Transmigrated into a deeply affectionate male supporting role in a period novel - Chapter 23

Aunt Yang Liu waved her hand without turning around, causing Yang Yuanxi’s mouth to twitch. His father, coming out of the main room with his hands behind his back, smiled and said, “Let her go. The Sun family always causes a commotion, and she runs faster than anyone.”

“That’s true,” Yang Yuandong nodded with a smile. “Come on, let’s clean up. When Mother returns, there will be only her dishes left, so it’ll be easier to wash.”

“Speaking of which,” Yang Yuanlan said with a grin, leaning close to Yang Yuanxi with a curious look, “The fourth girl from the Sun family has liked Second Brother since she was young, but Mother definitely disapproves of this match. She doesn’t think much of the Sun family’s character.”

Yang Yuanxi rolled his eyes. “What nonsense are you talking about? What does a little girl know about liking someone? Besides, you know I have someone I like.”

Father Yang looked surprised. “Who?”

“Who else could it be?”

The youngest, Yang Yuanbei, grinned. “It’s the classmate of Third Sister.”

“You talk too much! Go sweep the floor,” Yang Yuanxi, embarrassed and angry, chased his younger siblings away like shooing away flies.

Back at home, Sun Jiwen slammed the door shut and felt like he had lost all face in his lifetime!

He was very sensitive about losing face, so when he saw Sun Baozhu standing at the door, he immediately pointed at her and scolded, “It’s all because of you! You’ve made me lose face!”

Sun Baozhu: ???

Seeing Sun Jiwen storm into the main room, Sun Baozhu couldn’t help but look at Hu Erniang who had come over, “Is he alright?”

“Your father is right. If you hadn’t suddenly gone to block Zhao Lao San that night, could your father have gone to Zhao’s house to apologize? It’s all because of you that we’ve lost face!”

Hu Erniang agreed with Sun Jiwen’s words.

Sun Baozhu: …

She actually felt quite embarrassed too.

Recently, except for meetings with Chen Wansheng, she stayed at home and didn’t go out at all, fearing that people in the alley might mention that night’s incident.

Sun Baozhen was restless and went out for a walk, returning with a flushed face.

She didn’t dare to speak disrespectfully in the main room, so she went back to her and Sun Baozhu’s room. Sun Baozhu was looking at her face in the mirror when she saw her younger sister come back with red eyes and face.

“Father really… has made us lose all our face! How are we supposed to live in Shuijing Alley from now on!”

Sun Baozhen cried.

Sun Baozhu quickly pulled her over to sit beside her and took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. “Calm down and tell me slowly.”

Sun Baozhen recounted everything she had heard. Sun Baozhu felt that the embarrassment was not any less than when she had stopped Zhao Lihui that night, but strangely, she felt calm inside. “The one who lost face is him. What does it have to do with us?”

“I’m the only one in this family who hasn’t lost face,” Sun Baozhen said after crying for a while, carefully holding her face. “I hope Brother Yuanxi won’t dislike me.”

Sun Baozhu: …

Given the relationship between their family and Aunt Yang Liu’s family, Sun Baozhen’s desire to marry Yang Yuanxi was practically impossible.

After sending the children away, Zhao Lihui locked the door and put away the bamboo table before striding into the main room.

Chen Cuifang was asking Zhao Dagen, “What’s this about the quota?”

She wasn’t feeling sleepy yet, so she took out Zhao Dagen’s old wool sweater, intending to unravel it and add some new yarn to re-knit it. A sweater with some new yarn would be warmer than one made entirely of old yarn.

Zhao Lihui sat down to help, acting as a tool to assist her with the yarn.

“I only found out near the end of my shift,” Zhao Dagen said, picking up a needle and working on it. The needles at home had become dull, and Chen Cuifang couldn’t even pierce the sole of her shoes. “The leaders were just teasing us. I was thinking, if Sun Jiwen hears this news, he’ll definitely find ways to gather votes and then return to his original position. I don’t know if he came to me first or if he had already visited somewhere else.”

“Most likely he came to us first,” Zhao Lihui replied. “After all, he’s like a headless fly right now. Perhaps he’ll only think of the list of people to solicit votes from after he gets home. Father is honest and has a decent reputation at the factory. If he can get Father’s forgiveness and then ask him to help gather votes, wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?”

“Do you think of me as a bird?”

