Chapter 16
Carrying the sweet soup she had bought for Chu Xihuan, Lin Zhao skipped home, unable to contain her joy even before she had fully stepped through the door.
“Xihuan! I found a job!”
Unlike her usual, somewhat cautious tone, this time her voice was clear and cheerful, a clear indicator of her good mood.
Chu Xihuan heard her from the study but didn’t get up, figuring she wouldn’t have to go out, as Lin Zhao would find her eventually.
Sure enough, a few moments later, Lin Zhao pushed open the door and walked in, her eyes sparkling.
Chu Xihuan’s gaze rested on her for a moment, taking in Lin Zhao’s even dustier appearance. “What kind of job did you find?”
She had originally thought that, given Lin Zhao’s situation, it would take at least a few more days to find a job. She had even been thinking about what she could teach Lin Zhao to help her get on her feet if she really couldn’t find anything.
“I’m a porter at the ferry landing,” Lin Zhao said honestly. Although such a job might seem undignified to Chu Xihuan, it was the only one she could find at the moment. Most of the more respectable jobs required literacy, which she lacked.
Chu Xihuan was speechless.
She watched as Lin Zhao unnaturally twisted her neck, a clear sign that the work was not easy.
“That’s very tiring work,” Chu Xihuan said, her voice a little strained.
“I’m not afraid of being tired!” Lin Zhao replied immediately, presenting the sweet soup in her hand like a treasure. “I bought this for you. Want to try it? I bought it with the money I earned from carrying goods!”
Fortunately, the wages were paid daily, or she wouldn’t have been able to say that last part.
Chu Xihuan didn’t know what to feel. She put down the clothes she had almost finished altering, walked over to Lin Zhao, and gently brushed the remaining dust from her shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment.
The feeling of regret grew stronger.
If she hadn’t married Lin Zhao, she probably wouldn’t have had to work so hard.
“Why did you only buy one?” Chu Xihuan’s voice was a little quiet as she suppressed her regret. Now that they were married, saying anything about regret to Lin Zhao would probably be the most hurtful thing she could do.
“I already ate before I came back. This is specially for you,” Lin Zhao said with a happy smile, making it impossible to tell if she was lying.
Chu Xihuan looked at her for a moment, then looked away. “Don’t eat like that in the future. Buy it and we’ll eat together.”
Lin Zhao paused for a moment, then quickly nodded. “Okay! We’ll eat together next time!”
Chu Xihuan felt a little better. “The clothes are almost done,” she said to Lin Zhao. “Go and try them on. See if they fit.”
Lin Zhao immediately turned to look at the clothes, then down at herself, and then quickly walked out, saying urgently, “I’m all sweaty and dirty. I’ll take a bath first before I try them on!”
Chu Xihuan was speechless.
She found it a little amusing but still followed Lin Zhao out of the study, planning to wash her hands and try the sweet soup Lin Zhao had specially brought back for her.
Seeing Lin Zhao about to take a cold bath just to try on the clothes faster, Chu Xihuan’s brow twitched.
“Go and heat some water!” she said, her tone a little stern.
Lin Zhao was startled by her sudden severity, especially since the atmosphere between them had been so good just a moment ago.
Seeing Lin Zhao’s confused and even slightly hurt expression, Chu Xihuan pinched the bridge of her nose and said patiently, “It’s still a bit warm now, but you were sweating so much from working. Taking a cold bath will make you catch a cold.”
A cold might not seem like a big deal, but it could also be fatal.
Hearing this, Lin Zhao understood that she was concerned about her. The little bit of hurt she had felt instantly vanished, and she nodded with bright eyes. “Mm-hm, I’ll go heat the water now!”
With that, she quickly ran to the kitchen.
Chu Xihuan was speechless.
She smiled helplessly. Lin Zhao’s saving grace was her obedience. Otherwise, some of her actions would be truly unbearable.
After washing her hands, she returned to the study. A warmth spread through her as she looked at the grass jelly sweet soup Lin Zhao had brought back for her.
