Chapter 60: Why Don’t You Ask Cheng Ye to Come Over for New Year’s…

It was still cold outside, but the sun came out in the afternoon, making the snow gleam brightly. The snow melted into water, dripping down from the eaves, but the temperature inside the house was very high.

Jiang Shi took off his thick jacket, wearing only a light-colored crewneck sweater underneath. His neck was long and slender. Cheng Ye’s hands pressed against his collarbones, and after a few rubs, the delicate white skin was tinged with pink.

They hadn’t kissed in a long time, so Cheng Ye was very thorough.

He grazed over every inch, meticulously exploring. At first, it wasn’t that deep, but Jiang Shi’s upper palate grew numb and sore.

Cheng Ye seemed as if he didn’t need to breathe at all, kissing him endlessly, holding onto his tongue like a dog and not letting go.

When he had pushed Jiang Shi to the point of anger, he would then peck at his lips, cherishing the philtrum like a treasure.

Jiang Shi was one to remember the pleasure and forget the pain. Once coaxed and feeling comfortable, he would forget the hardship he had just endured.

He went home with two reddened lips. Luckily, Jiang Xue wasn’t back yet. Jiang Shi drank a glass of cold water and did a few physics problems, and finally calmed down.

It was almost dark when Jiang Xue returned. The moment she entered the house, her suspicious gaze fell on Jiang Shi. “You didn’t sneak out, did you?”

Jiang Shi folded the physics papers on the table and put them in his schoolbag. His expression was calm, his tone natural. “How could I?”

Jiang Xue thought that as long as she kept a close eye on Jiang Shi, everything would be fine. But she never imagined how thick-skinned Cheng Ye was. Even after all that, he still managed to show up at Jiang Shi’s house every day with a gauze dressing on his face.

He was shameless, but Jiang Xue still cared about her reputation. With all the neighbors around, she couldn’t just tell them about him and Jiang Shi. She could only pull a long face and tell him not to appear in front of her.

Cheng Ye acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing. No matter how nastily Jiang Xue cursed, he continued to do what he was doing.

The weather had been unbearably cold these past few days. Not just Jiang Shi, but even Jiang Xue couldn’t get up in the morning.

Last night, there was freezing rain, and the water pipe at the entrance of the house burst. When Jiang Xue got up, Cheng Ye had not only repaired the burst pipe but had also fed the cow. The fire in the open fire room next door was burning, cooking pig feed. The entrance was swept clean, and even the water vat had been cleaned and filled with water.

Jiang Xue: “…”

Cheng Ye grinned, revealing an honest and simple smile. “Auntie Jiang, take a look. Is there anything else you need me to do?”

Jiang Xue, with a cold face, went into the house with a crash and shut the door.

It was just him trying to curry favor. She wouldn’t fall for it.

She neither stopped him nor accepted his help, just giving him the cold shoulder.

Cheng Ye tasted a hint of a familiar flavor.

This was an operation he was familiar with; it couldn’t faze him in the slightest. In any case, he hadn’t even been able to see Jiang Shi these past few days, let alone touch him. With a body full of pent-up energy and nowhere to release it, he would climb out of bed before dawn to go work at Jiang Xue’s house.

He fed the pigs and cows, plowed her fields before the New Year, retiled the roof on a sunny day, and since the water often got cut off, he even built a water cistern…

And so it went until the New Year.

Cheng Ye came over every day, and of course, the villagers saw it. Liu Yuying, who was close to Jiang Xue, was the first one who couldn’t stand it anymore and went to talk to her.

She held Jiang Xue’s hand and advised her earnestly, “It’s not easy for little Cheng either. I know you were being kind when you helped him, but he’s just a student, he doesn’t have a job. Where would he get the money? You can make a gesture, that’s enough. Why make things so difficult for him?”

Jiang Xue was completely baffled. “Wait, what are you talking about?”

Liu Yuying said, “Don’t play dumb with me. Cheng Ye told me everything. Your Jiang Shi gave him twenty thousand yuan before, and it was said he had a year to pay it back. Now that a year is up, he’s just a student, how can he pay it back?”