Zhao Dagen gave him a displeased look. “I won’t forgive the Sun family easily. They’ve bullied you repeatedly. If I forgave them so easily, how would I deserve to be your father?”

“Forgive them easily? Let me tell you, there’s no such thing as forgiveness!”

Chen Cuifang tugged at the yarn forcefully. “If he hadn’t come over today, that would be one thing, but look at why he came. With this kind of attitude and character, we should keep our distance from them as far as possible! It’s best if we never have to deal with them again!”

“Originally, my relationship with Sun Jiwen was merely an acquaintance,” Zhao Dagen said with confidence.

Zhao Lihui, who lacked the confidence of the original owner, cleared his throat and said, “I’ve turned over a new leaf and seen the true character of their family. From now on, I’ll strictly follow Mother’s advice! Don’t worry.”

Chen Cuifang was finally satisfied. “Change your direction a bit. There’s a knot here. I remember that when I was knitting two years ago, I chatted with Aunt Yang Liu, and the thread broke by accident. There was no way to fix it, so I had to tie a knot and continue knitting.”

Her memory was quite good, and seeing the knot reminded her of the incident.

After helping Chen Cuifang finish unraveling the sweater, Zhao Lihui went to wash up and go to bed.

Zhao Dagen and his wife stayed in the main room for a while before returning to their own room.

The next day, when Zhao Lihui left, he saw Sun Jiwen leaving in front of the Sun family’s house. They exchanged a glance for a second, after which Sun Jiwen quickly turned away and pushed open the courtyard gate to go back inside.

Zhao Lihui:?

Sun Jiwen waited until he estimated that Zhao Lihui had left before pushing open the courtyard gate and preparing to continue on his way. However, he saw Zhao Dagen riding out on his bicycle. Sun Jiwen cursed under his breath and turned back inside.

Zhao Dagen didn’t see him at all. He was preoccupied with thoughts of the tofu flower meal from last night, which was really delicious. Unfortunately, there weren’t many soybeans left at home. If he were lucky, he might find some from sellers and buy a few to keep at home…

At work, Zhao Lihui noticed that Chen Wansheng kept looking over at him, or rather, at Master Rong beside him. Not only did Zhao Lihui notice, but Master Rong did too. He was already known for his bad temper, so he went straight to Chen Wansheng during the break.

“Do you have something to say?”

As Chen Wansheng was thinking about how to respond properly, he was caught off guard by the question. “Huh?”

“If you have nothing to do, focus on your work and stop staring at me! It’s giving me goosebumps and frankly, it’s a bit disgusting.”

Master Rong said this, then spat out the cigarette he was smoking and stomped it out on the ground.

An older woman passing by saw this and immediately shouted, “You, Rong! Don’t throw cigarette butts on the ground! I can’t even clean them up with a broom, and you’re stomping on them?!”

Huang Zhuiyue chuckled, and Zhao Lihui was the second to laugh. Soon, laughter spread throughout the workshop. The only ones not laughing were Master Rong, who felt his authority undermined by the older woman and looked somewhat awkward, and Chen Wansheng, who was embarrassed by the loss of face.

However, Chen Wansheng, having climbed up from the countryside to his position as a worker, was quite resilient. He smiled at Master Rong, “Although it seems Master Rong has some misunderstandings about me, I will be more careful in the future.”

Master Rong glanced at him and, under the older woman’s angry stare, was just about to get a broom to sweep up the cigarette butts when Zhao Lihui quickly grabbed the broom from the corner and cleaned up the mess.

Receiving an appreciative look from Master Rong, Zhao Lihui grinned.

Chen Wansheng still couldn’t understand what made Zhao Lihui worthy of Master Rong’s regard. After work, he went to the agreed-upon meeting place with Sun Baozhu, who arrived quickly.

She ran over, saying, “Wansheng, I’m sorry. I got delayed after work. Have you been waiting long?”

“Waiting for someone special is something I look forward to, so it doesn’t feel like a long wait,” Chen Wansheng said as he gently adjusted her hair. Sun Baozhu blushed and gazed at him affectionately.

After exchanging a few heartfelt words, Chen Wansheng asked, “Does Zhao Lihui’s family have a big background?”

“His family doesn’t have any background. His father has worked at the textile factory for over twenty years and is still an ordinary worker. His older brother went to the countryside, and his second sister married a lame boiler worker. He only managed to get into the machinery factory by luck,” Sun Baozhu replied, shaking her head.

