Shen Qingqing slept until right before dinner.
Strictly speaking, this was her first day of vacation, so sleeping a bit longer was normal.
The elders didn’t say anything, but Shen Qingqing still felt a little embarrassed.
She rushed to set the table, serve the elders, and do any chores available.
This was how she used to be.
Now, the elders didn’t treat her like a guest.
If they didn’t let her do anything, it would seem distant instead.
This ti coming ho, Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun finally sat together openly.
Unlike before, sitting on opposite sides.
Not like recently, intentionally keeping a distance.
"Ti to eat!"
In high spirits, the old man looked years younger.
Shen Qingqing picked the tender at from the stew for the old man, "Today’s food slls great, have so more."
The food was cooked by Madam Jiang, and with just a word, a gesture, two people were made happy.
Madam Jiang said, "Your job is really tiring; it’s either etings or handling all sorts of matters. Now that you’re on holiday, eat more to nourish yourself."
Jiang Zhixun turned his head to look at Shen Qingqing, "No wonder you’ve lost weight from being overworked."
"It’s not that exaggerated."
"I’m telling the truth."
The weather was cold, and the clothes were thick, but she still looked so slim, not bulky at all.
Wasn’t it because she got thinner?
Shen Qingqing didn’t trust Jiang Zhixun’s judgnt.
She felt she was neither fat nor thin, no need to lose weight or gain any.
If she accidentally gained weight, many clothes wouldn’t fit when the weather got warr.
She definitely couldn’t be fooled by Jiang Zhixun!
That’s what Shen Qingqing thought.
So ribs appeared in her bowl, and as Jiang Zhixun ate, he didn’t forget to serve Shen Qingqing more food.
With a faint smile on his face, he seed to enjoy the act of feeding her.
Shen Qingqing sighed helplessly, "No need to serve ."
"Okay."
He agreed quickly but didn’t stop.
Madam Jiang thought to herself, the kid still knows how to take care of others, and he’s thick-skinned enough. It’s a pity he didn’t understand things back then, insisting on ssing around.
If not, by now the kids in the family would be big enough to buy soy sauce!
If they had a child back then, she could take care of them, and it wouldn’t affect the young couple’s work now.
How nice would that be?
Madam Jiang’s thoughts spiraled, while Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun were unaware.
Shen Qingqing nudged Jiang Zhixun’s leg with hers, hinting for him to stop giving her more food.
But he took the hint, and his firm, strong leg pressed closely against hers.
Even through the fabric, the taut, firm muscles were palpable.
When Shen Qingqing moved away, he leaned in again.
Outwardly calm, beneath the table was a flurry of action.
With long-standing habits, Jiang Zhixun ate quickly.
Not rudely, it gave the impression of delicious enjoynt.
Seeing the faint smile at the corner of his mouth, Shen Qingqing wanted to pinch him.
This guy was doing it on purpose.
He was thick-skinned and unafraid of the elders noticing, even wanting to drag her into it!
Jiang Zhixun was the first to put down his chopsticks, the elders were used to it.
They didn’t mind him and just kept encouraging Shen Qingqing to eat more.
"We bought so dried goods again, after you finish eating go take a look, if there’s anything missing, you can go out and shop with Zhixun tomorrow."
Shen Qingqing nodded, "Sure."
Madam Jiang added, "On New Year’s Day, relatives will co to visit. If you want so peace, go out and have fun, just co back in ti for dinner to greet them."
Shen Qingqing chuckled, "Wouldn’t that be impolite?"
Madam Jiang said, "Even though they’re relatives, you don’t have to get along with everyone. Just getting through the holidays is fine. If soone feels it’s impolite, they can choose not to associate with us."
Shen Qingqing had co to this compound early, and had t all the Jiang family relatives.
Including the ones from Madam Jiang’s side, she knew them all.
But after getting sick, she had no mories of them in her mind.
Madam Jiang explained each one to her, finally teasing, "There was a nephew on my side who was so stunned when he first saw you. At that ti, everyone joked about pairing you two up."
