RYEY – Chapter 70 Giving You a Mirror

After washing up, Li Huan returned to the room and at a glance saw Cheng Qiao leaning against the brick bed wall, reading. The dim oil lamp flickered, casting a hazy glow over her fair, rosy face, making her appear both sacred and alluring.

“Wife…”

Li Huan couldn’t help but lean closer. Cheng Qiao tilted her head slightly, but her eyes were still fixed on the book. Li Huan restrained his restless heart, gave her a quick kiss, and then lay down under the quilt.

Cheng Qiao’s eyes moved slightly, shimmering with light, and the corners of her lips curved up. How could she not know what her husband was thinking? But these past two days, no matter what, she had to control herself.

The Tangtou Song wasn’t difficult to memorize, and after being reborn, Cheng Qiao’s memory was extraordinary. Just by reading it once from beginning to end, she had firmly memorized every word.

When everything was silent, Cheng Qiao entered her space. At first glance, she saw the red-headed viper sleeping soundly beside the wild ginseng. She didn’t disturb it, but instead went to check the crops she had planted.

Whether rice, wheat, corn, or other crops, the growth rate seemed the same. The type didn’t affect how quickly they matured.

Cheng Qiao was delighted. That meant she wouldn’t need to harvest them in batches. She also decided that after this round of crops matured, she would reserve half the black soil for growing medicinal herbs. That way, whenever she needed any, she could harvest them on demand.

After finishing her inspection outside, Cheng Qiao entered the grocery store inside the space. If Uncle Ye was willing to take her and Li Huan as apprentices, they must prepare a proper gift for the ceremony.

After circling the shop, she decided food would be best—50 catties of rice, 50 catties of flour, two slabs of pork, two fish, plus some pastries, candies, tea, and wine. That was heavy enough of a gift.

She found a basket to hold everything, then went to the resting room, took a bath, changed into a new set of cotton underwear, and left the space. Hugging Li Huan’s waist, she slowly drifted to sleep.

Li Huan had been pretending to sleep. Feeling her soft body pressed against his back, with her small hand resting on his waist, he cursed under his breath, Little seductress, but still obediently kept up the act.

Nestled against Li Huan’s warmth, Cheng Qiao soon fell asleep. Only then did Li Huan dare turn around, pulling her into his arms. He even gave his “little brother” a pat before going to sleep himself.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Li Huan began reciting from the book. When he learned that his wife had memorized the Tangtou Song fluently within just an hour, the pressure on him grew immensely.

“Mother, you should start packing. We’ll be moving in two days. Also, I need to go to the county town to buy some meat for making cured pork and meat sauce.”

“You child, don’t we still have a slab of cured meat at home? It’s enough for the New Year.”

“It’s not enough. I heard from Li Huan that eldest brother will come home for the New Year. He hasn’t been back for so many years. We must prepare properly.”

Hearing this, Mother Li’s eyes lit up, the corners of her lips nearly reaching her eyes. She hurried into her room and brought out a cloth bundle.

“Qiao, this is the money I’ve saved. It has what Li Bing (eldest brother) gave me, what Li Huan gave me, and what Li Le earned from labor. I’ve put it all together. Later… when Lele gets married, this money will be divided among you.”

“Mother, I don’t want it. Give it all to Lele. A girl needs to have some money of her own when she marries. With a larger dowry, she can stand more firmly in her husband’s family.”

Li Le, who was just about to step outside, stopped in her tracks. Her heart was filled with warmth. Second sister-in-law was right. With such a dowry, and second brother treating her like the apple of his eye, she truly felt cherished.

“Cheng Qiao, Lele is fortunate to have such a good sister-in-law. I just don’t know if Li Bing will bring a wife home this time.”

“Mother, are you thinking about getting another daughter-in-law again? Once we move, we’ll fix up this room for you and Lele. That way, when big brother comes home, he’ll have a proper place to stay too.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you. Qiao, take this ten yuan. I don’t have any coupons, so just see what you can buy. If not, then not. But absolutely don’t go to that place to buy things, understand?”

“Okay, I’m leaving now, Mother.”

Cheng Qiao didn’t take Mother Li’s money. She rode her bicycle toward the county town. Along the way, she noticed many people heading to Chen Weimin’s house. Upon asking, she learned that today was Chen Chunhua’s wedding day.

She steered her bicycle into a secluded spot, put it into her space, and quickly went to Chen Weimin’s doorstep. She had to see with her own eyes Chen Chunhua getting married.

“Happy now, aren’t you?”

Just as she stood there, a cold voice sounded beside her. Turning her head, she saw it was Miao Qing, glaring at her viciously. This vixen—why was she getting prettier and prettier?

“Well, seeing someone get married is always a happy occasion. Otherwise, what if all the young girls in Xiangyang Village end up as old spinsters?”

Cheng Qiao replied without the slightest politeness. After all, Miao Qing was nearly twenty now, and in Xiangyang Village, she was already considered a leftover woman.

She wasn’t like the educated youths at the Zhiqing spot—who could still return to the city unmarried.

Miao Qing clenched her teeth. She knew how the villagers looked at her, but so what? Without a good man, of course she wouldn’t marry.

“I’m not like some people, marrying a rogue who only knows how to loaf around and act shamelessly. Just wait—you’ll suffer for it sooner or later.”

In her mind, she recalled the sight of little Li Le, face flushed as she strained to push a cart, and Mother Li, bent over with exhaustion, unable to straighten her back. A smile appeared on her face. Soon, Cheng Qiao would end up like that too.

“No need for you to worry about me. Better worry about yourself. Have you even noticed how old you are now? You’ve already got wrinkles at the corners of your eyes, yet you still have time to meddle in other people’s business.”

Instinctively, Miao Qing touched the corner of her eye. Cheng Qiao pulled a small round mirror from her pocket and stuffed it into her hand.

“Here, a gift. Take more time to look at yourself in the mirror. Feeling too good about yourself can also be an illness.”

The bit of delight that had just risen in Miao Qing’s heart was instantly extinguished by Cheng Qiao’s words. She wanted to smash the mirror, but she couldn’t bear to—this was the first mirror she had ever owned in her twenty years of life.

Glancing around and seeing everyone turning their heads away in embarrassment, she hurriedly lifted the mirror to take a look.

Had she not looked, it would’ve been fine. But one glance nearly drove her mad.

When had her face become so rough? And the corners of her eyes—there were indeed several wrinkles there. They weren’t deep, but once there, they’d never go away.

Why was it that Cheng Qiao, already married, still had such fair, smooth skin, while she, still a maiden, looked like some auntie? Miao Qing’s overflowing confidence crumbled in an instant.