“That’s strange. There’s a master in our workshop who takes special care of him.”

After hearing about Zhao Lihui’s family situation, Chen Wansheng became more suspicious about the matter.

In the city, Zhao Lihui’s family conditions are average at best. Unless he can later obtain a higher technical certification, that’s about all there is to it.

“He’s the type who acts one way in front of people and another way behind their backs. He can say anything to win others over,” Sun Baozhu said.

“I see,” Chen Wansheng nodded thoughtfully.

Sun Baozhu didn’t want to talk about Zhao Lihui. Since the incident when he bumped his head, he seemed to have changed completely and had been causing embarrassment for their family. “Let’s not talk about him. My subsidy has come through. Let’s go; I’ll treat you to a nice meal at the state-run restaurant.”

“My meals have always been good. My cousins have treated me well,” Chen Wansheng said with a smile.

“My parents haven’t treated me well. Come on, join me for a meal,” Sun Baozhu insisted.

“You,” Chen Wansheng said with a chuckle.

The two left chatting and laughing.

After they left, two people emerged from around the corner: Zhao Lihui and Ye Guidong.

Mr. Ye had received two movie tickets from someone and gave them to Ye Guidong. So Ye Guidong was waiting at the alley entrance for Zhao Lihui to return. Zhao Lihui had just come out after a quick shower and change of clothes, and as he walked with Ye Guidong, he ran into Sun Baozhu and Chen Wansheng, overhearing their entire conversation.

“That’s Chen Wansheng?”

Ye Guidong frowned slightly as he looked at the two of them leaving.

“Yes,” Zhao Lihui nodded. “That guy is always watching my master. He probably wanted to figure out why my master treats me well but isn’t very fond of him.”

“Stay away from him. I always feel like he’s not a good person.”

Ye Guidong advised.

“I know. Both of them aren’t good people,” Zhao Lihui replied. In his eyes, they were just two selfish protagonists who lived the life they wanted by stepping on others. “Let’s go to a state-run restaurant too. My mother gave me some money for that when I left.”

He handed over the food ticket for the state-run restaurant, which was a two-person set meal including one meat and two vegetable dishes.

“Great.”

Ye Guidong nodded.

The movie started at 7:30, so having dinner first and then heading to the cinema wouldn’t be too late.

The two chose a state-run restaurant close to the cinema. After entering and sitting down with their ticket, they saw that the table across from them was occupied by Chen Wansheng and Sun Baozhu.

Zhao Lihui immediately stood up and moved to the outer side of the restaurant, effectively blocking their view and preventing Ye Guidong from seeing them.

Ye Guidong looked at him in confusion.

Zhao Lihui, with a justified tone, said, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

With his back to them, Zhao Lihui couldn’t see them, and Ye Guidong couldn’t see them either. It worked out well.

Ye Guidong covered her mouth and smiled, pouring some of the old tea on the table into bowls for herself and Zhao Lihui.

The restaurant was quite busy. Zhao Lihui had Ye Guidong order a plate of scrambled eggs, a plate of stir-fried vegetables with pork lard, and a plate of garlic shoots with shredded meat.

Eggs and pork lard were not considered meat dishes in state-run restaurants, so many people liked to order these.

The dishes were served quickly. After Zhao Lihui and Ye Guidong finished their meal with much laughter and conversation, they went straight to the cinema. Sun Baozhu was still there complaining to Chen Wansheng about how strict her master was, and they didn’t notice that their neighboring table was occupied by acquaintances.

“Comrade, would you like some sunflower seeds? We also have peanuts.”

As they arrived at the cinema entrance, a teenager ran up with a smile and asked, “How much are they?”

Seeing Zhao Lihui’s interest, the teenager moved closer and lowered his voice, “Sunflower seeds are five cents per pound, peanuts are a bit more expensive, seven cents per pound. They’re all roasted and not weighed.”

Ye Guidong said, “I’ll take three cents worth of sunflower seeds.”

A pound would be too much for them.

“Don’t want any peanuts?” Zhao Lihui asked.

“Sunflower seeds are easy to carry in my pocket. Peanuts are too big; you can’t fit many in your pocket.”

