless pair of Tang Yuanxiao and Su Li, then suddenly asked.
"Momo, would you like to have a little brother or sister? If Mama had a little brother or sister in her belly, would you be happy?"
"PFFT..." This time, Su Li actually sprayed her food.