“That kid Cheng Ye is really sincere. He knows he can’t pay it back and feels so guilty that he comes to your house to work every day. He’s so hardworking. The New Year is almost here, you can just let it go. Why do you still pull a long face every day?”

Jiang Xue was stunned for a good while. “Did he really tell you that?”

“Would I lie to you? The whole village knows, okay? Otherwise, why would he come to your house to do this and that every day? Those who didn’t know would think he had his eye on someone in your family.”

Jiang Xue: “…”

She had been so vexed these past few days that she hadn’t thought about these issues at all. She never expected that Cheng Ye, who looked so big and rough, would be more thoughtful than she was.

At this thought, Jiang Xue immediately became vexed again.

And what made her even more vexed was that after Liu Yuying’s visit, Cheng Ye stopped coming.

She had been thinking that when Cheng Ye came, she would have a good talk with him and tell him not to be like this. But he, on the other hand, simply stopped coming.

In the past, Jiang Xue would have been overjoyed, but after hearing what Liu Yuying said, she felt uneasy.

In the blink of an eye, it was the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month.

It was the last market day before the New Year. Jiang Xue took Jiang Shi to the street to buy things.

There were too many people on the street, but Jiang Xue still spotted Cheng Ye, who was a head taller than everyone else, standing in front of a meat stall.

It was the New Year, and everyone was wearing new clothes. He was still wearing the same clothes he wore when he came to work for her. They had some thickness, but no fleece, so they weren’t warm. He carried an empty bamboo basket on his back.

Cheng Ye picked up some pork ribs and asked the owner a question. The owner quoted a price. He shook his head and reluctantly put the meat back.

That uncomfortable feeling crept back into Jiang Xue’s heart.

Cheng Ye turned his head and saw Jiang Xue and Jiang Shi standing not far away.

Jiang Shi poked his head out from behind Jiang Xue and blinked at him.

A smile flowed from Cheng Ye’s eyes, then was quickly suppressed. He obediently greeted Jiang Xue.

Jiang Xue pulled Jiang Shi to the front of the meat stall. “Boss, give me three catties of pork ribs.”

The owner weighed them for her. Jiang Xue tossed the pork ribs into Cheng Ye’s basket.

Cheng Ye feigned a perfect look of surprise. “Auntie Jiang, what is this…”

Jiang Xue coughed, her tone unnatural. “It’s for you, to prevent others from saying you’re working for me for free.”

“How can I accept this…” Cheng Ye said, about to take off the basket. “I wasn’t doing those things for anything. How can I take your things? Besides, I have money…”

You have money, yet you can’t even bear to buy a catty of pork ribs for the New Year?

Jiang Xue glared at him, her tone involuntarily becoming fierce. “What money do you have? If I give it to you, just take it. You’re a grown man, why are you being so hesitant?”

As if frightened by her glare, Cheng Ye didn’t dare to move again, but his expression looked timid. “Auntie Jiang…”

He seemed so clever usually, how could he be so dense at a time like this?

Jiang Xue pushed his basket back into place and asked him, “Is there anything else you need to buy?”

Cheng Ye answered honestly, “No, this is enough.”

Jiang Xue stood on her toes and peered inside. It was empty except for the pork ribs she had thrown in. She paused. “Is this all you’re eating?”

Cheng Ye lowered his head, a trace of loneliness inadvertently showing in his eyes. “It’s just me at home. This is enough. Thank you, Auntie Jiang.”

Jiang Xue felt even more conflicted.

Cheng Ye knew when to stop. He asked her, “Do you have a lot of things? My basket is very empty, I can help carry them.”

Jiang Xue paused, and for a rare moment, didn’t refuse.

There were too many people on the street. Jiang Xue was small and thin and easily got pushed around. Gradually, Jiang Shi ended up standing with Cheng Ye.