“It’s not a problem,” Zhao Lihui said, patting his pocket. “My pocket is big. I’ll put the peanuts in my pocket, and if you want some, just grab them. Also, add three cents worth of peanuts.”

“Got it,” the teenager said, turning to leave. In no time, he returned with the items. Zhao Lihui’s pockets were stuffed full, looking a bit comical with their bulging.

Ye Guidong tried to pay, but Zhao Lihui stopped her, saying, “Let me have this chance to show off. Don’t steal my spotlight.”

“Is that stealing the spotlight?” Ye Guidong said, amused, as she watched Zhao Lihui pay.

“Of course,” Zhao Lihui said with a smile. “I like you and want to do many things for you. Every time I do something, I feel happy, thinking how fortunate I am to have someone I like, and that girl is standing right in front of me, watching me do everything for her.”

Unlike in his previous life, when he would read books and think about the fictional characters he liked, each of whom had a tragic fate he was powerless to change, only able to vent his frustrations in the comments section.

Ye Guidong covered her face, saying, “Stop talking.”

All this talk about liking and disliking seemed so casual.

“You sound like one of those older people who always speak in sweet nothings, completely unserious,” she said with a light smile as she lowered her hand.

“Not at all. I may use sweet words, but I’m quite sincere and a very good match,” Zhao Lihui said, flattering himself. Noticing people entering the cinema, he gently pulled Ye Guidong’s sleeve. “Our movie is about to start. Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

Ye Guidong allowed him to guide her by the sleeve, moving a little closer. Their arms brushed against each other, giving the impression of intimacy to outsiders, though they couldn’t see Zhao Lihui’s subtle movements.

Noticing this, Zhao Lihui turned to look at her and was met with Ye Guidong’s even brighter smile.

He felt his heart racing. It wasn’t until they were seated that he started to calm down a bit. He opened the pocket on the side next to Ye Guidong so she could reach the sunflower seeds, and then took a large handful of peanuts from the other pocket, eating and peeling them while watching the movie.

The cinema was quite basic—just a screen in front and wooden benches below. They simply found a spot to sit.

With so many people eating sunflower seeds and peanuts, their small actions didn’t bother anyone.

The movie started soon.

Zhao Lihui put the peeled peanuts into Ye Guidong’s hand and continued to peel more. His attention was fixed on the black-and-white film, but his hands worked efficiently, which Ye Guidong found impressive.

The movie ended at 9:30. When they came out, Zhao Lihui’s pockets were empty of peanuts, and only a third of the sunflower seeds were left.

Ye Guidong felt a bit embarrassed and asked, “Do I eat too much?”

Zhao Lihui hadn’t eaten much himself; most of it had gone into her mouth.

“Being able to eat is a blessing. Besides, is this what you call eating a lot? You should eat more; you’re too thin. I’m worried that in the fall, when the strong winds come, you’ll be blown away if I’m not there to block it for you.”

Zhao Lihui spoke with such seriousness as if she might be swept up by the wind.

“That’s not so exaggerated,” Ye Guidong muttered.

“Exaggerated? You don’t know that in typhoon-prone areas, every year people do get blown away by the wind,” Zhao Lihui added a few examples. They chatted as they walked toward Tongxin Alley. By the time they reached Ye’s house, both of them felt a bit reluctant to part ways.

“Come over for dinner tomorrow night,” Ye Guidong suggested, looking up. “Just a simple meal at home. Will you come?”

“Of course!”

If Zhao Lihui had a tail, it would be wagging wildly.

“Don’t bring anything or buy anything. Just come as you are,” Ye Guidong said, holding back a smile. “If you’re too polite, I’ll feel uncomfortable.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Zhao Lihui nodded vigorously. “Hurry inside; it’s still a bit chilly in early spring. Don’t catch a cold. Soak your feet in hot water.”

As he spoke, he placed the last bit of sunflower seeds from his pocket into Ye Guidong’s pocket. “Go on inside.”

“Remember to come tomorrow.”

Ye Guidong grabbed his sleeve.

“I’ll definitely come!” Zhao Lihui grinned.

Once Ye Guidong had entered the courtyard and closed the door, Zhao Lihui happily walked back home. When he got home, he told Chen Cuifang and her husband, “I won’t be home for dinner tomorrow night. I’m going to Ye Guidong’s place, so, Mom, you don’t need to prepare my portion.”

“Ye Guidong invited you, didn’t she?”

