Parting Preparations

After finishing the chili sauce, she put it into a thick pear-shaped jar. Jiang Ru had eaten from this type of jar when she was a child; it was a common item given as a gift during the New Year, but later it disappeared, and even supermarkets didn't sell them. Looking at it gave her a sense of familiarity.

The jar was still very hot from being filled, so Jiang Ru didn't put the lid on before placing it in the cupboard. She put the rising dough into the well, intending to prepare it for him to take when she woke up tomorrow morning.

From beginning to end, the man didn't say a single word, later returning to the room with Jiang Ru. But he knew clearly in his heart that everything Jiang Ru was doing was for him.

The two returned to the room and lay down; it was getting late. Over the past few days, Jiang Ru had been sleeping very regularly, so not long after lying down, her breathing became steady.

Li Xiao, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned a few times before looking toward Jiang Ru. The moonlight shone behind him, and from his angle, he could clearly see the woman's silhouette and her beautiful curves. Because her back was turned, her belly wasn't obvious. Half a blanket was draped over her waist, but she seemed sensitive to the heat and had unconsciously pulled it down.

He propped his head up slightly to see more, catching sight of her sweet, sleeping profile and her fair, slender right hand holding a cattail fan.

As if possessed, Li Xiao reached out and gently stroked her round belly. Whether it was their hearts connecting or not, the little one inside gave a gentle kick. The tiny sensation made the normally cold man freeze in an instant.

He was startled, and only when he heard the woman let out an unconscious soft hum did he guiltily pull his hand back quickly. But as he withdrew, he lifted the edge of the blanket and covered Jiang Ru's belly, pulling it up to her chin.

In her sleep, Jiang Ru seemed to feel the heat; she frowned and raised her hand to push it down. The man wouldn't let her, even pulling it a bit higher. However, this time his conscience surfaced; he took the cattail fan from Jiang Ru's hand and began fanning the air.

The cool breeze caused Jiang Ru's furrowed brows to gradually relax, and she stopped resisting.

Before dawn the next morning, Li Xiao woke up. When he woke, Jiang Ru woke as well, remembering the dough and filling she had prepared the night before. While Li Xiao went to wash his face, she went into the kitchen to put the wrapped steamed buns and mantou into the pot to steam.

Meat buns wouldn't keep long, so Jiang Ru made fewer of them. On the other hand, mantou could last for two days, and since he was going out with others, she steamed over twenty of them.

There were two stoves in the house; one steamed the buns while the other was for noodles. The noodles were made from the remaining flour, cut into pieces and dropped into the pot, with four eggs added along with chopped green onions and sesame oil.

Finally, when taking the pot off the heat, she added two spoonfuls of the chili sauce she had made last night.

By the time the noodles were cooked, Li Xiao had finished washing up. Jiang Ru scooped a large, overflowing bowl for him and placed it on the stove.

He looked at her. Under the dim light, the woman had her head lowered as she opened the steamer on the other stove. Strands of hair fell against her cheek, and the white steam blurred her face, giving her a soft and gentle expression.

He pursed his lips and carried the large bowl out to eat.

Seeing that the buns were almost done, Jiang Ru stopped worrying about them and took her own washbasin and toothbrush to wash up, concerned that the noodles would get soggy if left in the pot too long.

When she finished washing and went into the kitchen to eat her noodles, a knocking sound came from the courtyard gate.

Li Xiao, who was in the main hall holding his bowl, went to open the door. it was Chu Qiang. He had prepared everything before coming over. Since he was leaving home, Chu Qiang had intentionally worn his most decent clothes: a short-sleeved blue collared shirt washed until it was faded and green army trousers.

A snakeskin bag hung over his shoulder; it seemed a bit heavy, making him hunch his back slightly.

Chu Qiang looked up at Li Xiao, and seeing the bowl in the man's hand, he was quite surprised. He hadn't expected Li Xiao would have the heart to cook and eat. He had assumed Li Xiao wouldn't eat, so he had come early to find him and go to the station together to buy some buns.

He asked uncertainly, "Li Xiao, are we going?"

Li Xiao glanced at him and said calmly, "I'll go after I finish eating. Come in."

Chu Qiang couldn't say much and followed him into the courtyard. After a few steps, he realized something was wrong, then was struck with shock. His eyes settled on the clean and spacious courtyard, and for a moment, he thought he had entered the wrong house. When he reached the main hall and set down his snakeskin bag, he still hadn't regained his composure.