"What’s the fuss? It’s worn underneath, so no one can see it. Why are you being so bashful?" Sun Dasheng teased. "I never would have guessed you were such a traditionalist."
Seeing that she wouldn’t move, he simply lifted her onto his lap and used his free hands to help her dress. Once she was ready, he placed her back on the floor and looked her up and down before smiling with satisfaction.
"See? Doesn’t that look good? You’re such an old fogey."
Ouyang Jiani bristled at being called an old fogey. "I think you, Master, just wanted a feast for your eyes. Don’t give that nonsense about it being so I’d look nice, hmph! I don’t believe you for a second."
His true intentions exposed, Sun Dasheng gave a sly chuckle. He continued helping her, first with her coat, then with a form-fitting bodycon skirt.
Finally, there was a pair of black stockings.
At this, Ouyang Jiani had sothing more to say. "Why did you buy such shiny black stockings?"
After helping her put them on, Sun Dasheng stroked the glossy, smooth material. "Feel them yourself," he said. "Doesn’t this shiny kind feel better to the touch?"
Ouyang Jiani reached down and felt them. Indeed, just as her Master had said, the stockings had a much nicer feel. She smiled with satisfaction but then caught herself. What am I smiling about? This is obviously...
She looked up at Sun Dasheng. "Master, this is just to satisfy your own selfish desires, right?"
"Oh? Is it?"
"Of course! You said it yourself—these stockings feel better to the touch. Besides you, who else would dare touch my thighs?"
Ouyang Jiani’s eyes seed to say, I’ve seen right through you, Master. You might as well just admit it.
Sun Dasheng just laughed and changed the subject. "After all that exertion, I’m hungry. Let’s go out to eat. I was actually going to ask you to dinner when I first got here, but we got sidetracked for quite a while."
Annoyed that he had changed the subject, Ouyang Jiani pouted, "I’m not hungry at all. You still haven’t answered my question from before... RUMBLE..."
The first rumble was quiet and indistinct.
RUMBLE...
The next one, however, was much louder. As Sun Dasheng stared at her, Ouyang Jiani’s face flushed with embarrassnt.
"Let’s get sothing to eat?" Sun Dasheng asked.
"Mhm," Ouyang Jiani nodded obediently.
* * *
After dinner, Sun Dasheng went to visit Wu Xiaoli. It had been a while since his last visit, and her belly was now starting to show.
"Stop, stop! Put those down," Sun Dasheng said quickly as Wu Xiaoli ca to take the things from him. "You don’t need to carry these."
"You’re pregnant now; you can’t lift heavy things. Hurry back and sit down. I can handle all this myself."
Wu Xiaoli withdrew her hand, no longer insisting on helping, but she didn’t sit back down either. Instead, she watched the man bustling about in front of her with a blissful expression. "You’re exaggerating," she said. "I’m pregnant, not heading into battle. There’s no need to be so anxious."
"Alright, alright, I know. But you need to go sit down and rest."
Seeing how worried he was about her, any trace of depression she felt from the pregnancy vanished, replaced by a wave of pure happiness.
After he put everything away, he sat with her to watch so TV and chat until the sky grew dark.
Mother Wu, who had been giving the young couple so space by staying in her room, finally ca out.
"Da Sheng, you’re here! I was resting inside and didn’t even notice. You should have called for ."
Although Mother Wu’s words were a complaint, she was inwardly thrilled. A son-in-law this good was a rare find. He bought them whatever they needed, ensuring the ho lacked for nothing. He was so attentive to her daughter, too, making sure to get everything a pregnant woman could possibly need. The only drawback was how little ti he spent at ho. But she was a sensible woman and knew that for a man to succeed in his career and provide for his family, you had to endure the pain of him not always being around. You just can’t have it all. You can’t expect a man to be successful and a good provider while also demanding he be by your side every mont. Where could you find a man like that? Perhaps they existed, but they were all wealthy heirs of powerful families—the kind of n an ordinary woman couldn’t hope to marry. It was best not to even think about it; fantasize too much, and you could end up alone.
Mother Wu had always been a very clear-headed person. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have raised such a gentle, virtuous daughter. Her daughter’s previous, failed marriage had been largely due to the burden of her illness. Now that her daughter had finally found her own happiness, she was overjoyed and certainly wouldn’t make harsh demands on her son-in-law. As long as he held her daughter and their little family in his heart and ca back to visit from ti to ti, it was enough. As for everything else, wasn’t she, her old mother, there to look after her?
"Mom, it was who told Da Sheng not to disturb you while you were sleeping. Don’t bla him," Wu Xiaoli imdiately jumped to her husband’s defense.
Mother Wu chuckled. "When a daughter grows up, she stops listening to her mother. I wasn’t blaming Da Sheng. Look at you, already protecting him."
At her mother’s words, Wu Xiaoli’s face turned red. She looked at the man beside her, her eyes full of tenderness.
"My mom didn’t an it like that, don’t misunderstand," she said to him.
Sun Dasheng held her hand, gently caressing it. "How could I misunderstand? I know Auntie knew I was here all along. She was just deliberately giving us so private ti."
"Stay for dinner tonight. I’ll go out to buy groceries. You two spend so ti together." Mother Wu grabbed a bamboo basket and hurried out the door.
Sun Dasheng gave it a curious glance, so Wu Xiaoli explained, "We had so visitors from our hotown who brought it with them. Mom thought it would be useful for grocery shopping, so she kept it. It saves a lot on plastic bags, too."
Sun Dasheng smiled and pinched her cute, upturned nose. "Why bother saving such a tiny amount?"
Wu Xiaoli closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose adorably. "My mom has been frugal her whole life. I’ve talked to her about it a few tis, but it’s no use. How about you, her son-in-law, try talking to her?"
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