Chen Cuifang was busy knitting the sweater she had taken apart yesterday.

“Yes,” Zhao Lihui chuckled. “She told me not to bring anything and not to be too polite.”

“Of course, you shouldn’t be too polite. Since you genuinely want to be together, it’s only right to exchange sincerity for sincerity,” Zhao Dagen said, although he still went to the cabinet to fetch a can of tea leaves. “This is from your older brother. There are four cans in total. We’ve used one, so there are three left. You can take one to Ye Guidong’s family. It’s not a valuable item, so it’s not being too polite.”

“Your dad is right,” Chen Cuifang nodded repeatedly.

“Alright,” Zhao Lihui said as he put his things away in his room and then went to wash up before returning to the living room.

He watched Chen Cuifang knitting the sweater and, seeing Zhao Lihui’s interest, Chen Cuifang joked, “Do you want to learn?”

“Yes, I do want to learn,” Zhao Lihui nodded, looking very serious.

“This is not easy to learn,” Zhao Dagen said with a hint of embarrassment. “When your mother and I first got married, I also wanted to knit her a sweater. But not only did I break several strands of yarn, the result was either too tight or too loose. In the end, it was a complete mess. After your mother scolded me several times, she took away my yarn and needles, and I haven’t touched them since.”

“How can you still have the nerve to say that? I’ve never seen anyone more clumsy than you,” Chen Cuifang said. “But your third brother is good with his hands; he could give it a try.”

Chen Cuifang wasn’t a stickler for rules; she believed that family members should be tolerant and caring toward each other to improve their relationships.

“Third Brother, if you want to learn, I’ll find some old, worn-out yarn for you to practice with tomorrow. Once you’ve learned enough, you can buy new yarn. That way, it won’t be a waste.”

“Okay.”

Zhao Lihui agreed. He enjoyed working with his hands and learning new things.

The family chatted for about half an hour before heading to their rooms to rest.

Lying in bed, Zhao Lihui stared at the dark ceiling, his mind filled with scenes from the movie he had watched with Ye Guidong. It was like a movie playing in his head, and it was in color.

Zhao Lihui was snuggled under his blanket, laughing to himself. He didn’t even notice when he fell asleep. In the morning, it was only when Chen Cuifang came to check on him because he hadn’t gotten up that he finally woke up.

Seeing him yawning, Zhao Dagen simply splashed him with a basin of cold water to wake him up. “Wake up.”

“Mm,” Zhao Lihui felt completely refreshed when his hands touched the water. It really did the trick.

Seeing him shiver, Zhao Dagen chuckled. “The well water is colder in the morning. Did you not sleep well last night?”

“Mm, I don’t know when I fell asleep,” Zhao Lihui said as he wrung out his towel and hung it up to dry, then poured the face-washing water under the osmanthus tree in the corner of the yard.

Just as he was about to brush his teeth, he heard Chen Cuifang’s voice from the kitchen. “Third Brother! Bring in a handful of green onions!”

“Okay.”

Zhao Dagen was cleaning the chicken coop, so Zhao Lihui went to the vegetable garden in the backyard, picked a handful of green onions, washed them, and then brought them to the kitchen.

When Chen Cuifang saw the clean green onions, she smiled a bit. The third brother was meticulous in his work. If it had been the eldest brother, he would have just brought the onions in from the soil without any thought of cleaning them.

The weather was nice today. Even running on the road felt refreshing, and the horizon, gradually brightening, looked like a painting just beginning. As soon as Zhao Lihui walked into the technical department’s registration office, he saw Huang Zhuiyue waving at him.

He went over and asked, “What’s up?”

Huang Zhuiyue said mysteriously, “Do you know what your master was up to?”

“Didn’t come to work?”

Zhao Lihui looked around.

An Changkang strolled over nonchalantly.

He still had a hint of alcohol on him and looked rather unenergetic.

“Didn’t come. Actually, he was on his way here, but somehow nearly got hit by a car. It was our comrade Chen Wansheng who pushed your master out of the way. As a result, your master fell and got his elbow scraped by some gravel. Chen Wansheng, on the other hand, seems to have twisted his ankle. They’re at the factory’s clinic now.”

An Changkang’s tone carried a hint of amusement.

Zhao Lihui instinctively thought of how Master Rong always looked unwell whenever Chen Wansheng came around and couldn’t help but ask, “How does my master look?”

