MGASC -Chapter 76 He Keeps Sweating. Is He… Weak?

Zhang Qiao frowned and looked over at him, tugging her hand outward.

Unexpectedly, the man beside her tightened his grip instead of letting go.

His palm was rough with thick calluses, and damp with a sheen of sweat.

Lin Tianyue said earnestly, “President Zhou, you’re absolutely right. Pregnant women need plenty of rest. I’ve said the same thing to Xiao Qiao, but she’s just too stubborn.”

Zhang Qiao shot him a sideways look with her almond eyes. “The doctor said that appropriate activity during pregnancy is actually better for delivery.”

“But you can’t overdo it,” he argued back. “Didn’t President Zhou say it could leave lasting problems? President Zhou’s far more learned than you, isn’t he?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Zhang Qiao replied with mock solemnity. “President Zhou is more learned than both of us, very learned indeed. So what, are you going to listen to everything President Zhou says now?”

Zhou Junlin felt like the two of them were about to start bickering and hurriedly cut in. “Xiao Lin, Xiao Zhang has a strong and independent personality. That’s a good thing. As long as the doctor says there’s no issue, moderate activity is perfectly fine.”

Zhang Qiao raised an eyebrow at Lin Tianyue, bright and smug, her triumph written all over her face.

Lin Tianyue felt stifled, his chest tight.

Zhou Junlin continued, “Girls these days are nothing like before. Take my daughter Xiaoxiao. She takes after her mother, very competitive, always wants to be number one. I have absolutely no way of dealing with her.”

Though his tone sounded like a complaint, his face was full of pride.

Zhang Qiao’s mind spun, inspiration striking. “You can tell Xiaoxiao is outstanding, no worse than any boy. Gentle and sensible too, she must be your precious little padded jacket.”

At the mention of his daughter, Zhou Junlin’s smile practically overflowed. “I wouldn’t dare boast about much else, but my daughter really doesn’t lose to boys at all. That’s true. I don’t even like boys. They’re naughty and always causing trouble. If I really had to raise a boy, I’d have a headache every single day!”

As he spoke, he turned back to Lin Tianyue. “Xiao Lin, what about you? Do you prefer a son or a daughter?”

Lin Tianyue’s back immediately broke out in sweat. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, then answered vaguely, “I… either is fine.”

“That makes sense,” Zhou Junlin said. “Whether it’s a boy or a girl is a matter of probability anyway. From a biological standpoint, the chromosome that determines gender is provided by the man. I find that people around here still hold rather old-fashioned ideas. But you young folks can’t keep passing down that kind of dross. Times are different now. Boys and girls are the same. Daughters are more considerate, and if raised well, they can be just as much a pillar of the nation. Just like Xiao Zhang here. She impresses me at every turn. I doubt you could find a second person in the entire county whose English is better than hers. What does that prove? It proves that when girls work hard, they can completely surpass men!”

Zhou Junlin was an academic by nature. Once he got going, he couldn’t stop, launching straight into a long lecture for Lin Tianyue on basic reproductive science.

Sweat kept welling up on Lin Tianyue’s back, layer after layer. He thought to himself, Is this really something that can be discussed so openly?

These intellectuals really were something else…

By the time they finally got off the bus, his wheat-colored handsome face was flushed deep red.

Only after stepping down and being hit by a gust of wind did the awkwardness ease a little.

Ahead was the inspection unit of the police station. Lin Tianyue shot a resentful look at Zhang Qiao.

The more he thought about it, the more it felt like his wife had done it on purpose, deliberately finding a teacher to give him a lesson.

This woman’s mind ran far too deep.

He couldn’t read her at all.

Zhang Qiao noticed him glaring at her but ignored him, lifting her leg and walking straight into the inspection unit’s courtyard. Lin Tianyue hurried after her, sticking close.

Two uniformed staff members received them.

As expected, it was about Wang Yan’s case. Zhang Qiao had originally thought she would be summoned the day after Wang Yan was arrested. Who knew it would take so long before they finally contacted her?

The two officers weren’t harsh at all. Seeing that she was pregnant, they even poured her a cup of water.

They asked whether she had received a call from her husband that day, what was said on the phone, and what happened after she arrived at the guesthouse.

Zhang Qiao didn’t dare lie. She told everything truthfully.

They recorded her statement. Seeing that what she said matched Zheng Wencai’s confession, they let Zhang Qiao and Lin Tianyue leave.

Only then did Zhang Qiao’s heart finally settle. She thought to herself that it was lucky they hadn’t asked how the guesthouse door had ended up locked.