This person, even when she was out, still thought of her at home. And the money she had earned from such tiring work at the docks, she was willing to spend on something that would be considered a luxury for an ordinary family.
She scooped a spoonful of the sweet soup to her lips. The slightly sweet but not overly sweet taste whetted her appetite, and the cool, refreshing texture was even better. It was clear that after buying it, she had come straight home so that it wouldn’t get warm.
In the past, Chu Xihuan would never have considered such a bowl of sweet soup to be precious. But now, she slowly finished it, spoonful by spoonful.
Lin Zhao had worked so hard to buy this. It definitely couldn’t be wasted.
Chu Xihuan didn’t consider herself a very good person, but she couldn’t bring herself to trample on someone’s kindness.
After finishing the sweet soup, Chu Xihuan put the finishing touches on the clothes she was altering for Lin Zhao. Just then, Lin Zhao, having finished her bath, came in with her long, wet hair down, her steps hurried. It was clear how eager she was to try on the clothes.
Chu Xihuan’s gaze lingered on her wet hair for a moment before she handed her the clothes. “Try them on.”
Lin Zhao quickly took them. The moment she touched them, she could feel the difference between Chu Xihuan’s clothes and her own. The smooth, soft fabric felt comfortable in her hands, unlike the rough clothes she usually wore.
She was stunned. “S-such nice clothes, for me to wear?”
These clothes could be sold for money if they were taken outside!
Chu Xihuan finally couldn’t stand it anymore. She got up, brought a towel, and wrapped it around Lin Zhao’s wet hair. “I don’t have any worse clothes to give you.”
Although the County Magistrate’s assistant wasn’t a high-ranking official, he was still the second-in-command here. How bad could her clothes be? Not to mention that her mother owned many shops, and the monthly income was a large sum of money. She was never lacking in material possessions.
Lin Zhao pressed her lips together to suppress her joy, letting Chu Xihuan wrap her hair, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of closeness between them.
“Go on, go and change.” After fixing her hair, Chu Xihuan gave her a gentle push on the shoulder.
“Mm-hm!” Lin Zhao grinned and ran out with the clothes. If she weren’t so embarrassed, she would have wanted to change right there!
Chu Xihuan watched her leave, a dazed look on her face. She had thought this was a step of self-degradation out of spite, but she never expected it to be like this.
Thinking back now, she had indeed been too impulsive, to be angered by such a person and to do something so risky for them.
If she hadn’t chosen Lin Zhao, if Lin Zhao hadn’t been so pure and kind, would she truly not have had any regrets?
Chu Xihuan took a deep breath and stopped thinking about those meaningless things. Since that person had left without a word, and since she had chosen to marry Lin Zhao, they had both given up on that relationship.
Now, she was Lin Zhao’s wife, and she naturally needed to focus her energy on Lin Zhao and discover her good qualities.
Fortunately, Lin Zhao’s good qualities were not that hard to find.
“Xihuan! What do you think? Do I look good?”
Her voice preceded her, and then Lin Zhao’s figure appeared at the study door.
Chu Xihuan looked up, her gaze fixed.
The saying “clothes make the man” was indeed true. After getting rid of the unsightly rags, she looked like a completely different person in a clean, well-fitting outfit.
The green clothes were picky, but fortunately, Lin Zhao was not dark-skinned and was even quite fair. They suited her surprisingly well, like a vibrant little blade of grass.
Just like Lin Zhao herself.
“You look good,” Chu Xihuan said, stepping forward to adjust some details. “I’ll alter the hem later. It’s a bit long.”
Lin Zhao looked down. It wasn’t that much longer. “Is that necessary? It doesn’t affect my walking.”
Besides, if that bit of fabric was cut off, wouldn’t it be a waste?
Chu Xihuan found her reluctance a little amusing.
“Alright, then try to grow a little taller. That way, you can still wear it in the future, and it will fit even better.”
She should still be able to grow.
**
Author’s Note:
Zhaozhao: It would be a shame to cut it off. [Please][Please]
