CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 421: RAIN

By the time Sisi finished preparing the last dish, winter melon and shrimp soup, people from the town government had all gotten off work, and the entire corridor suddenly filled with a clamor.

Su Ping’s husband Zhu Xianren also returned, a very tall man who seldom smiled or spoke, his lips perpetually pursed, giving the impression he wasn’t too approachable.

However, judging by the way he swung his arms when he walked, he must have served in the military; one could tell that he had practiced marching in the army a lot.

"This is my hubby, Zhu Xianren. Xianren, this young lady is Mayor Tian’s fiancee, He Sisi."

"Hello."

Zhu Xianren nodded at Sisi, his lips curling slightly into a smile, while Su Ping said to Sisi in an embarrassed whisper, "My man is just like this, he doesn’t even smile at me usually, Sisi, don’t take it to heart, okay?"

"No worries!" Sisi smiled and shook her head.

Tian Xinhua returned in a very happy mood, and Sisi had just finished setting out the food. Seeing him come in, she looked up and smiled, "You got back just in time. I’ve just finished cooking."

Smelling the fragrant aroma of the food and looking at Sisi’s delicate face, Tian Xinhua felt a softness in his heart. This feeling of coming home to a nice meal prepared and waiting after work was truly wonderful. No wonder those married men always mocked us bachelors, saying we didn’t understand the joys of marriage.

"I just didn’t want you to be lonely, so I hurried and took care of everything before coming back," said Tian Xinhua beamingly, helping to bring some bowls in from outside.

"Why did you buy so many things today? Your hands must be sore from carrying."

The once empty room was now furnished with a bowl cupboard and other furniture, instantly transforming the bachelor’s room into a cozy home, melting Tian Xinhua’s heart even further, although he felt sorry for Sisi having worked so hard.

"I’ve got a car, so I really didn’t have to carry much. Sister-in-law Su and the others helped me organize everything."

"Next time you’re going to buy something, tell me, and I’ll come with you. If I really can’t, I’ll arrange for someone to accompany you."

Tian Xinhua was clearly dissatisfied that he hadn’t fulfilled his duties as a man and repeatedly reminded Sisi to inform him the next time something like this happened.

Managing to hold back her laughter, Sisi agreed, finally satisfying Tian Xinhua. They began to eat dinner together with Tian Xinhua having a great appetite, eating three bowls of rice in succession before slowing down. Sisi watched concernedly, urging him to eat more slowly.

"It’s so delicious, Ah Nan, you have no idea. The cook in the canteen is just awful. The food he makes every day is like pig slop; it’s either undercooked or overcooked. I almost have to close my eyes to force it down."

"Brother Xin Hua, why don’t I transfer to work over here? That way I can cook for you," Sisi suggested after thinking for a bit.

Tian Xinhua shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum, "No need, I won’t be staying here long anyway, at most two years before I go somewhere else. When I get to a better place and there’s a suitable job for you, you can transfer then."

Sisi didn’t insist further and obediently agreed, then she remembered what Tian Xinhua had said about the water theft incident yesterday and couldn’t help asking him how he solved it.

"What else could be done? Those people committed a crime by illegally digging through the dam, and they actually thought they could qualify for martyrdom, really dreaming. I took some folks from the Police Station to scare them, and they dared not bring up the idea of martyrdom again after that."

Tian Xinhua scoffed disdainfully; initially he had sympathized with Ma HaiMin who had died, but seeing the greed of Ma HaiMin’s family really sickened him. It was just a pity for Ma HaiMin’s wife; with a family like that, she’s unlikely to have good days ahead.

"It’s not that reservoir owned by a different town? Are they really that easy to negotiate with?"

"Of course it’s not that simple. But they are in the wrong, having the upstream advantage and cutting off all the water. The head of Xingzi Village pleaded with them several times to release some water, but they wouldn’t budge. It drove the villagers of Xingzi Village to steal water in the middle of the night, which led to a fatality. Initially, they wanted Xingzi Village to pay compensation, but since someone from our side died, they couldn’t very well press the matter and so it was left unresolved."

Tian Xinhua spoke lightly, but Sisi knew the process must not have been so straightforward. She guessed Tian Xinhua must have had his hand in resolving it somehow.

"Has the meteorological service said anything about when it might rain?" Sisi also worried for the commonfolk. Today, as she drove around, she noticed that many roadside trees were nearly dead. If it didn’t rain soon, the local people would have a hard time.

Tian Xinhua’s brow relaxed slightly, but he still looked somewhat concerned: "The meteorological service did say it would rain at the beginning of next month, but it’s uncertain how heavy it’ll be. After such a long drought, if it doesn’t rain heavily, the crops probably won’t get enough water!"

"I think it’ll definitely be a heavy rain, Brother Xin Hua, don’t worry," Sisi reassured him.

Tian Xinhua immediately beamed with joy, "If Ah Nan says it’ll rain heavily, then it definitely will. Now I’m not worried anymore."

Sisi couldn’t help but feel bemused - since when had she become a soothsayer?

After dinner, Tian Xinhua insisted on washing the dishes. He then carried in the hot water he had boiled for Sisi to bathe, and also fetched water for drinking.

People in the hallway saw Tian Xinhua acting like a domestic husband and teased him, but Tian Xinhua didn’t mind.

In the Huang Yuan area, male chauvinism was quite severe, with the firm belief in ’men handle external affairs, women handle domestic affairs.’ If a man was caught doing women’s work like dishwashing or laundry, he’d be looked down upon for not living up to being a man.

But, at this moment, the one not acting like a man was their highest-ranking officer, so even if people disapproved, they didn’t dare to say it to Tian Xinhua’s face, at most murmuring behind his back.

The night was quiet, and Sisi snuggled into Tian Xinhua’s arms, reporting to him all the recent events. As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the affair with Gao Yuzhu from a while back and asked, "Brother Xin Hua, what advice did you give my father last time that made Gao Yuzhu behave all of a sudden?"

Tian Xinhua hesitated, glancing at Sisi several times, seemingly reluctant to share. Sisi instantly got annoyed, turned around and bit his ear, threatening, "Are you going to tell me or not? If not, I’ll bite off your ear and fry it for tomorrow’s meal!"

Her soft lips biting his ear were ticklish and warm, not painful at all, but Tian Xinhua humored Sisi by crying out a few times, much to the young girl’s delight.

Under Sisi’s unyielding questioning, Tian Xinhua had no choice but to spill it out.

"It’s nothing much, I just had something on Gao Yuzhu."

"What kind of dirt?" Sisi asked curiously.

Tian Xinhua hesitated again, and with a nibble from Sisi, he went on, "Remember that year before the New Year when we went with Anping and the others to catch sparrows for roasting on the back hill? When we were coming down, we heard strange noises, right? Actually, that was Gao Yuzhu and Zhong Yuehua having a secret meeting. I snapped a few photos on a whim, thinking they might come in handy someday. Turns out, they did."

Only then did Sisi recall this long-forgotten incident. So the person who had been having an affair on the mountain that day was Gao Yuzhu? No wonder he silently agreed to replace Tian Huan.

But Tian Xinhua, to have such foresight was impressive—anticipating such a distant event in advance?

Sisi looked at him with admiration.

Tian Xinhua felt proud: thinking I’m as simple-minded as you, huh!