Free Web NovelChapter 464: Chapter 464: Caught in the Act
After Liu Aihui personally tasted Li Hongying’s cooking, she couldn’t lift her head, wishing she could bury it in the food. From the variety of dishes, it was clear that Yi Roujing’s family was well-off.
There were dishes with river fish, land animals, and even dried seafood from the sea. Being from Jin City, Liu Aihui was no stranger to seafood, but fresh ones weren’t something she could eat often. Most of the time, when it was available, it was dried goods. Her favorite was dried kelp stewed with ribs, very fresh, and she tasted that today.
There was also seafood porridge made from dried seafood, of which Liu Aihui drank two bowls.
The sweet and sour fish and candied pork hock were tastier than what you’d find in a state-run restaurant, let alone the small stir-fried dishes. When vegetables are done well, they’re truly delicious. The seasoning was generous, and the timing was spot on.
"Roujing, your mother-in-law wouldn’t happen to be a head chef at a state-run restaurant, would she?" Liu Aihui, having finished two bowls of porridge and another bowl and a half of rice, reluctantly put down her chopsticks and whispered in Yi Roujing’s ear.
"No," Yi Roujing replied, "My mother-in-law is busy helping us with the kids, she doesn’t have time to work."
"That’s true, your family really has a lot of kids, and it’s rare to have twins. Your sister-in-law is truly impressive," Liu Aihui praised directly. "By the way, where’s your husband? How come he’s not home for lunch? And your younger brother-in-law isn’t back either."
There weren’t many people eating today. Feng Lishu and Yi Roujing were both without their husbands.
"They’re busy today, but they’ll be back for dinner," Yi Roujing explained.
"What a loss," Liu Aihui remarked, "With food this good, I would rush home to eat no matter how busy I was."
Everyone at the table heard this comment.
"Aihui, if you like, come over often for meals," Li Hongying warmly invited.
"Can I?" Liu Aihui, with eyes full of anticipation, blushed slightly but was willing to sacrifice her pride for a good meal.
"Of course you can," Li Hongying responded without hesitation.
"Thank you, auntie. I might shamelessly show up again," Liu Aihui candidly admitted, making everyone at the table burst into laughter.
After lunch, Liu Aihui helped clean up the dishes, intending to foster a good relationship for the next meal. Li Hongying liked this straightforward young girl a lot, and before Liu Aihui returned to school, she packed a small jar of pickled vegetables for her to enjoy with her meals at school.
Liu Aihui left the house delightedly carrying the small jar. Yi Roujing saw her off and walked her to the bus stop.
"Hey, I see Meijuan," Liu Aihui spotted Shao Meijuan standing behind the bus stop, carrying a bundle. Beside her was Mr. Li, whom they had encountered earlier in the morning.
"Why are those two pulling and dragging each other like that? It looks so inappropriate," Liu Aihui frowned slightly, observing their behavior.
"Ajuan, have you gone out to look for work again?" Li Yuntao looked at Shao Meijuan with concern, "Stop doing laundry for people, just focus on your studies. Give those to me, I’ll handle this heavy work."
Once they got closer, Yi Roujing and Liu Aihui understood why they were tugging at the bundle.
"Yuntao, these aren’t clothes, they’re some supplements I bought for my family. I’m not doing laundry for others anymore, you don’t need to worry," Shao Meijuan had impatience in her eyes that she couldn’t express on her face, but her expression was somewhat unpleasant.
"Ajuan, why don’t we just go ahead and get our marriage license, so we can live together? That way, I can take care of you closely and cook delicious meals for you. Cafeteria food is never as good as homemade," Li Yuntao looked at Shao Meijuan with deep affection, his hands wrapping around Shao Meijuan’s delicate hands, rubbing them with a silly grin.
"Even though I’m still a temporary worker, my job is stable and my income is fixed. I can afford to rent a room, and you don’t need to worry about tuition. We can even send some money to your family, and the rest I’ll use to buy you meat to nourish you," Li Yuntao spoke with sincerity, slightly pleading in his tone, "We’re at the right age, we can get the license, I already enquired."
"I also asked your classmate, Miss Liu Aihui, she said it’s okay to get married in college. We can wait a few years to have kids, let’s get married first. It might be a bit of a grievance now, but when we go back to our hometown, we’ll have a big ceremony, inviting relatives, friends, and villagers to celebrate with us."
...
Yi Roujing didn’t expect Mr. Li and Shao Meijuan to be in such a relationship, talking about marriage. Did he know about Shao Meijuan’s secret dealings?
Liu Aihui was stunned; weren’t they supposed to be like siblings? Why talk about marriage suddenly? Didn’t Meijuan say she didn’t like Mr. Li and wanted to find a comrade with shared ideals? What’s going on now?
"Yuntao, I’ve only finished one semester, and still have several years to go. Besides, all classmates live on campus to better learn from each other. It’s not good for me to live outside. Please wait for me, once I get through most of my studies, I’ll marry you," said Shao Meijuan with downcast eyes.
"Oh, then, then I’ll wait a little longer," Li Yuntao, albeit disappointed, compromised.
"Yuntao, you haven’t gone home in a while. Go back and see your parents, otherwise, they’ll be worried."
"I can’t leave; if I leave, you’ll be alone in Jing City, and I can’t rest easy leaving you."
"Yuntao, I’m fine, really, I’m staying at the school, perfectly safe, eating and living there. I won’t go looking for work anymore, so don’t worry about me," Shao Meijuan advised.
"I have my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and younger brother there, it’s fine. I can earn more money staying in Jing City, and it’s not easy to get leave from work. Otherwise, your next year’s tuition will be unsettled," Li Yuntao said.
"What next year’s tuition?" Liu Aihui, puzzled, needed to get clarity, "Meijuan, we don’t have to pay tuition, do we? The school doesn’t charge us; in fact, they provide us with a stipend of over ten yuan every month, you didn’t know, Mr. Li?"
Shao Meijuan didn’t expect to run into Liu Aihui and her face immediately turned sour upon hearing Liu Aihui’s words.
"We don’t have to pay tuition?" Li Yuntao asked, bewildered.
"Of course not. We’re the first batch since the resumption of college entrance exams; no matter which university, it’s the same. Roujing, isn’t this the case at Jing University?" Liu Aihui turned to ask Yi Roujing.
"Yes, we don’t need to pay tuition either. Moreover, the university gives us a subsidy of twenty yuan every month," Yi Roujing replied.
"Wow, you get twenty yuan? We get nineteen, but it’s still quite a lot; enough for meals each month, and saving a bit allows us to send some home," Liu Aihui said.
Liu Aihui continued talking, but both Li Yuntao and Shao Meijuan heard her. Shao Meijuan looked displeased, and Yi Roujing was unsure whether to intervene.
