CHAPTER 39: 039 THANKS

It was just mid-afternoon, when most people had finished their midday meal and were either resting at home or visiting neighbors for a chat.

Li Huai Ren, accompanied by Li Xianglu, knocked on the Qin Family’s wooden gate, only to see a chubby figure swooshing over, and the door was abruptly swung open.

It was Qin Xiaopang, who proudly announced upon seeing Li Huai Ren and Li Xianglu, "I smelled something delicious just now; I knew Grandpa Li was going to bring us some tasty treats."

Li Huai Ren smiled and shook his head as he and Li Xianglu made their way towards the Qin Family’s eastern cave dwelling.

Qin Xiaopang led the way, calling out as he walked, "Dad, Big Brother, Grandpa Li and his newly acknowledged granddaughter have arrived!"

Li Huai Ren shook his head, feeling somewhat helpless, while Li Xianglu’s face showed embarrassment. No wonder Uncle Qin often spanked this Qin Family’s Fatty—he really was asking for it.

Stepping inside the cave dwelling, they found that Qin Shouren, who had been taking a nap on the kang bed, and Qin Xi, who had been reading by the window, both stood up.

Qin Xi squinted at the two visitors and said with a smile, "Grandpa Li is here, come up to the kang bed and sit down."

Li Huai Ren didn’t stand on ceremony and climbed up after slipping off his shoes, while Li Xianglu a bit shyly placed a basin on the kang table.

Qin Zhen saw that it was a porcelain basin, covered with a woven reed lid, and quickly reached out to take it off, revealing a basin full of plump white steamed buns.

His mouth quickly filled with saliva, and without regard for the heat, he grabbed a bun and took a big bite, murmuring with delight, "Oh, delicious, so delicious."

Qin Xi rolled his eyes at his brother, while Qin Shouren, sitting at the innermost end of the kang, somewhat helplessly said to Li Huai Ren, "Uncle Li, you’re too kind again. Wheat flour is so precious; why bring us so much? Leave two and take the rest back for yourself to enjoy slowly." He reached out to take some.

But Li Huai Ren blocked him first, feigning an air of cool detachment, "Hey hey hey, don’t flatter yourself, Qin Shouren. These buns are for the Qin young masters and Er Fu. You as their father are just along for the ride, even if you did get yourself involved." While talking, he took out a bun and handed it to Qin Xi, "Eat up, your sister made them, and they’re really good. The dough is also kneaded to perfect softness. I still need to thank you brothers for what happened last time. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to find such a wonderful granddaughter, right?"

At this point, Qin Shouren finally realized that the visit was to express gratitude towards his son.

Li Huai Ren, smiling warmly, pointed at Li Xianglu, who was sitting at the edge of the kang, "She’s going to be your neighbor from now on. The two young masters of the Qin Family should look after your sister in the future."

Qin Zhen, who had quickly devoured one bun, reached for another and mumbled with his mouth full, "Sure thing, Grandpa Li, rest assured, if she gets kidnapped again, we’ll make sure to search thoroughly!"

Next time! Li Xianglu cast a sharp glance his way, which scared Qin Zhen to the point of almost choking on his bun.

Qin Xi glanced at the delicately pretty Li Xianglu, frowned slightly, then turned his head and gave his brother a fierce glare before turning back to Li Huai Ren, "Grandpa Li, are you planning to go to the county tomorrow?"

Li Huai Ren nodded, "Yes. Your sister has just arrived and has hardly any clothes. We need to buy some clothes for her, and also a few books; she plans to read and study at home."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xi’s eyes instantly lit up with a sharp gleam, looking straight at Li Xianglu.

Li Xianglu was fiddling with her fingers, oblivious to his profound gaze.

Looking at the petite girl in front of him, who was just over one and a half meters tall, slim and slight, yet with bright, shiny black eyes that were particularly dazzling, Qin Xi’s eyes narrowed into a smile as he bit into a steaming hot bun, "Oh, then let’s go together tomorrow; I happen to have something to do as well."

Qin Zhen, who had already devoured three buns, immediately widened his eyes excitedly upon hearing they were going to the county and said, "Brother, I want to go too, I want to go. It has been so long since I last went to the county."

Qin Xi turned coldly and asked, "Have you learnt all your words?"

Qin Zhen suddenly became like a deflated balloon, losing all his energy and flopped on the kang bed, rolling back and forth like a worm, muttering nonstop, "I want to go to the county, I want to go to the county..."

With the buns delivered, Mr. Li stood up and said, "Well, we’ll be heading back first. Qin Xi, do come over when you have time. Shouren, you too."

Hearing this while rolling on the edge of the kang bed, Qin Zhen immediately sprang up, widened his eyes in shock, and asked with a tragic face, "Grandpa Li, why did you only invite my dad and brother? Don’t you like me anymore?" He then feigned crying, "Oh dear, now that you have a biological granddaughter, you don’t like me anymore. Just the other day, you said I was a considerate child."

Li Xianglu burst into laughter at this, sounding as though Grandpa had become an unfaithful lover.

However, Mr. Li sighed helplessly, "There’s no helping it, now that I have a granddaughter, I can only abandon you." Hearing this, Qin Zhen, who had been throwing a tantrum, suddenly burst into wild laughter on the kang bed, clutching his stomach.

After enjoying the buns with his grandchild, Li Xianglu tidied up the stove and covered the leftover buns with gauze before hanging them on the side of the kitchen; only then did she boil water to start washing her hair.

Mr. Li had brought over two bars of soap and two boxes of cream.

Judging by the packaging, they seemed to be quite high-end.

But soap wasn’t for washing hair; in those days, if someone used a bar of soap to wash their hair, they would be considered much more luxurious than others.

Li Xianglu took out a bottle of shampoo from her space, washed her hair, and after wiping down her body in the warm kitchen, she wrapped a towel around her head and went to the west-facing cave dwelling.

The kang bed had been lit and was warm and toasty.

As the sky darkened, Mr. Li went to sleep, and Li Xianglu carefully drew the curtains and took out a rechargeable lamp from her space.

Feeling a bit excited, she looked around the small thirty-plus square meter cave dwelling, her emotions complex. She didn’t know whether to thank or resent Ge Sanmei; she couldn’t understand how as a woman, having deeply felt that being a woman is much harder than being a man, why would one mistreat their own daughter?

Even if she didn’t like her, she should at least have basic responsibility. Her daughter wasn’t something she bought; she was born of her after ten months of pregnancy, a part of her own flesh.

Why be so cruel?

Li Xianglu touched the thick and soft quilt and tears started to fall. Why could other mothers do what her own mother couldn’t?

Li Xianglu smirked bitterly. Why was she so upset anyway? She wasn’t the original owner of this body. Whatever Ge Sanmei or Li Erfu did, they weren’t her real parents; she was only upset on behalf of the original owner.

Shaking her head to dismiss the irritation, she took a towel from her space to carefully dab her thin and yellow hair half dry. Then she took out a full-length dressing mirror and set it up on the kang bed. She began to shorten her awkwardly long hair in front of the mirror.

However, her skills really weren’t commendable; the hair wasn’t in good condition, thin and yellow. If possible, she would rather shave it all off so that when it grew back, it would be thick and black.

After the haircut, the neat bangs in front of her now bare forehead and her ears sticking out gave her a look similar to the cherry bun hairstyle from her previous life – it looked cute and a bit charming.

Li Xianglu nodded her head in satisfaction, tidied up her hair, and then lay contentedly in the quilt.