"Mom!" Jiang Zhixun exclaid disapprovingly.
It turned out they had tried to match Qingqing with her cousin, Qingqing with Qin Wenqiang... so many people, yet never considered bringing about good things for him.
Luckily, Qingqing had her own ideas and didn’t follow their words, otherwise if she married soone else, where would that leave him?
Madam Jiang glared at him, "Why, if you don’t want to hear it, leave, don’t interrupt our conversation."
Jiang Zhixun dryly said, "Talk about sothing else, they’re all married now, it wouldn’t be nice to affect their marriages with this talk."
A hint of a smile flashed across Madam Jiang’s eyes, "You know they’re married, so why are you still so petty?"
Jiang Zhixun was indeed petty.
He didn’t want any other man to have any connection with Shen Qingqing.
The urge to possess exploded, he wished he could go back to the past and marry Shen Qingqing before the elders could ddle.
"Qingqing doesn’t like them anyway, you keep talking about it, do you want her to waver?"
Shen Qingqing felt embarrassed, "What am I supposed to waver about?"
"They like you." He spoke rather sourly.
Shen Qingqing was amused yet exasperated, "That’s all in the past, stop looking for trouble."
"Exactly." Madam Jiang agreed, "People have good eyes, recognizing Qingqing as a good girl and liking her, that’s having a good eye. Unlike so people who were so foolish they nearly lost a good wife."
Being glanced at aningfully by Shen Qingqing, Jiang Zhixun felt a chill run down his spine.
"That was in the past, haven’t I changed now?"
"It doesn’t erase your dark history."
Jiang Zhixun had no response.
His hand under the table reached out secretly onto Shen Qingqing’s leg.
Cautiously caressing, there was a sense of trying to please.
He couldn’t change the past, but he was certainly not going to make mistakes in the future.
Shen Qingqing placed her left hand under the table, trying to move Jiang Zhixun’s hand away, but he firmly held hers instead.
Palm against palm, his heat, as usual, radiated.
Shen Qingqing hadn’t finished eating yet, afraid the elders would notice sothing was amiss, she pulled away and Jiang Zhixun let go.
He refrained from any further mischief.
He sat properly in his place, waiting for them to finish eating.
Chatting while eating, the al took half an hour longer than usual.
After the al, Shen Qingqing volunteered to wash dishes and clean up.
Madam Jiang did not stop her, "Zhixun, you two do it together."
In the past, Shen Qingqing often rushed to do chores, and when Jiang Zhixun was ho on leave, they would divide the work.
Madam Jiang had a feeling of ti reversing.
The difference was, this ti Zhixun wasn’t giving Qingqing the cold shoulder.
The two of them crowded into the kitchen, and Shen Qingqing was at her wits’ end.
"You go wipe the table, sweep the floor."
Jiang Zhixun said blandly, "I’ll do that after washing."
Shen Qingqing threw the dishcloth at him, "Wash by yourself."
Jiang Zhixun hadn’t ant for Shen Qingqing to do chores, he just wanted to spend more ti with her.
After the New Year, he would return to his post.
Qingqing’s holiday was nearly over too, once they each went back to work, opportunities to see each other would be scarce.
"Leave it for to handle."
Shen Qingqing asked, "Then what do I do?"
Jiang Zhixun replied, "Keep company."
The man rolled up his sleeves, revealing his tan arms, smooth and muscular, yet not exaggeratedly so.
He raised his right hand slightly, "Wife, help take my watch off."
Shen Qingqing suddenly rembered so chaotic monts.
Afraid she’d get bruised, a few tis he coaxed her into helping him remove his watch this way.
And the belt...
"Why is your face so red?"
The man’s eyes twinkled teasingly, "Shen Qingqing, are you thinking sothing improper?"
"No," she responded quickly.
The teasing in Jiang Zhixun’s eyes deepened, he said nothing, but Shen Qingqing was the one to cave first.
She brusquely removed the watch from his wrist, leaving the kitchen without looking back.
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