Finding Someone (2)

Finally, Jiang Ru took out all her savings, pulled out five hundred yuan from it, placed it on the table, and said calmly, "This is the money for food and drink for over half a year. I'm returning it to you."

Without even looking at him, she turned, picked up the snakeskin bag, walked straight out, and pulled the door shut behind her.

She didn't mean anything by it, but perhaps because she used too much force, the door shut with a loud "bang."

Jiang Ru paused for a moment, then ignored it and walked out.

In the room, the moment he saw her take out the money, Le Xiao's face instantly turned pitch black. Seeing her leave without hesitation and slam the door in anger, his expression could no longer be described as merely unsightly. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

This was the first time anyone had been so defiant in front of him.

Hearing the sound of the courtyard gate opening and closing outside, the man's chest heaved continuously. Finally, he gritted his teeth and cursed, "Damn it!"

He roughly threw off the blanket and got out of bed. When he went to open the door, it wouldn't open.

Frowning, he turned the doorknob, but there was still no response. It seemed she had closed it too hard just now; the door had buckled against the wall, and the lock on it had also come loose.

"..."

Le Xiao gave it a kick, then took a deep breath.

He raised his hand to open the door again, using brute force to snap the lock right off.

He didn't care about the extra hole in the door, walking out with a dark face.

Just as he was about to open the main gate, he heard the sound of the courtyard door being pushed open from the outside. His hand paused. Thinking that a certain someone had regretted her actions and returned, his expression softened slightly.

He pulled the door open forcefully, preparing to utter a few mocking remarks. Unexpectedly, the person who pushed the door open and walked in was Auntie Wang.

Auntie Wang looked at the door in confusion. She had been about to knock, but before she could touch it, the door had opened. She thought Jiang Ru had carelessly forgotten to lock it last night.

Hearing the noise, she instinctively looked up, wanting to remind Jiang Ru, but then she saw the man with a gloomy face standing at the door.

She didn't think much of it. Since Le Xiao grew up, she hadn't had many opportunities to meet him, only seeing him from afar. Although this kid was handsome, he was very fierce, had a bad temper, and always hung out with a bunch of thugs. Even when she saw him, she would usually take a detour. Therefore, she didn't recognize his darkened expression, thinking he just always looked like that.

Seeing him, she even greeted him with a smile, "Xiao Xiao, you're back? You must have made a lot of money on this trip, right?"

In her hands, besides the pig intestines, she also held two catties of fresh meat and a pig's tongue, wanting to smooth over her unspoken thoughts from yesterday.

She wasn't polite either, entering the courtyard familiarly, her eyes looking behind Le Xiao. Seeing no one, she deliberately lowered her voice and said, "Where is Xiao Ru? Not awake yet? Then let her keep sleeping. I brought two catties of meat for you guys to nourish yourselves."

"It's good that you came out this morning, to prevent your mother from wrongfully accusing Xiao Ru without distinguishing right from wrong. This child hasn't had it easy."

Saying that, she carried the wooden basin and the scale straight into the house, asking him how things were outside this time.

She was as familiar as an elder in his own family.

Le Xiao frowned slightly, finding it strange. He had never seen such a warm expression on Auntie Wang's face before.

He wasn't very clear about what had happened at home during his absence.

He looked at the wide-open main gate, pursed his lips, and didn't mention his argument with Jiang Ru.

But he couldn't help but frown and ask, "Did my mother come here?"

Hearing this, Auntie Wang turned to look at him. Perhaps Jiang Ru's words yesterday had touched her motherly heart. Toward Le Xiao, Auntie Wang now felt more pity than fear, feeling that this child was truly pitiful, dragged down by his family.

Thinking of this, fearing he would misunderstand, she told him everything that happened yesterday, then added: "Xiao Ru and I calculate our business clearly with ledger books, so neither of us loses out. Your mother, who knows who she heard it from, ran over here and started barking wildly. Xiao Ru stood at the door with her large belly, reasoning with her. It broke my heart to watch."

"Xiao Xiao, Xiao Ru didn't tell you about this, and as an outsider, it's not convenient for me to say more, but Xiao Ru's thoughts are right. You two have your own little family, and there's a baby in her belly. You have to think carefully for yourselves and the child. Your mother's heart is completely devoted to the other side. I often watch the stall, so I know very well that they almost never cut meat. Xiao Ru earns money but can't bear to eat good food herself. You can't let her suffer."

Auntie Wang went into the kitchen, scooped out the drained braised pig intestines, placed them on the white cotton cloth in the basin, and used the hook to weigh them.