“Awful!”

An Changkang clicked his tongue.

“Really awful!”

Huang Zhuiyue clicked his tongue sympathetically.

Zhao Lihui quickly completed his registration and, before officially starting work, rushed to the factory clinic to find Master Rong.

“Don’t rush back; it’s only right for you to take care of your master since he’s injured!” Huang Zhuiyue shouted after him.

Zhao Lihui waved his hand without turning around, indicating that he heard.

When he arrived at the clinic, he found Master Rong standing at the door, visibly annoyed and smoking a cigarette. Seeing Zhao Lihui approach, his expression softened a bit. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard that you had an accident, so I came to check,” Zhao Lihui said, glancing inside. Chen Wansheng was sitting there, and the doctor was crouching in front of him, examining his foot.

When Zhao Lihui mentioned “scamming,” Master Rong didn’t immediately understand what it meant. After Zhao Lihui quietly explained that it was about being swindled, Master Rong nodded immediately. “That’s right, it’s fraud!”

Master Rong was extremely angry. He had woken up this morning feeling happy because he had his favorite egg noodles for breakfast and had cheerfully jogged to the factory. But then, right across from the mechanical factory, he was suddenly pushed by someone and was called a “savior.”

The key point was that the car hadn’t even been heading towards him; instead, Chen Wansheng had pushed him, leading to his injury.

What bad luck!

Master Rong reached for his pocket but found no cigarettes in the pack. He swore again. Zhao Lihui quickly opened his own pack of cigarettes and handed the whole box to him.

Zhao Dagen’s cigarettes at home were of a cheaper brand, and Master Rong, being an old smoker, wouldn’t be picky. Zhao Lihui didn’t take all the cigarettes; he only took one out and then stuffed the pack back into his pocket, saying, “Get more if you run out.”

“Okay,” Zhao Lihui nodded and then looked inside again. “Master, no matter what, outsiders think that he saved you. If this matter isn’t handled well, it could lead to some gossip.”

“Do I care about gossip?”

Master Rong glared.

“I know you don’t care,” Zhao Lihui said softly, “but don’t let yourself be easily used by others as a stepping stone.”

Master Rong narrowed his eyes. After finishing a cigarette angrily, he pulled out ten yuan and told Zhao Lihui to go to Hongjie’s consignment store to buy some health supplements.

Ten yuan was not a small amount in those days. Zhao Lihui’s monthly salary was only twenty yuan. He took the money to Hongjie’s place, quickly bought the items, and then gave the remaining five yuan back to Master Rong.

He chose products that were well-packaged but not overly expensive. During the trip, Zhao Lihui made sure to express Master Rong’s deep gratitude to Chen Wansheng, telling no fewer than five people.

Master Rong gave a light snort as he took the two large bags of items. “You’re quite clever.”

“Thanks to your good teaching, Master.”

“Yes, but there’s still much to learn.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Master Rong took the items inside and soon came out. “Let’s go to work.”

After they left, Chen Wansheng, who had only twisted his ankle and wasn’t seriously injured, looked at the items with pursed lips. It seemed that instead of earning respect, he had only become more disliked.

“Doctor, can I go to work?”

“A minor sprain is fine as long as you stay out of the field,” the doctor replied. He was quite perceptive and had a good relationship with Master Rong, who had actually taught him back in the day.

Chen Wansheng didn’t know this. He carried the items towards the technical department.

The doctor watched his limping figure and suddenly stood up, saying to another doctor, “Please cover for me for half a day. I need to go to the People’s Hospital.”

“Alright, you go ahead.”

Throughout the day, Chen Wansheng remained quite subdued. While Zhao Lihui appeared very concerned for him at work, his words of concern were not matched by any real actions, making him seem like a smooth-talking jerk. However, others didn’t see it this way. They thought Master Rong’s temper wasn’t very good and that he wasn’t the type to be considerate. Zhao Lihui’s concern for Chen Wansheng must have been due to a heads-up from his master.

So by the end of the day, no one commented on Master Rong’s apparent indifference toward Chen Wansheng or questioned the “good intentions” behind it.

Chen Wansheng seemed to pick up on this and did not linger around Master Rong, even avoiding sitting next to him at lunch.

“Master, I’m going to my girlfriend’s house for dinner tonight, so you’ll have to go on your own.”

