“Not admitting one’s age won’t do,” he laughed while putting the herbs I organized into the jar. “These days, my eyes aren’t seeing clearly.”
My father-in-law could truly be called the most filial husband. If I hadn’t been stewing soup in the kitchen, I wouldn’t have known that father-in-law came to the kitchen every night to brew medicinal herbs for mother-in-law’s foot bath, handling every step personally from buying herbs to brewing and finally pouring them into the wooden basin.
Father-in-law and mother-in-law were about the same age, with mother-in-law maintaining her original beauty, while father-in-law had already gone gray. How else would he be so devoted if not for his wife?
To outsiders, mother-in-law was beautiful and had an inherited family business, making father-in-law’s position as a live-in son-in-law seem like a lucky blessing. However, I felt that mother-in-law was truly blessed to have met father-in-law, though she was cold-natured and rarely showed warmth even to him.
If An Jin could learn from father-in-law’s example of caring for mother-in-law, I would be content.
An Jin looked surprised when I carefully brought him the soup.
“You made this?”
I smiled and handed him a spoon. “Try it.”
He took a deep breath over the bowl and smiled. “Chicken soup?”
I nodded vigorously.
“Ah Yao rarely cooks, so I must taste it carefully.” He lifted the spoon, took a mouthful of soup. “Not bad.”
I watched his actions nervously. With An Jin’s temperament, if he discovered this was a special medicinal diet for men, I would be in trouble. It was better to let him think it was just ordinary chicken soup, making it easier to supplement under the guise of winter nourishment.
An Jin’s dark eyes swept across my face, suddenly frowning. He stirred the spoon in the soup and fished out a curved object. “What’s this?”
I was shocked. I had accidentally scooped out the seahorse. I hoped An Jin didn’t recognize seahorses… I hoped…
He held the seahorse, seemingly half-smiling, waiting for my answer.
I tried to sound casual: “It’s cordyceps.”
“Black cordyceps?” He pinched the seahorse between his thumb and forefinger, examining it carefully under the lamp, gradually smiling with a somewhat wicked expression. “It seems Ah Yao is quite dissatisfied with me.”
I felt my scalp tingling and unconsciously took a step back. “No, absolutely not.”
“Why are you backing away?” He casually placed the seahorse on a plate and wiped his hands with a napkin. “Come here.”
I shook my head, feeling a sense of tragic despair. Now, how had I fallen to such a state! How had this timid and shy little boy become today’s big bad wolf? And how had I, the neighborhood bully, become this timid wife?
Did you think I was stupid enough to walk into a trap? I looked at him with disdain.
“Aren’t you coming?” He smiled even more gently.
I trembled, and after trembling, I found myself obediently nestled in his arms. Habit, a terrifying habit!
He said nothing more, his fingers playing with my waistband. I decided to strike first and said earnestly: “Uncle Liu said that men nowadays have it tough, having to work and earn money to support their families while also taking care of family and resolving conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, suffering physically and mentally, and easily becoming overwhelmed.”
When I said the last four words, I stole a glance at him, and seeing no reaction, continued: “Of course, Zhuo Yi, you’re still healthy now, but we should prepare in advance, right? This seahorse young chicken soup is a recipe Uncle Liu told me, most suitable for someone like you who works hard every day…”
“So it’s seahorse,” he nodded knowingly. “Seahorse young chicken soup, A Yao has gone to such trouble.”
Did he not recognize the seahorse at all?! I despaired. Not only had I walked into a trap, but I had also explained everything clearly.
He lifted my chin, speaking elegantly: “These days, with busy official duties, I have neglected A Yao. It is my fault.”
I looked at him warily. Based on my experience of dealing with this gray wolf An in the past year or two, the more gentle his expression and soft his tone, the more dangerous he was.
He said seriously: “I must make it up to you. How about three times?”
“Uh?”
“Not enough? Then four times?” He raised the corner of his right lip, smiling wickedly again.
I felt a chill, suddenly realizing I was truly cold…
Because this wolf, at some point, had already opened my clothing and lifted my skirt…
Once there was an Elder Dongguo who saved a wolf but almost got eaten by it. Once there was a wolf who dressed in sheep’s skin and infiltrated a flock, eating them all. Once there was a woman who made her husband a pot of seahorse soup, and as a result — was herself devoured.
This bastard wolf didn’t even remove my clothes, but directly charged in! Pressed against the wall, he thrust back and forth, making me dizzy and weak, I could still hear his breathless voice.
A chorus of ghostly wails and wolf howls accompanied the sound of the door. Don’t misunderstand, it wasn’t me, but Yuan Xiao outside. Probably hearing my plea, thinking I was being bullied.
Que’er’s voice timely rang out: “Don’t go in! Madam is dealing with emotional issues with the master, no interruptions allowed…”
It was an impressive evening. Handled twice in the study, then dragged to the bedroom for two more times.
Finally, I fell asleep and before losing consciousness, I heard a cheerful rooster’s crow.
When I awoke, my whole body ached, suffering from an excessive processing syndrome of resentment, shame, and anger. An Jin hadn’t gone to the morning court, smiling and propping his head to look at me.
I glared at him fiercely and turned over to face away, deciding to express my indignation at being unilaterally processed through silence.
“A Yao is so heartless, draining me and then turning away?”
He gripped my fingers so tightly that they hurt, but I only felt a sourness in my heart. “That’s right, you are selfish,” I turned over, pinching his face, which had become stiff from trying to suppress his sorrow, and said with a smile: “But fortunately, my family has abundant good fortune. My great-grandparents had six children and lived to be eighty; my grandparents had four children and are still doing well; my parents—as you’ve seen—had three of us children, and they’re in good health. I’m sure I’ll be fine too, so I’ll share some of my good fortune with you. On average, we should be able to live together until we’re sixty-five and have two children. How’s that?” He was stunned for a moment and then gradually began to laugh. “Okay, I’ll go along with your arrangement.”
Chapter Twenty-Two: A Scandalous Impersonation
After cuddling for a while, they finally got up reluctantly.
An Jin claimed illness and did not go to the early morning court session. He originally didn’t need to go to the Personnel Department office, but suddenly someone from the Personnel Department came saying there was an urgent matter that required An Jin to come.
“I cannot be certain if it was done by An,” Duan Chang sighed. “This is why I came to find him.” I understood that this matter was of great significance, and if not for our past friendship, he would never have mentioned it to me. But I was equally puzzled about whether this was done by An Jin, and if so, for what purpose?