“May I ask something a bit bluntly?” Zhang Qiao asked the staff member who walked them out. “How long will Wang Yan and Wang Mingqing be sentenced?”

“One for hooliganism, one for intentional injury. It won’t be light.”

Zhang Qiao felt even more at ease.

That was great. She didn’t want scum like that being released so quickly.

Bad people were bad precisely because they had no bottom line. Who knew how many obstacles they’d throw in her way if they were let out?

“I told you there’d be no problem,” Lin Tianyue said, as if sensing her worry. He tried to comfort her. Seeing that she still wasn’t responding, he moved closer and tentatively reached for her hand. “So, where to now?”

“We’ve been holding hands the whole way. Haven’t you had enough?” Zhang Qiao shook his hand off.

She didn’t know if his body was weak or what, but back on the bus, his palm had been sweating nonstop.

And with hands like that, he still wanted to… do things to her?

Hmph!

They weren’t far from Yingzi’s breakfast stall. Since they were already here, Zhang Qiao decided to go take a look.

Seeing her walk off again, Lin Tianyue was annoyed, but he could only follow.

Her temper really was getting bigger by the day!

The breakfast stall was bustling. Yingzi and Chen Gang were so busy they could barely keep up.

The moment Yingzi spotted Zhang Qiao, she beamed. “Sister-in-law, it really had to be you! That trick you suggested yesterday worked wonders. Look at this, our whole bucket of fish is almost gone. We can’t even keep up with demand. Anyone who comes late doesn’t get any!”

Chen Gang was smiling from ear to ear too. “Brother Yue, sister-in-law, you’re here!”

Seeing the booming business, Zhang Qiao felt even more confident.

These days, as long as you had the skills, what was there to worry about not making money? Her and her daughter’s future depended on it!

She glanced diagonally across the street. Compared to the liveliness here, the Wang family’s noodle stall, despite slashing prices and shouting about discounts, clearly had far fewer customers. Wang Yan’s mother still stood by the roadside hawking loudly, dragging people in whenever she saw them.

Wang Zhi noticed Zhang Qiao and spat viciously on the ground.

The look in his eyes was murderous.

Disgusting.

Zhang Qiao thought thankfully that the family had already moved away. Otherwise, living next to people like that would have driven her mad.

Lin Tianyue was helping Chen Gang cook noodles. Chen Gang leaned in and whispered, “Brother Yue, Yingzi and I did the math just now. This morning alone, after costs, we can make five or six yuan. Five or six a day means nearly two hundred a month. Way better than working in a factory. Why don’t you talk to sister-in-law about making another bucket every day? That way our income could double!”

Lin Tianyue shot him an annoyed look. “You trying to work me to death?”

Chen Gang chuckled.

From a distance, Lin Tianyue watched Zhang Qiao’s figure, lost in thought.

This business was doing even better than he’d expected. But pickled fish was simple to make, easy to copy. Sooner or later, others would follow suit.

Looks like he needed to think of a way to keep customers coming back.

After serving a few more bowls of noodles and returning, Chen Gang quietly asked, “Brother Yue, did you tell sister-in-law about what you did to Zheng Wencai?”

Lin Tianyue replied, “Why would I tell her?”

Chen Gang muttered internally, Of course it’s to score points with sister-in-law.

Doing a good deed without leaving your name, without letting a woman feel moved… what’s the point of doing it at all?

Lin Tianyue seemed to hear his thoughts and pointed at him. “You really have no depth at all.”

In his view, it was enough that he did what a man should do.

He changed the subject. “Now that you’re making money, you and Yingzi should be getting engaged soon, right? Have you talked about how much bride price they want?”

At the mention of this, Chen Gang’s head started to hurt. “Yingzi’s fine, but her parents definitely won’t go easy on me. Brother Yue, what do you think… should I do it like you did? Cook the rice first…”

Before he could finish, Lin Tianyue said gravely, “Don’t mess around. Hooliganism is punished harshly these days. Even if you don’t think about yourself, you have to think about the girl. Don’t ruin her!”

Trying to imitate him. What was there worth imitating about that?

The beginning between him and Zhang Qiao was, in his eyes, anything but beautiful. It felt like being forced onto the stage.

If he could do it over again, he’d rather meet Zhang Qiao in a completely different way.

He was actually a bit envious of Chen Gang and Yingzi, who could take their time falling in love, slowly getting to know each other.

As for him and Zhang Qiao, they’d skipped so many steps and gone straight to becoming parents. It felt… regretful, in a way.

He steadied himself and asked, “Chen Gang, let me ask you something.”

Chen Gang laughed. “Ask away, Brother Yue. Why are you being so serious?”