Zhao Lihui patted the dust off his clothes and walked out with Master Rong, while Chen Wansheng had already left on An Changkang’s bicycle.

“Stupid kid, do you think I can’t manage on my own without you? Just get lost!”

Master Rong said with a touch of disdain.

“Alright, alright.”

Zhao Lihui wasn’t bothered by the remarks. Master Rong was just cold on the outside but soft on the inside, saying one thing while feeling another. His eyes were full of warmth. When the small bus arrived, Zhao Lihui waved goodbye and quickly squeezed on.

He went home first to take a shower and then brought tea leaves to the Ye family’s house.

Ye Guidong and her mother were preparing dinner. Unlike Zhao Daggen, Ye’s father had a bit of a patriarchal attitude, believing that household matters should be handled by women while he focused on working outside to support the family. So, when Zhao Lihui arrived, Ye’s father was in the yard tending to his orchids.

Seeing him arrive, Ye’s father intended to wash his hands and chat, but Zhao Lihui quickly handed him the tea leaves and then cheerfully ran into the kitchen.

“This kid…”

Ye’s father chuckled, placing the tea leaves on a nearby stool before squatting down to tend to his precious orchids.

“It’s fine that I’m here,” Ye’s mother said as Zhao Lihui came in and rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands, ready to take over the tasks from her.

“I’ll do it. I often do these chores at home,” Zhao Lihui wasn’t lying. Whether it was the original owner or himself, they both frequently worked in the kitchen. However, the original owner mostly assisted, while he had to manage everything himself due to being alone.

Ye’s mother observed his skilled movements and realized he wasn’t lying. She looked back at Ye Guidong, who was smiling, and couldn’t help but smile as well. “Well, Guidong is lucky.”

Ye Guidong blushed, and Zhao Lihui cleared his throat and glanced at her. “I’m the lucky one.”

Ye Guidong turned her head away, her neck flushing red. Ye’s mother, laughing heartily, decided not to tease them further. Since their family’s backyard also had a small vegetable garden, she decided to let them handle the kitchen tasks, giving them a chance to spend more time together. It would be best if they could identify any issues before marriage and work through them. “I’ll go get some garlic shoots. Lihui, just help Guidong with the chores.”

“No trouble at all, not at all,” Zhao Lihui quickly replied.

Once Ye’s mother had left with a smile, Ye Guidong turned to him. “What vehicle did you take today?”

“Mm, I didn’t want to make you wait too long. Since I’m here for a meal and not as a guest, of course I want to help out,” Zhao Lihui chuckled.

“No one said you were a guest.”

“I emphasize again, it makes me feel even better.”

Ye Guidong smiled, and while chopping vegetables, she mentioned a guest she had met today. “He looked unfamiliar, probably a new arrival. I don’t know which family he belongs to, but his voice is really loud and gives off an energetic impression.”

“Since he lives around here, he’ll become familiar sooner or later, and we’ll find out then,” Zhao Lihui didn’t think this was a trivial matter. He chatted happily with her and, after Ye Guidong finished talking, he recounted how Chen Wansheng “saved” Master Rong.

“You should have seen Master Rong’s face all day today. It was dark from morning until quitting time,” Zhao Lihui recalled with amusement.

“That person is too scheming,” Ye Guidong said, a bit worried. “You need to be careful.”

“I’m very alert, always keeping an eye on him,” Zhao Lihui knew exactly what kind of person the male lead was, having read the entire text. As the male lead, he certainly wasn’t a villain but rather someone with deep schemes, prioritizing his own interests. He also had some traits of a “phoenix man,” leveraging his relationship with Sun Jiwen to help his younger siblings after marrying Sun Baozhu. Oh, and the male lead has eight younger brothers and two younger sisters, making him the eldest.

The “good fortune” of the “female lead” is still to come.

“As for my master,” Zhao Lihui said, stroking his chin, “he’s the type who is rough but has a keen eye for detail. And from the moment he met Chen Wansheng, he didn’t like him. I guess he also saw through Chen’s true nature.”

At that moment, Master Rong had just finished his bath and was quickly washing his dirty clothes and hanging them out to dry in the courtyard. His mother’s voice called him inside in a serious tone.

Master Rong’s wife and sister were cooking, and when they saw this, they exchanged glances. It had been a long time since they had seen the old lady’s face look so grim.

