Chapter 12 Wan Qiong
Ye Shenggge felt a surge of delight watching Ye Laopo's gritting teeth. She had never personally battled someone who could feign so well. Though inexperienced, outwitting them felt like avenging the original owner. Sudancan.com
"Shengge, it's so late, why don't we eat tomorrow?"
"Grandma, but my body can't hold on. I'm afraid I'll be back in the hospital tomorrow if I don't eat tonight."
Ye Shenggge clutched her chest pitifully, feigning an impending relapse.
Ye Laopo was seething with rage, wishing the damned girl dead countless times, yet unable to do anything about it. Taking several deep breaths, she continued to smile and produced the kitchen key.
"Fine, take some white flour and corn flour and make a bowl of noodles. But don't eat too much; it's hard to digest at night."
"Okay, Grandma. My appetite has never been large."
Ye Shenggge paid no mind to the other person's thoughts. She had never gone hungry in her life.
Ye Laopo, eager to eat her meat before it cooled, didn't say more.
As Ye Shenggge opened the kitchen door and lit the oil lamp, she felt a pang of helplessness. Although she had practiced cooking after acquiring the space, she had never used a large stove that required burning firewood. Experience and practice were two entirely different things. Ye Shenggge sat by the stove, feeling a touch of委屈 and a stronger longing for her family.
After a moment of distress, she started a fire in the stove. Otherwise, that old woman would surely discover she hadn't cooked.
Closing the kitchen door, she scooped a large bowl of white flour from the cupboard and put it into her space. She filled the large pot with water, enough for washing later. Then, she quietly sat on a small stool, sipping the vegetable and lean meat congee that had been pre-cooked in her space.
On his way back, Ye Xingguo, angered by the day's events, took a detour to a small courtyard. The door was opened by a somewhat seductive middle-aged woman. Judging by her face, she was well-maintained, not gaunt like many people nowadays.
"Why are you here?"
Ye Xingguo paid no attention to the woman's impatient tone, his face filled with extreme doting.
"I haven't seen you in a while. I wanted to see if there's anything I can do for you."
The woman didn't say more, stepping aside to let Ye Xingguo in.
Ye Xingguo happily, and quickly, entered and went directly into the main room.
"Speak. What is it?"
The woman sat on a chair, picked up the bird's nest she had just finished, and slowly savored its deliciousness.
"There's really nothing, I just miss you."
The woman finished her last spoonful and used a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. To Ye Xingguo, this gesture exuded elegance and composure.
Ye Shenggge, however, was startled by the phrase "I miss you" and sped up her drinking of the congee. Her gossip-loving heart immediately pounded with anticipation.
"Didn't I tell you that our relationship is purely transactional? I give you money, you handle things. Don't covet what you shouldn't."
The woman's words were spoken softly, but to Ye Xingguo, they felt like knives piercing his heart. Fortunately, he was accustomed to it.
"A Qiong, after all these years, can you please stop talking to me like this? It truly pains my heart. If only you would be a little kinder to me, considering all I've done for you. I know I have no right to get close to you, so I just want to protect you silently and do everything you wish."
Wan Qiong felt no emotion upon hearing this confession. Instead, she felt that Ye Xingguo, this country bumpkin, didn't even deserve to speak to her. If not for her, he would still be farming in the countryside.
"Ye Xingguo, I have paid you for everything you have done for me. Also, you must remember your place."