She lowered her head to weigh two catties of frozen shrimp. When she turned back, she saw Jiang Shi tugging on Cheng Ye’s clothes. “Candied haws…”

Cheng Ye took out money and bought a stick of candied haws.

Jiang Shi held the candied haws, but his eyes were drawn to a stall selling small goldfish on the side. Cheng Ye then bought him a small goldfish and a small turtle.

Jiang Shi wandered back to Jiang Xue’s side. Next to them was a fruit seller. Cheng Ye stood behind Jiang Shi, his voice not loud, but Jiang Xue heard him.

He asked Jiang Shi, “Do you want some longans?”

Jiang Shi poked the goldfish in the box with his finger. “Ah… sure.”

Cheng Ye asked the owner to weigh five catties of longans.

Jiang Xue watched as Cheng Ye took out money again and again. She had stuffed two hundred yuan into Jiang Shi’s hand when they left this morning, which he had kicked into his pocket. So far, he hadn’t spent a single cent.

At this time of year, longans were almost as expensive as meat. The way Cheng Ye paid showed none of the hesitation he had when buying the meat earlier.

“…”

Jiang Xue felt even more conflicted.

They bought New Year’s goods all the way, and Cheng Ye carried most of them. Jiang Shi only carried the small goldfish. He found the turtle ugly and threw it to Cheng Ye to hold.

When they got home, Cheng Ye put the things on the ground, and carrying the bamboo basket with only three catties of pork ribs, he said goodbye to Jiang Xue. “Auntie Jiang, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now.”

He was very polite, showing none of his previous shamelessness.

After Cheng Ye left, Jiang Xue took a broom to sweep.

She would sweep for a bit, glance at Jiang Shi, sweep some more, and glance at Jiang Shi again.

Jiang Shi was originally playing on his phone, but her staring made his hair stand on end. “Mom, if you have something to say, just say it.”

Jiang Xue hemmed and hawed for a long time, then said with a stern face, “What could I have to say?”

Jiang Shi: “…”

Your expression says otherwise.

After sweeping the floor, Jiang Xue went to organize the New Year’s goods they had bought.

The fruit, Cheng Ye bought it. The sunflower seeds, Cheng Ye bought them. The couplets, Cheng Ye bought them. The miscellaneous things to play with during the New Year, Cheng Ye also bought them.

Jiang Xue: “…”

Jiang Xue put down the bag of sunflower seeds she had just picked up and turned her head to call out, “Jiang Shi…”

Jiang Shi was startled by her sudden call. “What’s wrong?”

“You…” She hesitated. “Never mind, there’s no point in telling you.”

Jiang Shi: “…”

Two minutes later, “Jiang Shi…”

Jiang Shi turned off his phone and said helplessly, “My dear mother, if you have something to say, can you please just say it? You were scolding me before for being hesitant.”

Jiang Xue glanced at the pile of things in the house and finally said, “Why don’t you go ask Cheng Ye to come over for New Year’s.”

Jiang Shi was stunned.

After saying it, Jiang Xue also felt she had lost face. She pulled a long face, her tone stiff. “It’s not that I’ve softened up and agreed. You tell him, I haven’t agreed to you two being together at all. I just see that he’s pitiful, all alone at home, being so stingy even when buying meat. He’s worked for so many days. I’m not a black-hearted person. One thing is one thing. I don’t want outsiders to see and say I’m mistreating him.”

Jiang Shi felt as if the sun had risen from the west. Jiang Xue’s attitude had been so firm before. How could a trip to the market change it?

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll go tell him later.”

Jiang Xue gave him a push. “What later? You go right now.”

After speaking, she picked up the basket from the side again. “I have to go back to the street.”

There weren’t many people in the afternoon. The temperature dropped, and every breath turned into mist.

Many vendors had already packed up. Jiang Xue came to a stall that was in the middle of packing up clothes. She stood in front and looked toward the back, her eyes immediately landing on the black jacket at the very back.

It was lined with thick fleece.

“Boss…” she called out. “That jacket you have, the largest size, give me one.”