“Mother, what’s the matter?”

Master Rong, a big man, looked somewhat obedient sitting in front of his frail mother.

“Is Chen Wansheng pestering you lately?”

“Eh, how do you know about Chen Wansheng?” Master Rong asked in confusion.

His father, sitting nearby, twitched his mouth when he heard this. “Your mother has many students. If not for her students worrying that you might be at a disadvantage and finding her, your mother wouldn’t even know that some people are causing trouble.”

Master Rong scratched his head. “He’s just a kid. I’m very firm about not wanting to deal with him.”

“This Chen Wansheng isn’t enough to make me cautious,” Master Rong’s mother snorted. “But his cousin, the former deputy factory director who was just ousted from the textile factory, that old fox, is as unscrupulous and corrupt as they come. If someone like that has their sights on you, it’s definitely not a good thing.”

“Ah? His cousin is that corrupt deputy factory director? How did he end up in our machinery factory?” Master Rong was shocked.

His father put down his newspaper. “It was also recently that this young man accidentally saved your factory director’s life. The factory director then asked him what he wanted as a reward. He said he just wanted a chance to prove himself. And you know, the technical standby worker who was recently hired at your factory was dismissed because of his lifestyle, right? This young man got into the factory on his own merit through an assessment.”

“That’s quite a coincidence.”

So coincidentally saving the factory director, and so coincidentally, Qi Dahai had an accident.

Master Rong stroked his chin, feeling that Chen Wansheng had a certain sinister quality to him.

“This person is not simple. Although he’s young, he’s very scheming. With his uncle being like that, Guanghai, you must remember to stay away from people like this. Don’t get entangled with them.”

“Got it, Mother.”

“By the way, I heard that your current apprentice is quite good?”

Master Rong grinned at the mention, “He’s a pretty good little rascal.”

“I’d like to meet him sometime.”

After a satisfying meal at the Ye family’s house, Zhao Lihui returned home and overheard Aunt Yang Liu talking to Chen Cuifang about an argument between Sun Baozhen and Hu Erniang.

“She got slapped across the face and ran off,” Aunt Yang Liu clucked her tongue. “You know, once kids turn twelve, their pride kicks in. Even if you have to hit them, you shouldn’t hit their face. That Hu person is really ruthless; one slap and that poor girl’s face was all swollen. It really looked quite pitiful.”

Chen Cuifang was knitting a sweater. As an experienced knitter, she kept her eyes on the conversation with Aunt Yang Liu while continuing her work. Zhao Lihui took up the old yarn Chen Cuifang had prepared for him and began knitting beside her, trying to mimic her technique. Aunt Yang Liu pointed at his knitting and laughed, “Lihui, you haven’t even started properly. You can’t just copy what your mother does.”

“Oh, I forgot to teach you how to start,” Chen Cuifang quickly took the yarn and needles from him, demonstrated a few techniques, and then handed them back to him. She resumed chatting with Aunt Yang Liu, “It’s dangerous to go out so late at night. Didn’t you go looking for them?”

“That’s just how it is,” Aunt Yang Liu nodded, not surprised that Zhao Lihui was learning this. Her own husband used to knit and learned it from her mother. “It was the one from the Li family who was afraid of trouble and persuaded the Hu person a bit, which is why they chased after her. But whether they managed to find her, I don’t know.”

“Recently, the Sun family has been causing quite a commotion,” Chen Cuifang shook her head. “I really hope they don’t create any more trouble.”

“If they haven’t yet, they’re bound to cause big trouble soon!”

The three of them looked outside and saw a tall, thin aunt hurrying through the gate, calling out loudly as she walked, “You should have seen it, it was so embarrassing!”

“Auntie, please sit here,” Zhao Lihui stood up to give her a seat. Aunt Wu, his mother, and Aunt Yang Liu were the gossiping trio, so it was better for them to sit together and chat. He then took a seat at the dining table.

“What big news?”

Aunt Yang Liu asked eagerly.

Aunt Wu slapped her thigh and said, “Isn’t it that the Sun family’s Jiwen went out to chase after his little daughter? They just found her, but the little girl kept running forward. She ended up in that dead-end alley, and a group of people saw a man pinning their precious Baizhu against the wall and kissing her! I heard they were both disheveled—it was truly embarrassing!”

Zhao Lihui thought: Wow, more drama with the leads?